Men's Health PDF

A Men’s Health Special
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HOW TO BUILD A
CoverModelBody
Anyone can get a body worthy of a Men’s Health cover, and this is the book
that will show you how. Drawing on the secrets of ordinary readers who have
transformed themselves to win the annual MH Cover Guy Competition,
you’ll find the tried-and-tested workout and nutrition tips that can help you
build muscle and strip away fat. You’ll also learn the tactics that gave the
winners from the last five years that elusive edge over their competitors.
What’s more, there are stories from Men’s Health cover models who have
defied busy schedules and genetics to make it onto the cover of the SA’s
best-selling men’s magazine, as well as the lowdown on the best supplements
and shortcuts that will enable you to build your new body – fast.
Jason Brown SUPPLEMENT EDITOR DESIGNERS CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CREATIVE DIRECTOR DEBBIE FARRELL Byron Keulemans (cover
ROBERT CILLIERS FRANK HERMUS photographer), Sean Laurenz,
Arthur Jones WERNER VILN Garreth Barclay, Sam Norval,
EXECUTIVE EDITOR CHIEF COPY EDITOR
THOMAS OKES Owen McKibben, Kelly Garrett
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Contents
p. 8
The
Principles
BEFORE YOU
LIFT A SINGLE
WEIGHT IT PAYS
TO BRUSH UP ON
THE LATEST
SCIENCE. HERE
p. 24
YOU’LL FIND THE
BEST FITNESS The
KNOW-HOW
DISTILLED INTO
Workouts
THE 10 GOLDEN WELCOME TO
RULES OF THE COVER
WORKING OUT.
YOU’LL ALSO
FIND TIPS ON
THE IDEAL WAY
MODEL
WORKOUT
– A FOUR-PHASE
PLAN THAT’S
p. 70
TO DEVELOP
THE RIGHT
PROVEN TO GET
RESULTS. HERE’S Nutrition
MINDSET. THE DEAL: YOU THE RIGHT FUEL
MENTAL BRING THE FOR YOUR
STRENGTH IS EFFORT AND WORKOUTS,
ESSENTIAL FOR APPLICATION EXPLAINED.
86
YOUR PHYSICAL TO THE WEIGHTS THE RULES FOR A
DEVELOPMENT.
GET YOUR
ROOM, AND
THESE
BALANCED DIET
ARE DAILY MENUS p.
THINKING RIGHT SCIENTIFICALLY THAT WILL HELP
AND IT WILL BE
THAT MUCH
DEVISED
PROGRAMMES
BUILD MUSCLE,
GIVE YOU STAMINA Cover
EASIER FOR
YOUR BODY TO
WILL DO THE
REST.
AND FIGHT FAT. WE
ALSO TAKE THE Material
FOLLOW SUIT. GUESSWORK OUT GUYS WHO HAVE
OF THE PROTEIN MADE MANY
MAZE WHILE APPEARANCES ON
SHOWING YOU THE COVER, EVEN
HOW TO MAKE WITH TIME AND
EASY DISHES THAT GENETICS AGAINST
ARE AS DELICIOUS THEM, WERE ABLE
AS THEY ARE TO STEP UP AND
HEALTHY. SUCCEED IN THE
ULTIMATE BODY
CHALLENGE:
MAKING IT ON TO
THE MH COVER.
LEARN FROM
THEIR
SUCCESS
STORIES AND
USE THEIR
TRICKS TO
HELP YOU
GET MORE
OUT OF YOUR
WORKOUTS,
EVERY TIME.
COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 5

Need a kickstart in your quest for a better body?
Throughout this book you’ll find stories from past
winners of the Men’s Health Cover Model Competition.
Each and every one of them started out as an ordinary
reader, with an ordinary body. But they transformed
themselves – becoming stronger, better and faster
through a mixture of hard work, determination
and smart training. When it was time to face
the judges, they proved they could outdo
hundreds of other entrants to be crowned
as the very best. And if they can do it,
so can you. Casey McDonald p.23
TheWinners
Angelo Picoto p.17
Marco Klue p.47

JP Lamont p.68
Johry Batt p.34
2013
2012
2014
2016
2015

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2 MEN’S HEALTH | ARMS + ABS
12 THE
PRINCIPLES
3
B E F O R E YO U L I F T A S I N G L E
W E I G H T O R RU N A S I N G L E
K I L O M E T R E YO U N E E D T O B RU S H
U P O N S O M E B A S I C WO R KO U T
PRINCIPLES. FIRST WE’RE GOING
T O TA K E A L O O K AT T H E 1 0
G O L D E N RU L E S , W H I C H D E S C R I B E
W H AT YO U S H O U L D B E D O I N G
P H YS I C A L LY. T H E N W E ’ R E G O I N G
T O U N L O C K T H E P OW E R O F T H E
M I N D, S O YO U C A N S TA RT T O
T H I N K L I K E A C OV E R M O D E L
A N D M A K E T H E D R A M AT I C
C H A N G E S T H AT W I L L M A K E YO U
L O O K L I K E O N E . K N OW L E D G E I S
P OW E R : P R E T T Y S O O N YO U ’ R E
G O I N G T O H AV E B O T H .
8 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

The Principles
THE
GOLDEN
RULES
YO U WO U L D N ’ T T R Y T O B U I L D A N E N G I N E
W I T H O U T L E A R N I N G H O W I T WO R K S F I R S T.
S I M I L A R LY I T ’ S U N W I S E T O T R Y T O C O N S T R U C T
A N E W B O D Y B E F O R E L E A R N I N G S O M E T H E O R Y.
D R AW I N G O N T H E E X P E R T I S E O F P E R S O N A L
T R A I N E R S A N D M E N ’ S H E A LT H C O V E R M O D E L
C O M P E T I T I O N W I N N E R S A L I K E , YO U ’ R E A B O U T
T O B U I L D U N S H A K E A B L E F O U N D AT I O N S F O R
YO U R N E W R E G I M E .
Y
ou bought this book in decade. Some lost huge amounts
order to get a better body, of weight or overcame injury, others
right? Well, we’re going undertook intensive challenges or entered
to show you exactly how the Cover Model Competition. Every
you can achieve that. one of them ended up with a physique so
You won’t end up with impressive their pictures were published
someone else’s body: you’ll end up with in Men’s Health. Some even made it onto
TOP TIP
your own best body, and you’re going to the cover. Xavier Mgidlana
get there using Men’s Health tips and What all those success stories mean
FINALIST IN 2015
tricks gleaned from the ordinary men who is that, when it comes to transforming
Age: 26
transformed their physiques and ended your body, Men’s Health has more real-
up appearing in the world’s best-selling life case studies and therefore more know- Job: Sales Consultant
men’s magazine. how than any other publication in the
TREAT YOUR BODY LIKE A BUSINESS
The Cover Model Workout has been 10 world. In short, we know precisely what
Just like any kind of business, you should
years in the making. It takes its inspiration we’re doing. Here we distill all those years have a plan, and you need to think like a
from Men’s Health readers and writers of experience into 10 basic principles. CEO. How are you going to get the best
who have consistently proved that you Stick to these when you start the workouts profits in the short term, and long term?
don’t have to be superhuman to get a later in this book and your hard efforts Where do you see yourself in five years?
model-worthy body. Hundreds of body- will be rewarded with a leaner, more Understand your passion – get to know
transformation stories have been told in muscular body and energy that will your body and its own specific needs.”
the pages of Men’s Health in the last seem unlimited.

to get you ready for higher-intensity,
THE 10 PHYSICAL CARDIO AND more ballistic exercise. It also helps you
PRINCIPLES
STRENGTH shed flab, increases your capacity to use
oxygen and improves your endurance.
TRAINING
1 Cardiovascular exercise and
strength training are just as
important as each other – no ARE EQUALLY
Need we add that you’ll be doing a lot
of it in this programme? You can thank
us later.
IMPORTANT
1
matter which you prefer or what But as important as cardio is, you’ll
type of body you have. Most men lean towards only be cheating yourself if you don’t
one of these two training focus just as heavily on strength
2 Diet is an essential
component of fitness, not
merely a support strategy.
methods more than the
other. You might just prefer
training – which is sometimes referred
to as resistance training but is mostly
one of them, or you might known as lifting weights. It’s the fitness
have a rock-solid reason, component that builds your muscle
3 Exercise done in hard, short
bursts will get you into better
shape, and get you there faster,
such as a family history of cardiac disease
that makes you favour the form of exercise
mass and strength. You shouldn’t need
much convincing as to why that needs
than long, slow efforts. that strengthens your heart, which is to be a big part of your Cover Model
cardiovascular. Workout.
4 Weight-lifting sessions Cardio is endurance exercise that But you should know that resistance
targeting the big muscles raises your heart rate for a sustained training does a lot more than make
must always be interspersed period of time as you use oxygen to your muscles bigger. It strengthens
with workouts that focus on burn fat for energy. That can be walking, your bones, pumps up your natural
strengthening the smaller, more running, cycling, cross-country skiing, testosterone levels, sharpens your
injury-prone muscles and joints. stair-climbing, dancing – the list goes on. central nervous system and improves
It also includes the machine equivalent your all-round cardiovascular health by
5 Muscles should always be

developed to be functional
– they’re not just for display.
of any of those activities, such as using
exercise bikes or treadmills.
building stronger limbs that make life
easier on your heart.
6 Overemphasis on crunches
and sit-ups is not the way to
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHICH CARDIO
work your midsection and achieve
six-pack abs.
WORKOUT YOU DO, BUT IT DOES
MATTER THAT YOU DO IT REGULARLY.
7 You need to drink buckets
of water all day long.
It doesn’t matter which cardio And resistance training becomes
workout you do, but it does matter that more important – not less so – as you get
8 Stretching is a fitness
necessity, not just as a warm-
up, cool-down or ancillary activity.
you do it regularly. You can get a six-pack
without ever doing one sit-up, but you
older. You lose muscle mass and bone
density with the years. Lifting weights
absolutely cannot get a six-pack without offsets those losses.
9 Rest is important but that consistent cardio work. A lot of guys like Clearly, cardio and strength training
doesn’t mean inactivity all day. weight training best, and that’s fine. But are both key to the kind of fitness you’re
you have to do your cardio, too. Without trying to achieve. So why bother
10 All-round clean living it, there’s no Cover Model Workout. emphasising their equal importance?
will always accelerate your Cardio is especially important for For some men, getting lean is their top
fitness goals. beginners because it thickens the fitness priority. They know that cardio
tendons and ligaments in your joints work and eating the right foods are the

The Principles
keys to shedding body fat. So a lot of There’s nothing wrong at all with
them conclude that resistance training preferring your time in the weights
doesn’t fit into their plans. Some even room over long-distance running. For
mistakenly believe that building muscle some men, lifting a weight is a more
will work against them, as though satisfying effort than sprinting up hills
muscle and body fat were one and the or pounding a treadmill. This becomes
same thing, just because increasing a problem only if they start to neglect
either will mean that you weigh more. entirely their cardio training for yet
But added muscle actually helps more muscle work.
fight flab because it ramps up your The workouts in this book will help
metabolism so you burn more kilojoules you avoid that trap. You don’t need to
throughout the day. Just as important, worry about hitting the right balance
losing fat is a tainted victory if that’s all between strength training and cardio
you do. Let’s face it, being thin and weak work, because all the programs you’ll
isn’t really being in shape. You’re still find here are based on that concept.
not healthy. You have to build muscle. There’s not really any substitute
Then there’s the group on the other for the body in motion. While moving
side of the fence, the weights addicts a dumbbell a metre or so is an excellent
who consider 20 minutes on an exercise strength-training exercise, it doesn’t
bike to be 20 minutes wasted. Gyms are come close to expressing the human
usually packed full of living examples of capacity for movement.
the pitfalls of overemphasising weight The natural movements that go
training at the expense of cardio work. with most modes of cardio work reflect
You see pot-bellied guys who lift themselves in a certain elegance of gait
like lunatics but have never walked that pure weight lifters don’t have. If all
further than the distance from one you do is lift weights, you’re going to
weight rack to the next. These men walk in a way that makes people say,
tend to be built like the proverbial “Weightlifter!” That’s really not the same
stone outdoor convenience, but they’re as saying, “That guy is in great shape!”
as far from a Men’s Health cover as those To put it another way, watch a cat
lonely long-distance runners – probably – whether that’s a lion at the game farm
even further. And the marathoners will or just your neighbour’s Tom. What
probably live longer. Nobody has ever do you see? You see a well-muscled, TOP TIP
died from skinny arms. But an under- smooth-moving, rhythmically gaited
Christopher Jafta
trained heart muscle combined with animal. That is the essence of a well-
obesity? That will put you under quick.
FINALIST IN 2014
balanced weight and cardio regime.
Men who do nothing but lift often The gait you’ll develop from blending Age: 30
get soft in the middle. They don’t really weight and cardio work in the Cover Job: Actor
care about being lean, so they’re not. Model Workout is your badge of honour.
And they’re not as healthy as they should You’ll walk with your shoulders back, PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE A change in diet
saw Christopher’s body undergo what he
be. But even the ones who aren’t soft and chest out, stomach in tight and head held
calls “a total transformation” – but the
flabby, such as the serious bodybuilders, high – as though a cape were flowing off
results weren’t immediately evident. “You
are still missing out on something. They your back. It’s not a strut or a swagger, need to be patient when it comes to eating,”
don’t look like normal men anymore, but 100% natural. Your walk tells the he says. “You can’t expect results in two
especially the ones who have become world that you can handle anything it weeks. Other people may notice the
really big. These, of course, are the throws at you. You’re confident and results before you do.”
extreme examples. proud of who you are.

