Volkswagen Edition

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E-mail any enquiries to us at [email protected]
July/Aug 2019
ON THE COVER

62
THIS PERSONAL
TRAINER
IS NOW…
AVAILABLE
MEET OUR FAVOURITE PT TRAINER, WHO’S
RECENTLY GONE THE FREELANCE ROUTE

34
DAD WISDOM FOR ALL AGES
It’s Father’s Day, and here’s a quick 101 for dudes to
figure out every stage of parenting, and also how to
maintain their fitness through it all.

28
MINIMISE YOUR RISK OF BRAIN CANCER
Live long and prosper- and make sure you read
this. Brain cancer is no laughing matter.

18
WHAT TO DO IF SHE’S HURTING
DURING SEX?
It’s you, dummy, and here’s the
easy solution.
ON THE
COVER
70 COVER GUY
SYAFAWI HO
5 SPEED HACKS TO GO FASTER PHOTOGRAPHY
CHARLES CHUA
If you want to hit new personal bests,
STYLING
here’s some tricks to try. SHEH
OUTFIT
ASICS
FITNESS DIRECTION

IN EVERY ISSUE
FIRDAUZ BIN ABDUL
GAHNI (PERSONAL
TRAINER AT ULTIMATE
PERFORMANCE
06 ED’S NOTE SINGAPORE)

10 ASK MEN’S HE ALTH ART DIRECTION

JASON TAN
80 E X TR AS!

2
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U LY / A U G U S T 1 9
 W W W . M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G

58 BUILD
THAT BACK
8 workout moves that will
help you sculpt your back
muscles.

10
FARTING AT THE
GYM- YAY OR NAY?
What to do, and how to do it.

WHY IS SHE CRYING?

20
HERE’S THE ANSWER TO ONE
OF THE MOST MASCULINE
MYSTERY OF THE UNIVERSE.

WHAT IS MANLINESS
24
TO SINGAPOREANS?

46
FIND OUT IN THESE SURVEY
RESULTS.

HOW KEVIN SMITH

66
WENT FROM FAT TO FIT
IT TOOK ALMOST DYING, BUT DIET 101
THE HOLLYWOOD LEGEND Everything you
KNUCKLED DOWN AND need to know about
CHANGED HIS LIFE, POSSIBLY eating smart and
SAVING IT. HERE’S HOW. eating right.

3
J U LY / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 GET IN TOUCH WITH US AT: MENSHEALTH.COM.SG/CONNECT

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ULTIMATE PERFORMANCE ULTIMATE
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ED'S
Australia
IAN COCKERILL
Brazil
SERGIO XAVIER

NOTE
Bulgaria

5 SKILLS YOU’LL HAVE FIGURED VLADIMIR

KONSTANTINOV

OUT AFTER READING THIS ISSUE China

ZHOU SONG
Croatia
ROBERT FRKOVIC
France
PATRICK GUERINET

As a dad and approaching my Germany

MARKUS STENGLEIN
40’s, my training is less about vanity Greece
nowadays, and more about wanting VASSILIS
GEORGAKAKOS
to move, play, and perform well.
Hungary
I keep fit so that I can keep up MÁTÉ PÁSZTOR
with my six-year-old son, Bradley, India
AROON PURIE
and I train so that I can be a part of
Indonesia
his today and his future. NINO SUJUDI
For these reasons, my workouts Italy
must be smart. Everything I do must ENRICO BARBIERI

be effective, efficient. I must spend Kazakhstan

ANDREY MANUYLOV
less to get more. Malaysia
My training has to make me more JOHN NG
vital and durable—mentally, Netherlands
JAN PETER JANSEN
emotionally, and physically. And it
Philippines
must enable me to do things I love ALLAN MADRILEJOS
and to be powerfully present for my Poland
son. KRZYSZTOF KOMAR
Portugal
In short, fitness has to serve us PEDRO LUCAS
and those we love as we naturally Romania
age, not steal from us. And so does MIHAI GHIDUC

all our small day-to-day choices, be Russia

KIRILL
it for work, play, and parenting. VISHNEPOLSKY
There’s no room for bad choices, Serbia and
because moments, once passed, Montenegro
IVAN RADOJCIC
never return. Singapore
That’s why in this issue’s Father’s KELVIN TAN
Day special, we’ve created an South Africa
JASON BROWN
environment where those thinking
South Korea
of fatherhood, those already in it, SEUNG KWAN PAIK
and those feeling weary from it, can Spain
take away fitness and life hacks to JORDI MARTINEZ
Thailand
be better dads, and be better men. CHATCHAWIN
In fact, for the workouts, try a few UNHANUN

with your kids- they’ll thank you for Turkey

FATIH BÜYÜKBAYRAK
it. In my personal experience using
my 20kg son (or “the two bags of
rice” nickname we tease him with)
1 WHY SHE CRIES 20
Ukraine
DMITRY PRIBYTKO
United Kingdom
instead of a medicine ball for TOBY WISEMAN

WHAT MANLINESS IN
2
squads and lunges makes workouts Latin America
a lot more fun… for both of us.
SINGAPORE IS 24
FRANCISCO CUEVAS
ARGENTINA

ARUBA

HOW TO LOWER YOUR

3 BRAIN CANCER RISK 28
CHILE

Ed i tor COLOMBIA

COSTA RICA

THE SECRET TO BE
4 CHILL 30
CURAÇAO

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

ECUADOR

WHY FEMALE
5 TRAINERS ROCK 62
EL SALVADOR

GUATEMALA

HONDURAS

MEXICO

NICARAGUA

PANAMA

PERU

VENEZUELA

6
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 THOMAS D’ESTHETIQUE SPECIAL

SMOOTH OPERATOR
WANT A BACHELOR PARTY WITH A DIFFERENCE? CONSIDER A
BRAZILIAN WAXING PARTY FROM THOMAS D’ESTHETIQUE THAT’LL
LEAVE YOUR BUDDY FEELING SLICK AND SMOOTH ON HIS WEDDING DAY.

ure, you’ve heard of Tupperware,

scrap-booking, wine tasting and
spa parties. But it’s not just girls
who know how to have fun. Men
can have their share of ingenious
ways to get together. Just add
waxing to that list. Better still, a bachelor
Brazilian waxing party for your buddy who’s
soon to be married.
While it might not sound like an ideal
evening out for some, waxing parties are
gaining popularity the world over. In Singapore,
bachelor waxing is a new Brazilian waxing
experience introduced by Thomas D’esthetique,
the leading men’s aesthetics, wellness and
skincare salon. Its founder, Thomas Tong, has
over 20 years of experience as a face and body
aromatherapist for men, skilled at hair removal
via Brazilian waxing.
Thomas D’esthetique provides two waxing
services to suit one’s comfort level. In addition,
the procedure can be done either in the privacy
of one’s home or at the salon.
So what actually happens during a waxing
session? As you lie face down, warm Brazilian
Hard Wax is applied onto your nether regions.
The trickling of wax is surprisingly pleasant.
Muslin strips are then stuck onto skin and,
before you know it, removed with a quick yank.
As it’s done with such swift dexterity, the pain
is almost negligible. After you turn over, wax
is applied on your most delicate areas and the
procedure is repeated.
For added male bonding, you can have
everyone at the party experience Brazilian, too.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THOMAS D’ESTHETIQUE AT 6337-6585 OR VISIT THE SALON AT #03-01 EXCELSIOR SHOPPING
CENTRE, 5 COLEMAN STREET
 AT M E N S H E A LT H .C O M . S G

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How To
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Stamina: 5
VIE W OUR PHOTOGR APHS AT
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Easy Ways To menshealth_sg

Last Longer
You can’t just develop
stellar endurance and
stamina overnight. Whether
you’re a guy who loves a long THE MOST
weekend run or if you’re
simply hoping to stick to your
USEFUL
workout for more time than E-MAIL IN
you did last week, use these
expert-backed strategies
YOUR INBOX
Sign up for our newsletter when
to stay in it for the long haul.
https://www.menshealth. you register to be a member on
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increase-stamina-easy- free expert advice and tips delivered
ways-last-longer- straight to your inbox. Each week, you’ll
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look like a million bucks and get the girl.
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•M H VID EO•

TEXT GILBERT WONG

The Rock’s Leg Day
Workout: His Coach
Explains How It Works
Best Low-Fat If you want powerful legs like Dwayne
Cheeses That Won’t “The Rock” Johnson, his leg day routine will
be your shortcut to size. PHOTOS 123RF

Destroy Your Diet https://www.menshealth.com.sg/fitness/

If you love your cheese but the-rock-leg-day-workout-coach-train-size-
are on a strict low-fat diet, strength/
fear not. These cheese
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8
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 AMARIS B. CLINIC
SPECIAL

MEET THE MAN

BOOB MYTHBUSTER
THERE’S JUST AS MUCH FACT AS FICTION CIRCULATING ON THE INTERNET WHEN IT COMES
TO WHAT CAUSES MAN BOOBS, OR GYNECOMASTIA, IF YOU’D PREFER THE MORE LEARNED
TERM. AMARIS B. CLINIC’S DR IVAN PUAH EXPLAINS WHAT’S TRUE, AND WHAT’S NOT.

The trouble is, too few men

understand the condition:
according to a survey reported
in the South China Morning
Post almost 80% of 500 men
interviewed aged above 40 had
heard about andropause; yet failed
on average in answering questions
on its treatment and symptoms.
Its link to man boobs?
Testosterone production drops
during andropause, and the
hormonal imbalance could lead to
the development of gynecomastia.

MYTH 4: ANY DOCTOR CAN

While some women fret about cause significant hormonal PERFORM A GYNECOMASTIA
having breasts that are too small, imbalances. SURGERY
some guys worry about having Nope, not every doctor with an
breasts that are too large. MYTH 2: CHEST WORKOUTS M.D can treat your man boobs.
Unfortunately, when they look in ARE THE SOLUTION TO FIX Like every medical speciality,
the mirror, they seem to have less GYNAECOMASTIA it requires a doctor skilled in
chest and more breast. If you’re Gynecomastia is caused by gynecomastia surgery, and also
unaware, sometimes it’s not about hormone imbalance so while one about to give you the best
how much (or how little) they’ve exercising is good, it does not advice from years of experience.
been working out, but rather resolve the underlying issue at all. You might also have your own
whether or not they have a As with women, breasts in men vision on what your chest should
condition called gynecomastia, are made up of glandular and fatty look like, and it’s utterly important
colloquially known as man boobs. tissue. Gynecomastia occurs that you do your research on which
Here’s a breakdown of some when excess glandular tissue is doctor can help you achieve that.
myths about this you might have produced. When an abundance Trained in gynecomastia
read on the internet. or excess fat is appearing on the surgery, Dr. Puah recognises that
chest area, it is known as each patient is unique, and
MYTH 1: YOUR BEER HABIT IS pseudogynecomastia (fake requires a customised approach
WHY YOU’VE GOT MAN BOOBS gynecomastia), and this condition to achieve the desired outcome.
Logically, alcohol contains calories can be treated with liposuction Want to get a chest you can be
and carbs, so you’d think drinking is alone. proud of? Make sure you check
why you’re packing man boobs. out www.amaris-b.com!
Ironically though, a review in Current MYTH 3: GYNECOMASTIA IS
Obesity Reports found drinkers CAUSED BY OBESITY, NOT
weigh less than teetotallers! Beer MALE MENOPAUSE FOR MORE INFORMATION
connoisseurs who are fans of Indian Contrary to popular misconception, AND ADVICE, CALL
Pale Ales (IPA) also tend to worry being overweight is not the only AMARIS B. CLINIC NOW!
about a condition known to brewers cause of gynecomastia. It may be
as “Brewer’s Droop”, another name caused by hereditary and ageing as Amaris B. Clinic
for man boobs. Why? IPAs contain some men experience physical www.amaris-b.com
phytoestrogen, a plant-based changes as they get older, which 140 Arab Street
estrogen hormone- but the fact is can be caused by male menopause Singapore 199827
the levels in IPAs are too low to or andropause. Contact: +65 6536 4211
 MEN’S HEALTH

IS FARTING AT THE GYM EVER OK?

PHOTOS 123RF

10
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 G E T M O R E A N S W E R S T O L I F E ’ S Q U E S T I O N S AT

M E N S H E A LT H . C O M . S G /A S K- M H

YES/NO/MAYBE I ASKED MY

LEGAL EASE
NEIGHBOUR
DOES APPLE CIDER VINEGAR HELP TO LOOK
YOU LOSE WEIGHT? – SHAWN AFTER MY
There is some evidence that acetic acid can be good for weight PLANTS BUT
loss, since it targets body fat, explains Carol Johnston, Ph.D., R.D.,
associate director of the nutrition program at Arizona State THEY
University, who has done extensive research on the subject. NEGLECTED TO
When you consume small amounts of acetic acid through apple DO SO AND MY
cider vinegar, it activates your metabolism to help your body use
fat as a form of energy rather than storing it, Johnston says. PLANTS HAVE
Johnston says it’s worth trying — provided you’re not looking DIED. WHAT
for immediate results. “Vinegar is not a magic bullet for weight CAN I DO?
There are several reasons why we loss. I have seen very modest weight loss in my studies, of one to
two pounds after 12 weeks,” she explained to the Washington It may be possible for
get gassy during physical
Post. you to bring a claim in
exertion. First, heavy breathing To sum up: Apple cider vinegar is not a magical weight loss the tort of negligence. If
causes excess air to get trapped solution, and experts agree you’re much better off changing your your neighbour had
in our digestive tract, which is diet and exercise routine than taking shots of vinegar. behaved in an
released through the anus, unreasonable manner
Women’s Health reported. Plus, while your plants were
under his care, his
all that moving stimulates the careless behaviour was
digestive process, which also affects your health or the from her perspective, it’s just the cause of your
contributes to gassiness. Dr. John wellbeing of the people around going to drive you crazy and drive damaged plants and
Whyte, Chief Medical Officer at you. People with chronic anger the two of you apart. you had suffered loss,
you may be able to
WebMD, made a medical case for have an active adrenal system, bring a claim in
those in favour of relieving leading to increased risk for WOMEN HAVE TOLD ME THEY negligence against him
themselves in public. pulmonary issues. So notice your WANT MEN WHO “DON’T PLAY or her for monetary
Holding in that air means anger. Then pause and breathe. GAMES.” OTHERS SAY THEY compensation.
However, there is a
contracting your muscles, and Try “box breathing”: Slowly inhale, “LOVE THE CHASE.” WHAT’S
difference between
doing this while exerting other holding your breath, then exhale. THE APPROPRIATE BALANCE? knowing what your
muscle groups is unnatural for When your anger is under your — ERIC plants are worth and
your body. In fact, doing both at control, you can communicate Women want to be desired. If that proving their worth. In
other words, be
the same time could lead to your needs rather than Incredible comes in a very straightforward
prepared to show
injuries and abnormal spikes in Hulking through life. package, that’s great. But making evidence of the loss
blood pressure. things less predictable can make you suffered as a result
“You don’t want to be MY NEWISH GIRLFRIEND them feel more illicit, which can of your plants dying.
contracting and clenching down POSTS A LOT OF REVEALING be a major hot factor. Whether
when you’re exerting other SELFIES. NOW THAT WE’RE that means sending flirty texts or
DO YOU HAVE A
muscle groups,” says Whyte. SERIOUS, IT’S A LITTLE WEIRD. one of you obviously playing hard QUESTION ABOUT THE
CAN I SAY SOMETHING? — to get, it all reminds me of the LAW THAT YOU WANT TO
FIND OUT?
I GET UPSET PRETTY EASILY. STEVE seven-second test. (You know, Please send it to us at
DOES THAT MAKE ME AN Not really. We’re all out here that “stare into each other’s eyes magmenshealth
@sph.com.sg.
ANGRY PERSON? — ROGER building our own brands via for seven seconds and you’ll
Maybe. Do you notice social media. (And some of those either fight or f***” thing?)
The legal information here
your stress rising in an brands are about selfies in Although I agree that we don’t does not constitute legal advice.
uncomfortable way during bikinis.) You should absolutely tell want to “play games,” we do You should always consult a
lawyer for the professional
interpersonal situations, too? Are her that you are feeling different sometimes want to draw out the assurance that our information,
and your interpretation of it,is
your friends and family voicing about her feed now that you’re inevitable fireworks. Working appropriate to your particular
concerns? Anger’s a completely exclusive, but you can’t ask her to harder for it can make finally situation, before you commence
any sort of legal action. We are
valid human emotion. But it can change it. If she’s proud of her lighting the fuse that much more not liable if you fail to do so.
become a problem when it photo shoots and you can’t see it rewarding.

11
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 BY A M O S B A R S H A D | P H O T O G R A P H S BY B E N WAT T S | S T Y L I N G : T E D S TA F F O R D, G R O O M I N G : J O D I E B O L A N D U S I N G L A B
SERIES SKINCARE FOR MEN, PROP ST YLING: ANTHONY ASARO & KENDYLL LEGIER FOR ART DEPARTMENT
DRAGO
FAMILY
VALUES
THIRTY-FOUR YEARS AFTER DOLPH LUNDGREN TOOK ON
THE MANTLE OF THE GREATEST VILLAIN IN THE ROCKY
CANON, HE’S HANDED IT DOWN TO A NEWCOMER, AND A
NEW GENERATION OF MEN, WITH FLORIAN MUNTEANU.

