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 THE FIRST WATCH
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On the 50th anniversary of the first

lunar landing, OMEGA is reflecting on
the golden moments that defined that
iconic day. While our own Speedmaster
was strapped to the wrists of the
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 CONTENTS 10.19

62
COVER GUY:
LINCOLN LEWIS
PHOTOGRAPHY:
HAROLD DAVID
GROOMING:
STEPHEN FOYLE
SHORTS:
LULULEMON Depressed and short on work,
actor Lincoln Lewis needed
a challenge. Find out how he
transformed his body and
switched his life to a new
setting: full steam ahead

4 menshealth.com.au
 0.19

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

T R AN SFOR M AT IO N

p70 Running On Empty

Here’s what actor Firass Dirani
discovered on a 10-day fast.

p72 Rebuilding Barry

The Living Room’s Barry Du Bois
fights cancer his way: in the gym.

F I TN
N E SS

7 Fightin
p117 ng Spirit
Injury
y ended Thom Evans’ rugby
careeer, not his p
pursuit of fitness.

6 The Jo
p126 oke’s Over
This actor-come
a edian is hell-bent in
his quest for an action-hero body.

N UT
T R IT IO N

3 Take Yo
p33 our Best Shot
A pre
eworkout ve ersus a shot
of caffeine: the verdict is in.

p82 The Fas

st Track
Still n
not fasting?? You’re missing a
trick in the longevity stakes.

TAC
CT IC S

Toys For Hard A
s state-of-the-art fitness tech is t
fect complement to your hard toil.
4 Our Kin
p34 nd of Girl
Unleash You Abs In 28 Days A former Miss World
W has some
A workout that dips into the latest science advice for you: quit trying so hard.
to make your summer six-pack a certainty.
p42 Not An Average Joe
Australia’s latest NBA trailblazer
defies expectations for breakfast.

M I ND

p38 Happiness Hacks

Your new and improved guide
to pleasure-seeking.

p47 Return To Eden

Our writer parks his cynicism to
seek peace inside a health retreat.

92 20
28 Ways To Turn Bacon Into Muscle Tom Brady: Just Us And The GOAT
A contender for World’s Tastiest Food can The legendary quarterback spills his
also help you bring home the gains. secrets to extending a glorious prime.

6 menshealth.com.au
 E D I T O R’S L E T T E R
Men's Health Australia @MensHealthAU @MensHealthAU menshealth.com.au

THE STRONGEST LINC

Earlier this year, on a boy’s trip to Queensland, I was sitting
poolside with this month’s cover man, Lincoln Lewis. We’d
just arrived back from a day on the golf course, and while the SCOTT HENDERSON Editor
rest of our mates went for a dip to cool off, Linc and I sat on BEN JHOTY Deputy Editor
the deck, shirts firmly on. Two men in their 30s, both victims DANIEL WILLIAMS Associate Editor
of slowing metabolisms and carrying the spoils of a decent DAVID ASHFORD Creative Director
festive season. JASON LEE Deputy Art Director
Conversation went from sports, to women, to our desire KATE FRASER Head Of Pictures – Fashion and Health
to out-train the lads in the pool and get “ripped like Michael
LAUREN WILLIAMSON Digital Content Manager – Health
B. Jordan”. Linc’s face lit up. “If I get in Michael B. Jordan
ALEX PIEROTTI Digital Content Editor
shape, will you put me on the cover?” It was in that moment,
HARRIET SIM Editorial Coordinator/Junior Writer
sealed with a handshake and witnessed by our much-buffer
mates, that this issue was born. TODD LIUBINSKAS Fitness Director
Following months of logistics, including recruiting the JEFF LACK Style Editor
perfect trainer in Jono Castano and Linc relocating himself to ERIN DOCHERTY Grooming Writer
Sydney to train, the “Operation Michael B. Jordan” Whatsapp
group was created. The rest is etched in Men’s Health history.
It was clear from the get-go that a Lincoln/Jono pairing
was a match made in training heaven; two larger-than-life
personalities, completely devoid of ego, who seem to exist
purely for the purpose of uplifting those in their orbit. CLARISSA WILSON KATHY GLAVAS
And while the physical results speak for themselves, Brand Solutions Director Head of Health
like all great transformations, this journey has JESSICA LAY COURTENAY MCDERMOTT
transcended aesthetics. Brand Solutions Manager Senior Marketing Manager – Health
In the week leading up to Linc’s cover shoot, the reason CALVIN SIMPSON ELLIE FLETCHER
behind this issue became ever more clear. The truth is that in Brand Solutions Coordinator Marketing & Events Executive
any shape, Lincoln is the perfect candidate for a Men’s Health ANDREW CAMERON JOHN GUMAPAS
cover. Lincoln possesses that rare combination of loyalty, Executive Creative Director Production Controller
generosity of spirit, infectious enthusiasm and unwavering ALEX DALRYMPLE PHIL CAMERON
Multimedia Content Producer Digital Imaging Specialist
commitment that should be held up as a beacon of inspiration
to men the world over. If we all looked out for each other with JEREMY SUTTON ALLAN WEBSTER
Group Subscriptions Manager Advertising Operations Manager
the same fervour as Linc and Jono have over the course of the
past three months, the world would be a much better place.
GEREURD ROBERTS Chief Executive Officer, Pacific Magazines
The abs are just a bonus.
This shot of inspiration couldn’t come at a better time. GUY TORRE Chief Financial Officer

As spring rears her glorious head, it’s the transformative tale LOUISA HATFIELD Group Content and Brand Director
of Lincoln Lewis (p. 62), the sustained commitment of Tom NICOLE BENCE Commercial Director
Brady (p. 20), and much needed soul therapy (pp. 47, 112) that MARK BOORMAN Group Production Manager
will set us on the home straight towards a successful summer.

RICHARD DORMENT KIM ST. CLAIR BODDEN

Editor in Chief, SVP/Editorial
Men’s Health US & Brand Director
Scott Henderson SIMON HORNE CHLOE O’BRIEN
menshea
alth@pacificmags.com.au SVP/Managing Director Deputy Brands Director
Asia Pacific & Russia SHELLEY MEEKS
RICHARD BEAN Executive Director,
Director of International Licensing Content Services
and Business Development

Pacific Magazines, Media City,

8 Central Avenue, Eveleigh, NSW 2015
Br
rothers in arms: Phone: (02) 9394 2000 Fax: (02) 9394 2319
Subscription enquiries: 1300 668 118
fr
rom left, trainer
Printing Bluestar Web, 83 Derby Street, Silverwater NSW 2128. Distribution Gordon & Gotch.
Jo
ono Castano, cover Published 12 times a year. Registered business name Pacific Magazines Pty Ltd, (ABN) 16 097 410
gu
uy Lincoln Lewis 896. All rights reserved. Title and trademark Men’s Health © Hearst Magazines International.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written permission.
an
nd Henderson. Men’s Health is a registered trademark and the unauthorised use of this trademark is strictly

8 menshealth.com.au
 ASK MH

THE BIG QUESTION

I’m carrying a little more weight than I used to.

Should I be worried about diabetes? –SK

KEEP BLOOD SUGAR IN

THE SWEET SPOT WITH
A MEAL-PLAN UPDATE.

Well, that depends on what you mean by “a
little” – but you’re right to be thinking about it. The
latest statistics indicate that we are edging
towards a diabetes epidemic. Despite this, it
seems that few grasp the severity of the
condition. Diabetes causes glucose to build up in
your blood, damaging your eyes, kidneys, sex life
and, eventually, your heart.
A slight increase in weight is no cause for
panic, but carrying excess fat around your middle
– along with poor sleep and high stress levels
– will increase your risk. Sound like you? Get
checked for pre-diabetes: elevated blood sugar
levels that affect one in three adults in Australia.
Once the symptoms of diabetes appear
– unquenchable thirst, fatigue, frequent urination
– you’re in trouble. But its precursor is reversible.
A life-saving plan that involves 150 minutes of
exercise per week, reducing stress and shedding
5-10 per cent of your bodyweight lowers the
chance of pre-diabetes progressing by 58 per
cent. And a shift to a high protein diet (40 per
cent carbs, 30 per cent protein and 30 per cent
fat) can undo the effects of pre-diabetes within
six months, according to research by the
University of Tennessee. Act now!

SUGAR THE PILL

Dial down your diabetes
SUNNY SIDE UP
A University of California study
suggests that those with high vitamin
risk with three more D levels, whether from supps or the
hassle-free, science- sun, are five times less likelyy to
approved hacks become diabetic.
IN THE ELEMENT
Researchers in Mexico found
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10 menshealth.com.au
 ANCIENT SOLUTION TO
A MODERN PROBLEM
Q I just want big arms. Can I ignore all
that core stuff? –CH
A As the builders say, the larger
stones do not lie well without
the lesser. –Plato
TEXT A SLEEP
THERAPIST
Today 02:03am
It’s just gone two, and I need to
be up for work in five hours.
Can you help me nod off?
OK. First, stop checking the
time: studies show knowing
how much sleep you’ve missed
will make you feel more tired.
Right. I’ve turned the alarm
clock around. What now?
Your brain needs to associate
“bed” with “sleep”. Don’t spend
too long lying there awake.
So, you mean I should get up?
Yes, for 15 minutes. Stop all
that tossing and turning and
read a book in the living room.
Can I watch an episode of
Killing Eve?
No! Avoid screens and keep the
lights dim. Good luck.
Today 02:58am
Um, are you still awake?
Yes. Count down from 900 in
sevens: dull tasks like this often
work. And get off your phone!
Alison Gardiner,
Sleepstation cofounder
FITNESS CORNER
After exercise, I’m always
totally shattered. Isn’t it
supposed to energise me? –DE
On a fundamental level, what we’re chasing
when we head to the gym are hormones, including
INSTANT FIX
the fabled rush of endorphins. These are your
body’s natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Bounce back faster
with nutritionist Matt
They are released when we exert ourselves and
Hodges’ superfoods-
keep us pumped up for the rest of the day. packed smoothie
So, when you don’t feel that way after leaving
the gym, it can be, well . . . deflating. The most
obvious pin in your balloon? Intensity. Pushing
PINEAPPLE,
yourself to failure places a huge burden on your 100G, CHOPPED
Speeds up muscle repair
central nervous system and creates an oxygen
deficit as your muscles work to repair themselves.
Limit your maximum-effort workouts to twice a
A KIWI, CHOPPED
Contains
week and ensure that you have at least one day of mood-lifting serotonin
rest in between, preferably two. And when you do
go all-out, think about what you eat afterwards. FRESH GINGER,
Treat yourself to some carbs – and they needn’t be
complex, either. Replacing spent muscle glycogen
GRATED
Curbs inflammation
in a hurry is the surest (and most satisfying) way to
stave off a slump. MAPLE SYRUP,
A GLUG
Packed with antioxidants
COCONUT WATER,
200ML
Source of electrolytes
FATIGUE-FIGHTING
SMOOTHIE
IF YOU GO HARD
EVERY DAY, YOU’LL
WANT TO GO HOME.
October 2019 11
 FOR AGE-PROOF
MUSCLE, WORK
OUT ON SUNDAES
Throw a banana skin in the TURN BACK
THE CLOCK
path of Father Time – this Stay youthful with our daily
science-approved muscle fuel planner for freezing time
is a dish best served cold
ICE CREAM has now achieved
7AM:
superfood status. It began with
MORNING GLORY
low-kilojoule and high-protein Add some mackerel to your
options, but its most recent morning eggs. Its omega-3
incarnation – a tub fortified with acids slow ageing at a
the mineral magnesium – has molecular level.
elevated the trend to another
level. And if you’re hungry for
progress at any age, take note.
A study in the International Journal
of Andrology found a link between high 8AM:
levels of magnesium and LUCKY DIP
concentrations of testosterone. Blood
Stay young at heart (and
cells well stocked with magnesium
in your lungs) by
improving your rate of
release fewer free radicals, which inhibit
oxygen consumption
testosterone production. This becomes
with a pre-work swim.
particularly important for men after
they hit 40, when the hormone begins
to decline by 1 per cent per year.
Testosterone is crucial for maintaining
energy levels and muscle mass, 2PM:
The solution is to eat like a kid. You MIND MATTERS
could get the magnesium you need to Follow your weights
boost testosterone from foods such session with a creatine
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON; PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE

as nuts, seeds and wholegrains, or shake, linked with better

FREEZE OUT AGEING
you could tuck into a specially WITH THIS ICE-COOL memory. University
formulated ice cream from the US DESSERT UPGRADE. of Chichester
called Nightfood. Hopefully coming
soon to Australia, it contains 10 per
cent of your RDA of magnesium in
each serving – a guarantor of
better shut-eye. But put three 10PM:
scoops of it between a split PUT IT TO BED
banana (each fruit packs A solid night’s sleep
30mg of magnesium), and (around seven hours) helps
your favourite childhood your skin recover faster
dessert becomes a recipe
from stressors such as UV
for youthful muscle.
rays. University Hospitals
Case Medical Center
Sweet dreams.

October 2019 13

DRESS FOR THE
PB YOU WANT
All the gear, no idea? Far from it. Beginners
see greater benefits from investing in elite
kit than the pros do. Click add to cart
WE GET IT. Spending a fortune on your
first pair of running shoes (not to
mention the sweat-wicking T-shirt and
sonic-bonded shorts) seems over the
top, and maybe a little embarrassing.
Most men feel more comfortable
pulling on the faded top that came
free with a tub of protein back in
the 2000s.
However, despite their association
with high-performance athletes, the
latest innovations in kit and technique
pay out the greatest dividends to
beginners. Dress like the best and
14 menshealth.com.au
there’ll be nothing marginal about
the gains you make. Researchers at
the University of Colorado Boulder
found that factors such as hi-tech
footwear, sports drinks and targeted
exercise made a significant
difference to economy in slower
runners, while faster athletes only
earned minor improvements. The
scientists calculated that a 1 per cent
improvement in the economy of
slower marathon runners, brought
about by high-end kit, shaved 1.17
per cent off their times. On the other
TRUE TO
FORM
Make the most of your
kit-bag upgrade with
these smart tweaks to
your technique
SHOULDERS
Keep these down, with
your head upright and in
line with your body.
Stay loose, now.
UPGRADING YOUR KNEES
GEAR COULD SEE
YOU STRIKE
FITNESS GOLD.
Push your knees forward
and up to generate more
power. Stride ahead of
the competition.
FEET
hand, at higher speeds, a 1 per cent Stepping down, lift your
rise in running economy amounted toes upward, landing on
to a negligible difference at the
the mid-foot underneath
finish line.
your body.
When you start eyeing off
marathons, combine Adidas Boost
trainers, Under Armour energy-
returning leggings and some elite
ARMS
running tips (see right) and you’ll not
With your arms bent,
only look the business at your drive back at the elbow.
inaugural Parkrun but also push Hurling them forward,
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON; PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER CROWTHER
through your first 5K with relative pump your hands high.
ease. As for going sub-20 by 2020
– well, it’s pretty much a shoe-in.
HEELS
Move these high in an arc
towards your glutes. You’ll
get in the swing of it.

YOUR PASSPORT TO
LAID-BACK LONGEVITY
Holidaying with friends will bolster your long-term health.
Make memories that’ll last a longer lifetime
AS YOU STRUGGLE to meet work
deadlines and family commitments,
finding time to get the old gang back
together can all too easily slip down
your priorities list. Gratifyingly, however,
US scientists have found that it’s
precisely what you need.
Spending time away with your friends
– golfing in Tasmania, say, or surfing on
the Sunshine Coast – can positively
impact your health as much as getting
enough sleep and exercise. What’s
more, taking regular breaks with
your mates can increase your life
16 menshealth.com.au
expectancy. Put it all together and,
really, how much more of an excuse
do you need?
According to the Harvard Medical
School, fostering social connections
helps to dial down harmful levels
of stress, which can cause problems for
your immune system, coronary arteries,
gut function and insulin regulation.
And while talking to a colleague
about finals footy or Nick Kyrgios’ latest
meltdown is better than staying glued to
your screen, there’s no substitute for
solidifying the bonds you care about
DON’T FLIP-FLOP
ABOUT PUTTING
IN FOR A WEEK OFF.
BRIGHT
IDEAS
Top up the benefits of
your health trip with
our holiday hacks
BUILD A
BEACH BODY
Working out on sand has
been proven to increase
muscle mass in
adolescents, adults and
older men alike. Make
progress on the beach this
year. Sports Medicine
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON; PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTHONY HAMMOND AT PRE MEDIA
SINK SPRING
SICKNESS
Skip the pool and head for
the open ocean. Sea
swimming provides a
boost to the immune
system, leading to a lower
incidence of colds all year
round. Portsmouth
most by holidaying with friends. It is this
University
that will truly restore your physical and
mental wellbeing.
Scientists at the University of
Helsinki found that, compared to keen
travellers, businessmen who took less SLEEP IT OFF
time off were more stressed and slept Had a late night at the
less throughout the year. Worse still, hotel bar? An afternoon
those who took less than three weeks nap can lower your stress
of leave per year were 37 per cent more hormones and, when
likely to work themselves to an early enjoyed regularly, even
grave. In short, booking a break now slash your heart-attack risk
will help you avoid an early checkout. by half. Harvard School
We’ll see you at the departure gate. of Public Health
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 AID YOUR TRAINING
WITH PINEAPPLE’S
COCKTAIL OF
BENEFITS.

GIVE YOUR FRUITS

OF MORE
LABOUR
RECOVERY Fill your bowl with our
pick of the freshest

A FRESH
health-boosting snacks to
naturally improve your
workout performance

SPIKE
CHERRIES
Repair shaky muscles and defeat An antioxidant-filled fruit,
DOMS with pineapple, a tropical cherries aid in preventing
DOMS after a punishing run,
twist on post-gym nutrition to keep you moving as
smoothly the next day.
AS YOUR SEASONAL training hits peak
intensity, you’d be forgiven for reducing
your post-workout menu to a handful of
items. Chicken, brown rice and broccoli
WATERMELONS
make the cut – but what about fruit? If
Slices of this fruit can
clickbait articles are to be believed, their replenish fluids lost from a
sugar content could scupper your quest workout to make rehydrating
to shed fat. Mercifully, unless you’re a few more enjoyable than simply
days off from competing in Mr Olympia, downing water.
the vitamin, mineral and fibre contents
outweigh any potential negatives. And the
sweetest fruit of all? Pineapple.
Studies show its high-glycaemic carbs
(yes, sugar) kick-start recovery straight
BANANAS
after a session, replenishing glycogen The high potassium levels
stores and spiking insulin to deliver help to prevent muscle
nutrients to your muscles. Plus, cramps during long
pineapples contain bromelain, a potent sessions, so you can keep
anti-inflammatory enzyme that tackles lifting for longer.
muscle soreness – research suggests that
it helps immune cells clear up broken
muscle fibres after exercise. So, that’s
DOMS squashed right there.
Bromelain can also steady falling
RAISINS
testosterone levels – a common problem
Researchers found that
among those guilty of overtraining. raisins provide the same
According to a study in the European performance benefits as a
Journal of Sport Sciences, a dose of sports gel for a fraction
bromelain allows you to work at your of the money.
physical limit for longer. That’s not all: at
the cellular level, the enzyme helps to cut
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON

protein molecules into smaller pieces, so

your body will make better use of any
whey shakes, too. Now, that’s science you ORANGES
can sink your teeth into. The vitamin C helps
vegetarians absorb more
iron from their foods, a must
for muscle function.

18 menshealth.com.au
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 A+
TACTICS

20 menshealth.com.au
Advantage+
STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME

GOLDEN
TOUCH
We went to the Bahamas with Tom Brady,
and all we got were some football-shaped
bruises. That’s because Tom Brady won’t quit.
Not in a game. Not even on holiday. Ben Court
barely keeps up with the best quarterback in
NFL history as he begins his final drive
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC RAY DAVIDSON

October 2019 21
 A+
TACTICS

8:35
on an impossibly clear and bright morning at
a private resort in the Bahamas. A whisper of
wind rustles the palm trees, and tucked down
a golf-cart path, shielded by flowering bushes,
there’s a freshly marked-out football field with
two yellow uprights on either end. Apart from
a gallery of seagulls, there’s no one around except Tom Brady, his trainer and best
friend Alex Guerrero, and Brady’s assistant Kevin Bonner. In person, the 42-year-old
Brady looks about 30, and he is not the kind of celebrity who seems less handsome
or more normal in real life. He’s bigger and taller than you might expect, with huge
hands and thick limbs, and he radiates confidence with his icy blue hawkish eyes
and disarming smile. “We need you to catch some balls today,” he says, grinning my
way. “You ready?”

Every summer for the past seven
years, the quarterback of the New
England Patriots has come to this
remote island for a beach boot camp.
It’s an intense part of his regimen,
which has him training two to three
hours daily to strengthen his arm,
pack on more upper-body muscle to
absorb hits, and sharpen his footwork
and acceleration so that he can elude
pass rushers. As Bonner unzips an egg-
carton-like duffel bag with six game
balls nestled inside, Brady uses a golf
laser rangefinder to check the yardage.
It’s slightly off. Guerrero walks down
the sideline, putting down cones every
ten yards as measured by Brady. The
QB slips into his shoulder pads, dons
a silver helmet, and warms up using a
white hand towel instead of a ball. He
unfurls that smooth throwing motion
that has tortured opposition players
and thrilled New England fans for 19
years, culminating with a flick of the
wrist that snaps the towel.
Bonner and I put on receiver gloves
and spread out ten yards downfield.
Bonner’s advice: “Just put your hands
up and the ball will hit them.” Brady
starts off throwing short bullets,
and Bonner’s tip is dead-on: the balls
slice through the hot air and slam
into my hands. Brady goes through
the gears, throwing 20-yarders and
then 30-yarders. Then we drop to 60
yards. This is a maximum-effort drill
for distance. Brady is throwing down
the sideline, launching six passes as
far and as straight as possible. Our
job is to catch the balls and put them
down right where they would land.
Guerrero and Brady tinker with his
drop, bounce, step, torque and release.
When a pass wobbles off course, Brady
shouts to the palm trees, “That’s an
interception.” When I drop a perfect
spiral, he screams at me, “That’s the
game winner!”
After the six passes, he jogs down,
inspects the cluster and sips water from
his Klean Kanteen. Most of the balls are
within five or ten yards of one another
around the 60-yard cone. He tells me
his arm is as strong as it was when he
entered the league, and I believe him.
Catching these bombs is chewing up
my forearms; they’re etched with lace
marks and will end up being bruised for
days. Later, Brady tells me that during
games, only about 10 per cent of his
passes do what he wants them to do.
“There are times when I release the ball
and I know it’s perfect. I throw it with
the exact pace and arc that I wanted,
and to the exact location,” he says. “But
when I throw it and it doesn’t do that,
in my mind [I’m thinking,] I’m fucking
shit – what did I do wrong? I fucking
overstrode. Too little torque.”
Guerrero notes that Brady will
rarely throw 60-yard passes in a game.
Last season, his longest pass was 49.9
yards – by comparison, 23-year-old
Bills QB Josh Allen completed the
league’s longest in 2018, at 63.9 yards
– yet the point of today’s drill isn’t to
lengthen Brady’s throwing range but
to improve his accuracy and velocity
for shorter throws. He closes out the
session zipping 30-yard passes to
different corners of the end zone. His
arm is looser now, the balls flying out
faster. Brady notes the flawless passes
with a “There it is”. He has thrown close
to 80 balls this morning, and he doesn’t
want to stop. “I’m a little tortured,” he
says. “At football, I want it to be so right.”
Among Brady watchers, there’s a
belief that he’s currently crafting a
second Hall of Fame–worthy career.
The first one lasted from 2001 to 2015,
with four Super Bowl wins. Part two
spans the past three years and includes
two more league championships. In
between there were injuries, scandals,
a suspension and a lawsuit, but the fact
remains that Brady, the 199th draft pick
of 2000, is now entering his 20th season
in the NFL with a brand-new Super Bowl
ring – his sixth. No quarterback has ever
played so well for so long, and his single-
minded focus on winning, his never-
say-die attitude, has become almost
as famous as he and his very famous
wife are. (Indeed, on the Facebook
Watch docuseries Tom vs. Time, Gisele
Bündchen lamented that even she has to
share him with his first love: football.)
That’s why trying to talk to Brady about
things other than football – politics, say,
or the ideal gas law – is usually a waste
of everyone’s time, especially his. He
would be the first to tell you that there is
no more or less to his reality right now
than the sport of football and his family.
And the people Brady matters to at all
don’t really care about whom he votes for
or the Game of Thrones dynamics of Pats
Nation. They care about how he does it
– defying time and physics, defying the

