Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Men's Health

“YOU’LL LIKE IT HERE. JUST WATCH OUT FOR THE HEROIN.” So began my first conversation, with the very first local I met, after I’d moved to Pennsylvania to start a new job at Men’s Health. It was March 2003. Not long after the movers left, I heard skidding and then a thud coming from the road behind our empty house. I rushed outside to find a young pizza delivery driver— he was maybe 17 years old—staring at his car. He had skidded off the road and into a snowbank. He wasn’t hurt, but he was freaked out. I offered to call a tow truck, but he balked. Turns out the kid was working under the table and didn’t want to get his employer into trouble. Instead he called his father.…

Status update: Stop reading status updates. People who took a Facebook break ended up feeling better than those who didn’t, a Danish study found. They also had more focus and were more satisfied socially (i.e., in real life). Facebook feeds may cause envy and have become an unrealistically positive highlight reel of users’ lives. Here’s how many people in each group said they were. . . GREEN WITH FACEBOOK ENVY 5 in 10 FB users envy others’ experiences 1 in 3 envy others’ happiness 4 in 10 envy others’ success…

Is your romantic banter sitcom-stale? Then change the script. Using the same pet names and compliments over and over eventually makes them meaningless, says Warren Farrell, Ph.D., author of The Myth of Male Power. In fact, the less creative you are, the less respect she may feel toward you. Two moves can help you regain your mojo. 1. Be sweet. Twice a week, conjure up something funny and creative. Example: “I fell in love with your mind but fell in bed with your body.” Or maybe just “I love listening to you” if she’s sharing the events of her day. 2. Be explicit. You don’t have to be X-rated, just direct. Twice a week, call out something specific about her: for example, “I love your right ear”—or “tight rear.”…

Question: What’s the most painful (and deadly) place on your body to get shot? Answer The pelvis. “There’s a nerve bundle there that distributes pain throughout your entire body,” says “D oc,” a former Marine hospital corpsman who spent eight years as part of a helicopter search-and-rescue team in Iraq and wishes to remain anonymous. “The bone structure is all tied in. Shooting pain overwhelms you from head to toe. You are completely incapacitated and still awake with pain.” That point is worth emphasizing. You don’t pass out from the pain, as some Hollywood movies might suggest. At least you can call a doctor. Keep that in mind the next time you’re watching any Quentin Tarantino film. 20% Increase in your calorie burn if you get off the dreadmill and…

The mass production of inexpensive ballpoint pens in the 1950s spelled doom for the noble fountain pen. That’s a shame, because there’s nothing quite like the precise scratch of nib on paper. A fountain pen requires less pressure than a ballpoint, so it’s easier on your hand. You can still purchase ultrapricey ones, like the $1,035 Montblanc John F. Kennedy Special Edition. But if you tend to lose pens, start with the Pilot Varsity. These come in three-packs, so you’ll have a spare when the first one or two go missing. After all, even your quickly scribbled to-do list deserves the chance to feel stately and authoritative. $9 for 3, amazon.com…

Calories tend to sneak down your gullet while you’re looking the other way. Those three sliders you just inhaled? You barely tasted or noticed them. So try something new: mindfulness. Contemplate your eating—before, during, and after. In one study, people who scored low on mindfulness were 34 percent more likely to be obese than high scorers. Step one is to know the difference between physical and emotional hunger. (See our chart below.) If your hunger is physical, feed it with good fuel, like protein or vegetables. If it’s emotional, find three words to describe how you feel (bored, frustrated, horny) and find ways—a walk, chess, a hug—to deal, says Susan Albers, Psy.D., author of Eating Mindfully. When you do eat, avoid distractions like TV. Think about the food. Focus on…

They look sharp. Check. They’re on sale. Check. The sexy store employee says they make your calf muscles pop. Double check. But before you swipe your credit card, make sure those new sneaks do more than swaddle your hounded dogs. Your shoes play a big role in protecting your pelvis and hips, says Lori Thomsen, M.P.T., a physical therapist in Lincoln, Nebraska. Thomsen warns that your muscles, ligaments, and tendons can quickly become overstressed if they’re not given proper support. That leaves you more susceptible to injury— and also less competitive in your sport. So no matter how awesome the clerk says the shoes are, stop and perform our threepoint inspection. If those sneakers fail the tests below, leave ’em in the store. STEP 1 Push In the Heel When…