12
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 In 2018, with Creed II, Drago is seems to fully, understandably, being that physical person.”
back—and he’s brought his confuse the European. The bar’s gotten noisy. It’s
firstborn, Viktor Drago, along. In Munteanu ends up getting a dotted with young people
a development both stupidly blue-cheese double burger, (estimated dates of birth: post–
inevitable and undeniably which he patiently waits to eat Rocky V, at least) absolutely
good, Munteanu’s Viktor will until the bartender brings over crushing their after-work frozés.
fight Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis a fork and a knife. We chat a while longer, loosely.
Creed—the long-lost son of Soon after being cast, We reminisce about all the
Apollo, the man Ivan killed in Lundgren and Munteanu muscle-bound greats that
the ring. Our global conflicts, started working out together in Munteanu now hopes to
our ideals of strength, our L. A. “When you train together,” emulate. Sly, of course.
On a picnic bench at a sunny relationships with our dads— Lundgren says, “you develop a Schwarzenegger. Van Damme.
bar in a part of Brooklyn littered what hasn’t changed since the very pure type of respect for the Seagal! Claims Lundgren, “You
with post-apocalyptic-looking moment Apollo hit the canvas? person.” For Munteanu, it had could put a camera on Steven
warehouses used for photo And yet, somehow, the echoes of his childhood, in Seagal, he could fight five guys
shoots sit a father and son, sort ostensibly 2-D characters are Munich gyms with his dad, an in here right now.” On cue, we
of. The younger man is Florian here to grapple with all these obsessive boxing fan. look around the room at the
Munteanu. He’s 29, a boxer and revolutions. We are into the fifth “Immediately, I felt that I went competition, young men
fitness model born and raised decade of the Rocky franchise, back into the past with my fulfilling clichés in flannels and
in Germany to a family that fled and I sincerely hope we have father again.” beards.
Nicolae Ceaușescu’s five more to go. When Lundgren shot Rocky “You think you could fight
Communist-controlled The two large men sit side by IV, he was the same age these guys?” I ask.
Romania. The older man is side—Munteanu in a rad Munteanu is now. The age Munteanu smiles. Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren. He’s 62, a vintage Bulls zip-up, Lundgren difference was its own picks a target for him: “Maybe
damaged Swedish nerd and in a tight white T-shirt and inspiration. “If I could match him that fat guy back there. . . .”
survivor of Hollywood’s ’80s Buddhist prayer beads. I feel in something,” Lundgren says, Then Lundgren thinks of his
action wars. like their combined breadth “it was enough for me. And I own life lived in mirrored weight
In 1985’s Rocky IV, Lundgren could block out the sun. (I knew, was thinking, as I was watching rooms. “I’m realizing, Shit, how
gifted us Ivan Drago, the USSR’s of course, that Lundgren was a Florian”—he turns to the young many times have I gone to the
indestructible killing machine. big fella. Munteanu’s size man—“there’ll be a day when gym? Millions and millions? And
The movie came during the last tripped me up slightly. When you won’t be able to do that somehow, I enjoy my physique
throes of the cold war and was we exchanged niceties, the 1.93 anymore. Some people are now more than when I was 27.
a riff on realpolitik that was metre Munteanu clasped a driven by that. It’s part of my life. All the gladiators and great
huge in every way: buffoonish, hand on my shoulder, And it’s great to see somebody warriors, they have their heroic
xenophobic, totally thrilling. And effectively enveloping me; who can do that too and has a feats. And even the strongest
Drago—tremendously yoked, fumbling to correlate my bright future ahead of him man at some point is gonna get
nearly mute, and glistening movements, I leaned in to his old and frail. You just want to
(always glistening)—was a note- expansive chest for a hug push it ahead as much as you
perfect embodiment of neither of us was expecting.) In can.”
theoretical Russian evil. He was Creed II, they play a tortured—is I go settle our check, and by
“Death from Above” built in a lab there any other kind?—father- the time I come back, Lundgren
by white-clad mad Soviet and-son pairing. In real life, they “YOU THINK YOU and Munteanu have swivelled
scientists (who basically, come show off an easier rapport. COULD FIGHT to face each other and have
to think of it, invented advanced
analytics). He murdered Apollo
Lundgren goads Munteanu
into drinking tequila shots,
THESE GUYS?” I locked into some strain of
intensity not accessible to me.
Creed and broke Rocky’s heart, which has them recalling a ASK. MUNTEANU “You have to see why you are
and we can never forgive him recent big night out. SMILES. LUNDGREN who you are,” I hear Lundgren
for that. But the reason he’s still “Remember the Russian PICKS A TARGET say. Munteanu, the supplicant,
stuck in our minds is that his singer? From the Russian FOR HIM: “MAYBE nods with solemnity. “Exactly.”
very image sowed fear. As
much as Kubrick or any of the
restaurant?” Munteanu says.
“She’s still texting me!” Then
THAT FAT GUY A Brooklyn bar is a ways
away from where the two men
French auteurs, Ivan Drago was Lundgren switches to goading BACK THERE. . . .” started. Munteanu was
pure cinema: visuals and Munteanu into downing a discovered by a Bucharest
sound. sloppy Joe, an item of food that entrepreneur named Eduard

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 ALPHAMALE

Irimia, the founder of a fledgling

MMA league called
Superkombat Fighting
Championship. Irimia is trying
his best to brand him Florian
“Big Nasty” Munteanu. To that
end, Munteanu has intense
hazel eyes and Anthony
Mason–esque buzz-cut
stylization. But all calculated
intimidation melts away in the
purported Big Nasty’s warm
puddle of earnestness. His
Instagram features at least
three photos of him posing in
front of the same bit of L. A.
angel-wing street art. When I
ask him how he likes the food in
the States, he answers, “I like it.
For example, I like
cheesesteaks.”
Lundgren spent his own
youth in Stockholm doing
martial arts and differential Ph.D. program in chemical difficult to raise hands against
calculus. His father, a Swedish engineering at MIT, the greatest your parent. By the time I was
army officer and electrical technical school in the strong enough to get back at
engineer, pushed young Dolph “IT’S VERY universe. It was the culmination him for what he did to me, there
into brainy overachievement. DIFFICULT TO RAISE of his father’s dream. But the was no reason. To beat up an
He was also rage-filled and HANDS AGAINST world he’d chanced upon— old man? For what happened

T O P L E F T P I C T U R E : O N M U N T E A N U : T- S H I R T B Y A R M A N I E XC H A N G E .
physically abusive. “My father YOUR PARENT. BY Jones was the first real years before?”
had problems in his work, and
he took it out on the family,”
THE TIME I WAS girlfriend he ever had—as too
much to pass up. He chose
Munteanu’s family was
endlessly supportive. His
Lundgren says. “Well, mostly STRONG ENOUGH New York. Then he landed mother was a lawyer, his father
TO GET BACK AT

O N LU N D G R E N : TA N K BY C A LV I N K L E I N U N D E R W E A R . J O G G E R S BY U N D E R A R M O U R .
me and my mom. The others, Rocky IV, which made him a dermatologist. Seeking the
he never touched them. I loved HIM FOR WHAT HE instantly famous. “I’d been opportunities of Western
him, and in many ways I still DID TO ME, THERE thrown in the business very Europe, they left the small
emulate him. But I had a period
where I wanted to really hurt
WAS NO REASON. quickly,” he says, “and it was a
shock. And the aftershocks
Romanian town of Târgu-Mureș
without informing any
him.” TO BEAT UP AN OLD were going on for seven, eight, members of their expansive
By the time he was in his MAN? FOR WHAT nine years after it happened.” extended family. “In times of
early 20s, Lundgren had moved HAPPENED YEARS Lundgren nabbed role after communism, you had to live a
from Sweden’s Royal Institute BEFORE?” role—Masters of the Universe, censored life,” Munteanu says
of Technology to the University Universal Soldier, Johnny with a shrug. “They fled, by foot
of Sydney, where he was Mnemonic—despite, as he and car. They made the
finishing his graduate degree readily admits, not knowing decision that they didn’t want to
while freelancing as security at He met Warhol. Bowie. Michael how to act. “I made big money have children under those
rock concerts. One night, Grace Jackson. Gianni Versace and I could go to Paris and circumstances. After the
JOGGERS BY MICHAEL KORS.

Jones—pop star, actress, personally made him a pair of meet a different young lady dictator was murdered and
radical aesthete—played a leather pants. He partied at every night if I wanted.” But they were safe, they made the
show in town. She spotted the Studio 54 and Limelight and the onscreen, “I didn’t know what I decision to have me.” Munteanu
genius-brawler and, that very Tunnel, where the VIP rooms was doing. I had no skills.” was born in the fall of 1990, ten
night, took him up to her hotel came with menus listing drugs Amid the success, though, months exactly after Romanian
suite. Then she brought him available for purchase. he’d never truly worked through army generals carrying out a
into ’80s downtown New York. He’d been accepted to a his anger at his father. “It’s very coup d’état executed President

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 15
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 ALPHAMALE

Ceaușescu by firing squad.

In 2003, a decade and
change after the fall of the iron
curtain, the Munteanus
managed to track down every
last missing relative. “Since
[then], we have [had] these
reunions for many years,”
Munteanu happily explains. “I
have 43 male and female
cousins!” His family was
splintered by the vagaries of life
in the Soviet bloc. They left
Romania in 1985, the same year
Rocky IV was released. Now
Munteanu will get his big break
playing the son of pop culture’s
ultimate Soviet villain. What can
you do? History churns on.
Before shooting Creed II in
Philly over the spring, Lundgren
revisited his star-making role. “I
wanted to feel the nightmare
he felt at the end”—after Drago
loses to Rocky. Spooling out the
character’s backstory,
Lundgren imagines Drago has
spent the decades since
driftless, broke, bitter, betrayed.
Abandoned by his country.
Unable to countenance his
downfall. “Basically, life turned
to hell.”
After the shoot—14-hour days
of scowling and nailing
exacting fight choreography—
Munteanu had “a little
breakdown. It took me a month
to be Florian again. I was telling
Dolph: We never smiled once in
that movie.” Before filming
began, the director, Steven
Caple Jr., had Munteanu
engage in a therapy session
with an acting coach in which
he unveiled every painful
moment he could recall. “I had
to tell all the dark and deep
moments I was living in my
whole life. He knew everything.”
Later, during shooting, Caple
would use the real-life incidents
as triggers to get Munteanu to
snap into character.

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 And when that didn’t work, all was concerned less about his kinds of unidentified important- Repeatedly, Lundgren has
Munteanu had to do was gaze career and more about his seeming people in suits. The found himself with substitute
at Lundgren. “I was looking into personal well-being. He had other big blonds went for an father figures: karate
his eyes. I could read the pain some shit to sort out. When he over-the-top Russian Mr. T. instructors, acting coaches,
on his face. And so it was easy met Jenny Sandersson, his Lundgren laughs, imitating even Stallone. And unavoidably,
for me to deliver the pain.” current partner, she pushed their horrible Slavic accents: “I playing Ivan Drago again—as
The fact that a Swede and a him into therapy and daily will keeeeeeel you!” the character has bloomed into
Romanian-German were meditation. He’s spoken He played it cool. “I was just a twisted, manipulative father
playing Russians was only repeatedly and openly about standing there, fighting the seeking redemption through
slightly problematic: The two how much it’s all helped. urge to do something.” He his son—hit a nerve. “It became
just went ahead and We glide down 57th Street, clicks into character, recalling quite emotional because I got
memorized their lines heading toward Lundgren’s the simple, hushed monologue to be the other guy,” Lundgren
phonetically. “We’re arguing, luxe hotel on Central Park he delivered. He’s barely talking says. “I got to be him.” Looking
trying to get emotional,” South. He thinks back to his first above a whisper. “My name is at his onscreen son, too, he
Lundgren says, “and we really brush with the city, when Grace Drago. I’m a fighter from the found it hard not to compare
don’t know what we’re saying.” Jones brought him here all Soviet Union.” That was it. lives. “Florian, he’s much more
Coincidentally, U. S.-Russian those years ago, back before Stallone called him a couple self-assured,” Lundgren says.
relations haven’t been this anyone cared who he was. He’d days later. Lundgren was with “He was given love and
chilly since the end of the met Sylvester Stallone and was Jones, down in the Village. Now attention as a kid.”
USSR. Creed II won’t focus as auditioning for Rocky IV. But he he clicks into a very good Earlier, when we were at the
heavily on the geopolitics as hadn’t yet gotten the role that mumbly Sly impersonation. bar, Munteanu and Lundgren
Rocky IV, but Lundgren cracks, would change everything. “You got the part, kid.” had fallen into banter about
“I do think that marketing-wise He’d walk all through the city, Appropriately enough, in whether anyone watching
it’s quite good.” practicing his Ivan Drago, 2010, it was Sly who pulled Creed II could possibly find
“So no Putin cameo?” I ask. practicing being as still as Lundgren out of his home- themselves rooting for the
Munteanu laughs. possible. Warren Robertson, his video purgatory by casting him Dragos. After all, Donnie Creed
“He did not come to the fight.” legendary school-of-Strasberg in The Expendables. “That and Rocky Balboa are the rich
After leaving the bar, acting coach, told him: “Don’t brought me back to the big guys! The Dragos are down and
Lundgren and I say goodbye to move at all. Don’t do anything.” screen,” he says. Now, with out, looking for the one thing
Munteanu and slide into the Lundgren didn’t tell anyone he Creed II, he’s finally getting to anyone looks for in a boxing
buttery seats of a massive was up for the part. “I didn’t do a bit of acting after all these movie: One. Last shot. At
black GMC Yukon. The truck want them to make fun of me.” decades in film. “I don’t know redemption.
crosses the Ed Koch Bridge At the screen test, on a why it’s turned out that way. Lundgren wasn’t so sure. But
and moves slowly, yacht-like, soundstage at MGM, Lundgren Maybe people get a different Munteanu insisted. “People are
through suffocating midtown faced off against two other energy from me now.” gonna be shocked. They
traffic. I have a few more massive blond dudes. There He also says he’s forgiven his underestimate him,
questions to ask Lundgren. were dozens of people behind father. “Did you ever tell him underestimate his abilities as
Slightly more personal ones. the cameras with Stallone, all that?” I ask. an actor. Only see him maybe
Lundgren’s father passed “I didn’t. I couldn’t talk about as ‘badass mother****er who
away in 2000, around the same it. He’d blanked out anything wants to destroy everything.’
time his career began what he he’d done. He was in a lot of They’re going to be fascinated
himself calls a “nosedive.” For WHEN HE GOT pain over it. Anybody who beats about the way he’s playing Ivan
the next decade, he primarily SICK, BEFORE HE up their own kid or beats their Drago now.”
starred in direct-to-home-video DIED, LUNDGREN wife—that’s coming from their Is it possible? That the Rocky
schlock. During those years, his trauma. I realized that as I got franchise has now gone on for
marriage to Anette Qviberg fell
WAS THERE. “I WAS older. He had a very difficult so long that it might afford Ivan
apart, largely thanks to his own WITH HIM RIGHT AT childhood, too. He was a little, Drago, of all characters, some
admitted infidelities. They’d THE END. AND I you know, scared boy as well, at humanity?
raised two daughters together THINK HE KNEW some point.” Munteanu assured me:
in Marbella, on the southern
coast of Spain, far from
THAT I LOVED HIM When he got sick, before he
died, Lundgren was there. “I was
“There will be tears for us.”

Hollywood. Lundgren’s EVERY DAY.” with him right at the end. And I
Amos Barshad has written for the Fader,
connection to the industry had think he knew that I loved him Grantland, The New Yorker, and The New
frayed. He knew that. But he every day.” York Times Magazine.

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 SEX

WHAT TO DO IF
YOUR PARTNER
FEELS PAIN
DURING SEX
We always aim for feel-good sex, but sometimes, the
truth is that sex hurts—especially for women. In fact,
research finds that some 30 percent of women
experience some pain during vaginal intercourse
DEBRA HERBENICK, PH.D., M.P.H., and about 72 percent experience some pain during
anal intercourse. Those are pretty substantial figures.
MEN’S HEALTH’S SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS Worried your sex doesn’t feel quite right?
ADVISOR, ON TAKING THE PAIN OUT OF Here, Men’s Health’s sex advisor Debra Herbenick,

T E X T D E B R A H E R B E N I C K , P H . D . , M . P. H
PLEASURE. Ph.D., M.P.H., a professor and director of the Center for
Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University
Bloomington explains why sex can be painful for
women and, most importantly, how to bring pleasure
back to the bedroom—and send pain packing.

PHOTO(MAIN) 123RF

18
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
MensHealth.com (MH): You want to be an “askable” partner,
Why can sex hurt her? where if your partner has any questions,
they can come to you and you’ll respond
Debra Herbenick (DH): well. Make sure that your partner knows BEDSIDE BUDDIES
For vaginal intercourse, often the reasons that you always care how sex feels and KEEP THESE LUBES AROUND HANDY
are aggressive thrusting or sex without a that you always want to know if SO SHE’LL BE MOANING IN
lot of warm-up or build-up—and a lack of something’s not right. If your partner hurts PLEASURE, NOT PAIN. 
sufficient lubrication. (Most women in some way, show that you’re flexible
require about 10 to 15 minutes of foreplay. about what your sex life looks like. It
A sex position such as Doggy Style that doesn’t have to always be intercourse. It
feels really deep and hits against the could be a broader sex menu with oral sex,
cervix or one that doesn’t fit well with your sex toys, massage, all kinds of things.
bodies can result in pain, too.
There are also different times of life. MH: Are there any other ways to turn LIQUID SILK
Two-thirds of women who are potentially painful sex into pleasurable Unlike typical water-based lubes,
breastfeeding have significant pain during sex? Liquid Silk’s formula provides a more
intercourse or vaginal penetration slightly thicker and creamier texture,
because they have lower levels of DH: Unless somebody really wants making it seem like more of a
conditioner for your skin. It’s also
oestrogen and therefore less vaginal rough sex—and sometimes people do— designed with comfort and wellness in
lubrication and less flexible vaginal walls err on the side of more gentle, non- mind- in our experience its useful not
in general. aggressive sex. If you’re going for harder just for time with your lady but also if you
sex, make sure your partner really wants it want a less-rough experience with the
MH: So how can you make sure she’s for their pleasure, too, not just because
palm sisters. Formulated to be bio-static,
it helps stop the spead of bacteria, yeast
not in pain? they think that it’s what you want. And infections or fungal spores, which takes
make sure that you use lubricant. safe sex to a new level!
DH: When we asked women if they told Price: $48.70 at www.thehedoniststore.
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their partner about their pain, some do but
lubricant-250ml
many don’t—and some feel like their
partner won’t care so they don’t tell them.
Some worry it would be awkward and they
don’t want to ruin the mood.

ASTROGLIDE
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Astroglide is hardly a new brand, but
which to pick from their wide variety of
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glycerin, parabens, fragrances, flavours
or hormones. Packed with soothing
botanic ingredients like aloe vera,
chamomile and pectin from fruit,
it’s all stuff that women find premium.
More importantly, how does it work in
the sack? 
Astroglide’s been round for a long
time, and the fact is their lubes really do
the job, and long lasting you might not
need that many squirts. Definitely a
default choice to get if you can’t get any
of the more fancy options. 
Price: $25.90 at www.thehedoniststore.
com/products/astroglide-natural-water-
based-lubricant-73-9-ml

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 RELATIONSHIP

WHY
IS SHE
CRYING?
IT’S PROBABLY NOT WHY YOU
THINK—AND YOUR REACTION
MIGHT BE MAKING IT WORSE.
HERE’S WHAT LAUREN LARSON
WANTS YOU TO DO INSTEAD.