TAKE A LOOK AT SPRINTERS. THEY’RE like long-distance runners, they’re
stacked. Then check them out in action.
STACKED. THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE AFTER. Their arms are churning, their knees are
pumping like pistons, their trunks are
rotating. They’re blasting their abs, their
hamstrings, their quads and their calves.
THE POWER SHORT AND All muscles are firing and working
OF EATING WELL HARD BEATS together. That’s what you’re aiming for.
2
LONG AND SLOW ALWAYS
3
Eating healthily isn’t
something you just do Lifting weights is, by its
to support your fitness nature, an activity of short, STRETCH
programme. It’s part hard efforts. But in the
YOURSELF
4
of it. Diet is as essential a workouts in this book,
component of the Cover you’re going to get to the A consistent stretching
Model Workout as cardio exercise and point where even your regime will work wonders
strength training. To put it simply: if you cardio will stress the advantages of the for your flexibility. And it
don’t eat the right foods, you won’t get fit. short-burst approach. Why? Because it pays off all day long, every
The good news is that we’re certainly gets you in shape faster. And it will day, as it will make all
not talking about a kilojoule-deprivation definitely pay off in your upper-body of life’s typical motions
diet where you keep yourself hungry development. You can say goodbye to – reaching, twisting, crouching, craning,
all the time so that you’ll lose weight. long, boring cardio sessions, but at the thrusting and so on – so much easier.
That’s a recipe for disaster. You need to same time, be confident that you’re still It also pays off in the gym, where the
concentrate on eating good foods in the burning fat and reaping all the other increased range of motion translates
right amounts at the best times. benefits of aerobic exercise. into more productive lifts.
The basic idea is to fuel your workouts, The solution is sprinting. Sprinting Stretching protects your joints,
give your muscles the food they need to is the quintessential Cover Model soothes tight, irritated muscles and often
grow, and find a balance where you burn Workout exercise. By definition, it’s prevents post-workout soreness. These
at least as many kilojoules as you take in – a short-burst effort. aren’t exactly proven benefits – it’s hard
which is ultimately the only way to get rid If you can do sprints one after another to prove anything relating to flexibility,
of the excess flab around your midsection. for much more than 20 minutes, you’re since it’s such a situational, technique-
The eating plan outlined in Part Three not sprinting hard enough. By sprinting, driven form of exercise – but there’s
of this book is loaded with plenty of food we mean an all-out, hard-as-you-can-go, certainly a good deal of anecdotal
options. Don’t worry – you’re going to feed straight-ahead effort for 10 to 30 seconds, evidence to suggest that these benefits
well. You’re also going to need to pay at- followed by a slowdown or short rest, and are attainable.
tention to when you eat. For example, an then another sprint while your heart rate Stretches can be split into four
early dinner is usually a good idea, along is still high enough for the fat-burning different types. The first is dynamic
with cutting out high-glycaemic carbohy- aerobic effect to continue. You can do stretching – this is where you keep
drates (such as pasta and bread) after the sprints on a bicycle or in the pool, but moving during the stretch. For example,
sun goes down. These are carbs that con- running sprints are best –preferably on the big arm circles or head-and-neck
vert quickly to sugar that your body will grass, sand or some kind of track to spare rotations you see swimmers do before
store as fat if you don’t work it off. your joints pounding on the pavement. jumping into the pool. These are ideal
If you eat high-glycaemic carbs at You use more of your body when running before a workout as they loosen muscles
night, you’ll wake up bloated. But have your sprints and your mind is better and joints so they’re ready to work in
a lean steak and vegetables and the focused on the action. a full range of motion.
next morning you’ll have a leaner, If you’re not certain about this, take a The second type is known as static
flatter stomach. look at a sprinter’s body. They’re not wiry stretching. These are ideal after

The Principles
THE STRETCHES
1 | Shoulder 2 | Shoulders- 3 | Chest-and-

Stand up straight and and-Tricep Shoulder
cross one arm across Lift one arm so your Stand up straight and
your chest. Use your elbow is bent next to clasp your hands
other arm to apply your ear. Lower your behind your bottom.
gentle pressure just hand as far down as Pull your shoulder
above the elbow of possible. Apply pres- blades together and
your crossed arm. sure with the opposite push your chest out-
Hold the stretch for hand. Hold for one min- ward. Hold the stretch
one minute, then ute, then switch arms. for one minute.
switch arms.
5 | Quadriceps
Stand up straight,
bend one knee and
reach back to grab
4 | Hamstring the top of your raised 6 | Calves, Achilles & Hamstring
& Lower-Back foot. Keeping your From a standing position, bend down and place
Sit with one leg straight out in front of you. Hook knees parallel to each your palms flat on the floor. Slowly walk your
a towel around the ball of the foot and hold the other, pull the heel feet back until you feel a deep stretch along the
ends. Bend your other knee and place the sole towards your bottom. entire back side of your lower body. To stretch
of that foot against the side of your extended Hold for one minute, your Achilles tendons further, slowly bend one
leg. Gently pull on the towel ends to stretch your then repeat with your knee and then the other, allowing your heels to
body towards your extended foot. Hold for a other foot raised. lift off the floor. Hold for one minute.
minute; repeat with the opposite leg.
7 | Glutes 8 | Groin 9 | Lower-Back

Lie on the floor with one knee bent and that foot Sit on the floor and press the soles of your feet With your arms stretched above your head,
flat on the floor. Place the ankle of your other together, with your knees bent. Keeping your raise your knees to your chest. Extend your feet
foot against your bent knee. Slowly bring your back straight, place your hands on your ankles over your head, letting them fall behind your
bent knee toward your head. Hold for one min- and press your elbows down on the insides of head. Increase the distance between your feet
ute, then repeat on your other side. your thighs. Don’t bounce! Hold for one minute. and head. Hold for one minute.

workouts, when your muscles and joints they’ve injured rotator cuff muscles, that focus on one muscle group only.
are as warm and supple as they will ever or something in their lower backs, or A perfect example of the kind of
be. This type of stretching not only ligaments or tendons around their knee compound move we’re talking about is
improves overall flexibility but also or elbow joints. A big reason that the pull-up – a movement so natural
prevents stiffness and soreness. You’ll happens is because they never bother that you don’t even use a weight. Here
notice the difference if you ever forget training the little muscles that protect your upper-back and biceps muscles
to stretch after a workout. those areas. You will. work together to move your body
Stretches are a key part of the Not to criticise, but Mother Nature against gravity. It’s a move you can use.
workouts in this book. Make sure you didn’t do a perfect job in constructing This is the most satisfying upper-body
hit the hamstrings on the back of your our elbows, knees and shoulders, and exercise out there. And there’s a good
thighs, the quadriceps on the front, your the risk of injury increases with the reason you don’t see snaking queues at
calves, your groin, your glutes and your volume and intensity of exercise. That’s the pull-up bar at the gym: they’re also
lower back. And don’t forget your why the workouts in this book stress the one of the most strenuous.
shoulders, triceps and chest, either. importance of strengthening the joint-
Thirdly, you can also stretch between
sets at the gym. For example, after sets
area muscles you don’t see, as well as
the big-money muscles. It often works
AWESOME
of pull-ups, try hanging from the bar best to separate your lifting efforts into ABS WITHOUT
to stretch out your shoulders and lats.
Finally, you can sneak a few stretches
‘integrity’ days, when you emphasise
the small muscles, and ‘core’ days, when
(TOO MANY)
into just about every part of your day. you do your heavy lifting. This gives SIT-UPS AND
Try stretching your shoulders as the you an advantage over the guys who
CRUNCHES
7
hot water beats down on them in the take their joints and little muscles for
shower. Or in the steam room after a granted until they’re hurt. Too many men waste their
workout. You can do calf stretches when time doing hundreds of
you have to stand on the train. These
feel good and will help to keep your
BUILD MUSCLES crunches because they
think that’s the route to a
YOU CAN USE
6
body supple and therefore free from flat, hard stomach. It’s not.
disruptive injuries. We’re not trying to Looking good is one thing, They’d be better off using
sell stretching to you as a barrel of but that’s not the only most of that time to work the rest of
laughs. Just as essential. reason to bust a gut in the their body and to do cardio. Reducing
weights room. Muscles your body-fat percentage is the secret to
HIDDEN need to be useful, not just

big. What’s the point of
a six-pack. Diet, cardio and metabolism-
boosting strength exercises – not sit-ups
MUSCLES ARE putting in all that time with inert slabs – get the job done. You can get your hard
AS IMPORTANT of iron if you can’t palm a lumbering

prop forward out of your way or place a
abs without ever doing a single sit-up.
Too many crunches or sit-ups can
AS THE BIG soccer ball sweetly into the top corner actually be counterproductive. The
ONES of the net? same goes for the sideways or twist
5
That’s not to say everyone’s priorities versions that work obliques. You might
The kind of injury that will should be the same. But the resistance end up building up your stomach area
put you out of commission programs in the Cover Model Workout so much that you get a thick-in-the-
isn’t likely to be a problem do emphasise muscular performance middle look, which is exactly what you
with your big muscle over sheer muscle size. That’s why don’t want.
groups, such as the lats you’ll do most of the lifts with free Too many side crunches and twists
and traps on your back or weights instead of machines, and why can actually make your obliques look
the pecs across your chest. When men you’ll be focusing more on compound more like love handles. You should work
go down, it’s almost always because movements, rather than isolation lifts your abs and obliques the way you sear

The Principles
a good piece of tuna on a grill. A minute look ‘puffier’ than usual, that’s your
or two on each side, and that’s it. Cut body holding water. And, paradoxical as
back on the ab work, and you’ll be able it sounds, you need water to lose water.
to taper your waistline and make your So give water a chance next time you
shoulders appear wider. think about gulping down a fizzy drink.
As far as diet goes, high-GI (quickly Squeeze a little lemon in it, down it and
absorbed), processed carbs are the worst see if you still need that cola. Try the
enemy of your six-pack – particularly same thing next time you’re going out
when eaten late in the day. Cut back on for some beers with your mates. Quench
these and you’ll be cutting back on the your thirst first with a great big glass of
amount of excess fat that’s stored round water. You’ll end up drinking slower, so
your middle, too. you can enjoy the beer all the more as
you’ll be savouring the flavour (this
DRINKING might not work so well if you’re

drinking lights).
TONS OF WATER You’ve probably heard that you
WILL WORK need six to eight glasses of water a day

to stay healthy. But a better way to look
WONDERS
8
at it is, if you can count the glasses, you
To get a cover-model body probably aren’t drinking enough. It’s
you must drink as much safe to drink anything up to eight litres
water as you possibly can of water a day. Fair warning: if you do
throughout the day. Water this, getting stuck in a traffic jam can
helps to move food through really be a problem. So when you know
your system so you don’t you have to spend a couple of hours
feel bloated. It rehydrates your cells so without a urinal in sight, you might
your eyes aren’t dry, your skin feels want to taper off your intake. Other than
good and your throat doesn’t bother those times, though, drink water all day
you. And it regulates your body long – before, during and after meals,
temperature. and especially during and after every
All those are terrific benefits, but one of your workouts. Better hydration
the biggest one may be that the more equals less fatigue.
water you drink, the less water your
body holds beneath your skin. Here’s
a strange example: have you ever
GET THE TOP TIP
noticed how your wife/ girlfriend/ MOST OUT OF Jaco van der Merwe
colleague complains she feels ‘fat’ at a
YOUR REST
9
FINALIST IN 2014
certain time of the month. It’s not that
she’s suddenly put on a few kilos. Her Rest is a lot more important Age: 22
body is simply holding onto water in than you may think. Job: Student
anticipation of her period. Resistance training works
SWITCH UP YOUR GRIP “When you’re
Men don’t have periods (count your because your muscles
training a specific muscle group, make
blessings), but we still hold water respond to the stress you
sure you change your grip placements on
beneath our skin, particularly after put on them by making
whatever type of bar you’re holding from
eating salty foods. If you notice your themselves bigger and stronger than narrow to wide, to ensure that you hit every
weight fluctuating from one day to the they were before. That growth happens angle of that muscle.”
next, or if you see that some days you only when you are resting. And that also

The Principles
explains why it is foolish to work the

same muscle groups two days in a row. REST HELPS YOU
The Cover Model Workout plans your
weeks so this never happens and gives
WORK HARDER
you plenty of rest between workouts
Sleep is key, too. As your healthy
THE NEXT DAY.
eating and hard exercise become a with the lot. Beer contains extremely
habit, you’ll find that you are sleeping high-GI carbohydrates that will go
like a baby. You’ll fall asleep earlier and straight to your gut, and the less said
wake up earlier, and your body will about takeaway food the better. On top
repair itself better in between. That of that, after a boozy night, your body
deep rest then helps you work out even won’t get the same quality rest as normal
harder the next day. It’s a win-win cycle. so your muscles won’t be able to repair
But rest doesn’t have to mean that you themselves in quite the same way.
take a complete day off. A little light The bottom line is that when you are
exercise can be a good way to wind training seriously, you really do need
down and keep your body firing on all to steer clear of the booze whenever
cylinders, if that’s what you fancy. possible. If your body is having to
With the Cover Model Workout, you process alcohol, that is inhibiting its
can go ahead and take a rest day once a ability to build muscle and burn fat.
week – even twice if you double up the If you have to have a drink for social
resistance and cardio workouts. But reasons, vodka and sugar-free tonic is
again, don’t blow off everything on rest probably the least of all evils. If you are
days. Eat well. Drink water. Do some going to have a beer or two, make sure
stretches. it’s just that and make sure that you only
ever do it once a week. Often it’s useful
CLEAN LIVING to plan one day a week as a ‘cheat day’.