22 menshealth.com.au

natural laws of football and man to play
like a kid half his age.
In anticipation of the day when
“I BELIEVED IF
he can’t play like he used to, Brady
is laying the groundwork for a new
YOU WANT TO
chapter of his life rooted in helping
the rest of the world “do what they love
GET GOOD, YOU
better and for longer”. He founded his
company in 2013, naming it TB12,
GOTTA GO SQUAT
and after some early success with
a training facility outside Boston
AND BENCH”
and a best-selling book, The TB12
Method, he’s now developing it into
a full-blown lifestyle and fitness
brand. This summer he opened a
flagship gym in Boston, with plans
to expand to New York City and Los
Angeles next year (and after that to
Chicago, San Francisco, Houston,
Miami, London and Toronto). He’s also
gotten into commerce and content –
there are TB12-branded newsletters,
workout videos, brain games, exercise
equipment and protein supplements
and snacks. His company’s stated
goal is simple: “To redefine strength,
health and wellness for an entire
generation of men”. That’s a big lift.
And to do it, he’s got to win over the
people who’d rather chew glass than
watch the Patriots win, and the people
who call BS on his and Guerrero’s
approach to training, and the people
who look at him and his career and his
family and think that maybe some guys
shouldn’t have all the luck. Make that
a huge lift, but anyone who’s betting
against the 199th draft pick of 2000
and the owner of six Super Bowl rings
clearly hasn’t been paying attention.
POST-WORKOUT, we go to the
beachfront house where Brady is
staying with Guerrero, Bonner and
Jack, the 12-year-old son he shares
with his ex, actress Bridget Moynahan.
(Bündchen is in Costa Rica with their
two children, nine-year-old Benjamin
and seven-year-old Vivian.) Brady
can be extremely deliberate when he
speaks, often pausing before answering
questions because he knows better than
most how words can take on whole new
meanings in the context-free vortex
that is social media. As he grazes on
chips and guac and sips water (with
TB12 electrolytes, of course), he tells me
about the moment he realised that he’d
spent most of his life thinking about
physical fitness and strength training
all wrong. “You gotta understand,” he
says of his early years in the NFL, “I
was like every other American kid. I
believed if you want to get good, you
gotta go squat and bench, and it’s all I
ever did.”
But then he started to feel pain in
his right elbow. It was 2006 – Brady
was already a three-time Super Bowl
champion, but his QB rating that
season was only 87.9, almost ten points
below his career average of 97.7 – and he
was suffering severe tendinitis because
he threw so much and lifted so heavy.
The cycle of throw-ice-repeat reached
a crisis point – he had to take days off
from practice. “My teammate Willie
McGinest said to me, ‘Dude, if you want
to keep playing, you gotta go see Alex.’ ”
October 2019 23
 A+
TACTICS
Guerrero’s background is in
traditional Chinese medicine, but
Brady was desperate after striking
out with mainstream doctors. “I had
forearm muscles that were like rocks
and biceps muscles that were like
rocks. I had my biceps pulling this way
and my forearm muscle tugging that
way, and the tendon was just on fire,”
he says, tapping his elbow. Guerrero
felt the inflamed tendon, Brady says,
and “said that what we’re going to do
through pliability – although we didn’t
even call it pliability then, because
we had to come up with a word for it
– is effectively lengthen the forearm
muscle and lengthen the biceps and
triceps through deep-force work. Alex
did it one time and I was like, ‘What?
The last ten years of my life I’ve been in
pain, and now, after he’s worked on my
forearms, biceps and triceps, there’s no
more pain in my elbow?’ It clicked for
me right away.”
Guerrero then treated Brady’s
shoulder pain (from too much
throwing) and groin problem (from
too much squatting), and Brady was
hooked. A helmet to his knee caused an
ACL injury in 2008, and he did all his
rehab with Guerrero. “At that point,
I said, ‘Alex is going to do everything.
Alex is going to take care of me.’ ”
Today, each of Brady’s daily sessions
with Guerrero begins on a massage
table, with deep-force treatment of
20 muscle groups, each for about 20
seconds. Guerrero strokes the muscle
rhythmically, and then Brady starts
flexing and relaxing the muscle at a
faster and faster pace while doing a
functional movement.
Then the real 40-minute workout
begins. The rub on Brady was always
that he had a “Division I upper body
but the lower body of a scrub” (so said
his high school coach in a positive
piece in The Washington Post) and
“plodding platypus feet” (real nice,
high school teammates). That’s why
Guerrero focuses on speed, agility
and core stability. Most days, Brady
does a lot of high-resistance-banded
movement drills (squats, push-ups,
push presses) along with plenty of
lunging, squatting and planking in
different directions against the tension
of the band. After the workout, it’s back
to the treatment table, though this time
there is less force; it’s to speed recovery
by increasing blood flow and flushing
lactic acid.
Guerrero believes that as athletes
age, their understanding of the game
improves but their bodies start to
betray them. “I’ve always thought if we
24 menshealth.com.au
can figure out a way to make Tom’s body Christian Boucher, a physical therapist
keep up with his brain, he’ll be able to and athletic trainer who has been
play a long time.” with TB12 for two years. Our workout
“I’m more of a thinker, obviously, follows the structure of Brady’s and
than a physical specimen,” says Brady. all TB12 clients’. It leads off with a
It’s as close to a humblebrag as he screening to check for imbalances.
will get, yet he does invest time and Running is my main exercise, so I start
energy into training his brain to make on an OptoGait, a treadmill with some
smarter choices faster. He spends 15 fancy tech that analyses my stride. It
minutes per day using TB12 BrainHQ identifies that my push-off on my right
(developed with Posit Science, side is 6.5 per cent stronger than the
a leader in online training for brain one on my left side. That’s the main
plasticity), drilling his brain speed issue Boucher says he’s going to address
and pattern recognition. That prep, as we head to a treatment room and I lie
plus film study, plus his well-known facedown on the table.
memory (he can accurately and vividly Boucher will do deep-force work on
recall plays from decades ago), plus 19 my lower body, moving from my feet to
years of experience, give Brady special my calves, quads, glutes and hip-girdle
powers at the line of scrimmage. Like muscles. He begins with almost painful
Neo in The Matrix – stay with me here pressure as I flex and relax my calf.
– he can seemingly slow down time Then I kick my leg up at a faster and
in his mind and bend it to his will. faster pace, and he strokes faster and
He even talks in Neo-isms. “There is
a comfort in the known, as opposed
to being uncomfortable with the
unknown,” he says. “There are not
many things that I unknow in football.
You call the play. I see the defense; I
know what to do. Say there’s five guys
going on routes. Wherever the defense
guards are, I’m going to throw it the
opposite way. By the time I have the ball
in my hands, I know what I want to do
with it.”
A few days before the trip to the
Bahamas, I travelled to the TB12
Sports Therapy Center at Patriot Place,
the mall outside Gillette Stadium in
Foxborough, Massachusetts. Brady and
Guerrero opened this facility in 2013.
Since then, the team has treated an
estimated 3000 people, from a three-
year-old who needed help learning to
walk to a 95-year-old trying to recover
mobility after a fall. The majority of
clients fall into two categories: athletes
under 20 looking for an edge and
40-somethings looking to maintain
their peak, says TB12 CEO John Burns.
It’s a 560-square-metre space with a
central patch of turf dotted with red
foam rollers and vibrating spheres, a
cluster of cardio machines, a basketball
hoop and four treatment rooms on both
“I’MMOREOF
sides. There’s no clanking of weights,
because there are no weights. Instead,
ATHINKER,
there are racks with different-coloured
bands designating their resistance.
OBVIOUSLY,
This centre is the proof of concept that
inspired the new 930-square-metre
THANA
flagship TB12 Sports Performance and
Recovery Center in Boston.
PHYSICAL
What distinguishes TB12 from
other gyms is the emphasis on
SPECIMEN”
hands-on deep-tissue work as part of
every workout. My bodywork coach is
faster. It’s a freaky, unfamiliar feeling,
but it’s also invigorating. I feel fully
charged. Then I stand and do a series of
lower-body and core-stability
drills that isolate the weaknesses
on my left side. Done regularly over
eight weeks, these drills would correct
the imbalance and make me a more
efficient runner, says Boucher. It’s
tough, and by the end I’m drenched in
sweat. Then it’s another rubdown, but
more gentle. Although I’m exhausted, I
feel exhilarated.
There’s a lazy person’s appeal in
the structure of the workout. Like
many guys, I often skip my warm-ups
and cool-downs. With TB12, those
elements are baked in. More broadly,
TB12 is riding the rising tide of self-
care, a trend evidenced by the spread
of mobility classes, the emergence of
gyms like Lymbr and Stretch*d, and
the proliferation of expensive self-
massage devices such as Theragun
and Hyperice Hypervolt. At the new
TB12 flagship, clients will be able to
do one-on-one sessions with coaches,
all of whom train under Guerrero for
three months. Plus, there will be group
classes that teach self-treatment using
foam rollers and your own hands.
Despite his star pupil’s success,
Guerrero has faced criticism from
exercise researchers who complain
about the lack of scientific evidence
behind the TB12 approach. Specifically,
experts note that muscle pliability is
not a physiologically accurate term
and that it’s unlikely that deep-tissue
work lengthens and softens muscles.
Guerrero’s response is to point to Tom
Brady, and Brady, for his part, is happy
to corroborate. “I absolutely know
100 per cent that it works, and the
reality is I’m just a client who lives by
the teachings.” He also feels compelled
to share his knowledge with others,
especially his teammates. “Say I see
a guy who has a sore hamstring. I’ll
think, ‘His hip flexors are too tight;
his hamstring is too tight’. But the
guy might say, ‘My hamstring must be
weak; I must do more hamstring curls’.
It crushes me. I freak out. I need this
teammate on the field!”
It’s not necessarily that Guerrero’s
detractors are wrong. There isn’t a ton
of research to support his claims, but
that’s mostly because researchers are
still figuring out how manual muscle
therapy works, and they don’t appreciate
Guerrero (and, by extension, Brady)
getting too far out in front of science.
“Inventing terminology like pliability
and explaining it with pseudoscience
drives researchers batshit crazy,” says

RAPIDFIRE
Favourite exercise?
Banded running.

Workout TUNES?
U2, Coldplay.

Favourite workout
partner?
My wife (supermodel
Gisele, pictured
above).

Last time you cried?

I cry a lot. A week or
two ago. Not going
to say why.

Spirit animal?
I’m a Leo, so a lion.

Breakfast smoothie?
¾ cup blueberries,
¾ cup almond milk,
1 banana, ½ Tbsp
ground flaxseed, 1
Tbsp chia seed,
1 Tbsp hempseed.

Heroes?
My parents.

Romantic meal you

cook for Gisele?
I’m a breakfast guy,
so pancakes.

Euphemism for Sex?

I have one, but
I’m not sharing.
But G knows.
It’s very clear.

October 2019 25
 A+
TACTICS

Pat Davidson, a respected exercise
physiologist. “What Guerrero is doing
works. There’s no need to explain why.”
Davidson has a theory, though: deep-
tissue work may be effective because
the stroking sensations give your brain
more information about your body. As
a result, your brain feels safer allowing
your body to move and it sends “greater
motor-output signals to your muscles,
enabling them to display a greater
range of motion, velocity and force”.
Maybe. Maybe not. But it works okay
for Brady.
Perhaps the closest analogy to
his mission with the TB12 brand is
Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop – hey,
world, here’s a celebrity who is the ideal
spokesperson for their own brand,
because if it works for them, it can work
for you! – and just as Paltrow comes
with certain baggage, so does Brady.
Some people love to hate him, whether
they’re jealous or think he’s arrogant
or both. I present my Goop theory to
Brady and he scrunches his face at the
comparison. He emphasises that “you
don’t need to be like a cyborg” to be
healthy and fit; you just have to make
more good decisions than bad ones.
But I mention that trolls target Paltrow
in part because she puts so much
stock in the role of choice in health
and happiness and wellness. It’s easy
for her to make good decisions – she’s
Gwyneth Paltrow – and that self-
assurance can grate on people. “No one
has to be Tom Brady,” he says. “I just
get to be Tom Brady. You get to be you.
Everyone has a choice. But if you want
to be good at sports, you have to work
hard at it. If you want to be healthy, you
have to work at it. But you can’t say, ‘I
want to be healthy’, then eat shitty food
and do crappy workouts.”
Contrary to popular belief, Brady
claims he’s not militant about his diet.
“I have a friend who freaks out if it’s not
the most organic this or that, and I’m
like, ‘That stress is going to harm you
way more than eating that chip is’. ”
That said, Brady tends to eat the same
healthy foods over and over: berry-
and-banana smoothies pre-workout;
avocado and eggs for breakfast; salads
with nuts and fish for lunch; hummus,
guacamole or mixed nuts for snacks;
and roasted vegetables and chicken
for dinner. He rolls his eyes when I ask
about his favourite cheat meal. “If I’m
craving bacon, I have a piece. Same
with pizza. You should never restrict
what you really want. We’re humans,
here for one life.”
IF BRADY IS mellowing out at all
– which is debatable – it’s probably
because there is nothing like having
children to give someone a little
perspective. He recalls how after the
Patriots lost to the Philadelphia Eagles
in the 2017 Super Bowl, he walked into
the locker room and found his three
kids in tears. “I had to put my emotions
aside so I could deal with their
emotions,” he recalls. “I said, ‘Guys,
look, Daddy doesn’t always win. That
isn’t the way life is. You try really
hard – that’s the most important
thing. If you gave it your best, you live
with the outcome’. ”
Whenever Brady talks about his
family, which he does easily and
without prompting, he comes to life,
waving those long arms and breaking
into laughter as he describes how
each of his kids delights him. “Jack
is just like me – he holds a lot in.
Benny lets it all out. Vivi, she doesn’t
care. They’re going to be their own
selves, not who you want them to
be.” Elaborating on the topic, he
says: “Jack loves sports. He wants
to try hard and he never wants to
disappoint his dad. That was me.
I’d wake up early on weekends to
do stuff with my dad. That’s why I
didn’t party a lot. If Dad wanted to
golf, I wanted to be there with him.
And if I ever missed those things, it
would crush me.
“When Benny came along, I
thought he would be just like Jack.
So I was like, ‘C’mon, let’s do this.’
And he was like, ‘Nope.’ And I
was like, ‘What? No, do this!’ And
Gisele kept saying to me, ‘Would you
effing understand that your son is
different?’ It was hard for me. I was
like, ‘What do you mean? He’s a boy;
he should just do all these things
that I do.’ The reality is Benny just
likes different things. And it’s great
because now I just have to go do what

Score Core Stability All movement starts with your core. Use these exercises from Alex Guerrero to improve
your overall athleticism and reduce back pain. The resistance of the band should be high
enough that you must brace your co nt the band from nds.

1  BANDED PALLOF
PRESS SQUAT
Anchor a band at shoulder height
and hold it directly in front of you.
Pull to your chest, then press out
and squat down until your thighs
are parallel to the floor. Rise and
repeat 10 times per side.
2 LATERAL-RESISTED
BIRD DOG
On all fours, place a band around
your hips and anchor on your left
side. Brace your core and raise your
right arm and left leg. Alternate
sides and repeat 10 times. Switch
the anchor to your right and repeat.
3  RESISTED LATERAL
WALKING PLANK
Get in a high plank, hands under
your shoulders, with a band around
your hips anchored on your left
side. “Walk” away from the anchor
by jacking your feet and hands.
Go out 5 steps and then back.   the left, and to the right).
4 FOUR-WAY BAND
RUNNING IN PLACE
Stand with an anchored band
around your hips and run in place,
facing away from the anchor for
20 seconds; repeat in 3 other
directions (facing the anchor, to

J O I N T H E B A N D With everything you need for an at-home workout, the TB12 Pliability kit contains short and long light-resistance
bands, short and long medium-resistance bands, and two handled bands (light and medium resistance), as well as a door anchor and
two carabiners (to make setup simple and fast), a vibrating roller and other goodies. $285; shop.tb12sports.com

26 menshealth.com.au
 “I’VE NEVER FELT LIKE, ‘MAN, I
SURE CAN’T GET ANY BETTER’”
he wants to do. When we do that, we
have the best time. He’s like, ‘OMG,
Dad, you’re so funny.’ He loves joking,
and I joke back.”
Jack pops in, taking a break from
playing Mortal Kombat, and asks a
burning question. “Dad, is Jumanji 2
almost finished?” Brady, who knows
Jumanji 2’s star, Dwayne Johnson, and
DMs him regularly, cracks up. “Jack
would rather hang out with DJ than me,
clearly, as you can see, which I love.”
Next up, Brady turns his attention
to Bündchen. “Gisele is not really into
sports,” he says. “She’s like a kite flying
in the sky, and I’m kind of tethering
her. Sometimes I have to hold on
hard.” Their backgrounds are in fact
very different. “Gisele’s life has been
ILLUSTRATIONS: PETE SUCHESKI
very nontraditional,” says Brady. “She
left home at 14; she lived in Japan at
16 in an era with no cell phones. She
lived in New York City at 17 without
speaking English. In her mind, there
are no boundaries. ‘Why can’t you do
that? Why do you have to go to school?
Why can’t you just leave and live in a
different country?’ In her reality, you
can. Coming from mine, it was very
different. This is what you do: you go to
elementary school, go to high school,
go to college. In her mind, why do you
have to do any of those things? And you
know what? She’s right. I’m the one
that had to go, ‘You’re right!’ And that’s
helped me grow.”
I can’t help thinking he might have
his kite metaphor backwards. While
Brady is watching untold hours of game
film and focusing on squeezing out yet
another winning season, Bündchen is
nurturing and protecting their brood
and outearning him some years and
showing up on game days to cheer him
on. So Brady wants to buck mainstream
science and create new training
protocols. Why can’t you do that? Brady
wants to play until he’s 45. Why can’t
you do that? Maybe Brady is the kite
and Bündchen is the tether that allows
him to soar.
AFTER THE MORNING throwing
session, we take a golf buggy to the
beach. Guerrero paces out 30 yards,
placing a cone every 10. Naturally,
Brady remeasures. Then, back in
shoulder pads and helmet and holding
a ball in the midday sun (“Practice
like you play,” he says), he starts sprint
drills in the sugary sand. Guerrero
holds a band around Brady’s waist to
add resistance and make him drive his
feet with greater force so that he can
accelerate faster. Jack joins in.
Guerrero gives him a ten-yard head
start for a 20-yard race. “Copy Jack
– he has good form,” Guerrero quips.
“He’s faster than Daddy already!”
Other times, Brady drops back while
Guerrero rushes at him with boxing
pads and jabs his torso before shouting,
“Go!” Then Brady sprints. “I’m familiar
with starting at the bottom and fighting
my way to start,” he explains. “I’ve kept
that mentality. I’ve never felt like, ‘Man,
I sure can’t get any better’.”
Off Brady sprints. The man with the
golden arm and the platypus feet,
grunting hard and kicking sand,
still chasing perfection.
October 2019 27
 A+
MUSCLE

Unleash START HERE

1
PRESS

Hell On TO STAR
RT
Lying on the floor,
lift a dumbbell with

Your Core
your left hand over your
chest and ben nd your
left leg. Now, press the
weight upwards while
COMBINE YOUR QUEST propping up your
y torso
on your right elbow.
e
FOR SUMMER ABS AND
FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH
WITH THE GLADIATOR GET-UP.
THIS IS THE CUT AND SIT UP
THRUST OF TRAINING STRAIGHT
Next, lift yourself
higher, straightening
EVERYONE WANTS a six- your right arm, with

3
pack for the summer and, your right palm flat on
ENG
GAGE the ground. Try to keep
thankfully, there are more
THR
RUSTERS your eyes fixed on the
cutting-edge ways of achieving
Lift y
your hips off weight throughout. WHAAT
it than doing endless reps
the ground d, squeezing YOU’LL GAIN
of overfamiliar moves. The
your glutess. Push up
gladiator get-up will deliver the
through yo our right arm
washboard you want without
and keep itt perpendicular
eating into the time required to
to the floorr.
hone total-body strength.
Drive the
It’s an evolution of the
weight high,
Turkish get-up, in which you
then rotatee S H OU LDDER
stand from a lying position STAB IL I TY
your hips and
with a weight overhead. Here,
torso until you’re in a
however,
however you shift into a
right-side plank.
p
straight-arm side plank, then
lift your top leg. “You’re
building abs that look great,
but you’re building lateral
stability, too,” says PT Andy
IR O N
Speer. This will make you ABS
stronger for all the major lifts.
Pause at each step to
increase your time under
tension. Set an alarm for 10
minutes and alternate sides
until the time is up – a 10kg
dumbbell should do it. Done
regularly, this move will reward
C O RE
ST R EN GT H
you with lifelong
functional
WORDS: LAUREN BEDOSKY; PHOTOGRAPHY: ALLIE HOLLOWAY

strength and
a killer six-pack. STAR MAN
To paraphrase Your arms
Maximus: what we do in the should be
gym echoes in eternity. in line with each other,
perpendicular to the LIFTING
floor. Slowly lift your PB S
left leg. Hold for 10
seconds and feel your
core light up. Reverse
the movement and
switch sides.

28 menshealth.com.au
 A+
WEIGHT LOSS
HOW
TO
LOSE
5KG
SMART
If the warming weather’s
got you wanting to shed a
little weight, here are the
fastest, safest ways to do it
BY CHRIS MOHR // ILLUSTRATION BY RODRIGO DAMATI
SLEEP IT OFF
One 2017 study published in the
journal Sleep purposefully
manipulated its subjects’ rest to
be 60-130 per cent of their normal
totals. Modest sleep loss resulted
in a significant increase in food
intake, with a greater number of
kilojoules coming from less
healthy, kilojoule-denser foods,
often with lots of sleep-disrupting
sugar. “Put simply, you’re
practically eating yourself awake,”
says W. Christopher Winter, a
sleep-medicine doctor and author
30 menshealth.com.au
SWEAT IT OFF
Emerging research shows HIIT
training – short bursts of intense
cardiovascular exercise – fuels
weight loss not because of the
kilojoules you expend during
exercise but because of the
kilojoules you continue to burn
after exercise. “Interval training
seems to change the metabolism
and promotes many
physiological changes that
might favour long-term weight
loss,” says Paulo Gentil, an
exercise-science professor at the
Universidade Federal de Goiás in
Brazil. Translation: interval
training makes your body more
efficient in burning fat by way of
oxygen. But don’t associate HIIT
with “hard”. “One or two days of
high-intensity interval training
weekly is enough and realistic
when it’s part of a long-term
plan,” says Brett Klika, author
of 7 Minutes to Fit. Don’t go
overboard. If you’re new to
working out, up the incline by
a few notches for a minute two
or three times during a
30-minute walk or jog. If you’re
more advanced, try adding hill
sprints or jump rope to your
usual workout. It’s not hard.
It’s kind of fun, actually. And
rewarding. Promise.
of The Sleep Solution. When you
treat lost sleep as extra kilos, you
can try and sleep it off. No matter
how old you are, it’s worth it to set
a bedtime and wake-up time. That
also means your devices – the
single greatest driver of poor
sleep habits, Winter argues
– should be put away. Then, after
you’ve set this goal window, work
backwards or forwards towards it
in 15-minute increments every few
days, he says. This way, you’re not
jarring your system or schedule.
 FAST IT OFF
“Window” eating works. Obese
people who followed a 16-hour
fasting schedule lost weight
without counting kilojoules,
found a 2018 study in Nutrition
and Healthy Aging. I have a friend
who raves about fasting for 16
hours and eating only during an
eight-hour window. Because
she’s stopped eating after dinner,
she doesn’t snack or have a glass
of wine later in the night. No
breakfast means she’s truly
hungry at lunch, eats her fill and
is less likely to snack in the
afternoon. It is simply harder for
her to overeat throughout the
day. I tell my clients that if you’re
good with rules, try setting some
boundaries in terms of when you
eat. But if the thought of such a
highly structured life makes you
want to dash out and eat a whole
pizza, target “trouble times”
during your day. If you tend to
return to leftovers after leaving
the dinner table, make the hour
after dinner a no-kilojoule hour.
If you find yourself mindlessly
snacking at your desk come 4pm,
see if you can abstain till dinner.
Spot-treating trouble times can
offer the benefits of intermittent
fasting without having you be a
slave to the clock.

CHOW IT OFF
Even though it’s far less sexy
than protein right now, fibre has
the same power to satisfy.
High-fibre foods take more time
to digest, but they also tend to
have a high water content – like
oranges, tomatoes and
grapefruits do – and water helps
to fill you up, eat less and lose
weight. Plus, they require
chewing, which sounds silly, but
consider how many spoons of
peanut butter you can put away
in the time it would take to eat
an apple. The longer it takes you
to eat something, the more time
hunger hormones have to
decline, and the less you feel like
you have to eat to become full.
New research shows that eating
produce with other high-fibre
foods, such as legumes and
whole grains, may improve how
your digestive system works,
helping you maintain a healthy
weight. “Healthy guts have a
wide variety of bacterial
species,” says fibre researcher
Julie Miller Jones. She says
the best way to feed and
diversify those bacteria is to
try to hit 38 grams of fibre a
day by way of a broad range
of fibrous foods.

October 2019 31
 A+
NUTRITION

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT

Trending pre-workout drinks promise a purer hit of performance-enhancing juice,
but can they beat the original booster: the humble espresso? Here’s the pep talk

ESPRESSO PRE-WORKOUT
VS

The caffeine in a double shot

of Devil Mountain, the self-
180mg The caffeine in a 330ml can
of Nocco energy drink.
proclaimed “World’s That’s a little less from
Strongest Coffee” – more a lot more liquid,
than half your RDI in 60ml but still plenty to fire
up your session.

SCLE
**INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS NUTRITION AND EXERCISE METABOLISM | †US NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE | ††UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

One very robust meta-analysis*

20% 53%
On top of caffeine
caffeine’s
s benefits,
benefit the
found that the caffeine in your University of Córdoba found the
pre-gym shot can boost muscle citrulline added to pre-workout
WORDS: BEN WELCH; PHOTOGRAPHY: STUDIO 33, DAVID NEWTON | *JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SPORTS MEDICINE

strength by a fifth, accelerating drinks helps you add up to 53% more

your progress towards a squat PB bench-press reps per workout

Coffee helps you use up more fat

WEIGHT LOSS The beta-alanine in many pre-
during exercise: the caffeine workouts helps you train at a high
releases adrenaline, which intensity for 13% longer**. This helps
stimulates your fatty tissue to break you melt through more kilojoules
down and release fat into your blood every time you don your Metcons

HIT OR MISS?

Better erections Improved memory Heartburn Coffee breath Bigger muscles Laser focus Face tingles Weakened teeth

In a 10-year study†, coffee drinkers cut
their risk of premature death by as
much as 16%. Curiously, the positive
effects weren’t linked to caffeine:
decaf drinkers benefited equally
HEALTH Newer brands such as Nocco have
cleaned up the act, but scientists have
linked the original class of energy
drinks to diabetes, mental health
problems and kidney damage

Whether it’s the gym or the rugby PERFORMANCE Your citrulline-packed pre-workout

11% 12 %
pitch, downing an espresso half an can provide a potent boost. In one
hour before go time will boost study††, cyclists could bike 12%
performance by 11%, according to longer before exhaustion – a tasty
the University of Luton edge over the peloton

THE MH VERDICT: PRE-WORKOUT WINS!

. . . with one major caveat: this fight took place in the gym. To kick-start your day and improve your
health, espresso wins out easily. But when your training needs extra fizz, the micros in pre-workouts
have an undeniable edge. Drink them more than that, though, and you’re opening a can of worms.

October 2019 33
 A+
MH GIRL

ROLENE
STRAUSS
The former Miss World says you’ll move
closer to contentment when you stop
shooting for perfection

BY THAAQIB DANIELS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN LAURENZ

34 menshealth.com.au
At Men’s Health, one of our preoccupations is helping
you change your body by using various workouts and
fitness tips from professionals. Before you can chase
your dream body, though, you have to accept the one
you already have.
Sure, you might want bigger biceps, a chiselled chest
and killer abs, but your reason for those goals shouldn’t
be getting “likes” on Instagram. You should strive to
make yourself proud first.
We recruited the help of former Miss South Africa
and Miss World Rolene Strauss for some advice on self-
confidence, positivity and healthy living.

BE IMPERFECT – PROUDLY think one of the reasons for that

With the world watching her since
she was crowned Miss World back
in 2014, Rolene has learnt that the
public eye isn’t always the kindest
place to be. After enduring a lot of
body shaming, she realised that she
didn’t have to be perfect; she just
had to accept who she was, and she
encourages you to do the same.
“I think that’s something that a
lot of women and men go through,
and it steals their self-confidence,”
she says. “If you measure yourself
against perfect, you’ll always come
up short. Once you start working
towards feeling good from the
inside out and wanting to live a
rejuvenating life, that makes a
big difference.”
DON’T LIVE FOR THE LIKES
“I think that social media can be a
double-edged sword,” says Rolene.
Which is true. Social media is a great
way to grow your business and keep
in touch with friends and family, but
there are numerous studies that
show social platforms can also be
poison for your mental health.
“These online social spaces are
often used by women and men to
look at others and tell themselves
that ‘I want to look like that’, which
can impact them in a bad way. I
is because we measure ourselves
according to what we believe is
’perfect’. And what we believe we
should look like. Once you free
yourself from that, it’s easy to let
go and just be you.”
LOOK BEYOND THE VISUALS
Becoming a mum in 2017 changed
Rolene’s mindset concerning her
body. It was no longer about the
aesthetics, because she had a
greater purpose: parenthood.
“I think the biggest thing that
helped me was to realise that it’s
not about what I look like, but how
healthy I am. And especially when I
became a mother, I realised that
I wanted to be healthy, because
I want to be the best mum that I
can be.”
Focusing more on the functional
aspects of your body and not just
on its appearance can help you
develop more self-belief and spend
less time comparing yourself to
the people around you. “I think that
once I made that shift, I started
exercising and eating more for my
health and not for the way it would CAPED CRUSADER:
make me look. STRAUSS BELIEVES
“The visual will follow when you BODY CONFIDENCE
live well. That mindset change was COMES FROM WITHIN.
the best.”

October 2019 35
FEELING
PLUCKY?
Take the pledge, and choose to only
eat at cafes and restaurants that
serve cage-free eggs.

rspca.org.au/the-flock

choosewisely.org.au | @RSPCAchoosewisely | #RSPCAchoosewisely

 A+
HEALTH

The Fitter
HOLD
THE RIGHT
WHEY

Pills To
Gym-goers who
took whey logged
greater gains than
those who took
casein, improving

Swallow
their big lifts.
Centre for Ageing,
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YOUTH
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this vitamin-like Trying to start a
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Kilojoule-cutters
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adding BCAAs to
their diet.
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RISERS
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HOLD
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Vitamin C can
help you beat flu. A
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colds by 19 per cent NEVER MIND
– but that’s four
Ginkgo biloba may
times your RDI.
have a rep for
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improving brain
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who took it for
UP six weeks did no
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WORDS: BEN WELCH; ILLUSTRATION: INFOMEN

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Baylor University sleep quality. Johns Hopkins
Radboud University University

October 2019 37
 A+
MIND
HOW TO
HACK HAPPINESS
STRENGTH OF HAPPINESS
Andrew Zaleski discovers how to #BringTheJoyBack
Are you here?
LENGTH OF HAPPINESS
DESPITE ALL THE meditation
lunches, fun runs, trigger warnings
and caffeinated chocolates,
Australians aren’t getting any
happier. In fact, we’ve just dropped
out of the top 10 of happiest countries
for the first time, according to the
2019 World Happiness Report. New
Zealand are now ahead of us on a list
topped by Finland, Denmark, Norway
and Iceland. We’re an increasingly
bummed-out people, and to make
matters worse,“we live in a culture
that is just obsessed with happiness,”
says Darrin McMahon, author of
Happiness: A History.
38 menshealth.com.au
Or maybe here?
Right about here?
And we should be obsessed with it:
a positive outlook has been linked to
a longer life, better health and, it goes
without saying, greater wellbeing. At
the end of the 17th century, McMahon
explains, “people started to say,
‘Look, we don’t have to suffer a long,
menial existence’”. This thinking
has carried through to now, when our
Prime Minister keeps yelling at us,
“How good is . . ?” Except lately we’ve
been coming at the whole happiness
thing from the wrong angle. Getting
it right – owning your well-deserved
piece of it – means understanding
why we’re a nation of malcontents.

