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Contents 02.16
FEATURES / COVER STORIES
TENNISL
SPECIA
65
NET GAINS
Whether you’re being stymied by
anger demons, jelly-like nerves
or a lack of grunt in your sporting
power plays, all the fixes are in
our Australian Open package.
Cop the tips of the game’s greats
and rocket up life’s rankings.
BY DANIEL WILLIAMS
88
The Holy Trinity
of Muscle
Cranking up your training
means worshipping at the altar
of the Big Three moves. Amen.
BY DANIEL MASOLIVER
80
LIFE LONG
LESSONS
Find out how taking a model
approach to your health can
add years to your life.
BY TED LANE
96
Now That’s a Taco
What you’ve been calling a
taco is an insipid fraud. Our
man went to Mexico to bring
back intel on the real thing.
BY TODD KLIMAN
102
Detox Like a Man
Repair festive-season damage
without going anywhere near
a toxic-green smoothie.
BY DANIEL MASOLIVER
12
FEBRUARY 2016
14
EDITOR’S
S LETTER
16
GENIUS SOLUTIONS
S
18
ASK MH
23
PULSE
32
PERSONAL BEST
LOOK OUT FOR VIEWAENABLED PAGES MARKED
WITH THE VIEWA LOGO
THROUGHOUT THIS ISSUE.
GET THE VIEWA APP THEN
USE IT TO ACCESS FREE &
EXCLUSIVE MH CONTENT
ON YOUR PHONE.
113 ELITE
130 MH LIFE
138 GUY LIST
T
Mix and match
timeless items for
go-anywhere cred.
Sculpt killer summer
abs by turning your
training upside down.
Avoid falling victim
to nutrition myths.
Light is right when it
comes to our easy
warm-weather menu.
MH COVER GUY
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
CLIVE BRUNSKILL/
CONTOUR BY
GETTY IMAGES
FEBRUARY 2016
13
Ed’s Letter
Facebook
Twitter
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Men's Health Magazine Australia
@MensHealthAU
@MensHealthAU
The Regeneration Game
healthy lifestyle is
to step off the
binge-and-purge
merry-go-round.”
SUBSCRIBE TO MEN’S HEALTH
AND GET SIX ISSUES FOR JUST $18.
See page 110 for details.
Redemption is a soothing concept. The idea you can turn things
around with a spot of atonement is agreeable to say the least. Most
religions jumped on this bandwagon fairly sharpish. You’re not
necessarily doomed by your transgressions, they cry. Salvation
beckons for the penitent man.
Applied to the realm of health, this purification process
is manifested in the detox. Here is a way for you to absolve
your sins of gluttony and excess. A few clever tweaks to your
degenerate ways can give your liver an all-expenses-paid
holiday. The promise is again hugely seductive. The detox offers
an antidote to modern social lives that are, too often, over-fed
and marinated in booze.
There are just two problems with all this. The detox
principle is so alluring that it was quickly hijacked by all sorts
of hokey practices, from colonic irrigation to live-cell therapy.
Overexposure further diluted the message. Between FebFast,
Dry July and Ocsober, campaigns that spruik the benefits of
contractual abstinence now account for a quarter of the year.
Experts have since queued up to rubbish the detox mania.
Doctors pointed out that your liver and kidneys are already
designed to filter nasties from your body and it’s not possible to
accelerate this process.
We won’t argue with that. But what you can do is limit the
damage. Our story on page 80 looks at how you can create the
right circumstances to give your body a helping hand to overcome
festive over-indulgence.
Plus, it turns out a month-long booze sabbatical might also have
its advantages. A University College London study found that
people who gave up alcohol for four weeks lowered their blood
pressure and cholesterol, while also shedding kilos and improving
concentration and sleep. Encouraged by those results, our writer
went teetotal for a month (p38) to test if the claims stacked up.
Obviously, the best bet for a healthy lifestyle is to step off the
binge-and-purge merry-go-round. Otherwise a self-enforced spell
on the sidelines may not prove such a bad idea.
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Luke Benedictus
Twitter: @LukeBenedictus
Email:
[email protected]
WANT TO LOSE YOUR GUT AND BUILD
BEACH-READY ABS? YOU’LL FIND
MORE WORKOUTS, RECIPES AND
GREAT FITNESS TIPS IN YOUR BEST
BODY EVER, ON SALE NOW.
14
FEBRUARY 2016
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Genius Solutions
OUR ADVISORY
BOARD
Expert advice from
Nikki Goldstein, BSocSc
(Psych), PG Dip (Couns), DHS
1
TREAT YOUR
PARTNER
GENERAL &
EMERGENCY
MEDICINE
• Hugo Gemal,
2
BM BS BMedSci (Hons)
NEUROLOGY &
SPORTS MEDICINE
• Richard Parkinson,
TOUCH AND
ADORE
BMedSC (Hons), MBBS, FRACS
3
“Outer play always
works well. It might
sound strange to
refrain from
intercourse, but often
we’re in such a rush we
skip the fun parts. I
love to spend time just
kissing and touching
without the pressure of
performance and
penetration. It’s about
feeling connected, and
that connection can be
a real turn-on and take
things to a new level.”
4
MENTAL HEALTH
• Gordon Parker, MB BS, MD,
DSc, FRANZCP, FASSA
DERMATOLOGY
• Chris Baker,
MBBS, FACD
DENTISTRY
• Markijan Hupalo,
BDSc, MDSc (Pros)
SEX & RELATIONSHIPS
• Nikki Goldstein, BSocSc
CTA, FAIM, ATIA, AFA, AFP,
MFAA, RTA
Reignite the Passion
There inevitably comes a time in a sexual relationship
when the flame flickers – the heat dims, the romance
fades. Major downer. But the good news: this phase is
normal and most definitely salvageable, says sexologist
and relationship expert Nikki Goldstein. “It’s not the end
of the world and your response shouldn’t always be
about getting it back, but rather creating something new
and different,” she says. “You need to put the same
amount of effort into your relationships as you do the
other most important aspects of your life.”
“I find that being stuck
in a rut in the bedroom
can correlate with
other areas in life.
Often doing
something different
that is non-sexual and
having fun with a
partner can bring back
a bit of spark. When I
laugh and feel happy
with someone, it can
transform into
positive feelings in
the bedroom.”
“Talking can work
wonders. It might
sound boring, but
being able to tell a
partner what you need,
and what you’d like to
try more of, helps
things go in the right
direction. It also brings
a heightened level of
intimacy. When I feel I
can talk to someone
about my desires, I feel
the freedom to relax,
which is when
fireworks happen.”
TRAINING
• Chief Brabon
Dip(MT), CFMT, CTAC, CAC
• Cameron Byrnes,
Adv Dip (A&P), Adv Dip (F)
• Greg Joujon-Roche,
NCCPT
• Ray Klerck,
Cert PT (UK)
• Greg Stark,
BSc (Ex&SpSc)
CAREER
• Darryl Cross,
FAPs, FAIM, PCC, GAICD
FOOD & NUTRITION
• Luke Hines, IIN health coach
• Daniel Churchill, MeS, Bsm
• Jacqueline Alwill,
Adv Dip Nut Med, B Bus, B Arts
TORCH YOUR CHICKEN LEGS
GO DIY FOR PROTEIN
FIGHT THE BITE
Calves can be a no-grow zone. When
it comes to developing killer calves,
the same principles apply as when
trying to pack on muscle to other
parts of the body: time under tension,
high volume and isolation are critical.
Bonus tip: vary your toe position when
doing leg presses (toes in, toes out) to
work different areas of your calves.
Protein supplements can help turn
your workouts into muscle, but can
hurt your wallet. Remember, eggs are
a complete source of protein, so
crack a few into the blender. Mix in a
banana, berries, some Greek yoghurt,
a dash of honey and a pinch of
cinnamon and you have a cheap,
homemade, high-protein shake.
In their mildest form spider bites
cause only minor skin irritation. More
serious venomous bites can cause
neurological and cardiorespiratory
compromise. Bites from large black
spiders are often the most serious:
immediately apply a pressure
bandage and immobilise, then seek
medical attention.
GREGSTARK
MH
H fitness adviser and
founder of Better Being
personal training
FEBRUARY 2016
FRACS (Orth), MB, BS
WEALTH
• Yianni Tsimopoulos,
CHAT UP
A STORM
16
MBBS, FRACS, FAOrthA
• Nick Vertzyas,
(Psych), PG Dip (Couns), DHS
LAUGH A
LITTLE
TWO-SECOND
LIFESAVERS
ORTHO PA EDICS
• Nigel Hope,
DANCHURCHILL
MH Nutrition Guy and
author of DudeFood
DRHUGOGEMAL
Emergency medicine
doctor, St Vincent’s
Hospital, Sydney
ILLUSTRATIONS: CHANTEL DE SOUSA / ILLUSTRATION ROOM
“Spoiling my partner
with all of his favourite
things can really help
set the mood, but it’s
not just about sex. It
might be his favourite
meal and bottle of
wine, followed by a
massage or spa bath
together. It’s just a
night to spoil him
rotten – and, of course,
hoping I will get spoilt
in return.”
•
O U T
O F
O F F I C E
C A L I B R E . C O M . AU
•
Ask
MH
LIFE QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Q I’m a big fan of the long lunch.
Can I make the French paradox work for me?
While topping off your steak frites
with a slab of roquefort and a bottle of
bordeaux might not sound like the heart
surgeon’s lunch of choice, it’s true that our
gourmandising French friends do have a
distinctly low incidence of cardiovascular
disease. C’est formidable, non?
Well, not quite. In fact, it mostly
stands to reason: fat’s purported impact
on cholesterol levels is now seen as
something of a red herring and scientists
are even researching its health benefits.
18
FEBRUARY 2016
THREE MORE WAYS TO SAVE
YOUR HEART WITH YOUR GUT
RW
Moreover, a recent Journal of Agricultural
and Food Chemistry study found that
cheese causes your gut to produce the
chemical butyrate, which actually lowers
heart-disease risk. We’ve said it before and
we’ll carry on saying it: grease is the word.
As for the wine, as long as you’re keeping it
française and drinking while you eat, then
the health risk is somewhat mitigated.
So the apparent “paradox” isn’t quite so
antithetical, after all. In short: there’s no
need to fear the menu dégustation.
DU PAIN KILLER
Load up on carbs. A Journal of
Nutrition study found a wholegrainbased evening meal increases levels of
butyrate the next morning.
SWIMMING IN BUTTER
Swap out plant oils such as
sunflower: these generate heart-harming
aldehydes. Butter, however, increases
heart-protective probiotics.
CRY ME A RIVER
You’re probably au fait with onion’s
heart-saving properties, but it’s also a
source of prebiotic inulin for a healthy
gut balance.
Q I’m constantly tired no
matter whether I’ve had
four hours of sleep or nine.
What’s wrong with me? MS
When you’re between the sheets,
it’s all about quality, not quantity.
Grabbing eight hours is irrelevant
if your sleep more closely
resembles a screaming baby than
a log. Issues such as sleep
apnoea can cause fitful slumber,
but even sound sleepers can
wake up feeling groggy if their
timing is out. When your alarm
clock rips you out of a deep phase
you can wake up “sleep drunk”
– a state of confusion akin to
necking a few too many,
according to Stanford University.
Thankfully, for a pittance you can
download the Sleep Cycle app to
your smartphone. It analyses
shut-eye and wakes you up in
your lightest phase.
Q Apple Watch or fitness
tracker – which is the
smarter investment to
RC
make right now?
For now, at least, we’d say both.
Apple’s gadget, natty though it is,
makes more sense in the office
than it does in the gym, not least
because you can do without
email pings from the boss when
you’re straining under a barbell.
The first generation of
smartwatches is geared towards
constant connectivity rather than
building a better body, so don’t yet
compare to dedicated fitness
trackers if you’re after the kind of
feedback that will improve your
performance. Apps such as
Strava Running are increasing
smartwatches’ firepower, but
they’re of little use if you prefer
shifting tin to pounding pavement.
It won’t stay this way: Apple has
built its watch and the develope
ers
will come. But fitness-wise, it’s n
not
the finished article yet.
Q Why, when I’m happily
married, do I sometimes
fantasise about divorce? MW
When a man is happy with his
partner but still thinks about
untying the knot, something other
than the marriage – his job or
finances, perhaps – may be
causing strain, says relationship
therapist Jared DeFife.
Subconsciously you may be
conflating your marriage with
those problems because your
wife personifies the stressful
responsibilities in your life: ditch
her and you ditch them. Even
though it’s all happening in your
mind, the eventual result could
be marital discord. “You may
disconnect from your partner
instead of asking her for help,”
DeFife says. So talk to her! Then
defuse the fantasy by playing it
out in your head: imagine you two
split up but everything else
stayed the same – the psycho
boss, the tanking portfolio. Things
still suck, right? Good. You just
closed the psychological escape
hatch. Now you can deal with
your real problems.
Q I know I get enough sodium
in my diet, so why do I
sometimes crave salt? DD
That hankering is all in your head.
The amount of sodium in the
average Western diet far exceeds
that needed for survival, says
Marcia Pelchat, a researcher at
the Monell Chemical Senses
Centre. Over time, the excess
may cause changes in areas of
your brain associated with
motivation and pleasure,
including a region that’s been
implicated in drug addiction.
While you could just go cold
turkey, weaning yourself off
sodium can also work: studies
show that reducing sodium
intake by 30-50 per cent can
reduce salt cravings within 2-3
months. To help resist the
hankering for salt when you’re
eating at home, keep some
oregano within reach. In a
University of São Paulo study,
people who initially opted for a
salty piece of French bread later
preferred a low-sodium slice
seasoned with the herb.
Q Did men have six-packs thousands
of years ago?
TM
YEP. But they weren’t holding planks; they were
throwing spears and swinging clubs on weeklong
expeditions for mastodon meat. Huntergatherers’ activity levels were as extreme as
those of today’s semi-pro athletes, says Danny
Longman, a postdoctoral fellow in anthropology
at the University of Cambridge. Then there’s
the food that fuelled these epic forays: on a
good day, our ancestors consumed about 8000
kilojoules from fresh lean meat, fish, nuts,
vegetables and fruit. Not on the menu: grains,
dairy and all the stuff we find in processed foods
today, including extra sodium, added sugars
and trans fats. That’s the inspiration behind
today’s paleo diet. In a Dutch study at the Louis
Bolk Institute, obese people who followed a
paleo-style plan shed three centimetres of waist
circumference after just two weeks, all without
having to track and kill their dinner. So cavemen
weren’t looking for a six-pack – it found them. >
FEBRUARY 2016
19
Ask The Girl Next Door
SEX, DATING, LOVE AND GOING “DOWN TOWN”.
ALICE TRELOAR WILL NOW TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS
Ah yes, I do believe the
11th commandment
was “Know thy body and
dress accordingly”. But
few fellas follow this rule.
As the question goes, if
a tree falls in a forest and
no one is there to hear it,
does it make a sound? A
similar concept could
apply to guys’ dress
choices: if you don’t
wear a tight tee, was that
last HIIT session worth
it? But unless you look
like Adam Scott, I’d give
up the grip, SW. Or at
least wear a shirt on top.
If a girl really wants to
see what lies beneath,
she’ll find a way.
Q Come summer, the girls in my
office dress pretty foxily. Is that for
the guys’ benefit or are they
competing with one another? CW
NO DEAL, Eddy. I’d like to lock in C: we dress
for ourselves. As flattering as it’d be to hear that
we wake up each morning conjuring up fashion
sexy enough to rate as water-cooler fodder, we
don’t. Most gals are motivated by more pressing
factors, like what makes them feel good, what’s
already ironed, or what’s quickest to throw on
after smearing peanut butter down the front
of our frock. And this theory you have about
female colleagues harbouring deep-seated
competitive resentments for one another?
Ditch it. Sure, there’ll be exceptions to the rule,
but most women are sensible enough to wear
what they want and hold down meaningful
relationships with their workmate maidens.
Q Would a woman
really care if I didn’t
go down on her? I
don’t have a clue
what I’m doing. GC
It’s a tricky skill to master,
but do us a favour, GC:
ask for help. Four simple
words: “What do you
like?” Most girls will be
thrilled with your
consideration, especially
if it means we get to
bypass someone blindly
bashing around down
there. Post Q&A session,
practise, practise,
practise. When you do
travel south, remember
that the big O won’t
always be the ultimate
outcome. As John Mayer
once mused, our bodies
are wonderlands, so
have fun exploring.
Q After shedding 10
kilos with CrossFit, I
can’t help notice my
girlfriend’s generous
proportions. Hints
aren’t working. Are we
AK
doomed?
Few people like to hear
they’ve blossomed, AK.
But I get it – you’re riding
the health train and your
lady is stuck on the
platform. But be gentle
and think back to you
pre-CrossFit lack of
motivation. Well, that’s
probably a reflection of
her headspace. Help her
find a reason to get in
shape that resonates
deeper than your
preferences. If she’s
intrinsically motivated to
get moving, voluntary
burpees will follow.
Q Dinner? Movie?
Tenpin bowling?
What do you reckon
is the best bet for a
AG
first date?
Pick something where
you’ll be comfortable,
AG. Taking her rock
climbing may appear
adventurous, but it’s not
going to work if you
climb like a horse. Then
try to incorporate her
likes into the plan. She
mentioned her love of
the beach? Go for a
stand-up paddle. But
skip the movies. First, it’s
dark. Where’s the fun in
looking at a silhouette
for two hours? Second,
you can’t talk. And last,
why pay for screen time
when you can “Netflix
and chill”?
GIVE A RISKY
COMPLIMENT
Here’s how to talk up
her hot spots – without
making her feel like a
piece of meat
HER BELLY
“Avoid it altogether,”
says Paul Hokemeyer, a
marriage and family
therapist. “Focus on the
belly button instead.
Tell her you find hers to
be a total turn-on.”
HER BREASTS
“Whether they’re
natural or not,
you never want to
fetishise them,” says
Hokemeyer. “Talk
about how perfect
they are for her body
– which, by the way, is
smoking hot.”
HER BUM
“Think of it as being
like a dessert you’re
craving,” Hokemeyer
says. “Describe it in
terms of how appealing
it is: sweet, delicious
and irresistible.”
HER THIGHS
“Whatever you do, say
nothing about their
size,” says Hokemeyer.
“That’s a sure way to
bomb. Talk about how
they feel – especially
their smoothness.”
Got a question for Ask Men’s Health or The Girl Next Door? Email menshealth@pacificmags.com.au or head to yahoo7.com.au/menshealth
20
FEBRUARY 2016
PHOTOGRAPHY: APIX SYNDICATION. MODEL SHOWN IN IMAGE IS NOT RELATED TO NOR ENDORSES THIS FEATURE
Q I like to wear T-shirts
that grip like a boa
constrictor. Am I trying
SW
too hard?
Only pick the best. We do.
Fuel
Fabulous
With tailored nutrition
advice from an Accredited
Practising Dietitian
DOUBLE-CHIN FEATURE
PHOTOGRAPHY: LEVI BROWN
Munching like a mindless zombie?
Your movie choice may be to blame
for your buttered-popcorn binge.
A study at Beirut’s Lebanese
American University found
thrillers and horror flicks were
more likely than romances
and comedies to bring on
viewers’ cravings for salty, fatty
snacks. Blame the stress triggered
by action-packed films: it causes the
release of cortisol, which increases
your desire for these types of
foods, explains Aner Tal, of Cornell
University’s Food and Brand Lab. If
you must munch, buy a child-size
popcorn: small portions of a snack
can be just as satisfying as servings
with seven times the kilojoules,
according to research from Cornell.
PULSE
NEWS THAT IMPROVES YOU
24
26
28
30
HEALTH
NUTRITION
SEX
FITNESS
FEBRUARY 2016
23
PULSE
health
SLOW THE BEAT
Don’t be among the quick and the
dead. Having a fast resting heart rate
may raise your risk of type 2 diabetes,
research in the International Journal
of Epidemiology suggests. People
who clocked in at 88 beats per
minute had a 73 per cent higher
risk of developing the disease
than those with slower tickers. A
speedier resting heart rate
signals increased sympathetic
nervous system activity,
which can mess with insulin
regulation. Other studies
show that eight weeks
of high-intensity interval
training can lower a high
resting heart rate by
13 per cent.
“SIRI, AM I DEPRESSED?”
45
PERCENTAGE OF
MEN WHO
(INCORRECTLY)
BELIEVE THEY
CAN TRAIN
THEMSELVES TO
NEED LESS
SLEEP.
It’s the new mood ring: your
phone could tell you if you’re
at risk from the black dog of
depression, a study from
Northwestern University
reveals. The more time
people spent using their
mobile, the greater
their odds of
developing the
condition. They may
be relying on the
device as a way to
withdraw, the
scientists say.
Sound like your MO?
Help is available at
beyondblue.org.au
or headspace.org.au.
SOURCE: THE BETTER
SLEEP COUNCIL
24
FEBRUARY 2016
Career Kil
lers
Work stre
ss can leav
deceased
, a UK stud e you disgruntled .
. . and
y found. H
that await
ere are
– take
MH to put note and use the tip the pitfalls
a stress-b
s
usting plan throughout
in place.
INCREAS
ED RISK
F RO M J O
B STRAIN
CO
RONARY ISC
HAEMIC
HEART
STROKE
DISEASE
TYPE 2
DIABETES
CHRONIC
OBSTRUCTIVE
PULMONARY
DISEASE (COPD)
34%
24%
15%
SO UR CE : CU
RR EN T CA RD
IOLOGY RE PO
10%
RT S
Are you putting up with pain that
doesn’t go away? It may be nerve pain.
It can feel like:
ELECTRIC
SHOCKS
BURNING
FREEZING
OR NUMBING
SHARP OR
STABBING
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR
ABOUT NERVE PAIN
AND GO TO NERVEPAIN.COM.AU
Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd. 38–42 Wharf Road, West Ryde, NSW 2114.
Medical Information: 1800 675 229. PP-LYR-AUS-0191 S&H 11/15 PFILY1200/MH/FP
PINS AND
NEEDLES
Scan here for
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on nerve pain
PULSE
nutrition
KEEP THE FIRE BURNING
Eating spicy food may help you live
longer, reports the Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences. People who
tucked into fiery meals
three or more days a
week reduced their risk
of premature death by
14 per cent compared
with those who ate hot
foods less than once
a week, the study
found. The possible
reason: capsaicin,
the key source of
chillies’ heat, may
help regulate
cardiovascular
function and
metabolism,
protecting
against heart
disease and type
2 diabetes.
BURNAFTERREADING
Help your health by dousing dinner with this capsaicin-packed chilli sauce
Eat this,
live to 100!
INGREDIENTS
2 CUPS
WATER
PERCENTAGE
DROP IN THE
ODDS OF
LARYNGEAL
CANCER AMONG
PEOPLE WHO
CONSUMED THE
MOST LYCOPENE
(SO EAT MORE
TOMATOES AND
GRAPEFRUIT)
3 Strain through a
fine-mesh sieve into
a lidded container.
2 Remove from heat,
allow to cool, pour
into a blender and
blitz until smooth.
TWEAK IT
Desire more fire? Fan the
flames by adding one or
two habanero chillies.
FEBRUARY 2016
½ TSP SALT
DY
DO THIS
1 Combine all the
ingredients in a
medium pan and
boil for five minutes.
SOURCE: CANCER
EPIDEMIOLOGY,
BIOMARKERS &
PREVENTION
26
1 PEELED
+ 1 CUP WHITE + 10 JALAPEÑOS, +
+
VINEGAR
DICED
GARLIC CLOVE
NAMIC D
UO
EGG + RAW
VEGETABLE
Eat your gr
S
eens with
times
eggs
the di
to ab
American sease-fighting caro sorb 3-8
Journal of
tenoids, an
Clinical N
suggests.
utritio
The author
s say the fa n study
yolks help
ts
your body
digest caro in egg
compoun
tenoid
ds. Top a
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lad
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, or stuff an with hardomelette
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caps
and tomat icum
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THE GEL COMFORT
SENSATION THAT
KEEPS YOU GOING
PULSE
Fretting about premature
ejaculation? Oh, come now. A
Valparaiso University study
suggests that men with PE can
be hard on themselves, which
makes the problem worse. The
causes of PE are not well
understood, and that lack of
info can be frustrating. Talking
about your anxieties can help,
the study authors say; partners
see this as a sign of courage.
SEX
TAME YOUR TIGER
TALL GUYS WIN
THE SACK RACE
New research supports the
theory that women prefer
taller guys; the greater the
stature, the more sexual
partners men had.
Average number of partners
12
GET
IT
WHILE
IT’S
HOT
Little wonder couples are forever trying to
“reignite the passion”. A study from Ludwig
Maximilian University found that
sexual satisfaction in relationships
peaks just 12 months in. The study,
of 3000 people aged between 25
and 41, asked participants to rank
their sex lives at multiple stages
of the relationship. Researchers
found the main cause of
decreasing sexual
activity is domestic
discord in the form
of spats and
arguments. They
speculated that 12
months marked a
time when lovers
had learned each
other’s needs in the
bedroom while still feeling
mutually besotted.
9
15
7.5
- 16
2.5
c
16 m
5-1
7
0
17
2.5 cm
-17
7.5
c
18 m
0-1
85
18
7.5 cm
-19
2.5
cm
6
HEIGHT
SOURCE: EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
WEIRDSCIENCE THAT WORKS
Apply It Three or four weekly
sex sessions cleared stones for
many guys in two weeks. In
agony right now? It’s a doc, not
a romp, you need, and quickly!
28
FEBRUARY 2016
13
PERCENTAGE OF
35- TO
44-YEAR-OLD
WOMEN WHO’VE
HAD A SEXUAL
RELATIONSHIP
WITH A MAN
FIVE YEARS
THEIR JUNIOR
SOURCE: JOURNAL
OF MARRIAGE
AND FAMILY
PHOTOGRAPHY: APIX SYNDICATION
The Finding In a study at
Ankara Training and Research
Hospital, romps in the sack
relieved stones in the ureter
(that’d be the duct leading from
your kidney to your bladder) in
84 per cent of men. (Medication
worked for 48 per cent.) Sex
may stimulate nerve endings
that relax the ureter so stones
can descend to your bladder.
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STRETCH YOUR LIMITS
PULSE
FITNES
Big distance race coming up? Dynamic stretching immediately
beforehand can improve your endurance. Male runners who
performed a series of stretches before training ran significantly
further before reaching exhaustion than they did in a different
session where they didn’t pre-stretch, reported the Journal of
Strength and Conditioning Research. That stamina, plus better
mechanics, can enhance your running economy and cut injury
risk, says P.J. Newton, founder of Strategic Athlete. Enrol in a
functional training program, like CrossFit Endurance or F45,
then use the tips below for your half-marathon.
WHAT WINNERS KNOW
TUNEUPYOURPACE
Listen to music during a
race. You’ll tend to match
your cadence to the beat,
say scientists at Ghent
University. (Try the Spotify
app’s running mode, which
matches music to your
preferred pace.) Music also
releases natural pain
blockers and lowers
perceived effort.
Percentage reduction
in default stride length
that reduces
with patello-femoral
ee) pain.
BEFORE THE RACE
14
DAYS
7
DAYS
2
HOURS
Do a Dry Run
Start at race time and
eat and drink as planned.
You don’t have to do
the full 21 kilometres,
says Newton.
Prehydrate
Give your innards a
thorough soaking
– down 32.5 millilitres of
water per kilo of body
weight every day.
Carb Load Wisely
Eat 1.1 grams of carbs
per kilo of body weight.
In a University of
Minnesota study, this
helped novices
finish faster.
DURING THE RACE
1-8
KM
5+
KM
19
KM
30
Tail a Woman
Women pace better, a
study in the Journal of
Strength & Conditioning
Research found. Chase
one going at your goal
speed to avoid folding
later, says Newton.
Sip Smarter
Old rule: if you
wait until you’re
thirsty to drink,
then it’s too late.
New rule:
drinking just
when you’re
thirsty is fine.
Finish Strong
Exhaustion starts in
your head. Set a small
goal, such as passing
one person in front of
you; then set another.
FEBRUARY 2016
SCIENCE IN SPOR
URNAL OF MEDICI
022/16
PERSONAL
STYLING: JEFF LACK; HAIR AND MAKEUP: CRAIG BEAGLEHOLE
BEST
Happy daze: McManus
epitomises a
glass-half-full
attitude to life.