This is where you can eat and drink
MAKES whatever you like. It works well for a lot
WORKOUTS of people as it’s like a safety valve that

stops you from craving bad stuff the
EASIER
10
other six days of the week. However,
Clean living it’s still important that your cheat day
means respect doesn’t turn into an all-night bender. If
TOP TIP for your body. It you’re working out hard you still need
means respect serious amounts of sleep in order for
Rudi Witkowsky for yourself. And your muscles to repair fully.
FINALIST IN 2015 it means respect When you live clean, you not only
Age: 25 for others. What does it have to do with a have better workouts but also get more
fitness program? Everything. There benefits from workouts: more energy,
Job: Auditor and Trainer
really isn’t much point in spending hours more focus, more life. And when you do
MASTER YOUR BODYWEIGHT “If you in the gym every week, concentrating indulge yourself you’ll enjoy that beer or
want to lift with good form and avoid hard on your nutrition and planning slice of cake all the more, since they’re
injuries, do weights-free moves until you your rest days if you go out every Friday treats, rather than part of your everyday
can lift your own bodyweight easily and and Saturday night and down seven or life. Clean living isn’t deprivation; it’s
with perfect technique.” eight drinks and follow it up with a picking the right time and place for
takeaway pizza or a couple of burgers treats, and then savouring them.

This ex-Motorcross racing pro
has transformed himself from
a training rookie into a high-
performance athlete.
TRAINING METHODS Heavy
lifting with supersets and calisthenics
sessions, six days on, one day off. Some
days, double sessions.
ENLIST THE HELP OF
PROFESSIONALS If you want the Angelo
best body, heed the best advice. “Up until
about four months before the end of this Picoto
competition, I had no coach or trainer. Then IN 2015
I contacted someone who started coaching Age: 26
me. I started lifting heavier and changed my
rep schemes, and it led to some great results. Job: Helicopter Pilot
I lost 6% body fat and got much stronger. Hometown: Nelspruit
Hiring a trainer is not only a good way to get
great advice; the fact that it costs you means
you won’t want to waste it.”
MATCH YOUR BODY TO
YOUR GOALS “I used to race Cover Guy
Motocross in Europe and weighed 68kg, Winner
2A0 1 5
which suited my racing. I also used to do
triathlons, and being light was a necessity,
as the racing, running and swimming was
ngelo
all about cardio. But after that, I wanted to
get stronger and more athletic.”
KEEP EXPERIMENTING Picoto
“I got bored of doing the same kind of
training every day – then I found calisthenics,
which I really enjoy. I also use its techniques
to warm up and cool down.”
BURN FAT WITH HEART
RATE ZONES “When I want to do
some fat-burning work, I get on a treadmill,
hike up the incline, and get my heart rate
between 120 and 140bpm. I try to stay on
PHOTOGRAPH: BYRON KEULEMANS
there for about 40 minutes.”

FAVOURITE MOVE Muscle-
ups. His current personal best? A seriously
impressive 15 strict reps. And he has his
own move too: a combined dip into
Superman hold. It’s a very tough move
with big shoulder rewards.

THE POWER
OF THE MIND
YO U R M O S T P OW E R F U L B O DY- C H A N G I N G A L LY O F A L L I S N ’ T A GY M M E M B E R S H I P, A S U B S C R I P T I O N
T O M E N ’ S H E A LT H O R E V E N A P E R S O N A L T R A I N E R . I T ’S YO U R OW N M I N D. I F YO U C A N L E A R N T O
T H I N K L I K E A C OV E R M O D E L , YO U ’ R E H A L F WAY T O G E T T I N G A B O DY L I K E O N E . R E A D O N T O L E A R N
A B O U T T H E M I N D S E T S T H AT H AV E E N A B L E D O R D I N A RY M E N T O G E T M O D E L L O O K S .
VARIETY
MOTIVATION
PERSISTENCE
HABIT
E
arlier in this
chapter you read
about the basic
physical principles
you’ll need to follow to get
the most from the workouts
FOUNDATION
in this book. It’s all very well to know what months, and about
you should be doing; the real trick comes 75% give up within a
from sticking to these rules. That’s where year. Which is where
the mental side of fitness comes in. this book comes in: it will trainers and picked up tips
Everyone would be ripped if it were as help you develop the from the readers who enter our annual
easy as picking up a piece of paper, taking mental attitude that’s key to Cover Model Competition. Pooling all
it to the gym, following the workout and your success. You’re going to we’ve learned, we’ve narrowed the
then repeating. But about half of all people nail your workouts and gain every possible winning mental attitude down to the
quit an exercise programme within six benefit. We’ve talked to leading personal following five mindsets.

The Principles
MINDSET 1 someone suffering from obesity and

don’t want to end up the same way
MOTIVATION they are. It could even be something
If you’re truly motivated to relatively trivial, like a fear of having
get yourself into top shape, skinny legs on the beach. Any motiva-
you’ll sail though the tion works as long as it results in a posi-
workouts that appear later tive outcome. And while some may not
in this book. If you lack motivation, seem like the cheeriest things to think
you might struggle. However, the fact about, there’s no denying that fears can
that you’re reading this book in the first get the job done.
place means that you’re already head- Another classic source of motivation
ing in the right direction. It’s important is competitive sport. If you play a sport
to lock down exactly where your mo- the chances are that you want to help
tivation is coming from: whatever led your team to win and win well. And
you to embark on this journey of health if you get yourself into better shape,
and fitness is something you can tap the likelihood of that happening is
into to keep yourself working hard, on dramatically increased. Visualising the
good days and – more importantly – on humiliation of your arch rivals in your
the inevitable bad ones. Sunday league can be a powerful image
Constantly remind yourself why as you try to squeeze out that final rep
you’re getting up early in the morning on the bench press.
to do a gruelling cardio workout; why
you’re drastically reducing bread and
pasta in your diet; why you’re push-
ing weights instead of the buttons on
MILK YOUR
your television’s remote control. If you MOTIVATION.
can’t express your motivation in one
sentence, take a little time for some in-
IT WILL DRIVE
trospection. Ask yourself what prompt-
ed you to take up the Cover Model
YOU ON.
Workout. Be honest with yourself. Are
you in this to improve your health? MINDSET 2
Your appearance? Do you want to show
up a rival or impress a woman? Are you HABIT TOP TIP
aiming to be the next winner of the If you’re starting out, the
Men’s Health Cover Model Competition? first thing you have to do is Enoch Mseleni
Whatever it is – positive or negative, acquire the habit of eating FINALIST IN 2015
realistic or otherwise – keep reminding right and exercising just
Age: 27
yourself why you’re in this thing. Milk about every day. That’s
Job: Navy Defense Force
your motivation for all it’s worth. It will hard at first, like any new habit. But it’s
drive you on. absolutely necessary. And you can do CHOOSE THE RIGHT MOVE TO WARM
Another great way to stay motivated it. There’s no getting around it: for the UP “The first thing I do is pull-ups. It’s the
is to enlist the fear factor. Perhaps you first month or so, you’re going to have perfect warm-up tool for me, and it works
have a history of heart disease in your to force yourself to get it done. Think as my mental adjustment move to get me
family and are determined not to die back to when you were young and your primed for the session.”
before your time. Maybe you know mom was always on at you to brush

your teeth every night. You hated it, but dinner’s cooking. You’re happy where The basic principle of muscle growth
she made you do it. And then what hap- you are. It doesn’t matter. Get up, put is progression. To keep getting stronger,
pened? It became a habit, something on your workout gear and go wherever you need to lift heavier weights or lift
you do now without thinking about it. it is you go to exercise. Just do it. them more times. But besides doing
That’s what has to happen with Permanent change comes only with more of the same things, you need to
your fitness programme, although now persistence. The payoff is worth it. do different things.
you have to do it without your mum After a month or two, it won’t be quite Some men limit their progress
nagging you. so brutal. After six months, it won’t be because they never vary their routines.
You need to acquire this habit by any hard at all –you’ll look forward to your They go to the same machine every
means possible. If you have the resourc- workouts; it will become your special day and do their 30 minutes (never 29
es and inclination to hire a personal time to work on yourself, rather than or 31) at the exact same pace. They’re
trainer, go for it. If you need to build up work at whatever your boss or family consistent, yes, and better off than
to the amount of exercise recommend- puts in front of you. if they did nothing. But they’re not
ed in this book, then so be it. It may After a year, you are going to want getting anywhere near the maximum
take you months to work up to the first to eat right and exercise well for the use of their time. It’s an easy trap to
phase of the Cover Model Workout. But rest of your life. You’re going to crave fall into. If you don’t make a conscious
if that’s the best you can do, then you these things. You’re going to hate not effort to change your routine, you’ll
must do it. You can establish the habit exercising. And you’re going to prefer just stay with whatever has become
with just a few minutes of exercise fresh food to rubbish. When you reach comfortable. That’s why mixing it
a day, as long as the exercise is done that point, the results will stagger you. up is more of a factor in your mental
consistently and purposefully, with the That’s a promise. approach than in your physical one.
goal of increasing volume and intensity. Your mindset needs to favour new
If you are just starting out you can challenges. You need to seek change,
be flexible about the type and volume PERMANENT not wait for it to fall on you.
of exercise you do at first – you have to
trust your own instincts and respect CHANGE COMES Once you’ve set your foundation,
you should retool your programme
your abilities. The workouts in this
book will be appropriate for most men,
ONLY WITH every four to six weeks. Along the way,
make more subtle adjustments, such as
but for some they’re too much to start PERSISTENCE. a wider grip on the barbell or an altered
with. (And for a fitter-than-average few, angle of lift. Start adding new activities
they may not be enough.) MINDSET 3 to your routine. Get off the bike and
But on one point you must stay con- onto a treadmill. Or swim. Sprint. Play
sistent: habitual exercise. If the best you VARIETY tennis. Grab any opportunity to do
can do is a 10-minute walk five days a Mentally, it’s difficult something you never do.
week, with a half-dozen push-ups and to stick with a workout An easy and dramatic change of pace
10 crunches Monday, Wednesday and programme if it stays the can be gained by jumping in a pool. If
Friday, then that’s exactly what you same, week in, week out. it’s not your regular thing you’re going
should do. Within a month, you should If boredom sets in, your days in the to find it tough to keep swimming,
build it up to a 15-minute walk, 10 gym are numbered. And it’s not just especially if you pick a fast stroke like
push-ups and two dozen crunches. And your mind that loves variety, your body freestyle. It also has the advantage of
within another month, you should be loves it, too. Remember, most fitness being easy to slot into a holiday, or even
ready for the Cover Model Workout. gains are simply your body adapting a business trip. A hotel pool can often
It doesn’t matter how you get into to the tasks that you’re giving it. Keep be one of the best things going in terms
this habit. And we’re not going to sug- giving it the same tasks and eventually of fitness tools. Need some convincing?
arcoat it for you: some days it’s going to it gets used to them. End of progress. Try this circuit and see if you still think
be brutal. It’s been a long day. It’s 6pm, But give it new ones and it will adapt swimming is an easy option:
you’re channel surfing, you’re tired, in new ways that you’ll love. Do freestyle for as long as you