WHY WE’RE N OT HAPPY
1 3
THE STUFF WE THINK MAKES
US HAPPY DOESN’T MAKE
US HAPPY.
Australia’s happiness-industrial complex is
in a large way serving up the wrong thing. The
Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up changes
most people’s lives only until things start
piling up again. The $4000 watch feels so good
to put on the first few times, until the $5000
one comes out. The meal at the new Michelin-
starred place won’t pump you up permanently.
Even money only makes people happier up to
the point at which their basic needs are met.
Pleasurable experiences, seductive as they
may be, are the least consequential elements
of our wellbeing. Fleeting amusement never
adds up to genuine, sustained happiness, no
matter how many moments of it you try to
string together.
2
WE HAVE A SKEWED
DEFINITION OF “HAPPINESS”.
For some of us, happiness has nothing to
do with fist-pumping displays of elation or even
smiling. “Someone who’s really serene and
tranquil can be just as happy as someone who’s
joyful and jumping up and down,” says Sonja
Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor and
author of The How of Happiness. “People differ
in what they prefer.”
HOW MONE Y C A N
BU Y YOU H A PPINESS
To make money work for your emotional
wellbeing, you’ve got to give it away. Studies
that present people with money they can
choose to spend on either themselves or
others consistently find that those who
spend it on others have higher levels of
happiness. That’s true even in experiments
with people who could really, really use that
money for themselves. The giving-is-good
feelings start even before we understand
what money is: research from the University
of British Columbia found that toddlers
smiled more when giving away treats than
when receiving them.
(AND THIS ONE’S BIG)
WE DON’T UNDERSTAND
OUR HAPPINESS RANGE.
Researchers in the field of positive psychology
originally thought that people had a happiness
set point: naturally grumpy or naturally
ebullient was just how you were born.
“The newer idea is a soft set-point idea:
some genetic influence, but also movable,” says
Ed Diener, a professor emeritus of psychology
at the University of Illinois, who’s known in
the field as Dr Happiness.
Not only don’t you have to stay in one spot,
but everyone has their own happiness range.
University of Pennsylvania psychologist
Martin Seligman, is widely credited with
fathering the positive-psychology movement
for his bold conclusion, popularised in
his 2002 book, Authentic Happiness, that
happiness can be learned, no matter what
your set point is.
If happiness were measured on a scale from
zero to 100, some people would vary from 40
to 50, others from 65 to 75. So anyone, at any
time, can live in the upper reaches of their own
happiness range.
When you do, you’ll still feel fulfilled
and happy even if you’re not necessarily
manifesting your happiness as demonstrably
as the next guy.
H OW WE CAN
G ET HAPPI E R
1
LOOK FOR
SATISFACTION.
“It’s not just positive feelings we
want,” Seligman wrote in Authentic
Happiness. “We want to be entitled to
our positive feelings.” In other words,
you want your happiness to feel
earned – through your achievements
and other things you’ve put serious
effort into. Happiness tends to come
from the often-hard-to-attain state of
“feeling satisfied with how your life
is going, that you’re progressing along
toward your life goals at a pace that’s
satisfying to you,” Lyubomirsky says.
And that usually happens when you
feel as though your life has purpose
and you’re involved with other people.
2
LOG YOUR
HAPPIEST MOMENTS.
Lyubomirsky has discovered
a way to help people learn what
happiness is for them. She does
an experiment in her classes: each
student gets a text nudge four times a
day to notice and jot down how happy
and satisfied they are and what they’re
doing. After a week, they look back and
see what produced the most satisfying
feelings, remembering that happiness
doesn’t always come from the same
things that smiling does.
3
DO WHAT’S
MEANINGFUL
TO YOU.
It sounds obvious, but
Lyubomirsky suggests adopting the
habits of people at the upper end of
their happiness range. It’s the stuff
you hear about again and again:
spending time with those who are
important to you, writing down stuff
you’re grateful for, showing kindness.
The science behind these steps
indicates that they really can raise
your sense of wellbeing. Seligman
describes it as a positive feeling that
arises from exercising your strengths
as opposed to indulging in shortcuts
like shopping, drugs and TV.
October 2019 39
 A+
NUTRITION

THE 5 FOODS
YOUR BRAIN CRAVES
Not sleeping well? On edge? Easily distracted? Your brain might be hungry.
Try eating more of these foods with a few (really, really) easy recipes
1
BRASSICAS 2 TEMPEH
Like cabbage, cauliflower, New protein alert! A 115-gram serving of this fermented 3
and kale, they pack soybean cake (tastier than it sounds, promise) has 23
sulforaphane, a compound
Korean scientists say
grams of protein as well as bacteria that may improve how
your brain handles anxiety, a 2017 Chinese study found.
CHICKPEAS
The main ingredient in
can clear brain gunk
hummus, they’re filled
(technical term). This gunk, Eat It: Try tossing cubes of tempeh into a salad with ginger
with tryptophan, an amino
called beta-amyloid and dressing or stirring them into a spicy vegetable curry.
acid that may help you
tau proteins, may lead
fall asleep faster and also
to Alzheimer’s disease
sparks processes that may
symptoms. No, thanks.
limit brain inflammation,
found a 2016 Nature
Eat It: Next time you stir-
Medicine study. Mmm,
fry, replace half the rice
hummus. On warm pita.
with precut cabbage.
Bonus: a solid kJ cut.
Eat It: Pair your dip with
high-GI carbs, which help
absorb tryptophan, says
Dr W. Christopher Winter.

4
COD
The fish has a protein called parvalbumin,
which a 2018 study reports may decrease
your risk of Parkinson’s disease. Cod also 5 CLAMS
has omega-3s and vitamin D, which help Fish get all the brain-food credit, but 85 grams of clams
synthesise mood-boosting serotonin. (It have 1400 per cent of your daily B12. A 2016 study found
tastes good, too.) that people with lower B12 levels showed poorer learning
ability than those with higher levels.
Eat It: Top a fillet with a bit of butter, a dash
of white wine and lemon juice, then bake at Eat It: Add a half cup of beer and 50 clams to a pot. Heat
200°C until flaky, 15-20 minutes. on high, pot covered. Clams are done when open. Easy!

40 menshealth.com.au
 A+
TACTICS
NOT YOUR
AVERAGE JOE
NBA sharpshooter Joe Ingles has made a career
out of being a consistent role player. It turns out
that’s a stealth way to become a star
BY BEN JHOTY
It’s a crisp, clear morning in Sydney’s East Hills
as Joe Ingles takes in the pristine new surface
and glass backboards of a revamped suburban
basketball court. Ingles seems a little stunned
at the state-of-the-art facilities – courtesy of
Bridgestone’s ‘Chase Your Dream’ initiative – so
superior are they to the courts he grew up on.
42 menshealth.com.au
“I remember my local park in
Adelaide had a broken wooden
backboard with a little hoop
screwed in on top,” says Ingles,
who’s in town ahead of this
month’s FIBA World Cup. Not
that the shoddiness of the court
would have stopped him playing.
“As a kid you’re obviously going to
run around and play wherever,”
he says. “But this just gives you a
bit more motivation.”
Retracing humble beginnings
seems appropriate given Ingles’
grit-and-grind style of play. A
basketball vagabond who’s been
an unassuming role player in the
NBL, Spain and Israel, before
finding his niche with the Utah
Jazz, Ingles has only averaged
above 15 points a game in a season
twice in his 13-year career. Yet,
with his three-point proficiency,
defensive intensity and team-
first focus, he’s become one of
the most dependable and
valuable players in the NBA.
“One of the biggest lessons I
learned, especially in the NBA,
is that there’s one or two players
on every team that are scorers or
the main guy,” he says. “Everyone
else is a role player around those
players. So, you get a role and
you’ve got to be a star in your role,
whatever it is. If your role is to fill
the water bottles, then you do that
to the highest level you can. I’ve
really bought into my role on the
team.” More of a water boy than
MVP candidate? Don’t worry,
most of us are. In a cobbled-
together career built on hard
graft and dogged perseverance,
Ingles offers an example of
what’s possible when you accept
your limitations then exceed
everyone’s expectations.

COP IT SWEET
A running joke among hoops
fans is that Ingles doesn’t look
like an NBA player. He hears it
from opposing supporters on the
road every night – one particular
description that’s gained traction
is that he looks like somebody’s
maths or science teacher. With
his Barney Rubble visage and
gangly frame he certainly doesn’t
look like a player who regularly
shuts down some of the most
dynamic athletes on the planet.
Ingles chooses to laugh at the
barbs. What else can you do?
“I get it from the crowd every
game, I get it on social media all
the time,” he says. “If you take it
the wrong way or overthink it, it
can be dangerous. So, you just let
it fly. It’s fun.”
Before you start feeling sorry
for him, keep in mind that when
SHOOTING STAR:
INGLES HAS BECOME
ONE OF THE BEST
3-POINT MARKSMEN
IN THE NBA.
it comes to trash-talking, Ingles is
more than capable of holding his
own. During the Jazz’s play-off
win against the Oklahoma City
Thunder last year, he famously
shut down superstar Paul
George. He also let George hear
all about it. Typically, the media
immediately switched their
narrative. Suddenly ‘Average
Joe’ was a smack-talking bad boy.
Again, Ingles had to laugh.
“I don’t do what I do on the
court for any reason but to try
and help my team win,” he says.
“Everyone goes back to the Paul
George thing in that series.
Obviously, he’s a hell of a player
but I don’t care who he is or what
he’s done. I’m trying to win for
my team.”
Ingles sees his verbal
sparring as an extension of his
knock-about loquaciousness.
“WE WANT TO PLAY, NOT
ONLY FOR AUSTRALIA,
BUT FOR EACH OTHER ”
“I’ve always been a talker,” he
says. “I can hold a conversation
with anyone. So I’ll talk to my
teammates. I’ll talk to opposing
teams. I talk to Patty Mills when I
play against him.”
That Ingles now has a rep
of any note is a mark of how far
he’s come and the respect he
now accords around the league.
He signed a four-year, $AUD68
million-dollar contract with
the Jazz in 2017, making him
Australia’s second highest-
earning athlete after Daniel
Ricciardo, (Ben Simmons will
leapfrog both of them when his
new contract kicks in next
year). That stability and the
backing of his coach, Quint
Snyder, has allowed him to
transcend his role as a ‘3 and D’
wing (three-point marksman
and defensive specialist), to
become a team leader.
“I got there at 27 and I had all
these young guys who probably
had no idea who I was,” Ingles
says. “That leaves you trying to
talk through experiences and
just try to help the young guys,
whether that’s on the court, off
the court, at practice or in the
film room. You just try to help in
any way you can.”
The other factor that’s
propelled Ingles to new heights in
recent years is his family. Ingles
and his wife, Renae, a former
Australian netball champion,
have three-year-old twins.
Having kids, he says, has given
him perspective. The fact that son
Jacob was diagnosed with autism
has only added to the family’s
challenges. All of which meant
that for the first time, basketball
wasn’t the most important thing
in Ingles’ life.
“I always loved what I did,”
he says. “But when you throw
kids into it, it really locked in my
focus. I knew I could leave the
house for a couple of hours and
leave it all out there because I was
going home to my family and my
kids.” A busy family life has also
stopped him ‘taking work home’.
“I used to finish a game and go
home to Renae and I’d be like,
‘Let’s watch the game together’.
And she’d be like, ‘Why the hell
do I have to watch the game? I just
watched the game’. And I would
dissect everything I did wrong.
For any athlete, if you don’t have
something else you can become a
bit obsessive with it. Small things
can become so big when they
really don’t need to be.”
PATH TO THE PODIUM
You may have heard the Boomers
talk up their medal chances
before previous World Cups
and Olympics. This time you
should probably hear them out.
With the likes of Ingles, Ben
Simmons, Aaron Baynes,
Andrew Bogut, Matthew
Dellavedova, Patty Mills and
Dante Exum all now seasoned
pros, the team that takes the
court in Tokyo next year promises
to be our strongest ever. As one
of the team’s elder statesmen,
Ingles believes the influx of young
talent, such as Simmons and
Exum, combined with the veteran
savvy of Mills, Bogut and himself,
mean this time the talk of ‘ring
bling’ isn’t hollow.
“Our goal is to bring home
the first ever medal for men’s
basketball,” says Ingles matter-
of-factly. “And that goal is a gold
medal. We’ve got genuine belief.”
It doesn’t hurt that the players
have a bond that extends beyond
the court, helping subvert egos to
create a strong team-first ethos.
“There’s a few of us that have
been together since Beijing so
there’s a genuine friendship
there,” Ingles says. “We want
to play, not only for Australia, but
for each other. It’s kind of
the same as everyday life. If you
like your workmates, you’re going
to enjoy coming to work and
you’re going to do your best.”
He pauses as he watches a
couple of kids battling it out on
court. “We’ve all got that same
motivation,” he says. “To inspire
these kids.”
October 2019 43
 A+
MOTORING

FAST WORKER: THE RS5

BOASTS A RACER-SERIOUS
STEERING WHEEL, HEATED,
VENTILATED SEATS WITH
MASSAGE FUNCTION, AND AN
ENGINE BUILT FOR SPEED.

DOMINANT FORCE
Solid and imposing, yet a natural for the Autobahn, the new
Audi RS5 Sportback stands apart from the competition
BY STEPHEN CORBY

ALL GREAT CARS have a
gorgeously granite sense of
solidity, from the way an Aston
Martin’s door shuts – a sound
that’s part prison gate, part
diamond vault smacking closed,
and all expensive – to the way a
Lamborghini hunkers down on
the road.
There’s something quite
unique, however, about the rock-
hardiness of Audi’s RS cars (I’ve
been telling them for years that
they should add the word “Kick”
in front of those two letters, but
German executives do not engage
with humour).
Jump into the new Audi
RS5 Sportback, drive it even a
few metres or around a single
bend, and you’ll know you’re
in something very special,
something that soars above and
beyond normal Audis. It’s there
in the steering wheel, which is
Alcantara wrapped, making it feel
thinner, harder and more racer-
serious than normal (it’s the same
stuff found on racing-car wheels,
as it’s less likely to get slippery
with sweat). And then there’s the
feeling that comes through that
wheel, a sense of weightiness and
solidity that makes the RS5 stand
apart from just about every other
vehicle on Earth.
There’s a sense, not just of
being intimately connected to
the road beneath you through
the steering, but of dominating
it, crushing it even, beneath your
wheels. It’s like driving an All
Black. Or LeBron James.
The RS5 feels almost heavy at
first, but that’s just the way it sits
on the road, like a particularly
sprightly Bentley, because once
you give the throttle a shove, you
quickly realise that this thing is
capable of getting up on its toes,
and sprinting.
It’s the kind of throttle
response that makes you aware
of your toes in your shoes, because
just the slightest prod of your big
one will have the RS5 launching,
particularly if you’re incautious
enough to drive it in Dynamic
mode (while Comfort is fine for
cruising, the best choice is Auto,
which instantly adapts the car to
your driving mood).
There’s a very similar sense
of sensitivity about the steering.
Track-driving instructors often
tell you to lightly tap your fingers
on the steering wheel, to make
sure that you’re not using a vice
grip of fear, but even breezily
playing with this Audi’s tiller will
see it darting about; it’s that keen
on executing your every input.
The RS5 is, in short, a proper
sports car, albeit one with
sizeable proportions and properly
comfortable rear seats, for those
times when you really want to
scare everyone in your family
witless at once.
While the RS badge is often
associated with the company’s
famous Avant station wagons,
particularly the RS4 and raucous
RS6 versions, the lack of love for
that style of vehicle in the modern
market makes this RS5 a more
attractive proposition, and it
does come with a proper boot (the
Sportback designation means it’s
coupe-shaped, yet almost hatch-
like in the load area).
Compared to any station

44 menshealth.com.au

wagon, or Avant, it’s a sexy
looking beast, with a road-
sniffing profile from side one,
not so much like a cat poised to
pounce as one that’s just slid to
a stop on the lino.
A fantastic chin spoiler and
that wide, angry Audi grille also
gives it a mad, mean look from
front on.
INSIDE JOB
The interior, as always with
Audis, is a highlight, with quilted
leather seats that would be a treat
to park yourself in even if they
weren’t heated, ventilated and
equipped with three different,
delectable massage programs.
The one failing of the RS5’s
on-board systems is that when
you connect your phone via Apple
CarPlay you can’t operate it using
the touch screen, which forces
you to fiddle with a rotary dial.
It’s like trying to use your iPhone
with a chopstick.
Fortunately you can be easily
tempted to turn off the (truly
excellent) sound system and just
listen to the engine instead.
While RS cars have previously
boasted angry (and thirsty) V8s,
the RS5 merely sounds and feels
like there’s one under that proud
bonnet. Give this car any kind of
encouragement and it responds
with a deep, bass burble.
Yet the RS5 is actually
powered by a mere 2.9-litre
engine, albeit a vicious V6, with
twin turbos and a stonking
331kW and 600Nm, sourced from
sister company Porsche. Those
are the sort of numbers that used
to make buyers of HSV V8s weep
“THERE’S A SENSE OF
BEING NOT JUST
CONNECTED TO THE
ROAD BUT DOMINATING
IT, CRUSHING IT EVEN”
with joy. It’s the same engine found
in the RS4 wagon, but in this car,
it’s good for a 0-100km/h sprint
of just 3.9 seconds, a full 0.2 of a
second quicker than the Avant.
The thick, buttery spread of
torque means there’s always plenty
of grunt on tap, as well, so when
you’re coming out of a particularly
sharp bend it’s no effort at all to
pick up the right gear (out of the
eight at your disposal), and explode
away towards the next one.
The only thing discouraging
you from changing gears yourself
is that the shift paddles feel
slightly plasticky and cheap
compared to the rest of the car
– and that gorgeous steering
wheel in particular.
While some cars of this size
are great through long sweepers,
but start to get messy and heavy
in tight switchbacks, the RS5’s
combination of solidity, Quattro
all-wheel-drive grip and carefully
apportioned power make it a
surgical thing on any kind of road.
And in any kind of weather.
It would also no doubt be an
absolute hoot on a stretch
of German freeway, where it
could easily sit on 200km/h
– or even accelerate past other
cars doing that speed, for as long
as even a typical German driver
could desire.
Indeed, the RS5 has the kind
of speed, and the reassuring
solidity normally found in hugely
expensive super cars, which makes
its asking price of $157,700 seem
like a relative bargain.
In summary, then, you don’t
need to empty a bank vault to drive
a car that feels like one.
October 2019 45
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AUSTRALIAN

YOUR PASSPORT TO WELLNESS

10 19
S PA S P E CI A L

Return
to Eden
No one’s saying you have to
discard your preconceptions
about health retreats – some
of them are probably spot on.
But if you can open your mind
a little wider, a life-changing
experience may await

BY DANIEL WILLIAMS

I’M NOT SOMEONE who would

intentionally skip a safety briefing.
Call me risk-averse – or some-
thing blunter; I prefer to think
that I have a strong survival
instinct. Whatever, I’ve arrived late
for this morning’s activity and
missed the rundown on Eden
Health Retreat’s flying fox. It’s
been billed as a 12-second,
250-metre joyride high above the
beauty of the Gold Coast
hinterland. And though I’ve
convinced myself to have a go,
I’m unprepared for how the
harness seems to be pulling me
towards the abyss before
I’m ready to launch.

THE IDEA OF A STINT AT

A HEALTH RETREAT
SPOOKS A LOT OF MEN.
BUT WRITER WILLIAMS,
RIGHT, FOUND PEACE.

October 2019 47
SPA SPECIAL
It’s an illusion, apparently. But a
highly unsettling one. And I
appreciate the reassurance of
Cain, Eden’s fitness and adven-
ture guy. Then I jump. And my
reward, of course, is a cocktail
of exhilaration and relief.
While for me the flying fox is
Eden’s sternest challenge, for
most guys it probably wouldn’t
be. Most guys’ idea of a holiday
doesn’t involve a hefty dose of
metaphysical woo-woo. More
likely, it involves alcohol, steak,
late nights and the freedom to do
more or less as you please. And
it’s true: you’ll get none of those
things at Eden. Nor mobile-phone
reception, television, coffee or
meal-time privacy. But were you
to give Eden a try, you might find
it delivers something better.
Set in Currumbin Valley,
Australia’s first health retreat is a
20-minute drive from Gold Coast
Airport, the welcome sign
beckoning entry via a snaking
path splitting immaculate
grounds. My room is a 10-minute
walk uphill from the retreat’s
heart. Yep, they want you moving
here. Most of the activities
happen in the low lands, while the
dining room and digs are in the
clouds. You’d like to eat? Well, up
48 menshealth.com.au
you go, sunshine. On the first
night, Eden manager Chris van
Hoof tells the 29 guests (six men)
that not every scheduled activity
will have universal appeal. Pick
and choose, he advises. Eden’s
mission is to return you to
civilisation revitalised. Chances
are everything will help someone
– and nothing everyone.
ALL SHOOK UP
The key to Eden, I come to realise,
is to switch off the cynical, overly
analytical parts of your brain and
to receive experiences according
to how they make you feel.
Having just lost my father to
cancer, I’m more open to this
approach than I would be
normally. Case in point: the dawn
Qigong shaking meditation
session. Standard meditation
– trying to focus on the green-
ness of a leaf, say – is beyond me.
A shaking meditation is different.
The name is self-explanatory: you
make – or allow – your body to
shake. Gently at first. But
eventually rapidly, even violently.
From head to toe.
“Shake your internal organs,”
urges yogi Jonathon Dao, who
must be one of the world’s great
shakers. Dao doesn’t mess about
with gentle trembling. From the
first beat of African tribal music
he’s gyrating like Peter Garrett
after a massive electric shock.
While you have to chuckle, you’re
simultaneously inspired to let go.
Dao says a wealth of research has
illuminated shaking’s health
benefits. Back home I find more
claims in this field than evidence,
but who cares? I’m prepared to
believe that shaking stimulates
the lymphatic system, draining
toxins from every cell.
Likewise, getting the most out
of a bunch of other activities
requires parking your scepticism
at reception. After dinner one
night we all get comfortable for a
session of Crystal Bowl Sound
Healing. I know – healing sickness
or emotional trauma via sound . . .
it’s a stretch. But what if your
guide is the Brazilian-born
Gabriela, ethereal in white robes
and manifestly a lovely soul as
well as a beauty, and all you need
to do is lie in the candlelight and
listen? Beats the heck out of an
evening in front of The Block.
Same with Irish songstress
Julie Hayes, who takes us on a
“Musical Journey into Peace”. This
includes a spellbinding rendition
of the Adi Shakti meditation,
which encourages connection
with the creative power of the
universe. Between songs, Hayes
says she’s been seeking greater
honesty in her conversations.
Instead of small talk she might
say, “You know, I’m feeling a little
insecure right now”. Maybe it’s
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: SOUND
HEALER GABRIELA; RIGHT OM;
COLOURFUL FARE TO REMEMBER;
A PEACEFUL ROUTE TO FITNESS.
because my critical faculties have
faded, but I think that’s nice.
At Eden, you can pay extra for
certain therapies. I have an Aloha
Healing Session with Rachelle,
who invites you to spill about the
most emotional experiences of
your life while massaging you.
When I tell her I have another
appointment that same after-
noon she says gently, “You’ll be
out of here by 3 but I can’t
guarantee you’ll be coherent”.
The idea we’re all barely holding it
together is prevalent at Eden.
With Rachelle I have no catharsis.
But again, so what? I’ve had a
deeper-than-usual chat with a
spiritual woman while having my
body kneaded by expert hands.
Far from everything you do at
Eden is fringey. There’s a range of
fitness classes (held in a bright,
hangar-like gym), kayaking, a bike
ride and two other adrenline-spik-
ers on top of the flying fox. As
another extra I undergo a
counselling session, confiding in
therapist Jill Bayly that my
hypochondria feels like a
straightjacket. She traces the
disorder to a childhood episode
and suggests I find a GP who
crosses the divide between
Eastern and Western medicine.
She also gives me tips on
conducting hard conversations,
arming me with lines such as, “I
hear you and I have a different
perspective”, which I have to
admit sounds better than, “I’m
sick of listening to your crap”.
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
As a man you may feel famished
at Eden. Carbs seem sparse early
on before picking up. But I have

FROM LEFT: IT’S GO TIME ON EDEN’S
FLYING FOX; DINING AND LOUNGING
OPTIONS AT BANNISTERS.
nothing but praise for the food,
which is delicious. Highlights:
vegetarian koftas and the healthy
pancakes with whipped ricotta
dished up for breakfast on the
last morning, when the kitchen
staff receives a standing ovation.
Every meal is taken at commu-
nal tables – hard at first but you
get used to it. Those times when
I can’t face flapping my jaws I
plonk myself beside other guests
I’ve identified as introverts.
Eden provided one of my
all-time best holidays. I’ve
focused on what’s there but
what’s missing is equally
germane. My God! A week
without traffic and texts, social
media and shops. A week without
news of shootings and Trump. A
week without crass TV. Com-
bined with the retreat into nature
and all the rubbing and intro-
spection, the effect is a height-
ened awareness of your
corporealness instead of the
logjam of anxieties that can trail
your every move. Home again, it’s
like you’ve returned from another
world. A world where less is more
and the mystical makes sense.
Eden Health Retreat,
WHERE Currumbin Valley,
Gold Coast
Edenhealthretreat.com.au
Seven days, six nights –
STAY Sunday to Saturday.
Land at Gold Coast
FLY Airport, where transfers to
and from Eden are available.
Every evening guests
WHAT? receive a schedule of the
next day’s group activities, which
begin with a 6:15am yoga/
meditation session. Individual
therapies – massage, facials,
psychological counselling – can be
booked at additional cost above a
certain quota. You’ll be back in
your room every night by 8:30.
All meals and snacks
EAT inclusive, and all allergies
and intolerances catered to.
From $3350 per person for
COST double share. Subsequent
visits may be discounted.
FROM LEFT: DOWNTIME BY THE
BANNISTERS POOL; RISOTTO DONE BLACK;
ASHFORD CHILLS; WELCOME TO SERENITY.
D E P A R T U R E S 10 19
COUPLES RETREAT
NO INTEREST IN CONTEMPLATING YOUR NAVEL? A SPA STAY CAN ALSO
BE JUST THE TICKET IF YOUR KEY RELATIONSHIP NEEDS A PICK-ME-UP
By David Ashford
As working parents to three teenage
boys, my wife and I realised that
amongst the myriad school runs
and football drop-offs we hadn’t
actually had a night on our own
for nine years.
A perfect excuse to end this
drought and have some
much-needed ‘us’ time was the
launch of a new spa at the
Bannisters Hotel in coastal Port
Stephens in the NSW Hunter region.
On arrival we realised we’d
visited this hotel many years before
with smaller children. Apart from
the basic layout the interior was
almost unrecognisable after a $12
million overhaul last year. The
original ’70s structure has been
reimagined with a contemporary
finish exuding a stylish beachy vibe.
The hotel literature entices me with
the promise of quad biking, shark
encounters and brewery tours, but
today we’re intent on the stillness
and scents emanating from behind
the beechwood door of the pristine
new spa.
As I get into the zone, sipping on
a “seasonally designed” tea while
assessing the range of treatments
on offer, I’m tempted by the “For
Him” package. Two hours of
exfoliation, hot stones and
neck-and-head massage, specially
designed for guys. But keeping in
the spirit of this rare date weekend,
we opt for the Sweet Dreams
Massage for two, a side-by-side
treatment sharing a therapy room
(but not a masseur) with the
promise you’ll walk out either
having nodded off or primed for
sleep. For me it was the latter.
Ninety minutes of soothing
full-body massage to an acoustic
soundtrack, breathing in the magne-
sium-infused lavender whilst my
partner snoozed blissfully nearby
was the closest we’d come to
‘afternoon delight’ in a while.
In a blissed-out semi-coma we
just about make it along the
walkway back to our room with the
intent of exploring some of the
surrounding area. However, once we
opt for loungers by the pool it
becomes apparent that enjoying the
winter sunshine from the comfort of
this friendly hotel might be the way
to go for the rest of the afternoon.
Fish tacos and Ginlette cocktails are
ordered and see us through to the
evening and dinner at the hotel’s
renowned Rick Stein restaurant.
I start with a dish that Stein had
come across on a trip to Croatia,
Black Cuttlefish Risotto. It was
indeed very black and certainly a
memorable start. This is followed by
a dish borrowed from the famous
Tadich grill, the oldest restaurant in
California. A delicious fish stew
made up of ling, mussels, squid,
prawns and chargrilled sourdough.
The warmth of the staff and
the exotic location make us feel
considerably further afield than the
three-hour drive from Sydney .
In one weekend we finally feel
we’re the ones getting some
much-needed nurturing.
Bannisters.com.au
October 2019 49
 STYLING BY VIRGINIA VAN HEYTHUYSEN Spring racing brings out three types of
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAMIAN BENNETT
track-side tycoon: the seasoned thorough-
bred, who knows his pocket square from his
GROOMING BY KIMBERLEY FORBES
penny loafers; the cool stallion, who leans
TALENT MATT D @FiveTwenty REECE @IMG
on the safer side; and the flamboyant foal,
WORDS BY HARRIET SIM eager to dabble in everything the season
SHOT ON LOCATION AT ARROWFIELD STUD, NSW has to offer.
Can’t find your crowd? Seek the
versatility of a waistcoat, advises style
expert Virginia van Heythuysen. “Wear it as
part of a three-piece suit or dress it back
with jeans and a casual shirt.” 