1/ Brace Yourself Find a pullup bar that’s very secure. Assume a standard pullup starting position but use an overhand grip, with your hands just beyond shoulder width and your thumbs tucked over the bar. 2/ Review the Basics Before trying to launch, be sure you’ve mastered the chestto-bar pullup. Your form: looking up, body angled slightly away from the bar, as above. 3/ Go Flying If you’re strong enough, pull yourself up quickly and release your hands when your eyes are about level with the bar. Your momentum should carry you a few more inches skyward. If you’re not comfortable clapping yet, try index-finger touches. 4/ Make the Catch Regrip the bar and quickly lower yourself back to the starting position, saving energy for your next launch. 25 The…

Many diets from the past two decades cast carbohydrates as hell spawn sent to fatten you up and destroy you with diabetes. These diets demonized all carbs, from whole grains to fruit, and urged you to exorcise them from your life. Some forms of this nutrient deserve that evil reputation, but many don’t. By avoiding bad carbs you can speed weight loss and dodge disease. But beware: Shunning the good carbs may hurt your health and fitness goals. Turn the page to learn how to slice it. “Anyone who cuts down on fruit to reduce their sugar intake is making a big mistake.” What Carbohydrates Really Are Like proteins and fats, carbohydrates are macronutrients—in other words, substances that stoke your metabolism and keep you alert and active. As an analogy,…

High-intensity interval training— also known as HIIT—is another kind of extreme effort you can use to hone your fitness. Think sprinting away from a hungry lion—it may sound odd, but that’s exactly how your body interprets those heartrate-jacking workouts. You’ve heard of fight-or-flight, the reaction forged by evolution that kicks in to save your butt in stressful situations. When you do HIIT, that response fires up—your brain has no idea whether you’re sprinting on a treadmill in Planet Fitness or running from rhinos on a savanna. That’s stressful, so you release stress hormones. In the short term, these hormones burn fat and help you build muscle. They build up during HIIT and slowly decrease as you recover. They can also mitigate inflammation, guarding against heart disease and diabetes. But there’s…

The sexiest women in the world want Ted Gibson. Angelina Jolie, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, and other A-listers line up for him— for haircuts, at a price of $1,500 a pop. But while Gibson was growing his salon empire and making hot movie stars look even hotter, his girth grew too, and his sleek look fell by the wayside. “I just wasn’t exercising as much as I had been before,” says Gibson, 50. “And the weight slowly crept on.” As a 6'4", 200-pound ultralean bodybuilder in the early 1990s, Gibson had always been a naturally big, muscular guy. “But last July I hit 280,” he says. “I had less energy and my back hurt. I wanted to look amazing for my impending 50th birthday.” So Men’s Health paired Gibson with…

1/Keep the Sides Tight To make your face appear longer and leaner, go short on the sides and longer on top, advises Gibson. Tell your barber to use a number 2 guard when he clips the sides, and ask him to leave 2 to 3 inches on the top. 2/ Lighten Up You may think highlights are for women, but adding some slightly lighter touches to the hair on top of your head is an easy way to look better without lifting a weight. “This draws the eye to the top of your head,” says Gibson. “That helps you look slimmer—and taller.” 3/Watch Your Back Depending on your body type, the shape of your hair neckline can make you look 10 pounds lighter or 10 pounds heavier. “Guys with pencil…

By now you know the drill at the doctor’s office: Stick out your tongue. Drop your drawers. Take a dump in a cup...er, what? Okay, maybe you haven’t been asked for a stool sample yet. But a good argument can be made for shipping some of your poo to a lab. Your feces can reveal a lot about your microbiome— the community of microbial organisms that lives on your skin and inside your nose, mouth, and especially gut. You have 100 trillion of these critters, and an unhealthy biome can cause a range of problems from acne to anxiety, says George Weinstock, Ph.D., of the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. Don’t think of these microbes as freeloaders who move in and wreak havoc like a bad roommate. They’re part of…

Can’t stop thinking about last night. She’ll feel sexy knowing she made an impression, says Jennifer Theiss, Ph.D., an expert in interpersonal communication at Rutgers. Or this: “Just heard that song you love. Can’t wait to see you tonight.” This is called attunement, a way to show you’re in sync, says Theiss. Hope you killed it during your presentation, babe. During the workday, texts with questions can create pressure, says Theiss. So to show your support or express your affection, check in with a quick note that doesn’t require a response. Spot a corgi—her favorite breed— during your lunch run? Fire off a photo. “A picture creates a stronger connection,” Theiss says. It’ll make her feel like you’re experiencing the day together. I was thinking Thai tonight. Pick you up…