I went to a nostalgic showing of the noted

tearjerker Beasts of the Southern Wild
TEXT LAUREN LARSON

recently. In one of the film’s many

emotional climaxes, a father tells his
daughter, with his dying breaths, “No
crying.” From the back of the theatre, a
woman issued a single brazen wail. The
proverbial floodgates had been opened.
The woman’s crying started a chain
PHOTOS 123RF

reaction in the theatre, much as when

someone barfs on a plane, and within
seconds every woman in the house was

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
weeping. I have seen the have told me that I should
footage of mourners in North never cry. If men don’t see
Korea after Kim Jong Il died, tears as manipulation, I came
falling to their knees and to understand, they see them
sobbing over Dear Leader as a sign of weakness. Writer
departed, but that was Rebecca Traister has
nothing. The women in the described a similar
theatre dissolved. The men in revelation. “They don’t know
the theatre sat quietly. you’re furious,” Traister recalls
I’m always surprised when a female co-worker telling her
people talk about crying as once after she burst into
though it were something tears in the office. “They think
tactical. I wish crying were you’re sad and will be pleased
just another tool in my because they got to you.”
manipulation tool kit, right Now, having cried in front of a
between blowjobs and lot of men—in the office, over
passive aggression, that drinks, and in bed—I no
could be deployed at will. And longer believe that. I think
maybe there really are adult men generally understand
women out there who go into when a woman is crying out
negotiations and arguments of fury, frustration, or a
thinking, If I cry, I’ll get my way. sudden awareness of the
But I don’t know any of those mortality of all things, à la
women, and anyone who Beasts. It’s just the
thinks tears are a “strategy” prescribed responses to
has never seen me crying. My tears that are
face turns very red and stays condescending.
that way for four to six hours. I I’d argue (tearfully) that the
fluctuate between low worst thing a man can say to
satanic rattling and primal a woman when she’s crying is
sobs that carry all the pain of AND MAYBE “Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.” I had a
my female ancestors. Snot is
inevitable. Cogent speech is
THERE REALLY shhhhhhhhhhhhh-ing
boyfriend once. If I began to
impossible. Mine are not ARE ADULT cry during an argument, he
Hollywood tears, WOMEN OUT would pull me in with his
characterized by a single THERE WHO stupid manly arms and press
rivulet sliding gently down GO INTO my head to his stupid manly
one cheek before trickling
seductively into my heaving
NEGOTIATIONS chest, and then he would ruin
it all by shhhhhhhhhhhhh-
bosom. Nothing about my AND ARGUMENTS ing me. I would indeed stop
crying elicits sympathy. For THINKING, IF I CRY, crying. But I didn’t stop crying
me, and for every other I’LL GET MY WAY. because I was soothed. I
woman I’ve spoken to on the BUT I DON’T KNOW stopped because my hate-
subject, crying is just
something that happens. And
ANY OF THOSE fire at being silenced and
talked to as if I were a child
in the right circumstances, WOMEN, AND dried up all the tears. Most of
like in a dark theatre full of ANYONE WHO the vocabulary we use to
women who are also THINKS TEARS comfort crying adults is the
weeping, crying feels really ARE A “STRATEGY” same vocabulary we use to
good.
I don’t think it’s my job to
HAS NEVER SEEN comfort crying toddlers.
While it’s nice to hear “There,
suppress my tears. Ever since ME CRYING. there” from my mother when
high school, women wizened I’m crying—partly because
by years in the workforce I’m decidedly not her equal

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 RELATIONSHIP

and partly because I know because you just dumped

“IT’S FINE,
that comforting me is giving me, a long hug will suffice.
her a Munchausen-by-proxy
IF I’M CRYING The best thing you can do is

GO ON”
thrill—it’s infuriating to hear it offer up your manly arms and
from a peer. And it’s BECAUSE manly chest as a muscle
especially infuriating to hear SOMEONE HAS cocoon where I can cry, HOW TO HANDLE
it from a male peer, because DIED (ONSCREEN shielded from the world. TEARS—WOMEN’S OR
often I’m already uncertain OR OFF), BECAUSE I Every pectoral workout you’ve MEN’S—AT WORK.
about whether he sees me as
an equal.
DIDN’T GET THE JOB ever done has been in
preparation for this moment.
The proper response to I WANTED, OR Rage tears are tougher. If Rarely will you witness
crying depends on where you BECAUSE YOU JUST I’m angry—at you or at the women crying in the
are and the type of tears DUMPED ME, A world at large—I don’t want office, but it’s
you’re dealing with. Sad tears
are the easiest. If I’m crying
LONG HUG WILL soothing words or pity, and I
certainly don’t want advice. I
happening all around
you. Women are
because someone has died SUFFICE. just want to explain, through extremely adept at
(onscreen or off), because I tears, what is bothering me. I finding quiet places to
didn’t get the job I wanted, or have been blessed to witness sob at work. If I’m about
one man crying in front of to cry sad tears, I
immediately proceed
another man. The three of us
to my designated
were drinking, the crying spot, a single-
conversation took a heavy occupant bathroom on
turn, and one of my friends another floor. If you
began to cry as he described come upon a woman in
something he was frustrated transit to her office
about. (I started to cry, too, crying spot, do not stop
because I never miss an her to ask, “Are you
opportunity for catharsis.) My okay?” It’s perfectly
acceptable to pretend
other friend took a long sip of
you haven’t noticed.
his beer, without breaking eye
But every now and
contact, and said nothing. He then, usually in a tense
didn’t acknowledge the tears meeting with superiors,
across the table, and he angry tears come
definitely didn’t without warning. If this
shhhhhhhhhhhhh anyone. He happens, it is more
just let my friend talk, important than ever to
nodding when appropriate. keep listening. For four
Not everyone has the years at my last job,
every time I had an
steely nerves required to
important meeting
wordlessly watch someone with my boss, I would
else cry. In this way and this weep. When tears
way only, crying actually is started, I would
infantile: It’s very difficult not inevitably apologize,
to take action when you see and he would say, “It’s
tears, especially when they’re totally fine, go on.” As
tears that you have a role in. soon as I knew that I
So acknowledge the tears by wasn’t making him
passing along a tissue box, uncomfortable (“It’s
totally fine”) and that
but then say nothing. All I
he was interested in
want when I’m crying hot what I was saying (“go
tears of rage is assurance on”), I would stop
that I’m still being listened to, crying. —L. L.
even when what I’m saying is
“Hnrrrrngahhhhnurrrrr.”

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 ADVE RTORI AL

THE GAIT-WAY
TO PAINLESS RUNS
RUNNING IS GREAT FOR STAYING IN SHAPE AND IMPROVING YOUR
GENERAL HEALTH. BUT LIKE ANY EXERCISE, IMPROPER FORM MAY BE
CAUSING MORE HARM THAN GOOD. WE FIND OUT HOW IMPORTANT
YOUR GAIT IS AND HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF INJURIES.

‘giving way’,” the doctor explains.

FOOTWEAR
Been using the same pair of
shoes for the last five years? It
might be time for a change.
“Footwear has an enormous
impact on running gait. Shoes
that are too tight or worn out
could result in reduced
cushioning and abnormal foot
posture,” says Dr Gowreeson.
“This may inadvertently result in
repetitive stress injuries or even
fractures.”

HOW TO LOWER
THE RISK OF INJURY
These three simple tips can help
to minimise your injury risk.

1
Ensure that you undergo frequent
While running is fairly running is likely to develop conditioning training to
straightforward, not paying plantar fasciitis or calcaneal strengthen your ligaments and
attention to your gait could result stress syndromes. Conversely, joints.
in injured knees and ankles due forefoot runners may cause hip
to poor form. We speak to Dr and pelvic overstretch and pain 2
Gowreeson Thevendran, a as a result.” Seek proper medical diagnosis
specialist in orthopaedic surgery, and treatment instead of self-
about some of the common ways COMMON TYPES OF remedies, and don’t ignore
people hurt these joints, along KNEE AND ANKLE INJURIES injuries, no matter how light.
with his advice on prevention and “In the knee, the most common
therapy. injury is one that combines a 3
bending force whilst the knee is Ensure that your equipment and
RUNNING GAIT loaded with body weight,” says Dr tools are in good condition.
AND RISK OF INJURIES Gowreeson. “In the ankle, Repetitive strain injuries are
Your gait is basically how you excessive inversion of the ankle common with old or worn out
walk or run and it differs for each resulting in a sprain of the lateral equipment.
person. This is more important ligaments is likely one of the most
than you think. common injuries.”
“Having the right running gait is But how can you tell if your pain Dr Gowreeson Thevendran
critical to avoid injuries whilst is really serious? In both joints, is a specialist in Orthopaedic
BY GILBERT WONG

Surgery and a consultant at Raffles

ensuring energy conservation “pain may be accompanied by Orthopaedic Centre, Raffles
and stability when running,” says swelling, tightness or stiffness, a Hospital, Singapore. To consult with
him, please call 63112310/63111222,
Dr Gowreeson. “A runner who locking sensation, clicking and or email thevendran_gowreeson@
habitually heel strikes when sometimes a feeling of the joint rafflesmedical.com
 GUY WISDOM

WHAT’S MANLINESS
TO LOCAL LADS?
THE PHILIPS MODERN MASCULINITY SURVEY
PHOTOS & ICONS 123RF

EXAMINES THE PERCEPTIONS HELD BY SINGAPOREANS

OF THE PRESSURES OF MODERN-DAY MASCULINITY,
AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO MEN INCREASINGLY
TAKING CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES WITH REGARDS
TO KEEPING UP WITH THEIR APPEARANCES.

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 #1 LOOKS MAKETH the man

WHEN
SHAVING

%
ity with physical
ysique and facial looks
79%
men agree that
a close shave is
what they enjoy
the most

84%
64%
Think that society
expects men to look good to be 84%
81%
THINK THAT BEING CLEAN
SHAVEN IS IMPORTANT TO
men agree that
a skin comfort (no
nicks and cuts) is
important to them

successful professionally BE SEEN AS PRESENTABLE

Displaying Vulnerability
#2 KEEPING UP WITH appearances
Societal Expectations
Behavour Finances
57%
men over 35 years old

91%
feel that men have to act
Men Admit strong all the time

49% to feeling pressured to

45%
act or behave in a Singaporeans feel that
masculine manner society still expects a
40%
57%

man to be able to provide

versus
43%
his family financially.
WOMEN of the men under 35
years

54% MEN While 58 % believe

that society doesn’t mind
THINK THAT SOCIETY EXPECTS
Think that society expects men if a woman earns more MEN TO ACT STRONG EVEN IF THEY
to be authoritative and assertive than her man FEEL SCARED OR NERVOUS INSIDE

25
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 GUY WISDOM

#3 HEALTH masculinity
Most important traits for today’s man Evolving stereoptypes

53% +55y/o
BREADWINNER OF

71%
66% 66%
WITHHOLDING EMOTION 38% 35 - 54y/o
NOT AFRAID TO

65%
THE FAMILY

33%
DURING HARDSHIP
TAKE RISK

18 - 34y/o
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

ASSERTIVENESS
Feel that ‘being the breadwinner of
SUPPORTING OTHERS
GOOD PARENTING

45%
42% the family’ is one of the most important traits
for today’s man
KINDNESS

27%
25%

22% 11% 67%

think sexual performance feel that society

Singaporeans favour ‘softer’ traits over or ability in bed is one of

the most important traits
is accepting of
men asking for
more traditionally perceived values of masculinity for a man today help

#4 BECOMING A better man

Top focuses for self improvement Youth self-consciousness
and empowerment
56% 50% 35% 8% +55y/o

Providing for Improving Having a 17% 35 - 54y/o

his family financial status successful career
28% 18 - 34y/o

35% 30% 28% Feel that ‘investing time and effort

in personal grooming’ is one of the most
important traits for today’s man
Displaying Accepting personal Improving
leadership vulnerability fitness & physique

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: The Philips Modern Masculinity survey was conducted in collaboration with YouGov, surveying 1025 Singaporeans, both male and female on
what modern masculinity means to them today. The data has been weighted to by nationality representative.

26
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
SHAVE WORTH
THE RAVE
If the survey shows grooming
matters to us and our mates,
then the tools are just as
important. Meet Philips’
S9000 Prestige.

“Personal grooming is a key facet

of a modern man’s appearance.
The innovative rotary technology in
the PhilipsShaver S9000 Prestige
offers the world’s closest electric shave
possible with uncompromised comfort
and smoothness, empowering men to
shave better for success and put their
best face forward for success,” says
Derrick Tan, co-Founder of Sultans
of Shave.
After using the shaver for close to
a month we can hardly disagree- this
one’s really that good. 
A short history lesson- Philips is
actually the brand that premiered the
world’s first rotary-type electric shaver 80
years back, which may be why they’re so
good at making these. The S9000
Prestige’s multi-direction ContourDetect
head captures hair growing in different
direction and densities, delivering the
ultimate close shave even in tricky areas
along the neck and jawline. And comfort-
wise, no burn- it’s Superb SkinComfort
rings come with an anti-friction metallic-
pigmented coating for smooth gliding.

How Much? The Philips Shaver

S9000 Prestige retails at $599.
www.philips.com.sg

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 H E A LT H

YOU HEAR
THE ONE
ABOUT
BRAIN
CANCER?
SURE, BRAIN TUMOURS
MAKE A LOT OF NEWS.
BUT HOW OFTEN DO THEY
HIT HOME? KRISTEN DOLD
REVEALS HOW TO MINIMIZE
YOUR RISK.

John Mccain’s death last

August from glioblastoma was a pointed
reminder that while brain tumours aren’t
the most common cancer, the fact that
they occur in one of the most complex,
still-not-understood organs makes them
TEXT RISTEN DOLD

especially scary. Scientists are

discovering more about the brain and
PHOTOS 123RF

28
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
nervous system, but still can’t pinpoint moves increase pressure in the brain),
why rogue cells gang up there and are wake you up from sleep, or are worse first

ADVANCED
cancerous in about one in 143 guys. But thing in the morning, since lying down can
treatments have progressed, and these cause the growth to put increased
tumours can be more treatable the earlier
they’re detected. So it’s smart to know the WEAPONS pressure on the brain, says Dr. O’Brien.

symptoms, whether to ease your mind or Surgery, radiation, and BALANCE AND MUSCLE ISSUES
to seek diagnosis quickly. chemotherapy are still Growths in the cerebellum can cause
standard, but maybe not for balance and coordination problems, so
SPOT THE SIGNS long with these promising regularly losing your footing or dropping
There are more than 100 different types of treatments. or bumping into things can signify that it’s
brain tumour, some more common than worth seeing an M.D. A tumour that
others. Symptoms can be vague and vary pushes on or moves fragile tissue in the
in intensity as well as location, depending cerebrum or brain stem can also lead to
on where the tumour is and the amount of strength loss or even paralysis. “It’s
pressure associated with it. Symptoms typically one-sided,” says Dr. O’Brien. So
may develop quickly or creep up you’d have trouble buttoning buttons with
gradually, says Barbara O’Brien, M.D., an one hand but not both. Weakness or
assistant professor of neuro-oncology at numbness in your arms, legs, or face that
the University of Texas MD Anderson can’t be attributed to a poor sleeping or
Cancer Center, and they progress over sitting position and doesn’t go away after
time. They’re not usually like those of a a few minutes isn’t a wait-and-see
stroke, which tend to come on suddenly.
And, she says, “if you just have one
headache or just have difficulty getting
1 OPTUNE
This cap-like device transmits
situation. Head to the ER immediately.

COGNITIVE CHANGES
electric currents that disrupt cancer-
your words out on one occasion, it’s cell division. In some research, Tumours can cause lapses in memory,
probably not a tumour.” But if any of the patients with glioblastoma who wore particularly the short-term kind. Everyone
following four symptoms develop and one of these for at least 18 hours a forgets where they put their keys or has a
day for six months more than
worsen over a month or two, call your doubled their five-year survival rate.
moment of wondering what they came
physician. into the living room for. It’s more alarming

HEADACHES
Many people with brain tumours suffer
2 LASER
INTERSTITIAL THERMAL THERAPY
if you ask the same questions over and
over as if for the first time or mix up words
(calling a pen a crayon, for example). You
Currently used to treat tumours that
from head pain when the mass puts can be hard to reach surgically might also struggle to answer simple
pressure on blood vessels and nerves. If without damaging other parts of the questions (e.g., “What city are we in?” even
you took 1,000 people with a headache brain, it’s now being studied in though you know you’re in Chicago). It’s
right now, the chance that one had a brain glioblastoma. that feeling of “I know what I want to say; I
tumour would be incredibly low, says
Soonmee Cha, M.D., a radiologist at the
University of California, San Francisco, a
3 IMMUNOTHERAPY
Doctors either remove the brakes of
just can’t say it,” Dr. O’Brien says.
Changes in behaviour, like going from
the most organized guy in the office to
top referral centre for brain tumours. the immune system so it attacks can’t-see-the-desk messy, can also signal
tumours or reengineer immune cells
What separates the scary ones from from your own body to hunt down and a tumour. (People around you are more
the garden-variety: recurring head pain kill tumour cells. This therapy is likely to pick up on this than you are.)
that worsens over time and doesn’t get already being used to treat some
better with OTC meds, especially if it cancers, such as melanoma. SEIZURES
follows a specific pattern. “I’d have
throbbing headaches that lasted a couple
of seconds when I coughed or during a
4 ZIKA (YES, THAT ZIKA)
A new study has found that the virus
More than 40 percent of brain-tumour
patients have at least one seizure due to
the growth interfering with normal
bowel movement,” says 41-year-old Amy can find and kill hard-to-treat electrical activity in the brain. Look out for
glioblastoma cancer stem cells.
Voros, who was diagnosed with a glioma Within ten years, scientists hope to
partial seizures, too, says Dr. O’Brien:
in August 2017 and treated with surgery. use Zika along with current therapies trouble getting words out, just one arm
Headaches caused by brain tumours can to destroy the entire tumour. shaking uncontrollably, or smelling doors
take many forms but tend to be brought (bread baking, for example) that no one
on by bearing down or leaning over (both else can detect.

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 H E A LT H

MAKE
ANXIETY
YOUR
SUPER-
POWER
MORE THAN 40 MILLION AMERICAN ADULTS
T E X T D R E W R A M S E Y, M . D

SUFFER FROM AN ANXIETY DISORDER, BUT

MEN’S HEALTH ADVISOR DREW RAMSEY, M.D.,
SAYS YOU CAN LEARN TO MAKE IT WORK FOR
YOU. TAKE A PAGE FROM THE PSYCHIATRIST’S
PLAYBOOK TO UNDERSTAND YOUR ANXIETY
AND CONQUER IT.
PHOTOS 123RF

30
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 and depression, and doubling the risk of
a fatal heart attack. Anxiety also fosters
avoidance, something men already
struggle with when it comes to mental
health. But with proper treatment, you’ll
understand your anxiety, which helps you
really zero in on what’s not working in
your life and then manage things better.
For instance, Tim’s anxieties offered
useful cues that aided us in figuring out
ways his life could run more smoothly.
Here, the playbook that I see work with
anxiety-ridden guys like Tim.

1
FACE YOUR FEARS
Tim* put his head in his hands and First, I rule out any medical causes of
started to cry. “I’m so messed up; this anxiety, then we focus on symptoms. The
thing controls me.” Clinical prowess goal of treatment isn’t to turn off a
means clinical timing, and mine was off patient’s radar but rather to tune it.
that day. I looked Tim in the eye: “I think Anxiety tends to get stuffed down instead
your anxiety is your superpower.” of surfaced and understood. So honour
Messed up? It was hard to agree with your anxiety as a signal to look deeper.
him. Tim’s life was what men hope for. He Usually this feeling has a pattern to it, and
was 39 years old, in great shape, powerful my patients use this pattern to help crack
and wealthy, and his wife and kids adored the code of their anxiety. The feeling often
him. Yet inside he was a maelstrom of relates to our perceived notion of control
fear and worry. He’d wake up in the (which is why the fear of flying is so
middle of the night in a sweat and review common) and our unconscious fears of
his sent emails for errors. Important our own fragility and mortality.
meetings meant crampy bowels. He Tim and I did a deep dive into his
started drinking at night and couldn’t fall worries. When did his anxiety start? Does
asleep without at least “a couple.” He’d it “live” in a certain part of his body? What
get a weird tingling feeling in his fingers. are the triggers? What makes it better or
Three times in the past year, a searing worse? Did he worry as a kid? Are other
pain in his chest forced a trip to the ER members of his family anxious? Family
and eventually a referral to me, a dynamics, especially conflicts with
psychiatrist. parents, spouses, and children, are
Anxiety makes us human. Our psyche common triggers. I asked Tim to be
is tuned to scan the environment for Sherlock Holmes, as the details of a
threats and to anticipate danger. And this person’s anxiety lie in the cognitive
is what frustrates so many of my patients: distortions and psychology that drive it.
Their worries and fears often drive their Clinically, some worries have a clear,
success, but they can also overwhelm it. conscious explanation, like a meeting
That’s where I come in. Harness your with the boss, and they become amplified
anxiety and it can clue you in to what’s in a patient with anxiety. Other times,
actually happening in your world, and you they’re part of a syndrome such as
can use that information to raise your generalized anxiety disorder or panic
daily game. disorder (which was part of the case with
Male anxiety is serious business. Tim). Anxiety also runs in families; having
Untreated, it can be disabling, increasing a family member with an anxiety disorder
the odds of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, greatly increases the odds of your having

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 H E A LT H

one as well. based on the premise that much of our French toast he was making for his kids.
But sometimes the cause isn’t clear. distress is caused by faulty thinking The road to recovery is like this at first.
Tim would describe a feeling of tightness patterns. You learn to recognize Naming anxiety doesn’t tame it.
in his throat some days, even when “cognitive distortions,” such as all-or- For Tim, the Lexapro helped him
relaxing at home. This was a major hint. nothing thinking, catastrophizing, and tolerate more exposure and also
What emerged was that Tim had serious scolding yourself. improved his mood a bit. Instead of
relaxation issues. As his career took off, TAKE MEDICINE: For some, having him go on vacation with his phone
family time became an afterthought. He medication is a silver bullet. Selective off, we replaced that challenge with a
wasn’t worried about his in-box; he was serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are daily one: He now has a “phone jail” that
worried that he was an absent, effective but require a month to work, so stores his device during dinner and for
overworked, and irritable father. It wasn’t for immediate relief, people often take much of the weekend.
rocket science, but it was an idea that he benzodiazepines like Xanax, Ativan, and