BRED FOR
SUCCESS
IN THE SPORT OF KINGS, WHETHER RAISING CHAMPION THOROUGHBREDS OR
IMPRESSING IN THE STYLE STAKES, WINNING STARTS BEFORE YOU REACH THE TRACK

50 menshealth.com.au
 STYLE

(Matt Wears)
BOSS suit $1799, belt $149
Paul & Shark shirt
from Henry Bucks $295
Paul Smith tie $185

(Reece Wears)
BOSS jacket $699, waistcoat
$349, pants $319, shirt $229
M J Bale tie $109.95
Strand Hatters Hat $200

October 2019 51
 Sure, your fuschia socks and matching tie went
down well with your mates at last year’s
Melbourne Cup. But for the bulk of the season,
a nod to tradition is crucial. Your best bet?
A double-breasted suit. “Unlike its 1970s and
’80s predecessors, today’s suiting is more
relaxed and slim-fitting,” says van Heythuysen.
If the mere mention of slimmer-fitting
clothing makes you nervous, why not don your
sweats? Well, not quite. “A formal track pant,
with a drawstring waistband (see p. 51), is
becoming increasingly popular in suiting,”
advises van Heythuysen. Complete the
package with a spritz of something fresh – we
like Boss Bottled Infinite ($135). Meet you at the
member’s lounge.

RIGHT

Strand Hatters hat $200

BOSS jacket $1699
pants $279, belt $179
P Johnson shirt $250, tie $150
MJ Bale pocket square $40
Declic bracelet $200
Longines watch $2825

ABOVE

Carrera sunglasses $220

BOSS jacket $849, pants $329
P Johnson shirt $250
Declic tie $260
Becker Minty bracelet $202
Longines watch $2775
R.M. Williams boot $645
All The Kings Men bag $475

(Matt Wears)
BOSS waistcoat $329,
pants $299
Declic shirt $190
lapel pin $50
P Johnson tie $150
Montblanc wristband $565
Raymond Weil watch $1695

(Showtime Wears)
Head-collar Model’s own

52 menshealth.com.au
 STYLE

October 2019 53
 While spring racing tends to bring out
the dormant sense of flair in all of us,
‘peacocking’ your latest investment is
not advised.
Tone back your statement suit with
something a little gentler on the eye.
“Chocolate, caramel and tan are now
seriously nudging the traditional navy,
grey and black in men’s suiting,” says
van Heythuysen. As for picking
a season favourite, our bet’s on you.

54 menshealth.com.au

LEFT
BOSS jacket $999, pants $279,
BOSS suit $1199, tie $279
Declic shirt $190
MJ Bale belt $130
Raymond Weil watch $1695
R.M. Williams boots $595
Garrett Leight sunglasses $480
STYLE
(Matt Wears)
shirt $349, tie $129
Becker Minty lapel pin $536
R.M. Williams boots $595
Paul Smith wristband $180
Strand Hatters hat $750
(Reece Wears)
BOSS jacket $799,
pants $299, shirt $399
P Johnson tie $150
Declic tie bar $50
MJ Bale pocket square $50
R.M. Williams boot $595
Strand Hatters hat $125
October 2019 55
GROOMING

4 WAYS TO
BRIGHTEN
YOUR SMILE
Bright, yellow-free tusks, this way

Your smile. It’s one of the first

things people notice about you.
And with the selfie game still
going strong, smartphone
MOLAR EXPLORATION:
THE QUEST FOR WHITER
TEETH ROLLS ON.

cameras forever being pointed

at you, and dating apps requiring
some serious magic to get a
swipe right, the pressure to have
the full aesthetic package –
blinding white teeth and all – is
stronger than ever.
To get your chompers WHAT CAUSES S
rivalling The Rock’s, you need to “Stains
are com
TAINS?
be aware of some of the by diet, monly c
includin aused
drinks s g dark-c
common teeth-staining uch as c oloured
wine (al offee, te
culprits, stick to a good l the goo a and re
d
smokin d stuff!)
oral-health routine and get g,” says , and als
Dochert o from
across the best teeth-whitening can help y. Avoid
to preve ing these
can real nt stain
options. No idea where to start? ly do tha ing – bu
t? So, ju t w ho
We’ve got you covered. to try to st remem
give you ber
afterwa r teeth a
rds to pr good cle
event th an
from so e stains
aking in
.”

REGULAR DENTAL WHITENING HOME IN-CHAIR

APPOINTMENTS
Before plunging into
any sort of whitening procedure,
set up an appointment with your
dentist to make sure everything
is okay with your oral health. “The
best place to start is to see your
local dentist and have a thorough
clean, as this often brightens
your smile a few shades just from
removal of the plaque, which
holds day-to-day stains,” says Dr
Aodhan Docherty, a cosmetic
dentist at About Smiles.
TOOTHPASTE
So, do these actually
work? Well, they’re not game-
changers, but they’ll help.
“Whitening toothpastes are
more abrasive, meaning they
can rub off stains attached
to the surface of teeth,” says
Docherty. “Secondly, they may
use something to try and pull
stains out of the teeth; this is
where peroxide comes into play.”
The research behind peroxide-
based whitening is solid, he says.
“Hence, if I were opting to use
WHITENING
Supermarket-bought
whitening kits have the
same limitation as whitening
toothpastes – a low peroxide
concentration. But when the
mouth trays are custom-made by
your dentist, who also provides
the gel to fill them with, you’re
upping the ante. “That said,
they still need to be worn for an
extended period of time,” says
Docherty, who notes that if the
guards aren’t perfect, the gel can
leak onto the gums (although
WHITENING
While it’s certainly a
pricier option, an in-surgery
whitening procedure can change
the look of your teeth in one
sitting. “This involves using very
high-strength peroxide to bleach
the teeth,” says Docherty. It
must be provided by a dentist
as it requires expertly-placed
protective barriers to prevent
damage to the gums, cheeks,
lips and other areas, and it’s often
used in conjunction with custom
home-whitening. “In-chair
WORDS: ERIN DOCHERTY

a whitening toothpaste I would
use one with peroxide, such
as Colgate Optic White.” The
concentration is low, however, so
expect slow and minor change.
this is unlikely if they’re well-
made). “I provide my patients
with the industry-leader and
gold standard home-whitening
Opalescence (from Ultradent).”
whitening often creates fast and
excellent results. In my clinic I use
either KOR in-chair whitening or
Opalescence BOOST.”

56 menshealth.com.au
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WA T C H E S
D O U B L E D OW N
Forget minimalism. Two-tone timepieces are back in a big way
PATRICK BATEMAN, the anti-hero
in Brett Easton Ellis’ American
Psycho, took his designer brands
very seriously. Armani is mentioned
57 times in the novel, while Ralph
Lauren is name-checked 33 times.
But when it comes to his wristwear,
Bateman is all about his Rolex Two
Tone Datejust 16013.
Now, we don’t normally endorse
the stylistic cues of homicidal
maniacs. But bi-metal watches
Rolex GMT-Master II: $18,650
58 menshealth.com.au
– where the case is made of two
different materials and colours – are
mounting a comeback in a very big
way. For a while, they were dismissed
as a brash throwback to the 1980s.
But the trend is gaining momentum
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A two-tone watch offers an
eye-catching statement piece
underpinned with a cool retro edge.
Seiko Coutura SSC752P:
$825
Mido Multifort Chronometer: $1875
Somewhat counterintuitively,
bi-metal is also more versatile than
you’d think – David Beckham, for
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steel and gold Tudor Black Bay with
everything from tailoring to denim.
In addition, while a solid gold watch
will always feel a bit too bling for most
guys, mixing your metals softens the
effect and makes it more wearable.
When it comes to your wrist, it’s
time to get bi-curious.
Omega Co Axial Master
Chronometer Chronograph: $17,025
WORDS: LUKE BENEDICTUS
Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G: $8620
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RISE OF THE
From the outside, Lincoln Lewis
looked to be living a charmed life.
The boyishly handsome younger
son of the great “King” Wally

PRINCE
Lewis, a rugby league Immortal,
he had blazed his own path as an
actor, winning a Logie Award in
2008 for his work on Home and
Away. More recently, however, as
new roles proved elusive and dark
moods descended, the 31-year-old
began to feel as though the pillars
holding up his life were crumbling.
Needing something solid to grab
on to, Lewis accepted an MH
challenge to overhaul his body in
12 weeks. What he learned along
the way could be the blueprint for a
transformation of your own

BY DANIEL WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAROLD DAVID GROOMING BY STEPHEN FOYLE

BEFORE AFTER
WEIGHT 88 KG WEIGHT 75.5 KG
BODY FAT 19.2% BODY FAT 11.4 %
CHEST 105 CM CHEST 105 CM
WAIST 92 CM WAIST 82 CM

62 menshealth.com.au
October 2019 63
 “
hen you hit 30 you notice your metabolism
isn’t as fast as it once was and that going for
a run or two doesn’t fix a jiggly belly like it
used to. But what I’d been going through was
just as much mental as physical. I’m someone
who’s naturally energetic, enthusiastic and
optimistic. But I’d been finding life hard,
especially in the past 12 months. Everything
about me just hadn’t been right.
The last two years at least have been a lot
slower workwise. This film and television
industry, I absolutely love it, but it always
reminds you how ruthless it is. You can put
in the best auditions you’ve ever done and
not even get a call back. Whenever I teach
acting classes I tell the kids, ‘This industry is
at least 95 per cent rejection. You are going to
get knocked back all the time. And you have to
learn not to take it personally because for any
one of a million possible reasons you’re not
right for the role’.
Of course, I have to take my own advice.
And I do. But it’s bloody hard. I know that as
“I KEPT HOW BAD I FELT TO
MYSELF, MAKING SURE I WAS
ALONE BEFORE I’D CRY”
64 menshealth.com.au
a result of how I’d been feeling for the past
12-18 months, my acting suffered. I was doing
horrible auditions because my creativity and
motivation were at all-time lows.
It’s even harder when you’re looking at
other aspects of your life and thinking, ‘Well,
that’s not going so well, either’. You don’t want
to get desperate but it’s almost like, ‘I just need
something to go right!’
There was a lot going on personally and I
won’t talk about all of it. A lot of people will
know I’ve been caught up in this catfish case.
[In June, a Melbourne woman was convicted
on multiple stalking charges and sentenced
to two years and eight months’ jail. She was
found to have used the identities of celebrities,
including Lewis, to stalk women online. She
has appealed and is currently free on bail.] As
much as I could say about how it’s affected me
and those close to me – and it’s hard to keep all
that in because it’s a huge deal – I’ll have my
say once the book’s been closed on it.
I wasn’t doing much besides comfort
eating. So physically you start to deteriorate.
You’re feeling lethargic and looking for that
next sugar rush or the next thing just to perk
you up for the next hour. For the first time
in my life I was saying to those closest to me
that I felt like I was going through depression.
Or to put it another way, I felt broken. I’d
become someone who wasn’t me. Not in the
sense you’re going to be found in a gutter
somewhere, smacked off your face. But in
your thoughts and even sometimes the words
you speak, it’s just not who you are.
I told only two people how bad I was feeling
– and that was after keeping it to myself for
a couple of months, making sure I was alone
before I’d cry. I love this saying: be nice to
everyone you meet because you never know
what battles they’re going through. I get that.
There can be shit going on behind a smile.

SON OF A GUN
Being in a spiral never had anything to do
with who my dad is. Never have I thought,
‘My dad’s a hero, I’m not, so I’m a failure’. The
only time those thoughts even remotely enter
my head is when people ask me about him, in
more or less those terms.
That said, I’ve learnt to keep a tight circle.
Over the years, I might be at a party, say, and
someone won’t really give me much. Then
someone might tell them who my dad is
and they’ll come up to me like, ‘BRO! YOU
DIDN’T TELL ME YOUR DAD’S WALLY
LEWIS! MAN, FUCK, COME HERE, BRO!
COME AND GET A DRINK WITH ME!’ You
meet a lot of people like that, so I always like
to keep my tight circle. And you know the
difference between mates you can put in that
circle and the guys you can’t because your
mates will share those core values of what’s
important in life: family, doing what makes
you happy and just trying to create the most
positive footprint possible.
The only time I would ever compare myself
to someone like my dad would be when I’m my mum. Obviously, my dad has had a big everyone around you. And we’re a very family-
thinking about how I make people feel. For impact on my life, but my source of strength orientated bunch. I speak to my mum every
instance, I’ve seen more times than I can and resilience comes from my mum [Jacqui]. single day, my brother and sister every single
count people come up to Dad and ask for an Everyone she comes into contact with, I feel, day, and if Dad’s around or back from work,
autograph, or more recently a photo. And becomes a better person. Who Dad is now, then chuck him on the phone or whatever.
from young kids to blokes who look like Coke a lot of that is because of Mum. How he I love feeling fit and strong. But again, I’m
machines with legs, they just turn to mush handles things these days is a carryover not sure how much of that comes from my
when they see my dad. from Mum’s personality. dad. He was never what you’d call a fitness
I love to observe. I love to see people’s Some people are going to think I’ve done fanatic, never someone who’d be up at dawn
reactions. And I love to see people’s reactions this transformation because part of me feels I urging me to join him on a run. Actually, he
after they meet Dad. I see them walking away have to achieve something physical to match didn’t even want my brother and me to play
or jogging away elevated on cloud fucking my dad. But myself, my brother, my sister – footy. He didn’t want the comparisons with
nine thousand. And that feeling they have is none of us has ever felt the slightest pressure him. Eventually, my mum said to him, ‘Well,
something that makes me think, ‘I would love to do that. The message we got growing up why did you play?’ And he said, ‘Because I
to be able to give that to someone someday’. was much more just, be the best version of loved the game’. And mum said, ‘Well, they
Dad’s power to give that, I take it back to yourself and try to have the best impact on deserve the chance to figure that out’. So we

October 2019 65
played for years – and we did love it. And
you know what else? I miss it.

READY FOR HIS CLOSE-UP

The thing my parents hammered was, if
you’re doing something, give it 100 per cent.
Dad was more quiet about it. Being the bloke,
he might say something, but in a blokey way.
Mum would make sure it was said from
a mother’s perspective. She’d say, ‘Put
your heart and soul into it and we’ll be
proud parents’.
That’s how I approached this
transformation. My body now is like the
finished product of a movie. That’s all people
see, but nothing happens without pain behind
the scenes. In my first session with my
trainer, Jono Castano, the rest periods were so
short I nearly spewed about six times. My carb
intake was cut pretty savagely, so for the first
two weeks I was very cranky and very tired,
but at the same time I realised that in order
to get yourself out of that hole you’ve created,
it’s going to be painful. In those tough times
it was Jono who would pick me up. Could I
have done this without him? No. We all need
a helping hand, and it’s not a bad thing to ask
for help. Especially from someone who knows
what they’re doing. I used to be like, ‘I know
how to do a push-up! I’ll do a couple of sets and
I’ll be right’.
So, really, I liked to think I knew what I
was doing, but if I had then I wouldn’t have
gotten into the state I reached. I basically
surrendered any notion I had of being
competent in the gym and said to Jono, ‘All
I’m going to do is whatever you tell me to do’.
And there were times when I said, ‘Jono, do
you think I should have a little more meat
here or a little less fat there?’ And Jono would
say, ‘Trust the process, Linc. Just trust the
process. Everyone wants results now but trust
the process and you’ll get there’. And that’s
the thing. Because in the past if I didn’t see

BRAWN BUILDER
results within the first week I’d be like, ‘It’s
not fucking working! I’m going to eat a box of
PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON LEE AT A SQUAD CALLED SAVAGE,

Tim Tams’.
Compared to a few months ago I feel leaps
and bounds better. I feel this experience
POTTS POINT, SYDNEY; SAVAGETRAINING.COM.AU

has completely turned my life around.

My approach to food has shifted. My
training’s shifted. And it’s trickled down
into everything. Mentally, I feel so much
clearer. The motivation, the creativity, the
confidence – they’re all back. To the point
where I’ve been doing the best auditions I’ve
probably ever done. Even just my interactions
with people . . . it had got to the point where
I was finding it harder and harder to look
people in the eye. It was getting harder to be
Lewis lifted weights almost everyday for 12 weeks,
targetting a specific body part each session. Not
realistic for you? We asked his trainer, Jono Castano,
for an alternative upper-body workout that could be
done twice a week (with legs to be hammered
separately on another day). This workout, which is
based on exercises that featured heavily in Lewis’s
program, will build muscle while torching kilojoules.
Castano recommends doing 4x12 sets of each move,
with one minute’s rest between sets. Rip in!

66 menshealth.com.au
01 SINGLE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW
With your weight supported, go heavy with these,
pulling the dumbbell into your obliques. 02 CABLE FLY
A great move for carving out the valley between
your pecs. Key words: slow, controlled, fluid.

03 DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE

There’s no better move for creating shoulder
width. Aim for total mind-muscle connection. 04 SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS
For superhero delts, there’s no substiture for this classic.
Doing it seated, back supported, prevents cheating.

05 BENCH PRESS
You know the drill. Go heavy with great form, which
means stopping the barbell just above your chest. 06 CHIN-UP
Done with your palms in, this will ask big questions
of your biceps, which will simply have to grow.

October 2019 67
 “EVERYTHING YOU DO HAS AN EFFECT
ON YOUR LIFE BUT NO ONE THING
CAN FIX EVERYTHING”

The Final Cut

With Castano, Jordan Hartley of Jordan Hartley
Health prepared the meals that fuelled Lewis’s
workouts and helped carve out his new physique

“As a bodybuilder I know weeks. I tried to give him

how vital it is to get your
nutrition right when looking
to transform. With Lincoln,
we left nothing to chance.
Jono calculated Lincoln’s
energy expenditure before
settling on a daily kilojoule
intake, which put Lincoln in
moderate deficit for the
whole challenge, more so
earlier in the piece when he
was stripping down.
Just as important was
getting the macro
breakdown spot on. Lincoln’s
diet was made up of 45 per
cent protein, 35 per cent fat
and 20 per cent carbs.
Lincoln ate nothing
besides nutritious
wholefood meals for the 12
flavour and variety, and show
him that he didn’t need to
eat chicken and broccoli the
whole time. I wanted him to
enjoy the food and not feel
as though he was going
through a painful dieting
process. So, for example,
there were breakfasts of
protein pancakes and
lunches of wagyu beef
patties with baked sweet
potato chips. I gave him a
lot of curries, including
butter chicken, sans rice.
You can have your
favourite foods and look
great, too. Just stick to 80
per cent wholefoods and
approach the other stuff in
a controlled manner.”
LINCOLN’S around people. I actually preferred seclusion.
SUPPLEMENTS
SHOPPING LIST I was withdrawing. And not a little bit – a lot.
(bodyscience.com.au) So in literally every aspect of my life there’s
been a complete 180. I have this feeling that
Hydroxy Burn
everything is different.
Shred
In case guys think I’m saying that all you
BCAAs
need to do to change your life is to change your
Hydroxy Burn body, well, it’s not that simple. But everything
Lean5 is linked. I understand that now more than
High Protein ever. Everything you do has an effect on your
Low Carb bars life but no one thing can fix everything. It’s
Clean Coffee not enough to eat some vegies everyday but
TX100 otherwise just sit around like a piece of shit.
Multivitamin In my case, I was like, ‘I’ll eat shit because I’m
Hydroxy Burn feeling shit, but I’ll go to the gym and I’ll pick
Sleep Rx some stuff up and put it down for an hour’.
That, really, was what it was. I wasn’t thinking
about effective rest periods between sets,
about nutrition and how to time it, or about
how eating shit food can make you sluggish

68 menshealth.com.au
 From Broken Man to Beast
Celebrity PT Jono Castano, a former professional soccer player and
self-described “results-driven trainer”, oversaw Lewis’s metamorphosis

“Lincoln and I share the view
that when you take
something on, you do it
properly. You go 100 per
cent. He proved his
commitment to me early on
when he resisted a spread of
delicious food while we
were on a trip to Wolgan
Valley. It takes a lot of
discipline to say, ‘Nah, I’m
not having that’.
Lincoln started with a lot
of fat around his stomach.
He sent me photos of what
his goal was: there was Ryan
Reynolds when he did
Blade: Trinity and Michael B.
Jordan in Creed. Both those
guys looked incredible, so
he set the bar high.
Training-wise, we did six
sessions per week together,
Monday through Saturday.
Weeks 1-6 focused on a
high-intensity, overload
style of weight training: the
load was light and the reps
were high, with sets of 20,
15, 12 and 10 reps per
exercise, separated by
30 seconds’ rest. He also
had homework for later in
the day: a cardio session of
his choice that had to burn
500 calories, or a bit over
2000 kilojoules.
Then, in weeks 6-12, we
shifted the focus of his
training more towards
hypertrophy. I kept Lincoln
in kilojoule deficit for the
whole 12 weeks, so he was
never actually going to build
new muscle. But he didn’t
need to because he had a lot
to begin with – 71 kilograms
of it, whereas most guys
have 50-odd. That made
him a perfect specimen for a
trainer to work with,
because it’s much easier to
burn off fat than to build
muscle. The results come
much quicker. Lincoln’s
muscle was buried under
quite a lot of fat. By shifting
to hypertrophy-style
training in phase two we
ensured that he hung on to
nearly all of the muscle
he had.
The goal was to look
ripped, not skinny, which
can happen during an
intense exercise program if
you don’t take steps to
preserve the muscle by
lifting reasonably heavy and
keeping up your intake of
protein. Lincoln wanted to
focus on his shoulders and
bring out his chest, while
tapering the torso. But we
hit everything over the
course of each week. The
breakdown was: Monday
– chest; Tuesday – back;
Wednesday – legs; Thursday
– arms; Friday – shoulders.
Then on Saturdays we’d
focus on bringing
weaknesses up to speed.
Lincoln brought a great
attitude. His determination
was great from the start and
it got even better as we went
along. You could tell how
badly he wanted to change
his life.”

and want to sleep. Everything is connected.

And that’s what I’m figuring out.
Physically, it’s good to see my neck, my
chin and my jawline again. They’d all kind
of moulded into one but they’ve reappeared
as separate entities. My eyes were getting
bloodshot all the time from eating a lot of
sugar, but now they’ve cleared up. And going
to events like the Logies back in June . . . this
suit of mine that had become a little snug, it
fit perfectly on the night. And I didn’t have to
worry about sucking things in and angling a
certain way. I could smile and just feel happy
and confident in myself.
At the moment I feel 100 per cent ready
for whatever opportunity comes my way. And
that’s what you need to be in this industry.
There’s this great quote from Will Smith:
‘Stay ready so you never have to get ready’.
That’s where I’m at.