Well-being over the course of a lifetime typically follows a U-shaped curve, but that trajectory isn’t preordained. Thomas Joiner, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Florida State University, says men can minimize the trough of midlife dissatisfaction and all its destructive effects. See if your curve is shallow or deep by gauging your warning signs; then take Joiner’s advice for lifting yourself up. WARNING SIGN You’re Not Sleeping 1 YOUR U-TURN Getting just 15 minutes of morning sunlight lifts mood and calibrates your body clock so you sleep better later. Commit to walking the dog or having coffee on the deck. WARNING SIGN You’ve Withdrawn Socially 2 YOUR U-TURN “Men get lonelier during their 40s,” says Joiner, the author of Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men’s Success.…

“ CrossFit forges a ‘never die’ attitude. You’re not invincible, but you’re prepared for anything.” No one messes with Deputy Sheriff Jon Pera when he’s doing rounds at the Men’s Central Jail in downtown L.A. Pera’s physique commands respect, and the fact that he’s a fourtime qualifier for the CrossFit Games doesn’t hurt either. He can deadlift 500 pounds and squat 475. “The inmates recognize me from ESPN now,” says Pera. “They ask me for workout advice.” Pera’s CrossFit journey began in 2009, when a fellow deputy introduced him to the concept of mixing movements from different disciplines, including gymnastics, Olympic weightlifting, and track and field. Fitting in these workouts is tough, given his full-time job and three kids. “Everything is scheduled to the minute,” he says. “I do a…

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Kiwis, those hairy brown orbs you walk past in the produce aisle, can raise good cholesterol. PAGE 10 If recent history of the Final Four holds, you can pick winners of the semis and title game using alphabetical order. PAGE 14 Clearing the clutter from your bedroom can help you sleep better. PAGE 18 The best candy bar for those moments when nothing else will satisfy you? Godiva’s 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Almond bar. PAGE 33 To build muscle after a workout, your body needs just as much carbs as protein, if not more. PAGE 39 Two of the most effective cardio machines at the gym are the Airdyne bike and the Concept2 rower. PAGE 52 In five years or so, stem-cell treatment may finally cure baldness. PAGE 67 The…

Alphabetical Order It’s simple: Pick your winners based on the first letter in each team’s name. (So Duke beats Wisconsin.) Does It Work? Sure! Over the past three years, you’d have gone 8-1 in all Final Four games. For example, Connecticut upset Florida in the 2014 semifinals. Mascot Cage Match Use Darwinian logic to decide which mascot would prevail if the actual animals were to face off in the wild. Would you bet on the owl or the blue hen? Does It Work? Not really. This idea went 4-5 in the past three years. Louisville’s Cardinals pecked apart the Wolverines in ’13. Shorter Point Guard Good ballhandling is important at crunch time. So bet on the team with the shorter starting point guard. Does It Work? Pretty well: 7-2 in…

Here’s a weird but proven team builder for your group: Sing! Research reveals that group singing is a great way to build bonds. The magic is in the common goal, physical exertion, and synchronous effort. In a recent study in Royal Society Open Science, people stood in a circle without sheet music (better for eye contact) and sang everything from tribal chants to pop songs. If the grumps balk, just start belting; it’s hard to resist a bluesy chorus of “Goodnight, Irene.”…

Surely you’d never punch a wall. But let’s say a hole appears—from a doorknob, okay? You’ll want to fix that before your wife or girlfriend notices. This repair takes less than an hour, claims Jonathan Scott, a cohost of HGTV’s Property Brothers and coauthor of Dream Home, a home-improvement book due out this April. STEP 1 Do More Damage Rough edges need to be cleaned up. Use a utility knife to cut around the busted spot until you have a square just a little larger than the original hole. STEP 2 Secure Supplies Buy drywall joint compound (32 oz), a putty knife, sandpaper, mesh tape, a 1"x2" piece of plywood that’s just longer than the hole is tall, and four drywall screws. STEP 3 Build Up Support Insert the wood…

Whoa there, Flintstone. Hoisting heavy objects overhead may feel primitively pleasing, but it’s a great way to mess up your shoulders and lower back for good if your form is faulty. Poor mobility leads to imperfect form, which aggravates joints and causes lingering pain, say researchers in the U.K. Use this quick test to check your form before diving into overhead lifts. First, stand with your arms at your sides and your feet hipwidth apart. Then raise both arms at once, keeping your lower back and elbows straight, palms in, and arms by your ears (as shown above). If you’re having trouble mirroring this, you need to start stretching before your workouts. Until you can execute the test properly, replace any overhead dumbbell, kettlebell, or other freeweight move with more-stable…