The Principles
can without stopping. This hits your

upper body. If you’re not a regular YOUR MINDSET
swimmer it’s probably only going to
be five minutes or so. If you can get to NEEDS NEW
10 minutes, stop and move on. Next
you’ll be working your lower body by
CHALLENGES.
running on the spot under water. You’ll SEEK CHANGE;
feel it in your hamstrings (the back of
your thighs), quadriceps (on the front), DON’T WAIT FOR
glutes and lower abs. Next comes two
minutes of hard kicking at the side
IT TO FALL ON YOU.
of the pool. By now, your legs will be exposure, and they will do really well.
pounding, but your upper body should But see what happens when you move
have mellowed a bit. Now do more laps them around a lot or water them hap-
using another stroke; keep the circuit hazardly. The same kind of thing will
going for 40 minutes. happen if you don’t have a foundation
Do this and you’ll be burning a good programme you always return to, even
thousand kilojoules and working every when you are really pushed for time.
single muscle in your body. Best of all, It’s the very least you should do, like
if it’s something you don’t usually do, always watering a plant.
it will mean your body has to make True, life is not so perfect that
adjustments so that it’s ready for the you always have the luxury of a rigid
next time. schedule. But the schedule you put in
place and the workout regime that you
MINDSET 4 establish as your foundation will help
you handle disruptions without losing
FOUNDATION momentum. Always think of it as your
Once you’re in the habit minimum and it will form a solid place
of eating right and exercis- in your life from which you can take off
ing regularly, you need to when you’re ready to do more, and to
make sure your efforts are which you can go back when circum-
organised into a set schedule and a ba- stances lead you astray.
sic routine. The workout programmes How do you know what your min-
later in this book will guide you in this. imum exercise routine – your founda-
They will show you what and how tion – should be? You’ll create it over TOP TIP
much to do. But it will be up to you to time as you follow the workouts which
Gee van Veijeren
decide when to do it. From the routines progress in phases. It might well start
that you establish you will be able to as something like what is suggested
FINALIST IN 2015
determine your foundation: the abso- in Phase 1 of the Cover Model Work- Age: 48
lute minimum dose of exercise that out. If you want to make it something Job: Creative Director
you’ll never go below, no matter what. different from this, that’s fine. So long
All living things thrive on having a as you know what it is. Just remember KEEP ADAPTING “Fitness is dynamic and
always changing, especially as you get older.
schedule and a system. The first step in that you can always do more than your
I’ve been training for 25 years... The secret is
a baby’s development is regulating his foundation, and you usually should.
to keep adapting it to your needs. That’s what
sleeping and feeding patterns. Can’t re- Also, you can (and should) modify the keeps it exciting” eeling sore. The move you
late to kids? Okay, think of houseplants. elements of your foundation from time find hardest is the best one for you.”
Water them regularly, with steady sun to time. And you can and will build a

The Principles
higher and higher foundation as you

move ahead.
IT COULD TAKE
If you’re not sure where to set the AS LITTLE AS 10
DAYS OF DOING
bar, always aim high. A good way
to do this is to take an exercise that
you normally find gruelling and aim
to make it part of your foundation;
NOTHING TO GET
something you do at least once a week.
That way you’ll be building on an extra-
OUT OF SHAPE.
strong foundation. Alongside slightly
more comfortable moves, of course. upper-body work. Don’t do anything
foolish, but don’t let injury defeat you.
MINDSET 5 Persistence is what will deliver the
rewards you’re seeking.
PERSISTENCE Maybe it’s one of those days when
None of the other ele- you’re just not up for working out. Not
ments of the Cover Model for any particular reason – nothing is
Workout means a thing if physically wrong. You feel lazy. That’s
you’re not persistent about the time to deploy your most powerful
them, now and forever. Persistence is persistence weapon: your mind.
the most important word in the Cover Have you ever been shuffling along
Model Workout. Only persistence estab- the pavement feeling rubbish and then
lishes the habits of healthy eating and you look up and up ahead an unbelieva-
regular exercise. And only persistence bly hot brunette pops out of a doorway
keeps the habit alive through good and starts walking along in front of you?
times and bad. Don’t pretend you don’t automatically
It takes months to get into shape pick up the pace.
and even longer to get into the kind of Or say you’re driving home and prac-
great shape that this book is all about. tically falling asleep at the wheel when
But it could take as little as 10 days of a great song comes on the radio. Next
doing nothing to get out of shape. Stop thing you know, you’re pounding on the
persisting and that’s the risk. In the long
TOP TIP run, persistence is what’s going to give
steering wheel and changing gear, wide
awake. This is the feeling you need to
Shermah Thabang Gay you the results you want. tap into. The psychological component
Persistence in the short run means of physical performance is awesome.
FINALIST IN 2013
getting your workout in, no matter So on those down days, tap into the
Age: 35 what. Car’s broken down and you can’t positive side of your mind to offset
Job: Attorney & Lifestyle Coach get to the gym? That’s the day you do your negative tendencies. Think about
sprints outside your house. Only 20 all the invigorating stuff that goes with
NUTRITION TIP “Read up on what you’re
minutes to exercise? Do it anyway. You exercise. If music and girls don’t do
putting into your body. You need to have
can even do a workout in 10 minutes. it, remind yourself how good you feel
an understanding of how food affects
physiology, Shermah says. Make sure that Lack of time is never an excuse. If you after a workout. Or visualise the fat
whatever you’re eating is going to fortify and can’t even do your basic foundation dripping off your body as you sweat on
support your key metabolic traits, including routine then just do whatever you can the exercise bike. It doesn’t matter if
inflammation control, insulin control, protein do. So your body’s hurting? Take it as you feel like you’re not on top form; just
and carbohydrate balance and pH control. a challenge. Exercise the parts of you don’t quit. Ever. Results will come from
that feel okay. If your knee is shot, do persistence.

Cover Guy
Winner
IN 2013 2C013
Casey McDonald
asey
Age: 23
Job: Student/Clerk Supervisor
McDonald
Hometown: Cape Town
Casey took his sportsman’s

work ethic off the field and into
the gym.
KEEP ACTIVE For as long as Casey
can remember, he’s been keeping score. He
was hyperactive as a child and he took his
surplus energy out onto the sports field.
Competitiveness brought out the best in him.
“Looking back, I learnt a lot from sport. It
builds character.” He continued to play soccer
for Wits University and Santos after school,
but only set foot in a gym in 2008.
STAY FIT, STAY ALIVE
Working out has become part of his routine
and he says he’d never go back to the days
before gym. “Training has become a lifestyle
for me – it’s been great for my overall vitality
and I haven’t been sick in years.”
MAKE YOUR FORM
FLAWLESS
Casey concentrates on how he lifts and not
how much he lifts. “What’s the point going
for heavy weights when you’re not even doing
it properly? I make sure my reps are more
concentrated and I’m slow on returning the
movement. By using a moderate weight you
can complete your sets without failure.”
REWORK YOUR WORKOUTS
“I try to mix my workouts up in order to shock
the muscles,” he says. “After a while the
muscle gets used to the workout, so I try and
switch it around and sometimes dedicate one
day solely to a muscle group so I can build and
maintain that muscle.”
BOOST CORE STRENGTH
While Casey might concentrate on specific
PHOTOGRAPH: GARRETH BARCLAY
muscle groups, he never finishes a workout

without working his core. “I always do abs and
lower back after all my workouts.” He works
his lower back, because core is really
important for him and his back supports that.
“Eighty percent of your energy when you push
a weight comes from your stomach.”

12 THE
WORKOUTS
3
T H E C OV E R M O D E L WO R KO U T
I S A F O U R- P H A S E P R O G R A M M E
T H AT W I L L C H A N G E YO U R
B O DY F O R G O O D. A S YO U M OV E
T H R O U G H T H E F I RS T T H R E E
P H A S E S , YO U ’ L L F E E L T H E G A I N S
M O R E A N D M O R E . BY P H A S E 2 ,
OTHER PEOPLE WILL SEE THE
G A I N S T H AT YO U F E E L . B U T I T ’S
AT P H A S E 4 T H AT YO U ’ L L R E A L LY
A P P R OAC H T H E R E S U LT S YO U
WA N T E D W H E N YO U B O U G H T
T H I S B O O K . I T W I L L TA K E YO U A
M I N I M U M O F 1 2 W E E K S T O R E AC H
T H E F I N A L P H A S E , B U T I T ’S A
C O M M I T M E N T WO RT H M A K I N G .
I F YO U N E E D S O M E I N S P I R AT I O N
TA K E A L O O K AT T H E R E S U LT S
AC H I E V E D BY M E N ’ S H E A LT H
R E A D E R S A N D S TA F F – YO U ’ L L
FIND THEIR STORIES THROUGH-
OUT THIS BOOK. THEY ALL MADE
S I M I L A R R E G I M E S PA RT O F T H E I R
L I V E S . B U T, F O R YO U, T H I S I S
W H E R E I T A L L S TA RT S . I F YO U ’ R E
R E A DY, I T ’S T I M E T O T U R N T H E
PAG E A N D B E G I N T H E J O U R N E Y.
24 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER

ARMS +MODEL
ABS MUSCLE
The Workouts
YOU’RE ABOUT TWO LEVELS

There are two difficulty levels in the Cover
CORE AND INTEGRITY
The strength-training part of each phase
TO BUILD A Model Workout. The beginner regime is is divided into two core sessions and one
NEW BODY appropriate for almost everybody, but

make sure you brush up on the basic
integrity session per week. It’s easiest to
do your core workouts on Monday and
The weight workouts you’ll find in the
principles of working out in Chapter 2 Friday and your integrity workout on
Cover Model Workout are based on the
before you get started, particularly if Wednesday. Integrity days are designed
concept of progressive overload. You
you’re new to the gym. You may also want to strengthen smaller muscles around
overload your muscles by lifting weights
to use it if you used to be in shape but your ankles, knees, hips and shoulders, as
heavy enough to make your muscles
haven’t worked out for a long time. well as the stabiliser muscles of your mid-
work harder than they’re used to, but
If you’re already familiar with lifting section, so you avoid injury.
not so heavy you can’t maintain form.
weights, try the advanced workout.
The progressive part comes from lifting
COMPOUND MOVES
heavier weights as you advance through FOUR PHASES The lifts you’ll do to build your muscles
the programme. You’ll progress through four phases, are, for the most part, compound moves.
We’ll show you how to do each exercise. each consisting of a different programme. These are exercises that use more
But only you can tell how heavy your Phase 1 is crucial because it builds your than one major muscle group. Bench
weights need to be. It’s different for every foundation, thickens your tendons and presses, for example, primarily work
body and it changes with each move. ligaments, and fortifies your body so you the pectorals, but also the shoulders
If you’ve lifted before, you can use the can integrate more dynamic movements and triceps. Only after you build a solid
chart below, designed to estimate the of the later phases. This is where you strength foundation with compound
proper weight to use for a bench press. should be lifting lighter weights, so you moves will you start getting into isolation
Here’s how it works: say you know you can complete your reps fairly easily. exercises that focus all the work on one
press 80kg once (that’s the sample we use). Phases 2 and 3 move you up the muscle group – such as biceps curls and
That’s 100% of your one-rep max. And say ladder towards that cover-quality body. triceps pushdowns.
the workout says do 10 reps. The chart tells Accordingly the amount of weight you lift
you to try 60kg. should increase. This is where you want to TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE
This isn’t perfect – depending on your be near failure on the last rep. Your cardio Intense, concentrated efforts pay off
muscle structure, you may be able to training progresses through the phases by much more than long, drawn-out
do more or fewer reps with any given increasing intensity more than duration. sessions of moderate exercise. And that’s
percentage – and it tells you how to Just because you’ve completed four a definite advantage when time is one of
calculate reps only for the bench press. weeks of one phase doesn’t mean you our most precious commodities. Follow
Still, it’s a start. If you’re training for the should immediately move to the next the programme and you’ll make progress.
first time, you’ll have to use trial and error. one. Four weeks is your minimum. But if you’re just starting out, don’t expect
If a weight is too heavy, use a lighter one.
to see stunning results immediately. The
If you start out with one that’s too light, FIRST THINGS FIRST purpose of the first month isn’t to achieve
use more weight the next set or the next Do not skip Phase 1. If you’re not a begin- results you can see or measure. You’ll
workout. When in doubt, start with a ner, do the advanced track. But don’t start probably notice strength gains, and you’ll
weight that’s lighter than what you think with Phase 2. The reason Phase 1 is so definitely feel better, but the main thing
you can handle. If you’re lifting to build important is that it conditions your mus- at first is to build a foundation for the long
size, the last rep of your last set should be cles and joints for the demands of this pro- term. Once you’ve done that, you’ll have
virtually impossible. If you’re building gramme. Some beginners won’t be able to begun to change your life and body for
endurance, you can go a little lighter. complete the Phase 1 workouts. No prob- good. What are you waiting for?
For your cardio training, the first goal lem – come back and try to do a little more.
is to build a base of aerobic fitness. You’ll
work your way up to about 20 minutes
of steady, high-intensity exercise. Then
HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I LIFT?
you’ll move on to intervals of hard effort Max reps (RM) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 15
interspersed with recovery.
% RM 100 95 93 90 87 85 83 80 77 75 67 65
Weight (KG) 80 76 74 72 70 68 66 64 62 60 54 52