32
FEBRUARY 2016
WALK
THE
TALK
Rove McManus has risen to
the top of the dog-eat-dog
worlds of television and radio
with a smile on his face. Find
out how you can make optimism
your default setting, too
[ BY A ARON SCOT T
PHOTOGR A PH Y BY JASON
IERACE ]
ROVE MCMANUS IS A HAPPY GUY. His
wife, actor Tasma Walton, often tells him he’s
“annoyingly glass-half-full”. And it’s true. Sit
down with the man, shoot the shit for an hour or
two, and you quickly realise there’s a quality of
wide-eyed wonder to him. He’s relentlessly
optimistic, always ready to be thrilled. And, no,
it’s not the fabricated positivity you often see
celebrities desperately trying to radiate. For
Rove, optimism is a natural response, worldweariness as foreign to him as Swahili.
An example: in November last year, the
breakfast crew at 2DayFM decided to give their
new host a surprise. Knowing Rove was a rabid
Doctor Who fan, they secretly organised an
interview with British actor Peter Capaldi. Now,
for Rove – a man who’s spent the past 15 years
interviewing the cream of the entertainment
industry, gleefully jousting with megastars like
David Attenborough, Robin Williams, David
Bowie and Gordon Ramsay – it would be easy
to shrug his shoulders and crack a wan smile at
this little “surprise”. But when Capaldi emerged
at the window of the studio, kitted out in a black
suit and dark sunglasses, Rove exploded out of
his seat. “Holy . . . What!” he screamed,
clutching his hands to head. “Oh my God!”
FEBRUARY 2016
33
IF YOUR FIRST GIG’S GRE
THAT’S A BAD THING . . .
YOU THINK YOU’VE GOT IT
your first gig’s great, that’s a bad thing because
you think you’ve got it, you think making people
laugh’s a piece of piss. Then, when you do
badly, you crumble. But if you do badly straight
up, then you know what it’s like. And when you
do start to develop your confidence, it can be
almost impossible to shake it.”
And for Rove, with that confidence came
something even more significant . . .
INTEGRITY TRUMPS SUCCESS
Was it a performance? Histrionics for the
sake of good radio? Rove bridles at the
suggestion: “I was so excited I was close to
tears! In the 15 years I’ve been in this job, I’ve
never met anyone who’s had anything to do
with Doctor Who. So to meet the current
Doctor Who? I lost my mind.” He glances over
his shoulder at the window where he saw
Capaldi, then says with feeling: “I’d hate to get
so jaded that I’d experience something like that
and go, ‘Oh yeah, that’s cool. Thanks.’”
Thing is, if anyone has a right to be jaded,
it’s McManus. Here’s a man who ruled
Australian television for close to a decade; a
man who’s achieved single-name stardom.
He’s conquered his home country and
expanded his frontiers in the US. He’s won
three Gold Logies and worked The Tonight
Show. He’s suffered the death of his first wife,
Belinda Emmett, in the blinding glare of the
media and rebuilt his life with Walton with
cameras again hovering around every corner.
And he still loses his mind at meeting the
new Doctor Who.
How do you retain such unflagging
positivity? Amid the day-to-day stresses of
life – parking fines and tax returns, utility bills
and traffic jams – how do you resist that
seemingly inevitable slide to apathy?
LET FAILURE BURNISH, NOT BREAK
Comedy has always enthralled Rove.
Growing up in Perth, he was transfixed by
Looney Tunes cartoons. In his teens he
became a self-confessed “comedy nerd”,
trawling through the shelves of his local video
shop for stand-up routines from favourites
like Ben Elton, Billy Connolly and Alexei Sayle.
34
FEBRUARY 2016
After finishing school, he started a casual job
at a bottle shop. It was drowsy work and he
wiled away the afternoons scribbling down
comedy sketches with his mates. When they’d
filled their scrapbook, they began knocking on
the doors of local comedy clubs.
“Now, you need a certain level of confidence
for stand-up,” says Rove. “And if comedy’s not
to your absolute core, if you don’t have a real
belief in what you can do, then stand-up will
bash that confidence out of you very quickly.”
Exhibit A: his first gig in the upstairs bar at a
pool hall called Pockets in Perth’s inner west.
Rove tosses his head back and laughs:
“Normally, if you die on stage, it’s crickets.
Well, we had talking. Silence means they’re at
least paying attention – they just don’t like it.
Talking means you’ve completely lost them.
That was our first gig . . . But you learn to
galvanise yourself.”
And learning to galvanise yourself, in Rove’s
estimation, means gritting your teeth and
re-entering the fray. So he went back behind
the microphone. He tried different sketches,
new material. Gradually people started to
laugh. And as the laughter rolled in, his instincts
sharpened. He learned what lines to push hard;
he developed the confidence to deliver with
gusto. The laughter grew louder. He packed a
suitcase and headed east to Australia’s
comedy capital, Melbourne. The laughs kept
coming. After two years working Melbourne’s
stand-up circuit, he was talent-spotted and
offered a slot presenting his own talk show
on the city’s community television station,
Channel 31. Doors were opening.
But for Rove, it was that first withering failure
in the upstairs bar at Pockets that underscored
those years of stand-up success. “In comedy, if
Rove toiled away in virtual anonymity on
Channel 31 for two years before finally being
scouted by a commercial station. He was
summoned into the station’s headquarters
where a producer called him into his office
and offered him a minor hosting role. Rove
shrugged his shoulders and told him he
wasn’t particularly interested.
The producer raised his eyebrows: “What do
you want to do?”
“I want to do what I’m doing on Channel 31,”
replied Rove, “but maybe in front of an audience
that, you know, gets into triple figures.”
The producer made what Rove remembers
to be a “scoffing noise” and said: “Well, other
than hosting your own national talk show, what
do you want to do?”
Without missing a beat, Rove replied:
“Nothing.”
So he walked out without a job and returned
to the anonymity of Channel 31. In a realm
where breaks are as rare as diamond dust, it
was a bold, perhaps foolish move. But
according to Rove, clinging to your professional
ideals is crucial to finding meaning in your
work. “For me, it wasn’t about being famous;
it wasn’t I-want-to-be-seen-and-I-don’t-carewhat-the-vehicle-is. It was about doing
something that I love doing, something that I
care about, that I was proud to do. And if that
meant doing it on Channel 31, then so be it.”
It would be another year before Channel 9
offered him his own talk show. He smiles and
shakes his head at the memory of walking into
the Melbourne studio for the first time: “I mean,
this is the home of Bert Newton, Graham
Kennedy, all the big names. We couldn’t
believe we were there. We were a bunch of
kids who’d been given the keys to the studio
and told to lock up when you leave.”
TACTICS
Even in such storied surrounds, however,
Rove and his team set themselves a simple brief:
make a show that they would want to watch. “We
didn’t put any thought into the question: is this
going to be popular? And that was a good thing.
If you worry too much about pleasing the
masses, you’ll never succeed. All you can do is
do what you want to do, be proud of it, and that
will produce the best product possible.”
TALKYOURWAYTOTHETOP
Caught in the lift with the boss? Stuck
chatting to the bloke with a combover at the party? Employ Rove’s
strategy to ensure the conversation
flows like water – or wine
1
LET THEM TALK
“People like talking about themselves,”
says Rove. “So don’t fall into the trap of
making the conversation about you. If you
make it about them, you’ll have to do very
little heavy lifting.”
2
FIND THE QUIRK
“The key is to find that one interesting
thing about them – then milk it for all it’s
worth. You’ve got to find a quirk, a passion,
an interesting job, and get them to expand
on it. I once had a very long chat with
someone who was a chicken sexer.”
3
NOD ON CUE
“You don’t have to be interested, but
at least try to look interested. By the end of
my conversation with the chicken sexer, I
was genuinely interested in chicken sexing
– although the chicken sexer wasn’t a
genuinely interesting person.”
GROOVE YOUR HAPPINESS
Rove’s self-titled variety show lasted only a
single season at 9 before moving to what
would become home at Channel 10. There, it
struck a rich vein of gold. For a full decade it
ruled the evening ratings, pulling in five
Logies while launching the careers of Peter
Helliar, Carrie Bickmore, Hamish Blake, Andy
Lee and Corinne Grant. But at the end of the
2009 season, with the show still riding high,
Rove pulled the classic leave-’em-wantingmore tactic and wrapped it up. It was a
decision, he insists, that was based entirely
on gut instinct. “I have this internal compass
that seems to pull me in a certain direction.
And when I feel it, I follow it, because it’s
never been wrong. Ever.” It was this same
“internal compass” that pointed him to the US
in 2010. “I wanted to see what people were
doing there,” he says. “I wanted new ideas, I
wanted to feel creatively replenished.”
He would end up spending five years in the
States – a period of time that included stunning
coups and glaring failures. Chief among the
victories was a regular slot on The Tonight
Show – a fact that still causes him to widen his
eyes in amazement. “I mean, The Tonight
Show has become its own genre. So the fact
that I got to walk out on that set and hear my
own name . . . yeah, that’s something that’s still
kind of hard to take in.” But his five years
stateside ended with the inglorious demise of
Riot, a game show hosted by McManus and
produced by Steve Carrell that died a quick
death after suffering anaemic ratings.
Now that he’s back in Australia, happily
ensconced in his new role at 2DayFM, how
does he look back on those years in the US?
Success or failure? For the first time in an hour of
rambling conversation, he’s momentarily quiet.
He looks down at his hands, choosing his words
carefully. “Look, I probably could’ve wrung a
little more out of the sponge if I’d stayed there
longer. But I’m very happy being home.”
It’s pure Rove: lock on to the positives, skim
over the negatives. For him, optimism is a habit
to be grooved, positivity a skill to be honed. “No
matter what you do,” he says, “you have to focus
on the positives. Sometimes I think people
worry too much about what they’re not doing, so
they don’t enjoy what they are doing, and they
don’t do that thing to the best of their ability.”
A simple statement. Facile, even. But the way
Rove says it, with such emphasis in his voice,
you know there’s truth to it.
FEBRUARY 2016
35
MUSCLE +
FITNESS
TURN YOUR SIX-PACK
TH
EXEE BEST
YOU RCIS
E
’R
DOI E NOT
NG
By using an MMA training tech
hnique, you can choke ou
ut flab in
no time. The triangle headstan
nd will reshape your core
e, keeping
you fighting fit whatever your d
discipline
For those of you whose summer six-pack
development is going so well you’re currently
holding a plank while flicking through this mag,
you might just need a new challenge.
Part “broga” move, part MMA warm-up, the
triangle headstand is a full-body workout that will
have your abs tapping out long before the
session’s up. Master this move and you’ll
strengthen your core stabiliserss and the muscles
in your neck, while also working
g the erectors that
protect your spine during exertion. All up, that
means an injury-proof back – ringside or poolside.
Looking to add some heavyw
weight muscle? You
also get a shoulder workout worthy of any barbell
complex as your delts go all outt to support you.
“Face down, arse up” is your new gym mantra.
ARSE UP
A
S
Shift
your weight
onto your arms as
o
yyour feet leave the
floor one at a time.
Push your arms into
P
the ground, bend at
the knees and
tense your core.
SET UP
WHAT
YOU’LL
GAIN
36
A KNOCKOUT
SIX-PACK
FEBRUARY 2016
FACE DO
OWN
Easy? Get re
eady to
turn it up. Pla
ace the
crown of you
ur head
between your arms,
then “walk” in as far
as you can, so you
finish on tiptoes.
YOGI-E SQUE
BALAN
NCE
STEADY ON
S
Y
You’re
into the final
round: slowly
extend your legs
e
and hold the
a
position for 10
p
breaths. Reverse
b
the process to
return to the
starting position.
REINFORCED BACK
AND SHOULDERS
A NEW PARTY
TRICK
PHOTOGRAPHY: PHIL HAYNES
Practise next to a
n
wall at first. Kneel on
ur
a gym mat, with you
or
forearms on the floo
in a triangle shape,
fingers interlocked.
ANTIPERSPIRANT DEODORANT
ACTIVATED BY MOVEMENT
MOTIONSENSE™
IN ACTION
FRAGRANCE
LOCKED INSIDE
MICROCAPSULES
FRICTION
BREAKS
SEAL
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fragrance oil inside a shell made from a gelatine crosspolymer. These microscopic capsules are
insoluble in water and only break open with friction, giving a little burst of fragrance as you move.
LAST
DRINKS!
Too much alcohol ages you, depletes
vitamins and packs on the flab.
Our man finds out if 28 days on the
wagon can cancel out the damage
SUBJECT
PROFILE
NAME D a r y l e K n i g h t , 3 1
JOB Finance Manager
GOAL Lose weight and look
younger by giving up alcohol
Renouncing all booze at New Year
is as unoriginal a resolution as it is
typically unsuccessful. Even so,
I’m still tempted to join the throng
of teetotallers. At first glance, my
body appears untouched by my
fondness for a drink – but the
cracks are starting to show. In fact,
they’re beginning to hurt.
I kick off by looking at my vital
stats. At 180 centimetres, my
83 kilograms edge me into the
extreme upper limits of the
“healthy” category, according to the
Heart Foundation’s online
calculator. My cheeks are a little
flushed and I have permanent dark
circles under my eyes. And, despite
my three-day-a-week gym habit, I
still have love handles. I’m
spending $100 a month to maintain
my 84cm waist, while making zero
progress. Finally (and somew
what
nking
reluctantly) I jot down my drin
habits. I realise I’m out between
three and five times a week, and
a
e each
drinking up to a bottle of wine
time. That’s almost 37 units a week.
It’s motivation enough to put
p
down my glass for 28 days. I
drinks
pledge to replace alcoholic d
my
with juice or water, to keep m
h the
body hydrated and replenish
stores depleted by former nights
he
out. I decide to post about th
challenge, too, after reading that
the sense of accountability that
comes from doing so keeps
na
people honest. There’s even
website, stickk.com, that lets
users create and share a
“Commitment Contract”.
The first four days are prettty
easy; my strategy is simply to
Unravel your
drinking habits to
reach new heights
of athleticism.
38
FEBRUARY 2016
PHOTOGRAPHY: LOUISA PARRY
ge
CLAIM According to a recent University Colleg
London study, people who gave up alcohol for four
weeks lowered their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, whille
also shedding kilos and improving their concentration and slee ping.
HEALTH
YOUR DRINKING GAINS
BEFORE AND AFTER
Quitting booze could help you drop 1.5kg a week
decline any social invitations.
It’s easier to stay in and drink
water than face temptation in
the pub. But my first trial soon
appears in the shape of a
colleague’s birthday. The phrase
“Go on, just have one, don’t be
boring” is repeated ad nauseam
and some time around midnight
I briefly consider caving. Instead
I leave early.
My next big night isn’t scheduled
until a day after the challenge is
over, mercifully, but I make a point
to pencil in a few extra nonalcohol-related social events so
that I don’t start to feel like a pious
monk, locked out of sight.
On the upside, my body has
already started to transform. I
spend more time in the gym after
noting that it’s the only location
where people are guzzling water
out of choice. Over the next three
weeks my strength shoots up.
Before, I’d lift 45kg on the
shoulder press, now I can do
60kg. A clearer head has me
more focused on pushing my
limits and I increase my biceps
curls from 14kg to 18kg on each
arm, while my weighted crunches
promptly double. I find it’s easier
to squeeze out all my reps,
whereas I previously had a
somewhat flabby tendency to quit
before the set was done. Little
wonder new definition is starting
to emerge.
I also have extra energy, which
nutritionist Dr Susan Lanham-New
explains is due to a more balanced
diet and better sleep quality. It
turns out that the reason my
hangovers felt like jetlag is
because alcohol affects normal
sleep patterns. With the extra getup-and-go, my three weekly
workouts extend to five or six. I’m
also finding time to cook at home;
grilled chicken served with piles of
steamed greens has replaced
takeaway steak baguettes.
Day 26, and the finish line is
finally in sight. Having a cut-off
date provides a helpful shot in the
arm for my flagging motivation. On
the final day I look in the mirror and
gratefully notice how prominent
my abs have become. My waist is
a whole size smaller – I guess the
cash I saved can go on new jeans.
My BMI is firmly back in the
healthy range, and my
sleep, diet and physical activity
have all improved considerably.
The results are impressive, but
what have I learned? For the most
part, I’m happy my dry month is
over. It felt too restrictive to be
sustainable – going beyond 28
days would require serious
willpower. There’s a reason the
pubs are full come February.
Moderation is my new resolution.
I’ll be opting for two weeks on, two
weeks off, while trying to plan
ohol
more social events where alco
won’t be involved. I want to givve
my body a break, but without
e
contractual abstinence. It’s the
ou.
rebound binge that will sink yo
ather
Fancy giving your liver a brea
while raising money for charity?
u
Register now at febfast.org.au
WEIGHT 82KG
WAIST 84CM
WEIGHT 76KG
WAIST 81CM
LEAVE SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE GYM
Burn off the kilojoules from Daryle’s typical night out
ENTRÉE
Vodka Red Bull: 470kJ
Sweat it out: 12 minutes
on the rowing machine
MAIN COURSE
Champagne: 320kJ
Sweat it out: eight minutes
on the badminton court
DESSERT
Rum and coke: 540kJ
Sweat it out: 15 minutes
of freestlye in the pool
AFTERS
Steak baguette: 4450kJ
Sweat it out: 65 minutes
of squash
FACE UP TO THE FACTS
Refresh your mug with dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting
SWELLING AND
PUFFINESS
The downer:
excessive alcohol
makes your mug
appear bloated.
The fix: a highintensity interval
session – cardio
helps redistribute
built-up fluid in
the tissue,
flushing it out of
your face.
BLEMISHES
The downer:
sugar in booze is
inflammatory.
The fix: Look
for creams
containing
benzoyl peroxide
or salicylic acid.
DARK CIRCLES
UNDER EYES
The downer:
drinking lowers
sleep quality.
The fix: steep and
cool two teabags
and place on your
eyes. Caffeine
and low
temperatures
constrict blood
vessels, ridding
you of that
glazed, up-allnight stare.
YOUR DRY-MONTH MENU
Add these to your diet to enhance your abstinence
The reason my hangovers felt
like jetlag is because alcohol
affects normal sleep patterns
SMART PILLS
Maximise the
benefits of
deeper sleep by
trading your
espresso for
L-tyrosine: an
amino acid that
makes you alert.
UP YOUR FATS
Cook in coconut
oil or organic
butter. These fats
boost energy and
brain function for
an ultraproductive boozefree month.
LIQUID LUNCH
Alcohol depletes
potassium and B
vitamins. Restock
with a smoothie
made of
pineapple,
banana, yoghurt
and wheat germ.
FEBRUARY 2016
39
Beach-Ready
Meals to Go
Name: Florence Knight
When you’re busy working
overtime to transform your
torso for summer, you need
fresh, tasty post-gym meals that
go from fridge to fork fast. But
tiresome bowls of kale are best
left to Lululemon-clad ladies
who lunge. Instead, we gave one
chef a list of 10 foods proven to
lift energy, repair muscles and
blast fat, then challenged her
to transform them into light
summer dishes that are easy to
prep and packed with flavour.
Enjoy this al fresco dinner and
you’ll hit your morning session
with gusto.
40
FEBRUARY 2016
Profession: chef and author of O
< ne: A Cook and Her Cupboard>
INGREDIENTS
01/ SPRING ONIONS
06/ CHILLI
These onions are a bright
idea for your body; they
contain allicin, which aids
muscle repair and increases
antioxidant activity,
according to the journal
Phytotherapy Research.
Beat infections with
beta-carotene. Chilli ups
your dose of multiple
vitamins to keep germs at
bay – useful if the guy on
the bench before you didn’t
wipe it down.
02/ FENNEL
07/ TUNA STEAK
Ditch the banana; this
hardy herb delivers on your
potassium needs. Just one
bulb provides a quarter of
your RDI, as well as helping
combat gas and regulate
hunger. It’ll ensure you’re
all bulk and no bloat.
This meaty fish is hearthealthy. It’s rich in
potassium but sodium-poor,
curbing your risk of high
blood pressure. It also
reduces water retention.
Your abs will have nowhere
to hide.
03/ ROCKET
08/ CUCUMBER
Packed full of nitrate,
these greens boost your
bloodflow and oxygen
supply, so you can make
better use of your gym
time. Your muscle gains are
sure to ramp up.
As one of the few foods
that contains silica,
cucumber improves calcium
assimilation to boost bone
density and strength,
keeping you in the running.
04/ AVOCADO
09/ SPANISH ONION
The flesh is full of vitamin
B 6, which reduces fatigue
and helps your body turn
carbs into energy. Pick
one up and power through
pre-holiday workouts.
It’s a top source of
quercetin, an antiinflammatory flavonoid
that increases your nitric
oxide, for better stamina,
says the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition.
05/ MINT
10/ LEMON
Working for six-pack
definition stresses your
abs, which can lead to
spasms and knots. Mint
works as a natural muscle
relaxant to help you, ahem,
leaf the pain behind.
This sharp finishing touch
is packed with vitamin C
– an ally of energising
iron. It enhances the
mineral’s absorption,
squeezing more from the
rocket and tuna; the
perfect pairing.
PHOTOGRAPHY: LOUISA PARRY
EXPERT PROFILE
Sizzling summer muscle
demands a cool diet.
Shun the oven for a
sun-spiked meal that’s
on your plate
NUTRITION
01/ STAMINA-BUILDING STARTER
Fennel, cucumber & mint salad
• 1 CUCUMBER
• 3 SPRING ONIONS
• 1 FENNEL BULB
• FRESH MINT
LEAVES, HANDFUL
• 1 LEMON
• SPLASH OF EXTRA-VIRGIN
OLIVE OIL
• SALT AND PEPPER
SERVES
2
KILOJOULES
225
TIME
8 mins
For the record, salads are not boring
and they are certainly not rabbit food.
At least not when done right. There’s
not a lettuce leaf in sight here – just
maximum fresh flavour.
A. Keep things smooth by opting
for the nearly seedless Lebanese
cucumber. Slice it thinly along with
the fennel, using a mandolin or
sharp knife.
B. Cut the spring onions lengthways,
keeping all of the white parts and most of
the green. Soak them in a bowl of iced
water for a few minutes; it helps to mellow
the flavour. Drain.
C. Combine the cucumber, fennel and onions with
torn mint leaves in a large bowl. This core-carving
combination provides vital micronutrients, while repairing
the muscles you just trained. Grate the lemon zest over the
bowl and season to taste with the oil, lemon juice, salt and
pepper. Serve up this low-kilojoule starter in under 10 minutes
– leaving you plenty of time to plan tomorrow’s gym session.
02/ LIMA MUSCLE FUEL
Lime-marinated tuna ceviche, with avocado and chilli
• 200G TUNA STEAK
• ½ SPANISH ONION
• 2 LIMES
• 1 RIPE AVOCADO
• 1 CHILLI
• 2 TSP SESAME OIL
• EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
• SALT TO TASTE
• ROCKET LEAVES, HANDFUL
SERVES
2
KILOJOULES
1290
TIME
20 mins
This traditional Peruvian street food dish may
be small but it packs a punch. The proteinrich tuna increases your fat-burning potential
while the zesty marinade is liquid sunshine.
A. Go to a fishmonger and ask for sashimiquality tuna steak, rather than grabbing
something pre-packed at the supermarket.
Start by peeling and slicing the Spanish
onion, slicing the avocado, then zesting
and juicing the limes. De-seed and finely
chop the chilli.
B. Slice the tuna into fine strips, place it in a
bowl and set aside. Soak your Spanish onion
slices in cold water to mellow the taste.
C. In a separate bowl, whisk together the
zest, juice, sesame oil, diced chilli and oil.
“Pour the dressing over your tuna and gently
mix – as soon as the acid from citrus fruit hits
the tuna it will begin to ‘cook’ it, so you only
need to mix lightly,” says Knight.
D. Now drain the onion slices and throw them
into a large bowl. Tip in the tuna strips, along
with all of the dressing, and top with the
sliced avocado and rocket leaves. Devour
immediately; pan frying not required, pan
pipes optional.
FEBRUARY 2016
41
DOWNTIME
YOU’RE NOT A ROCK STAR, but sometimes
you have to act like one. That’s the catch-22
that makes karaoke singing either extremely
entertaining or epically embarrassing. It all
depends on the length, range and difficulty of
your tune. (In other words, your time on stage,
the vocal highs and lows, and whatever lyrical
complexities make the mimicking tricky.)
With the help of Keith Houston (aka Roger
Niner), a top karaoke jockey, we’ll teach you to
rock steady with certified crowd-pleasers.
Be the Greatest Hit
on Karaoke Night
9
13
“IT
T’S TRICKY”
RUN-DMC
8
6
“
7
N
6
ED L
THE D
6
7
“BABY ONE
MORE TIME”
BRITNEY SPEARS
“I WANNA
BE SEDATED”
THE RAMONES
4
4
5
2
3
3
2
4
2
2
19
“SUS
“SUSPICIOUS
MINDS”
ELVIS PRESLEY
2
9
“(I CAN’T GET N
NO)
SATISFACTION
N”
THE ROLLING
G
STONES
Pulling off highenergy punk depends
on you embodying
the lyrics. So act as if
it’s you who should be
sedated by shouting
along until it’s over.
This song is really
short – perfect if you
can’t sing and want to
leave the stage fast.
42
FEBRUARY 2016
CONTROL THE ROOM
For recognisable rock
anthems, you can
amp up the energy by
getting the crowd
involved. Just point to
the audience and do
some exaggerated
claps to egg them on.
It’s as if you’re already
being applauded.
SHOCK AND AWE
You picked a song by
a female pop icon?
Then get out there and
sell it – shamelessly.
“Slither and gyrate like
there’s no tomorrow,”
says Houston.
Everyone will be
rolling. And if they call
for an encore? Hit ’em
baby one more time!
NAIL THE CHORUS
If you go for a hip-hop
tune from the Eighties,
remember: the rapping
is just a prelude to a
catchy, ever-repeating
chorus. Practise the
payoff part ahead of
time. That way you can
fluff a verse or two but
still have the crowd
waving their hands in
the air like they just
don’t care.
BRING THE SWAGGER
To pull off the King,
you’d better be willing
to curl your lip and
swivel your pelvis in
time to the beat.
About two minutes in,
drop to one knee and
get meta: if you plead
with the audience to
love you, it’ll happen.
ACE THE AIR GUITAR
An epic performance
will require great vocal
range. If you’re going
for a high-octane (and
high-octave) song, try
to distract the crowd
from your deficiencies.
Well-timed air guitar
moves are sure to
keep the masses
entertained.
WORDS: SHARA TONN
ACT IT OUT
mpany.
h
© 01
INTRODUCING THE FIRST RAZOR
BUILT FOR THE MALE TERRAIN
A ROUNDED HEAD
FOR TRICKY SPOTS
3 LUBRICATING STRIPS
FOR MORE GLIDE
AN ANTI-SLIP GRIP
FOR ULTIMATE CONTROL
WEIGHT LOSS
6
WEIGHT LOSS
Sneaky Diet
Assassins
Don’t fall victim to these
notorious nutrition myths
– make the smarter move
MYTH
Fruit juice is healthier
than soft drinks
It’s time to sort fact from pulp
fiction: 100 millilitres of 100 per
cent orange juice amounts to 180
kilojoules – exactly the same figure
as 100ml of Coke. “There’s a direct
link between obesity and your
intake of liquid kilojoules,” says
dietitian Megan Pentz-Kluyts.
“People move from fizzy drinks to
juice, thinking fruit juice isn’t as
bad.” Alas, with the fruit’s fibre
stripped away and the sugar
remaining, juice is a kilojoule bomb.
Your Move: steer clear of both.
Water, anyone?
MYTH
Artificial sweeteners are a
better option than sugar
Yes, artificial sweeteners are low
in kilojoules, but they’re often
derived from an unnatural source,
explains dietitian Lila Bruk – and
that should set your alarm bells
ringing. “These products have not
been around long enough to have
been fully tested over enough
years to really know the long-term
health effects of their use,” says
Bruk. Artificial sweeteners can
also stoke carb cravings and
cause gut problems like bloating
or diarrhoea. “Plus, sweeteners
don’t get you used to less sweet
tastes, so your sugar cravings
continue,” says Bruk.
Your Move: if you have to
sweeten the deal, use a dash of
sugar or drizzle of honey, Bruk
advises. “Even better, get used to
using nothing at all.”
44
FEBRUARY 2016
MYTH
MYTH
Popcorn is healthier
than chips
True, researchers at Scranton
University found that a 100-gram
serving of popcorn contained an
impressive 300 milligrams of
polyphenols (compared with, say,
119mg for a serving of spinach).
But a supersized bucket of butterslathered popcorn (2510kJ per
100g) can send the kilojoule count
soaring past the much-maligned
bag of salted potato chips (2240kJ
per 100 grams). “Always check the
label to make the smarter choice,”
Pentz-Kluyts advises.