October 2019 69
 RUNNING ON EMPTY
Discover how extended water fasting changed actor Firass Dirani’s life
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARCUS HART

70 menshealth.com.au
The idea of not eating for 10 days
sounds like a nightmare, right?
It’s eye-watering, almost like
depriving yourself of oxygen.
Who would commit to such an
‘unappetising’ ordeal? That
would be me. I believe food has
morphed beyond its role as a
source of daily sustenance into
something many of us use to
suppress our mental problems
and emotional deficiencies.
When I feel emotionally fragile in
some way, I unconsciously devour
food. In the process, I mask my
true feelings in an attempt to
numb the existential void.
The flip side to unconscious
gorging is mindful eating. Easier
said than done, but there is a
process, a life hack, that can help
you reboot your eating habits. It’s
called extended water fasting or
extended healing. No food. Just
water. For an extended period.
The more I read up about it,
the more I realised I was living
a life that revolved around food.
I was living to eat. What kind of
existence is that?
What if I eliminated the
primary form of consumption
in my life – the thing that
ties together all my mental
obsessions, addictions and
behavioural patterns – for
an extended period of time?
What would happen to me
physiologically, mentally
and spiritually? I decided to find
out. I would water-fast for 10 days.
That’s 240 hours, 14,400 minutes,
864, 000 seconds. That’s worth
noting because I would be present
for every single one of them.
GROUND ZERO
I wake up around 6am and run
a brush over my skin for five
minutes. This is called dry body-
brushing, a priming exercise that
promotes circulation. I focus on
brushing my skin towards my
heart. It’s weird at first, but I find
it helps awaken the receptors
in my skin. I then boil some
water, squeeze in a quarter of a
lemon, adding a pinch of pink
Himalayan salt. Sodium assists
in the regulation of your blood
when it’s deprived of electrolytes.
I didn’t take sodium on previous
fasts and paid the price because
my muscles started twitching.
Next, I head outside to drink
my potion, exposing my body to
light and igniting my circadian
rhythms, before meditating in
the sun. This will become my
ritual over the next 10 days.
RAID YOUR RESERVES
On day two, I notice that time
begins to feel like it’s slowing
down. I’m elated because I
realise my days won’t revolve
around eating. No morning
snack, no lunch or dinner. The
pressure of eating disappears.
It’s exhilarating. I have so much
more time on my hands.
I also have plenty of energy.
When you start fasting, your body
begins to derive energy from the
natural nutrient reserves in your
fat cells. It’s energy produced
through ketones, instead of
glucose from carbohydrates.
Scientists say we have over
400,000kJ stored in our reserves.
And the most efficient way to tap
into this natural storehouse is
to awaken your body to what is
present and
accessible.
Your digestive
system will
“I FEEL CALM AND
soon learn to
rely on what IN CONTROL OF
MY APPETITE IN
it has stored
instead of
anticipating
the next
outrageous A WAY I’VE NEVER
FELT BEFORE”
meal.
EYE OPENER
My sleep is incredible, my mood
joyful, for the first five days. I fall
asleep in a good mood and wake
up feeling great. At times, I think
about food, but I quickly refocus
and my cravings vanish. It’s a
constant mental exercise.
From day 5 on, though, sleep
becomes a struggle. I have so
much energy at the end of the day
that suddenly I can’t fall asleep.
Without the security blanket
of food, I feel emotionally and
physically vulnerable. I begin to
ask myself questions I’ve long
suppressed. Who am I without
my dependencies? Is food an
emotional addiction? It makes
me look deep inside myself. I
cry several times. An emotional
cleanse. It feels like past trauma
being released. I’m beginning
to see why people call this
process ‘extended healing’. The
longer the fast, the deeper the
cleanse and the potential for
spiritual healing.
On a lighter note, I’m
drinking 1.5-2 litres of water a
day and my urine is crystal clear.
That indicates that I’m drinking
enough, as grotesque as it sounds.
EAT YOURSELF UP
When I’d read up on fasting prior
to commencing my challenge,
the thing that fascinated me
most was the phenomenon of
autophagy. Derived from the
Greek words ‘auto’ which means
‘self’ and ‘phagein’, which means
‘to eat’, it loosely translates to
self-eating.
Autophagy occurs when the
body experiences cellular stress
or nutrient
deprivation.
When you fast,
you induce the
process, as your
strong cells
begin eating
the weak and
dying ones.
It’s kind of
like internal
landscaping of
your cellular
environment.
As autophagy
is activated, you’re able to
capitalise on your body’s natural
regenerative mechanisms to
draw good energy from recycled
cells and eliminate those that
aren’t serving you anymore.
There are also some appealing
practical benefits. Autophagy
improves mental cognition
and brain health. It also
reduces oxidative stress, with
some research showing it can
minimise the neural dysfunction
seen in diseases such as
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
It could also help counteract
aging. As I fast, my skin and
eyes are as clear as they have
ever been. People ask me what
I’m using and my answer always
surprises them: literally nothing.
During a fast, your body produces
extra testosterone, helping
maintain muscle growth. I
certainly don’t lose any muscle
density over the course of my fast.
You might wonder how you
can even contemplate a workout
when you’re running on empty?
Well, I work out on seven of the
10 days, doing an array of high-
intensity workouts. When I fade
in the afternoon, a session helps
bring me back to life.
FAST TO THE FINISH LINE
It’s day 10 and with the end in
sight, I once again experience
a surge of euphoria. I’m keen
to resume eating but I’m not
craving junk or a ridiculously
decadent meal. Just a simple
soup or some vegetables. It’s
like my perspective on food has
been rebooted at a cellular level.
I feel calm and in control of my
appetite in a way I’ve never felt
before. It wasn’t my intention but
I’ve lost weight – beginning at
70.7kg, I finish at 63.8kg, a drop
of 6.9kg.
But the benefits extend
far beyond the physical
and mental. I believe that
fasting has had profound
effects on my self-awareness
and spiritual consciousness.
I don’t want to take food off
your plate, but after 10 days in
which I’ve been able to sustain
myself from the inside out, I
believe that sometimes you need
to explore deep within yourself to
truly change your perspective.
Catch Firass on The Real Dirty Dancing,
coming soon to Channel 7.
October 2019 71
 REBUILDING BARRY
Like many men, Barry Du Bois prided himself on his physicality. When cancer
robbed him of his strength, The Living Room co-host vowed to get it back
INTERVIEW BY DANIEL WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY BY GILES PARK

72 menshealth.com.au
 “MY WHOLE LIFE I’ve had a
lot of self-confidence, which I
attribute to my dad. I remember
going to school carnivals and
saying, ‘Do you think I’m going
to win, Dad?’ And he’d say, ‘Of
course you’re going to win! You’re
a Du Bois!’ He taught me that
nothing could beat me if I tried.
In 2010, five years after
retiring as a builder, developer
and designer, I was surfing on
the South Coast of New South
Wales. I was about 115kg and
very strong. Going under a wave,
I heard an horrendous crack in
my neck. I put off seeing a doctor.
Instead, I went to a masseuse and
a chiropractor, who urged me to
get an X-ray because they could
tell something was amiss.
Eventually, not being able
to take the pain anymore, I
saw a GP. When she opened the
envelope and looked at the X-ray,
she literally started crying. I
said, ‘Just relax, love. I’ve got a
headache – it can’t be that bad’.
She said, ‘It is that bad. You’ve
got a giant tumour on your C1
vertebra, all over your brain and
the base of your skull’.
In hospital that night they
opened me up and discovered
I had what was known in those
days as plasmacytoma myeloma.
Basically, I had cancer in bone
marrow cells, which instead of
making bone marrow were eating
it. But, look, I really don’t invest
in the cancer thing. I invest in
getting better.
I had surgery and
radiotherapy, even though the
initial advice had been not to
bother because the cancer was
unstoppable and would probably
kill me within three months. It
was around this time a casting
agent was telling me that an
executive in charge of a new
television program would do
whatever it took to get me in
for a casting. I’d been totally
uninterested in working in
television up to that point, but
I said, ‘I’ll you what: you ring
MARIA MICHAEL
me up in three months and if I
answer the phone, I’m in’. It was
an opportunity to give myself
a goal, which I love. And three
months later I walked onto the set
of The Renovators.
PRIDE BEFORE A FALL
I felt like I’d smashed that
opponent pretty quickly. I
figured, ‘You tried to get me, but
you step into the ring with me
and you can’t hold your hands
up, you’re going to get knocked
out’. That’s what I felt I’d done.
The following year I met Amanda
Keller and next thing I know I’m
on The Living Room.
I made some lifestyle changes
but probably not as many as I
should have. I threw myself back
into work, and seven years ago
my beautiful twins were born. So
I was a dad, not getting enough
sleep and going flat-out.
My doctors had warned me
that when you’ve had the cancer
I had, it’s going to manifest
again at the next level, which is
multiple myeloma, cancer of the
plasma cells in bone marrow. I
got that diagnosis in 2017 – and it
knocked me around because now
I was a father with a strong sense
of being a protector. For the first
time in my life, I was scared.
The treatment this time
included a double dose of
chemotherapy, which took my
body to death’s door. I have never
felt so helpless
and weak. I also
needed a stem-
cell transplant. “I REALLY DON’T
I’m not a
religious guy,
but I literally
INVEST IN
prayed at night
in hospital that
THE CANCER
at some stage
I’d get back THING. I INVEST
IN GETTING
the strength I
needed to lift
up my children.
You see, I
have these
BETTER”
incredible
memories of the strength of my
father, and I was very worried
that my own children would
remember me as a weak person
who was a burden on their
mother. I’m a very positive
guy, but that thought really
haunted me.
A FRIEND IN NEED . . .
AMANDA KELLER VISITS
DU BOIS AT A LOW POINT.
metres down the street I’d have to
STRENGTH OF WILL drop to one knee and they’d have
After the stem-cell work last year to hold me or I’d pass out.
I was in isolation for 21 days. I I went home weak and frail.
was 58 at the time and I said to After a time, I realised I couldn’t
myself, ‘If I get through this, I keep beating myself up for not
will do everything in my power rebuilding fast enough physically.
to be a powerful man again’. In So what I resolved to do was
fact, I set a goal to become the strengthen my mental health
fittest, strongest, most powerful even more. I really knuckled
60-year-old in down on my meditation and the
the country. understanding of my body. Slowly
Amanda
visited me in
but surely, in my home gym, I’m
trying to regain the physical
hospital when
I’d lost about
20 kilograms
strength that I want my children
to remember. Even if it’s just a
half-hour of stretching and light
and looked
terrible. But
weights, I can get into that.
What I have is not curable.
already I had
the rubber
But I’m in a great place. I’m as
good as someone can be who
bands out, has multiple myeloma. The best
trying to do medicine a human can have is
pseudo bench- good nutrition, plenty of fluids,
presses.
For me,
regular exercise, plenty of
sunshine and a positive outlook
strength on life. If you have all those
is looking like you’re a man, things, your body will respond.
looking like you’ve got biceps I’m 60 next year. What I want is
and triceps, strong pecs and a set for my children to be able to tell
of abs. But the truth is I rushed their children one day that their
into the exercise. A couple of dad was a powerful man.”
friends would come to visit and
I’d suggest we go for a brisk walk The eighth season of The Living Room is
of a couple of kilometres, but 150 screening now on Network Ten.
October 2019 73
Imagine
Your Life
F

Without
a Sense
of Smell...
YOUR MOST PRIMAL
SENSE IS ALSO THE
ONE YOU’RE MOST
LIKELY TO OVERLOOK.
DISCOVER WHY
FOLLOWING YOUR
NOSE COULD BE THE
KEY TO A HEALTHIER,
HAPPIER LIFE
BY BEN JHOTY

74 menshealth.com.au

E
D
N
A
LINDEN FORREST doesn’t remember much
about the night that changed his life. It was
10 years ago and the then 21-year-old chef
from Launceston was at farewell drinks for a
mate who was moving interstate. After being
confronted by a man who’d had a dispute
with Forrest’s brother, both were ejected from
the club they were drinking at. Forrest was
walking away when the man grabbed him
from behind and rammed him head first into
a brick wall. Forrest’s brain was deprived of
oxygen for five-and-a-half minutes and he
suffered multiple haemorrhages. He woke up
in hospital in neck and back braces.
Forrest had so much to deal with both
physically and mentally in those first few
weeks after the attack that it took a while
HEALTH
before he realised something fundamental,
elemental even, had changed. His memory
is hazy but he believes his housemate might
have been doing some cooking when he finally
realised exactly what he’d lost. He waited for
the aromas to hit him. Nothing. Bewildered,
he tried lighting incense sticks. Still nothing.
“It was just a process of elimination,” says
Forrest, now 30, looking back. “If you lost your
hand you’d be like, ‘Ah, my hand’s not there
anymore’. But with your smell, because you
can’t see it, it’s a lot harder to figure out.”
But while the realisation might have been
gradual, the fallout would be devastating.
Within a year he came close to taking his own
life. A stranger “talked him off a bridge” as he
stood over a local gorge, contemplating a 50m
October 2019 75
 drop down onto silt and rocks. One night he
nearly died when his electric blanket caught
fire. He couldn’t smell the smoke. Another
time he trod in dog shit and then trampled all
over his carpet. The smell got deep into the
fibres. Eventually someone alerted him to the
foul-smelling odour.
Socially, he’s struggled too. He finds
it difficult to connect with people and his
relationships have floundered as his libido
and desire for affection have evaporated. “I’m
like a Ken doll with the equipment,” he says
wryly. “I just feel emotionless.”
Ten years after the assault Forrest is still
adjusting to his black and white, emotionally-
neutered life. “I’m absolutely not who I was
before,” he says. “I’m completely different.”
Somehow, he remains positive, forcing
himself to focus on what he still has. “You can
get sunk in all this,” he says. “It takes you to
a dark place. I might have lost my smell but
my eyesight has improved, my hearing’s just
phenomenal. The glass is half full.”
Chances are you’ve never given your own
N sense of smell, or olfaction, much thought.
That’s probably because its influence on
your behaviour is like an unseen hand
subtly manipulating the invisible strings
on a marionette. “It operates without our
awareness,” says Dr Mehmet Mahmut, a
senior lecturer in psychology at Macquarie
University’s Food, Flavour & Fragrance Lab.
“But it’s important to be aware of the impact
that your smell may have on your behaviour,
on your decisions and the consequences of
that behaviour.”
Forrest had no idea how much his life
would be affected by not being able to smell.
Why would he? The truth is, it’s only when you
O

suddenly have to navigate your environment

without your smell that you realise how

FORREST TRAVELLED
THE WORLD BUT HIS
LACK OF SMELL MEANS
HIS MEMORIES OF HIS
TRIP ARE IMPAIRED.

76 menshealth.com.au
 HEALTH

important it truly is. And why you’re best to

start smelling the roses while you can.

ANIMAL ATTRACTION
I have to profess I’ve never had a great sense

AR
of smell. Most men don’t. Where my wife
is constantly detecting vile odours coming
from our kitchen bin as soon as she enters

O
the front door, I have to be face-to-face with
a rotting chicken carcass to finally twig.
“It’s a staple finding that females have
a better sense of smell than males,” says
E
Mahmut, who’s currently on a sabbatical at
the University of Dresden with the world’s
preeminent olfaction expert, Professor
Thomas Hummel. “One of the things they
can use to make the best investment in
selecting a partner is their sense of smell.
It makes sense from an evolutionary
R
perspective for them to have better smell.”
Broadly speaking your sense of smell
E
has three main functions. To avoid harm,
by smelling fire or recognising food that’s H B T
off, to aid social communication and to
help with the ingestion of food and drink. ER W
But while there are biological imperatives,
olfaction’s role extends beyond survival,
M
says Mahmut. It’s crucial to our enjoyment
and appreciation of life.
People born without a sense of smell
are more likely to experience depression.
Men born without smell have less sexual
partners while women experience more
insecurity in their relationships. Odours
also help encode memories, especially
emotional ones and your smell directly
“SOMEONE WITH NO SMELL
affects your levels of empathy. Mahmut’s
initial interest in olfaction stemmed from
WORKING IN A KITCHEN IS LIKE A
its impact on psychopaths, known for
their low empathy scores. “In each study
BLIND PERSON DRIVING A TAXI”
we did we found the higher someone’s
psychopathic characteristics the poorer distressing has been the social impact of having a good sense of smell is associated
their sense of smell,” he says. If you’re Forrest’s condition. Especially in regard to with being able to understand your partner’s
worried your inability to smell funky socks women. If he’s ‘Ken’, women as a whole are emotions and being able to respond to them.
behind the dryer means you’re liable to a sea of plastic Barbies. He can appreciate “People with a better sense of smell can detect
begin slaughtering your workmates, rest their looks in the same way he can admire the the differences between the different types of
assured, a psychopathic diagnosis relies on sheen on a freshly detailed car. “I just don’t sweat we produce,” says Mahmut. “So, when
meeting a range of criteria. feel anything for them,” he says. “Even ones you detect anxiety sweat you can respond with
Of the myriad ways his absence of who tick every box – good looking, good head empathetic responses.”
smell, clinically referred to as anosmia, has on their shoulders – they’re just nothing more It’s in this stage that Forrest has
affected Forrest’s life, the most obvious is than a person. Your libido is just gone.” experienced the most trouble. “I don’t show
in regard to food. It’s been a particularly Mahmut recently conducted a review emotion,” he says. “I’m really hard to read.
cruel blow for someone who had worked in on the role of olfactory ability in the three Everything’s got to be forced. If I get past the
hospitality since he was 16 and dreamed broad stages of relationships: initiation, initial stage there’s just an invisible wall there.”
of one day owning a restaurant. “I enjoyed maintenance and breakdown. It’s well Research on the role of smell in relationship
smell and taste so much I was basing a established that in the attraction stage, the breakdown is still emerging but anecdotal
career on it,” Forrest says. Now, he regards more you like someone’s body odour, the more evidence shows that during a break-up some
it as too risky. “Someone with no smell or genetically compatible you are in terms of women find their partner’s body odour
taste working in a kitchen is like a blind producing healthier offspring, he says. disgusting. “That’s quite repellent
person driving a taxi.” Less well known is olfaction’s role in the compared to finding somoneone visually
Less immediately obvious but just as maintenance phase of relationships. Here, ugly,” says Mahmut. “It might be signalling,

October 2019 77
‘Hey, they’re no longer good for me’.”
This has implications if a woman is on the
contraceptive pill, which can alter her odour
preferences. What happens when she comes
off the pill? In Mahmut’s review, women
using contraception when they met their
partner and still using it, reported higher
relationship satisfaction than those no longer
on the pill.
We all like to believe we’re conscious
agents of our own destiny. But the truth is
our instincts often guide us as much, if not
more, than our rational thoughts. Which
raises an intriguing possibility: our so-called
sixth sense may in fact be a response to the
unconscious cues provided by our smell.
“Something that’s driving your behaviour
might be driven by cues like body odour that
you’re not making a connection between,”
says Mahmut. “It might be labelled intuition.”
FOLLOW YOUR NOSE
Chrissi Kelly lost her sense of smell in 2012.
Unlike Forrest, though, she got it back. Kelly’s
case started with a sinus infection, then
Common Scents
Whatever your aim there’s an aroma that can help
GOAL
Productivity
Lemon oil diffused through a Japanese office
building increased productivity among data entry
operators by 54 per cent.
Reduce Anxiety
Orange essential oil may help alleviate post-
traumatic stress. EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY.
Physical Performance
Peppermint oil increased cardio performance among
runners by 51 per cent and boosted time to
exhaustion by 25 per cent.
JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF SPORTS NUTRITION
Sleep
People who slept in rooms fragranced with jasmine
slept more peacefully and reported higher afternoon
alertness. WHEELING JESUIT UNIVERSITY
Relaxation
Japanese researchers found lavender noticeably
decreases the stress hormone cortisol.
Weight loss
In a study at London’s St George’s Hospital, patients
who wore a vanilla-aroma patch lost an average 2kg
in 4 weeks. The researchers suggest vanilla-scented
candles could produce the same results.
78 menshealth.com.au
one morning she woke up and immediately
realised her smell was gone. “I went into
the bathroom and I couldn’t smell my
toothpaste,” remembers Kelly, who has an
academic background in archaeological
science. Panic stricken, she frantically tried
smelling everything in the bathroom. “It was
awful,” she recalls.
After seeing numerous doctors and
ENT specialists, Kelly plunged into severe
depression and it wasn’t just because she
missed the smell of jasmine or the taste
of a bacon sandwich. “It’s a much more
complicated mechanism than that,” she says,
citing research that shows a person who is
clinically depressed has a higher chance of
having reduced volume in their olfactory
bulb, a structure in the brain that receives
neural input on odours from the nasal cavity.
Similarly, she says, in people like her and
Forrest, who lose their smell, olfactory bulb
volume also decreases.
Kelly began to feel all forms of emotion
draining from her life. By the time she hit
rock bottom, around six months after the
SCENT
T Sniffin’ Sticks test. But it’s her appreciation
Lemoon
Orange
Peppermint
Jasmine
Lavender
Vanilla
sinus infection, she felt, “So emotionally flat
she couldn’t feel sorrow anymore”. This sense
of helplessness was something Kelly, who
went on to start the anosmia awareness
group AbScent, has seen again and again.
“People who lose their smell feel like they’re
behind a glass wall, that they’re spectators
in their own lives,” she says.
At her wit’s end, Kelly scoured the internet
and found one doctor who knew something
about smell loss. He tested her smell using the
standard Sniffin’ Sticks test. She scored zero.
He told her to come back in a few months. By
that time she had noticed the first signs her
smell might be returning. “The second time
I was classified as ‘hyposmic’, which is just
the tiniest bit of smell.” On the way out the
door, the doctor said, “You should try smell
training”. A new field – the first research
paper was written by Mahmut’s supervisor
Professor Hummel only in 2009 – it involves
smelling four essential oils twice a day for
four months.
Kelly started sniffing, keeping a diary to
note down whether things smelled the way
she expected they would. Eventually she
put her methods onto a website for anosmia
sufferers to try.
Today her sense of smell is at expert level.
She scored 46 out of a possible 48 on the
of her smell – she’s like the owner of a new car
who basks in the odour of unalloyed freshness
– that is perhaps most instructive. “Having
lost it once, the joy I experience from smelling
something that’s really good is exquisite.”
The pay-off might go beyond mere bliss,
though. In that conscious appreciation and
reverie could lie the keys to enriching your life
in ways you’d ordinarily conclude are, if not
profound, certainly not to be sniffed at. It’s
just that in this case, that’s precisely what you
should do.
WHIFF OF POSSIBILITY
“Close your eyes,” says Jocelyn Fullerton,
founder of boutique Sydney perfumery Cult
of Scent. I’m in Fullerton’s fragrance studio
in her cosy bungalow in Sydney’s Lilyfield.
A warm and expressive woman with bright
eyes framed by heavy, chic-looking glasses,
Fullerton has opened what looks like a two-
litre flask containing a scent that’s just
beyond my grasp. I close my eyes and breathe
in. “What colour is it?” asks Fullerton. “I don’t
know, light blue?” I venture. I have an image
of a bathroom in a house I used to live in by the
sea. “I feel like I might have bathed in it,” I say.
I open my eyes. “It’s a lavender extract,” says
Fullerton. The moment she says it, the smell
clicks into place in my mind. I was so close.
 HEALTH

EN
A
PIZ

SCENT OF A WOMAN: “That’s one of the first exercises we do

FULLERTON HAS PUT in perfumer training, just smelling lots of
HER NOSE TO WORK.
ingredients and learning how to recognise
them,” says Fullerton, as we sit down at a
desk cabinet filled with little brown bottles of
essential oils. She estimates there are over a
thousand different fragrances in her studio.
As she talks my eyes wander down to
her lap, where I’m a little shocked to see the
lower half of a human skull. Fullerton must
notice my eyes popping. “Oh, this is ‘Bodiless
Fred’,” she says, holding him up. Ironically,
she says, pointing at his nasal cavity, Fred had
a deviated septum, so whoever the skull was
moulded on probably didn’t have good smell.
With a background in aromatherapy,
Fullerton is well versed in the physiological
effects different fragrances can induce. She
hands me a review study called The Influence
of Fragrances on Human Psychophysiological
Activity, detailing electroencephalographic
responses to various odours. The review
found fragrances significantly modulate
the activities of brain waves responsible
for various cognitive states. Lavender, for
example, decreased working memory, while a
combination of orange and lavender reduced
patients’ anxiety before dental treatment.
“It’s fascinating,” Fullerton says. “But it
makes sense because you’re playing with your
brain waves.”
While fragrances have practical
applications in aromatherapy, it’s the more
intrinsic ability to detect, identify and
discriminate between odours that may have
A L -T I M the most beneficial long-term effects on your
E
GE S “PEOPLE WHO LOSE THEIR
SMELL FEEL LIKE THEY’RE
BEHIND A GLASS WALL”
October 2019 79

C I N
P
W naturally through the nose
O 3 Repeat a couple more times,
R then rest for five minutes
health. Research is still in its infancy, but let’s
just say, the scent is getting stronger.
TOTAL RECALL
In recent years it’s emerged that loss of
smell is one of the earliest signs of dementia.
US research shows older people who have
difficulty identifying common odours are
twice as likely to develop dementia in
five years compared to those with no
significant smell loss. Bizarrely, the
smell of peanut butter is one of the first
smells to go. But here’s the thing: smell
training could not only reverse declining
olfactory ability but also help prevent
neurodegenerative diseases like dementia,
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
A study published in The International
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found older
people who did smell training not only
improved in odour identification but also in
cognitive functions such as verbal fluency,
NOSE BEST: CONTI’S
TRAINING HAS BIG
COGNITIVE PAY-OFFS.
80 menshealth.com.au
N
M
M
more than participants who completed
Sudoku puzzles. The reason is that unlike
other senses, the olfactory bulb connects to
the amygdala, responsible for processing
emotions and the hippocampus, which
handles associative learning. This area of the
brain is also highly neuroplastic.
“I think everyone should be smell
training,” says Kelly. “We’re going to lose our
smell as we age in the same way we lose our
eyesight. We know the brain is plastic. We
know smell training can change the structure
of your brain. It’s a very, very powerful tool.”
The act of trying to identify an odour, as
I did with the lavender extract, forces you to
raid the emotional part of your brain to make
a link. It’s not always easy. “You’re creating
new neural pathways,” says Fullerton. “You’re
toning up the connection between perception,
analysis and recognition. It’s like a muscle.
You’re actually toning up your memory.”
She’s not speaking entirely figuratively
here. Consider the case of sommeliers, who
possess perhaps the most acute sense of
smell of all. A study in the journal Frontiers
in Human Neuroscience found that in the
brains of master sommeliers, both the right
insula and entorhinal cortex areas, associated
with memory capacity, were larger and more
developed than in a control group. As a result,
their brains were found to be more resistant to
neurodegenerative diseases.
I put this to one of Australia’s leading
sommeliers, Manuel Conti, who works at
Sydney’s Black Bar & Grill and won the
Ruinart Sommeliers Challenge earlier this
year. “I believe it could be because we are
constantly training and trying to connect
the smell to something else,” says Conti, who
hails from Tuscany and grew up in a family
TRAIN YOUR SMELL
Smell training in clinical trials
at the University of Dresden
involves putting four different
essential oils – lemon, rose,
clove and eucalyptus – in
glass jars and following the
protocol below:
1 Hold the first jar about an inch
away from your nose
2 Relax and try to inhale
4 Move on to the next smell
and repeat as above
Do it at least twice every day,
ideally morning and evening
that ran a gourmet food and beverage shop.
How much does he train? In the lead
up to a competition Conti is nose-in-glass
two or three times a week with a group of
other sommeliers, mimicking competition
conditions, which stipulate they must identify
six wines in 24 minutes. He also practises on
his own for another 10-15 hours a week. “It’s
never enough,” he says. “You’re a fool if you
think you know everything about wine.”
But while the applied training is
necessary, it’s what he does away from the
bottle that really helps build the breadth
and range of his olfactory abilities. Conti
literally smells everything. At a market, he
ignores the raised eyebrows of vendors and
sticks his nose right up close to fruit and
vegetables and breathes in. “Sometimes you
look a bit stupid,” he says. “But there is no
other way.” He advises you do the same at the
supermarket and at home in your cooking and
also, of course, with fragrances. And make
sure you set yourself blind challenges. Only
then do you truly engage your memory.
That night I crack open a bottle of Sauv
Blanc and stick my beak in. I close my
eyes and inhale the primary aromas as
Conti had instructed. I’m smelling peach,
which immediately conjures an image of
my neighbours’ kitchen table 35 years ago
back in country Victoria. I feel like I’m time
travelling. I begin to wonder if every bottle of
wine can transport me so completely.
At the same time, I’m reminded of
something Forrest said to me. He was talking
about his appreciation for his magnified
sight and amplified hearing but for you and
me, it applies equally to our smell. “You have
to appreciate what you’ve got,” he says. “You
don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.”
 N
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The fast
Track
WHAT IF STAVING OFF THE BIG KILLERS ENTAILED NOT
COCKTAILS OF DRUGS BUT SIMPLY EATING A LITTLE LESS?
MICHAEL MOSLEY, THE FORCE BEHIND THE 5/2 PHENOMENON,
REVEALS WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IN TO GOING WITHOUT
By Daniel Williams

82 menshealth.com.au

FOR THOSE OF US keen to live long
and well, few topics tantalise more
than intermittent fasting (IF). Clearly,
the evidence is strengthening that
eating less than you normally would
– not always, just sometimes – does
wondrous things to your body, raising
the likelihood you’ll be kicking a ball
with your great-grandkids shortly after
humans colonise Mars.
At the pointy end of the IF debate is
British physician and science journalist
Michael Mosley, the personable
populariser of its most celebrated
version: the 5/2 diet. For Mosley, the
adventure started in 2012 when a BBC
project nudged him into the orbit of Mark
Mattson, an American neuroscientist
who’d been researching fasting for
more than a decade. Mattson believed
you could slow ageing by slashing food
consumption by roughly 75 per cent on
two days per week while eating normally
on the other five.
Mosley, who’d recently been
diagnosed with type-2 diabetes and
NUTRITION
CUT A DEAL: SLASH
YOUR FOOD INTAKE
TWICE A WEEK, LIVE
LONG AND STRONG.
was seeking alternatives to life-long
medication dependence, put himself on
the plan. “After eight or nine weeks I’d
lost nine kilograms,” he recalls. “I lost
11 inches [28cm] from around my waist,
my cholesterol came down, I reversed my
diabetes and I stopped snoring.”
Within a year, Mosley had
co-authored his first book, The Fast
Diet, which suggested that men who
were overweight or had issues with their
blood sugars restrict themselves to 600
calories (2510 kilojoules) on two non-
consecutive days each week. The Fast
Diet became a bestseller.
Active in the field ever since, Mosley
spoke with Men’s Health in a Sydney
hotel lobby on the eve of his “Wonders
of the Human Body” tour of Australia.
“I do want to change the world,” he says.
“I hear the stories of people who say [IF]
has changed their life, as well as the
stories of other people who say they’d
rather die than eat this way. That’s how it
is. But it’s unbelievably exciting feeling
you’re part of this thing.”
October 2019 83
MH Six years after The Fast Diet
caught fire, how have your views
on fasting evolved?
MM Everything in that book I stand by.
It has stood the test of time. But one
of the things that’s changed is that
I’ve moved up the calories on fasting
days to 800. The original 600 for men
was based mainly on rat work – there
hadn’t been many human trials at
that point. Since then, a lot of the
science points to 800 calories as
being low enough to trigger desirable
metabolic changes but high enough
for people to stick to.
MH There’s also a new 5/2 variant where
you restrict yourself to 800 calories
everyday. Is that shock therapy for
the very overweight guy?
MM The main reason you would do it that
way is because it’s more motivating.
In studies of 800 calories done by
“THAT’SWHYYOUDOIT:TO
FEELYOUNGANDVIBRANT
FORASLONGASPOSSIBLE”
84 menshealth.com.au
Professor Roy Taylor at Newcastle
University [in the UK], participants,
on average, sustained a 10-kilogram
weight loss for a year. The results were
so impressive that the British Health
Service is going to roll out a program
testing it on 5000 people. It’s gone
from crazy stuff to mainstream. As
well as Roy Taylor there’s Professor
Susan Jebb at the University of
Oxford: she’s just done a big clinical
trial looking at rapid weight loss and
says [the results were] phenomenal.
Yes, you have to make sure you’re
getting all the necessary nutrients.
It’s not suitable for everyone. My
advice is to give it a go for two weeks.
If you feel dreadful, stop. If you feel
good, [persist]. I do recommend you
don’t go on it for more than 10-12
weeks because we don’t really know
what happens beyond that. You want
to be conservative with this stuff.
MH Do you know how fasting fixed you
back in 2012?
MM I asked Roy Taylor in 2014 why my
diabetes had gone away. He basically
said, “Look it’s all about rapid weight
loss: you lost about 10 per cent of your
body weight, you drained the fat out
of your liver and pancreas, and they
came back to life”.
MH Have you stayed on 5:2 for the past
seven years?
MM No. I always saw it as an initial phase
that would help people lose weight.
I still try to do it but it’s more like
6/1. Except when I put on weight on a
holiday or something like that, then
I’ll go back to it. Some people stay
on it because of the potential brain
benefits. The data on that is not all
there yet but Mattson is doing a trial
and hopefully we will see the results
on that sometime soon.
THE LONGEVITY
SECRET: SMALLER
PORTIONS OF WHOLE
FOODS, PLUS FASTING.

