Muscle & Fitness Australia

Death is rarely fair, but sometimes it can seem so inexplicably UNfair it leaves you scrabbling to make sense of it. In September last year, the editor-in-chief of Muscle & Fitness, Shawn Perine, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. He was young, fit and otherwise super-healthy. He never smoked, drank or used drugs and he spent his career spreading the gospel of a fit and healthy lifestyle. He was the essence of everything that M&F was about. Yet by December he was gone. I think the only way you can make any sense out of a situation like this is to look at your own life and think about how precious it is. Be grateful for what you have. Cherish every moment and waste none. Have you been putting…

LEADING MAN Boseman is no stranger to Marvel flicks. He debuted as Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. TRAIN JUST FOR YOU The effectiveness of your exercise regime may depend on your personality type, with more creative people better suited to outdoor activities like cycling. So says a new study presented at the British Psychological Society’s annual conference. It also found extroverts were more likely to prefer exercising at the gym, while those with a preference for objective logic were more likely to stick with a regimented exercise plan. NEWS CINNAMON IGNITES THE FAT-BURNING FURNACES Cinnamon has oils in the bark called cinnamaldehyde that help turn on fat cells’ metabolism, says a recent study from the University of Michigan, US. The oils made genes and enzymes related to revving…

PACK IT UP Packing your neck during exercises keeps your spine neutral, improving your posture and power output. Neck pain is extremely common, with around 50 percent of all Aussies expected to experience it at some stage. As your neck is central to your entire body, everyday activities, let alone lifting weights, can be severely impacted. To help, see below to identify and solve your personal neck nightmare. THE PROBLEM You have a sharp pain in your neck that has begun to radiate up to your skull and down to your upper back. You feel discomfort when sleeping and performing everyday tasks. THE CAUSE Extending your 3.5- to 4.5-kilo melon too far forward or too far back, over time, will cause immense strain to your neck, says chiropractor Jason Brown.…

I’m surprised when the guy next to me takes off his shirt in the middle of our workout – not because that’s unusual for a CrossFit class, but because he’s a metre away from his boss’ boss’ boss: Matt O’Toole, CEO of Reebok. Like most days around noon, O’Toole is grunting through the workout of the day in CrossFit Reebok One, a 9100-square-metre gym on the first floor of the company’s new US headquarters. When I’d met O’Toole at the CrossFit Games last year, he’d told me he’s a regular in the class, but I didn’t know whether he was exaggerating. As I watch him in class, though, I start to believe. At 55, he’s fit enough to do complicated moves that require serious muscle, like strict handstand push-ups and…

1958 Reebok is founded by Englishmen Joe and Jeff Foster and named after the grey rhebok, a type of African antelope. 1979 American Paul Fireman sees Reebok’s products, negotiates for a distribution license and releases three running shoes in the US. 1982 Reebok introduces the Freestyle, a shoe designed especially for women and aerobic dance, and finds its first commercial success. 1989 Reebok debuts the Pump, the first shoe to have an internal inflation mechanism. By 1992, more than 100 pro athletes, including Shaquille O’Neal, wear it. 2000–2003 Reebok partners with American football, basketball and hockey teams. 2009 The company decides to gradually exit the team sports market and transition exclusively to fitness. 2010 Reebok signs a 10-year deal with CrossFit and becomes the sport’s title sponsor. There were roughly…

JUST SAY NO I’ve never willingly been high or drunk in my life. Now, when I’m under a doctor’s care, they take me out. But when I’m awake and alive, I’ve never even had a joint in my hand, much less in my mouth. No coke, no nothing. When somebody toasts somebody, I don’t want to insult anybody, so I may have a drop or two of champagne or whatever they have. I find it vile and disgusting, but that’s just me. WALK HARD These days I hike. It’s all about cardio and keeping your heart pumping. I go on five-mile [8km] hikes up hills in the Santa Monica Mountains. No cellphone, no music. I just go. I’ve also got a decent-size house with three floors and no elevators. Anytime…