Your Move: a few handfuls of
roasted cashews will get you
through the latest Tarantino flick.
Low-fat cheese trumps
the full-fat stuff
“Low-fat is not always lower in
energy,” say Pentz-Kluyts. The
proof: cottage cheese has 775kJ
per 100g with a reading of 15.8g
total fat, while low-fat cream
cheese contains 958kJ and 19.8g
of fat per 100g. Plus, many low-fat
dairy products add sugar to
compete with the creamy texture
of their full-fat brethren.
Your Move: when it comes to
dairy, don’t fear the fat. A recent
review in the European Journal
of Nutrition found a lower risk of
obesity among full-fat dairy eaters.
MYTH
Brown bread is better
than white
Don’t fall for the oldest trick in the
baker’s book. Just because the
bread’s brown, don’t assume it’s
packed full of low-GI, high-fibre
goodness. “Brown bread is made
from unbleached white flour,
and has an equally high-GI and
low-fibre content as white bread,”
says Bruk.
Your Move: give them both a
wide berth. “Your best bet is a
seed bread or pure rye bread,”
says Bruk. “Both have a low GI.”
SWEETENERS
CAN CAUSE
BLOATING AND
DIARRHOEA
MYTH
Sports drinks are vital during
a cardio session
If you eat a proper meal an hour
before setting out on your run
(try banana and peanut butter on
wholemeal toast), you’ll have more
than enough glycogen stores in
your body to fuel 90 minutes of
continuous exercise, Bruk says.
Chug a sports drink during that
half-hour trot and you’re just
pumping unnecessary kilojoules
into your body.
Your Move: running a half
marathon? Down that Powerade
with impunity. Anything shorter,
stick with water.
WANT TO LOSE YOUR GUT AND BUILD
BEACH-READY ABS? YOU’LL FIND
MORE WORKOUTS, RECIPES AND
GREAT FITNESS TIPS IN YOUR BEST
BODY EVER, ON SALE NOW.
The Imperfect
Man’s Guide to
Perfect Health
Don’t sit up straight?
Fail to floss daily? You’re
forgiven. Our experts say
these six quick fixes are
the next best thing
“I TRULY HOPE THAT THROUGH MY
continued training, tenacity and
perseverance, Usain Bolt will always beat
me in the men’s 100 metres.”
– From Things Justin Gatlin Never Thought
to Himself
At what point in your life did you ever
strive to be second best? When has any
successful man, for that matter?
Coming in second can suck: the trophy is
less grand, the medal is less precious and
the attention is golf-applause polite, if that.
But we’re here to tell you that in the
competition against disease, the smart
guys go for silver. Because when men try
and fail to bring home the gold in health,
they risk settling for dead last.
Let’s say you don’t floss every day and
never will. Instead of simply accepting your
periodontal peril, you can do something for
your gums that’s almost as good. Or maybe
you can’t be bothered to tally up the
number of footsteps you take in a typical
day. No problem: you can still enjoy the
benefits in a way that doesn’t require
counting to 10,000.
It isn’t just that the second-best
strategies that follow are better than doing
nothing (even though they are). They’re so
damn good for you that no matter what
Usain Bolt is up to, you’ll still be enjoying
your place on the podium for years to come.
46
FEBRUARY 2016
*ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. USE ONLY AS DIRECTED
[ BY PAIGE FOWLER ]
HEALTH
There’s no need to
turn your life
upside down to
help your health.
If you can’t
take at least
10,000 steps
every day . . .
If you won’t
apply sunscreen
on your
entire face . . .
Put down the pedometer and start the stopwatch.
You can reap the same health benefits by counting
minutes instead, says Dr Catrine Tudor-Locke, chair
of kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst. Can you manage three 10-minute brisk
walks a day? In a study at the Norwegian School of
Sports Sciences, older men who did precisely that
six days a week cut their risk of dying of any cause
during the study period by 40 per cent.
At least cover the cancer magnets: your nose,
eyelids and lips. Your schnoz is the most common
place on your face for basal cell carcinoma, while
5-10 per cent of all skin cancers occur on eyelids.
And men are more likely than women to develop
tumours on their smackers. Swipe the Cancer
Council’s Daywear Face Sunscreen SPF 30*
($14.95; cancercouncilshop.org.au) onto all three
hot spots. Then slip on some UV-blocking shades.
If you forget to
floss daily . . .
You can either pick the detritus from your teeth or
pick up a set of dentures. A dental pick removes
food particles that swishing and spitting can’t
budge, says dentist Brian Gray. Try Piksters
($7.99; priceline.com.au): the bristles stimulate
your gums and hunt out gunk, Gray says.
Research shows that these interdental excavators
are just as good as flossing at reducing plaque
and preventing gum disease.
If you can’t
have sex at least
three times
a week . . .
You’re not alone, and here’s what you’re missing
(besides the obvious): a reduced risk of erectile
dysfunction, says Dr Darius Paduch, director of
sexual health and medicine at Weill Cornell
Medical College. His recommendation: thriceweekly orgasms. Hit the gym, too. Men who log at
least two hours of strenuous exercise each week
have harder erections than less active blokes,
report Duke University researchers.
If you don’t sit
up straight at
your desk . . .
If you can’t
rally yourself to
cook your
own meals . . .
Compensate by bending over backward.
Slouching can decondition your back muscles,
deplete energy and cause a bad mood. Can’t walk
it off? Then stand up and place your hands on your
hips. Now slowly bend back. Do this a few times
every hour to undo the havoc from your hunching,
says back-health expert Evan Johnson.
Stop inviting extra kilojoules to dinner. People who
eat fast food three or more times weekly are 81 per
cent more likely to be obese than those who eat it
less than once a week, reports a study published in
Preventing Chronic Disease. Plan ahead: in a 2014
study in the journal Appetite, people who checked
a menu online before ordering chose meals
containing fewer kilojoules than the grub others
grabbed without as much thought.
I HAVE
WHAT?
EXPLODING
HEAD
SYNDROME
SYMPTOMS
As you’re drifting into
or out of sleep, you
hear a loud noise
– think cannon blast or
gunshot – that jolts
you awake.
THE DIAGNOSIS
It only sounds like you
blew your top.
Exploding head
syndrome, or EHS, is
thought to occur when
the part of your brain
that helps control your
sleep-wake cycle
briefly fails to mute
your auditory neurons.
As a result, you
experience an activity
boost that you “hear”
as a detonation,
according to research
from Washington State
University. Up to 14 per
cent of young adults
may be affected,
though the frequency
of episodes varies.
Anxiety, poor sleep
habits or sleep
disorders might be
setting off the cranium
bombs, says study
author Dr Brian
Sharpless.
THE TREATMENT
If you regularly wake
up with a bang, see a
doctor: calcium
channel blockers and
antidepressants can
help defuse the
problem. But if it also
hurts like something
went off in your head,
get to the emergency
department. You may
have a more serious
problem, like a brain
haemorrhage.
– Melissa Romero
FEBRUARY 2016
47
HOW THE
CAVEMEN DID IT
Make her basic instincts work in your favour
to kick off your own sexual evolution
Guys are often accused of being Neanderthals. But recent research
suggests that women are just as prone to primitive impulses. And that can
make forging a connection tougher than reinventing the wheel,
says Dr Vinita Mehta, a clinical psychologist and the author
of Paleo Love, a new book that explores how our Stone
Age genes can complicate modern relationships.
Mehta says the vestiges of the really, really
old days will cause trouble for you unless
you understand the ancestral elements in a
woman’s wiring. Heed our guide to these
primal instincts and send your rivals
the way of the dinosaurs.
Rock her world:
go paleo to tap her
primitive desires.
48
FEBRUARY 2016
SEX
1
2
3
4
5
Innovators were
prehistoric pants men.
“Creativity has been
essential to human
courtship for half a
million years,” says
psychologist Dr
Geoffrey Miller, author
of The Mating Mind.
“It means you’re able
to develop solutions
for survival and social
problems.”
Do this Give her a
custom-made gift and
you’ll be the man for
her clan. Psychologist
Dr Ty Tashiro, author of
The Science of
Happily Ever After,
suggests checking
her Pinterest account
– it may be a window
into what she wants.
Nothing Pinteresting?
“Great creative ideas
can be a matter of
applying your skill in
one area to another
area,” says Tashiro. So
if you’re known for
your epic fantasy footy
spreadsheets, come
up with one for her
Bachelorette bracket.
On your face, that is.
Many leading men
– Clooney, Hamm,
Farrell – share an
aversion to close
shaving. That could
be key to their sex
appeal, according to
a study in the journal
Evolution & Human
Behaviour, which
reports that women
find heavy stubble to
be the most attractive
kind of facial hair.
Do this If you tend to
go clean-shaven, give
it a rest for as long as
a week, suggests
grooming writer
Sandra Nygaard. Use
an electric razor to
clean any uneven
patches, but don’t go
overboard. “Sharp
lines will betray the
effortless vibe you’re
going for,” says
Nygaard. Sideburns
that aren’t too bushy
can help fill out the
look, but make sure
they don’t extend
past the midpoint of
your ear.
Jealousy was a useful
tool for Stone Age
women to prevent
their mate from
sharing resources
with other females,
says Mehta. And the
evolutionary drive
remains: jealous
women are more likely
than men to spy on
their partner via
Facebook, according
to University of
Toronto researchers.
Do this Make her feel
like the chosen one,
says sociologist Dr
Jenn Gunsaullus.
Depending on her
style, that could mean
surprising her with a
small gift occasionally
or just blocking off
30 minutes to listen –
actually listen – while
she rants about her
dickhead boss, says
Gunsaullus. “When
women feel special,
jealousy tends to fall
off and relationships
improve.”
Scepticism runs deep
in the female DNA,
says Mehta. If
prehistoric females
weren’t picky about
new men, they could
end up as cavedwelling single mums.
A speed-dating study
at the University of
Texas found that
women still react
coolly to male interest
in order to encourage
greater effort.
Do this Actually
follow through, says
Gunsaullus. “Women
always tell me how
foolish they feel when
guys flake,” she says.
“It’s shocking how
often it happens.” So
when you commit to
a date, show you
mean it, Gunsaullus
says. For instance,
text her midweek with
a link to the trailer for
the movie you said
you’d take her to see.
You’ll confirm the
date’s still on while
building excitement.
Height in men is
associated with good
health and good
genes, says Mehta;
these traits were
especially important
back when health was
difficult to maintain.
Plus, big guys would
win fights. These days,
we’re (mostly) too
civilised for fisticuffs,
but female lust for tall
guys still lingers.
Do this Heightchallenged? It’s okay.
You have something
our ancient forebears
didn’t: style. “Go with
narrow ties, narrower
lapels and tailored
clothes,” says style
writer John Ortved.
“Use vertical stripes, if
any – never horizontal.”
Or wear a single
colour, creating one
long line. “It’s an
optical illusion,” Ortved
says, “but that’s all we
short guys have to go
on: trickery.”
She’s Hot
for Handymen
She Likes
You Abrasive
*SOURCES: PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC, ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL
BEHAVIOUR, JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES, US CENSUS
THE ORIGINS OF MODERN DATING
RESEARCH* REVEALS HOW PRIMITIVE IMPULSES
STILL PLAY A ROLE IN TODAY’S RELATIONSHIPS
CREATIVITY STOKES
HER FIRE
She Marks
Her Territory
She Wants
Actions, Not Words
HOW CHEATING RATES
Most women think emotional
infidelity is a bigger deal than
sexual, an Archives of Sexual
Behaviour survey found.
65%
14%
Women were asked
for their phone
number by a man
toting a gym bag,
a guitar case or
nothing. Here’s how
many obliged.
9%
31%
54%
46%
She Prefers
to Look Up
49% 162CM
of women will only
date men taller than
they are.
Average height
of an Australian
woman.
35%
MEN
Emptyhanded
Gym
bag
Guitar
case
WOMEN
Sexual
infidelity
MEN
WOMEN
Emotional
infidelity
FEBRUARY 2016
49
YOUR PUSH-UP
POWER PLAN
If your hips sag,
consider that rep your
last and end the set.
TRANSFORM A CLASSIC EXERCISE INTO A
TOTAL-BODY MUSCLE BUILDER WITH THIS
COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE MOST
IMPORTANT MOVE FOR MEN
[ BY BEN COURT ]
1
Use the Push-up to Test Your
Strength and Power
Performing 50 push-ups in a
minute is a classic fitness
benchmark. “But you rarely see
guys do even one rep with perfect
form,” says Rob Shaul, founder of
the Strong Swift Durable training
facility. “So whenever a guy tells
me he can do 50 in a minute, I tell
PRESS
Holding your feet
together adds muscle
tension in your legs,
enhancing energy
transfer and power
production throughout
your body.
SQUEEZE
Clenching your glutes
locks your hips in
place, keeping your
body straight from
head to heels. It also
reduces stress on your
lower back.
PUSH-UP LIKE A PRO
USE THE VIEWA APP
TO ADD THE PUSH-UPS
BELOW TO YOUR PHONE
Boost Your Strength
Add the dead-stop push-up to
three of your weekly workouts. Do
five sets, using the chart below to
guide your reps. Retest yourself
after four weeks. Repeat the fourweek cycle until you reach your
goal: 30 perfect reps.
him to do it with the dead-stop
push-up, where you lower
yourself to the ground and lift your
hands.” That pause eliminates
help from the stretch reflex – the
tendency of a muscle to spring
back to a shortened state when
stretched – and forces you to
move through a full range of
motion. The result? No cheating.
“It’s a true test of strength,” says
Shaul. Read on to test yours, then
follow Shaul’s plan to increase it.
Dead-Stop Push-up Test
Assume a push-up position
with your feet together, your
body straight and your hands
below but slightly wider than
your shoulders. Lower your
body to the floor. Lift your
hands off the floor, pause, then
place them back on the floor
and push up explosively. Do
as many as you can in 60
seconds. Twenty is average;
30 is exceptional.
WEEK 1
WEEK 2
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
2/ Dive Bomb Start with your hips
3/ Knee-to-Chest As you press
4/ Clapping Do a push-up,
40% OF YOUR TEST NUMBER
40% OF YOUR TEST NUMBER
50% OF YOUR TEST NUMBER
60% OF YOUR TEST NUMBER
1/ Single-Leg Perform a
push-up, but elevate one leg
instead of keeping both feet
on the floor.
50
FEBRUARY 2016
up, then pull your body forward,
lower your hips and straighten
your arms.
up, bring a knee towards your
chest. Alternate knees with
each rep.
but press up with enough
force to launch off the floor
and clap.
PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH BISCHOFF;
ILLUSTRATIONS: DUSTIN WALLACE
PYRAMID PUSH-UPS
MUSCLE +
FITNESS
THE SINGLEARM PUSH-UP
CHALLENGE
Blame Rocky Balboa
for making the singlearm push-up the
benchmark that
separates chumps
from champs in the
gym. “It’s a high-skill,
high-strength
pinnacle exercise,”
says Mike Fitch, of
Global Bodyweight
Training. “The move
ensures that both of
your arms are equally
strong, and activates
your core more than
a standard push-up
does, forcing it to
work harder to
stabilise your body.”
STRAIGHTEN
Keeping your arms
straight so your hands
align with your shoulders
reduces stress on those
critical joints.
BRACE
Increasing core
tension boosts
stability all over.
Imagine someone
is about to punch
you in the gut.
2
Transform the Push-up into a
Total-Body Workout
If you see the push-up as an
exercise only, you’re not realising
its full potential. “By combining
different variations, you create a
workout you can do anywhere,”
says Martin Rooney, founder of
Training for Warriors. Check out
his push-up pyramid.
TWIST
Driving your palms down
and screwing them
outward into the floor
increases stability
through your shoulders,
neck and upper back.
Stability equals power.
DIRECTIONS Start at the base of the
pyramid on the bottom left. As you
work your way up one side and
down the other, perform the number
of reps indicated in the black circle
for each exercise (see the
descriptions below). Rest as needed
according to your fitness level.
BEGINNER: between each exercise.
INTERMEDIATE: at the top (between
sets of knee-to-elbow push-ups).
ADVANCED: at the end; repeat.
PUSH-UP PYRAMID
6
KNEE-TO-ELBOW
7
CLAPPING
8
KNEE-TO-CHEST
9
DIVE BOMB
10
SINGLE-LEG
(left leg elevated)
KNEE-TO-ELBOW
6
CLAPPING
7
KNEE-TO-CHEST
8
DIVE BOMB
9
SINGLE-LEG
(right leg elevated)
10
CONQUER IT
Twice a week, do the
exercises in the
single-arm push-up
progression below as
a circuit, moving from
one to the next with
60 seconds of rest
after each move. Do
three circuits. Each
week, do the elevated
single-arm push-up
slightly lower (so you
might progress from
a high box to a bench
to an aerobic step)
until you can do five
reps on the floor with
perfect form.
SINGLE-ARM PUSH-UP PROGRESSION
5/ Knee-to-Elbow Do a push-up,
but touch your knee to your elbow
at the bottom. Alternate sides
each rep.
1/ Elevated Single-Arm Spread
your feet. Put one hand on a bar
or tall box. Do 1-5 reps, switch
arms, repeat.
2/ Skydive Lift your left leg. Put
your left palm, right fingers and
right knee on the floor. Do five
reps, switch sides, repeat.
3/ Archer Move one hand
further out to the side than
the other. Do 10 reps, switch
arms, repeat.
FEBRUARY 2016
51
Get Your Career
on the Front Foot
USE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRICKS OF
AUSTRALIA’S ELITE CRICKETERS TO HIT YOUR
WORKDAY DEMONS FOR SIX [ A ARON SCOT T ]
BY
No sport piles on the mental pressure like cricket. According to Cricket Australia
psychologist Dr Michael Lloyd, long days peppered with bursts of action create a
pressure-cooker atmosphere that can wilt the toughest of minds. “As human beings,
if we’re under pressure and we’ve got time on our hands, then our thoughts and
emotions can get the better of us,” he says. “So for an elite cricketer, how you
manage your attention under pressure is critical.”
Heat-seeking short balls aside, the office throws up similar challenges,
with long days punctuated by flashes of pressure in the form of impending
deadlines, tightening budgets and looming presentations. Heed the
psychological secrets of our cricketing stars to build an invincible
mindset in your workplace.
CALM YOUR NERVES
STRETCH A WINNING RUN
On the field: the big quick’s
steaming in for the first ball of
the day – one last check the box
is in place
On the field: the ball looks as
big as a balloon, the bat feels a
metre wide and runs are flowing
like water
In the office: you’re heading
into the meeting room for the
big presentation – you zipped
up after that nervous bathroom
visit, didn’t you?
In the office: you’re lighting up
meeting after meeting with your
bright ideas and sparkling wit
Don’t fret. Those butterflies aren’t
a bad thing. Nerves show that you
care about your work. But you can
intensify them by fixating on things
outside your control. “All of us
share three common time frames
– the past, the present and the
future,” says Lloyd. “The only one
of those we can control is the
present. But we often inflame our
nerves by bouncing between the
two we can’t control – the past and
the future.”
Your Move Bring yourself back to
the present. Take a seat, close your
eyes and focus on your breathing
for 30 seconds. Not working? Chat
with a colleague or do a crossword
– “anything that brings you into the
‘now’,” says Lloyd. “The key is to
catch yourself early before your
mind starts racing to the future or
dwelling on the past.”
52
FEBRUARY 2016
Enjoy it. Don’t dampen the fun by
over-analysing a form surge. “But
you also need to understand that
optimal performance isn’t a
chance occurrence,” says Lloyd.
“It doesn’t happen by accident.”
So don’t gleefully shrug your
shoulders or put it down to that
lucky pair of socks you’ve been
wearing for a week straight. Now is
the time for action.
Your Move Spend 10 minutes
compiling a detailed list of your
daily habits, including everything
from your exercise regimen to your
sleeping patterns. “Awareness is
the key to good performance,” says
Lloyd. “People use vague terms
like ‘balance’ and ‘momentum’. But
you need to think in detail about
what you’re doing right.”
MIND
BEAT THE FORM SLUMP
RATION YOUR MENTAL ENERGY
On the field: nothing’s finding
the middle of the bat and every
time the ball catches an edge,
a safe pair of hands is waiting
On the field: the bowler’s
holding a tight line, you’ve got
a chirpy ’keeper in your ear and
the mercury’s already nudging
30 . . .
In the office: the boss is so tired
of dead-batting your lame
proposals he’s stopped
responding to your emails
Don’t overreact. Your mojo hasn’t
magically disappeared. Form
slumps can invariably be traced
back to some rupture in your
routine or shift in your emotional
state. “You need to look at the
situation in a proactive, problemsolving way, as opposed to getting
critical with yourself,” says Lloyd.
Your Move Start by humming a
tune – a trick Glenn McGrath used
to employ between deliveries.
“You can unclutter your mind by
giving yourself a single point of
focus,” says Lloyd. Now map out a
steadfast morning routine. Wake,
eat and exercise at the same time
each day. “The mind craves
control,” says Lloyd. “But a
competitive environment is the
ultimate realm of uncertainty.
Developing a routine allows you
to regain control.”
In the office: a barrage of emails
and phone calls has you pinned
to your desk. Friday-night drinks
can’t come soon enough . . .
Slow down, big guy! It’s important
to recognise that your mind, like
your body, has limits. “The ability to
switch on and off is one of the most
important skills to progressing
through the ranks, be that in sport
or the office,” says Lloyd. “People
who are ‘on’ all the time quickly
reach a point of cognitive and
emotional exhaustion.”
Your Move Break your working
week down into manageable
chunks, highlighting periods where
you can switch off. “Cricketers
don’t think about an entire Test
match,” says Lloyd. “They break it
down into sessions, hours, spells
– until you get all the way down to
individual balls. When you do that,
you realise you only have to be ‘on’
for specific periods of time.”
BOOST YOUR AVERAGE
Goal-setting is a skill to be honed, like your straight drive. “When you get it right,” says
Lloyd, “you create a greater level of accountability, and that gives you the best
opportunity to achieve what you’re after.” Here’s how to up your stats.
Give your
career a shine:
send workplace
stress to the
boundary.
Rank your goals
List two main
targets and four
smaller ones,
rating each
for importance.
Be precise
Include dates,
times and figures
so you can
easily measure
your progress.
Target positives
Make your goal
upbeat: “Achieve
this”, not, “Don’t
make this
error again”.
Be realistic
If you can’t directly
affect the variables
or have no real
control, it’s
not your goal.
FEBRUARY 2016
53
NN
TH A IVER
SA
10
RY
Sunday 1 May, 2016
GREAT WHITEHAVEN BEACH RUN
STYLE+
FASHION
ISLAND LIFE
HOLIDAYS. BUSINESS TRIPS. DIRTY
WEEKENDS. IF YOU’RE ARMED WITH
SOME COMBO STRATEGIES, A FEW BASIC
ITEMS WILL HAVE YOU WELL COVERED
► H&M blazer $99.95
► M.J. Bale shirt $99.95
► Calibre chinos $219
► Tommy Hilfiger belt $100
PHOTOGR A PHER: James
GROOMING: Monika
Mills FA SHION EDI TOR: Maia Liakos
Bunic MODEL: Craig / Area Mgmt
FEBRUARY 2016
55
THE BRETON SHIRT
WORKS AS WELL WITH
JEANS AS UNDER A
TAILORED JACKET
RED ALERT
Trying to stand out from the crowd? Red is a call to
action. Researchers at the University of Durham
linked the colour to high levels of aggression in a
2006 study of Olympic martial artists. “In many male
primates, fish and birds, redness of the skin correlates
with testosterone,” says study co-author Dr Robert
Barton. “Red triggers an unconscious appraisal of the
opponent as more dominant.” In our book, a red item
of clothing trumps sunburn every time.
► Zara Man shirt $69.95
► Sportscraft shorts $99.99
► Persol sunglasses $419.95
► Tommy Hilfiger belt $90
THE LINE-UP
The versatility of the striped Breton shirt is hard to
overstate. It became part of the French navy
uniform in 1858 – the graphically direct white and
navy hoops were said to make sailors more visible
if they fell into the sea. But the Breton style is so
wearable, civilians hardly needed to be ordered to
don it. It works as well with jeans, chinos and shorts
as it does under a tailored jacket.
56
FEBRUARY 2016
► Zara Man blazer $139
► Ben Sherman T-shirt $59.95
► Calibre shorts $199
► Trenery loafers $249
STYLE+
FASHION
FEBRUARY 2016
57
SHORTS STORY
Picture a rubber band wrapped around a
water balloon: that’s what an elastic
waistband looks like around any extra flab
you might be carrying. “Elastic can make
belly fat look worse than it really is,” says
swimwear designer Mike Faherty. Look for
flat-front, board-short-style trunks with
laces or a drawstring to flatter (read:
flatten) your torso.
► Sportscraft linen shirt $109.99
► Tommy Hilfiger board shorts $100
► Persol sunglasses $320
58
FEBRUARY 2016
STYLE+
FASHION
WHITE IDEA
The white shirt is the Swiss Army Knife of your
holiday wardrobe. Put simply, it’s your
greatest multi-tasker. “It can take you from a
black-tie occasion to loafing about at the
weekend,” says Simon Maloney, head of
production at high-end shirtmakers Thomas
Pink. It’s therefore a no-brainer when you’re
travelling light and every piece has to justify
its spot in your carry-on luggage.
► Sportscraft shirt $109.99
► Tommy Hilfiger shorts $120
► Ray-Ban sunglasses $209.95
GREAT STRIDES
Chinos can prove as versatile as
jeans, so long as you select the right
pair. Avoid anything too baggy or too
skin-tight. Your best options are
usually straight-leg or slim-fit, as
they’ll give a more streamlined and
cleaner silhouette.
► Marcs shirt $139
► Ben Sherman chinos $119.95
► Ray-Ban sunglasses $209.95
► Calibre loafers $269
Shot on location at Rayavadee,
Krabi (rayavadee.com)
FEBRUARY 2016
59
YOUR VALENTINE’S CHECKLIST
ON DATE-NIGHT, IT WON’T MATTER HOW MANY GLASSES OF OVERPRICED PINOT GRIS YOU SHOUT HER IF
BAD BREATH AND NOSTRIL HAIR LET YOU DOWN. WE POLLED THE WOMEN’S HEALTH OFFICE TO DISCOVER
THEIR BIGGEST GROOMING TURN-OFFS. AVOID THE FOLLOWING, THEN GO FORTH, AND GET LUCKY. MAYBE
MELINDA AYRE
NO LIPPY BUSINESS
PORES FOR EFFECT
ROGUE BROWS
Lips that suggest you’ve been
stranded on a desert island won’t
encourage any sane woman to pucker
up. “Skin on lips is five times thinner than
the rest of our skin,” says Paul Anderson,
founder of the Mankind grooming clinic.
“It cops loads of environmental
damage.” Slap on SPF lip balm packed
with shea butter to lock in moisture.
Flaky? “Scrub with a home remedy of
two parts sugar, two parts honey,”
says Anderson.
Chock-a-block man pores are a
definite mood killer. De-gunk daily by
using clay-based cleansers to coax out
congestion, says dermatologist Emma
Hobson. Focus on the nose – “it’s always
oily and prone to blackheads”. It’s also
critical to exfoliate three times weekly,
she advises. Use a scrub or wipes with
salicylic acid. “Try overnight clearing gel
– it’s brilliant at loosening congestion
during sleep,” says Hobson. Plus no one
will ever know.
Unruly brows with their own
postcode are a definite turn-off. Do you
need to intervene? “If they’re climbing
towards the hairline, connecting in the
centre or excessively protruding forward
then yes – consider a professional
shape,” says brow expert Amy Jean. Just
a few strays? “Attempt it yourself in front
of a mirror in natural light,” advises Jean.
Tweeze straight after a hot shower, as
the follicles expand and hair will come
out more easily, she adds.
► Kiehl’s Face Fuel No-Shine Lip Balm $10
► Dermalogica Overnight
► Manicare Flat Tweezers $9.29
60
FEBRUARY 2016
Clearing Gel $64
PHOTOGRAPHY: APIX SYNDICATION; GEORGINA EGAN
BY
STYLE+
GROOMING
ENJOY FRESH AIR
Didn’t get a goodnight kiss? Your death
breath might be sabotaging your moves. To
check: “Lick the back of your hand, let your
saliva dry, then have a sniff,” says dentist Dr Ellie
e
Pikoulas. Bad breath can be caused by
anything from poor dental hygiene to a sinus
infection or a dry mouth, says Pikoulas. “Visit
your dentist to isolate the cause, brush twice a
day, floss once a day, and drink plenty of water
and peppermint tea,” she advises.