4
hadn’t ever aired out as meaningful. Valium. When I met Tim, he wasn’t
Today, Tim knows his tingly fingers and sleeping well, was escalating his drinking,
chest pain are symptoms of his panic and lived in fear of a panic attack. I
disorder. He now sees the choking feeling started him on Lexapro and Ativan. This PLAN AND MONITOR
as a sign that he’s not present with his got him to focus better at work and Finally, being vigilant about triggers can
wife and kids in some way. Then he helped him sleep. Understanding and really help you use your anxiety in a
follows the essential next steps to building tools to deal with anxiety is positive way, because it’s all about
support his recovery. nearly impossible in a crisis, so meds listening to your alert system. For
gave us some runway to do our work and instance, Tim’s anxiety worsens during

2
gave Tim the symptom control he needed the first week in December—that’s when
to function. his father passed away, and it’s the same
week his annual reports are due. Rather

3
GRAB YOUR TOOLS than dreading the season, he now
These strategies are like having a mental- spends time listening to his dad’s
health Leatherman in your pocket. favourite music. He also doubles down on
RECRUIT YOUR BREATH: Breathing TEST YOURSELF, OVER AND OVER exercise and sends voice memos to his
is your number-one anxiety fighter While the psychological causes of assistant about his early annual-report
because it soothes your nervous system. anxiety are complex, the approach that concerns.
We reframed Tim’s tingly fingers as a works is rather simple: Understand and I saw Tim several weeks ago for a
signal to focus on his breath. Many confront your fears through exposure. check-in; he shook his head in disbelief
breathing techniques work; start as Exposure should be gradual, intense, and about his anxious state when we first
simply as inhaling through your nose frequent. For some forms of anxiety, how met. He continues his high-stress job, but
for four counts and out through your to confront your fears is obvious. Worried he has tapered off the Lexapro and works
mouth for six. about public speaking? Join an impressive self-care plan, including
BURN AND NURTURE: Panic attacks Toastmasters and make speeches. daily breathing and relaxation, exercising
and other anxiety symptoms don’t feel Terrified of dating? Time for Tinder! You with friends, eating a healthy diet, and
like superpowers. But having the skills to get the drift. Other times, as with Tim, it drinking alcohol much more sparingly.
know your body’s cues and to stay takes a minute. Tim wasn’t scared of His anxiety still exists (“I’m a worrier!”), but
nourished and rested to prevent the email; after all, his email game was tight. he sees it as a way to sense the sticky
panic? That makes you unstoppable. I He was worried that valuing his family put conflicts that are central to his work
recommend discharging anxiety through him in conflict with his boss, who didn’t before others do. He’s aware of his
intense physical exercise. For Tim, that have kids, and with his professional goals. tendency to catastrophize. Of course, with
meant CrossFit three times a week. And Tim’s entire world had become his more focus on his family, he worries, like
since you’re more susceptible to bouts of in-box. It struck me one day how much he all fathers, about his kids and his wife . . .
anxiety after a few nights of poor sleep or valued his family time but how the fear of and that strikes me as just about right.
during times of low blood sugar, it’s looming emails dominated his weekends. Severe anxiety brought Tim to my office
important to create a structure of healthy My long-term plan for him was ambitious: for all the right reasons. He dialled into it
eating and self-care. a vacation with his phone off. We started and now knows how to use it to maintain
REBOOT YOUR MIND: Cognitive with no phone for a few hours on the life of connection that he truly
behavioural therapy helps people better Saturday morning. Just 45 minutes in, his desired.
understand, express, and reframe their mind was racing, his fingers were tingling,
internal emotional experience. CBT is and he was so distracted he burned the *Name has been changed

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 SINGAPORE’S NO.1 MEN’S MAGAZINE

CAN
SKIPPING
LUNCH HELP
YOU LOSE
WEIGHT?
FIND OUT THE ANSWER AT
MENSHEALTH.COM.SG.
LOG ON NOW TO GET
MORE SEX, HEALTH AND FITNESS TIPS.
OUR DIGITAL ISSUE IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR
DOWNLOAD ON THE MAGZTER APP.
THE MEN’S HEALTH
GUIDE TO FATHERHOOD
Tips and tricks on living the dad life well.
training again and found Ultimate
Performance (UP).”
L E T G R A N D DA D S H O W

YOU HOW
Syafawi knew that it was not going
to be easy to get back to his fittest after
such a long break, but he credits his
trainer, Firdauz bin Abdul Gahni, for
TO DA D pushing and guiding him through his

TEXT GILBERT WONG

training. Like anyone else, there are
Fatherhood ain’t easy, but who knows better on how to deal days that he may feel tired or not 100
with post-kid life and still stay in great shape like your own dad, specifically percent, but that doesn’t stop him
your granddad? Meet Syafawi Ho, and read on the rest of this special feature on from putting in his all when it comes
everything you need to know on how to be a great dad. to training.

G
“At my age, you know the strength

PHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES CHUA

isn’t there anymore. So I needed to
ETTING OLDER MAY BE an just about building an impressive recover it and cut my weight and body
experience that some men physique; it’s about being fit and fat to get shredded,” explains Syafawi.
may not look forward to. healthy so he can care for his family. “It was very tiring, but after about
After all, it doesn’t feel Being involved in healthcare, he three to four months, I gained back
great to be supposedly “past your understands the need to be in good my strength.”
prime”, and once you hit that big 4-0 shape so that he can take care of not Syafawi now sits at a body fat
milestone and beyond, your body just himself, but others as well. percentage of 13.4 percent, down from
doesn’t seem to work like it used to. “I used to always go to the gym, but 19 percent after about 11 months of

STYLING SHEH
But you don’t have to just accept after my mum suffered from stroke, I training. When you compare that
that you’ll lose strength and agility, or stopped training for almost five years with the average of 18 to 24 percent
that your metabolism will slow down. to look after her,” says Syafawi. “When according to the American Council
We learned two fitness truths from she passed on, I decided to start
Syafawi Ho, a grandfather and first aid

OUTFIT ASICS
trainer in the Singapore Red Cross.
One, age is no barrier to physical
fitness. Two, hard work at the gym
really does pay off no matter how old

L O C A T I O N U LT I M AT E P E R F O R M A N C E S I N G A P O R E )
you are.
At 59, Syafawi is nearing the big
6-0. And while it’s not immediately
evident that he’s in possession of a fit
and muscular body, it becomes pretty
clear when we see his movement and
energy around the gym.
“My friend asked me, ‘at your age,
why do you want to go to the gym?’”,
Syafawi recalls. “They’ll always tell
you that at your age, you shouldn’t
go to the gym, you’ll get injured, why
bother to bulk up yourself up.”
But to the grandfather, it’s not Syafawi with his grandchildren Edreis, 6 months, and Soufeya, 3.

34
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
on Exercise, that is seriously
impressive.
“I think I’m quite happy with
my shape now, and there are also
friends who say I’ve changed a lot
in terms of physique, so I’m quite
happy with [my progress],” he
smiles.
The first aid trainer remarks
that his fitness lifestyle has rubbed
off on his friends and family,
and he’s trying to get some of his
friends to join him at UP too.
And understandably, his own son
has noticed the big change in his
physique.
“When I’m home and not wearing
a shirt, he’ll remark, ‘dad, since
when did you get a six-pack?’ So I’ll
ask him, ‘you want to follow me?
I’ll show you how to do it!” Syafawi
chuckles.
Like any dad, Syafawi dispenses
valuable training tips to his son
now and then, showing that he still
knows a thing or two. “I do give
him some advice on what to do in
the gym and what to eat as well,” he
says.
Now, his diet consists of greens,
like salads, along with more water,
more meat and fish for protein,
and fewer carbs. He credits the
increase in vegetables and water
for his physical improvement. As
for supplements, he takes a protein
shake for an extra boost after his
hard workouts.
Syafawi has shown that you
can forget about the notion of the
dad bod; his granddad bod is the
epitome of #fitnessgoals, and it
doesn’t matter how old you are as
long as you set your mind to it.
“I can only say that if you think
you’re old, you will be old. If you
think that you’re young, even when
you’re 70, you can be young. It’s up
to you,” states Syafawi sagely. “To
train in the gym, you really need
discipline, and if you’re disciplined
enough, age is just a number.”

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 T
WHA
D ”
“DA S
A N
ME

Make Peace
ARNES YO U R N E W

“Dad Life”
WITH THE
RPOW
Fitness force of nature Shaun T created the Insanity
The truth—in its ugly, brutal, boring glory—will set workout, T25, Cize, and his latest, Transform 20. But
you free. Or at least so says Rich Dorment, editor- no workout he has ever done is quite as hard, or as life

T
in-chief of Men’s Health U.S. transforming, as fatherhood.

T
HE SINGLE WORST Dad jokes. Dad rock and dad
question you can ask the jeans and dad hats. We’re at a HE TOUGHEST workout of my life The
parent of a small child point where dad has become a
is “When are you having dreaded modifier, a shorthand could be called “Twinsanity Max 2,”
another?” The second- both specific and universal, a
worst question is a little less meme. “That dad life.” My dad because in November 2017, that is
predictable and a lot more life. How did this happen?
insidious. I mean, it happens. To a the number of babies my husband,
About a month ago, a lot of us. The latest study
younger, unmarried, un-kidded on fatherhood from the Scott, and I welcomed into our lives.
colleague asked me what I Pew Research Center found
had done that weekend. It was that “mothers and fathers And that was after five years of
Monday morning and I was are equally likely to say that
tired and I thought he might parenting is central to who baby-making insanity, recruiting
actually want to know, so I told they are: 57 percent of fathers
him. say being a dad is extremely egg donors and surrogate moms and waiting to
First, I said, my wife and I
took turns driving our three
important to their overall
identity, and 58 percent of
see if our embryos would take. But when Sander
little kids to various sports
practices and birthday parties
mothers say the same about
being a mom.” We define
and Silas finally arrived, two minutes apart,
and playdates. Then, I told him,
I changed a ton of diapers and
ourselves as parents and
everything else sort of falls
that’s when the most wonderfully difficult time
washed a few urine-soaked away, so that whatever used in our lives began.
sheets. I told him about the to be our priorities—sex,
predawn PAW Patrol binge money, friends, hobbies— In my book, T Is for Transformation, I wrote
and the postmidnight check don’t seem to matter quite as
for monsters under the bed. much anymore. We become about “7 Superpowers” that guide my life. That
I described the meltdowns shorthand for ourselves, only
(plural) in two grocery stores, 36 percent lamer. was before we had kids. Now that they’re here,
and the blowup over whether Some of us fight it—we don’t
sweatpants qualified as going- wear baggy jeans or listen to I’m trying to practice four “superdad” powers.
out-for-dinner pants, and the classic rock or say, “That’s what
bare-knuckle fight between my she said.” We’re cool dads. We (Why not seven? I’m a dad now! Who has time
eight-year-old son and my five- dress and speak and consume
year-old daughter. (She won.) like 22-year-olds (if not 12-year- for seven?) I’m not perfect at them, but I have
The colleague smiled and olds), which is all well and

PHOTOS
nodded and grimaced in all the good until we’re arguing with two tiny life coaches teaching me new stuff
right places, and I summed it a toddler about snack time or
up in a way that was probably negotiating screen time with a every day—even when they should be sleeping,

123RF
ironic but could’ve been a cry second grader.
for help: “You know, just livin’ Which, as far as our kids or I should be.
that dad life.” are concerned, is for the best.
“That dad life.” I’ve been They don’t need a parent who
doing the dad thing for nearly prioritizes sex or friends over
a decade, and I’ve watched their playdate schedule. They
as my expectations about don’t need some dopey grown-
parenting have converged and up asking them about the latest
diverged with larger cultural Kendrick drop. They need C O O L DA D S K I L L S : As explained via
shifts in how women and someone who’ll grind through the interactions between
men are raising kids. I’ve also
watched, with a combination
this weekend, and the one after
that, and the one after that,
INTERACT Will Smith (30
of amusement and horror, because we know more than WITH YOUR million Instagram followers)
and Jaden Smith
as dad has emerged as an anything that these kids—these
adjective that makes any tiny, expensive catastrophes— CHILD ON (12 million), annotated by
object, practice, or idea about are worth it. That’s parenting. Ana Homayoun, author
36 percent lamer. Dad bods. That’s the dad life. SOCIAL MEDIA of Social Media Wellness.

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 FOR
G RY
HUN S
DAD

Master THE

“OTSM”
There are hunters. There are
gatherers. And then there are
scavengers, like Dan Pashman,
food-show and podcast host.

W
HEN I’M WITH my kids, I require
approximately 14,000 additional
calories per day. Like cross-country
skiers, parents struggle to take in all their
requisite calories. This is why the OTSM (or
“over-the-sink meal”) is essential.
Eating over the sink serves several
POWER #1: Change! P OW E R #3 : Indulge!
purposes. First, it reduces dirty dishes. Putting
Kids aren’t welcoming you into Knowing as much as I do about fitness food on a clean plate before eating it is like
their lives. You’re welcoming them and nutrition, I still gained 3 kg after making your bed before going to sleep. What’s
the point? These are the mundane chores
into yours. And that’s a good thing, the boys were born. The secret, I we’ve been brainwashed to believe will put us
because their world is a mess later found, is in what I call the 85/15 on the path to responsible adulthood.
sometimes. Make your kids part of approach. We keep the mix healthy 85 Second, the OTSM reduces waste and
saves money. No need to budget extra funds
the best life you want to lead, and percent of the time while also making for Dad’s dinner—most of my OTSMs are
they’ll match or beat it when they sure french fries are available (the scrounged from my kids’ table scraps. As they
eat, I circle the table like a buzzard. Then I
grow up. If I want to be a good dad other 15 percent). We let Sander and
bring the plates to the sink and feast.
and husband and keep my work going Silas roam everywhere in our house: It’s important to remember that a good
and still play tennis, I need to be no barriers. It gives them a sense of OTSM is something that you can hold in one
hand and eat without it falling apart. If the
more efficient. What changes are you freedom, and they’re not in front of kids’ scraps are hard to corral into easy bites,
willing to make to fit in more kids, the TV all the time. I dump them all into a flour tortilla or large
more fun, and better health? lettuce leaf and wrap it up. Perhaps not by
P OW E R #4 : Be You (Despite #1)! coincidence, meals that I make for my kids
POWER #2: Anticipate! I don’t coach my sons; I set an also happen to be some of my favorite OTSMs:
scrambled eggs, cheese and crackers, and
Scott and I try to be especially in example instead. Scott and I are kind crunchy vegetables like peppers.
tune with each other to make sure to each other (except sometimes Despite all this talk about efficiency and
mess, there is plenty of beauty to be found in
that when one of us is at the breaking during a 3:00 a.m. crying fit), eat the
the OTSM. Combine ingredients thoughtfully
point, the other can step in. Find your right foods (except french fries—15 in your fist. Seek out contrasting flavors and
support systems to prevent stress and percent fun, remember?), and textures. And most important, when you take
that bite, close your eyes and focus on the
its toll from becoming permanent. maintain our exercise habits (no food. Let your troubles, and your children,
Scott’s the captain of the ship, and exceptions). We won’t have to nag disappear from your consciousness. The sink
I’m the cruise director. He keeps us and harass our kids, because they’re is but a portal to a better place.
DAN PASHMAN hosts the Sporkful
organized, I make sure we’re still watching us do it right most of the food podcast and Cooking Channel’s You’re
having fun, and we both watch out for time. And that’s the best inheritance Eating It Wrong.
the balance. a kid can have.

Will posts a photo Homayoun Jaden debuts a music Homayoun Will posts Homay-
of himself and says: A great video; Will posts a clip and says: Self-depre- an old family oun says:
Jaden with the in- example of a fun writes, “Why do I have to cation takes the baby video Adorable,
spirational message post—as long keep finding out on edge off promo- of when but ask. You
“Parenting is a as your child Instagram that my own tion. Jaden cut want your
balance between approves it first. son is dropping new But ask your kid his own hair child to mir-
letting go and videos?? This joint is FIRE!! prior to posting. (very poorly) ror your be-
holding tight.” Jaden, you’re on punishment.” as a boy. havior!

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 TO
S OF
DAD
ONE

S AV O R

Singledom! C A R RY O N T H E

COOLEST
Actor T I M OT H Y S I M O N S knows
a thing or two about having
one child. Because he has twins.

M
Y W I F E A N D I H A D two babies,
and having two babies is harder
than having one baby. The simplest
analogy that I can come up with is this: PA R T S O F

YOUR DAD
Imagine that you have one baby. Now
imagine that there is another whole-ass
baby in your house.
People with one baby can do all sorts
of shit that we couldn’t. Singleton parents
don’t generally have to be so nightmarishly
stringent about a schedule. Any parent of
two will tell you that strict adherence to
a schedule is the only thing that will get
you through a day. Chaos is that boulder Marvel
rvel writer
writ and illustrator A DA M KUBERT followed
ollowed his
from Raiders churning toward you from
father’s m n roads.

D
the moment you wake up till the moment
you go to sleep. If given a choice, I would
welcome the sweet relief of being crushed
to death in place of one of my kids
deciding to eat 30 minutes later than the AD LIKED TO travel, and he loved to drive. Being
other.
If you don’t have kids, you might not
a freelance artist, he had a flexible schedule.
know that to have them is to be confronted Whenever the desire hit them, my parents
daily with the knowledge that you will fail.
There is no great parenting; there is only would pack up all five of us kids, rent an RV,
good enough. Having two kids means
you are never allowed to consider great
and hit the road for a month at a time. We drove
parenting; you are only shown the smallest through the U. S., Canada, Mexico, and even
of victories early, and therefore your
expectations have a shorter distance to Europe. Dad would always bring his work. I’m
fall, which, I think, is nice.
I don’t want to seem overly negative not sure how much he’d get done, but he would bring it. And
about this, though. The bond that the I remember studying his sketches: Superman, Batman,
twins have is as assured as the air that
they breathe and has been there since the Flash, Tarzan. I remember stopping at comic-book conven-
beginning. One time our daughter refused
to go on the playground until our son got tions with him and watching other people being blown away
there. Our son started reading earlier than by Sgt. Rock, Enemy Ace, Hawkman, and other heroes that

PHOTOS
our daughter, and he would lie down next
to her and read her Dr. Seuss books. It also had sprung from his mind and onto his pages, embodiments
meant I was able to take a five-minute nap
of his sense of vitality and gumption and confidence to
123RF
on the floor of the living room.
TIMOTHY SIMONS starred as Jonah Ryan
on HBO’s VEEP.
charge into the uncharted.

C O O L DA D S K I L L S : 1. Brighten Faces 2. Shoot Fast, Edit Later 3. Don’t Spare the Rod
Your phone’s flash will wash you all Attention spans are limited. Use As much as I hate them,
TAKE A (PRETTY GOOD) out. Make sure there’s some light— the live-photo function or HDR selfie sticks work. They
FAMILY SELFIE the sun, a streetlight, a lamp—illumi- mode on your camera and snap. help you capture more of
These tips from photographer nating your family. Then, while If you’re pausing to change the background, giving
Christopher Testani, you’re extending your arm, snap settings or flip between filters, your family selfies a better
father of an almost-two- from a few different positions (left, your next few frames won’t be as sense of place. Any cheapo
year-old, will help. straight on, right). One should work. great as your first. rig will do.