P HASE 1
STRONG endurance, substantial improvements in

muscle size and modest improvements
in strength.
START
INTEGRITY ROUTINE
This month, the integrity routine works all
your muscles but puts special emphasis
on the ones you’re most likely to injure
early in a weight-training programme.
T H I S F O U R-W E E K P R O G R A M M E P R E PA R E S YO U R B O DY Men tend to tweak their shoulders first.
FOR THE MUSCLE-ENHANCING, STRENGTH-BUILDING AND They are the most mobile joints, and al-
B O DY- C H A N G I N G WO R KO U T S T O C O M E . T H AT D O E S N ’ T M E A N though they’re capable of generating a lot
I T ’S E A SY – I F I T I S , YO U ’ R E D O I N G S O M E T H I N G W R O N G .
of force, they also offer lots of opportunity
to pull or twist. In the integrity routine
are two chest-and-shoulder exercises to
THE GOALS area and do this routine. This should be
the bare minimum of exercise you accept
increase the stability of the shoulders’
Physically, Phase 1 develops muscle connective tissues and the endurance of
from yourself on your workout days.
endurance and connective-tissue their muscles.
strength, increases muscle mass Between the core and integrity rou-
(although the next phase will do that in a THE ROUTINES tines, you’ll end up working your chest
much more dramatic way), and, perhaps As in all four phases of the Cover Model and shoulder muscles three times a week.
most importantly of all, gets your body Workout, you’ll do three weights work- That may seem like a lot – but the major
used to the routine of doing strenuous outs each week. You’ll do the core routine goal with these low-weight, high-rep
exercise three times a week. twice (Monday and Friday) and the integ- routines is to improve your endurance
Psychologically, this should be your rity routine once (Wednesday). and tendon and ligament strength while
default routine. If you want to stay in giving you the first hint of the increases
shape for the rest of your life, on any CORE ROUTINE in muscle size you’ll achieve with the
regular workout day when you feel The core routine in this chapter works Cover Model Workout. When the weights
unmotivated and tempted to skip your all your major muscles with the idea of get heavier and the repetitions get fewer,
session, go to your gym or home-workout achieving big improvements in muscular you won’t work major muscles so often.
RATING YOUR CARDIO EFFORT %

Exertion How hard? Breathing Can you talk? Maximum effort
1 Very easy Normal Until someone interrupts 35
2 Easy Still normal “As I was saying...” 45
3 Light, but starting to feel it Comfortable No problem yet 55
4 Somewhat hard Noticeably deeper Possible, but no soliloquies 65
5 Hard Deep but steady Just name, rank and number 75
6 Between hard and very hard Deep and getting faster Name only 85
7 Very hard Deep and fast Initials only 90
8 Very, very hard Very deep and very fast Maybe a grunt 95
9 So hard you can do it for only a few seconds Panting A gasp 97.5
10 Maximum effort Can’t breathe Can’t even gasp 100

The Workouts
CORE BEGINNER Week 1

Monday Friday
Week 2
Monday Friday
Week 3
Monday Friday Monday
Week 4
Friday
Exercise Reps Weight/Reps Weight/Reps Weight/Reps Weight/Reps Weight/Reps Weight/Reps Weight/Reps Weight/Reps
Squat 12-15
Wide-grip lat pulldown 12-15
Neutral lat pulldown 12-15
Lying leg curl 12-15
Dumbbell bench press 12-15
Dumbbell shoulder press 12-15
Superman 12-15
Crunch 12-15
INTEGRITY BEGINNER Week 1

Wednesday
Week 2
Wednesday
Week 3
Wednesday
Week 4
Wednesday

Press-up 12-15*
Seated lateral raise 12-15
Walking lunge 12-15
Overhand row 12-15
Crunch 12-15
*If you can’t do 12-15, just do as many as you can.
CARDIO BEGINNER
BEGINNER VS. five pull-ups and also bench-press and
squat his own bodyweight at least once.
ADVANCED If the second definition fits even though Do your cardiovascular training either
Nobody wants to consider himself the first does not, do the advanced routine immediately after your resistance-training
a beginner in any activity. But if you anyway. However, if you qualify under the workout or on your days off. If you haven’t done
assess your ability correctly you will get first definition but you still can’t do a pull- any cardio exercise in the past six months, or if
more out of these workouts, while also up and have never before done squats, you’re more than 5 or 6kg overweight, start out
reducing injury risk. For the purposes you’ll be better off with the beginner by walking or riding a bike (or stationary cycle)
of this book a beginner is someone who routine, completing it and then starting for no more than 10-15 minutes. If you walk on a
hasn’t worked out before, hasn’t worked over again with the advanced programme. treadmill, set it on a slight incline (2-5 degrees);
out in quite a long time, has worked out if you don’t use an incline, it’s easier than
only haphazardly, or hasn’t worked out CARDIO ROUTINE walking outdoors. The intensity doesn’t matter,
successfully. You’ll get detailed instructions after each especially in the first week. You should always
Advanced, on the other hand, isn’t as weights routine. Here, you just need to finish your cardiovascular exercise feeling that
experienced as you might think. The decide when you’re going to do your you could’ve done more. Try to go about 10%
first definition is someone who has been cardio sessions. You can do them after longer each week. Or go a little harder in the
training for at least a few months and has your weight workouts or on separate days, same amount of time – increase the incline or
seen some noticeable results. A second just so long as you fit in three a week. One speed of the treadmill, for example.
definition is a man who can do at least rule is that you shouldn’t do your cardio

routine before you lift. You can have a Beginners could do five minutes of a 20 squats with 60kg, followed
good cardio workout following a strength general warm-up – running on a treadmill immediately by a drop set of 10 reps
routine, but the reverse isn’t true. You or pedalling a bike, or simply running with 40kg. You might first do a warm-
need to be fresh to hit the weights on the spot if you happen to be working up set of 10 reps with 40kg, rest for 30
with the kind of intensity that delivers out at home. Or you could do the entire seconds, then do a second warm-up set of
results. If you do the aerobic work circuit of exercises in the workouts, 5 with 60kg. Rest for a minute, then
first, you run the risk of depleting your using less weight than you’ll use in the do your two work sets.
muscles of the fuel they need for lifting, actual workout. So if you plan to do 12-15
and of raising your core temperature to repetitions of wide-grip lat pulldowns TEMPO
a degree at which your muscles can’t with a 20kg weight in the workout, you It’s best to perform repetitions slowly
work efficiently and productively. could do 10 reps with 10kg in your warm- and carefully. Your natural instinct may
up circuit. Remember, a warm-up set be to raise the weights in one second and
TIME should never take your muscles to a lower them in two. But it’s best to lift even
You should finish all your workouts, point of exhaustion. Save that for the slower than that. Try two seconds to raise,
beginner or advanced, in well under an actual workout. and 3 or 4 seconds to lower a weight.
hour – so ‘lack-of-time’ excuses should be For advanced men, it’s a good idea Here’s a simple way to force yourself
minimised. to do one or two warm-up sets of the to lift more slowly: pause at both ends of
first lower-body and first upper-body the lift – in the fully contracted position,
WARM-UPS exercises in each workout. Doing so will and when you’ve lowered the weight and
You don’t have to knock yourself out on lubricate your joints and prepare your are ready to begin the next repetition. If
the warm-ups when you’re doing high- lower- and upper-body motor units for you pause after lifting the weights in a
repetition weight routines. But you still the specific movements. So let’s say dumbbell bench press, for example, you
need to prepare your body for hard work. you’re going to do a work set of keep tension on your chest and shoulder
CORE ADVANCED Week 1

Monday Friday
Week 2
Monday Friday
Week 3
Monday Friday
Week 4
Monday Friday
Squat
Set 1 10-20
Set 2 (drop set) 10
Wide-grip lat pulldown
Set 1 10
Set 2 (drop set) 10
Neutral-grip lat pulldown
Set 1 10
Set 2 (drop set) 10
Lying leg curl
Set 1 10
Set 2 (drop set) 10
Superman 12-15
Crunch 12-15

The Workouts
INTEGRITY ADVA NCED Week 1

Wednesday
Week 2
Wednesday
Week 3
Wednesday
Week 4
Wednesday
Dumbbell bench press

Set 1 10
Set 2 (drop set) 10
Press-up 10
Dumbbell shoulder press
Set 1 10
Set 2 (drop set) 10
Seated lateral raise
Set 1 10
Set 2 (drop set) 10
Walking lunge 8-10
Overhand row 8-10
Crunch 12-15
muscles a bit longer, and that can also both muscle building and fat burning. Do interval routines in the next three phases.
help strengthen your connective tissues. a set of the designated repetitions (10-20) And since high-intensity training
If you pause after lowering the weights, with a weight you consider challeng- stimulates your body to keep
you take momentum out of the lift, ing. By the time you get to the final burning kilojoules even after
forcing your muscles to work harder at repetition, you should feel that your you finish exercising, you’ll increase
the beginning of each rep. muscles are right at the point of your metabolism after just one workout.
One caution: when you pause, exhaustion. Immediately put down
don’t release tension in your muscles the weight and select another that’s
comple-tely. If you do it can lead to about 20% lighter. Do 10 repetitions
CARDIO ADVANCED
sloppy form and therefore less muscle- with that weight. For example, if you do
growth stimulus. 20 squats with 60kg (an Olympic barbell Warm up for 5 minutes, building towards
– that’s the big 20kg one – with a 20kg 50% of full effort
> Sprint for 30 seconds at 85%
REST PERIODS plate on each side), after you finish, pull
off the 20s and put on a pair of 15kg of full effort Take an active rest for
In both the advanced and beginner 2 minutes at 45% of full effort
plates. This workout requires you to
routines, try to keep rest to 30 seconds > Sprint for 20 seconds at 90%
do only one drop set. But if you can,
or less. You may not be able to pull that of full effort Take an active rest for
challenge yourself further by adding a
off, especially if you’re exercising at home 2 minutes at 45% of full effort
third or even fourth drop set, each time
and you can’t change the weights that > Sprint for 10 seconds at 100%
using a weight that’s 20% lighter.
quickly to prepare for the next exercise. (full sprint) Take an active rest for
In that case, just move as fast as you can 2 minutes at 45% of full effort
between exercises. CARDIO > Sprint for 20 seconds at 90%
If you’ve been doing cardiovascular of full effort Take an active rest
ADVANCED WORKOUTS exercise consistently for the past six for 2 minutes at 45% of full effort
months, try the 20-minute, > Sprint for 30 seconds at 85%
DROP SETS high-intensity interval routine (right). of full effort Then cool down for 5 minutes
Drop sets crank up mechanisms linked to It’ll prepare you for the more difficult

THE EXERCISES
WIDE-GRIP LAT PULLDOWN

Attach a long bar to the high pulley of
A
a pulldown machine. Sit upright and grab
the bar with a wide, overhand grip.
Pull the bar down to your chest

B
without leaning backwards more than
a few degrees. (It works best when you
try to push your chest up to meet the bar,
instead of simply pulling the bar down to
your chest.) Pause, then slowly return to the
starting position.
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE

Pullover with dumbbells. Lie face-up on a
bench and hold the dumbbells above your
chest with your arms extended, your elbows
slightly bent, palms facing your toes. Slowly
lower the weights behind your head until
your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Then pull the weights back to the start.
NEUTRAL-GRIP
SQUAT LAT PULLDOWN
Set a barbell on a squat rack and step Attach the parallel-grip handle to the
A A
under it so the bar rests on your upper pulldown cable. Grab the handle with an
back. Hold the bar with an overhand grip. Lift overhand grip so your palms face each other.
the bar and step back. Keep your knees Sit, positioning your thighs under the pad.
slightly bent and eyes forward.
Pull the handle down to your chest.
B
Slowly lower your body as if you were Pause, then slowly return to the
B
sitting down in a chair. When your starting position. Pause without letting the
thighs are parallel to the floor, pause. Then weights rest on the stack.
return to the start position.
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE Do the pullover with dumbbells (described
If you don’t have access to a bar, use heavy opposite as an alternative to the wide-
dumbbells and hold them at shoulder height, grip lat pulldown), but this time hold the
palms facing forward. Add extra reps if you dumbbells as close together as possible,
find it too easy. with your palms facing each other.