► Binchotan Charcoal Toothbrush $12.95
► UltraFresh Cool Mint Breath Spray $3.55
► Colgate Optic White Express White Paste $9.999
► Colgate Total Dental Ribbon $3.27
SCENTS OF ATTRACTION
ROUGH AND READY
Smelling bad invariably means sleeping alone.
Eliminate stench with the right underarm product
– a quality antiperspirant will keep you feeling fresh.
After that, it’s time to add a hint of fragrance. Not
convinced? A University of Liverpool study found that
when a man wears scent, it subconsciously bolsters his
confidence and makes him instantly more attractive to
women. Result.
► Rexona Motionsense for Men Extra Cool Aerosol $6.89
► Cristiano Ronaldo Legacy EDT $69/50ml
► Dior Sauvage $140/100ml
Rugged stubble looks effortless, but
maintaining it requires work, says Nathan
Jancauskas, Founder of the Men’s Biz grooming
stores. “Shape the areas surrounding your natural
stubble growth on the upper cheeks and neckline
with a razor and clear shaving gel for a tidy finish,” he
says. Keep your three-day growth neat by going
over your stubble with a beard trimmer every few
days. Full beard? Trim regularly and use beard oil to
keep the skin underneath flake-free.
► Jack Black Beard Oil $36
► Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor $16.99
► Oscar Sensitive Shaving Gel $39.95
(includes shave oil)
NAILS YOUR LOOK
Women should welcome your
touch, not recoil from it in horror. But if
you have long talons, frayed cuticles or
gnarly hang-nails, that’s exactly what
could happen. Your nails reflect your
overall personal hygiene, so keep them
short and clean underneath. “Using
clippers, clip the nail in stages,” says
nail expert Leighton Denny. “Imagine
the shape of a 50¢ coin and mimic that,
clipping the nail at soft angles.”
► Tweezerman GEAR Precision Grip
Fingernail Clippers $22.95
THREE TO BUY HER FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Chanel Chance Eau Vive
$126/50ml
Eau de Lacoste L.12.12
Pour Elle Sparkling $79/50ml
ck2 EDT
$99/100ml
A classic choice if you’re
scared of getting it wrong.
A playful and summery scent with
notes of mandarin and macaron.
It’s unisex – so you can wear
it, too. Go on, be selfish.
FEBRUARY 2016
61
STYLE+
WATCHES
1/ MAURIC E L AC ROIX
PONTOS S E X TREM E
$6900
2/ BALL ENGINEER
MASTER II SK INDIVER
II $3845
3/ BELL & ROSS
AVIATION BR0 3 $5500
4/ R ADO HYPERC HROME
MATC H POINT $6475
5/ TUDOR PEL AGOS
$5250
2
1
3
5
MATERIAL
INTERESTS
4
For centuries, watchmakers only had a
handful of options when it came to producing
their watches – steel, gold or, if you were being
very fancy, platinum.
Then in the Eighties, brands took inspiration
from developments in the automotive and
aerospace industries and started experimenting
with high-tech materials like carbon fibre.
Ceramic, in particular, proved especially wellsuited to watch cases. Its exceptional hardness
makes the material resistant to scratches, while
the inert compounds don’t fade or change
colour over time.
As a result, this distinctive, glossy material
has become increasingly common in watch
bezels and cases. Rado, in fact, built their
reputation on ceramic, and they’re still the
62
FEBRUARY 2016
runaway leaders in the field. Designed with a
high-sheen plasma monobloc case, the tennisinspired Rado HyperChrome Match Point uses
Super-LumiNova on the dial details while also
featuring a net-like design on the chronograph
hours counter. It’s a true cross-court winner.
A number of diving watches make use of
ceramic on the bezel. The Ball Engineer Master
II Skindiver II offers a luminous ceramic
bezel that delivers easy legibility alongside a
complete minute scale. Similarly, Tudor uses
a ceramic bezel insert in their award-winning
Pelagos deep diver. But the bezel isn’t the only
clever part – the rest of the watch is cased in
ultra-light titanium and is powered by Tudor’s
brand-new in-house movement.
From the sea to the air, the design of the Bell
& Ross Aviation BR03 is drawn from the clock
in a plane’s cockpit. Ceramic and matt-black
like aircraft instruments, it’s a distinctive
watch for any high-flyer.
One of the most interesting uses of ceramic
has to be Maurice Lacroix’s unique Powerlite
alloy, which is a combination of aluminium,
ceramic, magnesium, titanium and zirconium.
What does that actually mean? Well, Powerlite
is twice as hard as steel and half the weight,
plus it’s scratch-proof. Better still, this unusual
alloy can be oxidised in any colour – Maurice
Lacroix offers the Pontos S Extreme in blue,
green or (our pick) red. Style meets substance
on your wrist.
Words by Felix Scholz, Editor of Time & Tide;
timeandtidewatches.com
PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGINA EGAN
LIGHTWEIGHT BUT SUPER-TOUGH, CERAMIC IS NOW
THE GO-TO MATERIAL FOR MODERN WATCHMAKERS
TENNIS SPECIAL
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AT THIS MONTH’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN,
THE WORLD’S TOP PLAYERS WILL
EXHIBIT ALL THE QUALITIES – PHYSICAL
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL – YOU NEED
TO ACE THE GAME OF LIFE
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THE
WARRIOR
NO ONE IN SPORT IT’S
PERSONIFIES
DETERMINATION
BETTER THAN
LLEYTON HEWITT,
WHO BIDS
FAREWELL AT
THIS MONTH’S
AUSTRALIAN OPEN.
HIS PARTING GIFT?
THE SECRETS TO
WINNING WHEN
YOU’RE SERIOUSLY
OUTGUNNED
no surprise Lleyton
Hewitt played a torrid
game of Aussie Rules as a boy,
or absorbed its tenets into his
bloodstream. “In footy, you
don’t show you’re hurt out
there,” says Hewitt, who’s
talking en route to a tribute
at the World Tour Finals in
London. “And that attitude
comes through in my tennis.”
The kid who overdosed on
the Rocky movies grew up to
become the Rocky of his sport.
In Rocky IV, the bloodied hero
won over the Russian crowd
with his pluck, telling them
afterwards: “During this fight I
seen a lot of changin’ – the way
youse felt about me, and the
way I felt about you.”
Same with Hewitt and the
rest of the world. At first too
fevered and scary-intense to
take a shine to, he’s mellowed
just enough to become an
inspiration to any guy who’s
ever felt that life’s just too
freaking hard.
Hewitt never gave an inch
to any mortal opponent, but is
surrendering to Father Time.
While his mind’s as steely as
ever, his body’s succumbed to
the grind of life on the tour.
“Lleyton’s a warrior who’s
used every ounce of his skill
and grit to battle every day as
By Daniel Williams
if it were his last,” says former
No.1 Jim Courier. Roger Federer
has admitted the young Hewitt
bewildered him: “How can you
be so tough, physically and
mentally, at such a young age?”
As Hewitt sees it, he’s
merely worked to his strengths.
“I pride myself on getting
the most out of myself.” To
succeed, get your head in
the game. “It’s those onepercenters. It can be in the
locker room, being the ultimate
professional in how you
prepare,” he says.
If you’re not the most gifted
dog in the fight, he says, be
the fittest. Or the snarliest. If it
were flair that counted most,
Frenchman Gaël Monfils would
rule tennis. “Determination,
that never-say-die attitude
. . . if you’ve got a bit of talent
and you turn yourself into
an absolute animal on court,
fitness-wise,” says Hewitt,
“then you’ll win matches.”
When you’re getting
your arse kicked and your
opponent’s rolling, focus on the
small picture, he says. Three
more hours under a blazing
sun to right this train wreck?
Too daunting. “That’s when
you drop your head,” Hewitt
explains. “It’s about small
goals. Chunk it up.”
Make your foe sweat more.
Ask different questions. “And
draw on the hard work you do
on the practice court, in the
gym or running around ovals,”
says Hewitt. “If you know you
can go the distance physically,
then you can focus on tactics.”
Hewitt’s competitive itch
isn’t about to disappear with his
retirement. He can scratch that
itch as Australia’s new Davis
Cup captain, by infiltrating the
heads of the next generation.
Exciting thought: Nick Kyrgios’s
big-man game complemented
by Hewitt-like smarts and
mental strength. Possible? Well,
Hewitt’s got his work cut out.
Arthritis is a newish
companion, but no matter. He’ll
stretch and do yoga, and he’ll
probably play some exhibitions
and seniors events. He’s an
ambassador for Swisse, which
makes various joint-health
products that might help keep
him swinging into his dotage.
But enough prognosticating!
He has one last Grand Slam to
pour his soul into. “I’m a born
competitor,” says Hewitt, who’s
training “as hard as ever” to
give himself the best chance
of finishing in style. “If you do
that, you have no regrets. Lay it
all on the line and see how far
you can go.”
Raise Your Game
HEWITT’S SUCCESSOR COULD BE THANASI KOKKINAKIS, WHO ROCKETED MORE THAN 550 PLACES UP THE RANKINGS IN HIS FIRST TWO YEARS ON THE TOUR.
HERE’S HOW TO RAISE YOUR PERFORMANCE TO NEW HEIGHTS WHEN LIFE DELIVERS AN ULTIMATUM: STEP UP OR STEP OFF
Flesh and blood
As a boy, Kokkinakis
watched Roger Federer,
Rafa Nadal and Novak
Djokovic on TV. Now he
eyes them across the
net. “The hardest part is
controlling your emotions
and believing you can
compete with these
legends,” he says.
Your Takeout
Ignore guys’ CVs
and deal with
what’s in front of you.
66
FEBRUARY 2016
Get serious
“The jump from juniors to
the pros is extremely
tough,” says Kokkinakis.
“The pros do everything
perfectly, from their
warm-up to their
cooldown, their nutrition
and fitness.”
Your Takeout Get anal to
get ahead. Examine your
follies, nail your volleys.
A step at a time
“Setting goals is
something I do with my
team,” says Kokkinakis.
“We try not to focus on
ranking because that’s
something you can’t
entirely control. Better to
set goals to do with
improving certain parts
of your performance and
growing as an individual.”
Your Takeout
Concentrate on process
rather than results.
Become a beast
“Physical training has to
be a top priority,” says
Kokkinakis. “I just hired a
new fitness trainer,
Andrew Rondinelli, who
used to work with AFL
club Port Adelaide. I
need to get stronger,
quicker and fitter.”
Your Takeout It’s skill
and maturity atop a
bedrock of physical
fitness that will make you
an irresistible force.
Think beyond tomorrow
“Federer’s done a great
job of maintaining his
fitness and that directly
correlates to the success
he’s having late in his
career. For me, thinking
long term means lots of
stretching, ice baths and
yoga, as well as rest and
recovery when your body’s
telling you it’s hurting.”
Your Takeout Life’s a fivesetter, not an exhibition.
TENNIS SPECIAL
HEWITT BY NUMBERS
30
CAREER TITLES
34
2
AGE
MAJOR WINS
180CM
20
HEIGHT
74KG
AGE (20 YEARS,
268 DAYS) WHEN HE
BECAME THE
YOUNGEST-EVER
WORLD NO.1
WEIGHT
1998
TURNED PRO
54
DAVIS CUP MATCH WINS
(MOST BY AN
AUSTRALIAN)
7
AVERAGE “C’MONS!”
IN A FIVE-SETTER
80
WEEKS AS NO.1
FEBRUARY 2016
67
RETURN
OF VERVE
AGE
44
WEIGHT
BEFORE
79.5KG
BODY FAT
BEFORE
19.6%
68
FEBRUARY 2016
WE CHALLENGED DOUBLES LEGEND
TODD WOODBRIDGE TO REGAIN THE SHAPE
AND ENERGY OF HIS PRIME IN JUST EIGHT
WEEKS. HE RESPONDED BY SERVING UP A
LESSON IN WHAT’S POSSIBLE WHEN YOU
STOP MAKING EXCUSES
By Daniel Williams
Photography by Jarrod Barnes
IT MIGHT SEEM like Todd
Woodbridge is a fundamentally
different beast to you. And as
one half of The Woodies – the
third-most prodigious doubles
partnership of all time – there’s no
arguing he sits comfortably in the
upper echelons of his sport. Yet
when Men’s Health first caught
up with the International Tennis
Hall of Famer, he was keen to
make one thing clear: athletically
speaking, he’s never been what
you’d call an ace performer.
“Fitzy (former Davis Cup
captain John Fitzgerald) likes to
say I am the greatest non-athletic
tennis player he’s ever seen,”
says Woodbridge. “He means I
couldn’t run a 400 or manage a
decent bench press, and I can’t do
a chin-up, yet somehow I had an
amazing career.”
It’s true that even while
racking up 22 Grand Slam titles
across men’s and mixed doubles,
Woodbridge relied more on court
sense and anticipation than
on the gasp-inducing gifts of
outrageous speed and power.
Now 10 years retired from
the Tour, Woodbridge had been
starting to feel the effects of a
haphazard approach to training.
Playing invitational events, he
felt as though certain joints were
in danger of coming unstuck,
and afterwards his knees, neck
and right elbow would ache like a
broken heart.
“Something else I didn’t have
as a player was a body,” he says. “I
never had the confidence to take
off my shirt on the practice court.”
Could those days be over?
DAY ZERO
Pulling off a transformation isn’t
going to be easy for the father-oftwo, who’s forever travelling as a
Tennis Australia ambassador and
Channel 7 commentator. Almost
half the challenge will be spent
interstate or abroad, including a
stint in New York. Jet lag, soulless
hotel gyms, plane food and
colossal Big Apple servings all
loom as potential pitfalls.
“In some ways I don’t know
why I want to put myself through
this,” confides Woodbridge. But
then his motivations spill out.
He would like to feel fit and
strong again. He wants to give
his powers of discipline a work
out – “because that’s good for
you, mentally”. And he’s keen to
show his teenage children, Beau
and Zara, how reaching your
potential means routinely facing
up to struggle and sacrifice – and
refusing to fold.
GO FAST AND FURIOUS
To target his spongy middle,
Woodbridge must throw himself
into metabolic circuit training,
instruct joint trainers Jack Murton
(who’ll guide Todd day to day)
and MH fitness adviser Cameron
Byrnes. It’s a prospect that
troubles Woodbridge, for even in
his prime he infinitely preferred
sweating it out on the practice
court for hours on end than
spending even five minutes in the
gym. “I hated weights and I hated
running,” he says.
But as tends to happen in
this transformation caper, the
>
TENNIS SPECIAL
WEIGHT
AFTER
73 KG
BODY FAT
AFTER
11.9%
“I never had
the confidence
to take off my
shirt on the
practice court”
WATCH THE VIDEO
SCANTHEPAGEWITHTHE
VIEWAAPPTOSEEBEHIND
THESCENESOFTODD’S
TRANSFORMATION
participant’s attitude morphs
once the effects of his lifestyle
overhaul kick in. Moves that used
to spook Woodbridge – like the
box jump – are soon performed
with confidence and vigour.
“I’d gotten used to suburban,
laidback, Audi-driving Todd,”
says Murton. “Now I’ve seen
Wimbledon-champion Todd. New
guy. New headspace.”
average daily kilojoule intake is a
tick below 7000 – certain to put
him in kilojoule deficit.
Here’s a sample day’s eating:
Breakfast Two-egg omelette with
50 grams of ham, plus spinach
and tomato. Snack 30g mixed
nuts. Lunch 100g chicken breast
with salad and half an avocado.
Snack 200g natural yoghurt.
Dinner 150g rump steak, half a cup
of brown rice, steamed veg.
SERVE UP THE GOOD STUFF
Woodbridge must also nail his diet
to get the definition he’s looking
for. His pre-challenge eating was
okay, but his recurring unforced
error was too much bread.
While at home, he follows a
Byrnes-designed eating plan that
leaves nothing to chance. It tells
him exactly what to consume in
the precise quantities, so that his
JUDGMENT DAY
Woodbridge turns up for his
post-challenge shoot with the
same tense expression he wore
when trying to serve out a Grand
Slam final. But once the camera
starts clicking and he sees the first
images of his streamlined self on
the photographer’s laptop, the
relief is palpable.
WORK OUT
LIKE
WOODBRIDGE
THE EX-CHAMP COURTED
SUCCESS BY SWAPPING HIS
RACQUET FOR THE GYM
“I’m really proud of what
I’ve achieved,” he says over a
celebratory lunch. “There were
times I doubted that I was going
to get a result. At one point I said
to my wife [Natasha], ‘You know, I
think when the Men’s Health guys
signed me up they thought I had
a body lurking underneath’. But I
never did!
“I’ve got more shape now
than I’ve ever had. I always had
good legs, but I never had a chest,
never had biceps. Joint-wise I
feel a lot freer, and I’m sleeping
less but better. I haven’t been 73
kilograms since I was 22.
“I’ve trained hard but I only
needed 60-80 minutes a day, and
not every day. Part of me thinks,
‘Thank God it’s over!’ But it’s not
really over. I’m going to work hard
to maintain what I’ve done.”
4/ BENCH TRICEPS DIPS
(FEET RAISED)
Sit crossways on a bench, your
hands behind you and your feet
mounted on a chair or bench. Lift
your buttocks off the bench and
bend your elbows so your forearms
are parallel with the floor. Use your
triceps to straighten your arms. Do
15 reps.
5/ DUMBBELL LYING
INCLINE ROWS
WHAT TO DO
Perform this Murton-designed
workout three times a week.
Do the exercises as a circuit,
with 90 seconds’ rest between
rounds. Complete the circuit
four times. Finish with 10
minutes of high-intensity
interval training on an exercise
bike – 30 seconds at 90 per
cent effort, followed by 30
seconds’ easy pedalling. (Run
on a treadmill or outdoors if
you prefer.) On non-workout
days, do the HIIT session over
30 minutes.
For further sculpting, add
every-other-day steady-state
cardio sessions. These could
be brisk walks lasting 30-45
minutes, ideally done first thing
in the morning.
TODD WOODBRIDGE
WOULD LIKE TO THANK
TRAINER Cameron Byrnes
TRAINER Jack Murton,
One Fitness, Brighton
(onefitness.com.au)
70
FEBRUARY 2016
1/ DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS
Lie on a flat bench, a dumbbell in
each hand, palms facing out. Press
the weights up until your elbows
are almost fully extended. Return to
the start position
position. Do 15 reps
reps.
Lie facedown on a bench set to a
slight incline. Grasp a dumbbell in
each hand and row them, one at a
time, towards your ribs. Do 15 reps
with each arm.
6/ BOX JUMP
Stand in front of a box set at a
comfortable height. Bend your
knees and use all the muscles of
your lower body to spring onto the
box. Repeat for 30 seconds.
2/ DUMBBELL ALTERNATE
BICEPS CURLS
Stand with feet shoulder-width
apart, dumbbells in each hand at
your sides. One at a time, keeping
elbows tucked, curl the weight up
to your shoulder. Lower and repeat
with your other arm. Do 15 reps
with each arm.
3/ MEDICINE-BALL SLAMS
Hold a medicine ball in both hands
and raise it overhead. With your core
locked, bend your knees and slam
the ball into the floor, catching it on
the bounce. Repeat for 30 seconds.
Break the
Tension
DEVELOP A MIND TO MATCH YOUR
BODY OF STEEL. FORMER WORLD
NO.1 JIM COURIER, NOW A
CHANNEL 7 COMMENTATOR,
REVEALS HIS SECRETS FOR
CONQUERING NERVES AND
CONJURING YOUR BEST
BREATHE EASY
Slow and deep, baby. This’ll
recruit your parasympathetic
nervous system, which helps chill
you out. “You’d be surprised how
often people hyperventilate in
pressure moments,” says Courier.
EYE YOUR OPPONENT
You’re not the only one whiteknuckling when a competition is
on the line. “Realise your
opponent is just as nervous as
you are,” says the two-time
Australian Open winner. Be
nasty: force him to execute the
stuff he’s least comfortable with.
PLAN AND PROSPER
By focusing your mind on tactics,
you lock yourself into the present,
quelling anxiety, explains Courier.
In tennis, that can mean knowing
where you want your serve to go.
Before a pub
blic speech, it’s
getting
g
an anecdote
straight in your head.
SWING TO WIN
Th
here’s a world of
difference between
pla
aying to win and
playing not to lose.
“Sw
wing with confidence
in ccritical moments,”
urge
es Courier.
SAV
VOUR THE
MO
OMENT
The flipside of big
presssure is big
opportunity. “Pressure
mome
ents are the ones we
all playy for,” says the
formerr champ.
TENNIS SPECIAL
BALLS OF
FIRE
TENNIS, LIKE LIFE,
HAS A KNACK FOR
STIRRING UP FURY.
QUELL YOUR
POTENTIAL FOR
VOLCANIC RAGE
NICK KYRGIOS took quite a ride last year – from
tennis’s hottest prospect to its most despised
brat. The guy with a game few can match turned
out to have a shorter fuse than Homer Simpson.
Write off the punk? Not so fast.
Kyrgios is merely the latest tennis high-flyer
prone to losing the plot. Even Roger Federer’s a
reformed racquet-smashing hothead. The point
is, rage is a beatable foe, and it’s one you need
to get on top of: a recent report in the European
Heart Journal showed that people were almost
five times more likely to have a heart attack in
the two hours after a heated exchange.
When anger takes hold, your body releases
adrenaline to boost your strength and cortisol
to narrow your focus, shutting down higherorder thinking, explains psychotherapist Dan
Auerbach (counsellingsydney.com.au). While
that’s perfect priming for a fistfight, it’s terrible
for remaining a free member of society.
“Noticing anger signals early gives you a
chance to intervene before you lose it,” says
Auerbach. Here’s how to stay in control when
circumstances are pushing all your buttons.
The Trigger
A colleague’s
sloppy attention
to detail
The Trigger
You’re no sooner in
the door than your
partner’s hitting you
with a list of chores
The Trigger
You’re having an
off-day on the links
The Trigger
Someone cuts you
off in traffic
What’s going on?
“Like an elite athlete,
you may be attuned to
perfect performance,”
says Auerbach. “Now
someone’s in the way
of that.”
Your fix Get out of
there and expel your
rage by taking a
power walk around
the block – you’ll
return seeing that,
while annoying, this
wasn’t a deliberate
act of sabotage.
What’s going on?
Partners are
particularly attuned to
receiving love and
reassurance on
greeting and parting,
explains Auerbach.
“The requests are just
her way of saying, ‘I
missed you, I need
you’.”
Your fix Give those
five or 10 minutes of
attention and you’ll be
in the clear.
What’s going on?
Guys can fall into the
trap of thinking
they’re useless, says
Auerbach. Here’s
more evidence.
Your fix Technically,
you may be able to
reboot your game by
concentrating on a
fundamental, like
watching the ball.
Psychologically, keep
a wretched showing in
perspective by telling
yourself, “This is one
match among many
– good form is just
around the corner”.
What’s going on?
You’ve been dissed
by someone who
thinks you’re
expendable.
Your fix Guys who
personalise random
acts tend to harbour
feelings of
powerlessness. If you
can become more
assertive in your
relationships, trifling
highway incidents are
less likely to send you
over the edge, says
Auerbach.
TENNIS TANTRUMS
Marcos Baghdatis
Mikhael Youzhny
Jeff Tarango
Goran Ivanisevic
John McEnroe
Took a load off at a
change of ends at the
Australian Open in 2012
and proceeded to reduce
four racquets to scrap
metal, not bothering to
take the last two out of
their plastic.
Went ape shit after
losing a rally in Miami in
2008, repeatedly
slamming his noggin
with his racquet. With
blood streaming from a
cut on his hairline, he
headed courtside for
treatment.
After a disputed call at
Wimbledon in 1995, told
a jeering crowd to “shut
up” and called the
umpire “the most
corrupt official in the
game” before storming
off the court, thereby
defaulting.
With his game misfiring
in England in 2000, the
Croatian kept trashing
racquets until he had
none left. The umpire
defaulted him for
“lack of appropriate
equipment”.
Threw one of his
notorious fits in
Stockholm in 1984,
when he sent courtside
refreshments flying
with several violent,
two-handed swings of
his racquet.
>
FEBRUARY 2016
71
SLAMMIN’
SAM
WATCH THE VIDEO
USETHEVIEWAAPPTOSEE
SLAMMINGSAMGROTH
FIRE OUT HIS KILLER SERVE
THE
FEMALE
FACTOR
WHY YOU SHOULD
BRING A CHEER
SQUAD TO
YOUR NEXT BIG
SPORTING TEST
72
FEBRUARY 2016
EVER NOTICED how you perform
physical tasks more vigorously
when there’s a woman in the
vicinity? You’re not alone. A
University of Queensland study
found skateboarders
performed riskier moves when
an attractive woman stood
nearby. They also executed
more successful tricks than
skaters who weren’t in the
presence of a babe.
In tennis, where players
need to go for every shot, the
testosterone surge triggered
by a fetching onlooker can be
decisive. As our gallery shows,
the world’s best players (past
and present) are not shy at
exploiting this phenomenon.
Why not you? It’s time to
arrange the appropriate
sideline support for your
next encounter.
Bec Hewitt
(wife of Lleyton Hewitt)
Bridgette Wilson
(wife of Pete Sampras)
TENNIS SPECIAL
Groth Spurt
AUSTRALIA’S SAM GROTH HOLDS THE
WORLD RECORD FOR THE FASTEST
SERVE – A THUNDEROUS 263.4KM/H.
USE HIS TIPS TO INJECT SERIOUS OOMPH
INTO YOUR OWN POWER PLAYS
SERVE LIKE SAM
GROTH’S ALL-BODY WORKOUT WILL HELP YOU
BUILD MUSCLE AND BOOST POWER WITHOUT
SACRIFICING AGILITY – AND CLOTHING
SPONSORS ARE SURE TO NOTICE HOW WELL
YOU’RE FILLING OUT YOUR TENNIS SHIRT
WHAT TO DO
Perform this routine three times a week.
After a thorough warm-up, do four sets
of each exercise, 6-10 reps per set.
By Daniel Williams
EVERYTHING about Sam Groth
these days is “BIG”.
Big year! Strong showings at
the majors in 2015 saw him hit
a career-high ranking of 53. He
also played out of his skin in the
Davis Cup and won the Newcombe
Medal as Australia’s outstanding
player and ambassador.
Translation: he hits ’em good and
he’s not a brat.
Big body! In a sport dominated
by the lean and slender, Groth’s
100-kilogram, V-shaped frame
makes him tennis’s brawniest
man. “I only need to look at free
weights and I put on size,” he says.
Lucky bastard.
Big game! His build dictates his
retro serve-and-volley style. “You
won’t catch me running around on
the baseline for 20 shots per rally.”
Big serve! At Wimbledon last
year against Roger Federer, Groth
launched a 236km/h linesmankiller – the second-fastest serve
in the tournament’s history. (He
banged down his world-record
serve in Busan, South Korea four
years ago).
And, finally, big prospects!
“I’ve set myself up for a massive
2016,” Groth predicts.
Brooke Shields
(ex wife of Andre Agassi)
Groth’s top three tips for making your
serve less popgun and more bazooka
1
Brooklyn Decker
(wife of Andy Roddick)
LEG IT
serves
Monster
the
o
fr
start m our
end y
ground. B xplode
de
knees an
all.
into the b
01/ BENCH PULL
Lie on a flat bench, gripping loaded
dumbbells on the floor below you,
arms fully extended. Squeeze your
shoulderblades together and row
the weights up towards your abs.
02/ PRONE BACK EXTENSIONS
Lie facedown on the floor, arms at
your sides. Pushing your
shoulderblades together and
squeezing your glutes, raise your
chest and legs off the floor, holding
for 10 seconds.
LE T
There’s n GO
for arm s o substitute
p
casualty eed – always a
of tensio
n. Practis
serving w
e
ith a flop
p
and wris
t, forgettin y arm
g ab
placeme
nt for a w out
hile.
03/ BULGARIAN FRONT SQUAT
Stand with your feet hip-width
apart, holding a barbell under your
chin. Extend one leg behind you
and rest that foot on a bench. Keep
your torso straight as you descend
as low as possible, with your front
heel firmly on the floor. Drive back
up to the start.
04/ INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS
Sit on a bench set to 45°, holding a
dumbbell at your right shoulder,
palm facing out. Push the weight
overhead. Then do your left.
BOS S S
OS
THE T go out
t
s o
It need o you can
ts
in fron your body .
e
launch the hit zon
o
t
in
t
weigh car y stuff.
S
Ester Satorova
(wife of Tomas Berdych)
Jelena Djokovic
(wife of Novak Djokovic)
Kim Seers
(wife of Andy Murray)
Maria Francisca Perello
(girlfriend of Rafael Nadal)
FEBRUARY 2016
73
74
FEBRUARY 2016
TENNIS SPECIAL
C
I
V
O
K
O
J
D
K
E
T
A
E
V
L
O
H
T
A
T
S
E
T
T
FI
?