38
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 If you spend
quality time with
your kids, it’s the
He had an ability to effortlessly best gift you
stream a narrative, a skill I now could give.
understand as similar to how he When you give
lived his life. Family, work, travel, time to your kids,
adventure, fatherhood—these were everything else
all things to be done simultaneously, seems to fall in
place.”
not compartmentalized or blocked
out and highly structured. This was
a life made dynamic and full-bleed,
running free from the constraints of
predetermined boxes. This was a life
where when you turned the page, you
were excited to see what came next.
Later in his life, Dad wrote and
drew stories based on more personal
experiences. He did one called Jew
Gangster and Yossel, a story about
a young cartoonist in the Warsaw
Ghetto, based on what could have
happened to him if his family hadn’t
decided to leave Poland before the Nazi
occupation. I began to understand
this period of reflection not only for
himself but for the greater sense of
family. This was his history and, by
nature, it was ours too. By mining the
details of trials past, he was illustrating
lessons that might prove helpful for us
in the future.
:
My dad died in 2012. I miss him, AT TN
but I still feel close to him in many ES P N
OTS
ways, largely because of the legacy he ZEAL
left. I carry with me his same sense
of adventure, be it through travel or my wife was ready to go and grab the
through my work. I possess, through kids who did it and rough them up
him, that same torch-bearing sense RAISE A or something. My protection was to

True Fan
that I, too, have lessons to pass on. let Jack know that this is what sports
In 1976, my dad started a comic- are all about. You’re called a “fan”
book school. I currently teach there for a reason. There are fanatics. It’s
When his son started rooting territorial. I wanted him to know that in
along with my brother Andy. The sports there’s loyalty, there’s passion.
school has Saturday drawing classes for the rivals, sportscaster And I said, If you ever win, it’ll be so
for kids, and this weekend, I’ll be DA N PAT R I C K didn’t put up a fight. much better.
taking my youngest daughter, Ava. So he went around telling everyone

M
I’ll do some drawing in my office that year, “Red Sox are winning it all,”
Y S O N WAS 1 2 when he became and they’d be like, “Ah, yeah, cute kid.”
while she practices sketching cartoon a Red Sox fan. It was the year before Even Red Sox fans at the restaurant
characters. I’m not sure how much they won the World Series. Growing we go to were like, “Oh, yeah, okay.”
work I’ll get done. Maybe up in Connecticut mostly around Yankees Jack never stopped believing, and he
I’ll plan our next adventure together fans, he came home and he told me he had started understanding what sports
found his baseball team. I said, “Ah, gosh, were all about: retribution, payback,
as a family instead. Jack,” but he told me that he didn’t want to passion.
hear it. He was rooting for the Red Sox. But his mom always wondered,
I bought him a hat and a sweatshirt. He “Why would they pee on his hat?”
ADAM KUBERT is the son of cartoonist Joe took the hat to school the next day, and You see, she’s not a sports fan. That’s
Kubert. Adam has been working in comic a few Yankees fans put it in the urinal and rivalry. You can always buy another
books for more than 40 years and is currently peed on it. Jack came home upset, and hat.
crafting Captain America with best-selling
author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

39
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 D I S COV E R YO U R

STRENGTH THROUGH THEM

ng an almost unbearable challenge, Men’s Health executive
During ut ve editor
B E N C O U R T learned about self-care from his three-year
ar-old sson.

N
OTHING R ALLY PREPARES
G REALL into a three-PuPurelll gu
guy (car, bag, mantel),
you for the snotty-nose,
he sn no ear- which I’m m not sure isi a sound approach
infection, stomach
ach-bug g fest to life but it felt
fe—bu f good to be doing
that is toddler dayccare.
r . My someth ng, and Henry seemed to have
ethin
son, Henry, went to a most excellent
x ffewer colds,
ol runny noses, and bugs.
hippie-dippy rural learning center Hygiene, while a squishy target,
where the kids were ushered outside to turned out to be easier to master
play and get dirty at every opportunity. than some of the other goals, namely
Every day seemed like a bout in the learning to manage his mood. As a
germ Thunderdome. triathlete, I was familiar with bonking,
Around the time Henry was leaning the nasty crash when you run out of
into the terrible threes, my wife energy because you don’t have enough
started battling a recurrence of breast fuel. At first I didn’t realize that if
cancer, enduring multiple kinds of his daycare team skimped on the Fig
chemotherapy and other treatments Newtons at afternoon snack, Harmless
that destroyed her immune system. The Henry would turn into Hangry Henry.
doctor’s orders called for a clean and Usually I’d expend all my energy trying
germ-free house and for peaceful nights to calm him down, and, soon enough,
conducive to restorative sleep. Our lives I’d bonk too. I started always packing
at the time were in chaos, yet from this an apple or a string-cheese stick for
challenge came a surprisingly settling Henry. Then I started packing another
force: Henry. In taking care of him, I for myself.
began taking better care of myself. Sometimes even a snack-fed Henry
Step one for me was establishing a would melt down, but at the Zen Den
gold standard of hygiene as Henry was at his daycare (no, really), he had
transitioning out of diapers. I became learned a technique called “turtle.”
a fanatical hand washer. I even wrote a As the name implies, it involves
story for this magazine on how to wash remaining still and taking several
your hands properly based on tips from deep breaths through your nose. Henry

PHOTOS
his daycare: Create a mousse of suds in would huddle on the ground, his rib
your palm and twist your fingernails in cage inflating and deflating. It usually 123RF

it; repeat with the other hand. I turned worked. Earlier this year, at SXSW, I

C O O L DA D S K I L L S : 1. Tweak Your Posture 2. Take the Easy Road 3. Don’t Forget Fun
Before your run, adjust the Turning with a jogger stroller (and Snacks)
ACTUALLY ENJOY height and angle of your throws off your stride. Pick a route If your stroller doesn’t have
A RUN WITH A STROLLER stroller’s handlebars. You want with as many straightaways as storage, rig the handlebars with a
Scott Jurek, a competitive your head, shoulders, and lower possible. When you do face a turn, car pocket organizer and fill it with
ultramarathoner, has taken back in alignment. This will help pop a wheelie. Without the front the goods: energy gels, books,
his toddlers on two-hour runs. stabilize your core and prevent wheel (or wheels), you can navigate toys, a premade smoothie, a small
Here’s what he’s learned. strain-related muscle fatigue. the turn more efficiently. Bluetooth speaker for music.

40
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 What Makes a Great Dad?
We asked Twitter. Here’s what
you told @MensHealthMag . . .
moderated a panel on self-care for men, still need help settling down for the “Fostering confidence and strength
and Aubrey Marcus, the founder of Onnit, night. So our family went all in on bath while simultaneously encouraging hu-
led everyone through his preferred stress time. Henry was going through an Angry mility and grace.” —@J_MarksTheSpot
buster—six deep and slow inhales and Birds/Octonauts/Lego Star Wars phase.
exhales: turtle. I’d gather all these toys and dump them “I think it all comes down to balance.
We balance our time between provid-
Then there’s the wild kind of energy— into a lavender bubble bath and let ing for our family financially & provid-
the bouncing-off-the-walls-during-a- him enter his own soothing aquaverse. ing for them emotionally, our discipline
rainy-day kind of energy that shouldn’t I’d often jump in too and do my own with our compassion, our commitment
be fed with fig bars or turtled into version of meditation. His mom would to our partners & ourselves with our
sit on the side of the tub. We’d talk about commitment to the kids. A balanced
submission. A babysitter exposed Henry
dad is a great dad.” —@Mr_Wimberly
to WWE and he took a shine to Dolph Henry’s day as he played out all kinds of
Ziggler. Luckily, we had a couch that interspecies snorkeling adventures until
could withstand leaps and slams and the bubbles went away. We were all more “Time. If you spend quality time with
relaxed those nights. your kids, it’s the best gift you could
Henry trying to suplex me. Those bouts give. When you give time to your kids,
went many rounds deep, and his endless Those habits helped us through many everything else seems to fall in place.”
energy helped power his sick mom. I tough times, including when Henry’s —@tonelantern
couldn’t stop him. I could only try to keep mom lost her fight with cancer a few
up and wait for the shenanigans to ebb. years later. Henry is now almost too big to “Realizing that your children will never
When they did, we were both left with a wrestle, and we don’t share a bath. But we grow up the way you want them to.
feeling of having worked out whatever we still tussle on the couch once in a while, But you got their backs no matter
needed to simply by way of silliness. and though I don’t get in anymore, the what.” —@efmendo
Even after snacks, turtle-ing, and tub remains our decompression and talk-
three WWE title matches, Henry might therapy tank.

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
TEXT CHRIS DIXON | CHRIS DIXON | QUINN DIXON(2)
 done a thousand times in the past year
alone. A millisecond of distraction and
A M I TO O an unfortunate too-far-forward shift

OLD FOR
of my weight. Left arm outstretched,
I meet the concrete with a dull thump
at my hip and a sharp crack at my left
shoulder blade. Wincing at a jagged,
crunchy pain where arm meets torso,
I register the gaze of Fritz and my

THIS SHIT beautiful and long-suffering wife

from up on the front porch. Her face
holds a mix of concern and anger at
the possibility of a dinnertime trip to
the hospital thanks to a husband who
Facing an existential question, a 51-year-old refuses to grow the hell up. G*ddammit,
skater looks for answers. that hurt. I’m sure it’s broken.

A
Thoughts slow as the pain really takes
S I LIE ON THE DRIVEWAY One aspect of fatherhood I’d always hold, and as I stagger up the stairs, I’m
between my front stairs and gleefully anticipated was the simple joy overcome by a dawning melancholy.
the quarter pipe my nine- of teaching my kids to surf and skate. Wow, I wonder if I’ll ever ride a skate
year-old son, Fritz, and I built I just sort of never realized that by the ramp again. In a split second, I’m at
last year, replays of my greatest hits of time they’d be ready to rip it up, I’d be a crossroads—the first time I’ve ever
skateboarding over the past 30 years busting ass to keep up. Fritz’s gateway really faced the possibility that maybe
flash before my eyes. Back when I was was a Carver Swallow, a retro modern I’m just getting too old for this shit.
20, at what you might call “peak skate,” board with fat wheels and insanely Facing a few months of wrestling
I could lay out a stylish frontside or loose trucks. By age seven, Fritz and with these inner voices before I could
backside turn on any curved transition; I were gleefully ripping around the even think about putting four wheels
boost an ollie onto and off of, say, a tennis courts and our tiny local skate under my feet, I considered it a good
park bench; rail slide along a parking park. When the SGD$6.5 million skate- idea not only to get serious about rehab
barrier for ten feet without much of-the-art SK8 Charleston park opened but to seek enlightenment from folks
drama. Skating—and skaters—rescued 30 minutes from my house in 2017, who are way smarter about whether and
me from the stifling southern suburban ridiculously satisfying after-school when any of us get too old for anything.
realm that defined my young existence. runs with Fritz became the norm, as My orthopaedist, Shane Woolf, M.D., is
From trips with friends to ramp-jam did regular sneak-outs with my buddies a 46-year-old father of two, a mountain
contests and concrete ditches to Luke and Chad for a fix after our biker who currently works as a sports-
deafening (and bruising) concerts children were in bed. Back when I was medicine guru for Charleston’s USL
by the Dead Kennedys or Black Flag, a Tony Hawk-worshipping kid, I didn’t soccer and minor-league baseball
skateboarding was central in my know a single dad who skateboarded. teams. My old friend Ron Miller, P.T.,
physical and social life. Skating wasn’t But on Sunday mornings at the local 51, leads the team at Sawtooth Physical
something I did; it was who I was. I park, we soon found as many dads—and Therapy in Boise, Idaho. He still
simply loved it. And aside from the even moms—as kids. subjects himself to brutal mountain-
occasional wrist sprain, broken toe, or Which brings me to my driveway and bike competitions. He’s also a father
bout of tinnitus, skating loved me back. the same simple frontside turn I’ve of two kids. It turns out both of these

C O O L DA D S K I L L S : 1. Get on Their Level 2. Stop Interviewing Them 3. Stick to the

Shoot while standing and you’ll “Tell Daddy what you’re doing” is a “One-Minute Rule”
SHOOT VIDEOS OF YOUR KIDS record kids’ heads, not faces. Move common camera-toting phrase. But That’s how long your family videos
PEOPLE WILL WATCH within five feet and crawl on the it interrupts the child’s behavior. should be, max. You can shoot a
Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro, has floor with them. Kneel, lie on your Hold the camera off to the side, three- or four-minute video for
three boys. He’s also sick of watching stomach or back—anything to aiming it at them. If you forget it’s yourself, but edit it down to 60
boring videos parents film. Don’t shoot capture the energy and expressive- there, so will your kid, resulting in seconds for others. Even better: a
boring videos. Take his advice instead. ness of their facial features. more natural, free-flowing videos. montage of 10-second clips.

43
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
fine gentlemen had been giving a lot of
thought to exactly the sort of existential
dilemmas the aging dad athlete faces.
Both warned me that injuries to
athletes in their 50s are fiendishly
common, especially those involving
connective tissue. There’s also
declining bone density, which could
have contributed to my busted
shoulder on what was, really, not a
terribly violent fall. Hearing all this
was, frankly, pretty damn depressing.
Which is why I was surprised that
neither Miller nor Dr. Woolf said he
thought I should quit skateboarding.
Physiologically, skating is a load-
bearing exercise. The g-force loads and
solid stresses can help prevent losses
in bone density. Few activities require
such intense coordination between
the mind and body, so skating is also a high-intensity workouts only twice football been my youthful passion, I
great way to maintain—even boost— a week. Many experts recommend doubt I’d be thinking about tackling my
proprioception, your sense of your a polarized training approach, 20 son on a grassy field at 51. On the other
body’s position. Miller and Dr. Woolf percent high intensity and 80 percent hand, if Fritz and I were golfers, we’d
suggested a few new protocols that low intensity. have decades more of putting around

5. Visualize the activity. “Our brain

could apply to any old fart who wants and shooting the shit on the horizon.
to do something stupid like return to (My own dearly departed dad used
skateboarding: doesn’t know the difference between to love nothing more than to take me

1. See a sports-medicine specialist.

us imagining something and doing it,” out to the links, but nine holes was my
says Miller. “Practice those runs in limit.)
An expert can identify issues with your head I returned to skating as much for
your posture, muscle imbalances, so you get it down. You can’t train 24 bonding with Fritz as for the actual
bone density, motor skills, and even hours a day, but you can work in some skating. I suppose I had hoped skating
diet. Have that specialist also help skill sessions in your head multiple would become our golf. One day I hope
you develop a personalized fitness times a day.” his heart will swell half as much as

6. Goose your proprioception.

program. mine when he watches his own kids

2. Don’t skate—or pursue any sport—

drop into a bowl of cast concrete. What
Regularly practice standing on one leg I didn’t anticipate from all this, though,
hard right out of the gate. A high with your eyes closed for 15 seconds, were the rekindled friendships, the
level of cardio fitness and flexibility then 30. Make it more challenging by hoots of support from young and old at
is especially vital as you age. An easy extending outward in a yoga pose. Even the top of the ramp, and the scary rush
yoga program at least twice a week that stand on one leg, eyes closed, while of a near miss that’s no less intense
ratchets up in intensity over time can brushing your teeth. Taking your eyes than it was when I was 20.
be hugely beneficial. out of the equation helps keep your Late, great Dogtown skater Jay

3.
balance honed. Adams once remarked: You don’t quit

7.
To maintain bone density, skating because you get old; you get old
introduce some load-bearing exercise Get regular. “Try to maintain a because you quit skating. Well, yeah,
like running or strength training twice consistent level of activity,” says Dr. that sounds great, and maybe it’s true.
a week. You’re in it for the long haul Woolf. Maybe when I’m fully healed and can
now, so start out slow—15 minutes a Sitting in the orthopaedist’s office look back on this episode with a fresh
couple times a week. typing this last paragraph, I’m frankly perspective, I’ll be happy catching

4. Rest and recover. When he was

still not sure what my skating future waves or just riding with Fritz to the
holds. In a lot of ways, I’ve been so skate park. Maybe seeing the world roll
younger, Miller trained on the bike lucky. Hips, knees, ankles—and by through his eyes will be enough. But
hard every other day. Now he does very shoulders—still work pretty well. Had I doubt it.

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 DRIVING

UTTER DRIVING
FREEDOM
MINI COOPER’S CABRIOLET HAS LONG
BEEN A GOLDEN OLDIE- BUT THE NEW
ITERATION AND ITS SOUPED-UP S VERSION
HAVE TAKEN THINGS UP A NOTCH.

First things first, I’ve an

ex-Mini Cabriolet owner. Ten
years ago I sprang for a Mini
Cooper S Cabriolet, and while
since then I’ve moved
to a Range Rover Evoque and
Mercedes Benz GLA 180 for
various pragmatic reasons,
the love for the marque the new S Cabriolet and its exhaust tailpipes. to the left of the steering
has remained- there’s nothing very slightly-less sportier As for the Cabriolet version, wheel- and that’s definitely
more pleasurable than Cabriolet brother? Man, the while we did feel a distinct a necessity on those hot
making a sharp turn on a Mini car’s so much improved from power drop with it’s 136 Singapore afternoon’s where
and feeling the go-kart a decade ago! horsepower engine, you’ve parked outdoors! On
response, as well as the Starting with the S variant, looks-wise it’s still a beauty, the other hand, you could just
T E X T K E LV I N TA N P H O T O S M I N I S I N G A P O R E

crackling “pop” from the it’s 4-cylinder petrol engine with contrasting colour for lower that top within 20
exhaust when accelerating. with 192 horsepower packs mirror caps possible; safety seconds and let the wind in
Of course, it wasn’t like the an amazing punch, bar, grill slats and tailgate your hair do the cooling!
car was perfect- the ride was especially in sports mode. handle strip in black Last, but certainly not least,
pretty bumpy over potholed And it looks gorgeous high-glass, 15 inch light –alloy Mini’s offering a lot more
roads, and fuel efficiency and even without any further wheels, and a chrome-plated heritage elements to the Mini,
transmission was sometimes body kit improvements, tailpipe trim. with the Union Jack woven
a little far less than desired, with air inlets in the bumper But our favourite feature into the fabric of the roof, as
even with the S Cabriolet. and bonnet, and by the rear ten years on? We discovered well as optional LED turn
Our verdict after almost a apron with diffusor insert an super-easy to reach max indicators with the same
week on the roads with both and centerline twin air-con blast button right next design as well!

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 NUTRITION

THE MEN’S
HEALTH PLAN FOR
SMARTER EATING
WE’VE DIGESTED THE PAST 25 YEARS OF NUTRITION
KNOWLEDGE, TALKED TO THE SMARTEST EXPERTS
ABOUT THE LATEST SCIENCE, AND COOKED UP SOME
AMAZING MEALS—ALL TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A
STRATEGY FOR PEAK HEALTH, NO DIETING NEEDED.

It’s no coincidence that the word diet contains the word die.
That’s what you want to do—keel over—after your third week on whichever

BY PAU L K I TA | P H O T O G R A P H S BY M I K E G A R T E N | F O O D S T Y L I N G BY C H R I S T I N E A L B A N O
highly restrictive diet is popular right now. (At least you will wear slightly better-
fitting pants at your funeral, you rationalize.) In a 2018 survey by the
International Food Information Council Foundation, 36 percent of Americans
ages 18 to 34 said they followed a “specific eating pattern” (read: diet) in the
past year, with intermittent fasting, paleo, and gluten-free leading the pack.
“One of the main questions I get from clients now is ‘Which diet is best for me?’
says Men’s Health nutrition advisor Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D. “It used to be ‘Is going
on a diet a good idea?’ ” You’d think that with the increased exposure of fad
diets, at least one would stick. But in 2017, Australian researchers reviewed 25
weight-loss programs and found that they “frequently fail to produce modest
but clinically meaningful weight loss, with high rates of attrition.” Translation:
Diets often backfire after a few months. Look, the best diet isn’t sexy. It doesn’t
have celebrity endorsements. There’s no marketing strategy. The best diet is
one that is based on the inclusion of healthful foods—not the exclusion of food
groups—and will last you far longer than whatever Atkins, Zone, Whole30,
paleo, Mesozoic, Bulletproof, or keto plan is hot. You need a plan
that’s going to suit you for life. Here’s that plan.