MH But your diabetes has never
come back?
MM Gone. If it ever did return I’d do
something aggressive about it again.
MH What do we know about the benefits
of 5/2 for the fit, normal-weight guy?
MM To be honest, all the studies have
been done on people who are
either overweight or obese, or have
a metabolic disorder. But there
have been two small randomised
controlled studies done on time-
restricted eating [specifically, the
16-8 protocol, in which all eating
for a 24-hour period occurs within
an eight-hour window] involving fit
men, and these showed participants
lost fat without losing muscle. But I
wouldn’t put my hand on my heart
and tell you that if you’re already fit
and lean you should be doing 5/2 or
anything like it because we don’t
have the data.
MH In front of everybody, though,
many fasting advocates dangle
this carrot of autophagy – or cell
renewal. Does that excite you?
MM It does. It’s a lovely notion, isn’t it?
The body gobbling up all the bad cells.
It’s a real phenomenon. There was a
Swedish study published where they
put people on 5/2 and it did indeed
trigger autophagy. Basically, when
you’re in a negative energy balance
your body stops trying to produce
more and more new cells, and
instead tries to get rid of the garbagy
old cells. The first person who told
me about this was Valter Longo [a
biogerontologist at the University of
Southern California and author of
The Longevity Diet]. We need periods
of time without food. Valter Longo
has shown that, particularly for
things like your immune system, an
initial effect of going on a fasting diet
is that your white blood cells reduce.
That doesn’t sound good. But what’s
actually happening is you’re getting
rid of the rubbishy ones, and when
you eat again you get a lot of new ones
that have been generated by stem
cells. This may happen in the brain
as well. Early days, but I do think that
is one of the more exciting things.
You strip the house in effect and then
start fitting it out with new furniture.
MH Have you dabbled in 16/8?
MM Yes, though I prefer 14/10. This
is based on the work of Professor
Satchin Panda, who’s based at the
Salk Institute and has written a
brilliant book recently all about it
(The Circadian Code). He’s a guy I
spoke to back in 2012 when he just
had rat work. Out of this spun all sorts
of things, including 16/8. I saw him
just before Christmas at the first ever
intermittent fasting conference and
he reckons 14/10 is more realistic
and that’s where he is focusing his
research. He says what happens is
that after about 8-10 hours without
eating your fat-burning starts to
soar but, realistically, most people
NUTRITION
aren’t going to stick to 16/8. What
he recommends is that you start by
moving to 12/12. Just go 12 hours
overnight without eating, then try
shifting to 14/10 and see if you can
stick with that. What I would love is
to do a trial with Dr Panda where we
combine time-restricted eating with
5/2, because he reckons they would
work brilliantly together.
MH Would you say that any guy who
doesn’t at least dabble in fasting is
missing a trick?
MM I’m a great believer in self-
experimentation. I think if you’re at
all curious, you might want to give it
a go. You may find you keep all that
lovely muscle and shed all that fat.
MH We’ve talked about the “when”
of eating. What’s your approach
to the “what”? I saw a clip of you
tucking into a plate of pulled pork
and fried calamari. Are you a fan
of the meat-only diet?
MM No, that was for an Horizon episode
called “The Truth About Meat”.
I put myself on a heavy meat diet.
I put on quite a lot of weight, my blood
pressure went up and my cholesterol
went crazy. I’m utterly sympathetic
with the vegans, but the truth is I just
don’t think I could do it. I’m more of a
flexitarian. I like red meat. I’ll have
it occasionally.
MH Why do it, Michael – commit to a lot
of fuss and denial around food? Is
it to squeeze out extra years at the
end in a nursing home?
MM I think it’s to be happier. We’re all
going to live a long time. Statistically,
we’re likely to hit 84 and we’re
probably going to hit 90. No male
member of my family has hit 74 but
I’m pretty confident I’m going to do
it. But I don’t want to live my later
years in declining health – miserable,
impotent, diabetic, blind. I don’t want
to deal with those things. What would
be the point of being alive? I want to
hit the age of 84, be super healthy and
then die hang gliding or something
like that. So that’s why you do it: you
want to feel young and vibrant for as
long as possible.
Mosley’s Australian tour opens in Newcastle on
September 18 and takes in Sydney, Adelaide,
Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
For more information visit livenation.com.au
October 2019 85
 CAN A PILL CRUSH AGING?
More and more men think an obscure, potentially dangerous drug
will help them live longer and better. Are they smarter than the
rest of us or are their insecurities driving them to risk their lives?
By Michael Easter Photography By The Voorhes

86 menshealth.com.au
 HEALTH

TIME OF YOUR LIFE: COULD A

PILL HELP YOU SQUEEZE OUT
A FEW MORE YEARS?

October 2019 87
88 menshealth.com.au
 HEALTH

Louis is ass line worker in Three Rivers, Michigan. He has

no healt o lem nd rarely sees a doctor. Yet for a man in his prime, Louis
thinks
thi a lot about cheating death. He researches strategies online, and he even
converted to a plant-based diet after hearing from a YouTube channel called
Vegan Gains that veganism could extend his life. Louis thinks the diet will buy
him a few extra years, but he feels the urge to keep seeking new life-extending
methods. “I’d like to live as healthily as possible for as long as possible,” he says.
“And if we have therapies and practices today that will prolong our healthy life
span, I believe we need to follow these therapies and practices.”

C
harles is your average
50-year-old middle-class
family man. He lives in
the suburbs of Atlanta,
works a 9-5 in marketing,
does Brazilian jujitsu and
spends weekends watching his
kid at wrestling tournaments.
Except Charles has a hang-up:
he worries about feeling like he’s
withering, about those growing-
old hallmarks like thinning hair,
losing a step and forgetting his
mate’s wife’s name. Charles is
the kind of guy who’s active on
antiaging Internet forums and
takes fistfuls of supplements.
“A few years back, when my
granddad had cancer, I watched
him die,” he says. Charles read up
on alternative ways his granddad
could attempt to extend his life,
but his grandfather didn’t try
them. Soon after, Charles (who
asked not to use his real name)
got some news that sent his
hang-up into hyperdrive. “I took
this 23andMe genetic test,” he
says. “I found out I have a risk
for Alzheimer’s.” It’s a risk that
increases as your body ages.
Van is a 72-year-old who
managed medical-device sales
in Boston until he retired and
moved to Spain. He used to
run eight kays and lift weights
three times each per week. But
in his late 60s, all that wellness
stuff wasn’t working so well. “I
began getting really tired in the
afternoons,” says Van, who also
didn’t want to give his name.
“I’d be too tired at night to go
out to dinner, and I also started
having high blood pressure. I was
feeling the effects of aging.” His
attempts at flinging a kettlebell
were half-hearted and his walks
around the neighborhood were
getting slower. Van felt the sun
was setting on the life of vitality
he loved and that he was heading
toward a gloomy and inevitable
bedridden demise.
Each of these men found a
solution to their concerns about
aging at roughly the same place
and time. They came across
information in Reddit threads
and on longevity blogs about
something that people on the
other end of the keyboard said
could help them live better for
longer. It would make Louis
healthier now, as he aged, and as
all of his friends saw their bodies
fade. It would slash Charles’s risk
of Alzheimer’s and have guys 10
years younger tapping out against
him in BJJ. It would kick-start
Van’s training again and drop his
blood biomarkers to those
of someone half his age. It had
the potential to be more powerful
than diet and exercise. But it
also had the potential to cause
some problems.
It was a curious substance
discovered in soil that had been
scooped up on Easter Island
during a 1964 Canadian research
expedition. Scientists studying
disease there noticed that
people didn’t pick up tetanus via
their feet as they would expect,
and they figured the ground
held some secrets. But nobody
expected to find this one. The
soil sat in frozen storage in a
University of Montreal lab until
1969, when a researcher looked
for useful compounds in it and
came across a molecule that was
a powerful immunosuppressant.
In 1999, the US FDA approved the
molecule as the drug Rapamune
(sirolimus), also known as
rapamycin. By the mid-2000s,
rapamycin was found to increase
the life span of worms and yeast,
and in a 2009 study, it extended
the life expectancy of mice by
28 per cent for males and 38 per
cent for females. Twenty-eight
per cent, plus more energy?
That could translate into more
than a decade of better years for
humans, the Redditors said. But
there was a catch.
Rapamycin wasn’t exactly
benign, nor was it something
Louis, Charles or Van could just
go pick up at the chemist. In high
doses, rapamycin suppresses
your immune system. The FDA
approved it for people who’d
undergone organ transplants
to keep their bodies from
rejecting the donated organ.
The stuff could put you at risk
of side effects. Roughly 5 per
cent of patients in clinical trials
experienced them badly enough
that they had to quit the drug.
The FDA stamped rapamycin
with a “black box” warning,
its most extreme, for drugs
that come with “serious or life-
threatening risks” – risks
like infections, pneumonia
and cancer.
Still, the forums had links to
legit research and showed lots of
buzz in the ranks of influential
biohackers like Tim Ferriss and
physicians like Dr Peter Attia,
who’ve had MIT researchers and
University of Chicago doctors
appear on their podcasts talking
about the drug’s potentially
age-bending benefits. Doctors
generally won’t openly prescribe
rapamycin for longevity. Van
got lucky and found someone
who did. But Louis and Charles,
like many people who want
something today, went looking
around the web.
We talked to many men like
Louis, Charles and Van for this
story. They range in age from 27
to 76 and their opinions on the
drug go from “probably helpful
but no better than exercise” to
“easily the most important drug
ever discovered by mankind and
should be a key topic of discussion
in the upcoming presidential
election cycle”. They are manual
labourers, academics, medical
doctors, entrepreneurs and
everything in between. There are
hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
these men quietly experimenting
with rapamycin around the
world. And if these guys are
right, they could be like the lucky
rodents in the research, walking
around with improved brain
health, heart health and vitality
while the rest of us surrender
to mortality. Or they could be
killing themselves slowly. It’s too
soon to tell.
THE MYSTERY OF AGING
Scientists still don’t know what
actually causes aging. Maybe
it’s that your cells stop dividing,
or that your telomeres shorten,
or that you exhaust your stem
cells or that your DNA becomes
damaged and stops repairing
itself or a combination of all those
processes. Or maybe it’s none
of them. All we can do to live
longer and better for now is treat

October 2019 89

DR ALAN GREEN, 76, HAD NO
IDEA SO MANY MEN WOULD
COME TO HIS OFFICE TO GE
RAPAMYCIN, WHICH H
RTED TAKING HIMSEL
N “EVERYTHING W
GOING TO SHI
mptoms. So that’s what
the antiaging community until
this point has been stuck with
trying to do.
It’s a history of whack-
a-huckster. In the 1800s,
the treatments were patent
medicines like Clark Stanley’s
Snake Oil Liniment and
Hamlin’s Wizard Oil. In the
1920s, antiaging doctors charged
$750 to $2000 for life-extending
gland transplants. Medical
boards in the late ’30s intervened
to cut down on these quack
treatments. But in the ’90s,
boomers brought the quack back.
This generation was hitting
middle age and, having grown up
in the turbulent ’60s, was willing
to question the establishment
– in this case, the medical
establishment – and turn to self-
help. Boomers began popping
questionable OTC supplements
and getting HGH injections,
all in the hope of extra life. In
2002, when the antiaging market
hit $43 billion, a group of 51
scientists in the field published a
statement in Scientific American
decrying the burgeoning, built-
on-almost-nothing business of
antiaging medicines. No one
really cared. Just five years later,
the market was expected to reach
$64 billion.
Which is about the time
Silicon Valley stepped in with
big data, big science and big
money to, of course, “disrupt”
death. Larry Page, Peter Thiel,
Jeff Bezos and other tech
billionaires have since funneled
billions into life-extension
90 menshealth.com.au
companies such as Calico and
the Methuselah Foundation. (See
box, “Death Disrupters”) Much
of the new research is founded
on an antiaging discovery that
occurred all the way back in 1935.
It was then that researchers at
Cornell found that rats that spent
their lives in a state of caloric
restriction lived longer.
Eventually, this finding
would be connected to that
life-extending compound in
the Easter Island soil through
the microscope of Dr David
Sabatini. Sabatini didn’t set
out to get mixed up in this
odd world of antiaging, but in
1992, peering down at a sample
he was analysing one day as
a student at Johns Hopkins
Medical School, he discovered
a protein, now called mTOR
(short for mammalian target
of rapamycin), that would
eventually form a link between
the way rapamycin might
extend life and the way caloric
restriction does. He
had discovered the mTOR
cellular-signaling pathway that
answers to rapamycin. The
drug just might act on the very
causes of aging.
Sabatini, now a professor
of biology at the Whitehead
Institute and MIT, explains the
mTOR pathway like this: pretend
your body is an old
house. Your oldest cells have
all sorts of problems and are
implicated in your house
falling apart. “You couldn’t
fully renovate the old house by
bringing in only a plumber, or
only an electrician, or a roofer,
or a drywall guy,” says Sabatini.
“You’d need to hire a general
contractor, who would hire all
those specialists who would then
come fix all those problems that
needed to be fixed.” The mTOR
pathway is like the general
contractor, signaling to your body
to demolish parts of its old cells
and replace them with newer,
healthier ones.
Sabatini thinks rapamycin
essentially tricks the body into
thinking that it’s in a state of
calorie deprivation, which is
what causes the contractor to
call in all the guys for renovation
work. The cellular workers
consume your oldest, weakest
cell parts, even parts of senescent
cells. These are cells that no
longer divide and are thought
to spur aging and maybe even
drive cancer. Which is to say that
rapamycin could give you all
the benefits of fasting without
the ravenous downsides. In
addition to the studies on
rapamycin in yeast, worms,
flies and mice, in 2014 scientists
began work on dogs; it found that
those on the drug showed signs of
younger hearts and a reversal of
age-related cardiac issues.
While this was going on,
Dr Mikhail Blagosklonny,
a prolific researcher on
aging at the Roswell Park
Comprehensive Cancer Center
in Buffalo, began writing about
his theories on rapamycin in
medical journals. He noted its
antiaging promise in 2008 and
hypothesised that a lower dose
than transplant patients take
might bring on benefits without
side effects. On Christmas Eve
in 2014, a study conducted by
researchers at Novartis and
Stanford and published in
Science Translational Medicine
confirmed Blagosklonny’s
theory. Older people taking the
drug for six weeks didn’t see
their immunity decrease – it
actually increased in groups
that took as little as 0.5mg a day
or 5mg a week. Adult transplant
patients typically take a 2mg
dose every day.
Today, more than 2000
clinical trials are studying
rapamycin around the globe,
nearly 1000 of them in the
United States and even the
director of the National
Institutes of Health has
blogged about its potential
benefits. All of which means
rapamycin checks a lot of
boxes in the description of a
trend that’s about to explode:
wellness gurus talking it up,
credible researchers giving it
ink, and enough unknowns to
interpret the research in any
way that works with your world-
view. But the science, as science
does, is proceeding slowly and
carefully and may never find
answers. Because the drug is
already generic, drug companies
aren’t interested, and antiaging
enthusiasts are going ahead
and taking it, sometimes with
severe consequences.
DECIDING TO POP THE PILL
In the world of rapamycin for
antiaging, guys find ways to
get the drug. Louis and Charles
searched the forums – not
the somewhat moderated
ones, like Reddit’s, but forums
Charles would “rather not
mention, just to protect them,
you know?” Charles found a
post with a link to an obscure,
unregulated pharmacy in India
that was willing to ship anyone
rapamycin, no prescription
needed. Louis got his from a
supplier he won’t disclose.
Van located the one doctor in
the US who would prescribe the
drug. His name is Dr Alan Green
and he treats patients
out of his home in Bayside,
Queens. Because you have to
visit him in person, Van flew to
LaGuardia Airport, took a cab
to Bayside, and wound up in
Green’s office.
With these antiaging
drugs, there are the sketchy,
we-don’t-know-the-effects-yet
prescriptions – the ones you get
from Green – and then there
are the sketchy-sketchy ones
from overseas pharmacies

and underground suppliers.
Many foreign pills are fine, but
some aren’t. The bad ones can
be counterfeit, contaminated,
tainted or otherwise unsafe.
They can make you sick, lead
to dangerous interactions with
other medicines you take, and
even kill you. In Charles’ and
Louis’ eyes, the bigger risk was
doing nothing. They each asked
for a shipment of rapamycin;
Charles got a four-month supply
for $100, and Louis got two years’
worth for about $200.
Van’s prescription came
from Green, who takes the drug
himself. The doctor – 178cm and
80kg when he started, with a
rim of white hair around his tan
head – says the decision to take
it was easy. He had just turned
72, and “everything was going to
shit. It was clear that I was going
downhill fast,” says the now-76-
year-old. “I would get winded
easily and wasn’t moving as well.
I knew I wouldn’t be alive much
longer if I kept deteriorating
at this rate.” He came upon
Blagosklonny’s work and wrote
himself a prescription for 6mg
once a week. “I didn’t have
anything to lose,” he says.
“The first thing I noticed is
that it became easy to lose weight.
I was losing two pounds (900g)
a week. I also had a marked
increase in energy and wasn’t
getting winded as easily.”
Green continued his
treatment for a year with nothing
but upsides. “So I decided, ‘Well,
I’ll make this available to other
DEATH DISRUPTERS
PETER THIEL
The cofounder of PayPal sees death
as a “problem that can be solved”. He
has famously said he would dose
himself with younger blood and has
recently dumped $3.5 million into the
Methuselah Foundation, a research
organisation whose goal is to make
“90 the new 50 by 2030”.
“Rapamycin tricks the body into thinking
that it’s in a state of calorific deprivation”
ple e says. “The FDA’s
c x warning is an excellen
ning – as it applies for use for
organ transplants.” At the doses
antiaging? Not so much, says
Green. It’s not illegal for him t
scribe the medication. “Once
FDA appr d the rapamycin pills a couple of
care providers generally may
prescribe it for an unapproved
use when they judge that it
is medically appropriate for
their patient,” explains Jeremy
Kahn, a spokesman for the FDA.
Overall, one in five prescriptions
today is doled out for off-label
use, like the blood-pressure
drug Inderal being used for
performance anxiety or the
antidepressant Zoloft
for premature ejaculation.
Green created a website
laying out the research and
began hearing from people who’d
found him online. “I figured I’d
see a few patients a month,” he
says. His phone started ringing
far more than that. “I think I
was Dr Green’s second patient,”
says Van. The doctor ran Van
through a handful of questions
about his health history, why he
was interested in rapamycin,
and what he hoped to get from
it. Then he did some basic blood
testing, Van says, and wrote
him a prescription. Van dumped
six of the aspirin-sized 1mg
pills into his hand and popped
WHY DISRUPT ONLY TECHNOLOGY WHEN YOU CAN
DISRUPT DEATH? WHO’S WORKING ON WHAT:
JEFF BEZOS
The Amazon founder and richest man
in the world recently cut a multimillion-
dollar cheque to Unity Biotechnology,
a company founded in 2009 and now
valued at $700 million. It aims to
develop therapies to target senescent
cells – the type of cells believed to help
fuel aging.
m into his mouth. He flew
k to Boston and at home
d take that same 6mg dose
once weekly. “My blood w
ckly became that of someone
years younger,” he says.
e ve
weeks after placing their orders.
Charles added a 5mg dose in with
all the other supplements he
takes and washed the mix down
with water. Louis did the same
with a 7mg dose. Both guys take
their pills once a week. “I dropped
10 or 15 pounds (4.5-7kg) in the
three months I’ve been taking
it,” says Charles, who admits he
has also been eating better. “I feel
less sore, like I’m taking Advil.
I was going to quit jujitsu a couple
of years ago because of my joint
pains, and now I’m rolling with
25-year-olds. My hair also seems
a lot thicker.”
Louis has been on and off
it for almost a year; he says he
can’t tell if less joint pain and an
improved mood are direct results
or merely coincidental. He had
some mouth sores, indications of
a compromised immune system,
but they didn’t rattle him – he
thought they, too, might just be
a coincidence.
Concerns about infections
and worse are one reason more
doctors aren’t prescribing
rapamycin. Green says bacterial
MARTINE ROTHBLATT
Sirius/XM Radio founder Rothblatt
created the Terasem Movement
Foundation Inc. with the aim of one day
reviving the dead in machine form. But
those human-cyborgs will need your
data in order to be, well, you. Terasem
stores your “mindfiles,” and digital
records, so you can be resurrected.
HEALTH
ections happen in bout 5
per cent of patients. ve had
ew skin and soft-t ue
ections, which I t ted with
antibiotics,” he says, a d he
emphasises that the i fections
can get bad quickly without
antibiotic treatment. “I have
two patients who’ve developed
pneumonia and required
hospital treatment. In both
cases, they’d delayed a few
days to a week or more in
starting antibiotics.”
“I think [prescribing
rapamycin] is bordering on
unethical,” says Sabatini, who
does not take the drug. “I think
we’re far away from knowing
that there are no downsides
to long-term use.”
Louis, Charles and Van
aren’t waiting for science to catch
up. They’ve been on the stuff for
as long as two years and don’t
plan on stopping. Maybe the
three of them, the rest of Green’s
patients and the untold numbers
finagling rapamycin off the
Internet will be among the 95
per cent of people who see no
negative side effects. That’s
assuming the pills they get are
legit. And maybe they’ll end up
outliving us all. “I don’t know
if it’ll make me live longer,
but hopefully I can head off
dementia,” says Charles. “And I
feel good, man. So why not?”
SERGEY BRIN & LARRY PAGE
Calico Labs is a secretive research
project created by Google’s founders
and funded to the tune of $2.5 billion.
Calico says the lab’s interdisciplinary
team is researching how and why we
age, as well as methods we can use
to get around diseases like cancer
and neurodegeneration.
October 2019 91
WELCOME BACK
THE CHAMP OF
MUSCLE FUEL.

Salt-c
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Eaten a th-watering t yond
sodium fter a worko aste.
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add sizeto your musclextra
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92 menshealth.com.au
28
NUTRITION

Rasher Decisions
Few combos are as effective as the 2:1
carbs-to-protein delivery system that is the
bacon sanger. First, the cut . . .

2 Back
A large, lean
medallion with a fatty strip
on the side. With 10g of
protein per rasher, two
pieces give you 25 per
cent of your RDI of the
holy macro.

4 Streaky
Yes it’s ‘streaked’ with

3 Smoked
For the porcine purist.
The application of smoke
fat, but half of that is
monounsaturated, which
the American Journal of
further preserves the Clinical Nutrition found
meat and gives it a drops blood pressure for
stronger flavour. a biceps-bulking fix.
Concentrations of
chemicals linked to
5 Green

Ways
cancer are up to three
times lower in the liquid
smoke used in modern
bacon-making facilities.
So, for once, going big
brand is best for you.
Unsmoked (“green”)
bacon has a milder
flavour, more akin to ham,
so it’s preferable if you’re
the sort who stuffs myriad
ingredients on top.

ToTurn Heavenly Bread

The most chewed-over debate in the bread
world concerns which loaf is best. Artisan

Bacon
sourdoughs aside, you have two options . . .

6 White
If you like your protein
’twixt slices of white,
7 Brown
Where brown wins is
in fibre content. Whole-

Into
rejoice. The journal Cell
Metabolism found “no
notable glycaemic
variance” between white
and wholemeal. Both will
meal bread is one of the
best sources of the fibre
you need to digest the
macro- and micronutri-
ents in your bacon. In any

Muscle
dish out enough lasting case, Yakult does not a
energy to keep your nice sanger make.
training sessions mighty.