E
M
I
T
L
L
ON
BY S IM
BARNE
S
How do
you create an
advantage when
your rivals seem
unbeatable? Or find
that extra gear when
your body is at its limits?
The answer is to pick
yourself apart – to
dismantle the man
and build the
champion >
FEBRUARY 2016
75
First there was Roger Federer, then Rafa Nadal.
Tennis was lucky to get one such player.
To get two at the same time seemed utterly impossible.
They won every tournament, broke every
record. Their count of Grand Slam singles titles
stands at 17 for Federer (the men’s record)
and 14 for Nadal, equal-second with Pete
Sampras. This includes an astonishing nine
on the clay in Paris. Federer is a player of
mesmerising and destructive brilliance; Nadal
has the best topspin ever struck.
And yet, just when it seemed that only
injury or retirement could end this historic
duopoly, Novak Djokovic defied all expectation
– and belief – to break through and establish
himself as better than either. This young man
from the tennis hinterland of Serbia took them
both on at their peak, and went past them.
Their dominance diminished not before his
ascendancy, but because of it.
At the time of going to print, Djokovic has
won 59 singles titles, including 10 Grand
Slams, pocketing more than $94 million in
prize money alone in the process. He has
been the number one player in the rankings for
a total of 176 weeks – more than Nadal ever
managed, though still a way short of Federer’s
benchmark of 302. And one of the reasons he
has made it to the top – and stayed there – is
76
FEBRUARY 2016
because he is arguably the fittest player ever
to walk onto court.
Djokovic is so remarkably athletic that good
judges are often blinded. They see only the
product of the gym: the discreetly muscled
physique, the full-splits flexibility, the
combination of staying power and brief
recovery time. But he’s not the best just
because he is the fittest. That’s only part of the
reason. He’s the best because he has allied
physical preparation on and off the court with
mental tenacity and technical ability, to a level
never previously seen in tennis.
Or perhaps – and here’s the thing – any
other sport.
CARVE OUT A MENTAL EDGE
The modern tennis player is the complete
athlete. Strength, power, speed, endurance,
flexibility – to get to the top, and stay there, he
needs it all. In track and field, you can specialise
in the explosive events, or in endurance. A top
tennis player needs to be able to run the 10,000
metres, while taking occasional breaks to run a
100m sprint or do a bit of shot-putting. He
needs the stamina to last for five sets, but he
must also have explosive power: to make a long
chase and unload into a kill-shot. He must be
precise and skilful when close to exhaustion.
And that – more than anything else – describes
the way that Djokovic wins matches against the
finest opposition that tennis has ever thrown up.
“We have fitter, faster, stronger and better
athletes, and that’s inevitable with increased
professionalism,” says Dr Mark Williams, a
professor of clinical psychology at Oxford
University. He suggests that all sports have
changed dramatically in levels of fitness,
strength and quickness, but what sets apart
tennis players – and Djokovic in particular
– is not just great physical fitness, but
psychological superiority.
“Everyone at the top levels of sport is fit,”
says Williams. “Without fitness you’re no good;
don’t even start. But it’s not enough on its own.
Tennis is also about higher-level cognitive
thinking. You must know what your opponent
will do: pick up his body shape and his
movement, know what shots to expect from
what areas of the court. It’s a matter of mental
preparation over an extended timescale, and
that’s a process based on, say, 20 hours of
TENNIS SPECIAL
EAT LIKE A CHAMPION
Djokovic’s dietitian, Dr Igor
Cetojevic, serves up an advantage
ACE BREAKFAST
I was shocked at what Djokovic ate for
breakfast: toast, jam, sugary cereals. It was
like putting diesel into a Ferrari. No wonder he
was getting so many injuries. Always start the
day with muscle-regenerating eggs, and whizz
up fresh berries, goji berries and spirulina for
an energising antioxidant cocktail.
PREP LIGHT
practice a week, totalling 1000 hours every
year. That’s the way you create technical and
tactical ability, and it’s essential.”
In last year’s Australian Open final, it
seemed that Andy Murray had got on top of the
match as he levelled at a set-all – but Djokovic
found another gear to take the next set 6-3 and
then yet another to take the fourth to love.
Raise, then raise again. You’re not supposed to
be able to do things like that, not at this level of
sport. People who watched tended to
misunderstand. They thought Murray had
thrown in the towel. Not a bit. Djokovic got
stronger. When tiredness should have cut in,
he found his A-game and played better.
SWEAT THE SMALL THINGS
– ALL OF THEM
Djokovic’s victory didn’t just come down to his
apparent ability to run forever, or his ability to hit
the ball with great strength when he got there. It
was also the mental certainty that came with it.
Because Djokovic not only chases down your
best shot, he also has the unerring clarity of
mind – a product of both physical fitness and
game sense – to play the right shot when he
gets there. He hasn’t just developed the
physical ability to outrun his rivals, but the
mental edge to outlast them.
The person who knows Djokovic best on the
circuit is another Serb, Viktor Troicki, a very
respectable player himself, with a career-high
ranking of 12 and almost $6m in prize money in
the bank. He has something of a big-brother
feeling for Djokovic – he’s almost two years
older – and he speaks of him protectively and
proudly. There’s a rivalry, sure, but that’s their
business. In public he has his bro’s back.
“It happened when he was 14. That’s when I
first felt that he really could be very good
indeed,” says Troicki. “Partly this was because
of his attitude – right at the start he was very
professional. And it’s something I notice now
even more. He just does everything right.
Everything in his life. Watch him practise: he
will give every session 100 per cent. It’s not
about practising for hours and hours; it’s about
practising right.
“He works on details: massage, strength,
training, diet. He has a good, dedicated team
and he can put all these things together to win
the big titles.” >
Avoid heavy food before playing or a workout.
Your body will use more energy on digestion
and have less available to power your muscles
and brain. People like to carb load, but I
recommend a light meal of fish and
vegetables, at least two hours before a match.
EAT WITH INTENT
When you sit and focus on a meal, your body
begins the digestive process. It sounds like a
tiny detail, but I guarantee you it’ll be
impossible to perform at your maximum
potential without it.
FEBRUARY 2016
77
And it’s not just his friends who speak so
highly of him, but his ATP tour rivals, too. “He
has the best fitness on the tour,” David Ferrer
tells me, with the kind of honesty you would not
normally expect from a regular opponent.
Ferrer is 33, with 26 career titles and a highest
ranking of three. He has beaten Djokovic five
times and suffered 16 defeats, saying
modestly: “To beat him I need to have a very
good day while he has a bad day.”
Ferrer continues: “He has everything. He is
faster and stronger, and his coordination is
unbelievable. When it comes to flexibility he’s
the best, and he has been able to improve his
abilities. Six years ago he was not so strong.”
No, he was not. Six years ago, when Federer
was unplayable, and Nadal unbeatable,
Djokovic was a respectable world number
three. Winning matches, yes; winning
tournaments, too. But still a way behind the two
greatest players ever to step onto a tennis
court. To make the seemingly impossible step
up, he’d need to make big changes, fast.
TAKE YOUR BODY SERIOUSLY
There were two major changes that affected
Djokovic’s career trajectory, and naturally
they’re closely related.
The first was a playing breakthrough. It
came when Serbia won the Davis Cup in 2010
with Djokovic and Troicki playing their guts out.
For Djokovic it was a new start; the first time he
was really able to think of himself as the best
in the world. The next year he won three of the
four slams.
The second was all about pizza and
pancakes. These were the great food loves
of Djokovic’s life, not least because his parents
own a restaurant specialising in both. He was
never fat, of course, but he had a tendency to
suffer when deep into a five-setter. There was
a time when his level of play would fall away.
His comeback ability, as displayed against
Murray last summer, was practically non-
existent. He was regarded as a bit of a
hypochondriac, a bit lacking in mental
toughness, altogether too ready to blame a
phantom injury for his own failings.
Djokovic would suffer from symptoms of
asthma, which brought distress and panic at the
most important stage of a match, just when you
don’t need such things. Dr Igor Cetojevic
switched on the tennis one afternoon and
watched him suffering. “Even from watching him
on TV I could see that some digestive issue was
the root cause of his difficulty breathing.”
Cetojevic, a Serb like Djokovic, has trained in
biofeedback and traditional Chinese medicine.
His wife persuaded him to contact Djokovic and
they met during a Davis Cup tie in 2010.
Cetojevic checked him over and found that
his suspicions were right. And crucially, Djokovic
decided to go with his conclusions. “By
identifying his sensitivity to gluten and lactose
he would take the necessary steps,” says
Cetojevic. “By eliminating dairy products and
most meat from his diet his ‘asthma’
disappeared. Without this handicap he had an
exceptional season, culminating in his victory at
Wimbledon in 2011, and he became the
number one player in the world.”
This diet was not just a negative process.
Cetojevic brought so-called superfoods into
Djokovic’s diet: fresh berries loaded with
antioxidants to aid muscle recovery; a daily dose
of ligament-strengthening oily fish to improve
immunity and combat mid-tournament delayedonset muscle soreness; and plenty of easily
digested sea algae to enhance cognitive function
and alertness during lengthy rallies. “I taught him
to avoid drinking cold water because it
compromised digestion,” says Cetojevic. “Plenty
of room-temperature spring water is much better.”
This is the kind of detail that people at the
very sharp end of sport love. These are the
one-percenters, the marginal gains. The idea
behind them is to get every possible thing on
your side. If there is one tiny way of making a
GAME, SET
& STATS
To be the best, you have to
beat the best. Federer may
have had a head start, but
Djokovic is catching up fast
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
COUNTRY:
SERBIA
AGE:
28
HEIGHT:
188CM
WEIGHT:
80KG
SINGLES TITLES:
59
PRIZE MONEY:
GRAND SLAM FLEXIBILITY
Let mobility expert Peter Parasiliti stretch y
your p
potential
ential
$94M
TOP WINNING STREAK:
43 MATCHES
CONSECUTIVE GRAND SLAMS WON:
3
LONGEST MATCH:
HIP-FLEXOR ROLL
IT-BAND ROLL
ACHILLES ROLL
HIP-FLEXOR STRETCH
120 seconds each leg
120 seconds each leg
120 seconds each leg
120 seconds each leg
True flexibility comes
from opening your hip
flexors to unlock
hidden strength in
your glutes – the key to
speed and power. Lie
facedown with the
foam roller at the top of
your quad, then roll
back and forth about
10cm, slowly.
Tight iliotibial bands
lead to the
misalignment of joints
and muscle fibres. In a
side plank, position
your hip on the roller,
crossing your other leg
over with heel flat, and
target the area between
your hip and knee.
With hands behind
you, roll back and forth
over the bottom of
your calves to loosen
your Achilles.
Tightness in this
tendon not only leads
to nasty injuries, it
restricts the range of
movement all the way
up your leg.
This stretch is the final
stage of finding the
hip-flexor mobility
needed to unlock your
glutes. Ditch the roller
and drop into a lunge,
touching your knee to
the floor. Repeat daily
for Grand Slam
flexibility and power.
78
FEBRUARY 2016
V NADAL
(353 minutes) and won
TENNIS SPECIAL
were to build a perfect tennis player
cratch, you’d end up with Djokovic”
tiny gain, you do it. And then look for another.
Djokovic took this concept on and now lives it.
He has become a walking education to
anyone who wants to know how a champion
gets his edge.
ABANDON YOUR REST DAYS, BUT
NOT YOUR SENSE OF HUMOUR
ROGER FEDERER
COUNTRY:
SWITZERLAND
AGE:
34
HEIGHT:
185CM
WEIGHT:
85KG
SINGLES TITLES:
88
PRIZE MONEY:
$97.3M
TOP WINNING STREAK:
41 MATCHES
CONSECUTIVE GRAND SLAMS WON:
3
LONGEST MATCH:
V NADAL
(305 minutes) and lost
Richard Evans is the doyen of tennis writers
and broadcasters. He first covered Wimbledon
in 1960. He remembers Aussie great Roy
Emerson as a seriously fit athlete; Emerson
won 12 Grand Slam singles titles between
1961 and 1967 and was beyond doubt one of
the top players of all time.
“He was as fit a player as you could find on
the circuit back then. He liked to drink a few
beers of an evening, but he would always run
them off. He was remarkably fit – and yet that
was nothing to what players do now.”
There’s a story of John McEnroe being
asked what he did to keep fit. He was baffled: “I
play tennis,” he said. So he did, and he could
play a point better than any point had ever
been played, using his remarkable on-court
insight and intelligence. But these days that
wouldn’t be enough.
It becomes clear, then, that being a
sporting champion is not just about being
good at sport. It is a lifestyle choice. A
24/7/365 thing. These days, you can’t have a
few beers, run them off and then win a Grand
Slam tournament. Like being a saint, every
aspect of your waking and your sleeping life
must be devoted to a greater cause.
In this way details become a passion for
people at the top of any sport, but more so for
individual sportsmen: they can’t blame
colleagues for any failures. Djokovic brings that
principle to something close to its logical
extreme. Preparation is no longer separate
from real life. It’s one and the same thing.
Martina Navratilova was the first to reinvent
championship tennis as a 24-hour lifestyle, and
it gave her an edge that took her to 18 Grand
Slam singles titles. Asked the difference
between herself and the other players on the
circuit, she explained that where the other
players had involvement, she had commitment.
“It’s like ham and eggs. The chicken’s involved.
But the pig’s committed.”
She laughs when reminded of this. “Novak’s
a pig, all right,” she says. “He understands what
to do. Sleep, food, drink: it’s all as important as
tennis. And Novak is head and shoulders
above the rest, the way he lives that attitude.
He’s a pro’s pro. Perhaps that’s why he doesn’t
get quite as much love as he should.”
Djokovic exemplifies the tennis-as-lifestyle
concept that Navratilova pioneered. “I turned
off the head,” she says. “But I never turned off
the body.” And that’s a fair summary of what
Djokovic does: understanding the essential
need for mental downtime, but never at the
expense of his physical preparation. A nice
evening and a few jokes, great. Essential
even. But never compromise a single one
per cent advantage.
IRON OUT YOUR WEAKNESSES
It’s not, then, that Djokovic is fitter than
everybody else, even though he is. Djokovic
has more of everything than anybody else.
Evans says: “If you were to build a perfect tennis
player from scratch, you’d end up with Djokovic.
“He’s tall, 6ft 2in (188 centimetres), but not
too tall. He is strong, but not muscle-bound.
He’s astonishingly flexible – he can play a shot
while doing the splits. He’s an amazing
physical specimen and once he got over his
breathing problems he improved still further.
He has great speed; his frame gives him
exceptional reach. He doesn’t have one
colossal shot, like Nadal’s forehand, but he has
no weaknesses. None. He may not have a 10
in his repertoire, but he’s got no fours; it’s all
eights and nines. And also – perhaps crucially
– he has great intelligence.”
The secret ingredient is obvious then.
Everything. Good genes, good physique,
natural gifts and the purposeful development
of them, constant physical preparation, the
acceptance of sport as a lifestyle, the
elimination of weakness and the constant
enhancement of your abilities, coupled with a
good mind and brutal determination – and all
set off with a sense of humour.
It’s an ingredients list that has made him
supreme in his sport; and perhaps supreme
across all the major sports. For a tennis player,
though a specialist when it comes to striking a
ball, must also be a generalist in every other
category of fitness. He must be strong, fast,
precise, flexible, resilient, capable of going on
forever and capable of thinking with perfect
clarity at the most challenging moments. There
are champions in all sports: Djokovic has made
himself a champion of champions.
Turn off the head, but never turn off the body.
Djokovic takes that maxim a step further. Keep
that sense of humour during training. But being
a champion is a serious business.
FEBRUARY 2016
79
80
FEBRUARY 2016
HEALTH
BY TED LANE
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M A R C VA N D A L E N
LIVING LONGER NEEDN’T
BE A LOST CAUSE. THESE
EXPERT PRESCRIPTIONS
FROM THE GREAT AND
THE GOOD IN HEALTH
SCIENCE USE THE
LATEST RESEARCH TO
ADD YEARS TO YOUR
LIFESPAN. FOLLOW THEIR
ADVICE TO ACHIEVE
MODEL FITNESS >
FEBRUARY 2016
81
THE DIAGNOSIS
A FATAL PAIN IN
THE NUTS
T h is
r e a ll y
; it ’s
w o rk s
st hot
ju
t
o
n
a ir.
THE CURE
BE FULL OF BEANS
Cook your cancer risk,
says medical researcher
Ian Roden
A student staple could well be
the best prevention for many
types of cancer. No, not cold
pizza or two-minute noodles,
but Mr Heinz’s magic beans.
Prostate cancer, for example,
is the most commonly
diagnosed cancer in Australian
men, with over 3000 dying
from the disease each year.
But a new wave of research
has highlighted the foods that
could keep you in the clear.
“Products such as baked
beans were shown to be the
most beneficial, with an 18 per
cent reduction in risk found
in men eating over 10 portions
per week,” says Roden, from
the UK’s National Institute of
Health Research. But before
you reach for the can opener,
you don’t need to force down
10 plates of beans on toast to
survive. The journal Cancer
Epidemiology, Biomarkers and
Prevention created a “dietary
index” based on the study and
found foods rich in selenium,
calcium and lycopene to be the
best at combating cancer. Tell
the gourmands to ketchup.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION:
Knock up a prostate-saving
tuna melt to provide four of the
10 weekly portions you need
on one plate. Top a slice of
wholemeal bread (selenium)
with tuna, red capsicum
(selenium, lycopene) and
mozzarella (calcium). Stick it
under the grill.
82
FEBRUARY 2016
HEALTH
THE DIAGNOSIS
BEGINNING TO LOOK YOUR AGE
THE CURE
A HEAVY DOSE OF IRON
Modify your workout for fitness that doesn’t fade, says
Dr Anne Newman
Your mirror muscles might look good in T-shirt season, but
switch the emphasis of your sessions and you’ll build lifelengthening strength. “Men lose their strength at a much
faster rate when they get older,” says Newman, professor of
epidemiology and medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
Strength declines after age 40 and, according to a study
published in the Journal of Gerontology, you lose four per cent
of your muscle strength every year as you reach old age.
“The problem surrounds loss of muscle strength, not mass;
it’s the muscle quality that degrades,” says Newman. But
change your emphasis from volume-enhancing hypertrophy to
strength training and your chance of hitting the bench (rather
than sitting on it) into old age goes up by 17 per cent. Instead of
isolating the showy muscles in your arms, opt for compound
movements. Heavy weight and low reps will help you stand
strong well into your seventies.
The
n
g o ld e
r u le :
years
y ove r
q u a li t
it y.
n
a
qu t
YOUR PRESCRIPTION:
To trade puffed-up pecs for high-grade gains, add these moves
to your workouts once a week, says PT Danny Fisher.
■ Barbell deadlift 5 sets of 3 reps; 90 seconds’ rest
■ Bent-over row 5 sets of 5 reps; 90 seconds’ rest
■ Zercher squat 3 sets of 5 reps; 90 seconds’ rest >
FEBRUARY 2016
83
THE DIAGNOSIS
A BLACK DOG ON YOUR SHOULDER
THE CURE
A DOWNWARD DOG ON YOUR FLOOR
Mental problems can have physical solutions, says psychologist Cristian Pena
Male depression and anxiety are big news at the
moment. Rightly so; on average, one in eight men will
have depression and one in five will experience anxiety
at some stage in life. While medications can be effective,
there are other ways to help defend against these
sometimes crippling conditions.
A recent Oxford University study found “mindfulnessbased cognitive therapy” helped 70 per cent of
participants transition from depression medication.
But the idea of mindfulness still doesn’t sit well with
everyone – while many new age stressed-out corporate
types are on board with the trend, more down-to-earth
types still see meditation as mumbo jumbo.
There is a more palatable way of tapping into the
principles of mindfulness: yoga. “Focusing on each
posture helps you to concentrate on the present
moment in a way identical to mindfulness,” says Pena. A
daily routine will strengthen your body and your mind.
84
FEBRUARY 2016
YOUR PRESCRIPTION:
Hold these moves for 10 breaths
to nix the day’s stress.
Child’s pose Sit on your heels.
Fold over to rest your head on
the floor and stretch your arms
forward.
Bridge pose Lie face-up, knees
bent. Lift your hips and bring
your chest to your chin. Clasp
your hands together underneath
your body.
Downward-facing dog From all
fours, slide your hands forward
and lift your hips so your body
forms a “V”. Try to push your
heels into the ground.
HEALTH
THE DIAGNOSIS
AN UNTIMELY DEMISE
THE CURE
an
Wa n t
al
e te r n
? S c u ll
e li x ir
scum.
pond
THE SUPER SUPP
Algae can halve your risk of
early death, says supplement
expert Kurtis Frank
There is no magic pill, no miracle
elixir protecting you from all
manner of deadly disease. But new
research shows that a commonly
available blue-green algae
supplement comes exceptionally
close. Spirulina contains a
compound called C-phycocyanin,
which mimics bile acids in your
blood and causes a condition
called Gilbert’s syndrome. Actively
seeking out a syndrome may
seem strange, but the Journal of
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Foundation found Gilbert’s reduces
your risk of early death from all
ailments by 50 per cent.
“The higher levels of bilirubin in
your blood, caused by the spirulina,
have amazing antioxidant and antiinflammatory purposes,” says Frank,
lead researcher with independent
supplement investigation company
Examine. “They have the potential
to increase longevity and reduce
rates of disease to the same extent
as Gilbert’s.”
But slashing your risk of an
early death does come at a price:
the taste. Spirulina is notoriously
unpalatable but, under Frank’s
instruction, you need to up your
dose. “To see the real benefits to
longevity aim for 5-10 grams a day;
10g being optimal,” says Frank.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION:
To help you enjoy this supp’s
benefits for years (and years) to
come, simply “enjoy” a spirulina
smoothie by blitzing 10g of the
algae with a banana, a handful of
blueberries, 300 millilitres of
coconut water and some ice cubes.
Down this with breakfast every
morning – pinching your
nose if necessary.>
FEBRUARY 2016
85
THE DIAGNOSIS
POOR CARDIAC
PERFORMANCE
THE CURE
EAT YOUR
GREENS, FAST
Fresher fruit and veg keep
your heart healthier, says
nutritionist Scott Baptie
Don’t leave those Granny
Smiths in the fridge too long.
Time spent in storage means
more nutrients lost – which
is bad news for your heart.
Research published in the
Journal of the Federation
of American Societies for
Experimental Biology
shows that nitrates found
in health-food staples like
apples and kale can reduce
your production of EPO
(erythropoietin), which
boosts red blood cell
production and thins your
blood. Not ideal if you were
planning to dope your way
onto the podium at Le Tour,
but great for reducing your
risk of stroke or heart attack.
This is all well and good.
The problem is, nitrate levels
begin to drop as soon as
produce is harvested. Only
buy fresh produce on the day
you intend to eat it and aim
to go from grocery bag to
chopping board.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION:
Squeeze more from each stem
and sprout with Baptie’s tips.
Well-seasoned If it’s in season
it’s likely Australian grown.
Check out seasonalfoodguide.
com to plan your shop and
reduce the field-to-fork lag time.
Freeze framed Don’t fear the
frozen aisle. Because veg is
frozen straight after picking, it
can retain more nutrients than
fresh food.
Go local It pays to support your
local grocer. Local veg has a
short storage time, so is able to
ripen to its optimal point before
it’s picked.
86
FEBRUARY 2016
Y ie ld to
te m p ta ti
on.
T h e q u ic
k er
th e b et te
r.
HEALTH
THE DIAGNOSIS
LOST MARBLES
THE CURE
GET BACK IN
THE CLASSROOM
Re-enrol to safeguard your
brain cells, says Alzheimer’s
researcher Dr Laura Phipps
It starts with lost keys and
forgetting friends’ names, but
can develop into something more
sinister: over 340,000 Australians
are affected by dementia. New
drugs such as DFMO show promise
in medical trials, but are a way off
from hitting the market. But that
doesn’t mean your brain is helpless
against dementia. “Education can’t
reverse Alzheimer’s, but it limits
its effects,” says Phipps. A study
published in Neurology found that
for every extra year of education,
you are 10 per cent more likely to
increase brain weight, which is
linked to better cognition in the
face of the disease. Challenge your
brain to learn new information:
as little as four hours a week will
safeguard your mental health. Time
to go stationery shopping.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION:
Signing up for one of these classes
is a smart idea.
Si señor
Learn a language to fluency
(duolingo.com is great). Being
bilingual delays the onset of
Alzheimer’s. And makes you
appear “worldly”.
Don’t draw a blank
Taking up the arts is linked to a
reduced risk of developing
dementia. Not a sketchy guy?
Making music helps, too.
School of life
For a more hands-on approach to
brain health, pick up a vocational
skill (check out tafecourses.com.au)
and be every employer’s dream.
des of
5 0 s h a tt e r ?
a
m
y
g re
a re a d
Wo r th
a ll .
r
e
t
f
a
FEBRUARY 2016
87
Just a
ch
take a est workout f
pew . .
or bros
.
?
THE SQUAT. THE DEADLIFT. THE BENCH PRESS.
THESE THREE EXERCISES SHOULD FORM THE CORNERSTONE OF ANY SERIOUS
FITNESS REGIMEN, YET FOR MANY MEN THEY HAVE SINFULLY FALLEN OUT OF FAVOUR.
WITH ATYPICALLY EVANGELICAL FERVOUR, MH EXPLAINS HOW – AND WHY – YOU
NEED TO HARNESS THE POWER OF THIS SAINTLY TRIO OF STRENGTH MOVES
BY
88
FEBRUARY 2016
DANIEL MASOLIVER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
DAVID ELLIS
FITNESS
Should
er
and sa the burden
crifice
fat
Why th
ec
move m lassic comp
ound
ust rise
again
FEBRUARY 2016
89
hile we’re loathe to
come over all
Seventh Day
Adventist on you,
prepare yourself for
the second coming.
Though in this case, we’re talking about
weight training. For too long, gym goers
and fitness fanatics the world over have
been led astray by beguiling fads
promising major results for minimal
effort. We’ve been tempted by HIIT, given
in to spin, and – forgive us, for we have
sinned – signed up to a free taster
session of Zumba. And quite enjoyed it.
But in doing so, we’ve turned our back
on the true temple of strength, muscle
and definition: the weights room. Your
bodily salvation takes the form of The
Holy Trinity of muscle: the squat, the
deadlift and the bench press.
“If you walk into a normal commercial
gym, a large proportion of the
memberships in there are wasted,” says
elite PT James Conci-Mitchell. “Training
is not about trends. Look at successful
athletes: they all use these three
exercises. All of them. They are
fundamental movements that have been
used for as long as training has existed.”
The innate beauty of this trio is that
they are all compound movements,
between them engaging every muscle in
your body – from the big movers to the
fixators and stabilisers that you don’t
see, but are essential for a strong,
healthy physique. “These three lifts are
going to help you reach your goals,
whatever those goals may be,” says
Conci-Mitchell. “It’s gym class 101: if you
only knew how to do these lifts – maybe
with some overhead pressing and pullups thrown in for good measure – that
would be all you ever needed to do. It’s
only by pitching your body against the
biggest weights and the most resistance
that you are guaranteed to engage the
most muscles and cause maximum
metabolic impact.”
So fear not, for we have gathered
three wise men, whose unparalleled
expertise in strength and conditioning
will lead you to physical redemption.
Amen to that.
The Patron Saint of
RACK UP
Reach squat nirvana by
approaching the rack – never the
Smith machine, as this can create
unnatural movements and it
doesn’t force you to engage your
core and stabiliser muscles.
LAY A TRAP
Duck under the bar and rise up so
your shoulders make contact.
There should be a slight bend in
your knees. Now position the bar
on the fleshy part of your traps,
several centimetres down your
shoulderblades, not across the top
of your shoulders, in contact with
your neck or vertebrae
GET A GRIP
Ensure you have a symmetrical
grip, forearms at a 90° angle to
your biceps, hands at an equal
distance with equal rotation in
your wrists. The bar is for balance
– the weight should be held by
your back, not arms.
ARUN SINGH IS A POWERLIFTING COACH CURRENTLY PREPARING OLYMPIC AND
PARALYMPIC ATHLETES FOR RIO 2016
The squat is known in the trade
as the king of exercises. Many
people can lift bigger weights on
their deadlift, but in terms of the
total number of muscle fibres recruited, it’s
the squat that reigns supreme.