“You are so good at that.” “YOU TASTE SO GOOD.” “You’re beautiful.” “I love you.” According to an Archives of Sexual Behavior study, women who heard these four phrases during sex reported feeling more satisfied with their romantic relationships. Try three or four of them on her tonight. 33 Average age when men tune out current hits and tune in to the popular music of their youth. This often coincides with becoming a father. Source: Spotify…

My ex-girlfriend just wrote “Hi” on my Facebook wall. What do I do? PETE, AKRON, OH Ah, relationship relapses. Looks like she’s trying to slip back into your life. Is that a good thing? Only you know. If you want to reconnect, handle your business offline—the world doesn’t need to know what you’re rethinking. Otherwise, do nothing. Don’t like it, don’t respond to it, don’t even look at it. That’s the strongest way to say goodbye. How long should I wait to get back on Tinder after my recent breakup? GEORGE, BALTIMORE,MD If you initiated the split, give it at least a month—especially if you gave her the old “I need space” speech. But why not take a little extra time to reflect on the breakup and figure out what…

NUTRITION NUGGET The Word on the Bird Per pound, roast chicken packs 50 grams of protein and 28 grams of fat. Sound like a lot of fat? Fear not: Studies show that dietary fat and cholesterol aren’t the heart saboteurs we once thought they were. 1 BBQ Chicken & Slaw Sandwich Remove one of the breast halves and shred the meat with a fork. In a saucepan on medium heat, mix the chicken with a glug of your favorite barbecue sauce and stir until it’s heated through, a minute or two. Pile everything on a whole wheat bun and top with thinly sliced red onion and coleslaw. Like it spicy? Add a palmful of sliced pickled jalapeños for a hit of heat and tang. Prep time 9 minutes Feeds 1…

The Ice Man Tyler Seguin Center for the NHL’s Dallas Stars and a Stanley Cup champ “W hen I’m at the hardest point in a workout, I picture my strongest competitors doing the exact same workout but flying through it with no fatigue. My competitive drive kicks in, and that inspires me to work as hard as I imagine those guys are working.” The Runner Rob Krar Winner of the 2014 Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run “ Fearing the pain of intense exercise, rather than injury, will only hold you back from longterm progress. I constantly remind myself that the suffering I’m feeling while training means I’ll suffer less on race day, and that allows me to go harder.” The Skier Billy Demong First U.S. gold medalist in an Olympic…

Tear here and get ripped! DIRECTIONS For the warmup, complete 3 sets of the first exercise and then 3 sets of the second one. Then do 3 rounds of circuit A, followed by 3 rounds of circuit B. For each circuit, complete all your reps of one exercise, rest 60 seconds, and then move on to the next exercise. For an additional challenge, perform one of the finishers in “Fry More Fat!” (see reverse side) after you’ve completed this workout. DESIGNED BY Pat Davidson, Ph.D., training director at Peak Performance in New York City BEST FOR Burning stubborn body fat and building solid muscle EQUIPMENT Medicine ball, box, dumbbell or kettlebell, cable machine, Swiss ball, barbell, bench, prowler plus weight plates (optional), low step or mat CALORIES BURNED 500 to…

Act your age? Never. Look your age? We’d prefer not to, thanks. But the passing years can sneak up on you and affect your appearance in subtle ways— stray ear hairs, splotchy skin, a dulling smile. And your grooming routine needs to evolve as these challenges present themselves, says Beverly Hills dermatologist Harold Lancer, M.D. Turn the page, choose your decade, and embrace our easy age-defying adjustments. 20s You’re in a rush—but just stop, take a breath, and devote a few minutes in the morning to avoid these hangups. 1/ Excess Facial Oil Don’t scrub your skin too hard in the shower—that’ll make nerve endings at the base of your pores signal oil glands to produce more oil. Along with a light touch, Dr. Lancer suggests a gentle wash to…

The opening scene of American Hustle is a painful 90 seconds. You see Christian Bale before a mirror, carefully covering his bald spot with a 1970s-era toupee. He glues the hair into place, coifs it, and then hits it with hair spray. The scene aims to stain Bale’s character with the mark of dishonesty. It works, too. But why? Is the toupee really that bad? It’s hard to imagine Jason Statham or Patrick Stewart wearing one, but plenty of other celebrities do it. And maybe that’s fine. The old days of toupees so obvious they could be spotted from a Landsat 7 satellite are gone, and so are the days of gluing them on. Today’s hairpieces are mostly undetectable. The process of attaching them and blending them with existing hair…