The Workouts
DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie face-up
A
on a flat bench. Hold the dumbbells just
outside your shoulders, with your arms bent and
your palms facing your feet.
Push the weights up and inward so that

B
when your arms are extended, the dumb-
bells are above your collarbones. Lower the
weights to your chest; pause before repeating.
LYING LEG CURL

Lie face down on the leg-curl machine
A
with the pads against your lower legs.
The pads should be positioned above your
heels and below your calf muscles.
Without raising your hips off the DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

B
bench, bend your knees to pull the Take a pair of dumbbells and sit on a
A
pads as far as you can towards your glutes. bench with the back rest set to vertical.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting Hold the weights just outside your shoulders,
position. with arms bent and your palms facing
each other.
Perform the exercise while lying face-down Press the weights straight overhead
B
on a regular bench while holding a dumbbell so that your hands are directly above
tightly between your feet. Practise first with a your shoulders. Pause, then slowly lower
light weight to perfect your technique. them and repeat the move.

THE EXERCISES
PUSH-UP
Position yourself face down on the floor,
A
with your weight supported on your
hands and toes. Your hands should be
shoulder-width apart, fingers forwards. Your
feet should be hip-width apart. Keep your back
and legs straight.
Bend at the elbows to slowly

B
lower yourself to the floor. Stop
when your chest is 2cm from the floor,
pause, then push yourself back up to the
starting position. Keep your core engaged
throughout.
SUPERMAN
Lie face down on the floor with your
A
arms extended in front of you, palms
facing down. Look ahead slightly, but don’t
over-stretch your neck.
Smoothly lift your head, chest, arms,

B
thighs and lower legs off the floor as
high as possible. Pause, then return to the
starting position.
SEATED LATERAL RAISE
Sit holding a pair of dumbbells by your
A
side, palms facing each other. Start with
your elbows bent slightly and your arms at
about a 30-degree angle with your torso. This
is the point at which the exercise becomes
difficult. Moving the weights lower than 30
degrees to your body is
too easy.
Without changing the bend in your

B
elbows, raise your arms out to the
sides until they’re parallel to the floor.
Pause, then lower them back to the starting
position.

The Workouts
OVERHAND ROW
Position yourself on the row machine with your
A
chest against the pad, and grab the handles so
that your palms face down.
Pull the handles back as far as you can,

B
without hunching your shoulders upwards.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.
WALKING LUNGE
Take a pair of dumbbells and hold them
A
at your sides. Stand with your feet hip- CRUNCH
width apart, with plenty of space in front of you Lie face-up on the floor with your hands
A
to walk into. behind your ears, your knees bent and
together. Don’t lock your hands behind your
Lunge forward with your non-dominant head to avoid the risk of pulling your neck.
B
leg, bending your knee to 90 degrees.
Your other knee should also bend and Raise your head and shoulders and
B
almost touch the floor. Stand back up by crunch your rib cage toward your
bringing your back foot next to your front pelvis. Pause, keeping the tension in your
foot, then repeat with your dominant leg abs, then slowly return to the starting
lunging forward. That’s one repetition. position.

Cover Guy
Winner
IN 2012
Johry Batt
Age: 28
2J01 2
ohry
Job: Private Gym Owner
Hometown: Cape Town Batt
Trainer, teacher, sportsman
and gym owner. Batt’s skills are
as varied as his coaching.
THE RIGHT KIND OF
NUTRITION “For some people,
dieting and nutrition become an obsession,
for me it’s more about have a passion to live
a balanced life,” says Batt. “I don’t follow
a strict diet; I stick to guidelines. I’m a big
believer in the same kind of eating plan that
Professor Noakes has written about – high
protein, moderate fats and low carbs. And to
be honest, I couldn’t live without having a few
beers on the weekend. It makes me happier,
and a better balanced guy overall.” Check out
our caveman diet eating plan at mh.co.za.
THE BIGGEST MISTAKES
TO AVOID “The two biggest mistakes
I see in beginners that start training with
me are: squats and overhead moves that lift
their heels. You need to plant them and keep
pushing through your heels. The second one
is that they don’t use their legs and rely on
their back muscles, which always leads to
injury. Get the technique right, and don’t
abuse your back.”
USE TRAINING AS A BREAK
AWAY “If you’re forcing yourself to train,
then something’s wrong. It should be part of
your lifestyle and you should see it as your
daily escape, your ‘me’ time to think and
reflect. If you don’t like gym work, then do
cross training. Cycle, swim, play touch rugby
– whatever you enjoy doing – but try to do
something every day. And mix up your
workouts. In the last five years, I’ve never
done the same workout twice.”
NEVER GET INJURED
AGAIN “It all comes down to your core

– it’s the engine of your body. Strengthening
it will safeguard against injury, and will
supercharge your power and flexibility.”
Batt can do squats of 250kg and back-flips,
thanks to his core. Check out our core
workout at mh.co.za/body-shop.

JOHRY’S WORKOUT CIRCUIT
D O T H E C I R C U I T B E L O W AT L E A S T T H R E E T I M E S A W E E K , W I T H O N LY 3 0 S E C O N D S R E S T I N
B E T W E E N E A C H M O V E . I F YO U WA N T T O M A K E T H I S H A R D E R , YO U C A N A I M F O R T WO O R T H R E E
C I R C U I T S (O N LY F O R A D VA N C E D AT H L E T E S ).
1 | Pull-Ups 2 | Kettlebell Swings

Do six to 10 pull-ups with an overhand grip. Start from a fully extended Do 10 to 20 swings with a challenging weight. Hold the kettlebell in both
position where your arms are straight, and then pull yourself up until your hands (overhand grip) in between your legs, knees bent. Swing the ket-
chin is over the bar. If you can’t do it correctly with strict form, then do tlebell overhead, use a strong hip extension and drive down with your
jumping pull-ups to begin with, or use an assisted pull-up machine. heels. Don’t stop until the kettlebell is above your head.
3| Speed Deadlifts 4 | Clean and Press

Use a barbell (with a total of 40kg) Aim for 10 reps with a challenging weight. Start in the dead lift position. Pull
and aim for 20 reps. Start with the the bar upwards by extending your knees and moving your hips forward
barbell on the floor, close to your while keeping your back straight and the bar close to you. Get under the
shins. Using an overhand or mixed bar in a squat position once it passes shoulder level. Rotate your elbows
grip (as shown) and hold it slightly around and under the bar and rack the bar across your shoulders. Exhale
wider than shoulder width apart. as you press the bar up until your arms are straight overhead.
Push through your heels to lift the
barbell off the floor, and don’t stop
until your legs are fully straight.
Don’t use your back to lift the
weight – keep a natural curve and
your core contracted.
5 | Sandbag Lunges 6 | Burpees with

Do 40m (or 10 on each leg) Stand Medicine Ball Slams
holding a sandbag across your Do 10 reps. Stand while holding a
shoulders and behind you head. rocket bag or medicine ball over-
Step forward with your right leg, head. Then throw it down onto the
and lower yourself into a lunge ground as quickly as possible.
position while keep your torso When the ball lands, get into a
upright and looking straight ahead. push-up position with your chest
Don’t let your front knee go beyond over the ball or rocket bag. Do one
your toes, and try to let your back push-up (your chest needs to
knee touch the ground softly. Press touch the ball) before jumping
back up to a standing position and back into the start position in one
then do the other leg. explosive movement.
P HASE 2
EXTRA WARM-UP
Each workout, both beginner and ad-
SIZE
vanced, starts with two warm-up sets
of the first exercise in the first triset
or superset, then two warm-up sets
of the first exercise in the second triset
or superset.
W E L C O M E T O W E E K S 5 - 8 O F YO U R 1 6 -W E E K P R O G R A M M E . So before the core workout, do two
warm-up sets of the incline dumbbell
YO U ’ V E A L R E A D Y B U I LT S O L I D S T R E N G T H A N D E N D U R A N C E
bench press followed by two warm-up
I N P H A S E 1 . T H I S I S W H E R E YO U W I L L S TA R T T O PA C K
sets of the lat pulldown. Then do your
O N S O M E S E R I O U S U P P E R- B O D Y M U S C L E . workout exactly as it’s presented in
the log. (You should be able to do the
B
third, fourth, and fifth trisets – for your
eginners and advanced routine twice (preferably Monday and shoulders, biceps and triceps – without
exercisers will do the same Friday) and the integrity routine once any additional warm-up.)
workouts in this phase. (probably on Wednesday). Before the integrity workout,
The only difference is that CORE ROUTINE The core routine do two warm-up sets each of the
beginners will do more in this chapter uses trisets – three dumbbell step-up and the dumbbell
repetitions of each exercise different exercises for the same muscle lunge, then proceed with your workout.
(10-15 reps per set) than advanced guys group, performed without rest between Remember, a warm-up set means you
will (6-10 per set). Bear in mind that you them. This induces a level of muscular are doing the same exercise, but with
should always use a weight that’s heavy fatigue that will produce rapid muscle a lighter weight. See Phase 1 for a full
enough to bring you close to failure, or gains. You’ll do five trisets, one for description.
even cause you to fail on the last rep of each of your major upper-body muscle
your last set. If you’re zipping through groups: chest, back, shoulders, biceps TEMPO
your reps without too much problem, and triceps. As in Phase 1, it’s important to perform
the weight you are using is almost INTEGRITY ROUTINE This month, the repetitions smoothly and under
certainly too light. Your muscles need the integrity routine hits your lower control. Take two seconds to raise the
to be challenged in order to grow. body with supersets – consecutive weight, pause, then take 3-4 seconds
exercises for different muscle groups, to lower the weight, and pause before
THE GOALS performed without any rest between lifting again. But by the time you get
Your aim in Phase 2 is rapid, balanced them. The first exercise in each of the to the third exercise in each triset –
muscular development, with some three supersets emphasises one of particularly when you’re at the end of
strength gains and continued the major lower-body muscle groups your workout, working your biceps and
improvement in muscular endurance. (gluteals and hamstrings, quadriceps triceps – you won’t be doing anything
You’ll work the muscles on the back of or calves), while the second exercise in easily. Try to move the weights slowly,
your body just as hard as the ones on the superset hits your abdominals in a even though you probably won’t be
the front in order to create a healthy slightly different way each time. able to. You need to stay in control of
and balanced physique. the weights at all times, no matter how
TIME tired you are. Controlled lifting not only
THE ROUTINES As in the first phase, you should finish minimises the potential for injury but
As in all four phases of the Cover all your workouts in well under an also builds muscle fast, and reinforces
Model Workout, you’ll do three weight hour, allowing you to fit your training traits that everyone should strive for:
workouts each week. You’ll do the core comfortably into your schedule. persistence, discipline and focus.

