Men's Health Australia February 2019

When I tell people I work at Men’s Health, the response is invariably the same: “Oh, I’ve grown up with that magazine!” It’s a statement that makes me proud to play a part in a brand that was so crucial in my mates’ formative years. But it also makes me wonder about the concept of ‘growing up’. As men, do we ever really stop evolving? Should we? As Men’s Health enters our 21st year in Australia with a new editor at the helm (nice to meet you), it’s the perfect time to reflect on our evolution. Turning 21 is a coming of age moment for any man. We celebrate all (or most) of what’s come before, and toast the tantalising possibilities that lie ahead. Entering adulthood comes with a big blowout party,…

After the inevitable excesses of the festive season, a month off the sauce seems like a fair penance. Dry January does have some benefits: it’ll likely improve your sleep, while a study from University College London found it could decrease your liver fat by 15 per cent. However, research suggests that half of us return to our bad habits soon afterwards. Swapping hedonism with abstinence plays into our culture’s pernicious all-or-nothing relationship with booze. In reality, those who drink regularly but moderately have been shown to be healthier than teetotallers. So, we’d plump for Veganuary, the clunkily named month of trading meat and dairy for plant-based foods. “High intakes of animal produce can have an inflammatory effect, increasing the risk of insulin resistance and heart disease,” says nutritional therapist Francesca…

Not if you’re consistent. If you always turn in at 2am and rise at 10am, you’re good. Or 8pm to 4am? Also good. But if your bedtime and wake-up times vary wildly, you may be setting yourself up for sleep problems, says Dr Rodney Radtke, a neurologist specialising in sleep medicine. That’s because irregular sleep patterns can mess with your body clock, making it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up when you want to. Late night? Still get up at your normal time, says Radtke. “That sets your clock.” Set your alarm every night with Google Home; $129, store.google.com.…

IIneeddto tolose l esomeeserious ri s latimber d. So,Sw, wha t should should I I start t rt with it :: weights i ts orr cardio r i ? I’d make sure you’re regularly hitting 10,000 steps first, then start thinking about workouts. OK, I’ll walk to and from work. Now, what about that training? Cardio is safest after a hiatus. Do 3 steady-state sessions per week: a gentle run or swim. After two weeks, swap one of your sessions for HIIT, to push your body harder. Does that mean I should avoid the weights room completely? Until your cardio feels easier, yes. Then add a weights day. Are there any particular exercises I should do? Train the larger muscle groups with squats and deadlifts – you’ll burn more fat that way. Jonny Jacobs, @everyday_athlete_performance…

07 MINUTES TO WIND UP YOUR METABOLISM WITH A BACON ROLL YOUR DAYS of nibbling forlornly on rabbit food in pursuit of a leaner physique are over. According to a new studyinthe Journal of Nutrition, whichever macronutrient makes up the bulk of your breakfast will be what your metabolism prefers to use for fuel over the course of that day. Which means bacon is now a research-approved weight-loss weapon. Allow us to explain. If you start each morning with a breakfast of oats and fruit, your body will be primed to utilise carbohydrates as fuel throughout the day – which is great news for your athletic performance, but less useful if the primary purpose of your training is weight loss. Take seven minutes to perfectly crisp up your bacon, however, and you’ll program…

STEVE WILLIS’ HEAD is bobbing up and down as the rhythmic whack of a skipping rope slaps a rubber mat in a car park in Sydney’s Alexandria. His eyes are locked on a distant target only he can see as I wait, and wait, for his concentration to falter and the rope’s elliptical blur to halt at his feet. Finally, on the 26th double-under the spell is broken. Willis’ gaze shifts and his jaw slackens, as his stern, formidable visage cracks into a disarming grin. “Four more,” he says, before resuming his 30-count set. He duly knocks them off before moving onto some kettlebell work. The celebrity trainer’s body betrays little of his 42 years. His face is perhaps more illuminating, etched in character lines, possibly from running around after his three-year-old…