Minoxidil Minoxidil (Rogaine) probably won’t restore what’s lost, but it can help you hold on to what’s left and even help you regrow a bit. The topical med increases bloodflow as well as oxygen and nutrient delivery to the follicle. Liquid Rogaine can cause irritation and leave a greasy coating on your hair, so opt for the 5 percent foam, says Melissa Piliang, M.D., a hair-loss expert at Cleveland Clinic. Rogaine costs only $17 a month, but you’ll have to use it forever to retain any gains. Rub it into your scalp in the a.m. and again at night for the most benefit. Bonus: Unlike the oral medication finasteride (the other FDA-approved drug, sold as Propecia), minoxidil isn’t linked with erectile dysfunction or decreased libido. Meditation and Exercise In balding…

We asked two MH readers to donate poo samples for a head-to-head gut test. The results—a snapshot of biome diversity—are in the pie charts to the left. And those big words? They’re phyla of bacteria. Here’s what they do. Verrucomicrobia Bacteria in this group spike after you take antibiotics, and they’ve been linked to obesity. Actinobacteria These produce about two-thirds of your gut’s natural antibiotics, say researchers in France. Proteobacteria In this case, low is better: The Proteobacteria include a wide variety of pathogens (such as E. coli) that have been linked to inflammatory bowel disease. Bacteroidetes Another group of beneficial microbes: Bacteroidetes let excess fat slide through the gut undigested. Firmicutes They’re common, but having too many is linked to obesity and irritable bowel syndrome. In one study, people…

1 Year Losing Freedom It’s natural to feel a bit trapped when you’re paired up, and that can have consequences in the bedroom. “Couples tend to see their sex lives lose steam toward the end of their first year,” says relationship and family therapist Paul Hokemeyer, Ph.D. TRY THIS Pick one thing you’ve been missing, like poker night, and reinstate it, suggests Terry Klee, M.S., a couples counselor. Your mate should do the same. Keep your phones on airplane mode while you’re apart. Being unavailable can be sexy, Klee says. 5 Years Drifting Apart As career and family demands build, it’s all too easy to leave her off your to-do list. Plus, testosterone starts to dip around age 30. “Men become terrified of losing their virility and start looking for…

The Institute of Medicine identifies chronic pain as a “winnable battle” in public health. So why are we losing it so decisively? “Unfortunately, the majority of patients with chronic pain, and there are at least 50 million of them, get their pain treatment from primarycare providers,” says Martin Cheatle, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania. “Veterinarians get more training in pain than physicians do.” Instead, ask your family doctor for a referral to one of the country’s 2,000-plus board-certified pain specialists, or seek one out yourself at abpm.org. These physicians are trained in managing chronic pain, and the standard of care has evolved far beyond prescribing a single painkiller. There is now a wide range of drugs for treating various types of chronic pain, plus new thinking about exercise, nutrition,…

Humbled: That’s how Julian Alcaraz felt during his CrossFit baptism. Alcaraz was teaching military-style fitness boot camps in Los Angeles when he watched the 2011 CrossFit Games live and was inspired by the athletes who swam in the ocean, walked on their hands, and swung across monkey bars. Becca Voigt placed third, and Alcaraz sought out her gym. His first WOD involved overhead squats. “Even though I was strong, I didn’t have the mobility to do the exercise,” he says. But the lesson he gleaned is how CrossFit can establish a foundation for functional movement. He worked out daily and in just three years qualified for the 2015 Games. Now he coaches at CrossFit Training Yard in North Hollywood, California. He’s inspired every day by the progress he witnesses in…

In a recent study, researchers gave people three menus. The first menu didn’t list nutrition info, the second did, and the third had nutrition info and the exercise required to nix the calories. Diners with exercise menus ordered 139 fewer calories and ate 97 fewer of them. Here’s how you’d have to work off your worst decisions. McDonald’s Big Breakfast with hotcakes and a large biscuit 1,150 calories Walking (avg. pace) 4 hours, 2 minutes Subway 6" Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt with cheese 610 calories Doing yard work 1 hour, 53 minutes Starbucks Venti 20 oz White Chocolate Mocha with whole milk, whipped cream 620 calories Hiking cross-country 1 hour, 16 minutes Burger King BK Ultimate Breakfast Platter 1,130 calories Golfing (no cart, no caddy) 3 hours, 14 minutes…