For that reason, it should be omnipresent
in your workout plan, whether you’re
looking to lose the love handles, muscle
up or cut your triathlon splits. Sure,
nothing pops your quads like a squat. More
surprising, perhaps, is that when done
properly it also harnesses the power of the
posterior chain – the lower back, glutes
and hamstrings. In actual fact, in a regular
back squat, the quads act more as a brake,
while it’s the rear of the body which does
all the heavy lifting. Because of this, it’s
a very good idea to perform squats and
deadlifts on alternate days, especially if
90
FEBRUARY 2016
you’re attempting to lift anywhere near your
one-rep max.
The sheer amount of energy required to
squat with a heavy weight on your back is
what makes it the perfect fat-burning tool.
There’s so much musculature being called
upon in a squat that you’ll not only spike your
metabolism during the exercise, but keep it
firing well after you’ve finished. It’s the same
principle that’s behind the much-touted
trend for HIIT. But to feel the full effect, and
to engage the maximum number of muscles,
you’ve got to go deep – to that scary, unsteady
place where you’re genuinely concerned that
you might not make it back up.
Adding back squats into your gym
sessions – and not just on legs day – may
seem a heavy cross to bear. But it’s a
small sacrifice to make for the miraculous
resurrection of your metabolism.
TAKE THE WEIGHT
Now brace yourself: tense your
stomach, push it out and raise
your chest. Head up, please.
Engage your legs and stand so the
bar lifts from the rack. Take a small
step back and set yourself.
HEELING POWER
Feet shoulder-width apart, keep
your heels and little toes planted at
all times. This prevents you falling
backwards and sets your knees
out slightly so they don’t end your
ability to genuflect for good.
FITNESS
HINGE BENEFITS
Focus on your hips. When you’re
feeling solid, push your glutes back
and hinge at the hips as you lower,
bending your knees. Stay braced to
keep your torso upright.
LOWER STANDARDS
To reap the full reward, your thighs
must be at least parallel to the
ground. Go deep – or don’t bother.
If you lack the mobility to take it
low, work on your form. Goblet
squats are a great way to start.
Show your devotion
to the squat by
going deep.
MAKE LIKE LAZARUS
Drive back up towards hormonal
and strength gains. Lift your head
slightly – now’s a good time for a
swift prayer – before you push
through your feet, squeeze your
glutes and return to standing. >
FEBRUARY 2016
91
Praise be to
DAN JOHN IS A WORLD-LEADING
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING EXPERT,
A FORMER US DISCUS THROWER AND
THE AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS,
INCLUDING MASS MADE SIMPLE
The biggest misconception
around the bench press is that it’s
just a chest move. The next time
someone says that to you, you
have my permission to call them a jackass.
Any lift is a full-body lift, but the emphasis
here is that it’s done correctly. In this case,
that starts with your feet. Drive your heels
into the ground, keeping your glutes on the
bench – your entire lower body should be
locked and loaded. To lift big, the power
needs to come from your feet and travel all
the way up through your legs.
You’re not exercising your quads here,
but by tensing your glutes and planting
your feet, you’re switching on your abs and
obliques and getting a core workout more
effective than any number of sit-ups. And
therein lies the beauty of this lift, which far
from being a vanity exercise is actually a
compound move crucial for athletes building
functional strength, whatever your sport.
The bench press engages your deltoids,
triceps and even your biceps, which act
as stabilisers, countering the force of the
movement. And yes, as the jackasses can
– and do – attest, your chest will see massive
growth, bringing the full range of pectoral
muscles into play. Far more effectively than
a push-up or a chest-press machine, too.
Give the latter a wide berth: its fixed plane
of motion isolates your pecs, while totally
neglecting the equally important stabiliser
and fixator muscles.
It’s not the most fun activity you can
perform lying down, but it is certainly the
most biomechanically virtuous.
92
FEBRUARY 2016
TAKE A PEW
You need to attend upper-body
mass at least twice a week for
holy progress. Rack up your
weights, then start by sitting
upright at the end of the bench.
Clench your glutes. Prepare
thyself for what is to come.
HOLD POSITION
Lie back, bar above your eyes,
and set your arms roughly a fist’s
width outside shoulder-width
apart. You can adjust the grip for
different benefits – closer hits
the triceps, wider works outer
pecs and deltoids – but this is
the best for all-over growth.
ARCH NEMESIS
You need to borrow from the
yogis and “listen to your body”.
With your hands on the bar,
shuffle your bum up a little to
arch your back slightly. Note:
slightly. Hyperextension is best
left to the powerlifters who do
this for a living.
FITNESS
Say a little
prayer, then
push, push, push.
STAY SURE-FOOTED
Your heels should be directly
under your knees to form a
90° angle. Driving your feet
into the floor allows you to
push more, providing rigidity
through your whole body.
Don’t drive one foot harder or
you’ll launch the bar at the
chest-day queue.
PUMP AND GRIND
With your body set, tense
your abs and glutes and
pump yourself up to grind out
your reps. Imagine you are
pulling the bar apart as you
push through your triceps
and squeeze your pecs hard
at the top of the movement.
LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS
Breathe in as you lower,
under control, towards your
chest. Not your neck or belly,
your chest. Your elbows
should stay vertical beneath
your wrists – as you get
bigger and stronger, your
hand placement can widen.
SHOULDER THE BURDEN
Poorly set shoulders open you to
injury and shut down true strength
gains. Retract your shoulders into
the bench so they pinch together.
Keep your traps down, not
touching the sides of your head
like two muscley earrings, so
your pecs do the work.
PUSH THROUGH IT
Exhale sharply as you push your
heels into the ground, shoulders
into the bench, as you power the
bar back up to the top. Be
mindful not to over-extend your
arms at the top or your shoulders
will soon need resurrecting.
FEBRUARY 2016
93
STEP UP
Approach the bar, head
bowed as if in penance, until
your shins touch it. The
closer, the better. Plant your
feet and tense from the balls
of your feet up to your glutes,
staying active throughout.
Raised from the
STAND YOUR GROUND
Your feet should be
shoulder-width apart, turned
out ever-so-slightly to stop
your knees collapsing in
once you start to lift.
JAMES CONCI-MITCHELL IS A FORMER
ARMY OFFICER, PHYSIQUE COMPETITOR,
AND THE FOUNDER OF ELITE TRAINING
FACILITY SIX3NINE
The deadlift is the most
criminally overlooked move
in the gym, and yet the most
important for your long-term
health. This is probably because it has
the least obvious aesthetic impact of the
big compound lifts – or so the uninitiated
believe. The beauty of the deadlift is as
a balancing exercise, but neglecting the
muscles on the other side of the body is
entirely counterproductive.
Over-develop in one direction and you’re
going to create weakness and injury in the
other. You never hear of anyone confined
to bed because of a bad pec. A bad back,
however, is one of the most common causes
of work absenteeism. The deadlift is the
best exercise to counter this, strengthening
your entire posterior chain, including your
hamstrings, glutes, lower back, lats and
protractors. This, in turn, lifts your posture,
opens up your shoulders and thickens
your back muscles, which has precisely the
effect of making you look stronger, fuller
and more upright. It’s no coincidence that
physique competitors all swear by this as
the backbone of their success.
And, due to the size and number of
muscles recruited, the deadlift is likely to
be the heaviest lift that you can manage. By
shifting that much tin, you’re causing huge
metabolic stress. That’s exactly the kind
of stress you need in your life, especially
if you sit at a desk all day, as this can lead
to underactive glutes and more serious
muscular issues in the long run. In short,
deadlifting mends many of the problems
caused by modern life. Show your devotion.
94
FEBRUARY 2016
Bow before the bar
that will see you
stand tall.
MIX IT UP
It’s okay to arch yo
you ready yourself.
close to the outside of your
legs, use a mixed grip – one
overhand, one underhand.
Alternate with each set to
pull more without busting
your shoulders.
INTO THE HOLE
Shins touching the bar, grip
set and feet positioned
correctly, drop into what’s
known as “the hole”. Let
your bum drop behind you
as you squat down. Safety
note: you shouldn’t return
here while holding the bar.
FITNESS
BRACE, BRACE
Tensing is for amateurs;
pros brace. Brace your abs
so your stomach pushes
outward a little and flatten
your back. This rigid, safe
position ensures the correct
muscles are doing the work.
OUT OF THE HOLE
Shoulders retracted, drag
the bar up your shins by
driving through the legs.
Your upper body shouldn’t
move – power is from your
hamstrings and glutes as
your hips hinge forwards.
Never snap the bar up fast.
UP AND AT ’EM
Exhale as you thrust the
hips forward and knees
back, squeezing your
glutes at the top. Hinge at
the hips but keep your
lats engaged and
shoulders back at all
times. Pull as if you want
to rip the bar in half.
GOING TO GROUND
Depending on the weight,
you’re welcome to control
the bar on the way down.
Hinge at the hips to release
tension in the glutes. Do not
arch your back. For nearmax lifts, drop the bar. Then
bow again to your task.
FEBRUARY 2016
95
NTE!
PI C A OS O!
SABRNTICO!
AUTÉ
Now That’s
96
FEBRUARY 2016
NUTRITION
a Taco
YOUR AVERAGE AUSSIE TACO IS LIKE A NORTH KOREAN
ELECTION: FRAUDULENT IN EVERY WAY. WE SENT OUR GUY TO
MEXICO IN SEARCH OF HONEST STREET FOOD, AND IT BLEW
HIS TASTEBUDS AWAY. MAKE SOME AT SU CASA ESTA NOCHE >
BY
TODD KLIMAN
PHOTOGR APHY BY
JAMES WOJCIK
FEBRUARY 2016
97
Y HEART IS RACING. My hands are shaking.
I’ve been throwing back multiple beers
more than three kilometres above sea level in
a tiny cantina in Mexico City, so that probably
has something to do with it. But my feverish
state can also be explained by the taco I’m
struggling to hold. It’s astonishing – a taco that
makes me wonder what it is I’ve been eating
my entire life and calling a taco.
The tortilla, made from fresh masa – a driedcorn dough – and lifted moments ago from a
griddle, is as rough and hillocky as the surface
of a Neapolitan pizza. It tastes like roasted corn.
The beef, cooked for five hours, is so tender you
could spread it. The three salsas on the table
are so complex and intense that I feel as if I’m
tasting liqueurs made from vegetables.
“It’s good, no?” says my gustatory guide,
Alejandro Escalante. He’s a noted taco scholar
(his book, La Tacopedia, is now available in
both Spanish and English editions), and he
also happens to own the joint.
In response, I curse all tacos that have
come before this one.
98
FEBRUARY 2016
Escalante laughs. Easy for him: in Mexico
City, great tacos are everywhere. You can
find them in high-end restaurants and street
carts. Kids zip through the city on bikes, tacos
sitting atop woven baskets mounted on the
handlebars. The taco is a fixture of nearly
every meal – breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s
almost inescapable. And you don’t want to
escape it.
What you do want to escape is the so-so
Australian taco landscape. I wish I were just
talking about pale-imitation fast-food tacos.
If you do happen to find a restaurant that uses
corn tortillas rather than the flour variety,
chances are they’ll be dry, flat, tasteless
Frisbees. Salsas are often watery and bland.
And while upmarket tacos at trendy Mexican
restaurants may be more refined, they’re too
often not much more satisfying.
The taco, for Escalante, is the embodiment
of centuries of Mexican history, culture and
culinary tradition. But when pressed, he
will reduce the transcendental taco to a trio
of things: the tortilla, the filling, the salsa.
NUTRITION
V
STREET MEATS
From modest
stands to high-end
restaurants, all over
Mexico City you’ll
find countless
varieties of taco.
“THERE ARE THREE PARTS TO THE TACO. I CALL THAT THE HOLY TRINITY OF
THE TACO. IF ALL THREE PARTS ARE GREAT, THEN YOU HAVE GREATNESS”
“There are three parts to the taco,” he says. “I
call that the holy trinity of the taco. If all three
parts are great, then you have greatness.”
ON A COOL, BREEZY AFTERNOON I follow
Escalante to a tortilleria near his restaurant.
The shop has a mill for grinding and a machine
that resembles an old printing press, which
stamps out tortillas in assembly-line fashion.
The tortilla maker pinches off a wad of masa
and hands it to me. The masa is as yellow as
buttery cookie dough. It has a smooth texture,
though with a pronounced graininess, as if it
contained finely ground nuts.
In Australia, masa isn’t easy to come by.
This dough incorporates lime, a mineral
compound that helps soften the grain. But
you can find – online and in wholefood stores
– masa harina, a preground powder you mix
with water to make a dough. It’s a shortcut,
like making burgers from preground patties.
Making your own tortillas from scratch takes
time, but the effort pays off in flavour.
Escalante pulls a cooked tortilla off the belt
and hands me a shaker of salt. The warmth
and the salt release the deep, nutty corn
flavour. I’m reminded of hot, salty popcorn.
Escalante delights at the comparison. It was
his ancestors, after all, who invented popcorn
some 6000 years ago.
“It’s fast food, yes,” Escalante tells me,
“but everything that goes into it is not fast.
It is slow and takes time and care to make
it delicious.”
EACH FRIDAY IN MEXICO CITY, taquerias
break out the al pastor, a marinated pork
taco filler, and the fragrance in the streets
is irresistible. Guys in suits, construction
workers, tourists; they’re all here for a fix.
To look at the al pastor meat rotating on its
vertical spit, you would think you’d wandered
into a kebab shop – except that Mexicans use
pork for this, not lamb. The offerings I sample
aren’t particularly juicy, but here’s the thing:
they have great char. It’s the flavour of outdoor
cooking, suggestive of grilled burgers or thick,
crusty steaks.
Later I encounter a similar though elevated
smokiness at El Hidalguense. The restaurant’s
owner, Moises Rodriguez, has a farm two
hours from the city; there he butchers
lambs and roasts them for eight hours in a
pit covered with agave leaves. The meat is
incredibly juicy and coats my tongue with
richness. Though it’s not a stew, you could
eat it with a spoon. And perfuming it all is the
smoke of the charred agave, which gives the
meat a subtle pepperiness.
And then it dawns on me: the problem
with the meat in Australian tacos isn’t the
quality; it’s that the meat doesn’t have those
delectable Mexican ahumada and humeda
qualities – smoky, moist goodness.
The taco’s roots are ancient. Smoking
meats over fire or subduing them slowly over
time in a sauce – this is what the ancients of
Mesoamerica did. It’s no wonder that these
methods, time-tested over centuries, would
produce the most satisfying fillings.
>
FEBRUARY 2016
99
1
THERE ARE CERTAIN INALIENABLE truths
in Mexico City. The smog is a permanent
low-lying cloud. Unlicensed cabs are a
menace. And great salsa is everywhere.
One night I stop at a street cart for a
nightcap taco, drawn by the aroma of
sizzling longaniza, a rich, spicy sausage. On
the cart, free for generous spooning, is a
massive bowl of green salsa – a mixture of
ground tomatillos (also known as Mexican
husk tomatoes), onions, coriander and
avocado. I’m full from dinner, but the salsa
is a jaw lubricant, its fresh acidity and
liveliness making it possible for me to enjoy
another bite, and then another.
Most taco slingers in Mexico City are
pressed for time and mindful of their
overheads. But salsa ingredients – chillies,
tomatoes, onions, tomatillos and coriander
– are abundant and cheap, and a big batch
can be produced quickly. So salsa is a
universal resource, the rising tide that lifts
all tacos.
Back home you can tap into that same
resource. Oven-roast pale, hydroponic
supermarket tomatoes, and their sugars
caramelise and they become delicious.
Rehydrated chillies don’t have the potency of
fresh ones, so they need some heat therapy,
too, to sharpen their flavours. Sometimes
method matters more than ingredients.
ON MY NEXT-TO-LAST NIGHT in Mexico
City, I learn that the taco trinity comes
with an asterisk. I meet my friend Martin
at Dulce Patria in the fashionable Polanco
neighbourhood. Tacos are not primary to
chef Martha Ortiz’s vision, but she makes
a damn good chilorio taco. The finger-size
tortilla is filled with a slow-simmered
pork cooked in chilli sauce, mixed with
papaloquelite (a herb that tastes a little like
coriander and a little like rocket) and then
rolled and fried. But what makes this taco
special is its garnish: a thin slice of pickled
Spanish onion. Pinkish-purple, it tastes of
beetroot, with a slightly sweet acidity that
lances the richness of the fried pork.
It occurs to me that everywhere I’ve
gone in Mexico City, every taco I’ve eaten
has been splashed with acid. When I ask
Escalante about the role of acid in the
taco, he brightens. His student is finally
catching on.
When a taco is done right, you have a
meal that satisfies in the deep, primal way
of pig roasts and roadside barbecue and,
paradoxically, makes you crave it more
and more.
To hell with “gringo” tacos. It’s time to
make a taco that rings true.
100
FEBRUARY 2016
L
FACI
iTAN O UNO,!
COMS, TRES
DO
2
3
4
5
6
FIRE UP YOUR COOKING
USE THE VIEWA APP TO
ADD THESE RECIPES TO
YOUR PHONE
NUTRITION
Construct the Ultimate Taco!
You can experience smoky, meaty, tangy, life-changing tacos at home by embracing the
flavour traditions of authentic Mexican cuisine. No taco seasoning packet required
1
2
3
MEXICAN OREGANO
COTIJA
PICKLED SPANISH ONIONS
This dried herb packs more pungency than the
Italian and Greek versions. Buy a container ($4.45;
theessentialingredient.com.au) and crush the leaves
over tacos for an intense aromatic hit.
If you like your tacos with a touch of creaminess, try
this cow’s milk cheese. It has a tart, salty taste, like
feta minus a bit of the funk. Just crumble the cheese
with a fork.
In a pan on low, toast half a teaspoon of cumin seeds for
4-5 minutes. Grind to a powder; mix in half a sliced
Spanish onion, one teaspoon each of white, balsamic
and red-wine vinegars, and season with salt and pepper.
Soak for 20 minutes.
4
SUPERIOR
SALSA
• ½ CUP CANOLA OIL
• 1 DRIED ANCHO CHILLI, STEMMED AND
DESEEDED
• 1 DRIED GUAJILLO CHILLI, STEMMED AND
DESEEDED
• 2 DRIED CHILLIES DE ARBOL, STEMMED AND
DESEEDED
• 1 TOMATO, DICED
• ½ MEDIUM WHITE ONION, DICED
• 2 GARLIC CLOVES, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
• ½ CUP UNSALTED PEANUTS
(If you can’t source the chillies from your
supermarket or greengrocer try a specialist
herb retailer like herbies.com.au)
5
PERFECTLY
CHARRED
MEAT
• 2 DRIED GUAJILLO CHILLIES,
STEMS REMOVED
• 2 GARLIC CLOVES
• ½ MEDIUM WHITE ONION,
ROUGHLY CHOPPED
• 1 TSP DRIED MEXICAN OREGANO
• 1 WHOLE CLOVE
• ½ TSP GROUND CINNAMON
• 6 BLACK PEPPERCORNS
• 500G TRIMMED PORK SHOULDER,
CUT INTO 1CM-THICK SLICES
PEANUT SALSA
1/ In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium. Add the
dried chillies and cook until sizzling and aromatic;
about one minute. Remove and set them aside.
2/ In the same pan, add the tomato, onion, garlic and
peanuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion
turns translucent; 2-3 minutes. Strain out the solids
and allow them to cool; reserve the oil.
3/ In a blender or food processor, add the reserved
chillies and strained solid ingredients, plus five
tablespoons of the reserved cooking oil. Blend,
gradually, adding up to half a cup of water until the
mixture is thick but still spoonable. Season with salt
to taste. Makes 1¾ cups.
iPRONTO!
In a blender, pulverise two chopped
jalapeños, six chopped tomatillos
(buy them canned from
montereyfoods.com.au or look for
them in delis), half a chopped white
onion, half a chopped avocado, one
tablespoon of chopped coriander, the
juice of half a lime and up to half a
cup of water. Stir in another half
chopped avocado; add salt to taste.
Makes 3½ cups.
The salsa should keep in your fridge for up to a week. Any
leftovers also work well as a blanket for enchiladas or as
a marinade for grilled chicken or pork.
GRILLED PORK TACOS AL PASTOR
1/ In a medium pot, add two cups of water along with the
chillies, garlic, onion, oregano, clove, cinnamon and
peppercorns. Add a big pinch of salt. Bring everything
to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for
15 minutes.
2/ Allow the mixture to cool, then transfer it to a blender
or food processor and blitz until smooth. Strain and
season with salt to taste. Now pour it into a ziplock
bag and add the meat. Let it marinate in the fridge for
at least three hours.
iRAPIDO!
’Shroom tacos: in a frying pan on
medium, heat one tablespoon of oil.
Add a quarter cup of minced onion,
one minced garlic clove and one
minced serrano chilli. Cook for two
minutes. Add 1½ cups of sliced
mushrooms. Sauté for five minutes.
Stir in one diced tomato, salt and one
tablespoon of minced coriander.
3/ Preheat your grill to direct, high heat. Remove the
meat from the marinade and grill until well seared and
charred on all sides; about two minutes per side.
Allow the pork to rest for five minutes.
4/ To serve, chop the grilled pork, divide it among your
tortillas, and top with chopped white onion and
coriander. Makes 8 servings.
6
HOMEMADE
TORTILLAS
• 2 CUPS MASA HARINA
• ¼ TSP SEA SALT
• 1½ CUPS WATER
• 1 LARGE ZIPLOCK BAG,
CUT ALONG BOTH SIDE SEAMS
MASA HARINA TORTILLAS
1/ In a bowl, mix the masa harina and salt. Then add up
to 1½ cups of water until the dough is a soft putty
– moist but not wet, compact but still pliable.
2/ Work the dough – push, fold, repeat – until it’s smooth;
about five minutes. Pinch off 12 pieces (each about
the size of a golf ball) and cover them with a towel.
Place a piece on one side of the ziplock bag. Fold the
other side over the dough and press firmly until you
form a thin, even pancake about 15cm in diameter.
Remove and set aside, covered. Repeat with the
remaining dough.
iANDALE!
No time to knead? Buy corn tortillas
and prep smart. Slap a tortilla on a
dry frying pan and cook until it’s
pliable and puffed, turning every 10
seconds; 40 seconds total. Then
lightly brush it with canola oil and
season both sides with salt.
3/ Heat a cast-iron griddle pan on medium. When it’s hot,
add a dough disk, pressing it firmly onto the surface.
Cook until the edges lift; about one minute. Flip and
cook for a further minute. Flip again, pressing the
tortilla into the pan, and cook until puffed; 30 seconds
or so. Transfer to a plate and season with salt. Repeat.
Serve immediately or, to reheat, wrap them in foil and
warm in a 120°C oven. Makes 12 tortillas.
FEBRUARY 2016 101
You don’t need a
wheat-grass enema
to zap the crap
out of toxins.
102
FEBRUARY 2016
HEAL
blurry)) memory, but li
g
p
p g
p
DANIEL MASOLIVER
y
y
he colour
rotting compost . . .
and co
BY
g
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
JULIAN BENJAMIN
&
DAN MATTHEWS
FEBRUARY 2016 103
ARTICLE 001
ARTICLE 002
Carb load to
disarm your
hangover bomb.
PREP YOUR BREAKFAST
TO MATCH YOUR STATE
Chef Simon Flint reveals how to eat your
way out of that hangover hole, however
rough you’re feeling
A DRINKING MAN’S GUIDE
TO THE MORNING AFTER
Handle your hangover like a true gent with
help from hydration and nutrition expert
Professor Tom Sanders
1
IMBIBE AN ELIXIR
Return to form with a
rehydrating tonic. “Dilute
orange juice 50:50 with
water. The OJ is a good
source of vitamin C and
contains about 10 per
cent carbohydrates,”
says Sanders. And ignore
anecdotal nonsense about
adding salt. “Blood pressure
is likely to be raised
following binge drinking
– salt will only raise it
further,” says Sanders.
2
SELF-MEDICATE
“Paracetamol is the
best – ibuprofen is better for
muscle pain than headaches,”
advises Sanders. “Oh,
and aspirin inhibits blood
clotting, so increases your
risk of brain haemorrhage.”
104
FEBRUARY 2016
3
CLEAN YOURSELF
“Excess alcohol causes
sweating,” says Sanders.
“Take a shower, but not a
cold one.” Alcohol lowers
your body temperature
– don’t help it.”
4
CARB LOAD
“Excess alcohol results
in low blood sugar,” Sanders
says. “This can result in
a ‘cold sweat’. Carbs will
reverse this.”
5
STOP THE SPINNING
Room awhirl? Sit with
your head between your legs.
“Your inner ear – responsible
for balance – is perturbed
by alcohol,” says Sanders.
Rock back and forth while
groaning if you must.
YOU ARE…
CAPABLE OF
SLOW, STEADY
MOVEMENTS...
SPANISH
TORTILLA
INGREDIENTS
• 3 TBSP OLIVE OIL,
• LARGE ONION, CHOPPED
• RED CAPSICUM,
CHOPPED
• 250G POTATOES,
CHOPPED
• 4 EGGS
• HANDFUL OF SPINACH
METHOD
Heat the oil in a frying pan and
add the onion, capsicum and
potatoes, cooking until they’re
soft and golden. Strain the
excess oil. Now beat two whole
eggs and two egg whites into a
bowl. Throw your egg mix into
the pan, along with the spinach,
season to taste, and say adiós to
Señor Jaqueca (that’s Spanish
for Mr Migraine) as balance is
restored to your depleted bloodglucose levels.
HEALTH
All Yolk
s As
ide
Eg gs are
a rich so
u
rce of cy
which h
steine,
e
effects o lps your liver so
f the pos
ften the
t-boozin
make yo
g toxins
ur ins
that
a ticking ides feel like
time bom
b.
YOU ARE…
HEAVILY RELIANT
ON KITCHEN
SURFACES TO
STAY AFOOT
ELITE EGGS
ON TOAST
YOU ARE…
INGREDIENTS
• 1 AVOCADO
• 2 TBSP OLIVE OIL
• 2 SPRING ONIONS,
CHOPPED
• HALF A RED CHILLI,
CHOPPED
• LIME, FOR SQUEEZING
• 2 EGGS
• 2 SLICES RYE BREAD
METHOD
Peel, stone and mash up the
avocado. It’s rich in glutathione,
an antioxidant essential for
powering your liver’s natural
detoxification function. Mix in
the olive oil, spring onion, chilli
and a squeeze of lime, and pow
– you’ve just created the
hangover-obliterating
equivalent of an air strike. Poach
two eggs while your rye’s in the
toaster, then spread your guac.
Sit your eggs on top and devour.
CRAWLING LIKE A
BABY AND
VOMITING TWICE
AS FREQUENTLY
INGREDIENTS
• 3 EGGS
• SPLASH OF MILK
• WHOLEMEAL TORTILLA
• 30G CHEDDAR, GRATED
• TABASCO SAUCE
INSTANT
HUEVOS
RANCHEROS
METHOD
You’ve made it to the kitchen.
Kudos. Now scramble two
eggs and one egg white with
a splash of milk and some salt
and pepper. Tip your eggs
into the tortilla, sprinkle on the
grated cheese and splash
liberally with Tabasco. The
chillies contain antioxidants
that destroy cancer-causing
free radicals and help remove
other alcohol-related waste
products. >
FEBRUARY 2016 105
ARTICLE 003
ARTICLE 004
CHANNEL
YOUR INNER
WOLVERINE
You don’t need
to be a mutant to
regenerate your
liver and fight
off disease
Put away too much booze
and you risk liver disease.
But fear not, there’s a
hero inside you. Much
like Wolverine, your liver
has self-healing powers
(aka “compensatory
hypertrophy”). Don’t let
your largest internal organ
flounder in a flood of cheap
plonk – give it what it needs
to repair itself quickly.
2
4
MIX IT UP WITH THE
SOBER SOMMELIER
A new year booze sabbatical doesn’t
have to be boring, says award-winning
bartender Salvatore Calabrese
MUTANT MEASURE #1
Fast feast
We’re not sure what exactly is
going down in Logan’s liver,
but it’s a compound called
glutathione that is busy
regenerating cells in yours.
Foods high in it include
cumin, capsicum, onion,
spinach, garlic and tomatoes.
In other words, a curry.
MUTANT MEASURE #2
Animal instinct
Alpha-lipoic acid is the
Professor X of antioxidants,
in that it teaches other
antioxidants how to
regenerate and fight off
oxidative threats to your
liver. You can get it in
powder form to supplement
your diet, or get your teeth
into animal kidneys, heart
and, yes, livers, says the
Linus Pauling Institute at
Oregon State University.
MUTANT MEASURE #3
Sharpen up
The medicinal compound
in milk thistle is silymarin,
an antioxidant that protects
against cell damage. In
lab tests using rat livers,
silymarin was found to
boost liver tissue regrowth
– good news if you like
getting rat-arsed.