The Workouts
REST PERIODS the case, don’t worry, just move as fast as

you can between the exercises and keep
CONTROLLED
Take up to two minutes of rest between
a stopwatch running so you can time
trisets in the core programme, but
how long you take.
try to keep it down to 30 seconds or
LIFTING MINIMISES
less between supersets in the integrity
routine. As noted in Phase 1, you may
CARDIO INJURIES, BUILDS
ROUTINE
MUSCLE AND
not be able to pull this off, especially
if you exercise at home and are unable There are detailed instructions after each
to change the weights that quickly in
preparation for the next exercise. If that’s
weight routine on the cardio you should
undertake in this phase. REINFORCES FOCUS.
CORE BEGINNER Week 1
Monday Friday
Week 2
Monday Friday
Week 3
Monday Friday
Week 4
Monday Friday
Triset 1
Incline dumbbell press 10-15
Dumbbell press 10-15
Decline dumbbell press 10-15
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 2
Lat pulldown 10-15
Overhand-grip row 10-15
Neutral-grip row 10-15
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 3
Front-raise pullover 10-15
Reverse fly 10-15
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 4
Reverse-grip biceps curl 10-15
Biceps curl 10-15
Hammer curl 10-15
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 5
Reverse triceps pushdown 10-15
Rope triceps pushdown 10-15
Wide-grip pushdown 10-15

INTEGRITY BEGINNER Week 1
Wednesday
Week 2
Wednesday
Week 3
Wednesday
Week 4
Wednesday
Superset 1
Dumbbell step-up 10-15
Swiss-ball reverse crunch 10-15
Rest (up to 2 min)
Superset 2
Dumbbell lunge 10-15
Side jackknife 10-15
Rest (up to 2 min)
Superset 3
Standing calf raise 10-15
Swiss-ball crunch 10-15
CARDIO BEGINNER
Warm up for 5 minutes at about 50% of full effort
> Sprint for 20 seconds at 85% of full effort: Take an active rest for 2 minutes at 45% of full effort.
> Sprint for 5 seconds at 100% (full sprint): Take an active rest for 2 minutes at 45% of full effort.
> Sprint for 20 seconds at 85% of full effort Cool down for 5 minutes
INTEGRITY ADVA NCED Week 1

Wednesday
Week 2
Wednesday
Week 3
Wednesday
Week 4
Wednesday
Superset 1
Dumbbell step-up 6-10
Rest (up to 30 sec)
Superset 2
Dumbbell lunge 6-10
Side jackknife 6-10
Rest (up to 30 sec)
Superset 3
Standing calf raise 6-10
Swiss-ball crunch 6-10

The Workouts
CORE ADVANCED Week 1

Monday Friday
Week 2
Monday Friday
Week 3
Monday Friday
Week 4
Monday Friday
Triset 1
Incline dumbbell press 6-10
Decline dumbbell press 6-10
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 2
Lat pulldown 6-10
Overhand-grip row 6-10
Neutral-grip row 6-10
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 3
Front-raise pullover 6-10
Reverse fly 6-10
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 4
Reverse-grip biceps curl 6-10
Biceps curl 6-10
Hammer curl 6-10
Rest (up to 2 min)
Triset 5
Reverse triceps pushdown 6-10
Wide triceps pushdown 6-10
CARDIO ADVANCED
Warm up for 5 minutes, building to 50% of full effort
> Sprint for 30 seconds at 85% of full effort: Take an active rest for 2 minutes at 45% of full effort
> Sprint for 10 seconds at 100% (full sprint): Take an active rest for 2 minutes at 45% of full effort
> Sprint for 30 seconds at 85% of full effort Cool down for 5 minutes

THE EXERCISES
DUMBBELL PRESS
Take a pair of dumbbells and lie face-up
A
on a flat bench. Hold the dumbbells just
outside your shoulders, with your arms bent
and your palms facing your feet.
Press the dumbbells up so that when

B
your arms are extended, your hands
are directly above your shoulders. Lower the
weights back to the starting position, pause
and repeat.
DECLINE DUMBBELL PRESS

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie face-up
A
Set up a bench to an incline of 10-30 on a decline bench with your feet under
A
degrees. Grab a pair of dumbbells and the leg supports. Hold the dumbbells just
sit on the bench. Hold the dumbbells just outside your shoulders, with your arms bent
outside your shoulders, with your arms bent and your palms facing forwards.
and your palms facing towards the front.
Push the weights vertically up until
B
Push the weights up and slightly your arms are fully extended. Lower
B
inwards so that when your arms are the weights back to your chest, pause and
extended, the dumbbells are above your repeat.
neck. Lower the weights back to your chest
and pause before repeating the lift.

The Workouts
OVERHAND-GRIP ROW
Sit on the row machine with your
A
chest against the pad and back
straight. Grip the handles so that your palms
are facing the floor.
B Pull the handles towards you, without

hunching your shoulders. Pause at the
top of the move, then slowly return to the
starting position.

Do a bent-over one-arm dumbbell row. Lean
over a bench, resting your left knee and left
hand on it. Hold a dumbbell in your right
hand at arm’s length. Pull the weight up
until your elbow is at 90-degrees, keeping
your upper arm out away from your torso.
Pause, then slowly lower the weight. Do all
the repetitions with one arm (including the
repetitions in the drop set, if you’re doing
the advanced routine), then repeat with the
other arm.
LAT PULLDOWN
Sit at a lat-pulldown station and grab
A
the bar with a ‘false’ overhand grip that’s
just wider than shoulder-width. A false grip
means you place your thumb on top of the
bar alongside your index finger, rather than
wrap it around the bar. NEUTRAL-GRIP ROW
Position yourself sitting on the row
A
Pull the bar down to your chest. machine, facing the weight stack, with
B
Pause, then slowly return it to the start, your chest against the pad. Keep your back
without letting the weights rest on the stack straight, but maintain its natural arch. Hold the
before beginning the next rep. This way you handles so that your palms face each other.
keep the tension in your muscles.
Pull the handles back as far as you
B
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE can, but don’t cheat by leaning
Pullover with dumbbells. Lie face-up on backwards. Pause and then slowly return to
a bench and hold the weights over your the starting position. Don’t let the weights
chest, arms extended, your elbows slightly rest between reps.
bent and your palms facing your toes.
Keeping your back flat against the bench HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE
to elongate your lats, slowly lower the If you don’t have access to this machine, do
weights behind your head until your upper the one-arm row described above, only with
arms are parallel to the floor. Pull the your palm, rather than your thumb, facing
weights back to the start. your body.

THE EXERCISES
FRONT-RAISE PULLOVER
Grab a weight plate in both hands, and
A
hold it with bent arms in front of your
hips and midsection. Stagger your feet so your
left foot is in front of you.

B
elbows, raise your arms until your
forearms are nearly perpendicular to the
floor. Contract your abdominal muscles as
you lift the weight for greater stability and
to give yourself a core workout, too. Pause,
then lower the weight slowly to the
starting position.
REVERSE FLY
Pick up a pair of dumbbells and sit
A
DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS at the end of a bench. Bend forward at
Pick up a pair of dumbbells and sit on a the waist as far as you can, keeping your back
A
bench with the back set in an upright flat and your elbows slightly bent. Hold the
position. Hold the weights just outside your dumbbells at arm’s length, your thumbs turned
shoulders, with your arms bent and palms towards each other.
facing each other.
Slowly raise the weights as high as you
B
Push the weights straight up overhead. can behind you without changing the
B
Don’t lock out your elbows. Pause, angle of your elbows. Pause, then lower to
then slowly lower them to the start position. the starting position.

The Workouts
BICEPS CURL
Grab an EZ-curl bar with an underhand,
A
shoulder-width grip. Stand with your
feet staggered so one foot is in front of the
other, keeping your knees slightly bent and
your back straight. Hold the bar in front of your
thighs and keep your upper arms tucked
against your sides.
Curl the bar as high as you can without

B
letting your upper arms move forward.
Pause, then return to the start position.

Again, you can use dumbbells for this move
if you don’t happen to have an EZ-bar.
REVERSE-GRIP BICEPS CURL

Pick up an EZ-curl barbell (that’s the bar
A
shaped like a W in the middle) with an
overhand grip. Stand with your feet staggered,
one foot in front of the other, to help support
your back. Keep your knees slightly bent and
your back straight. Hold the bar at arm’s length, HAMMER CURL
in front of you. Take a pair of dumbbells and stand with
A
your feet slightly staggered. Hold your
Curl the bar upwards as high as you arms by your sides with a slight bend at the
B
can without moving your upper arms – elbow at the start of the move. Turn your hands
they should stay tucked closely against your so your palms are facing each other.
sides. Pause, then slowly return to the start.
Moving only from the elbows, curl the
B
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE weights up as high as you can. Pause,
If you don’t have access to this bar, hold two and then slowly lower them to the starting
dumbbells in the same position. position.

THE EXERCISES
ROPE TRICEPS PUSHDOWN

Attach a rope handle to the high pulley
A
of a cable station and grab it so your
palms face each other. Start with your elbows
at 90 degrees and your upper arms against
your sides.
Straighten your arms, allowing your

B
hands to pull the rope ends outward at
the bottom. Pause, then slowly return to the
starting position.

Seated dumbbell tricep extension. Grab
a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench or
chair. Hold the dumbbells overhead with
straight arms. Bend at the elbows to lower
the weights slowly behind and to the sides
of your head, holding your upper arms in the
same position throughout. Pause, then push
up to the starting position.
REVERSE TRICEPS
PUSHDOWN
Attach a straight bar to the high pulley
A
of a cable station. Grab the bar with an
underhand, shoulder-width grip and pull it WIDE-GRIP TRICEPS
down until your elbows are bent at 90-degrees. PUSHDOWN
Stand straight, with your upper arms tucked Attach a straight bar to the high pulley
A
against your sides. Keep your feet hip-width of a cable station. Hold the bar with an
apart and your knees slightly bent. overhand, shoulder-width grip, with elbows
bent at 90-degrees. Stand straight, with your
Push the handle down until your arms upper arms close to your sides.
B
are straight, keeping your body still.
Pause, then slowly allow the handle to rise Push the bar down until your arms
B
until your elbows are at 90-degrees. are straight. It’s crucial to keep your
upper arms against your sides throughout
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE the move. Pause, then slowly allow the bar
Reverse-grip “skull-crusher.” Lie face-up on to rise until your elbows are again bent at
a flat bench, holding a dumbbell at arm’s 90-degrees.
length over your chin with both hands on the
bar, palms facing your head. Without moving HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE
your upper arms, bend your elbows to slowly If you don’t have access to this machine, do
lower the weight until it’s just at your fore- a “skull-crusher”, as described opposite, only
head or just behind it. Pause, then straighten this time keep your palms facing towards
your elbows. your feet.

The Workouts
SWISS-BALL REVERSE
CRUNCH
Lie on a decline bench with your hips
A
lower than your head. Grab the bar or
bench behind your head for support. Bend
your hips and knees at 90-degree angles and
hold a small Swiss ball between your
hamstrings and your calves. Start with your
bottom flat against the bench.
Pull your hips up and in toward your

B
rib cage. Curl up as high as you can
without lifting your shoulders off the board,
and keep your hips and knees at 90-degrees.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting
position. If this is too difficult, perform it on
the floor or without the Swiss ball.
DUMBBELL STEP-UP DUMBBELL LUNGE

Take a dumbbell in each hand and stand Stand with a pair of dumbbells at your
A A
facing a step or bench that’s sides. Your feet should be no more than
15-30cm in height. hip-width apart.
Step up with your non-dominant foot Step forward with your non-dominant
B B
(usually your left, if you’re right- leg (usually your left if you’re right-
handed) and place it firmly on the bench. handed), and lower your body until your
Push down with that heel, and rise up onto front knee is bent at 90-degrees and your
the bench so you’re standing on it with both rear knee nearly touches the floor. Your
feet. Step back down with your dominant front lower leg should be vertical, and your
foot first, then with your non-dominant. Finish torso should remain upright. Push yourself
the set leading with your non-dominant leg, back up to the starting position as quickly as
then do the same number of reps starting you can, and repeat with your dominant leg.
with your other foot. That’s 1 repetition.

The Workouts
THE EXERCISES
WEIGHTED SWISS-BALL
CRUNCH
Lie face-up on a Swiss ball, with your
A
hands under your chin, holding a weight
plate or dumbbell tight to your chest.
Raise your head and shoulders and

B
crunch your rib cage toward your
pelvis. Pause, then slowly return to the
starting position.
JACKKNIFE
Lie on your left hip, with your legs
A
off the floor. Lean on your left forearm
to balance. Hold your other hand behind your
right ear, elbow pointing towards your feet.
STANDING CALF RAISE
Lift your legs towards your torso. Take a dumbbell and stand on the balls
B A
Pause and feel the muscle contraction. of your feet on a step. Steady yourself
Then slowly lower your legs and repeat using your other hand and lower your heels.
the move. Finish the set on that side, then
perform the same number of repetitions Rise up as far as you can onto your
on the other side. B
toes. Pause at the top, then slowly
lower back to the starting position.

IN 2016
Marco Klue
Age: 28
Job: Sports Cover
Guy
Nutrition Consultant Winner
2M016
Hometown:
Port Elizabeth
He has a body that thrives arco

under pressure, whether it’s
taking on twelve training
Klue
sessions a week or dominating
bodybuilding competition.
TRAINING METHOD Part
military fitness training, part CrossFit (with
a few plyometric movements thrown in).
The crazy part? Marco will fit 12 sessions
into a single week, no matter how busy
things are at work.
FIND YOUR FORM “Always keep
this in mind: form before weight. There’s no
shame to lifting just the bar if it means you’re
making sure that you’ve got the movement
locked down. Sorted? Now it’s time to raise
the intensity and keep your workouts varied.”
GO TO THE CORE “Do this: pick
a few ab movements, and whenever you
wind up a set, jump straight into one of
those moves and then back into your normal
workout. This will help keep your heart rate
up but give your targeted muscles the rest
they need to crush the next set.”
UNLEASH THE BEAST “You
know those days where you really don’t want
to drag yourself to the gym? Those are the
ones that matter most. When I’m feeling
demotivated, I ask myself, “Man, do you
actually still want this?” The answer is

always yes. And it’s a reminder of what I have
to do to stay in the shape I am in right now.”
FAVOURITE MOVE Squats.
“Simply because I could never give them
a go when I was younger due to genetic
underdevelopment.”