How Pills Lead to Diabetes Overusing antibiotics can raise your risk of type 2 diabetes, scientists in Denmark found. These meds may alter the balance of microorganisms in your gut, which prompts changes in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. So skip the pills unless your doctor insists because of a serious bacterial infection. Try the Heart Medicine That Grows on Trees Kiwis can help improve your cholesterol profile. In a study from Spain, people who ate at least one of these fruits a week had 8 percent higher HDL (good) cholesterol levels and 16 percent lower levels of triglycerides (bad blood fat) than those who ate less. The fruit’s antioxidant content may play a role, the researchers think. Have a Cup of Longer Life Science has settled on the best…

Feral Fuzz Neck, ear, or nose hair is distracting— and memorable to your interviewers. They’ll remark on the broom growing out of your nose, says career coach Sherri Thomas. The night before, mow your overgrown areas with a multiuse tool such as Panasonic’s Hair, Beard and Body Electric Trimmer ($30, panasonic.com). Check your work in the a.m. Death Breath Brushing your teeth in the morning isn’t enough. Toss one of those travel-size mouthwash bottles in your bag and use it just before you start talking about yourself for an hour in close quarters. The alternative is gum or a mint before you enter the building, says Thomas. Just be sure to spit out the gum before the meet and greet. No, not on the rug. Offensive Odor Since nervousness releases…

Having her over for the first time The obvious is crucial: Offer her a drink. Holding a glass helps ease anxiety, says relationship expert Laura Berman, Ph.D. A tour should be short—no tacky pause at the bedroom. “Oh, that photo? My beloved grandmother.” Attending an open house Don’t let shiny counters blind you; you want a roof that’s newer than 15 years and double-pane windows under 20 years old, says John Ternullo of Re/Max Leading Edge. And check the doors. If they don’t shut true and square, the place could have structural flaws. Brainstorming at work Announce the restrictions on a project— time, money, whatever; these can spur creativity. And surprise ’em by, say, passing out menus if it’s close to lunchtime. That outside element can kickstart riffing, says Jonathan…

Just when you thought you knew everything about human sexuality, along comes a new study that makes you feel like your dad probably did when someone explained bukkake to him during Cards Against Humanity. That’s the reaction I had while reading “Sensual, Erotic and Sexual Behaviors of Women from the Kink Community” in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. Researcher Jennifer Rehor, M.A., surveyed 1,580 women in the kink community about their participation in 126 erotic and sexual behaviors. It’s a gold mine of modern sexual terminology— not to mention a highly stimulating read. Some of the findings won’t surprise you; 85 percent of participants enjoy receiving a good spanking, 75 percent want to bite lovers, and 85 percent are into “light” bondage. But then it starts to get weird. Fifteen…

An average active guy should consume 2,600 to 2,800 calories a day, according to USDA recommendations. So what happened when men gobbled more than double that for a week while lying around? Some seriously scary stuff, according to a study in Science Translational Medicine. 1/ They Packed On Pounds The average weight gain was 8 pounds, and nearly all of it was fat! Of course, you don’t have to gorge to gain weight: “ Consistently eating even 10 percent more calories than you need qualifies as overeating,” says sports dietitian Marie Spano, M.S., R.D. 2/ They Courted Diabetes After two days, all the men developed insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. Their bodies were unable to use insulin effectively, leading to glucose building up in their blood instead of making…

When you pull on your swim trunks this summer—or next week in Cabo—will your thighs be easy on her eyes? Even more important: quadriceps strength, which is critical for knee health, squatting, running, and jumping. The three moves below will take you from Chicken Legs to Quadzilla. BARBELL FRONT SQUAT Squatting with the weight in front provides a counterbalance that helps you keep your trunk upright, shifting the load onto your quads. Go harder: Elevate your heels by wearing Olympic lifting shoes or by placing them on weight plates. Do 5 sets of 5 with a weight that allows you to maintain good form. LEG EXTENSION MACHINE This zeros in on your quads by preventing other muscles from helping. Your quads will be under max metabolic stress to ignite growth.…

Taking Initiative “L earn to live with your mistakes. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. Thwart institutional cowardice. Walk straight ahead, never detour. Take revenge if need be. Carry bolt cutters everywhere. Maneuver and mislead, but always deliver. Get used to the bear behind you.” From Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed* Beat Migraines with Sweat! Aerobic exercise may prevent headaches as well as pills do, a Turkish study reveals. How? It boosts blood levels of nitric oxide, which may play a role in migraines. Do 20 to 60 minutes, two or three days a week.…