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 START HERE:
COUNT THE CALORIES
THAT MATTER
IT’S MORE complicated than
calories in versus calories out.
You should be thinking about
total calories, yes, but also about
the quality and makeup of those
calories. Think about which
foods give you the most nutrient-
rich bang for your calorie buck.
Drink 100 calories’ worth of
soda and you miss the nutrients
of 100 calories from a banana.
Eat foods that have the most
protein and fibre for the fewest
calories and added sugars.

Though it can depend on how much you

THE DAILY BREAKDOWN

weigh and how often you work out,
2,600 calories is a good target to hit
every day, our experts say.*

THE GENERAL BREAKDOWN OF THOSE CALORIES:

F AT C A R B O H Y D R AT E S

30%
FISH,
40%
E S P E C I A L LY
NUTS, THOSE HIGH
ETC. IN FIBER
PROTEIN

30%
A N I M A L-
A N D PLANT-
BASED

*Don’t go crazy counting. This is a guide, not a rule.

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 NUTRITION

1 PROTEIN PARAMOUNT
RU LE

IS

Why It’s Important: WHAT MAKES

PROTEIN IS THE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT FOR A PERFECT PROTEIN
HELPING YOU BUILD THE BODY YOU WANT. POWDER?
Protein helps decrease hunger, builds and maintains muscle,
fortifies your bones, improves brain function, aids your IT’S MINIMALLY SWEET-
ENED. Look for five grams of sugar
immune system, and can even pick up the kids from soccer or less per serving, and avoid fake
practice if you’re strapped for time. sugars.
IT’S MADE FROM WHEY
ISOLATES. They’re high-quality
How Much to Eat: proteins that have amino acids you
CONSUME 1.2 TO 1.6 GRAMS OF PROTEIN need, particularly leucine.

FOR EVERY KILOGRAM OF YOUR TARGET IT HAS 150 OR FEWER CAL-

ORIES FOR EVERY 25 GRAMS
BODYWEIGHT. OF PROTEIN. Otherwise it’s a
An 80kg guy who wants to maintain his current weight high-calorie milkshake.
would need 100 to 130 grams, or six palm-sized portions of IT’S “NSF CERTIFIED FOR
SPORT” OR “INFORMED-
protein-rich foods, every day. That’s about 30 grams at each CHOICE CERTIFIED.”
meal and an additional 10 to 20 grams in two snacks. Chick- So it contains what it says it
en breast is great, but so are chicken thighs, tofu, salmon, contains.

pork, shellfish, whitefish, lamb, tempeh, and much more.

6
1 Question, 1 Answer

Q: What’s the best high-protein snack?

A: A shake. Not only do most “high-protein”
bars, cookies, and (eye roll) peanut-butter cups
on the market fall far short of the protein you
need, but they’re also often highly processed.
Some bars with minimal ingredients are fine GRAMS OF PROTEIN
to eat on occasion, especially when paired with IN ONE WHOLE LARGE
produce, but you’d be better off with protein EGG. YOU’RE EATING
powder made into a shake.
—BRIAN ST. PIERRE, R.D., MH nutrition advisor
THEM WHOLE, RIGHT?

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 Seven Unsung
Protein Sources
Many guys eat a lot of chicken and beef. A lot.
That’s fine, but sticking to the tried and true may
cause you to miss out on key nutrients from other
sources—not to mention worlds of flavour.

1. Duck Breast
21 grams in 3 ounces
Skinless duck breast is about as lean as chicken breast, and a por-
tion still comes in at under 200 calories. The taste is deeply hearty,
savoury, and luscious.

2. Chickpeas
15 grams in 1 cup
They form the base of hummus, and they make a
great addition to soups, chillies, salads, and cur-
i B
ries. Bonus: Ch
Chickpeas are loaded with gut-filling fibre. One cup
has a whopping 13 grams.

3. Scallops
17 grams in 3 ounces
Plump, meaty, and satisfying, these molluscs taste
best seared over medium-high heat on each side till
i and
crispy d th
then plunked into butternut-squash soup or atop risotto.

4. Edamame
4
9 grams in ½ cup
They’re technically soybeans, and beyond being a
Th
greatt go
go-tto
to sushi-bar
sush appetizer, they’re delicious thrown into sal-
ads, noodle dishes, and stir-fry. They’re a solid source of fibre, too.

5. Fresh Mozzarella
18 grams in 3 ounces
This cheese tends to have fewer calories than aged
cheeses, which gives you permission to stack a
caprese salad (but maybe not eat an entire ball).

GET
COOKING 6. Mussels
18 grams in 3 ounces
SEARED DUCK 1. Salt and pepper a duck breast lightly
and put it skin side down in a cold cast-iron
Dump a bag of scrubbed mussels into a pot with
some beer and butter. Simmer until they open. Serve with a hunk
BREAST skillet. 2. Turn the heat to medium. The grad-
of crusty bread for dipping.
Prop styling: Kaitlyn DuRoss Walker

ual increase in temperature will melt the fat.

Cook it, undisturbed, until the skin crisps, 8 to 7. Tempeh
10 minutes. 3. Flip it, cook until seared, about 17 grams in ½ cup
3 minutes more, and then slide into a 176°C You’ll usually find this fermented soybean product
oven until a thermometer inserted into the (tastes savoury, not stinky) in the fridge section of a good grocery.
thickest part registers 51°C for medium rare. Crumble and stir-fry it.
Serve with roasted Brussels sprouts and
mashed sweet potatoes. Feeds 1

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 NUTRITION

2 FUEL UP GOOD FATS

RU LE

ON

Why They’re Important:

THE RIGHT FATS MAY ACTUALLY HELP YOUR HEART.
But wait, 15 years ago your friends were making Lipitor jokes when you went out for
wing night. Well, turns out scientists unfairly blamed fat as the cause of heart disease.
New research shows that heart trouble may be caused by issues ranging from your
parents’ DNA to hypertension and inflammation. What’s more, good fats may in fact
help your heart, in addition to preventing cancer and assisting in nutrient absorption.

How Much to Eat:

AIM FOR SIX THUMB-SIZED PORTIONS DAILY.
And get your fats from high-quality proteins (oily fish, grass-fed beef). Use whole fats
(butter, olive oil) when cooking instead of fats engineered in a lab (margarine). In
general, for overall health, eat a broad mix of fat sources: monounsaturated (like al-
monds, olive oil, avocados), polyunsaturated (flax/chia, walnuts, fish), and saturated
(dark chocolate, butter).
HOW FAT F U N C T I O N S 1 Question, 1 Answer

100
Science has identified three types of fat cells:
Q: What the heck
are EPA/DHA
beige (neutral), white (not great for you), and
brown (pretty great for you). A healthful diet
promotes brown-fat “activity.” fatty acids?
A: EPA and DHA are
TO
Brown Fat
the heart-healthy

120
When beige-fat activity “browns,”
omega-3’s  that your
fat burning increases, inflammation body uses most eas-
decreases, and the risk of ily. You’ll find them in
metabolic disorders decreases.
high amounts in sea-
food, particularly cold-
water fish (because
THE NUMBER OF Beige Fat they carry more fat
CALORIES IN ONE TABLE- for insulation). Fish is
SPOON OF COOKING FAT. always the best direct
When beige-fat activity “whitens,”
BUTTER, CANOLA OIL, fat burning decreases, inflammation
source of EPA/DHA.
BACON FAT, OLIVE OIL, increases, and the risk of So while we’re at it,
metabolic disorders increases. eat fish at least twice
SESAME OIL—DOESN’T a week.
MATTER WHICH. —CHRIS MOHR, PH.D., R.D.
White Fat

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 GET
COOKING

DIY SALMON SUSHI ROLLS

People think you need all sorts of
equipment to roll sushi at home: a rice
cooker, a paddle, rolling mats. Not true.
With this approach, you don’t even have
to roll and slice. Just fill and fold like you
would a taco.

W HAT YO U ’LL N E E D :
2 Tbsp rice vinegar ½ English cucumber,
¼ tsp sugar peeled, seeded,
and thinly sliced
1½ cups sushi rice, lengthwise
rinsed well
1 avocado, thinly
2 skinless center- sliced
cut salmon fillets
(about 350g) Sesame seeds,
for garnish
5 sheets nori,
quartered Soy sauce
and wasabi,
for serving

1. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar and sugar until

dissolved. Set aside.
2. In a large pan, add the rice and 2 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, adjust the heat to low, and cover.
Cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the
pan from the heat and, using a wooden spoon,
fold in the vinegar mixture. Continue to stir the
rice until sticky. Transfer to a large bowl and cover
with a kitchen towel.
3. Transfer the salmon to a cutting board and
slice into strips about the size of the nori squares.
To serve, take a nori square and add a spoonful
of sticky rice. Top with a salmon slice, cucum-
ber, avocado, and sesame seeds. Serve with soy
sauce and wasabi. Feeds 5

Four Unsung Nuts and Seeds for Men

Salmon gets all the credit for being high in heart-healthy fats. But the type of fat (monounsaturated)
found in these small but mighty nutritional powerhouses has similar benefits.

1. Brazil Nuts 2. Hemp Seeds 3. Pumpkin Seeds 4. Macadamia Nuts

These are the big guys in your nut They’re also known as hemp They’re not just for Halloween. These stout bulbs taste
mix. Twelve of them have nine “hearts,” and they carry a They’re great roasted and lightly terrific roasted, crushed,
grams of protein, five grams of faintly roasted flavor. Try seasoned with smoked paprika for a and stirred into oatmeal or yogurt
fiber, and a payload of healthy fats. them scattered atop a soup simple snack. High in fiber, too. loaded with fruit.
or salad for some crunch.

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 NUTRITION

3 CARBOHYDRATES
RU LE

R E T H I N K YO U R

Why They’re Important:

CARBOHYDRATES AREN’T EVIL; THEY’RE ESSENTIAL.
Consuming the right amount of the right kind of carbs can help improve your athletic perfor-
mance, exercise recovery, and body composition (meaning you look goooood). Also know that
there’s nothing magical about carbs (or insulin) that causes excess fat gain or hunger.

How Much to Eat:

TRY FOR SIX TO EIGHT CUPPED HANDFULS OF QUALITY CARBS EVERY DAY.
What are “quality” carbs? Fruits, legumes, whole grains, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Basically anything vegetal you can pull out of the ground or pluck from a tree.

THE CARBOHYDRATE FA M I LY TR E E
Diets that exclude carbohydrates on a blanket basis are tricky things,
because the “carb” label includes so many foods and nutrients.

C A R B O H Y D R AT E S
They provide your body (and brain) with
glucose, a vital source of energy. 1 Question, 1 Answer

Q: The sugar in
fruit is bad for
FIBER S TA R C H SUGAR
The roughage that It’s how plants store glucose. There are many types,
keeps you regular. Potatoes are high in starch. and not all are bad. me too, right?
A: No, don’t stop
eating fruit. You’d
G E N E R A L LY G O O D F O R

INSOLUBLE FIBER GLUCOSE have to eat four

It won’t dissolve in water. Insulinshuttlesittoyour
Wheat bran has it. cellsforfuel.Honeyhasit.
apples in order to
ingest roughly the
YO U

same amount of
SOLUBLE FIBER LACTOSE FRUCTOSE
sugar as in one large
It attracts water, slowing You’ll find it naturally in In fruit, it’s paired with Coke. Plus, fruit has
the absorption of sugar. milk-based products. fiber and antioxidants. vitamins, minerals,
and fiber.
—MIKE ROUSSELL, PH.D.,
G E N E R A L LY N O T
G R E AT F O R YO U

MH advisor

ADDED SUGAR SUCROSE

It’s usually excess It’s glucose plus fructose.
empty calories. Table sugar is sucrose.

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 HEY, WHAT ABOUT
SODIUM?
IF YOU’RE counting milligrams of sodium,
you’re going to go nuts. Salt is essential.
Your body can’t make it, and your cells need
it to function. But even though the average
American blows past limits set by the AHA
and WHO, consuming more than 3,400
milligrams of sodium a day, some experts
say that’s not a problem for healthy men.
Limit your consumption of packaged and
prepared foods (high sources of sodium) and
you’ll be fine.

Pack in More
Produce
Research shows you should eat six to
ten servings of fruits and vegetables
a day to help fight disease and main-
tain a healthy weight. Your strategy:
Spread out the produce over the
course of the day.

Breakfast:
Bowl of Greek yogurt topped with
½ cup blueberries and 1 sliced banana
(2 servings)

Midmorning
Snack:
1 pear, 1 apple, or
2 clementines (1 serving)

Lunch:
Salad with ½ cup cherry tomatoes and
¼ cup cubed roasted sweet potatoes
(3 servings)

GET
Midafternoon Snack:
Handful of nuts or seeds
COOKING and 2 large carrots (2 servings)

TEX-MEX 1. In a medium pot, cook 1 cup of tricolor quinoa according to Dinner:

package instructions in chicken stock, plus 1 smashed, peeled Protein plus ½ cup cooked quinoa, farro,
QUINOA garlic clove and 1 bay leaf. 2. Meanwhile, cook 450g of chorizo in or brown rice with a double portion of
BOWL a pan over medium heat in 1 tsp of oil until well browned, about 10
minutes. 3. Transfer the quinoa to serving bowls and top with the
sauteed greens (2 servings)

chorizo and any of the following: drained and rinsed black beans,
cubed avocado, a lime wedge, crumbled queso fresco, thinly PAUL KITA is the food and nutrition editor of Men’s Health
sliced radishes, fresh cilantro leaves, hot sauce. Feeds 4 and the author of the cookbook A Man, A Pan, A Plan.

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J U L Y / A U GJUUSL TY 11 99 / / M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 GROOMING FAST FIXES

Freezing
The Battle
Of The Bulge
WHILE WORKOUTS
ARE ALWAYS THE
BEST WAY TO LOSE
THE SPARE TYRE,
SOMETIMES YOU
NEED SCIENCE TO
GIVE A HELPING HAND.
WE TAKE A CLOSER
LOOK AT COOL
SCULPT WHICH
PROMISES JUST THAT.

up, melts as much as an extra dimples on their cheeks, and technology that is patented,
400 calories in bed. Pro tip: this happened frequently and targets fat cells with
make sure you stick your enough to earn itself a name: extremely low temperatures
D I G I TA L I M AG I N G AS H R U D D I N S A N I P H OTO 1 2 3 R F
head under the faucet, as popsicle panniculitis. A (-13° C), under controlled
more brown fat is stored in company called Zeltiq was conditions.”
the back of your neck and founded in 2005, and after “ Under the controlled
shoulders! successfully clearing FDA conditions of extremely low
So logically it makes sense standards in 2010, Coolsculpt temperatures, the fat cells in
The relationship between cold that scientists and aesthetic was born, and arrived in the targeted areas, crystallize
and fat loss has always been science would continue to Singapore in 2011. and die. They are later
well documented. Even an icy focus on this link, and the So how does it work? We removed through the body’s
shower has it’s benefits, with birth of Coolsculpt found it’s spoke to Dr. Kenneth Thean, natural waste disposal
research in PLoS ONE revealing origins with scientists at the medical director of Ensoul mechanism,” he added.
that a 30-second freeze is all it Harvard, who noticed a Medical Clinic in Singapore, What’s the point of all that
takes to activate your body’s strange phenomenon: kids who shared: “CoolSculpting effort? According to Joo Heng,
brown fat—which, when fired who ate popsicles got relies upon a cooling a body specialist at Ensoul

54
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 COOLSCULPT & IF IT WORKS
OR NOT: TRIED & TESTED
Body Clinic and also a  So everything began was completed a non- the swelling, though of
certified CoolSculpting with a consult with Dr invasive shockwave course I had to factor in
master practitioner, “the Kenneth Thean, who therapy that uses the number of areas I
procedure results in a explained the science low-energy acoustic had the Coolsculpt
significant reduction in the fat behind the tech, and wave pulsations is treatment done at.
layer thickness below the skin what to expect, as well applied to break up the But after the sixth
surface, leading to a better- as figured out what the fat cells. week when the swelling
proportioned body!” fat reduction areas and It wasn’t as painful as really started to subside,
So who are the guys going goals would be expected, but not the some results started
through it? “Our male attainable. most pleasant of showing- my flanks were
clientele are range from a full We then went through sensations- but we were definitely looking more
spectrum of men who are a fairly rigorous baseline told was worth it, to help svelte, and by the eighth
professional to business photography session enhance circulation and week the 3D imaging
people, who have a focused with Master body simulate lymphatic was showing over a litre
problem of gynecomastia specialist Joo Heng, drainage, increasing the of volume of fat loss on
(male boobs), or only a using an aesthetic elimination of destroyed both sides!
double chin, to those with simulation imaging fat cells. The front of my spare
stubborn fat around the camera worth $35,000 By the time it all tyre though, didn’t
abdomen,” says Dr. Thean, to get a 3D-imaged ended, it was close seem to have much
adding: “ Even muscular lean video of the targeted to 6pm, which was change- though I was
men who diet & exercise areas, as well as other practically a full working told it would take a
often, would also want their tape, caliper and weight day, and weekly follow few more weeks before
little abdominal fat even and body up appointments the full effects of
further reduced and their fat readings. scheduled for the next Coolsculpt would be
small love handles even The areas that were 6 weeks for more seen.
smaller for a better defined targeted for reduction shockwave treatments The final verdict? It
waistline and more prominent were my flanks, and and measurements to certainly does show
six-pack!” upper and lower observe the changes. some results, though
Are there side-effects? One abdomen, and an Pain-wise, the when I weigh up what
of the pros for Coolsculpt, of appointment was made swelling of the areas I might have been able
course, is that it’s a non- when my schedule really blew up over the to achieve with two to
invasive treatment, compared could fit a whole day in- course of the first week- three months of hard
to procedures such as this would take a while! - my gut and stomach dieting and workouts,
liposuction. There are risks of I headed into Ensoul muscles felt like I were one does wonder if
tingling, minor bruising, and early in the morning at on permanent pain- similar results could be
numbness at the targeted 9am, and spent the day mode after doing too achieved.
areas, but they’re not in pretty comfortable many situps and But if you’re nursing
permanent and generally environs with crunches! an injury and that’s not
disappear after a few days, applicators placed at It took me a while possible, Coolsculpt
shares Joo Heng. the premarked targeted before getting back to might an option– but of
So how old are the folks spots for reduction. normal exercise, and course, you should really
who give Coolsculpt a try? The experience, as a during that duration still watch that diet. Still,
Surprisingly, as young as 26, whole, didn’t hurt that I really couldn’t no harm losing some
to as old as 72, says Dr Thean. much, though after the recognize my physique waistline inches at the
Clearly the desire for a flatter cryo treatment cycle in the mirror because of same time!
stomach has no age barriers!

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 T R A I N E R

70
5 SPEED
HACKS
TO GO
FASTER
PT REV YOUR RUN
IF YOU WANT TO HIT NEW
PERSONAL BESTS, HERE’S
SOME TRICKS TO TRY.

66 FITNESS HOW KEVIN SMITH WENT FROM FAT TO FIT IT TOOK ALMOST DYING, BUT THE HOLLYWOOD
LEGEND KNUCKLED DOWN AND CHANGED HIS LIFE, POSSIBLY SAVING IT. HERE’S HOW. 58 MUSCLE BUILD
PHOTO 123RF

THAT BACK 8 WORKOUT MOVES THAT WILL HELP YOU SCULPT YOUR BACK MUSCLES. 62 FIT GIRL ON
INSTAGRAM THIS PERSONAL TRAINER IS NOW… AVAILABLE MEET OUR FAVOURITE PT TRAINER, WHO’S
RECENTLY GONE THE FREELANCE ROUTE. 60 MUSCLE THE V-UP & PRESS MASTER THIS MOVE TO CHISEL
YOUR ABS, AMONGST OTHER BENEFITS.