106
FEBRUARY 2016
1
SEXUAL HEALING
4
3
PURE RELAXATION
Healer
Sunrise
INGREDIENTS
• 100ML
CRANBERRY JUICE
• 20ML FRESH
LEMON JUICE
• 20ML LAVENDER
AGAVE SYRUP
INGREDIENTS
• 50ML FRESH
PEACH PURÉE
• 20ML FRESH
RASPBERRY PURÉE
• 5ML FRESH
LEMON JUICE
• 100ML TONIC WATER
METHOD
METHOD
Peaches contain
stress-relieving
phytonutrients
that act as a
natural sedative,
taking the edge
off without getting
a buzz on. Pour
the first three
ingredients into a
mixing glass filled
with ice and stir
well, then slowly
add the tonic
water, stirring all
the time. Strain
and get down
your neck.
Mojo
-jito
DOUBLE IMMUNITY
3Moscow
Fuel
INGREDIENTS
• 2 LARGE CARROTS
• 1 SMALL BEETROOT
• 2 BLOOD ORANGES
INGREDIENTS
• FRESH GINGER ROOT,
SMALL CHUNK
• 70ML APPLE JUICE
• 40ML PEAR PURÉE
• 20ML LIME JUICE
• NON-ALCOHOLIC
GINGER BEER
2
Neat Beet
Booster
METHOD
Your immune
system will thank
you for this vitamin
cocktail, soaked
through with A, B6
and C. De-stem the
carrots and
beetroot and slice.
Half the oranges
and squeeze. Juice
the veg, pour all the
juices into a shaker
with ice, shake,
strain and toast
your good health.
ENERGY DRINK
METHOD
Crush the ginger,
nd
add the juices and
e.
shake with ice
d the
Strain, add
t
and
ginger beer
b
f el ene isin
inerals wash
min
ugh you.
throug
A few drinks might
kindle libido, but
alcohol also lowers
your performance.
A whiff of lavender,
though, was shown
by the Smell &
Taste Treatment
and Research
Foundation to
ow
increase bloodflow
tes by
to your private
ent. Jiggle
40 per cen
with ice in a
it all wit
shaker, and strain.
sh
Love Sm
ells Swe
et
Im
press th
e object
of your d
making
your ow
esires by
n sexy sy
500ml o
rup. Infu
f agave n
se
ectar wit
handful
ha
of laven
der seed
leave to
s and
stand fo
r a wee
room te
mperatu k at
re.
HEALTH
ARTICLE 005
ARTICLE 006
Fi
inances taken a
th? Take aim at
bat
ewfound wealth.
ne
GET HOOKED
UP TO A
CHEMICAL
COCKTAIL
Writer Daniel
Masoliver tests
whether you can
pay your way to
full health with a
nutrient-rich IV drip
I may not have Rihanna’s
looks, Cara Delevigne’s
wealth or Rita Ora’s fame,
but one thing we all have in
common is the small pinprick
on the soft underside of our
left elbows.
The so-called “party
girl drip” is a potion of
vitamins, minerals and saline
solution, delivered into the
bloodstreams of hard-living
celebs – or anyone who
can stump up the cash for
the treatment – through
an intravenous tube. Binge
recovery for binge drinkers.
Unlike popping a multivit,
which has to pass through
your digestive system
before being absorbed, the
results of the IV infusion
are immediate, as it drips its
nourishing goodness directly
into your circulatory system.
Unsurprisingly, having
liquid pumped into a
perforated vein is pretty
painful, though once the
tube’s out and I’m back on my
feet, I do feel considerably
better for it. So has the drip
worked? “The ambience
of the detox shop might
be quite calming after a
noisy party,” says Professor
Jonathan Chick, chief editor
of the journal Alcohol and
Alcoholism. “But I know of
no research that shows any
medical benefit beyond
the placebo effect of the
procedure. There is nothing
that could not be obtained by
a walk and a balanced meal.”
A stroll and a sandwich
may
m not sound as glamorous
mptying liquid vitamins
as em
to your bloodstream, but
into
at least it’s cheaper. ($200;
hangover.clinic)
GIVE YOUR BANK
BALANCE A FACELIFT
Put your finances under the knife with
the insider knowledge of financial
journalist Laura Whateley
COSMETIC CHEMICAL PEEL
FULL RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY
GO BUDGET
A $10 per weekday sandwich habit (minus four
weeks’ holiday) will cost you $2400 a year, or
$108k over a 45-year career. In other words, take in
a packed lunch and you’ll save enough to buy a
sports car. Download a budgeting app, such as
Toshl, to keep track of how much your little daily
spends actually cost you.
BE A DRAGON
If you’re happy to take a gamble with your savings,
consider backing a new craft beer or record label
through sites such as Kickstarter. These peer-topeer platforms match up people in need of funding
with investors keen for solid returns – if the venture
doesn’t go belly up, that is.
GET CASH BACK
If you don’t want to cut back on life’s luxuries, at
least try to ease the hit on your wallet. You can save
hundreds of dollars a year by using websites such
as qwibble.com.au to get discounts at stores
including Dan Murphys (6.68 per cent discount),
Asos (5.6 per cent) or Expedia (4.92 per cent).
DRINK TO FREE GYM MEMBERSHIP
You can put a price on your health: a typical gym
membership will set you back an average of $864 a
year, according to Canstar Blue. The thing is, we men
spend more than that on alcohol every year ($118
per month, or $1416 per year, reports Canstar Blue).
Cut the boozing and you effectively get fit for free.
GET PAID FOR YOUR HOLS
Staying in an Airbnb property on your holidays is a
no-brainer, but the smart money is in hosting. A
typical Airbnb host earns $4505 from letting a bed
37 nights a year. That’s the equivalent of at least
three return flights to LA. Getting away just started
paying for itself. >
TI
00
DARE TO ATTEMPT THE
LIPOSUCTION CIRCUIT
The ultimate fat-stripping workout, from
Skinny Bitch Collective founder Russell Bateman
“This circuit is cheaper than sucking the fat out of your love
handles through a tube, and just as effective,” says Bateman. “Do
it twice a week (with heavy lifting like sumo deadlifts on two other
days) and the fat will fall off.” These metabolic conditioning
exercises strip abdominal fat and boost testosterone levels like no
other routine. “Finish with a cold shower to jumpstart your
metabolism,” advises Bateman.
BURPEE KETTLEBELL LIFT
15 REPS
Don’t look around for the anaesthetist;
this is going to hurt. Perform a burpee,
landing with your feet either side of
the kettlebell. Lift the kettlebell
explosively to chest height, then
slowly lower back down. Repeat.
A
B
UPSIDE-DOWN CLIMBERS
30 SECONDS
A
B
Assume a halfway-house handstand,
leaning your feet against the nearest
wall. With your arms locked, pump
your knees into your stomach as
intensely as possible, and feel the fat
pump right back out.
BURPEE ROTATIONS
15 REPS
A
Bash out a regular burpee with
a quick 180° twist at the top,
twisting and turning your
muscles into overdrive. Be
warned: nausea is a common
side effect.
Ditch social
suckers to fire up
in the bedroom.
B
ARTICLE 008
H PRESS
SIDE HOLDS WITH
12 REPS ON EACH SIDE
A
B
While holding a side-plank, do a
dumbbell press for a massive hit on
yyour obliques. After 12 reps, switch
ssides and go again. You may
e
experience scarring . . . of the
e
motional kind
kind.
emotional
BURPEE TUCKS WITH
ARM EXTENSION
A
30 SECONDS
On your hands and feet, do a tuck jump
mp
then crawl forward five paces on your
paws. Do a push-up and crawl
backward to where you started. Surgical
sculpting, minus the scalpel.
108
FEBRUARY 2016
B
BEGIN YOUR BROTOX:
YOUR FRIENDS
R T DUMP
ICLE 008
Dump those e-pals and get under the
covers, says David Whitehouse, author
of social commentary novel Bed
We have too many friends. Except they’re not
friends. We’re adrift on a sea of casual acquaintances,
panhandling for retweets from people we hated at
school. And there are more of them than ever. It says
so on our Facebook pages and the amount of people
we follow on Twitter, a rising number tied to our
growing levels of anxiety (1).
We’re perhaps only a few weeks away from joining
a social network devoted to bragging about the size
of our kitchens to people we haven’t met. And the
worst part? The more time we spend indulging it, the
lonelier we become (2).
HEALTH
ARTICLE 009
Comba
tS
with Setress
x
People w
ho do it le
work to
ss often
offset th
take on
eir dis
more
to more
stress, fo satisfaction, le
ading
und the
Gotting
Univers
en. Brea
it
y
k
of
th
e
having s
vicious c
ex, relea
ycle by
sing the
erasing
anxiety
hormon
e dopam
ine.
OR JUST TAKE A LEAF
OUT OF THIS GUY’S BOOK
Partying with half-naked women,
winning millions at high-stakes poker
and driving tanks for laughs – it doesn’t
exactly sound like clean living. But
as we found out when we spoke to
notorious Instagram (14.2 million
followers and counting) playboy Dan
Bilzerian, you can balance a rock-star
lifestyle with a cover-star body.
MH: What’s the key to living like
Dan Bilzerian?
DB: Freedom. Being able to be
yourself, and being unapologetic
about it. If there’s something I want
to do, I’m not going to talk about
it, let’s just do it. So if I wanted to
drive a tank over a car, I’d do that;
if I wanted to blow something up,
I’d do that; if I wanted to go on a
yacht with a bunch of chicks, I’d
do it. I’ve been consistently upping
the bar in pretty much all aspects
of life.
MH: How have your internal organs
not just withered and died?
DB: It’s not like in every one of
these situations I’m hammered.
I’ll be hanging out with a bunch of
hot naked chicks, but that doesn’t
necessarily mean that I need to
be messed up. I’d much rather be
sober and sleeping with a bunch
of hot girls than I would be getting
drunk with my buddies telling
stories about it.
It’s time, for our own sake, to ruthlessly prune the
overgrown tree that is our circle of “friends” and focus
our newfound time and social energy where it’ll do us
the most good: our beds. After all, real intimacy, with
a real human, is better for your health and wellbeing
than any number of Likes (3).
FOLLOW-UP
(1) “The more
social media
you become
linked to, the
more stressed
you can
become,” says
psychologist Dr
Emma Short.
(2) “Research
has shown that
the longer you
spend online,
the increased
amount of
loneliness you
feel,” says Short.
(3) Having sex
just once a
week bolsters
your immune
system, report
researchers
at Wilkes
University.
MH: Between the constant pool
parties and high-stakes poker
matches, where do you find the time
to look the way you do?
DB: That’s one thing I plan out: my
workouts. It’s what my whole day
revolves around. And I eat really
clean. I know I’m going to get at
least 20g of protein with every meal,
and I try to eat low-glycaemic-index
carbs. It takes a little bit of planning,
and it’s a pain in the ass, but that’s
how you’re going to keep your body
in the best shape.
MH: When did you start looking
after your body?
DB: I had a heart attack when I
was 25. That was a little bit of a
wake-up call. I did coke probably
five times in my life – that just
happened to be one of those five.
MH: So it was detox living from then?
DB: Like those cleanses where
they just drink a bunch of juice or
whatever? This crash dieting, this
Atkins stuff, it’s all gimmick stuff for
lazy idiot people. This isn’t a diet, this
is a lifelong thing. The bottom line
is that you should develop a healthy
lifestyle that you can maintain.
Figure out what you’ve got to do to
stay in good shape and just do it.
MH: What do you put your success on
the card table down to?
DB: I’m not the best poker player
in the world, but I set myself up to
play against super-rich guys that
are playing more for fun than for
anything else. A lot of guys grind it
out in the casino, but I would play
bigger stakes, less frequently, with
worse players. Pick your battles.
FEBRUARY 2016 109
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118 UPGRADE YOUR CARDIO
WITH ORANGETHEORY
120 MATTHEW MITCHAM
RECALLS HIS MAGICAL
BEIJING TRIUMPH
122 GEAR UP FOR BETTER
POOL PERFORMANCE
Because fit is the new rich
KNOCKOUT
POWER
OUR BIGGEST HOPE FOR OLYMPIC BOXING
GOLD, JOE GOODALL, HAS THE MOVES TO
HELP YOU GET RIPPED FOR THE RING
PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD WHITFIELD
P114
FEBRUARY 2016 113
ELITE THE ROAD TO RIO
AUSTRALIAN
SMOKIN’ JOE
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHTER JOE GOODALL IS GOING FOR
GOLD IN RIO. APPLY HIS LESSONS TO BUILD A WINNING
COMBINATION OF SLICK SPEED AND KNOCKOUT POWER
BY
A ARON SCOT T
RICHARD WHITFIELD
PHOTOGR APHY BY
AS I WANDER OUT of the
blinding Brisbane sun and into
the darkened hall of the Stretton
Boxing Club, I find a tableau
straight out of a movie. Concrete
walls, lino floor, the ding-ding of
the bell, the lone fighter
shadowboxing in the ring.
But something’s missing.
Start talking to Joe Goodall,
the man working the ring, and the
tableau falls apart. Sure, he looks
the part in his red trunks and
black hand wraps, his
194-centimetre, 103-kilogram
frame floating around the ring
with deceptive speed.
But his voice is soft. His smile
shy. He laughs often.
As two-time Australian
champion and 2014
Commonwealth Games silver
medallist, the 23-year-old is
gunning for Australia’s first
Olympic boxing gold in 108
years. But where’s the venom?
Where’s the mongrel? Where’s
the pugnacity?
114
FEBRUARY 2016
FAST FACTS
NA ME
Jo e Goodal
l
AG E
23
SP OR T
Boxi ng
LI VE S
Br is ba ne, Ql
d
HE IG HT
19 4c m
WE IG HT
10 3kg
RE AC H
20 1c m (M uh
am mad
Al i’s wa s 20
3c m )
ST AN CE
Or th od ox
He grins: “I’ve never been
aggressive. I can’t even remember
the last time I was angry. I treat
boxing as a sport. Yeah, it’s an
intense sport – you’re getting hit
in the face, after all – but it’s still a
sport. It’s just a collection of
movements. I think of it as a game
rather than a fight.”
According to his coach, Glenn
Rushton, Goodall’s clinical
approach to boxing is one of his
greatest assets in the ring. “You
don’t have to be covered in tats
and have a bone through your
nose to be a good fighter,” says
Rushton. “In amateur boxing, it’s
all about nine minutes of
perfection. If you’ve got the right
skill set in the ring then you’re
relaxed and your energy goes
further. If you’re tense and angry,
it doesn’t matter how fit you are
– you’re going to tire quickly.”
Want to knock your body into
fighting shape? Here’s how to
build a physical skill set that’ll
allow you to go the distance.
RISE OF THE TITAN
After a childhood spent running
around on AFL paddocks,
Goodall only took up boxing at
02/16
GOODALL’S RISE
HASBEEN
POWEREDBY
ARAVENOUS
WORK ETHIC
of breakdown after the 2014
Commonwealth Games, when a
chest infection promptly
morphed into glandular fever.
The illness left him bedridden for
two weeks, with flu-like
symptoms haunting him for
months afterwards.
Monitoring his energy levels
has since become a crucial aspect
of Goodall’s training. Meditating
is a daily ritual, with 10 minutes
of mindful breathing granting
him the silence to listen to his
body. He also wears a fitness
tracker and keeps a close eye on
his resting heart rate. At peak
condition, his heart rate hovers
around 53 bpm; when he’s
stressed, that figure creeps up to
56 bpm. “And that’s when I know
I have to back off the training,”
he says.
HAPPY FEET
the age of 17 when he and a mate
started mucking around in his
backyard with a pair of tattered
gloves. After a few rounds, his
mate wisely threw in the towel
and suggested Joe join a boxing
club. Within four years, he’d
claimed the Australian super
heavyweight title.
Goodall’s rise through a
division populated by grizzled
brawlers has been powered by a
ravenous work ethic that sees
him train three times a day, six
days a week. He’ll snap out an
intense 20-minute run first
thing in the morning, then he’ll
head to the gym for an hour-long
session of heavy-bag work and
light sparring in the ring – all
mapped out in three-minute
intervals. And the third session?
“That’s the hard one – that’s
where we do our proper sparring
in the ring,” he says. This
typically plays out as six threeminute rounds in the ring before
grinding through six more
rounds of plyometric leg work.
It’s a relentless regimen that
carried Goodall to the peak of his
sport in those four years – but it
also pushed his body to the point
It’s a fight-game truism that real
power comes from the sole, not
the soul. But according to coach
Rushton, this still undersells the
importance of the lower body in
boxing. “Your legs are crucial,
not just for attack but also for
defence,” he says. “They should
never stop. Boxing’s 70 per cent
legs.” For this reason, a huge slab
of Goodall’s daily training load is
dedicated to strengthening the
prime movers in his legs while
keeping his feet light and fast.
The leg work starts with the
morning run. While old-school
training methods saw boxers rack
up huge mileage at slow pace,
Goodall’s running sessions never
last longer than 20 minutes and
are always snapped out at red-line
intensity. He maintains variety
by alternating between tempo
runs, where his heart rate is
constantly nudging its
maximum; interval sessions,
where he’ll do 30 x 100-metre
sprints; and hill sessions, where
he attacks the cruel inclines that
are plentiful in Brisbane’s south.
“You’ve got to mix it up,” he says.
After his morning run, the
morning and evening gym
sessions continue the assault on
his legs. In the ring he’ll do
three-minute rounds of skipping >
FEBRUARY 2016 115
ELITE THE ROAD TO RIO
and footwork drills with a
partner. Outside the ring he’ll
don a 5kg weight vest and
complete three-minute rounds
of squat jumps, step-ups and
lunge jumps on the lip of the
ring, the emphasis fixed on
speed. “You’re always looking to
keep your movements fast and
your reps high,” says Goodall.
HANDS OF GOD
If foot speed forms the bedrock
of Goodall’s fighting style then
hand speed provides the
knockout flourish. The key to
this speed, however, is clean
technique rather than fasttwitch muscle fibre.
“In your mind, you have to
know the difference between
a power punch and a speed
punch,” he says. “If you want
power, you have to wind up
and dig your toes in.” He
demonstrates with a left hook on
an unsuspecting heavy bag, the
sound ricocheting around the
gym like cannon fire.
“But when I’m throwing a
speed punch, I like to imagine
I’m trying to catch a fly.” Again,
he demonstrates with a whip-like
straight left that rings out like a
rifle shot. “See, my hand and my
arm are relaxed. I only tense my
fist when I make impact. Loose,
loose, loose – snatch!”
To maintain the elasticity
necessary for lightning hand
speed, Goodall stretches
religiously after every session,
starting with his legs, then
working up through his back
and shoulders, before finishing
with neck rolls. “Stretching’s
underrated,” he says. “I reckon it
improves my speed, endurance
and power in the ring by at least
15 per cent.” To prove his point,
he unloads a vicious five-punch
combo on the heavy bag: left,
right, left, right and – whump! – a
shuddering left hook. Then,
with the thunderous sound
bouncing off the concrete walls,
he steps back and smiles.
116
FEBRUARY 2016
Power and purpose:
Olympic victory is in
Joe Goodall’s sights.
DO THE WORKOUTS
SCANTHEPAGEWITHTHE
VIEWAAPPTOPUTJOE’S
CIRCUITS ON YOUR PHONE
“IF YOU WANT
POWER, YOU
HAVE TO WIND
UP AND DIG
YOUR TOES IN”
02/16
Ring-Ready Muscle
Comprising three three-minute rounds, an Olympic boxing match demands a brutal mix of
power and endurance. For this reason, even super heavyweight fighters like Goodall don’t want
to be encumbered by unnecessary bulk. “Boxers aren’t bodybuilders,” says Rushton. “Boxers
need to work hard and fast in three-minute bursts.” This workout, courtesy of Rushton, will build
top-to-toe strength, speed and stamina.
Directions
Complete the four exercises in Circuit 1 back to back. Once you’ve finished (it should take
roughly three minutes), rest for 30 seconds, then move to Circuit 2 and repeat. Once you’ve
completed all three circuits once, have a three-minute break, then repeat the process. Aim to
complete each circuit twice – the 18 minutes of work time equating to two amateur boxing bouts.
Circuit 1: Shoulders
Circuit 2: Chest and Back
(COMPLETE THESE EXERCISES HOLDING
A PAIR OF 2.5-7.5KG DUMBBELLS)
01
100 VERTICAL
PUNCHES
For more muscle & fitness tips,
download the Men’s Health
Personal Fitness Trainer app
from the App Store
Circuit 3: Legs
(ADVANCED TRAINERS SHOULD
WEAR A 5KG WEIGHT VEST)
01
30 KNUCKLE PUSH-UPS
02
01
60 SECONDS OF
JUMPING STEP-UPS
30 TRICEPS DIPS
(ON A SEAT OR KNEE-HIGH BOX)
02
02
30 LATERAL RAISES
20 BODY-WEIGHT LUNGES
(10 ON EACH LEG)
03
30 BENT-OVER LATERAL RAISES
03
30 WIDE-GRIP PUSH-UPS
(HANDS TWICE SHOULDER-WIDTH APART)
03
60 SECONDS OF BOX JUMPS
04
ILLUSTRATIONS: BRINDEAU MEXTER
10 BURPEES WITH
VERTICAL JUMP
04
30 FRONT RAISES
04
CHIN-UPS TO FAILURE
FEBRUARY 2016 117
.
ELITE
TE ST CO N
DITIONS
LA B RA T:
AA RO N SC
OT T
WE IG HT :
94 KG
HE IG HT :
19 6C M
FI TN ES S
LE VE L: HI
GH
DI SC IP LI
NE : OR AN
GE TH EO RY
TE ST ST AT
IO N: BO ND
I
JU NC TI ON
, SY DN EY
CO ST : $1
2- $3 5,
DE PE ND IN
G ON ME MB
ER SH IP
TO OL S: SH
IR T, SH OR
TS ,
TR AI NE RS
DU RA TI ON
: ON E HO
UR
WE BS IT E:
OR AN GE TH
EO RY FI TN
ES S.
CO M. AU
COLOUR ME
ORANGE
MH PUTS THE LATEST FITNESS TRENDS UNDER THE
MICROSCOPE.FIRST UP, ORANGETHEORY. DOES THIS
STATESIDE PHENOM HOLD UP UNDER SCRUTINY?
118
FEBRUARY 2016
IN THE HOME OF THE BRAVE
and the land of the free, gym
culture is zealously trendfocused, and here in Australia we
tend to follow suit. Hot on the
heels of CrossFit and SoulCycle
comes Orangetheory, a heartrate-based HIIT (high-intensity
interval training) workout from
Florida (aptly known for its citrus
industry). Now available in
Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide,
with a franchise slated for
Melbourne, the classes centre on
a circuit containing three
stations: treadmills (endurance),
rowers (power) and weight
training (strength). The name
refers to the heart-rate zone
you’re targeting. Go above the
orange zone (84-91 per cent of
your maximum) and you’ll burn
out; stay below and you aren’t
pushing hard enough. Get it right
and you’ll incinerate up to 4000
kilojoules in an hour. Best of all,
you’ll also stoke the “afterburn
effect”, torching kilojoules for up
to 36 hours afterwards. Sounds
good – in theory.
2/16
THE EXPERIENCE
In a dim room nightmarishly lit
by orange lights (Orangetheory
gets full mileage from its colour
motif), I’m handed a heart-rate
monitor and directed towards
a bank of sleek water rowers.
The class is divided into two
groups, with half starting in
the rowing/weight-training
stations and half set up on a line
of treadmills.
We start out steadily before
jumping up and punching out
torturous blocks of dumbbell
presses, jump squats and
planks, then it’s back on the
rowers to snap out 500-metre
sprints. Generic beats blare
from overhead speakers while
Jesse, our scarily muscular
instructor, paces the room
barking encouragement. On the
front wall, flat-screens display
our BPM and current max heartrate percentage, coded green
(less than 84 per cent), orange
(84-91 per cent) and red (above
91 per cent). I’m in the blue
zone, registering a BPM of zero.
Que? A replacement monitor is
strapped to my chest but it, too,
fails to detect a beat. Clearly the
fault lies with my saurine heart
– everyone else’s monitors
appear to be working. Either
way, as we move to the second
zone, the river of sweat running
down my chest suggests
something’s working. Our stint
on the treadmills finishes with
a 60-second block of 100 per
cent intensity. By the time Jesse
mercifully calls time, I’m
making the kind of sounds
normally associated with
brawling rottweilers.
With no heart-rate stats to
justify my pain, I check the
results of the bloke next to me.
He spent 19 minutes in the
orange zone and two in the red
zone, notching an average heart
rate of 148 and an overall
kilojoule burn of 3330. Not bad
for an hour’s work.
THE RIVER OF
SWEAT
RUNNING
DOWN MY
CHEST
SUGGESTS
SOMETHING’S
WORKING
E
USER FEEDBACK
Our instructor was
attentive, but a fastpaced class meant
she couldn’t push
everyone. You will
need to self-motivate.
Classes provide
cardio for fat burning
while also building
strength. Treadmills
and rowers are stateof-the-art.
While one-off
classes are a steep
$35, the price can
drop to around $12 a
class depending on
the package you buy.
YOUR CLASS PRIMER
Use this mini-circuit to give yourself the green light for Orangetheory
Goblet Squat
(10 reps)
Holding a kettlebell
or dumbbell with
both hands at chest
height, push your
hips back to sink into
a deep squat. Pause,
then push through
your heels to return
to the start position.
Arnold Press
(10 reps)
Hold a pair of
dumbbells at chest
height, palms facing
in. Push the
dumbbells overhead,
rotating your wrists
so your palms are
facing out at the top
of the movement.
500m Row
Grind out 500m on a rowing
machine at a pace that’s difficult
to sustain. Depending on your
fitness, this should take between
90 seconds and two minutes.
ICT
port definitely
l like a fad. In the
sessions you can
to work a lot harder than
uld toiling away on your
An avowed solo trainer, I
ickly realised that my
nchtime HIIT sessions at the
local outdoor gym never last
longer than 30 minutes, so the
second half of my Orangetheory
class was torture. And that was
without the added pressure of
having my heart rate displayed
on a TV screen.
But be warned: this is not a
class for novices. There’s little
to no rest between stations and
you will need the strength and
technical nous to handle, say, a
TRX rig. The class I attended
included one out-of-shape gent
who spent most of the hour
looking seriously out of his
depth, despite the attentions of
the instructor.
If you’re up to the challenge,
you’re guaranteed to work hard
and fast on state-of-the-art
equipment like water rowers
and cushioned treadmills. Just
factor in time for a shower
before heading back to the
office – you will sweat.
E
AT A GLANC
TI ON WI DE :
OF FE RE D NA
LO JO UL E
SE RI OU S KI
:
BU RN
AD VI CE :
TE CH NI QU E
PR OV ID ED :
EQ UI PM EN T
VE LS
FO R AL L LE
S:
ES
TN
FI
OF
MU SI C:
MO TI VA TI NG
FEBRUARY 2016 119
ELITE OLYMPIC GOLDEN MOMENTS
02/16
Falling into history:
Mitcham took gold
with a record score.
AUSTRALIAN
not hearing this, la-la-la. I tried
n
to
o focus on the task at hand.
GO TIME
G
On
nce up there I was thinking,
Just relax and enjoy it – have fun.
I clleared my mind and focused
on keeping
k
my head in the
present and on what I needed to do. Rows
and rows of people in the crowd faded to
nothingness. All I could hear was the sound
of the spray on the surface of the water. It
was a real “in-the-zone” moment. And then I
just went for it.
I didn’t know it was great when I was
under the water. It felt like I’d rolled the dive
slightly over, but then that can be ideal for
creating a vacuum that sucks the splash
down with you. When I came back up the
crowd was going bananas.
NAME
Matthew Mitcham
LIVES
Sydney
OLYMPICS
Beijing, 2008
SPORT
Diving
DISCIPLINE
10m Platform
AGE THEN
21
AGE NOW
27
OLYMPIC RECORD SCORE FOR A SINGLE DIVE
(Matthew Mitcham, Australia)
117.2
WORLD RECORD SCORE FOR A SINGLE DIVE
123
(Yang Jian, China)
TOWER OF STRENGTH
BEFORE HIS FINAL EFFORT FROM THE PLATFORM AT THE BEIJING GAMES, MATTHEW
MITCHAM NEEDED NEAR-PERFECT SCORES TO WIN GOLD. HE RESPONDED WITH A DIVE
AWARDED THE HIGHEST POINTS TALLY IN OLYMPIC HISTORY
LOW TIME
SHOW TIME
I started diving as an 11-year-old. With my
background in trampolining my skill
acquisition was fast. When you’re 11, you’re
fearless. It wasn’t until I got older that I
started to think about it. My motivation
came from quite a dark place. It was about
validation as a kid. I said to myself, “Maybe if
I’m the best in the world at something then
Mum will pay more attention to me and
everyone will like me”.