Why don’t I ever crave kale when I’m stressed? JOE, RALEIGH, NC Because there is no immediate reward to eating kale. When stress is wearing you thin, your brain seeks out the feelgood chemicals associated with high-carb foods. Something like rich, gooey mac ’n’ cheese has a pleasurable effect; kale won’t produce the same result, and you can’t make your body crave it. So why choose the kale? It provides disease-fighting antioxidants that’ll let you enjoy mac ’n’ cheese well into your golden years. Should I start cooking with coconut oil? TY, LOS ANGELES, CA It’s not going to help you burn more calories or fight viruses. One tablespoon has 121 calories, so it won’t help with weight control. If you like the distinct flavor, go ahead, but know that…

That harmless-looking mole on your arm—does it have any friends? Here’s a simple math drill that can help you gauge your risk of melanoma, the Voldemort of skin cancers. Researchers in the U.K. discovered that when a woman has more than 11 moles on her right arm, she’s a witch. No, wait—her odds of having more than 100 body moles are nine times that of a woman with fewer right-arm moles. And having 100-plus to120 total moles puts her melanoma risk at seven times that of a person with fewer than 15, research has shown. Got that? The math isn’t as exact for men, but here’s the takeaway: The more moles you have on your arm, the more you probably have on your body overall. Study author Simone Ribero, M.D.,…

My wife has her heart set on a bulldog, but I think they’re too slobbery. How do I talk her into the Weimaraner I’ve always wanted? Alan, Springfield, MA First, take a seat. Stay, boy. And now...prepare to roll over. You really need to learn a new trick about this one. There’s no such thing as a purebred best friend. So instead of setting your sights on some fancy designer dog, head out to your local pound with the wife. Stroll past those awful little death-row cages filled with pups on borrowed time. By the time you get to the end, you’ll both know exactly which dog you want to take home. It’ll be the one banging a tin cup against the bars and looking at you with giant, pleading…

You’ve probably never heard of John Patrick O’Shea. Google him and you may read about how he survived a 60-foot fall into Mount St. Helens— and not about how he created one of the world’s most effective workouts. That workout originated in 1987, when O’Shea, a competitive weightlifter and an exercise scientist at Oregon State, wrote in a journal article about a training method he’d spent most of the previous two decades developing. He called it “interval weight training,” a high-intensity routine combining strength and cardio that’s done at a blistering pace. At first the regimen attracted little attention, but it eventually gained a cult following among a handful of strength and conditioning coaches. That’s how the founders of Gym Jones, a Salt Lake City fitness facility, first discovered it.…

In sports, the difference between first and last can be a matter of seconds. A fan-based cardio machine—like the Airdyne bike or Concept2 rower—can teach you to persevere because it uses air resistance. While you row or pedal, you move fan blades that battle lift and apply drag. So the faster you go, the harder it becomes to increase your speed, says astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ph.D., host of Star Talk on the National Geographic Channel. “If you’re rowing 500 meters in 1:31, you’d need nearly three times the effort to take a second off your time than if you were rowing at a two-minute pace.” A great goal for a 500-meter time is 1:30. Pro tip: Emphasize pushing with your legs, not pulling with your arms. A/Covering 500 meters…

Heal Rough Patches Lafco Sage & Walnut Soap Want to feel a bit Mediterranean? Cold-pressed olive oil serves as the base of this moisturizing, preservative-free soap from Italy. And the layer of emollients it leaves behind improves your skin tone, says Jon Bresler of Lafco New York. $11, lafco.com Refresh Your Mug Ernest Supplies Awake & Exfoliate Body Bar Peppermint, citrus, lavender, and rosemary oils wake you up, while jojoba oil has a soothing, anti-inflammatory effect. Finely ground coconut shells and lava rock help scrub off dead skin cells. $15, ernestsupplies.com Wash Away Oil Dove Men+Care Oil Control Bar Use this versatile bar on your face and body. The active ingredient, kaolin clay, absorbs excess oil. But beware: Humidity can make bars like this mushy, so make sure your soap…

Nioxin If wishful thinking is a commodity, consider Nioxin its primary purveyor. The company that makes this line of topical treatments claims that it can rid your scalp of follicleclogging sebum and surface residue. While the claim may be true, it’s irrelevant for balding men. “Every shampoo does that,” says Papri Sarkar, M.D., a dermatol ogist in the Boston area. “Sebum is simply an oil produced by your sebaceous glands. Getting rid of it does nothing to help reduce male-pattern hair loss.” So why do some men insist they’ve seen results? It’s probably because they’re initially washing their hair more often, which leads to fewer hairs clogging the drain. “If you wash your hair every three days, you might lose 300 hairs per wash,” says Dr. Sarkar. “But when you…