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 MUSCLE

PULL DOWN,
PULL-UP, AND
ROW YOUR WAY
TO BUILDING A
MASSIVE BACK.
NOPE, DUDES AREN’T ALWAYS BEST,
ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT SOME WOMEN
WISDOM WHILE DOING YOUR REPS.
AND THE BEST THING ABOUT PERSONAL
TRAINER CHERYL LOH IS SHE’S
AVAILABLE… TO WHIP YOU INTO SHAPE.

When you think of the glamour

body parts to train in the gym,
you often think first of the
so-called “mirror muscles.”
These are the muscles that
every guy loves to train, and the
ones that you can always see
easily—chest, arms, abs, and
shoulders.
But if you really want to that
perfect superhero physique,
you have to build a ripped and
T E X T D AV I D O T E Y, C . S . C . S .

chiselled back, too. Specifically,

you have to hit your lats, the
wide, fan-shaped muscles that
loom large along your back.
The perfect physique doesn’t
really come together without a
muscular back that tapers in
width from shoulders to waist.
PHOTOS 123RF

And that taper is really a

product of lat development.
Training your lats, however,

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
feels boring to some and on a box or bench for balance.
daunting to others, because This is the start. Pull the
sometimes, we think of pull-ups dumbbell back to just above
as our only option. But there are your belly button, then slowly
a host of exercises that can get return it back to the start.
the job done. Make sure you’re
hitting 2 or 3 of these moves at PULL-UPS AND CHIN-UPS
least once a week to round out The pull-up and the chin-up are
your physique. well-known moves, and staples
for lat development. Both
DEADLIFTS moves are simple: You hang
The classic barbell deadlift is from a bar, with an overhand
often thought of as a hamstring grip (pull-ups) or an underhand
and glute developer, but it’ll grip (chin-ups), and pull your
smoke your lats too. Think chest to the bar. To really hit
about it: Whether you’re lifting your lats, avoid the so-called
or lowering that barbell with a “kip,” a CrossFit idea that has
heavy weight, it’s hanging from you explosively swinging your
your arms, and your back hips to create momentum that
muscles have to pull. Don’t drives your chest to the bar.
underrate this move as a Work up to 3 sets of 10.
foundation of a solid back. How to: Hang from a
How to: Load a barbell with pull-up bar with an overhand
weight on the ground and slightly and hinge forward so (pull-up) or underhand (chin-up)
stand close to it, so it nearly your torso is slightly higher grip, hands about shoulder-
touches your shins. Grasp it than parallel to the ground, width apart. Keeping your core
with an overhand, slightly- then grab the barbell using an SOMETIMES, WE tight, bend at the elbows and
wider-than-shoulder-width grip. overhand, shoulder-width grip. THINK OF PULL-UPS shoulders and pull your chest
With feet shoulder-width apart Look down, not forward. Tighten AS OUR ONLY to the bar. Pause, then lower
and arms just outside of the your core. Hinge upwards, OPTION. BUT with control.
legs, push the hips back as far
as possible then bend the knee
raising your torso to a
45-degree angle with the
THERE ARE A HOST LAT PULLDOWNS
far enough to reach the bar. ground and lifting the barbell. OF EXERCISES The lat pulldown is a cousin of
From the bottom position with a This is the starting position. THAT CAN GET THE pull-ups and chin-ups, and it
tall spine, pull the bar from the Keeping your core tight and JOB DONE. definitely seems similar. But
ground by standing tall and your shoulder blades we’re giving it its own spot here
pulling the hips back to your squeezed, bend your elbows because of how it lets you focus
standing position. Throughout and pull the barbell to your in on your lats. Freed of grip
the movement, it’s important to lower chest. Aim to keep your concerns and the need to
maintain a strong posture. elbows at a 45-degree angle pull the dumbbell up toward manage your lower body
Descend down controlling the relative to your torso as you do your ribcage. Dumbbell rows perfectly, you can really focus in
bar back down to the ground. this, and try to touch the bar to involve a host of back muscles, on your lats and finish off every
your ribcage. Lower to the start but if you want to focus on your rep with a good squeeze.
BARBELL ROW with control. That’s 1 rep. lats here, aim to get a good How to: Sit in a lat
Fixed moves with both arms stretch at the bottom of the pulldown station and grab the
can maximize the amount of DUMBBELL ROW motion. bar above with a grip slightly
weight that can move. This This is one of the first variations How to: Start standing, wider than shoulder-width.
move is a staple in most novice lifters learn. You simply holding a single dumbbell in Tighten your core and keep
bodybuilders, athletes, and hinge forward, place one arm your right hand. Now hinge your torso upright. Pull the bar
probably your routine by this on a bench or rack for balance, forward until your torso is down toward your chest,
point. and grasp a dumbbell in the nearly parallel with the ground. bending at your elbows and
How to: Stand next to a other arm. Keep your torso Keep your core tight and your squeezing your shoulder
loaded barbell set on the steady as you bend your elbow feet shoulder-width apart as blades. Slowly return the bar to
ground. Bend your knees and use your back muscles to you do this. Place your left hand the top of the station.

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 MUSCLE

THE V-UP
# TRY TH I S N OW

AND PRESS
MASTER THIS MOVE AND
STA RT HER E

1 SIT
COMFORTABLY 2 FORM A FLYING V
Balancing on your glutes,
Sit on the floor, your lean your torso back and raise
YOU’LL STRENGTHEN YOUR knees slightly bent, your feet off the ground, ex-
tending your legs up and out
LOWER BACK, DEFINE YOUR holding a kettlebell at
in front of you slowly and with
your right shoulder. Hold
SHOULDERS, AND CHISEL your left arm out to the control. Find your balance—
OUT YOUR ABS ALL AT ONCE. side to steady yourself this is the starting position.
when the hard part
You’ve done plenty of exercises kicks in (and it’s coming).
that can help you earn six-pack
abs. But have you ever done a
move that carves out your core
and helps you sculpt your
shoulders, too?
Get ready to learn one. The V-up

P H I L I P H AY N E S. ST Y L I N G : A B E N A O F E I. G RO O M I N G : N ATAC H A S C H M I T T. M O D E L : C H R I STO P H E R W H I T LOW/A N D I P E T E R S M O D E LS.

and press does more than build
muscle in all the right places. It’ll
also protect you from injuries and
insulate you against lower-back
and hip issues while tightening and 3 TUCK
YOUR KNEES
Hold your core tight to
improving your posture. Is there
avoid wobbling, then con-
anything this move can’t do? “The tract your abs and breathe
exercise forces you to engage your in, crunching your knees to
obliques, the muscles that run from your chest. Exhale and re-
y
your hips to your rib cage,” says Los verse the move.
Angeles–based trainer Ben Bruno,
an MH training advisor. The key, he
says, is to keep a steady torso.
That’s a lot harder than it looks
when you’re pressing a kettlebell,
challenging both shoulder strength
and stability. But who said building
muscle was easy?
Do 3 sets of 10 reps per side
twice a week.

4  PRESS TO IMPRESS
Slowly press the kettlebell overhead.
Pause, then lower it slowly. Rebalance be-
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN:
fore the next rep. Do 10 reps, then switch
the kettlebell to your left hand.
Six-p
pack
abs

der
Bould
shoulders

ect
Perfe
ure
postu

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 DAILY UPDATES!
NEWS BITES!
STORIES GALORE!
HOT PROMOS!
COOL BLOGS!

BE THE TORQUE TEAM’S

CO-DRIVER ON THE ROAD
AND ONLINE AT
WWW.TORQUE.COM.SG
 FIT TEST GIRL ON INSTAGRAM

MEET OUR
FAVOURITE
FEMALE PT
TRAINER

T E X T K E LV I N TA N
NOPE, DUDES AREN’T ALWAYS BEST, ESPECIALLY IF

PHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES CHUA

YOU WANT SOME WOMEN WISDOM WHILE DOING
YOUR REPS. AND THE BEST THING ABOUT
PERSONAL TRAINER CHERYL LOH IS SHE’S
AVAILABLE… TO WHIP YOU INTO SHAPE.

H A IR KC CHUA , W S A LOON USING DAV INES

Some background about Cheryl- she’s got almost a
decade of coaching experience in the fitness industry.

A R T D I R E C T I O N J A S O N TA N
Cheryl’s expertise lies in functional training – mobility &
flexibility work, movement work – and skill-related
components of fitness that helps improve the quality of life
and enhance sports performance.
Cheryl is also the first female Singaporean to compete in
the world-renowned Ninja Warrior obstacle course
competition held in Guangzhou, China, 2015 and is also
proficient jump rope athlete who has competed in

MAKEUP BENO LIM USING COVERFX

STYLING SHEH
BIKINI BILLABONG

62
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
several international jump maintain. A simple formula - I your calendar the days you are you? What’s the weirdest
rope competitions from just make sure my calorie input going to work out, and stick to thing you’ve ever had shared
including the Junior Olympic & output are according to the plan for at least 3 months. (no names!)
Games in 2008. whichever fitness goal I’m Consistency is key. Not weird at all, unless any male
Read on to learn more about working towards. client(s) cross their lines. Love
this issue’s Fit Girl On Instagram, CHERYL ON TRAINERS BEING sharing a connection with all
and why she’s our favourite How do you manage THE NEW BARTENDERS my clients alike. Weirdest thing
female PT Trainer. your diet Do you find that people tell I’ve ever talked about during a
Intermittent fasting (not that their trainers stuff and pour PT session? A female client
CHERYL ON FITNESS strict on the hours because my their issues out? How do you asking which exercises are able
When did you start your work gets me up early in the feel about that? to improve performance in bed.
fitness lifestyle? day and only ends late at night, You can say that. I always And you can imagine the
I began training competitive but basically skipping believed personal training isn’t discussion and explanations
Jump Rope in 2006, actively breakfast), and I try to keep my just about counting reps, it’s that followed!
participated in local and sugar intake (including carbs) building a fitness program
international competitions. I low, meet my daily protein based on my understanding of Being fit and sex: is it really
wanted to improve my sports intake (about 105g), and making every individual’s needs, better when you’re both fitter?
performance, and started sure fibre is in, take lifestyle habits, preferences, as Or does DOMs get in the way
reading up a lot on how to multivitamins, magnesium (to well as building a relationship sometimes?
improve stamina, endurance, balance out water in the body). I and trust with my clients. I Being fit is definitely better
jump power, agility, speed, etc. do indulge in daily Barebells would prefer to describe it as when it comes to sex. As a
That got me very interested in protein bars whenever I feel like “personal trainers are the new trainer, I often mention the
fitness and conditioning snacking - to satisfy my sweet- psychologist/doctor”, where importance of body control,
exercises, and have been tooth cravings without having to clients could tell them the most body awareness, coordination,
keeping myself active since indulge in lava cake or cookies. confidential things/issues, and strength, stamina, mobility,
then. trust that their personal trainer flexibility. Imagine having all of
What advice do you is professional enough to keep that on the higher-end.... in bed.
What are your personal have for guys looking to all their information It’s a fact! And for the record,
fitness goals, and how do start fitness regimes confidential, just like doctors, DOMs don’t usually get in the
you work to get there? First step is always the psychologists, etc. way as they go away with
My goal is to strike a balance toughest, and that is knowing increased blood circulation and
between proportionate what you want, and planning Does it help in building a adrenaline....
physique and living life to the how you want to work towards relationship with your clients?
fullest. There are certain period your goal(s). You’ll already be For sure. Looking for a great freelance trainer?
of time when I work to lean up, halfway there if you know what You can find Cheryl at:
and other times work to you want. Then, mark out on Does it ever feel weird for www.instagram.com/cherylfit_sg

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 NUTRITION

REBOOT YOUR
METABOLISM
IF YOUR BODY IS A MACHINE, THEN YOUR METABOLISM IS ITS OS:
IT TAKES WHATEVER YOU INPUT (FOOD) AND RUNS IT THROUGH A
PROCESS SO THAT YOU CAN FUNCTION. DOWNLOAD A BUNCH OF 5 EAT
JUNK AND IT RUNS POORLY. UPGRADE YOUR DIET DINNER
AND EXERCISE AND YOU’RE RUNNING AT
THE HIGHEST EFFICIENCY. AT LUNCH
Perr an Italian study
pubblished in PLOS One,
par ticipants who ate the
1 bulk of their calories at
dinner were twice as likely

TEA UP
to be
b obese as those who
ate their larger meals
Along with coffee, tea is a rich source of earlier in the day. The sci-
antioxidants. One study published in the entists speculate that this
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences style of eating may sync
found that people with type 2 diabetes up more
m naturally with
who drank four cups of green tea daily cadian rhythms, which
circ
lost more weight and reduced their blood conntribute to metabolic
pressure more than those who drank function.
no tea. The scientists think catechins,
antioxidants inherent in green tea, may
increase metabolism.

Morning Afternoon
f

2 EAT DRINK A
BREAKFAST LITTLE WATER
The meal may inactivate
— A LOT

G O L D ST E I N /ST U D I O D ( 5 ) . FOX ( 6 ) . KO B A L /R E X /S H U T T E R STO C K ( 9 ) .

G E T T Y I M AG E S ( 1 , 2 , 4 , 7, 8, 1 0, 1 1 ) . E V E R E T T C O L L E CT I O N ( 3 ) . B E N
genes involved in fat metabo-
lism and encourage the body Athletes on high-proteindietsmayshow
to burn more carbs during a signsofmetabolism-stallingdehy-
workout later in the day, found dration.Sodrinku up:Morewatermay
a 2018 study by the University helpyourbodybreak down fats more 4
efficiently, eadingtoweightloss,found
GET SPICY
of Bath. Breakfast also raises 3
your resting metabolic rate areviewofanimalstudiesinFrontiersin
more than eating the same Nutrition.Anddrink from a smaller cup—
the walk to the fountain will boost your Tryseasoningyourmorn-
foods at dinnertime, accord- ingoatmealorshakewith
ing to a separate study by workday activity.
cinnamon.The spicemayy
l
Italian scientists. helpactivatethermogen-
esis(theproductionofheat
by metabolism),found
a2017test-tubestudyin
Metabolism.It’sgreat on a
peanut-butter-and-banana
sandwich on toasted whole
wheat, too.

64
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 IMPOSE A
11
CURFEW
Even if you’ve implemented all

ENTER BURST MODE

the tips on these pages thus far,
9 sleeping poorly may undo your
hard work. Numerous studies
Italian scientists found that high-intensity interval resis-
have shown that losing sleep
tance training (HIRT) increased the number of calories par-
can alter glucose metabolism
ticipants burned afterward when compared with traditional
and regulatory hormones, both
resistance training. Try this workout from the study: 6 reps,
7 20 seconds rest, 2 or 3 reps, 20 seconds rest, 2 or 3 reps. Do
of which are vital for a properly
functioning metabolism.
3 exercises
cises total with 2 minutes
inutes and 30 seconds of rest in
GO BACK betwee en sets for a total of 8 sets.

TO IODIZED
SALT
Sea salt does not usually
contain iodine, a nutrient
essential for helping your
thyroid
y keeppy your metabo-
lism functioning well. Aim
for 150 micrograms of
iodine daily. That’s about
½ teaspoon of iodized salt,
but you can also find iodine
in fish, dairy, fruits, and
vegetables.

Workout
k t Evening
E i Night
Ni ht

8 SPIN YOUR 12
PUT YOUR
WHEELS (NOT PHONE TO
METAPHORI- BED, TOO
6
CALLY) After-dark Instagram
scrolling doesn’t just
DON’T HAVE
A2018UniversityofCopenhagenstudy
disrupt your sleep; it may
comparingcyclistswithliftersfound

ACCIDENTAL
also make you fat. The
STRENG
STRENGTH-
thatthebikeridershadhigherlevels 10 blue light your devices
of the metabolism-boosting hormone
BRUNCH EN YOUR
emit can increase insulin
FGF21aftertraining.Capoffyourregular
resistance, making it
workoutsessiononanAirBike
workoutsessiononanAirBike.
BONES
Menwhoatelargermealsless more d fficult for your
frequentlythroughouttheday body to clear glucose
hadbetterappetitecontrolanda A 2017 study by Canadian from your bloodstream,
higher resting metabolic rate than scientists found that people found a Northwestern
thosewhoatethesamenumber who had more of the bone University study.
ofcaloriesbutspreadoutduring hormone osteocalcin in their
the day, reported a PLOS One study bloodstream had a greater
by Dutch scientists. Look for self- ability to metabolize sugar and
limiting snacks like one piece of fruit fat. Foods that may raise that
(apple, pear) instead of large bags or hormone: broccoli, onions,
tubs, which often lead to overeating. salmon, and olive oil.

65
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 B Y A L E X B H AT TA C H A R J I | G R O O M I N G : E M I LY C H R I S T I S O N , P R O P S : C A R L D O V E AT A R T D E PA R T M E N T

M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
WEIGHT LOSS

66
THE MOST DISGUSTING,
WEIRD, AND TOTALLY
INSPIRING STORY
YOU’LL EVER READ
ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS
After a heart attack, Kevin Smith changed the way he eats and
exercises. He’s about 22 kg lighter now and a lot happier, but as
he tells Alex Bhattacharji, getting there wasn’t pretty.