At the Olympics I came second in the
preliminaries behind one Chinese diver and
second in the semis behind the other
Chinese diver. I was thinking, at best,
Olympic bronze medal. Both the Chinese
guys were amazing.
When I was waiting to go up for my final
dive, I thought the Chinese diver before me
must’ve had a bad dive because the crowd all
went Oooh. And I had to block my ears – I’m
120
FEBRUARY 2016
MITCHAM’S MESSAGES
AIM HIGH, EXPECT LOW
“It’s a self-preservation mechanism,” says
Mitcham. “You’re prepared if you don’t win
– and pleasantly surprised if you do.”
BREATHE EASY
When you’ve got one chance to get
something right – be it a dive, sales
presentation or a putt to win your pal’s
money – Mitcham says ask yourself why
you’re getting yourself worked up. “End of
the day, does it really matter? Relax and give
it your best shot.”
CLEAN ENTRY
Looking to impress with a dive? “Assuming
you’re in a deep enough pool, try to go as
vertical as possible and dive ‘through the
hole’ that your hands make when you hit the
water,” says Mitcham. “If that’s too
technical, just point your toes.”
AS TOLD TO MATTHEW CLEARY
FAST FACTS
ELITE
02/16
Build Brawn in the Sunshine
GET OUT MORE, SAYS CALISTHENICS KING CHAKA CLARKE.
TRAINING AL FRESCO HAS PROVEN BENEFITS FOR MIND AND PHYSIQUE,
SO MAKE THE PARK YOUR PLAYGROUND FOR THESE BODY-WEIGHT GAINS
LET
TRAIN FOR PERFORMANCE
Make your goal something you can do – 10
chin-ups, one muscle-up – not what you can see.
By the time you reach it, you’ll look like
someone who can achieve their goal,
anyway. Concentrating on aesthetics can
become counterproductive, because as your
perception of your body changes,
the goalposts move.
SUSPEND DISBELIEF
Get yo’ ass off the grass and head to the
bar. Whether it’s from a climbing frame or
a swing set, hanging movements work
your abs through every plane of
movement. Perform hanging leg raises
and window wipers to hit the core
muscles that crunches will never reach.
FORGET THE BENCH
Park-bench triceps dips risk shoulder injury.
Head to the parallel bars instead. Lower until your
elbows are at 90° to work through a full range
of motion and boost triceps,
chest and shoulders.
THROW IN THE TOWEL
Something to wipe down slippery-whenwet bars is always handy. But a towel can
also supercharge your grip strength. Loop
it over, take an end in each hand and do
five chin-ups. This upgrade will boost your
bench press when you retreat to the
warmth of the gym come winter.
ALL
CALL FOR AID
If you’re a recent initiate to body-weight
training, don’t jump straight into muscle-ups
or you risk injury. Break up complex moves
into stages and practise each in isolation. A
resistance band turns any horizontal bar into
an assisted pull-up machine. It’s a lot less
embarrassing than dislocating your shoulder.
DON’T GRIP, GRASP
Maintaining a hold with your
thumb sitting on top of your fingers
– not curled next to your palms
– increases the strength and
muscular endurance of your
forearms. And because your
forearms are usually first to fatigue,
this new power lets you work
harder on filling out your
T-shirt.
STICK IT IN NEUTRAL
Swap your standard pull-ups and chin-ups
for a “neutral-grip lift” – just as effective,
but kinder on your wrists and shoulders.
Hang sideways on the monkey bars, palms
facing each other, and pull until your
shoulders graze the bars to hit your back
and biceps in one rep.
HAVE LESS IMPACT
Your joints aren’t made to
withstand concrete, which means
power-boosting plyometrics
could wear them down. Perform
your squat jumps and bounds on
the rubber matting around park
equipment to burn fat without
feeling the fire in your knees.
FEBRUARY 2016 121
ELITE
POOL YOUR
RESOURCES
02/16
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Kicking your technique up a level takes practice.
This float helps you isolate either your upper or
lower body while the other half takes a breather.
Speedo Elite Pullkick ($39.95; speedo.com.au).
For a V-shaped body with tan-ready abs,
hit the water: it’s the perfect mix of
resistance and cardio. But you’re going
to need more than budgie smugglers
RAVING, NOT DROWNING
MINERAL BOOM
Churning out laps like
you’re Kieren Perkins
takes a toll. Swisse
Ultiboost Magnesium*
($21; swisse.com/au) is
formulated to help
support healthy muscle
contraction and help
reduce muscle cramps
so you’ll be ready for
your next 5am session.
COSTUME DRAMA
FIN BLUE LINE
As well as improving your speed,
a pair of resistance fins will add bulk to your legs
while chiselling your abs for summer. Or Rio 2016.
Speedo Biofuse Endurance Fitness fins
($39.95; speedo.com.au).
122
FEBRUARY 2016
Swimming becomes less of a splashand-giggle and more a total workout
when your core’s engaged – which is
easier with Speedo’s new Body
Positioning Swimwear. Speedo
Pinnacle Jammer swim shorts
($80; speedo.com.au).
SEE SURE
Good goggles not only
prevent bloodshot eyes, they
also help with spatial
awareness underwater.
These Zoggs Predator Flex
Polarised Ultra Swim Goggles
($49.99; zoggs.com.au)
employ anti-glare polarised
lenses that also amplify light
in darker conditions, sinking
your odds of a crash.
PHOTOGRAPHY: GEORGINA EGAN
*ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST CONSULT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL.
VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD NOT REPLACE A BALANCED DIET. CHC71052-09/15
Lengths dragging you down? Plug in:
tracks over 130 bpm help slash pool
times. The Sony Waterproof MP3
player ($119; sony.com.au) comes in
headphone form, meaning no trailing
wires. Prefer non-musical inspiration?
The Speedo Fit app (free; Apple App
Store) delivers technique tips, lets
you log swim stats and adds a socialconnectivity component to max your
in-water experience.
ELITE
Prepare for Launch
You’ve got 12 weeks until footy season kicks off. Use
Port Adelaide star Jay Schulz’s preseason power plan
to build lean muscle and incinerate fat
124
FEBRUARY 2016
way to strip fat fast without
eating into your lean-muscle
gains. Unlike a lot of intervalbased programs, however, this
one prescribes all-out efforts on
the track, as well as lifts to
failure, rather than the usual
80-95 per cent band of intensity.
In this way, it mimics game-day
situations, Burgess says.
“You couldn’t tell an AFL
player to go at 85 or even 95 per
cent in games – their careers
wouldn’t last long,” says Burgess.
“People would be surprised to
know that players spend up to 50
per cent of games walking, but
those high-intensity moments
are really high intensity. If you
can teach yourself to train to
fatigue, it’s going to give you far
more benefit.”
The other advantage of
shorter, more intense workouts
is that it means your legs are less
likely to fatigue as the season
wears on. “The less time you can
spend on your legs in preseason,
the better you’ll be able to cope in
the slog and the mud at the back
of the season,” says Burgess.
Ready to give all you’ve got?
Use this series of workouts from
The Final Goal to power your
way to a killer preseason.
Ball of strength:
Jay Schulz is a lean,
mean footy machine.
DO THE WORKOUTS
SCANTHEPAGE WITHTHE
VIEWAAPPTOPUTJAY’S
CIRCUITS ON YOUR PHONE
WORDS: BEN JHOTY
Jay Schulz knows a thing or two
about preseason training.
Currently toiling through his
14th summer slog, the Port
Adelaide forward is in the
process of stripping away offseason lard and building lean
muscle and strength, all while
laying down an astounding
endurance base.
“As footballers we can’t get
too big because we have to run
too much,” says Schulz. “So it’s
crucial to make sure the weight
you do carry has a purpose.”
Schulz’s gruelling regimen
reaps eye-popping results. In
three months’ time, at the start
of the 2016 AFL season, his body
will be an anatomical marvel,
packed with functional muscle.
“You don’t have too many
sports where a player might run
15 kilometres in a game, still
weigh 93-95 kilograms and have
10 per cent body fat,” says
Schulz’s trainer and Port’s highperformance manager, Darren
Burgess. “It’s a unique
combination.” Indeed, the
closest comparison might be a
champion racehorse.
Schulz and Burgess, along with
former Richmond star and 2007
Grand Final sprint winner Jake
King, have distilled years of
preseason punishment into a
football-specific 12-week training
program called The Final Goal. Its
aim? To teach regular blokes how
to train like AFL players.
The key component of the
program is high-intensity
interval training. Short sprints at
maximum effort build the
aerobic base that allows you to
perform repeat efforts for up to
two hours in a game, says
Schulz. They’re also the best
02/16
MONDAY – CARDIO AND LEG CIRCUIT
CARDIO
■ 7-minute run
■ 1 minute’s rest
■ 7-minute run
■ 2 minute’s rest
Perform
leg circuit
three times,
resting for two
minutes
between each
round
1/ Body-weight squat
x8
2/ Body-weight step-up
x 8 each leg
3/ Body-weight lunge
x 8 each leg
4/ Body-weight lateral lunge
x 8 each leg
WEDNESDAY – FULL-BODY CIRCUIT
Perform
exercises,
rest for two
minutes and
repeat
1/ Burpee x 15
2/ Bench dip x 15
5/ Push-up x 15
6/ Skipping
x 2 minutes
3/ Biceps curl
and press x 15
7/ Tuck jump x 8
4/ Three-way shoulder raise – x 21 (7 of each)
8/ Seated medicine-ball throw x 8
FRIDAY – CARDIO AND CORE CIRCUIT
CARDIO
■ 2-minute run
■ 1-minute walk
■ 3-minute run
■ 2-minute walk
■ Rest for two
minutes and
repeat
1/ Bent-knee sit-up
x 12
2/ Medicine-ball slam
x 8 each side
Perform
core circuit
four times,
resting for one
minute between
each round
3/ Plank
x 30 seconds
4/ Medicine-ball Russian twist
x 8 each side
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK OUT THEFINALGOAL.COM.AU
FEBRUARY 2016 125
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MH
Life
FIND YOUR TOP GEAR
Take the Rough with the Smooth
Want the clearance of an SUV, the confident handling of a sedan and a luxury
badge on the bonnet? Then you have literally one choice: Audi’s A6 Allroad
AT MH, WE LIKE TO HAVE our cake and eat
it: you can have a nutritious hamburger, the
occasional red wine will do you good
. . . and you should be able to head off
road when the situation demands without
needing to own a high-riding SUV with
compromised on-road handling.
That’s the premise of Audi’s A6 Allroad
– take a luxury station wagon (Avant, in
Audi-speak) and add clever adjustable air
suspension to let you alter the ride height
as required, up to a maximum clearance of
185 millimetres. Throw in the company’s
famous quattro system (which will send up
to 70 per cent of torque to the front wheels,
or 85 per cent to the rear as needed), add
hill-descent software to help you navigate
downhill gradients of between 10 and 50
Bush ranger: there’s
no need to rough it
when going off road.
130
FEBRUARY 2016
per cent, then bolt on some protective
underbody plates and you’re ready to go
bush. Except that you won’t, just like the
vast, vast majority of SUV owners. Then you
get to lower that air suspension back down
to a clearance of just 125mm and enjoy
planted handling that no high-riding softroader can match.
Inside, no compromises are needed,
either. This is a spacious, quiet vehicle
made for comfortable long-distance
touring. The front and rear leg room is
generous and the boot is a very respectable
565 litres, expanding to 1680 litres
with the seats folded forward. And that
powered tailgate lifts to reveal a much
more convenient, lower load area than
its SUV cousins. The cockpit is the usual
high-quality Audi affair, with an eightinch display controlled via a knob and
touchpad on the central console.
Power comes care of Audi’s V6 3.0L
turbo-diesel, which provides whisperquiet performance with ample torque
(500Nm, if you’re interested) for effortless
highway overtaking, while returning a
consumption figure of just 5.6L/100km
– impressive for a vehicle of this size. The
gearbox is Audi’s seven-speed twinclutch auto, with w heel-mounted paddle
shifters, should your inner boy-racer be so
inclined.
While costing a hefty $111,900 (MLP),
the new A6 Allroad is $6000 cheaper than
the previous model. If you’re spending
that kind of money, why not put down an
extra $2300 for the dead-clever Matrix LED
headlights, which offer continuous high
beam, dipping only when an oncoming
vehicle is detected.
Motoring
4 Sounds You Should
Never Ignore
Test Drive: Mini JCW
Pay attention to what your car is telling you
and you’ll save big on repair bills
SQUEALING WHEN YOU HIT THE BRAKES
“Most brakes have warning tabs – when the pads wear
down, they sound an alarm,” says Corey Drake, assistant
manager of an automotive parts store. Whether it’s
constant or only when you brake, that squeal means your
pads are below 10 per cent. “If you drive through it, you’ll
eventually cut into your rotors,” warns Drake. That’s going
to cost you several hundred dollars to fix.
PINGING WHEN YOU ACCELERATE
“It will sound like a hammer tapping lightly on a full
metal trash can,” says Drake. Check your oil first; it could
be low. But more likely, your low-octane fuel isn’t burning
hot enough, causing the pistons to fire crookedly. It’s not
immediately dangerous, but over time, cheap petrol can
destroy your engine. Upgrade to a higher octane and you
could prevent a ruinously expensive repair job.
A THUD WHEN YOU GO OVER A BUMP
It will come from underneath your car, and it
means your suspension system is failing at one of
three points: the ball joint, sway bar or strut, says Drake.
Left untreated, your car may begin drifting, leaning into
turns or bouncing wildly on bumpy roads. “That can
cause a lot of damage,” says Drake. See a mechanic
or you risk misaligned wheels, worn tyres, a damaged
frame and more.
SCREECHING WHEN YOU TURN HARD
Your serpentine belt (or V-belt in an older car) spins a set
of pulleys that power the air-conditioning, water pump,
power steering and alternator. That screech means
your belt is misaligned or worn down and is straining
the pulleys. “If you keep driving, you could damage the
bearings,” says Drake. Or worse: if the belt snaps, the
engine could overheat, costing you thousands.
– Shara Tonn
THOUGH THE original may have
started life back in 1959 as a
cleverly packaged utilitarian
form of transport, the third
generation of today’s BMWowned, thoroughly modern
Mini offers five different
variants, the top of the heap
being the high-performance,
highly equipped John Cooper
Works model.
It features the most
powerful engine ever put into
a Mini production model (a
2.0L 170kW turbo four),
massive Brembo brakes and
switchable suspension
modes. Minis have never
offered what you’d call a
comfortable ride, especially
in high-performance variants,
but switch to Comfort mode
and the JCW offers the best
compromise yet between
flat, fast cornering and
compliance over rough roads.
Or tighten up the handling
(and loosen your fillings) by
switching to Sport.
The roomy cockpit is a
high-tech extravaganza with
8.8-inch circular central
display (complete with mood
lighting), Bluetooth phone
connectivity and streaming,
digital radio, parking assist
and a head-up display. Most
of the standard active and
passive safety acronyms are
present, though surprisingly,
the car received only a fourstar rating when put through
its ANCAP crash testing.
On the road, the JCW’s
highlight is that rorty, flexible
engine that pulls comfortably
from low revs and sounds
sensational. The electrically
assisted steering adds
weight at speed, but lightens
up to make parking easier.
Go for the manual and the
JCW’s asking price is $47,400
(MLP). The auto adds $2550.
MH TIP
Good as the JCW is,
also test-drive the secondtop variant, the Cooper S,
which provides plenty of
performance while saving
you a cool $10K.
IMPROVE YOUR RIDE
FILL YOUR RUBBER
Our survey of MH readers found that only about onethird check their car’s tyre pressure every month. Low
air pressure can create a spongy feel in corners.
“You’ll feel physically tired because it takes more
effort to keep your car under control,” says stunt
driver Joe Bacal. Check PSI when the tyres are cold and
then top them off on the same day each month.
STOP THE BOUNCE
Replacing worn shock absorbers, springs, bushes and ball
joints will make your car feel more responsive, says
Bacal. If you’re not sure whether they’re worn, use this
test: find an open car park and start driving. Turn your
wheel 30º – enough to move your hand from the two o’clock
position to the three o’clock position. If the car barely
responds, it’s due for maintenance.
FEBRUARY 2016 131
Discover Sumatra
The waves that pummel the razor-sharp reefs off the Indonesian island of Mentawai are
renowned for their ferocity. Channel 7’s Sunday Night reporter Denham Hitchcock dived in
COURAGE. You think – you hope – you
have more of it than you do. But when
you truly need it, it’s in limited supply.
A small bottle of elixir distilled from the
fumes of skill, experience and willingness
to accept risk. Every sip is precious – you
have to make it count.
On this Sunday, off a remote island in
Indonesia, I’m 24 hours from anything we
would call medical care and I’m surfing big
waves that are right on the bleeding edge of
my ability. No matter what I tell myself, my
bottle of courage is close to running out.
To me, surfing is a necessity for sanity.
Life’s troubles can be overwhelming – this
is a way to re-boot. Sun, water and fresh air.
Clean, cleansing and physically draining,
you’re immersed in the building blocks of all
living things. No mobile phones, TV, traffic.
No distractions. The incessant chatter of
civilisation is blessedly on mute.
With a few exceptions, a surfing holiday
is the only holiday I ever truly want. A short
stack of surfboards, three pairs of shorts, two
132
FEBRUARY 2016
singlets, sun cream and a plane ticket. Nice
and simple.
I’ve been doing these trips now with my
closest mates for more than 15 years. This
year we choose the Mentawai Islands off
Sumatra, Indonesia, a place widely regarded
as the wave mecca of the world. Of course,
you don’t get the planet’s best waves without
a price. Clumps of razor-sharp coral lurk
beneath shallow breaks and thumping surf,
eager to gouge a board or shred a limb. It’s
not for beginners or those low on courage – or
for those of us whose bodies are starting to
stiffen and ache with age.
Getting older sneaks up on you. It’s a
betrayal, really. Your once-loyal body turns
against you. True, I didn’t help it much. A
lifetime of contact sports, broken bones and
multiple joint reconstructions. It’s been a
blast, but quid pro quo . . . The payback is
aches and pains that never used to be there.
Reactions and movements that are now a beat
– a shadow – behind where they used to be.
I need to train differently now, smarter. I
need to hear what my body is telling me
and, more importantly, listen. If I don’t,
aches become injuries.
My mates are in the same age group
(I’m calling it upper-mid-thirties) and
they’re battling the same physical mutiny.
So for this trip, instead of a basic wooden
shack on the beach with a fan, rice, raw chilli
and a toothless Indonesian grin, we booked
something different.
The place is called Ulau Manua and the
emphasis is on not just getting you into the
water each day, but making sure you can get
out of bed the following day to do it all again.
Our trip will be physically brutal. Two surf
sessions a day, which adds up to about eight
hours in the water, for 12 days straight. That’s
a lot of paddling, twisting and holding your
breath. It’s also a lot of energy-sapping heat.
The sun in these parts is relentless; the water
temperature alone is 28°C. The Indian Ocean
is a simmering pot.
At home in Sydney, every morning before
I surf or train, I stretch to get things moving.
Them’s the breaks:
Denham and mates get
set for serious surf.
The lip of the wave detonates on one of
the world’s most dangerous reefs with a
sharp crack. Paddling over these things
is like climbing small mountains
Ulau Manua takes this to the next level.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu champ based at the
camp uses a German program called “Five
Konzept” stretching. Instead of attacking
one muscle at a time, it’s a series of fullbody stretches designed to wake up the
body and protect the joints. We do it at 5:30
each morning, and again at night. The other
exercises are functional. Mini surfboards,
Bosu balls, balance boards: it’s all designed to
mimic the demands of surfing. We grumble,
we sweat, we chase the night session with
medicinal Bintangs. But we do as instructed.
By the time the swell arrives it’s one of the
best and biggest of the season. We’ve been
watching the charts and we’re ready – or so
we think.
We get up in the dark to stretch. There’s
less of the usual banter. We can hear the
waves pounding the outer reef, calling us in.
We each take two boards, load them into the
boat and head to the tip of the island that’s
taking the brunt of the swell. Gingerly, we
paddle into the line-up of surfers.
Up close it’s a thing of beauty and
malevolence. Sets of waves are marching in at
high speed. Heaving barrels at close to triple
overhead. The lip of the wave detonating
on one of the world’s most dangerous reefs
with a sharp crack, followed by the roar of
the foam. Paddling up and over these things
is like climbing small mountains. There are
pro surfers charging the bomb sets. They’re
taking off – clutching their boards in a vertical
drop, slicing down the face of the wave – to
be rewarded with stand-up barrels, hissing
and spitting them safely out back to raucous
cheers from the assembled boats.
I glance towards the shore where there’s
also a growing band of wounded. Washed
across the reef, pounded into submission,
they have cuts that need stitches, broken
boards and swathes of missing skin.
Out the back, with shouts of
encouragement, we call each other into some
of the smaller, in-between sets. They’re still
double overhead and heavy, but I find enough
courage to drop into four solid waves, each
one a liquid freight train skimming over the
living reef. It’s with a mixture of relief and
elation that I finally paddle back to the boat.
Onboard the boat, we compare reef cuts
and injuries. We all vow to charge harder next
time, take the bigger sets, the deeper takeoffs. We know the pressures, the stress, the
decisions, the crush of life will rush back as
soon as we leave the islands.
But not just yet.
Mentawai
WHERE
Padang
INDONESIA
Mentawai
Jakarta
ACCOMMODATION
Ulau Manua means “abode of the gods”
in the local Mentawai dialect. It’s an apt
title. This sumptuous surfing-specific
resort is within walking distance of the
beach and a mere 25-minute boat ride
from most of the main reef breaks. The
healthy food and physical maintenance
on offer will ensure you maximise the
waves. Eleven-day packages start at
US$2220. Mention Men’s Health for a
five per cent discount. (ulaumanua.com)
GETTING THERE
Qantas (qantas.com.au) flies direct to
Jakarta. From there, it’s a connecting
flight to Padang. From Padang, it’s two
ferry trips to Mentawai. Difficult
– but well worth it.
FEBRUARY 2016 133
O December 12, over 2000 people descended on Sydney’s
On
Homebush Stadium to take on Australia’s toughest urban
H
oobstacle race. At a gruelling 10k with 50 obstacles, it was
a race that tested their strength, endurance and willpower
mhsurvival.com.au @MHsurvivalaus
And they’re off! The first-ever Australian Survival of the Fittest gets under way
Cookbook author Hayden Quinn
We’ve heard of water wings, but water rings?
MH Fitness Advisor Cameron Byrnes pumps up the crowd
MH cover guy Tim Robards
swings into action
134
FEBRUARY 2016
MH Editor Luke Benedictus
pulling his weight at the
rope climb
PHOTOGRAPHY: GILES PARK, JASON LEE
PHOTOGRAPHY: JASON LEE, ESA RUOHONEN
What goes up . . .
SEE THE VIDEO
SCAN THE PAGE WITH
THEFREEVIEWAAPP
TOSEEALLTHEACTION
FROMSURVIVAL OF THE
FITTEST INSYDNEY
2015 MH Man winner Damien Rider
One small leap for man!
The team that sticks together . . .
Mud, sweat and tears?
Tim Robards takes his turn at the wall
Taking on the Steggles
air drop obstacle
What do you mean, you’re tyred?
FEBRUARY 2016
135
LUKE BENEDICTUS
Editor
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Creative Director
Chief Sub-Editor
Deputy Art Director
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Senior Writer
Associate Editor
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ESA RUOHONEN
GRANT TAYLOR
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Pre-Media Solutions
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DAVID ASHFORD
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Editorial Coordinator
(02) 9394 2321
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(02) 9394 2289
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FEBRUARY 2016
MH MAN COMPETITION
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2016 CELEBRITY
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GUY
LIST
WHAT’S UP, DADDY-O?
2 / You deliberate over the
taste structure of shiraz.
“Mmm. Are you getting
those perky top notes of
blackcurrant and liquorice?”
3 / A “big” night out with the
boys takes months of
planning. And is over by 9pm.
4 / Saturday afternoons are
strictly reserved for naps.
5 / You keep a special stick
for stirring paint.
6 / A lot of your
conversations start with,
“When I was your age . . . ”
7 / Twitter is a big, bad and
scary beast. Can anyone
even say anything remotely
useful in 140 characters?
8 / You laugh at this joke:
Q: How do you make a suit
jacket last?
A: You make the pants first.
You’ll now repeat it
ad nauseum.
9 / When the
conversation turns to
politics, you find yourself
talking about “bludgers”.
15
SIGNS YOU’RE
TURNING INTO
YOUR DAD
Be alert to these pitfalls and you’ll avoid
emulating your old man’s worst habits
BY
138
FEBRUARY 2016
GR ANT TAYLOR
10 / You regard a certain
chair as yours.
11 / You have at least three
pairs of reading glasses so
you’re never caught out.
12 / The weed-less front
lawn is a source of pride
and joy.
13 / You buy slip-on shoes in
deference to your chalky
lower back.
14 / You complain about
the cost of petrol. And beer.
And movies.
15 / You get a perverse thrill
out of embarrassing your
kids. A groan and a tortured
“shut up”? Success!
2 / TOAST TO TASTE
If you must waffle about wine,
at least know what you’re
talking about. Top notes, along
with the quality of fruits, are
important. Mouth feel is also
part of the picture, while length
of taste is a big one. If you have
a pleasant, lingering taste, it’s
generally the sign of an
excellent wine. Ultimately, you
can have a technically greattasting wine, but if you don’t
drink it with pleasure, is it a
great wine?
Paul Huet, head sommelier at est.
4 / CAUGHT NAPPING
Is your need to sleep pointing
to deeper issues? If you haven’t
logged the recommended 7-8
hours of nightly shut-eye
during the week, then you will
have built up a sleep debt. Get
to bed earlier and avoid screen
use in the half hour before you
sleep. Meanwhile, “post-lunch
dips” naturally hit harder as you
age. So avoid alcohol at lunch
if you wish to skip the pillow.
And if you must “powernap”,
keep it below 20 minutes.
Professor Dorothy Bruck,
Sleep Health Foundation
8 / TELL ’EM WELL
The key to any joke is delivery.
A sincere conversational tone
can work well. Say it like you’re
not telling a joke, but rather
having a conversation – if your
audience don’t think you’re
telling them a joke, the
punchline will fulfil the
expectation of the set-up
in a surprising way.
Sam Kissajukian, stand-up comedian
12 / KEEP IT GREEN
Don’t scalp it! When mowing,
set the blade height so that it
removes no more than a third
of the lawn’s leaf blades.
Cutting it too short causes it to
dry out quickly and increases
the chances of bare patches,
which lead to weeds. Use
hose-on lawn feed in spring,
so it only calls for a top-up in
summer. And a deep soaking
2-3 times a week is better than
a quick splash every night, as
it trains the roots to venture
deeper into the soil to make
the lawn more drought hardy.
Roger Fox, gardening editor at
Better Homes & Gardens
ILLUSTRATION: MATT COSGROVE
1 / You’re exhilirated by the
thought of a Saturdaymorning outing to Bunnings.
SUGAR-LIKE TASTE
WITHOUT ALL
THE CALORIES
Equal NEXT is a unique blend of sweetness, specially
combined to create a deliciously rich sugar-like taste,
without all the calories! It’s the next generation of
sweet. From coffees to cocktails, Equal NEXT can be
used to replace sugar in your hot or cold beverages,
cereals and fruits.
MIXED BERRY MOJITO
Serves 4
Preparation: 10 mins
Equal NEXT is available in 100 sachet packs from
major retailers nationwide. Each sachet (15kJ) is
equivalent in sweetness to two teaspoons for
sugar (140kJ).
8-12 fresh mint leaves
12 blueberries
12 fresh red raspberries
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Equal NEXT sachets or 1 Tbsp Equal Spoonful
500ml soda water
lime slices, to garnish
mint sprigs, to garnish
1 Equal NEXT
Sachet
1. Put mint and berries into a large glass pitcher or jug.
Use the end of a rolling pin to lightly squash berries.
2. Combine lime juice and Equal in a small jug and add to
berries, stirring until combined.
3. Add ice to pitcher or jug with a few slices of lime. Top with
soda water and garnish with mint sprigs and lime slices.
2 level tsp
of sugar
For the latest product news and recipes visit us:
choice.com.au
dior.com
THE NEW FRAGRANCE