What the hell is happening with this dude’s hair? And we don’t mean that in a mocking way. (The rest of the Internet certainly has that more than covered.) We’re asking the question out of sincere, unironic, fascinated curiosity. Is it a toupee? Probably not. Is it a combover? Absolutely. But what is it combing over? Trump appears to have a full head of hair. So why does he comb it like he’s walking backward on a windy day? The most probable reason is that at some point in the 1980s, Trump may have had a hair-loss scare and resorted to a rarely used procedure called scalp flap surgery. This involves taking a section of hair above the ears, cutting it loose on three sides, and flipping it up and…

What if an epidemic had killed nearly 500,000 Americans in the past 15 years—an epidemic that rivaled the total deaths among people with HIV/AIDS in the United States? Wouldn’t we see marches on Washington? Social media campaigns? Pending legislation? Feverish pharmaceutical research? Guess what? Such an epidemic is happening now, but nobody seems to be outraged, mainly because the victims brought their demise upon themselves. Those fatalities came by way of suicide, drug overdoses, alcohol poisoning, and liver disease. And there’s little chance of inspiring much public sympathy for that, or of finding a miracle cure. The epidemic was essentially invisible until Angus Deaton, Ph.D., a Princeton University economist who recently won a Nobel Prize, unearthed it among reams of mortality statistics. He released his findings in December 2015. He…

He’s known as Danny Broflex. His résumé reads, “Go so hard!” His skills are “Being strong and having a hairless body.” This popular YouTube personality—a 2016 reincarnation of Hans and Franz, but with real muscles—captures the true spirit of CrossFit. Danny’s real name is Dan Bailey, a former Ohio University track star who’s been a trainer with the U.S. Department of Defense and is an ambassador for supplement company Progenex. Bailey built a career from his success at the Games, and his achievements in and out of competition loom large. He can clean-and-jerk 340 pounds and run 400 meters in under 50 seconds. He has finished in the top 10 in all five of his CrossFit Games appearances. But Bailey has goals beyond his biceps. Last summer he gave $20,000…

As McDonald’s profits stumble, “fast casual” spots are gaining ground. Sales at this type of restaurant grew three times as quickly as the rest of the industry’s in 2014, according to data from the research firm Technomic. They’re generally healthier, but you can still go wrong— unless you follow these guidelines. Panera Bread If you can avoid the baked goods, you’re golden. Go with the Power Almond Quinoa Oatmeal and net 9 grams of fiber for 290 calories. Its carrot cake has walnuts, but 62 grams of sugar— more than a 16-ounce Coke has. Lyfe Kitchen The blueberry pancakes (made with quinoa) are puffed with and covered in 47 grams of sugar. Pick the spinach and avocado frittata instead. It has 27 grams of protein and only 6 grams of…

Their Doctors Could you refer me to the most costeffective facility? Prices for routine procedures— think x-rays, MRIs, and blood tests— can reach into the thousands of dollars, says Jeff Rice, M.D., of Healthcare Bluebook. Your doc could send you to a facility that charges more, so push back and say you want the best price around. You could save 50 to 90 percent, Dr. Rice says. Their Prospective Employers Will you match my 401(k) contributions? That match can make you wealthy. Example: Company A offers you $95,000 with no 401(k) match. Company B offers $5,000 less but will match your contribution up to 6 percent of your salary. After 30 years and with a 7 percent return, you’ll have $538,426 with Company A, or $1,020,176 with Company B. Their…

1 Balls are a huge nuisance. They shift left, they shift right. It’s like having a sweaty beanbag chair in your pants. So please refrain from chiding us if we occasionally feel the need to rearrange our boys. 2 We weren’t looking at your friend’s cleavage. We were looking at cleavage. Cleavage is its own self-contained entity. It doesn’t matter what body it’s attached to. (Unless it’s Mom’s.) 3 Your expectations? They’re all yours. We don’t need ’em! 4 We don’t care if you had a lot of boyfriends before us. The number doesn’t matter. What we really care about is that those boyfriends were all unemployed mouth-breathing homunculi who couldn’t find your clitoris if you put your finger on it. 5 Yes, actually, we think it does make you…