Or, to serve it up another way, a generous

dollop of examples as to how nutritional science
and flavour can combine to make sweet,
glorious bacon the most satisfying muscle food
to sink your teeth into. Enjoy. We certainly did
BY DAVID MORTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUN LEE

October 2019 93
NUTRITION
On the Sauce
Beyond butter, the condiment spectrum can
supply a slathering of additional muscle-
building science
8 White
Mayonnaise is the
unselfish clubman of the
sauce aisle, seeking not to
overpower but to
enhance by unlocking the
fat-soluble vitamins of
everything it touches.
(International Journal of
Nutrition and Food
Science). And, let’s not
forget, it’s delicious.
9 Brown
UK favourite HP is
a potent source of
magnesium, the “essential
mineral involved in energy
metabolism and muscle
actions” (Nutrients). Handy.
94 menshealth.com.
m u
Wrapped with Love
Bacon is a hardy fellow, so wrapping other foods in a
piggy coat protects them, while bringing a dose of salty,
umami goodness to the party
10 Red
Training hard?
Illness looms. High in
vitamin C, tomato sauce
also layers vitamin A onto
your bacon for a healthier
immune system (Annual
Review of Food Science
and Technology).
11 Yellow
Mustard’s good for
21 per cent of your RDA of
selenium, an antioxidant
that smokes out
DOMS-causing free
radicals (Journal of the
American College
of Nutrition).
12 Sausages
Take some sausages: cocktail,
Cumberland, chorizo, any kind. Wrap
14 Salmon
The healthiest surf
and turf going. Adorn the
bacon around them. Bake, hunkered down salmon fillet with a jacket
and peering into the oven, until done – no of two pieces of bacon,
added fat needed. Eat with your fingers. then bake for 15-20
minutes. Flaky fish + crispy
bacon = smug grin.
15 Chicken
13
Cut a slit into a
chicken breast, stuff it
with cream cheese and
wrap in streaky bacon.
en uine baconaving Roast for 30 minutes.
In g es, microw our Apply to face post-gym.
enci pe y
emergrmitted. Drapturned
is pe s over an u em in
rasherand cover tholl, then
bowl f kitchen r ds per
o
plentye for 60 secoonrt cut
16 Figs
Slice a cross on
the top of each fig, pinch,
nuk er for a sh .
rash crispiness season, fry for one
to minute, then bake for six.
Fry the bacon, then wrap
it around the hot,
fibre-rich figs.
17
yo
Asparagus
Oil and season
our spears on foil. Slice
sttreaky bacon down the
m
middle, coil around each
spear, then grill for five
m
minutes. Serve with
p
poached eggs for a
lo
ow-carb brekky.
 Make Yours a Double
Adding other ingredients can multiply a
bacon sanger’s impact on your strength
goals. This is how to stack up the benefits
18 Tomato
A thick slice of
good ol’ lycopene
provides plenty of
antioxidants to clear
away lactic acid, boost
your immunity and
generally make you a
fitter, stronger person.
19 Cheese
Another study in
Nutrients states that
consuming casein (dairy)
protein before bed
supports strength gains
overnight. Bacon and
cheese beat a lumpy
shake, right?.
Avocado
It’s rich in folic
acid and vitamin B6, both
of which support healthy
testosterone levels for a
higher metabolism
and increased muscle
growth. Just don’t
Instagram it.
All in the Heating
How you cook it can change the nutritional
and flavour profiles of the rashers you’re
scoffing. Luckily, there are cheats
22 Grilling
You and George
Foreman know that
grilling allows excess fat
to drain away. This means
fewer kilojoules per rasher
but just as much
coenzyme nd b
Kyoto U versity to
do your met olism
n eaten before a walk.
24
Bac
happy. Son makes you
One rash cientifically s
cent of y er contains 20 o.
ou
a compor RDI of niacin,r
Univers und that, a
study saity of Maryland
depressi ys, can soothe
on a
Joyful nnd anxiety.
ews.
Egg
In a study
published in Nutrients,
regular egg consumers
had almost double the
usual intake of choline,
a compound that
supports muscular
function and growth.
23 Frying
Fat – and we will
repeat this – has flavour.
So, a heavy pan is the
place to create amazing
bacon. If the frying pan
fills with water, your
rashers will be a hed
and flaccid. Pour off tthe
liquid, pat both pan and
bacon , and add oil
before reheating it.
d after a hard week of work/gym/life. Try it
pe
The Secret Ingredient
Whether sliced or chopped, bacon upgrades a host of
dishes. To finish, allow us to sate your every muscle-
building desire. Eat up
Pasta
Best for: Energy.
Cutting carbs is so 2016.
Instead, contemporary
science suggests timing
them before or after
training to keep muscle
glycogen well stocked,
and to sidestep soreness.
Also, bacon.
Try it in: Carbonara;
spag bol; any pasta, really.
27
Soup
Best for:
Definition. Low in
kilojoules but nutrient
dense, bacon-filled
soup suits the man
looking to address his kJ
deficit and lose the fat
25 Burgers
Best for: Cheat days. Okay, so
processed meat atop processed meat
hiding his gains.
Try it in: Potato soup;
pea soup; any other soup.
shouldn’t be your daily fare. But, let’s face
it, a little gives such immense succour
in: any bacon double cheeseburger;
every other burger.
28
days
Salad
Best for: Rest
d s. Tweaking your
mac cros to keep your
protein high but kJs low
lets you recover without
blowwing yesterday’s
work. Try it in: Caesar;
Niçooise; any salad.
October 2019 95
SNOW LIMITS:
TRAVELLING AT OVER
65KM/H, COMPETITORS
NAVIGATE NECK-
BREAKING BUMPS
ON AN UNFORGIVING
TRACK OF SOLID ICE.

96 menshealth.com.au
 ADVENTURE

As competitive sports go, ice cross downhill is higher on risk

than it is reward. With scant prize money at stake, athletes are
motivated solely by jeopardy, rivalry and adrenaline.
MH travelled to Finland to meet the men with ice in their veins

BY DAN MASOLIVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY RED BULL & RICHIE HOPSON

October 2019 97
 Five-second warning.” The race official’s
words ring out over the tannoy and a
veil of silence descends upon the snow-
dusted hillside. Under a cold night sky, the
10,000 men, women and children pressed
up against the barriers lining the track
stand in statuesque stillness. Tonight,
five seconds feels like an eternity. Time,
much like everything in this inhospitable
Scandinavian snowscape, appears frozen.
A horn sounds. At the top of the hill the
mechanical gates jerk open and the crowd
erupts into clamorous excitement. Four men
burst out of the gates. The razor-sharp blades
on their skates scrape through the acutely
angled ice as the competitors propel forward
before adopting a tight tuck position, bracing
for impact as they fly into the first corner.
Between these men, the finish line
and ultimate glory lie 630m of steeply
descending, viciously undulating and
dangerously unpredictable ice. That’s not
to mention each other – only two of the four
who started will progress to the next round,
07
and all will put their bodies on the line in
pursuit of victory. As the cold air rushes 03 02
past their face, each rider repeats a mantra
in his head: “Follow the racing line, hold
position, get out in front, and make it to the
end of the night.” Get stuck in the pack – disciplines on the winter sports schedule.
all flailing arms, overlapping skates and As with Formula 1, the skaters amass
clashing shoulders – and you’re as likely to points over the course of the season
be climbing into the back of an ambulance as based on their finishing position at each
onto a podium. event. Unlike Formula 1, however, all
it takes is one crack in the ice or a shove from
an off-balance opponent before you find
yourself sliding out of the race face-first.
COLD MOUNTAIN Tonight’s meeting is just the second
For the 64 athletes assembled here in of four Red Bull-sponsored events in
the frostbitten hills outside the Finnish a nine-date season, but already the bruises are
town of Jyväskylä, the risk is one they are showing. “It can all go wrong in a heartbeat,”
happy to take in pursuit of victory in this says Reed Whiting, a 37-year-old veteran
idiosyncratic sport. The brainchild of the sport now turned TV commentator.
of an evidently highly stimulated Red “Especially on tracks with dangerous
Bull employee, ice cross downhill is a features. Which, thinking about it, is nearly
unique and thrilling contest in which four all of them.”
skaters– mostly professionals – race down Whiting gestures up the serpentine track
an icy track complete with bumps, jumps towards the so-called rock drop –
and inevitable crashes. Fifteen years a sheer 2m wall of ice over which racing
after its conception, it has become one athletes will later careen at speeds
ofthe most physically demanding approaching 80km/h. “During a practice run,

98 menshealth.com.au
 ADVENTURE

01 03

“It’s adrenaline zen:

you have to give your
complete focus or you
know it will end badly”

you can see a big jump coming and prepare

for it. But when you’re racing three other guys
and the group is tightly bunched, you can
easily be racing blind. Hit something like this
and you’re in the air for seconds at a time and
landing on just eight inches (20cm) of steel. It
ramps up the adrenaline, that’s for sure.”
This potent danger is precisely what has
enticed the swathes of spectators into the
freezing Finnish night. But it also represents
a significant appeal for the competitors
themselves. “As a kid growing up in Austria
I remember looking out of the car window
and imagining skating down the hills,” says
Marco Dallago, a former world champion
and firm crowd favourite. “Now, when I race,
I have the time of my life. Racing is pure
– it feels like meditation, but with action.
It’s adrenaline zen: you have to give your
complete focus or you know it will end badly.”
Here on Jyväskylä’s natural ice track the
opportunities for injury are myriad.
Most ice cross tracks are artificially

05

04

GROUND SUB-ZERO
01 HEAVY LOG
LIFTS DEVELOP THE
STABILITY ESSENTIAL
FOR STAYING UPRIGHT ON
UNEVEN SURFACES.
02 WITH AN INCREASE IN
THE NUMBER OF
PROFESSIONALS TAKING
PART, HIGH-TECH
TRAINING TOOLS ARE
BECOMING THE NORM.
03 DEVELOPING CORE
AND LEG STRENGTH IS
VITAL FOR HOLDING YOUR
OWN IN RACE CONTACT.
04 ATHLETES UTILISE
STATIONARY BIKES TO
KEEP THEIR MUSCLES
WARM BETWEEN RACES.
05 HEAVY SLED PULLS
BUILD THE EXPLOSIVE
POWER NEEDED TO FLY
OUT OF THE START GATES.

October 2019 99
100 menshealth.com.au
 ADVENTURE

06

“Thousands of little
created, but here in the remote heartland
of central Finland – where average winter

humps and bumps make

temperatures hover around -10°C – the ice
requires no human intervention. The result

it insanely difficult to
is one of the most challenging courses on the
circuit. “It’s covered with thousands of little

stay on your line, never

humps and bumps,” says Dallago who, like
most of the guys on the tour, transitioned

mind on your feet”

from professional ice hockey. “It makes it
insanely difficult to stay on your line, never
mind on your feet. This is as tough as it gets.”

FIRE AND ICE

The technical proficiency, physical prep and
race-craft required to excel in ice cross have
few equals in the sporting world. The Red
Bull Crashed Ice series may have started
as a one-off exhibition, but as the fledgling
sport continues to grow, its creators may have
inadvertently inspired the evolution of some
of the most complete athletes in the world.
Tonight, 26-year-old former ice hockey
player Cameron Naasz leads the pack. As the
reigning world champion, the American is
naturally one of the favourites and has been
credited with dramatically raising the bar for
the sport’s athletic standards. Sponsorship
money is sparse, prize money non-existent,
yet Naasz dedicates his life to ice cross,
training year-round with the express purpose
of continuing his dominance over this
singular sport.
Without specialist coaches to train them,

07

DOWNHILL BATTLE
06 TAKING THE LEAD
INTO THE FIRST CORNER
BUFFERS YOU FROM THE
ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE
OF THE CHASING PACK.
07 WITH CRASHES AND
COLLISIONS A SURE BET,
COMEBACKS ARE A
COMMON OCCURRENCE,
MAKING FOR A THRILLING
SPECTATOR SPORT.

October 2019 101

 “Now, every time I race, I
have the best time of my life.
Racing is pure – it feels like
meditation, but with action”

102 menshealth.com.au
 ADVENTURE

08

athletes turn to a variety of sources to build 09

the explosive power they need to be first
out of the gate; the unshakable balance to
tussle with an opponent at 80km/h around
a 90° bend; and the straight-line speed of an
Olympic skater. “You have to get creative,”
says Naasz. “There’s obviously lots of hockey-
specific training, but a lot of the guys do
parkour-type workouts to prepare their core
and improve mobility. I do CrossFit as it’s
the best system for full-body conditioning.
You’re using a variety of movements, building
BUMP AND GRIND
08 EVERY INCH OF THE strength and balance.”
ATHLETES’ BODIES Tonight, the biggest threat to Naasz’s title
IS COVERED IN HEAVY- is 2015 world champion Scott Croxall. The
DUTY BODY ARMOUR, BUT 28-year-old Canadian won the Jyväskylä
HITTING ICE AT FULL SPEED
race last year and has been taking his off-
STILL HURTS.
season workouts to the next level. “I train at
09 THE KNOCKOUT a hockey facility in Ontario with my brother
STRUCTURE MEANS
SPRINTING FLAT-OUT UP TO [fellow racer Kyle] and the head trainer. In
FIVE TIMES IN QUICK the summer, he’s training 40-plus NHL
SUCCESSION. A LOT OF guys, so he knows what I’ve got to do to be
LACTIC ACID, BASICALLY. explosive out of the gate.” Athletes like Naasz
10 MUSCLE TEARS and Croxall (whose summers are given
ARE THE LEAST OF over to waterskiing, in which he competes
A SKATER’S WORRIES – for Team Canada) are pushing the fastest
BROKEN COLLARBONES AND
DISLOCATED KNEES ARE A sport on skates to develop a more polished,
CONSTANT RISK. professional edge.

FREEZE FRAME
With the listless winter sun long since
departed and the crisp evening air
illuminated only by spotlights that border the
length of the skate-scarred track, just four
men remain in the competition. Naasz and
Croxall are among them, joined by American
Maxwell Dunne and Canadian John Fisher.
This race will be their fifth in a little over two
hours, demanding their final reserves
of concentration.
“Five-second warning.” The familiar
refrain reverberates around the conifer-lined
hill. The skaters grip their starting gates,
tighten their posterior chains and focus their
gaze on the sharp left-hander some 10m
down the track. As the horn sounds, Croxall
fires out and edges into the lead. Naasz finds
himself in traffic and has to use his racing
nous to get back into contention. All four
athletes descend the course at breathtaking
speed, somehow staying on their feet through
a number of thumping collisions. As they
round the last corner, Fisher loses balance
and slams into the barrier, sending Naasz
tumbling over his splayed body. With teeth
gritted, Croxall drops to one knee and glides
over the line to victory.
Naasz, who suffers the ignominy of
sliding over the line on his belly, finishes
third. The champ is clearly disappointed
10
but remains stoic in defeat. The season is far
from over, and there are plenty more points
to be won between here and the series-ending
finale in Ottawa, Canada. “None of these guys
would be here if they didn’t want to get fired up,
have crazy races and do wild things,” he says,
dusting himself down. “Everyone here has that
thirst for adrenaline. All I ever wanted was to
do something with my life that I could have fun
with every day. This is not a luxurious sport by
any means, but I’ve been able to support myself
doing something that I love to do. And that
drives me to succeed.”
Naasz is already looking ahead to the
next race in his home state of Minnesota.
The excitement shines in his eyes as his
breath mists. Above all else, for he and his 
fellow skaters, there is no greater feeling
than pushing their bodies to the limit.
Skating the fine line between glory and A&E.
Living life on thin ice.

October 2019 103

 The
26
Best
Losing weight and
landing that elusive
six-pack needn’t be
a slow, dull grind. Add

Toys
some grease to the
wheels and you can
make quicker work of
the task at hand – hell,
you might even enjoy the

For
ride. Whether you want
to be beach-ripped or
simply erase your winter
indulgences, this is our
hot list of the tech, gear

Hard
and gadgets that will
deliver you from love
handles. Invest and
ensure this summer
you finally make the cut

Abs
104 menshealth.com.au
 TECHNOLOGY
IMAGE MANIPULATION BY PETER CROWTHER

DRINK IN ALL-NEW
STRENGTH WITH
THE FITTEST KIT.

October 2019 105

 SHOOTING STAR:
PACKING HEAT CAN
BLOW DOMS AWAY.
1
The ight Shooter
If you don’t feel s when you start a new
fitness plan, you’re pro not doing it right.
But while a touch of DOMS never rt anyone
(much), spending every other day spr
sofa could park your fat-loss goals. This vibr
gun drills down into your muscles to increase
mobility before your session and speed recovery
afterwards. Adjustable arms let you hit hard-to-
reach spots, so no body part goes unpunished.
Theragun G3Pro; $849, theragun.com
3 The Frozen Asset
A summer spent juicing in the
hope of squeezing yourself into
tighter trousers can quickly start
to feel joyless. The Yonanas Elite
offers another way to pack
nutrients into your diet – but it will
keep your tastebuds sweet, too.
The dessert maker turns fruit into
soft-serve ice cream, without the
need to add extra sugar or fats. It
also comes with its own recipe
book. Get a sweat on with
chilli-spiced mango.
Yonanas Elite; $179.95, yonanas.com.au
106 menshealth.com.au
4 The Short Order
Just as you wouldn’t go
running in your Levi’s, the better
suited your attire is to the task at
hand, the harder you can work.
The best pair of training shorts is
one that you won’t even notice
you’re wearing (though do
remember to wear them).
Lululemon’s T.H.E. Short has a
highly breathable inside liner and
quick-drying fabric to keep you
cool and sweat-free, while
four-way stretching minimises
weight and allows for a greater
range of movement. Because
jump lunges are miserable
enough as they are.
Lululemon T.H.E. Short; $69,
lululemon.com.au
2 The Silent Treatment
Those dawn-alarm gym
sessions count for less than the
hours preceding them. In a
study by the University of
Chicago, men who logged just
five and a half hours’ sleep lost
half as much body fat as those
who managed eight and a half.
Make a full night’s kip more
achievable with Bose’s wireless
noise-masking earbuds, which
supply the soothing sounds of
rolling waves, a crackling fire or
(oddly) an aeroplane cabin.
Bose Sleepbuds; $375.95, bose.com.au
5 The Movement Coach
Tracking your mileage is one
thing, but nothing will hinder
your fat-loss progress like an
injury. The Moov band is
designed to keep you in the
game for longer. Wear it on
your wrist or ankle and it can
sense your movements, then
offer feedback and form
correction, such as advising
you to soften a heavy
footfall. It has
programs for
biking, swimming
and boxing, too.
You’ll be a better
athlete, not just a
leaner one.
Moov Now; $129.95,
theiconic.com.au
 TECHNOLOGY

6 The Better Bottle

“Drink more water” is a
well-shared weight-loss rule – and
7 The Support Act
A tight-fitting base layer will
do more than just show off your
8 The Home Gym 2.0
0
If you’re not quite willin
to hold a PT captive in
ng

it’s worth heeding. In one Obesity
study, subjects who knocked
back a glass before each meal
lost 2kg more fat mass than those
who didn’t. For those who need
help gulping, this bottle is
vacuum-insulated to keep your
water cool for 24 hours. It’s also
hard as nails, in case the brutality
of your workout has left you
slightly butter-fingered.
Thermos 2L Stainless Steel
Vacuum Insulated
Hydration Bottle, $94.99,
thermos.com.au
newly honed physique – it could
help you build it, too. Adidas’
Alphaskin is made of a stretchy
jersey material, which shrink-
wraps your torso to support
your muscles, helping them
to generate more power and
burn more kilojoules in the
process, too. It also makes use
of the brand’s Climachill tech,
developed to keep you cool
and dry in hot weather. Which
should also come in handy if
the office air-con proves a
little temperamental.
Adidas Alphaskin Tech T-Shirt;
$49, adidas.com.au
your living room, this is the next
best thing. The set-up inclu udes a
bench and cable attachme ents,
with a screen that plays fitn ness
classes in front of you. Tonal also
monitors your strength and d range
of motion, so its training plans get
tougher as you progress, whilew a
steady stream of new conttent
circumvents boredom. It’ll require
more effort not to get in shape.
Tonal; $2,995*, tonal.com

9 The Rowing GOAT PULL IN FAST FAT

LOSS WITH THE
The rower is one of the smartest training ULTIMATE ROWER.
tools, providing a full-body muscle burn
while testing your heart and lungs. But if you find
your brain switching off after the first few strokes,
the Hydrow is worth the splash. It streams live
waterside workouts and claims to burn through
1600kJ in 20 minutes. It’ll keep more than just
your muscles engaged. Hydrow Rower; $2199, hydrow.com

October 2019 107

10 The Cord Cutter
Battle ropes are a staple
functional training, beloved d
e of

of MMA fighters for their ab bilityy to

exhaust muscles and wage e wa ar
on body fat. These ropes go on ne
better. The addition of elastic
resistance means they figh ht
against your movements, mak m king
it tougher on your upper bo ody y.
Taking off your T-shirt afterwarrds
won’t be easy.
Stroops Son of The Beast Battle Ropes; $234..95
stroops.com The Macro Minder
This has all the regular metrics you’d
expect from
om a modern tracker (heart
fro
rate, steps, sleep quality), but its USP is that it
detects your energy intake, too. By sensing
11 The
Metabolism Hacker
Fine-tuning your eating
variations in the fluid volume of your cells, which
fluctuate according to your glucose levels, the
habits can sometimes feel GoBe2 band displays the number of kilojoules it
like a stab in the dark. Lumen estimates you’ve consumed. We’d forgive you for
promises to shine new light leaving it off ahead of a weekend barbecue.
on the matter. Exhale into Healbe GoBe2; $322, healbe.com
the breathalyser-like device a d
it will tell you whether your body
is burning fat (good, if weight
loss is your aim) or carbs (the
body’s preferred energy source).
Lumen then offers a bespoke
nutrition plan according to your
metabolic patterns and goals.
It’s fussy nutritional science,
made digestible.
Lumen; $249, lumen.me

The
e hill Battle
An all-i -one “treadmill,
sled and pa arachute”, the Skillrun
is no lowly c cardio mmachine. It
offers on-sc creen g analysis, as
well as wor out pro ams th
adjust the belt
adj b speed d incline
auu om matica ally, so you w n’t need
to f f abou b ut with the
touc cree en mid-sprint.
ensure e your fat-burning
The Meal Prep Master itions laast the course, it
ut aside the money you would have spent on also has a re esistance mode,
a week’s worth of cafe sandwiches and invest in a meal forcing you to “push” the belt
j th t’ t b l ti t b Thi 500 l around d to
t mimic the action of
container has a tight seal, so your work documents won’t driving a sled. Your next
end up stained with three-bean chilli, and it’ll keep your marathon will feel like a breeze
food warm or cool for up to six hours, sparing you the by comparison . . . Well, maybe.
battle for the office microwave or fridge. Technogym Skillrun; from $20,900 including
Vaya Preserve; $38, vayalife.com delivery, technogym.com

108 menshealth.com.au

APPETITE FOR
REDUCTION: USE
YOUR BRAIN TO
BUST YOUR GUT.
15 The Brain Trainer
Some people tear through
CrossFit WODs for breakfast;
for others, their morning gains
amount to a third slice of toast. If
you’re in need of a push, Modius claims
it can rewire your brain to make
smarter health decisions. Its headband
stimulates the vestibular nerve, which
affects appetites. How’s that for
zapping your cravings?
Modius Health; $650 modiushealth.com
TECHNOLOGY
WATCH WHAT YOU
EAT . . . LITERALLY.
o get your
ch, the Playr
racking system
ombines GPS with an
accelerometer, allowing you to
measure your movements on the
field. An in-app coach then offers
pointers and recovery tips, while
comparing your performance to
the pros, motivating you to push
harder. It might not promote you
to the Premier League, but if
Ronaldo abs are your goal,
consider this your wingman.
Playr Jacket; $349, playrsmartcoach.com
October 2019 109

18 The Battery Pack
In fat-burning, as in life, 80
per cent of success is showing
up. If you often resort to the
snooze button, the HumanCharg-
er could help. These wireless
earbuds shine a light through
your ear canal – which is believed
to stimulate brain receptors that
boost levels of serotonin and
dopamine – for energy and
motivation at the flick of a switch.
It’ll ensure your training resolve
outlasts the good weather, too.
HumanCharger Wireless Headset; $279,
optimoz.com.au
19 The Wellness Watch
There’s a reason this is the
world’s most popular watch: it
does everything. The Apple
Watch Series 4 features curate
workouts and training playlists,
along with health functions like
fall detection and HR tracking. It
incentivises movement throug
Activity Rings and head-to-hea
competitions to earn badges and
is an effective life manager – track
the weather, pay bills with App
Pay and record voice memos so
you don’t lose track of all the PBs
you’re racking up.
Apple Watch Series 4; From $549, apple.com
110 menshealth.com.au
20 The Swing King
There are two ways to
measure how hard you’re working
21 The Protein Perfecter
The fewer obstacles your
meal prep presents, the more
in a kettlebell session. One is by likely you are to resist the lure of
monitoring the size of the sweat Deliveroo. This smart thermome-
puddle around your Nikes as you ter will make light work of
gear up for another round. The batch-cooking your weekly
other, more accurate method is protein. Insert it into the meat and
by investing in a smart kettlebell.
The Jaxjox syncs with an app to
track your reps, sets and breaks
select your desired level of
“doneness”; the app notifies you
once it’s ready. Its cloud function
and has six adjustable weight also lets you access the data from
settings so you can instantly anywhere, so you could
upgrade your workout from even pop out while it cooks.
“brutal” to “barbaric”. Meater Plus; $199, austore.meater.com
Jaxjox KettlebellConnect ; $299,
jaxjox.com
HOP TO IT
22
FOR THE BEST
The Jump Leads IN CARDIO.
Skipping might offer an unparalleled
cardio workout, but it’s often, er, skipped
in favour of more quantifiable kilojoule-burners.
No longer. This smart rope tracks your jump count
and kilojoule burn in real time, while syncing the
data with its app. Far cooler still, it fires its LEDs at
pinpointed intervals to display the data in front of
you. Can your treadmill do that?
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October 2019 111
112 menshealth.com.au
 MIND

tchkiss hit rock bottom four ears ago the onl thing left
y s his soul. It’s a journey more and more of us are beginning
nner year for me. were crazy for most of my young life. In early November, my mother drove me to
d became masked Yet they’d somehow persuaded me, Linda’s apartment.
nly cleared when in my hapless state, to sit for a session “All of this is you,” Linda told me as she sat
ngs get better, with their friend Linda. Old enough to at her dining-room table. In front of her were
ted, driven by be my grandmother, she did some sort of three pieces of paper covered in scribbles,
rything I was metaphysical work. She called it life planning. numbers and something that looked like
ss career, the six- I didn’t see how a meeting with her could a wheel. “When it’s all united, working in
ome. But I see help me, but I was desperate. I’d tried getting unison, you’ve got a perfect existence, in
conditional – I clean. I’d tried therapy. I’d tried the 12 steps. terms of the plan.”
ay from spiraling But I’d baulked at them all. I was afraid of “What plan?” I asked.
ended with the changing, but I knew I couldn’t go back, “Your soul’s plan.”
ry, I plunged into either. I sent along info she’d requested and What Linda revealed to me over the next
ted to kill myself, booked a plane ticket. two hours would slowly begin to transform
and I’d never Open your mind to possible new my life, but on that first afternoon, it sounded
perspectives . . . the informational pamphlet totally fucking crazy – like it probably sounds
ut of the city, so Linda mailed me read. Life planning gifts you to you right now.
other and with higher levels of knowing, evoking clear
classic new-age baby insight into your potential, your evolutionary Linda’s message isn’t unique. In the past,
have the crystals, the flowing path, your purpose . . . you had to travel to an ashram in India or a
, e angel artwork. I thought they At the very least, I’d get some sun. holistic retreat in the Byron Bay hinterland
to acquire the wisdom of mystic folks, but
it’s 2019, the Internet is alive and well, and
thanks to some very famous advocates, soul
therapy has reached the mainstream.
Oprah Winfrey is essentially the
godmother of the movement. Her podcast,
Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations, features
successful people – Bradley Cooper, Alanis
Morissette, Sebastian Junger, Eckhart Tolle,
Elizabeth Gilbert – talking about how they

October 2019 113

learned to quiet their egos and get down to
the business of listening to their souls. And if
you’re thinking, “Of course Oprah has a woo-
woo show about finding your life’s purpose”,
then turn on any podcast helmed by a semi-
woke bro and you’ll stumble on the likes of
Joe Rogan and Russell Brand dissecting
myriad ideas that boil down to versions of
the same big question: “What the hell are we
doing here?”
This rabid search for meaning in
modern life finds us turning to new
territory. The unexplainable. The
unquantifiable. It’s why venture
capitalists have pinpointed astrology
as the next big investment, with horoscope-
driven apps like Co-Star and The Pattern on
the road to rivaling titans Spotify and Tinder.
It’s why yoga studios pop up in old warehouses
and why more and more Aussies are dabbling
in spirituality in a way we haven’t seen
since the ’60s. It’s why celebrated
food journalist Michael Pollan just
wrote a best-selling book about the holistic
benefits of psychedelic drugs, and why
Rogan’s trippy podcast is downloaded nearly
20 million times per month.
We’re living in a time of shattered illusions
and soul-crushing truths. Divided politics
reigns. Economic crisis looms. #MeToo
landed like a Mayweather uppercut. Because
we’re all fairly sure that the answer to our
anxiety does not lie in more money, more sex
or more muscles, we’re looking somewhere
else: within ourselves.
Following our soul’s plan is the proverbial
hero’s journey, says Onnit CEO, author and
podcast host Aubrey Marcus. It’s what Joseph
Campbell meant when he wrote, “We must let
go of the life we have planned, so as to accept
the one that is waiting for us.”
Marcus, whose health-first approach
functions as a kind of Trojan-horse
spirituality for biohackers and gym rats
– he extols the benefits of ayahuasca, cold
exposure and ecstatic dance, among other
modalities – tells me he believes the term soul
is too loaded to use responsibly and has too
many religious implications. He prefers to
refer to our “true calling”, or our “awareness”.
“We all have a calling from when we were
little kids,” Marcus says. “What we think we
want to do with our lives. But after a while, we
kind of accept our compromises. We distract
ourselves, intoxicate ourselves, placate
ourselves. Most of us don’t ever take the time
to get still and listen to our awareness.”
To find that stillness, Marcus suggests
trying spiritual practices like yoga and
meditation or spending time in nature, but
114 menshealth.com.au
most of all: getting quiet. “Put your phone in a
drawer for two days and don’t talk to anyone,”
he says. “Just be with yourself.”
So why aren’t we all getting quiet and
following our souls? It turns out that’s a pretty
complicated question.
Former NYU professor and playwright
Paul Selig, who works with what he calls
“spirit guides” that teach classes and
workshops and even channel entire books
through him (now six in total, including the
popular I Am the Word), has an answer:
“Realisation comes at the cost of
the old”, The problem, Selig says, is
that people want to be fixed. They want the
easy answer – X, Y, and Z. And the reality
is that aligning with our souls after a life
spent doing everything to avoid ourselves
can be agonising. But, he says, it’s
worth it. For 25 years, he wrestled
with the decision to give up his
academic life, but in the end, his
calling won out. “It might have
been easier to live the life I was expected to
live, because it wouldn’t have challenged me
beyond my comfort zone. So the risk I took
was to say ‘yes’.”
For most of us, however, finding our true
calling isn’t as simple as downloading
psychic messages or dropping by a Buddhist
temple. We toil away at jobs we don’t love,
and we are frustrated by personal lives that
are lacking.
That’s when it pays to call a professional,
like psychic Ainslie MacLeod, author of the
book The Instruction: Living the Life Your
Soul Intended. MacLeod, who is currently
making the podcast rounds, is considered the
rock-star psychic of the moment.
“What unites my clients is a search for
In ancient times,
KNOW astrology was
considered a science.
Today, you can think of
YOUR
your charts and
horoscopes more like a
soul GPS, an indication
SIGN? to go in one direction
or another. Let’s call it a
cosmic second
opinion. But remember,
Here’s Your your sun sign is only a
Therapy… fraction of the picture.
Find your moon and
rising signs too. Or just
follow them all.
meaning,” MacLeod tells me. “What they
thought was working has stopped working.
They went through college and got a job, got
married, and they thought that was the be-all,
end-all. Their soul wants something more.”
His method of soul counselling also
comes through “spirit guides” – voices from
the other side that provide information like
the age and type of a person’s soul. But an
appointment with MacLeod is more like a
conference call than a séance. You dial the
call-in number and there he is, with precise
knowledge about your life that can help you
identify your purpose. When I called, he
described my experience exactly.
MacLeod says his work can help
empower clients to take a leap of
faith by understanding that they’re
not victims, that they have the
power to go for what is often right
in front of them. “Who you are is why
you’re here,” he says.
MacLeod is right. As a result of that
frantic quest for meaning, astrologers like
Susan Miller and Chani Nicholas have
catapulted to near-movie-star levels of fame,
with fans lustily devouring their forecasts
on the first of each month and Gwyneth
Paltrow’s wellness brand, Goop – which
hawks essentially designer spirituality – is
valued at $250 million. As old systems
crumble and the world seemingly implodes
around us, we desperately want to believe in
something. And soul therapy – the idea that a
part of us is connected to something larger –
provides hope.
Who you are is why you’re here. I had to let
that digest a little. Linda had explained to me
during our session that I needed to experience
AQUARIUS
(Jan 20—Feb 18)
Down to make the world a
better place but not sure
where to start? Luke Storey’s
podcast, The Life Stylist, was
made for dudes like you.
LEO
(Jul 23—Aug 22)
You’re the centre of attention
everywhere you go. Back up
your crazy confidence by
reading Aubrey Marcus’s book
Own the Day, Own Your Life.
 MIND

“THE ANSWER TO OUR ANXIETY tragedy at a young age so that I could learn to
heal, as healing work was my soul’s calling.