He suffered an acute the cardiologist placed a stent

myocardial infarction—to be and performed emergency
precise, a 100 percent angioplasty. Smith sang out
blockage of the anterior loud the theme song to the
descending artery. The tween TV show Degrassi: The
widowmaker. As Smith says, Next Generation “because it
“After years of doing the yo-yo, was very hopeful,” he explains.
the heart attack was like, Yo!” “‘Whatever it takes, I know I
High on a fentanyl drip, he can make it through’. . .”
lay in a room at Adventist Despite being outwardly
“Trigger warning: We’re gonna Health Glendale with only a 20 upbeat, Smith tried to make
talk poop. Greasy, oily shits.” percent chance of survival as his peace on the operating
Kevin Smith, 48, the actor- table. “I was prepared to go,”
director-comedian known for he says. “The only thing that I
playing Silent Bob, can’t stop regretted was that we didn’t
talking about the scatological make the Jay and Silent Bob
side effects of the fat blockers reboot. I was sitting there
he took circa 2000, “the most AFTER 25 going, ‘F**k! The last movie I
ludicrous thing I’ve done to YEARS OF TRIAL will have made was Yoga
lose weight. I was shitting
pizza grease,” he says.
AND NEAR-FATAL Hosers. G*ddammit, I need to
go out on something else!’ ”
Smith’s weight-loss ERROR, GOING After his heart attack, Smith
experimenting caused wild VEGAN WAS THE tried an all-potato diet and
fluctuations—up to 36 kg—
and culminated when his
EASIEST WAY HE then graduated to a broader
plant-based plan similar to
heart stopped beating on FOUND TO BE the one his daughter follows.
February 25, 2018, between HEALTHY. After 25 years of trial and
stand-up sets at the Alex near-fatal error, going vegan
Theatre in Glendale, California. was the easiest way he found

67
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 WEIGHT LOSS

to be healthy. “Nobody wants preproduction on Jay and that they count as zero of his one point my wife was like, ‘We
to hear that,” he says, “and I Silent Bob Reboot, reprising daily quota of 25 WW points have to figure out a new way
don’t blame them. I don’t care the role he played in his first (calculated using a food’s to do this. Your body’s
how you prepare them; film, Clerks. protein, sugar, saturated fat, different. You used to have,
vegetables suck compared to Smith’s psyche has shed and calories). like, a lot of cushion for the
a piece of cake or a steak. But some weight as well. “When As Smith looks forward, the pushing. Now you’ve gotta go
I think of it this way: I know shit would go wrong in my life, only thing he fears is losing harder.’ And I was like, ‘All right!
what that stuff tastes like. And and shit invariably does—it’s fear itself. “The idea is to I might be up to that
it’s not going anywhere.” life—back in the day it was like, always be scared,” he says. challenge!’ ” He’s been
His brush with mortality has ‘Yoga Hosers tanked, and I’m “Once I’m not scared anymore, enjoying more time on top. “It’s
given Smith a new heavy.’ It was always one more I’m scared, you know?” In a a wrinkle, like, ‘Holy shit! Who
perspective: “I ate the way I thing.” Today he’s able to blunt sense, that should be easy, knew this was possible?’ ” he
wanted to for 47 years; I will try the effects of adversity. “Now since he lives under the says with a laugh. “So it’s been
the way I’m supposed to for I’m like, ‘Well, at least you’re in spectre of a heart attack that beneficial there as well.”
one year and see what better shape.’ I’ll put it through came without warning: no The point is that some
happens.” It’s working: He hit the ultimate prism, which is chest pain, no numbness in pleasures make persevering a
his goal of losing 22 kg in six ‘B***h, you’re supposed to be his arm—just nausea and little easier. For Smith, who
months, and he’s keeping it dead! All of this is gravy!’ ” shortness of breath. And yet wakes and bakes before 6:00
off. (He’s now at 90 kg) Every That outlook has made it his quick recovery could a.m., one of those is cannabis.
day, he has a session with his easy for him to grind out a breed complacency. He was able to give up a two-
personal trainer (Shecky, a routine of Groundhog Day–like One thing that has required pack-a-day cigarette habit by
miniature dachshund) and repetition. “I’m like the Norm of adjustments is sex with his switching to weed, though he
meals prepared by a team of Veggie Grill,” he says. He wife, Jennifer Schwalbach knows he would be better
chefs (whoever is holding a thrives on the monotony. He Smith. “Our sex life was always served by ingesting. “Every
spatula at his local Veggie always orders the same meal, very healthy,” he says. “But at doctor has been like, ‘Look, do
Grill). Mondo Nachos and a Beyond edibles.’ It’s better, it’s safer,”
His routine is a smack-in- Burger, for which Smith, ever he admits. “But I’m a flower
the-head reminder that mindful of WW points, will man.” Just before the
simple can suffice. He takes bring his own pita flatbread. “THE IDEA IS widowmaker struck, Smith
Shecky on an hour-long walk
each day—“Actually, she takes
Not having to think about what
he’ll be eating means not
TO ALWAYS BE had fired up a joint, which his
GP later suggested may have
me,” he says. “She drags me”— thinking about what else he SCARED,” prevented a potentially lethal
to the top of Runyon Canyon, could be eating. “I hate to HE SAYS. “ONCE panic reaction. “She was like,
near his home in the
Hollywood Hills. He sticks to
compare it, but remember
homeboy who went to Subway
I’M NOT SCARED ‘That last joint you smoked
might have saved your life.’
his vegan and low-sugar diet and ate the same thing?” he ANYMORE, I’M And I was like, ‘I’m gonna put
and practices portion control, asks, referring to Jared Fogle, SCARED, YOU that on a f***ing T-shirt!’ ”
scanning labels using the WW since convicted of sex crimes. KNOW?” IN A Smith is willing to work hard
app. (He recently became an “The idea of one meal all the and keep evolving. When he
ambassador for the program time puts me in the zone. I’m SENSE, THAT finishes filming the Jay and
formerly known as Weight not bored. It works.” SHOULD BE Silent Bob Reboot, he’s going
Watchers.) To quash bad Inevitably, the demands of EASY, SINCE HE to start a more rigorous
cholesterol and inflammation, his work—including comedy, exercise regimen. And he’s all
he takes Lipitor. directing, and hosting a slew LIVES UNDER for being abstemious, up to a
A year after his of podcasts—will take Smith THE SPECTRE OF point. “I’ve given up animal
widowmaker, Smith is able to out of range of his go-to chain, A HEART ATTACK food products. I’ve given up
see what he’s gained. For
starters, energy. “Tons more,”
in which case he’ll hunt for
local vegan restaurants or
THAT CAME sugar, mostly,” he says. “Weed
is vegan. It’s straight out of the
he says. “Never tired. Always default to Mediterranean fare WITHOUT earth. This is the one thing I’m
ready to go.” This has fuelled a (hummus, falafel) or Mexican WARNING. gonna hold on to until some
creative resurgence. After rice and beans. “I’m a big other health scare and some
years of false starts, he’s in beans guy,” he says, adding doctor says, ‘No.’ ”

68
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 GEAR RUNNING SIDEKICKS

SCIENTIFIC PRECISION
1
Footwear has recevied some serious upgrades
throughout the years. Plenty of R&D and tech goes
into what we put on our feet nowadays, and these
are some of the most advanced pairs you can get.

1 2 3
ADIDAS NEW ASICS
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The future is Foam and knit The Asics Gel-

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features a sport- the New Balance great stability and
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printed with light innovative midsole design which
and oxygen using created from a provides a more
Carbon Digital single piece of comfortable
Light SynthesisTM foam that provides ride over any
(DLSTM) a plush, more distance, plus
technology, and natural ride, METACLUTCHTM
its structure will together with a technology that
absorb pressure dynamic HypoKnit improves the
form any angle upper that model’s heel
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when you need it. heightened smoother and
Joined by their comfort when more comfortable
signature Primeknit you slip these on. than ever.
upper and
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for impressive
traction, you’ll be
getting a winning
combination with
these.

69
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 REV YOUR RUN

GOTTA GO FAST
There’s running. And then there’s sprinting. And no, they’re
not the same thing. Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. explains why.

When you think “running,” you

very likely think of running a 5K
or 10K, or at the start of your
morning. It’s about putting one
foot in front of the other for
several kilometres, a workout you’ve been running for several
that’ll leave you dripping in years already.
sweat and leave your lower I’ve trained frequently to work
body thrashed. on my sprint technique over the
Sprinting, however, in its years, most recently this past
purest sense, is about getting to January, when I worked out
your top speed, something you weekly with Nike trainer Jess
can only hold for a matter of Woods, focusing on getting
seconds. It’s about truly faster. It’s the kind of training
accelerating your body and that impacts all my running
owning every phase of your workouts, equipping me to
stride, about going all-out. It’s sprint better, and also leaving
not easy, either, and just a few my legs more explosive and
seconds of true sprint can leave well-conditioned for long-
you gassed. distance work, too.
But learning this art can make You get it now: Learning to
all your distance running sprint can make you a better
workouts even faster and better. all-around runner. But unlike the
You’ll see yourself setting new basics of running, sprinting isn’t
personal records in those 5Ks natural, especially not if you’ve
and 10Ks, and you’ll have a new spent your life doing a desk job. HOW TO HONE A SPRINTER’S STRIDE
TEXT EBENEZER SAMUEL, C.S.C.S.
option for a quick calorie- To actively run fast, you have to A sprint stride isn’t just one foot in front of
burning session, too. do more than run; you have to the other, like your normal running stride.
Sprinting pushes your body think about perfecting your It’s a far more nuanced motion than that,
to light up different muscle running mechanics. one designed to get all your momentum
fibres, activating fast-twitch going in one direction as quickly as
fibres in addition to the possible, with as little wasted motion as
traditional slow-twitch fibres possible. To build that stride, you need to
that drive endurance activity. make adjustments to the casual way you
One March 2018 study found might take a normal morning run. These
PHOTO 123RF

that just six sessions of sprint drills, which I learned over the years and
training could improve your reinforced with Woods in January, can
running performance, even if help get you there.

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INVOLVE YOUR ARMS move forward. Do this for 30 noisy.” Try to hit the ground hard your arm pumps drive your legs
Distance runners don’t always seconds on, 30 seconds off, for on every step. more naturally, and it’ll also put
move their arms much when 5 minutes every few days to That’s not just for dramatic you in a better physical position
they run. There’s a reason for reinforce arm-sprinting effect. Your calf functions much to sprint. You want to form a
that: Maintaining a quiet upper efficiency. like a spring when you sprint, straight line from head through
body can help conserve energy. ATTACK THE GROUND absorbing then exploding back to toe of your straightened leg on
But a sprint isn’t about energy If you’re a quiet runner who with that same energy in every stride, creating a strong
conservation; it’s about getting tends to float off the ground, something called the “stretch- position from which to drive. That
where you need to as quickly as you’re going to want to change shortening cycle.” If you don’t will happen best with a strong
possible. And involving your that to really build speed. pound the ground, you aren’t core.
arms can help you build speed. Sprinting requires you to attack loading the spring quite as Hone your sprinting
So learn to pump your arms the ground with every step. much. So run loud when you technique, and you’ll ready your
hard and aggressively when you First off, you want to make want to sprint, really attacking body for another kind of running
aim to pick up speed by sure every step counts. When the ground. You can work on this workout: The sprint workout.
sprinting. you’re running a long distance, during your basic sprint drills. If Sprint workouts have you
Doing this will fuel a more you can waste a step here or you’ve ever done high-knees, running all-out for just a few
aggressive leg stride, too, there, maybe not go max-effort think about doing those high- seconds, then dialling it back to
because your upper and lower in a few moments. But when you knees but being impactful with recover. They’re also among the
body are more interconnected sprint, you want to pound the each stride. truest high-intensity interval
than you may think. The key is ground with your foot at every training there is, meaning they’ll
how you pump your arms. Don’t moment. As Woods would tell DRIVE YOUR KNEES HIGH incinerate plenty of calories as
me, you want to “be loud and Knee drive is critical when you they build muscle, heart
sprint. The higher you can drive capacity, and endurance, too.
your knee relative to your hips, Give these two sample sprint
without rolling your pelvis workouts a try:
completely forward, the longer
you’ll be able to make each THE FOOTBALL FIELD FRENZY
stride. And 10 quick, long steps Warm up with a quick 10-minute
will beat 10 quick steps that jog. Then set up on one side of
simply don’t cover as much the football field. Run 10 yards as
ground. hard as you can, focusing on
To train that knee drive, work keeping all your momentum
on high-knee drills. Aim to do going forward. Walk back to the
three 30-second bursts of high starting line and repeat. Then run
knees before every sprint or 20 yards. Walk back to the
running workout. starting line and repeat. Repeat
this process all the way up to 50
LEARN TO DORSIFLEX yards, then rest for 4 minutes. Do
run with your arms crossing your As you work on your knee drive, this twice.
body; do everything to keep your UNLIKE THE also think about dorsiflexing the
each arm pumping straight BASICS OF foot you’re raising. What does it TIMED ROAD RACE
forward in the direction you’re RUNNING, mean to dorsiflex? It means You can do this one anywhere
trying to go. And try to pump you’re using your shin muscles you want to run. Jog for 10
them quickly. SPRINTING ISN’T to flex your foot upwards. When minutes along your favourite
One way to work on: Sit on the NATURAL, this happens, it’ll help drive your running path to warm up.
ground, legs straight out in front ESPECIALLY NOT IF front calf forwards more Instantly start running as hard as
of you, core tight. Without aggressively (and help you you can for 20 seconds, then
moving your legs, pump your YOU’VE SPENT attack the ground, too.) back off to a 1-minute jog. Repeat
arms as quickly and powerfully YOUR LIFE DOING A this process 4 times, then jog for
as possible, so hard that your DESK JOB. FOCUS ON CORE 5 minutes. Repeat the
butt starts to come off the Your core is critical to your ability 20-seconds-hard, 1-minute-of-
ground and you almost begin to to sprint. A strong core will let jogging pattern one more time.

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 GEAR AND GADGE TS THAT GIVES YOU THE EDGE

1
new normal. But in recent
months Asics have popped up
with something just as
revolutionary as Adidas’ with
their Ultraboost sole, or Nike
with their Vaporfly 4%. Meet
their Metaride, an entirely new
THE BEST RIDE concept in run efficiency,
/RUN OF YOUR designed to help make running
longer distances easier.
LIFE Developed over two years by a
team of scientists and
designers at the ASICS Institute
GET THIS: of Sport Science (ISS) in Kobe, want to achieve their full
ASICS METARIDE Japan, METARIDE™ is precision potential.
engineered to minimize
READY FOR: Runners who movement in the area where THE BEST PART: The key to
want to get more energy most energy is expended; the creating the most efficient run
efficient. Running shoes ankle joint. Scientifically possible was the discovery of
haven’t changed much over the proven to offer a total reduction new revolutionary Guidesole
T E X T K E LV I N TA N

decades- sure, once in a while of energy loss at the ankle joint technology; a precision-shaped
we get new materials and new by almost one fifth, the curved sole that works by
designs, but more often than difference could be seismic for shifting the body weight
not the trends revert back to long distance runners who forward and propelling runners

72
M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
on to give the feeling of
effortless motion. The result?
An energy-saving shoe that
provides a new running
sensation with the potential to
significantly improve
performance and protection to
help runners of every level keep
going longer than they thought
possible. What we liked best
about Guidesole? It’s distinctive
looking as heck, with a highly
curved shape of the mid and
outsole that’s banana-like in
shape. We got so many other
runners asking us about this
shoe and whether it helped,
and it did! We felt our centre of
balance shift forward just
walking around, and it also
helped open our stride more
during runs. Eliud Kipchoge,
watch out!

COST: $399. Available in

limited quantities at selected
ASICS stores and asics.com

73
J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 G EA R A ND GA
A DGE TS T HAT
T GIVES YOU T
THE EDGE

2
Not a bad way to burn calories!
D FOR:
READY FOR Those
F Th h lloved
who d
playing para-para in the arcade, THE BEST PART: We’ll, you’ll
as well as Star Wars lovers. So, need a VR setup to play this, and
some background- Beat Saber is Playstation’s got a cost-effective
a virtual reality rhythm game, and quality bundle recently
where your goal is to slash the released! It includes a PS VR
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GET THIS: perfectly fit the hand made levels. good deal. Now, if they could just
PLAYSTATION VR BEAT Think of VR spin class, but with put Star Wars backdrops like the
SABER PACK your arms and virtual lightsabers. Death Star in the game…

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
3
THE NEXT GEN
FOOTBALL BOOT
latest in boots. When the
Nemeziz first launched two
years back, it was a mishmash
of medical bandages wrapped
around Primeknit and a collar
that looked flimsy.. but after we
unpredictably and beat all
opposition with spectacular
flair, footwork and movement.
The revolutionary upper
construction synergizes the
function and visual of tension,
even better. The adaptive tape
maximises agility and
acceleration for a quicker
change in direction ensuring
you stay ahead of anyone else
on the pitch. On top of that, the

JUST GOT NEXT

wore it we fell in love. It was torsion and compression. new V-shaped tape collar offers
always a perfect fit without These characteristics elevate easy entry and a perfect wrap
GEN-ED laces, consistently delivering your game to the next level by around the ankle that doesn’t
comfort, especially for the allowing you to move on the limit movement.
wide-footed amongst us who pitch like never before!
GET THIS: can’t slip into Cristiano COST: $300. The Nemeziz
ADIDAS NEMEZIZ 19.1 FG Ronaldo’s ridiculously skinny THE BEST PART: We loved 19.1 FG will be available for
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READY FOR: Weekend launched the Nemeziz 19, built structure and composition that Suntec, adidas ION and online
football warriors who want the for those who play made it’s previously good fit at adidas.com.sg.

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J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9 // M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G
 GE AR A ND G ADG E TS THAT GIVES YOU THE EDGE

4
THE MOST
ATAS TABLE LAMP
WE’VE EVER SEEN
GET THIS: designed to reduce eye strain
DYSON LIGHTCYCLE with over 1,000 Lux brightness,
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READY FOR: The overtime flicker.
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blurry and tired from being THE BEST PART: Yes, it’s
indoors all the time. We’ve all expensive, but they promise it’ll
been there man- it’s hard keeping maintain light quality for 60 years
your eyes on the screen at 9pm thanks to Heat Pipe technology!
while you’re grinding away at And for those of you who are big
work, and the artificial-feeling fans of apps and personalization,
lights in the office just make you you can use the Dyson Link app
feel even more tired. Then you go to adjust for age, tasks, and daily
home and feel all out of whack. routine!
Maybe it’s time to ask HR to get
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engineered to support your body Available from July 2019 on shop.
clock with local daylight tracking dyson.com.sg, and major
that continually adjusts colour departmental and electrical
temperature and brightness in stores.
relation to your local daylight, and

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 THE POWER TO DECIDE

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 P r o d u c t s • P r o m o t i o n s • E v e n t s

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 THE BEST TIP
PS
WE COULDN’T FIT
F
UE
INTO THIS ISSU

NAVIGATE SICKNESS PRESS RESET TO NEW ADDICTION ALERT!

AND HEALTH AVOID BURN OUT You’ve probably seen YouTube videos with impassioned
“Out of all best intentions, If you’re after a cure rather speakers like entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk and half of all
the well partner often takes than preventative measures, TEDTalkers gassing on about working really hard (getting up
on more than they should, book a week off work, now. You early, never quitting, generally crushing it but never saying
making the ill spouse feel need a physiological overhaul. what “it” actually is). So, what is the… result of all this effort?
disempowered and Burnout has altered your body For peddlers of “hustle porn”, who rever and promote
diminished,” says Barry on a cellular level, with your extreme effort as a virtue, the work is the result.
Jacobs, Psy.D., a clinical physical, emotional and Which is obviously weird! Kind of sick, actually! And, more
psychologist who’s a national cognitive systems adapting to important, counterproductive. Ignore those who say you should
spokeperson on family accommodate a hormone work harder than anyone else. (A) That’s impossible, because
caregiving for the American overload and inflammatory Dwayne Johnson walks the earth. (B) You deserve (and need) a
Heart Association. “That response. Rest is the only personal life. (C) One man’s motivation can be another man’s
affects the level of affection medicine. It takes seven days self-esteem killer. Hustling non-stop, as Reddit founder and
between you.” The for your neuroendocrine hustle-porn hater Alexis Ohanian says, “has deleterious effects
relationship may never system to return to normal. not just on your business but on your well-being.” The only
again be as egalitarian as it So, schedule a staycation people seeing any benefits from this twisted philosophy are
was, but it’s important to feel and return a new man. the people reaping YouTube ad dollars espousing it.
like there’s effort on both
sides (even as simple as
Post-its around the house). WHY DRINK
Figure out how each of you NON-ALCOHOLIC
will contribute. BEER?
It’s loaded with
polyphenols. These
GO TO A CROWDED GYM, compounds found
BECOME MORE GIVING primarily in plants
One study found that may help ward off
guys who smelled disease and protect
androstadienone, a part you from free-radical
of male sweat, were twice damage. A 2012
as cooperative and German study also
generous when asked found that marathon
to complete given tasks runners who drank
as a control group who non-alcoholic beer
hadn’t sniffed sweat. during training had
less overall
inflammation. Plus,
if you replace your

FOLLOW
boozy nightcap with
a non-alcoholic beer,
you can wind down
without wrecking

YOUR NOSE
your rest.

Aroma therapy has always had a whiff of

pseudoscience about it, but our research will help to
clear the air. Workers at Japan’s Takasago
Corporation were found to make 54% fewer typing
errors when the workplace was scanted with lemon.
Subjects in a test at Osaka University who smelled
lavender felt happier and more relaxed when
confronted with stressful situations at work. The mere
aroma of coffee helped people to do better in tests at
PHOTO 123RF

the Stevens Institute of Technology, making them

more alert and energetic.

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M E N S H E A L T H . C O M . S G // J U L Y / A U G U S T 1 9
 TURN YOUR
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