DOESN’T LIE IN MORE MONEY, After two hours of Linda walking me

through my soul’s contract, my “Tree of Life”
MORE SEX OR MORE MUSCLES” (the states of consciousness I’d use to access
the contract), and my astrological chart
(which I’d use to work through the contract),
I returned home more confused than when
I’d left.
A few months later, after another riotous
bender, I lay awake in bed again, pondering
my existence. I wanted to die. Then I thought
of Linda. What if I gave her soul plan an
honest go? What did I have to lose?
Bolstered by a second listen to our session,
which Linda had sent me on two CDs, I got
myself into intensive group therapy, where
I launched into the gutting emotional work
that I’d been avoiding. It was equal parts
excruciating and exhilarating to parse
my grief. I consumed spiritual books and
feverishly wrote down every memory, every
insight, trying to get to the bottom of myself.
The thrill of living my own myth replaced
any trepidation about what I’d left behind.
I found the quiet I was searching for. I said
goodbye to my father on a mountaintop and
to an on-again-off-again ex on the phone.
Finally, in the spring of 2016, I returned to
my hometown for a reunion with my family
whom I’d ghosted after my dad’s death. With
each restored connection, I felt more whole.
I was healing. I had bought the ticket and I
was taking the ride, wherever it was leading.
Two years later I’m sober. I have a
deeply renewed relationship with my
family. And this month, I begin studying
to become a therapist. Was it my soul’s
plan? I’ll never know. But Linda’s plan
did save me, if only from myself.

PISCES ARIES TAURUS GEMINI CANCER

(Feb 19—Mar 20)
Cosmic intelligence is just
another Tuesday. A trip
across the Pacific to see Paul
Selig at the Esalen Institute
in California could be where
you meet your creative tribe.
(Mar 21—Apr 19)
Hair-trigger personalities
could benefit from picking up
a copy of Michael A. Singer’s
The Untethered Soul and
learning to be present.
(Apr 20—May 20)
Yeah, yeah, we know you
think this article is a bunch of
BS. Expand your mind with
Ainslie MacLeod’s The
Instruction: Living the Life
Your Soul Intended.
(May 21—Jun 20)
You’re all over the place,
man. See if you can sit still
on a one- or two-week
retreat at Buddhist author
Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum
Village in France.
(Jun 21—Jul 22)
Looking for more depth?
Of course you are.
District Vision’s Mindful
Athlete Program can turn
your daily run into a
mindfulness meditation.

VIRGO LIBRA SCORPIO SAGITTARIUS CAPRICORN

(Aug 23—Sept 22)
Believe it or not, those emails
can wait. Download a
productivity app like Forest to
keep yourself off your phone
(and out of your head).
(Sept 23—Oct 22)
Find an outlet for self-
expression like Claude Stein’s
Natural Singer workshop.
Your culture-deprived friends
will thank you.
(Oct 23—Nov 21)
Bored of your drinking
buddies? You’ll make a pile
of new friends (and maybe
finally open up) at a men’s
retreat like Evryman or the
ManKind Project.
(Nov 22—Dec 21)
You love life so much you’re
looking to add a few extra
years. Studies show that a
fast-mimicking diet, like
ProLon, may contribute to
increased longevity.
(Dec 22—Jan 19)
Remember: self-care means
(occasionally) pressing
pause on your corporate-
ladder climbing. Sweat it
out at a heated yoga studio.

October 2019 115

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 TRAINER
122 Time to make your abs pop 126 The jokester who turned badass 129 For extreme fitness, take a seat

B E C AU S E F I T I S T H E N E W R I C H

FIGHTING SPIRIT
When Thom Evans’ rugby career ended, he traded in stadium
lights for the flash of the camera. But while his job has
changed, his commitment to fitness has remained constant
MEGAN FLEMMIT BYRON KEULEMANS

October 2019 117

 STANDING TALL
A lesser man might have buckled when serious
TOUGH CUSTOMER:
DEALT A SAVAGE
BLOW, EVANS CHOSE
injury upended his career. For former rugby
TO SEE IT FROM “A
star Thom Evans, opportunity knocked POSITIVE SIDE”.

With his eyes locked on the target in front of the attending medicos lot of people aren’t as has become a firm believer in
him, Thom Evans, 34, begins to throw ordered him to lie completely fortunate. I can still train, I can doing only the things he
punches, one after the other. The former still. Had he moved even a still enjoy life. And there isn’t enjoys. It’s one of the reasons
rugby player for Scotland is 15,000 millimetre, death or paralysis a day goes by that I don’t he limits his workouts in the
kilometres from home. But standing in front could have been his fate. appreciate that.” gym to just three sessions
of the heavy bag in a gym in Cape Town, it Evans was rushed to per week. “I see so many
seems like he’s right where he belongs. hospital, where surgeons people being put through
were able to fix the critical TRAIN YOUR BODY hell in gyms, and it’s no
Since he first stepped equipped himself with misalignment of his cervical Evans has come a long way wonder they never return.
into a boxing club at 15, his through the sport, boxing vertabrae. “I had an amazing since his days on the rugby You have to do what makes
love for the sport hasn’t has given him a sense of surgeon who put me back field. Back then, he focused you happy.” And what makes
wavered. Back then his dad belonging. The atmosphere together, but those first six on building the kind of him happy is keeping his
thought the teenager inside the club is a satisfying months were tough.” Evans physique that would absorb training interesting. Aside
needed a way to work off replacement for the energy had worked hard his entire the colossal knocks and from the time he spends
the restless energy that he once felt within his rugby life to be able to play rugby impacts of top-level rugby. under barbells, Evans also
accumulates in most boys his team. “It’s a great culture at the top level. Despite Now, as a model and actor, swims, plays tennis and
age. “It was a great when you go down and train making a full recovery, his he needs his body to be lean. boxes. “I do everything I can
experience, not just to work in a big class,” he says. “I career in football had come And part of achieving that to try and keep my workout
off that extra energy but always train better, because to an end. trim physique is ensuring he routine exciting,” he says.
because boxing is a skill you I’m surrounded by people as “To have that taken from fuels his body efficiently. “I Making his workouts
can use to defend yourself,” enthusiastic as I am.” me was hard, but I’m really just try to eat as well as interesting has helped keep
says Evans. Watching Evans move grateful for all the support I possible. But I do have a the Scotsman in outstanding
It’s a skill the former from landing punches on the received,” he says. “The pizza now and again,” he shape. But his training fulfils
international has used only bag to banging out explosive rugby community is probably says. “I feel like if you’re more than just aesthetic
reluctantly in the past – push-ups, it’s hard to believe the best out there, and I training, you’re burning a lot goals; it also gives him peace
fighting, for Evans, being a that nine years ago he came received so much of energy and you need of mind. “I find training
last resort. “There have been close to death. encouragement from my those kinds of foods. You therapeutic,” says Evans.
a few times a buddy of mine During a match at the family and friends. And that’s can’t diet all the time, “Going for a run in the
was in trouble, and I stepped Millennium Stadium in what got me through.” otherwise you wouldn’t have morning clears my mind for
in to help him out. And when Cardiff, he was caught in a Knowing how different any energy and your the day. Whenever I’m
you’re in a situation like that, tackle that left him with a his fate could have been workouts would suffer.” stressed out, as we all are
it’s good to have that skill.” severe neck injury. Sprawled makes Evans extremely Perhaps as a result of his sometimes, it really helps get
Beyond the skills he’s on the field after the tackle, grateful for his recovery. “A brush with paralysis, Evans me through it,” he explains.

118 menshealth.com.au

FOCUS YOUR MIND
Fittingly for someone who’s
not afraid to test his limits,
Evans agreed to participate
in a celebrity edition of
British reality program The
Island with Bear Grylls. The
show proved to be brutally
tough. After a week, Evans
realised he was in over his
head. “We had no training
prior to going out there. The
most we received was two
days of tutorials,” he says.
Evans’ biggest problem
was finding enough food. He
hardly ate anything for the
entire week he was on the
island. “I just had coconut
– and that was it. For a guy
who likes four or five meals
a day, it was pretty
unbearable.” The lack of food
left him without enough
energy to participate in the
activities. Realising his body
just wasn’t coping well, Evans
decided to pull the plug. It’s a
lesson to all of us not to put
your body through more
than it can handle.
Evans is a living
embodiment of not dwelling
on life’s setbacks. Of moving
forward, no matter what. It’s
been nine years since his
rugby career ended. Instead
of dwelling on what could
have been, he concentrates
on the good things that have
happened to him since. “I
think when you’re dealt a
hard blow, especially in your
career or with an injury,
you’ve got to look at it from
a positive side,” he says.
Reflecting on how his life
has turned out, Evans
acknowledges that most of
the opportunities he’s
received would not have
come about had he
continued to play rugby.
“If I’d carried on being a
rugby player, I would only
have been retiring around
now,” he says. “I wouldn’t
have done all the other stuff
– Dancing with the Stars, The
Island with Bear Grylls, the
modelling and the acting . . .
these are all things I wouldn’t
have experienced. If you only
focus on the negatives, those
are the things that will eat
you up.”
FIGHTING SPIRIT
THE DOMINATOR WORKOUT
While some guys like to work different muscle groups on different days, Evans prefers
movements that hit his whole body all at once. “I always feel better when I’m working
everything together,” he says. Looking to improve your boxing performance? Incorporate
the moves into your workouts. They’ll help you build knockout power and strength
1
KETTLEBELL SWINGS
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees
slightly bent. Without rounding your lower back,
push your hips back and swing the kettlebell
between your legs to create momentum. Once the
kettlebell is behind you, drive your hips forward,
sending the kettlebell to shoulder height. At the
top of the movement, contract your core, glutes and
quads as hard as you can. Then allow the weight to
swing back between your legs. Repeat.
2
PULL-UPS
Start by hanging from a
bar, with your arms
completely straight (a).
This is called the “dead
hang” position. Without
swinging your torso to
gain momentum, pull
yourself up until your
shoulders are parallel
to the bar and your
elbows are bent (b).
Lower yourself back to
a dead hang. Repeat.
b
a
3
EXPLOSIVE MEDICINE
BALL PUSH-UP
Start in a plank position
with your arms below but
slightly wider than your
shoulders. Your left arm
should be on top of the
med ball (a). Lower your a b
body to the floor,
bending your elbows c
until your arms are at
45°, chest nearly
touching the floor.
Explosively push
yourself up so that your
hands leave the floor
(b). While in the air,
shift your torso to the
left so that you land
with your right hand on
the medicine ball. Repeat
the movement, this time
shifting your body
right, landing with your
left hand on the ball (c).
October 2019 119
 NEW PODCAST

In this brand new podcast , we chat to movie stars, athletes,

musicians, industry experts and extraordinary blokes about how
they have overcome adversity to find strength in their lives.

HQJWK6HVVLRQV
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Episode 1
Download the Men’s Health Strength Sessions
podcast on your favourite streaming app or visit
menshealth.com.au
 LOW-CARB KEDGEREE

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TIME TO MAKE YOU WILL NEED... Microswave the onion for 3min,
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October 2019 121

 UNLEASH YOUR
ABS IN 28 DAYS
By fusing the latest science with a bit of hard graft,
your core will be stronger and more defined in time for
boardies season. Note: this is a crunch-free zone
1A
YOUR BIT ON THE SIDES
For your first workout, you’re working
one side of your body at a time – or
“unilateral training”, should you want to
sound a bit geekier. “Not only will this
make you look cool as hell on the gym
floor, but it will also activate your core
and obliques twice as much as regular
abs movements,” says PT Michael
Jennings. The moves are paired in
supersets to keep your heart rate up.
Schedule this workout for Mondays and
Thursdays. Let’s get cracking.
122 menshealth.com.au
2A
1B
SUPERSET
1|| ONE-ARM
PARALLETTE ROW
(4 sets of 10 each arm)
In a high-plank position
with arms straight, grip a
parallette in one hand and
hold a dumbbell in the other.
Your body should be straight
with your legs out behind
you (A). With the weight just
above the floor, row up to
your hip, thinking about
pulling with your elbow (B).
Hold, then lower. Switch
sides after 10 reps, then go
straight into your swings.
2B
WORDS: MICHAEL JENNINGS; PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES
2||KETTLEBELL SWING
(4 sets of 15 each arm)
Stand tall with a kettlebell
in one hand between your
legs. Start the move by
hinging at your hips, with
your chest up and a slight
bend in your knees. Keep
your back straight (A). When
your torso is almost
parallel with the floor,
drive the weight up by
pushing your hips forward
(B). Switch sides after 15
reps, rest for 60 seconds
and go back to the rows.

3B
3A
SUPERSET
3|| REVERSE LUNGE
4 sets of 10 each leg
Stand tall with one
kettlebell extended above
your head (A). Stepping back
with the opposite leg, drop
your knee to touch the floor
(B) before pressing back to
standing. Keep your core
tight at all times and your
arm extended. After 10 reps
on one leg, switch sides
before going immediately
into your loaded carries.
U N L E AS H YO U R A B S I N 2 8 DAYS
THE
SPEC
WORKOUT
25
MIN
RESULTS IN
4
WEEKS
LEVEL
EASY
4B
4A
4||MIXED SUITCASE CARRY
4 sets of 20 metres each
Hold a kettlebell above your
head and a dumbbell by your
side (A). Keep your shoulders
back and tense your core as
you take the weights on the
move (B). After 20 metres or
so (the distance travelled is
really up to you), switch
arms and repeat. That’s one
set. Rest for 60 seconds
before your next round of
reverse lunges.
October 2019 123
 1A
1B
REDEFINE FAT BURNING
Strength forged, this workout will
fire up your metabolism and hit your
abs in different (and devilish) ways.
“By switching between pulling and
pushing, you’ll delay fatigue in your
muscles, so you can work at
a higher intensity for longer,” says
Jennings. “You’ll call on your abs in
every one of these moves to keep
your balance.” Do this workout on
Tuesdays and Fridays, and rest on
Wednesdays. Off you go, champion.
124 menshealth.com.au
2A
1|| SEATED BAND ROW
(4 sets of 10)
Sit down with your legs
straight out in front of you
and wrap a resistance band
around your feet, holding
the other end of the loop in
both hands (A). Contract
your back and biceps to pull
the band towards you and
hold, briefly, a couple of
centimetres from your chest
(B). This is the hardest
part, so keep your core
tight and back straight.
Reverse slowly and repeat.
2B
2|| ALTERNATING MED BALL
(4 sets of 12)
Set up in a push-up position
– this time, though, grip a
medicine ball (or wall ball)
underneath one hand.
Perform your push-up as
normal, keeping your back
flat and your core tight (A).
However, when you come back
to full extension of your
arms at the top (B), roll the
ball across and underneath
to your other hand, ready
to go immediately into
your next rep.

3A
3B
3|| DUMBBELL THRUSTER
(4 sets of 12)
Standing tall holding a pair
of dumbbells to your
shoulders, drop into a squat,
keeping your core tight (A).
As you explode back up
through your quads, press
the weights above your head,
fully extending your arms at
the top (B). Bring the
weights to your shoulders,
just before you drop
straight back into your
second squat. Houston, we
have lift off.
U N L E AS H YO U R A B S I N 2 8 DAYS
4A
4B
4|| WALK OUT TOE TAP
(4 sets of 4)
Start the rep by folding
forward and extending your
hands to the floor (A). Walk
your hands out until you
reach a high plank. From
here, reach back with your
left hand to touch your
right foot (B), then repeat
with the other hand. Walk
your hands back and return
to standing to complete your
first rep.
October 2019 125
 KUMAIL NANJIANI
IS NOT JOKING
The comedian-actor’s transformation
from Silicon Valley nerd into action-
movie badass is all about intensity,
commitment – and high voltage
ANDREW HEFFERNAN HANA ASANO

FOLLOW HER LEAD:

TOWERSEY WILL
GUIDE YOU TO
IMPREGNABILITY.

Kumail Nanjiani is in a dimly lit basement

weight room in Beverly Hills called the
Granite Gym, electrical wires attached to his
back. Elbows in two cloth cradles, he grunts
through reps of a modified lat pulldown as his
trainer, Grant Roberts, delivers electric
charges to his back muscles.

“You ready?” Roberts
asks. “Never,” Nanjiani says.
Roberts fires another shock
anyway, and Nanjiani’s lats
quiver. Then he does another
all-out rep.
The 41-year-old is hoping
all that voltage (okay, only 70
milliamps, but still!) can
fast-track his transformation
from comedic actor into
action star. Nanjiani made his
name by making you laugh in
The Big Sick and HBO’s
Silicon Valley, and this year’s
Men in Black: International.
But his next role, rumoured
to be in a major comic-book
film, involves a makeover. “I
realise what’s holding me
back from those roles is how I
look,” he says. “So I’m
changing that.”
To that end, Nanjiani’s
been trudging down to
Granite five days a week for
the past three months to train
with Roberts, a former Mr
Canada. Roberts uses
electronic stimulation (e-stim
to trainers) to help fire up
target muscles – and it’s a
strange sensation. But
Nanjiani is fully on board,
absorbing milliamps and
grinding out reps.
It’s just one technique
Roberts is deploying to
catapult his client onto the
action-hero A-list – a major
leap for an actor who came
to Hollywood after growing
up in Pakistan and attending
college in Iowa. Before he
met Roberts, Nanjiani had
been your average gymgoer,
riding the stationary bike to
nowhere for 20 minutes a
day. Now his workouts draw
from the bodybuilder

BREAK OF BRAWN
Nanjiani’s spent extra time (and electricity!) building action-hero shoulders. Want to bulk yours up? Try his workout

DIRECTIONS: 1 2 3 4

Do the first 3 moves
as a triset, one
right after the
other, using the
same dumbbells. Do 3
rounds, resting 60
seconds between
each round. Then do
exercise 4.
FRONT RAISE
Stand with dumbbells
at your sides, palms
in. Raise the
weights in front of
you until your arms
are parallel to the
floor. Pause, then
lower. Do 5-8 reps.
LATERAL RAISE REAR-DELT RAISE W PRESS
Stand with dumbbells Bend your knees and Sit on a bench,
in front of you, hinge your torso dumbbells at your
palms in. Raise the forward, keeping shoulders. Press
dumbbells directly your back flat, arms them up and out;
out to your sides, hanging. Raise the pause when your
elbows bent slightly. dumbbells out to arms are nearly
Pause, then lower. your sides. Pause, straight. Return to
Do 5-8 reps. then lower. Do 5-8. start. Do 3x12-15.

126 menshealth.com.au

playbook, and his trademark
wit has been replaced by a
thousand-yard stare.
“When I’m exercising, I’m
not thinking about anything
else,” he says. “It’s like
meditation.” That may be
why Nanjiani’s friends
“practically staged an
intervention” a few months
ago to get him out of the
gym. The last thing they want
is a T-1000 clone of Nanjiani
replacing Silicon Valley’s
Dinesh. “Several of my
friends have said, ‘There’s
nothing funny about a guy
who works out all the time.’”
Nanjiani doesn’t care: “I’m
kind of obsessed with it.”
Even when he’s not
hooked up to diodes,
Nanjiani thinks about the
gym. His diet is so
KUMAL NANJIANI
NANJIANI ON
His go-to cheat meal . . .
“Pakistani food is
delicious, but it’s
a lot of carbs:
biryani, naan
bread, tons of
rice. Afterward,
my wife and I will
say, ‘Let’s
take a
quick
nap’. We
wake up
five hours s
later.”
His current diet . . .
“Basically, it’s
five days of low-
carb, then over the
weekend you eat as
much as you want.
But I’m still
trying to figure
out the food thing
because I wasn’t
eating enough. I’m
afraid of gaining
the wrong kind of
weight because I’m
very vain.”
His best comedy tip . . .
“My favourite
comedic actor
growing up was Bill
Murray. He’s the
opposite of effort.
He’s really not
trying at
all.” (Not
recommended
as a gym
strategy.)
squeaky-clean that Roberts
has to nudge him to carb up
on cheat day. The actor’s
goal: slap 10 kilograms of
muscle onto his 68-kg frame.
No joke.
But he insists he’s not
turning his back on comedy;
rather, he’s expanding his
acting range. “Look at Bruce
Willis in Die Hard,” he says.
“He was very funny while
staying true to the tone of NANJIANI WORKS OUT WITH
the movie.” In the process, ELECTRONIC STIMULATION, WHICH
HELPS HIM FOCUS ON THE CORRECT
the TV lightweight became
MUSCLES DURING MOVES LIKE
one of the heaviest hitters
THESE REAR-DELT RAISES, ABOVE.
in Hollywood.
Nanjiani has his eyes on a
similar prize. “If I can be a big,
buff person with the same
outlook I have now, that
would be pretty cool,” he
says. “There aren’t many
people around like that.”
October 2019 127
Over 1,500 exercises,
workouts and training plans
Ideal for any fitness level
Download now for free!

Your Reliable Training Partner.

The Men’s Health Personal Trainer App.
Search for Men’s Health Fitness Trainer in your favourite app store
 THE FINAL PULL

BEACH READY: THE FORMAT 1

This one-two gut punch is guaranteed

HARD AND FAST
The key to maximum

THE FINAL PULL

to make you sweat. Start a timer kilojoule burn on the
and row 100m, aiming for under 30 rower is speed. These
seconds. For the rest of the minute, are 100m sprints, so
drop into a hollow rock. Repeat this strap in and start
Add the finishing touches to your abs EMOM superset for 10 rounds. The pulling. Your form
with ROCK THE BOAT – a fusion of energy combo will give you six of the best. needn’t be perfect,
but focus on driving
burn and core control that’ll strip fat off with your legs.
Keep your core tight
and sculpt muscle where it counts
and engage your lats
to pull the handle to
your chest. Using the
larger muscles in
your legs will help
you go faster, and
they won’t fatigue
as quickly in the
later rounds.

QUICK CHANGE
As cross the 100m
mark, loosen your
foot straps. Take an
extra second here
to open them up.
Slipping out of
the straps is
easy, but getti
back in isn’t, so
give yourself a
fighting chance for
round two by doing
3 the fidd art now.
HOLLOW OUT Once you’re free,
Lying on the floor, dro o the und
lif our head alongside the rower
feet about 10cm and take a few deep
Contract your core,
pulling your belly
button down, and
roc orw an
back. This will
engage your six-pack
and de r core.
Grit your teeth for
the remainder of the

returning to the
rower. Only nine
rounds to g
PHOTOGRAPHY: PHILIP HAYNES
WORDS: T

October 2 129
 ONE WORD ANSWER
QUESTION
Which classic
indulgence from
the mother country
can help you control
your weight?
“YOU DON’T HAVE to swing hard to hit a
home run,” said the 18-time All-Star baseball
player Yogi Berra. “If you got the timing, it’ll
go.” Regardless of what you do, how you do
it or who you are, success often comes
down to a matter of when. “The essential
ingredient of politics is timing,” the former
Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau
once explained, while the trumpeter Miles
Davis rasped: “Time isn’t the main thing – it’s
the only thing.”
And timing is no less crucial when you’re
trying to survive another round of decadent
backyard parties without jettisoning your
weight-loss ambitions altogether.
Thankfully, a recent study at the University
of Arizona suggests a simple way to have
your cake – or cherry trifle – and eat it, too.
According to cognitive scientist Martin
Reimann, deciding on your dessert before
selecting your main course can help you
significantly reduce your total kilojoule
intake for the meal. “Individuals are
influenced by the first item they see and
make their subsequent food choices on the
basis of it,” Reimann reported in the Journal
of Experimental Psychology.
130 menshealth.com.au
ANSWER
Trifle
In his study, conducted at a campus
cafeteria, test subjects who opted for
a kilojoule-rich, “unhealthy” dessert prior
to deciding on the rest of their lunch
consumed an average of 1050 kilojoules
fewer over the course of their meal than
others who chose a lighter dessert. Those
who selected the same rich option after
choosing their main course, however,
scoffed down an extra 630 kilojoules.
The timing of the decision was everything,
in other words.
The real cherry on top was the fact this
powerful moderating effect on food choices
was linked to indulgent treats in particular
– not “healthy” desserts, such as fresh fruit.
WORDS: YO ZUSHI; PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL HEDGE
And what’s more indulgent than trifle, with
its “light, frothy cream, velvety custard and
tangy fruit mingling with the bouquet of
wine,” as food writer Helen Sabri once put
it? So, as perverse as it may sound, that
sugar-laden serving on your paper plate
could help you succeed in your weight-loss
ambitions – as long as you commit to eating
it early and not once you’ve scoffed a main
that would’ve frightened Henry VIII. Sounds
like a sweet deal.
 Boutique
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