Runner-Up
IN 2016 (+ FEBRUARY 2017 COVER)
Riaan Ellis
Age: 30
Job: Health and Wellness Coach
Hometown: Cape Town
He knows what it takes

to stay in shape and he works
on that – every single day.
TRAINING METHOD 15 minutes
of stretching followed by a 4.5km run and
then 35 to 45 minutes of weight training.
Four times a week.
FOCUS, PLAN AND EXECUTE
“Always try your best to execute a move with
perfect form. If that isn’t enough, you can
always take that same move to the next level
by incorporating supersets and drop sets. Plan
for it, then focus on getting the job done.”
STRIKE A BALANCE “Eating
healthy is simple. Just remember this:
balance out your carbs, healthy fats and
protein. There is a time and place for
everything – even cake – but you have to
plan on what you will be putting in your body
so that you aren’t derailing your goals.”
WATER DOWN YOUR
WORKOUT “It’s all about hydration
when it comes to a quick post–workout

recovery. Add L–glutamine and an ice cold
shower to speed up the process.”
FAVOURITE MOVE There’s a
reason Riaan finds time for a 4.5km run almost
every day. “It’s my favourite exercise and it
really gets the endorphins flowing.”

Runner-Up
IN 2016 (+ APRIL 2017 COVER)
Du Toit Botha
Age: 23
Job: Personal Trainer
Hometown: Somerset West
This full-time personal trainer

got to where he is with big
compound lifts and hitting the
waves on a daily basis.
TRAINING METHOD It’s weight
training in the gym for five days a week with an
extra session of surfing or hiking to boost his
gains on the weekend.
EAT LESS, MORE OFTEN Eating
just three meals a day will slow down your
metabolism and will have you craving a sugar
high before you even hit lunch. “I eat between
five and six. What I do is cut back on portion
size; that way my stomach is always working
and burning fat.”
HAVE FUN WITH IT The best
workout? One that’s fun. Du Toit enjoys the
gym, but his real passion is the great outdoors.
It doesn’t take much to get him outside.
FAVOURITE MOVE “The front
squat. It’s basically a full upper body
contraction engaging your whole core
and your legs too.”
PHOTOGRAPH: SEAN LAURENZ
RECOVERY IS KEY “After a hard

workout I chow down on some fast absorbing
carbs and treat myself to a sports massage or
a foam rolling session if I’m strapped for time.
Top that off with eight hours of sleep and
you’re sorted.”

P HASE 3
HEAVY
your work-set weight in the first warm-
up set, and about 75% in the second.
Before the integrity workout, warm-up
sets aren’t necessary as long as you do a
METAL
general warm-up, such as five minutes
at medium pace on a treadmill, cross-
trainer or exercise bike. Running on the
spot is another option.
I N T H E P R E V I O U S F O U R-W E E K P H A S E YO U B E G A N T O A D D
TEMPO
In both the core and integrity workouts,
M U S C L E . N O W YO U ’ R E G O I N G T O S P E N D F O U R W E E K S E N S U R I N G
you should let your body tell you how
T H AT M U S C L E I S A S S T R O N G A N D U S A B L E A S I T C A N B E – B Y fast to lift the weights. You don’t want to
C H A L L E N G I N G YO U R S E L F T O L I F T E V E N H E AV I E R W E I G H T S . lift as deliberately as you did in previous
I
phases, since that means using lighter
n phase 3, beginners and advanced gives you the option of doing five sets weights. And lighter weights aren’t the
gym goers will not only do the same of each: two warm-ups and 1-3 work idea. Still, you don’t want to fling the
workout but also the same system sets. It’s up to you how many of the weights around carelessly. You need
of sets and reps. The one difference work sets you do on each exercise. You to control the weights on all your lifts,
is that beginners will probably may start with one the first week, two and never allow your form to suffer for
choose to do fewer sets – perhaps the second week, and three the third the sake of getting an extra repetition
the two warm-up sets and one work set – and fourth weeks. Or you could do three or two. Ideally, you’ll take about one
while advanced men will probably want from the first week on. Use the same second to lift the weight and two
to do the maximum: two warm-ups and amount of weight for each work set. seconds to lower it.
three work sets of each exercise. Whatever you do, it’s crucial that you In the integrity workout, you aren’t
try to increase the amount of weight lifting particularly heavy weights – not
THE GOALS you use each week. Your signal is to

increase the weight as soon as you can
if you’re going to get 15 reps in the first
set and 10 in the second – but you still
The core workout builds pure upper- don’t want to lift at an artificially slow
do eight repetitions in all work sets
and lower-body strength, with some speed. Ideally, you’ll take two seconds
with a given weight.
increases in muscle mass (especially to raise the weight and one to lower it.
INTEGRITY ROUTINE This month,
for more advanced lifters). The
the integrity routine hits your smaller
integrity workout focuses on building
muscle mass and endurance in the
upper-body muscles – deltoids, biceps, REST PERIODS
triceps – with drop sets. You’ll do one Take at least a minute’s rest, and as
shoulders and elbows, joints that can
set of up to 15 repetitions, then drop the much as three minutes, between sets
take a beating in a hard-core strength
weight down by 20% and do another in the core routine. (You don’t have to
programme.
set of up to 10 repetitions. take that much time between warm-up
sets, however.) The more time you rest
THE ROUTINES TIME between sets, the more weight you’ll
As in all four phases of the Cover Model be able to lift, and, after all, that’s the
As in the previous phases, you should
Workout, do three weight workouts whole point of doing this phase of the
finish all your workouts in an hour.
each week. Do the core routine twice programme.
(preferably Monday and Friday) and the In the integrity routine, you don’t
integrity routine once (Wednesday is WARM-UP need to take a lot of time between
the best day for this). The warm-up sets in the core workout exercises. It may take you a minute to
CORE ROUTINE The core routine in are mandatory for both beginners and set up for the next exercise, and that’s
this chapter includes five exercises and advanced gym goers. Use about 50% of plenty. Obviously, you don’t want to

The Workouts
rest at all in a drop set. Do the first, then

begin the second as soon as you can
lower the weight.
FAQ How can I burn belly fat?
Men tend to carry weight around the stomach area (women
CARDIO around the bum and thighs). It’s not possible to spot reduce – i.e.
work just the stomach area to lose fat around the stomach area. Instead
ROUTINE you need to be strict with your diet and do some fat-burning cardio. Often
There are detailed instructions after it pays to have a one-off session with a PT in your gym to get them to tailor
the workout logs. You should be doing something to you specifically.
cardio three times a week.
CORE BEGINNER & ADVANCED Monday

Week 1
Friday Monday
Week 2
Friday Monday
Week 3
Friday Monday
Week 4
Friday
Deep squat
Warm-up set 1 (½ weight) 6
Warm-up set 2 (¾ weight) 6
Work set 1 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Work set 2 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Work set 3 5-8
Lat pulldown (or pull-up*)
Work set 1 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Work set 2 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Work set 3 5-8
Decline dumbbell bench press
Work set 1 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Work set 2 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Work set 3 5-8
*If you can do more than 8 pull-ups, do weighted pull-ups for your work sets, using a belt that allows you to hang a weight from your waist. For your warm-ups, you can use your body weight, or do lat pulldowns with
a percentage of your combined body weight and the extra weight you plan to hang from the belt.

CORE BEGINNER & ADVANCED Week 1
Wednesday
Week 2
Wednesday
Week 3
Wednesday
Week 4
Wednesday
Romanian deadlift
Workset 1 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Workset 2 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Workset 3 5-8
Weighted Swiss-ball crunch
Workset 1 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Workset 2 5-8
Rest (1-3 min)
Workset 3 5-8
CARDIO BEGINNER CARDIO ADVANCED

Warm up for 5 minutes, building to 50% Warm up for 5 minutes, building to 50%
of full effort of full effort
> Week 1: Three Sprints > Week 1: Five Sprints
> Week 2: Four Sprints > Week 2: Six Sprints
> Week 3: Five Sprints > Week 3: Seven Sprints
> Week 4: Six Sprints > Week 4: Eight Sprints
Cool down for 5 minutes Cool down for 5 minutes
Once you’ve got

FAQ into great shape FAQ What tricks do models use to help them look
good for shoots?
once, is it easier A haircut, shave and spray tan help to make you look more chiselled.
to do it again? There will always be some dumbbells at shoots to give cover models a
It does help. One, because there is pump. But four days before the photos, cover models tend to cut back on pretty
some muscle memory there. And much all supplements apart from whey protein. And at the same time, they
two, because you know you have adjust their diets to take out all carbs – and nearly all fat – after breakfast. It was
done it before and that keeps you pretty dull and hard to keep to, and you wouldn’t want to do it for long (nor should
motivated to get there again. you). But in just a few days, you may feel like it makes a dramatic difference.

Cover Model Workout
INTEGRITY BEGINNER & ADVANCED Week 1

Monday Friday
Week 2
Monday Friday
Week 3
Monday Friday
Week 4
Monday Friday
Curl-and-press
Set 1 15
Set 2 (drop) 10
Lateral Raise
Set 1 15
Set 2 (drop) 10
90-degree lateral raise
Set 1 15
Set 2 (drop) 10
Reverse-grip shoulder press
Set 1 15
Set 2 (drop) 10
Single-arm shoulder raise
Set 1 15
Set 2 (drop) 10
Single-arm reverse fly
Set 1 15
Set 2 (drop) 10
Lying triceps kickback
Set 1 15
Set 2 (drop) 10
IN THE RUNNING see by how much). this have been shown to burn more fat
Use the cardio workouts you did in So, if you are doing the beginner intra-workout – and they even help to
Phase 2 as the basis for your workouts workout in Week 1, warm up for five keep your metabolism firing long after
in this phase. In the last four-week minutes, then alternate 10-second your workout has finished. Put another
phase you were performing sprints, bursts of 90% effort with two-minute way, they turn you into a fat-burning
switching from high intensity to low cooldown periods three times. In Week machine destined for shirts-off glory.
intensity a total of five times and 2 you’ll do this four times, in Week 3
increasing your effort and decreasing
your time with each sprint you perform.
five times and so on.
Don’t forget, your cardio workout
SPRINTS TURN
For Phase 3 you should keep the time should be performed three times a YOU INTO A
and effort of your sprints the same. A
good benchmark is 90% effort for 10
week, ideally at the end of each
weights workout. MACHINE DESTINED
seconds. What you will be increasing
each week is the number of these
As you will see the advanced workout
is much the same, only you start with
FOR SHIRTS-OFF
sprints you do (use the tables above to five sprints in week one. Sprints like GLORY.

THE EXERCISES
DECLINE BENCH PRESS

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie
A
face-up on a decline bench with your
feet under the leg supports. Hold the weights
just outside your shoulders, with your arms
bent, palms facing forwards.
Push the weights straight up until

B
your arms are extended. Lower the
weights back to your chest, and pause
before repeating.
DEEP SQUAT
Set a barbell on a squat rack and step
A
under it so the bar rests across your
upper back. Grab the bar with an overhand
grip. Lift the bar off the rack and step back.
Slowly lower your body as if you were

B
sitting back into a chair, keeping your
back in its natural alignment and your lower PULL-UP
legs nearly perpendicular to the floor. When Hang from a pull-up bar with an over-
A
you have squatted as far down as possible, hand grip, your hands just outside shoul-
pause before returning to the starting der-width. Hang at arm’s length with your
position. knees bent and your feet crossed behind you.
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE Pull yourself up until your chin passes

B
If you don’t have a bar, you can do this move the bar. Pause, then slowly lower your-
with two dumbbells at shoulder height. self back down.

Cover Model Workout
ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
Use an overhand grip just beyond
A
shoulder-width to pick up a barbell.
Keep the bar at arm’s length, resting it on the
fronts of your thighs. Keep your feet shoulder-
width apart, your knees slightly bent and your
eyes focused straight ahead. Pull your
shoulders back.
Slowly bend at the waist as you lower

B
the weight to just below your knees.
Keep your head and chest up and your
lower back arched. Lift your torso back to
the starting position, keeping the weight as
close to your body as possible.

If you don’t have a barbell, do this move
holding two dumbbells at your thighs.
LAT PULLDOWN
Sit at a lat-pulldown station and grab the
A
bar with a “false” overhand grip that’s
just beyond shoulder-width. A false grip means
you place your thumb on top of the bar,
alongside your index finger.
Pull the bar down to your chest. Try

B
not to lean back too much or you will
be taking the pressure off your muscles.
Pause, then slowly return to the starting WEIGHTED SWISS-BALL
position. CRUNCH
Lie face-up on a Swiss ball, with your
A
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE hands under your chin, holding a weight
If you haven’t got access to this machine: plate or dumbbell tight to your chest.
do a pullover with dumbbells. Lie face-up on
a bench and hold the weights over your Raise your head and shoulders and
B
chest with your arms extended, your elbows crunch your rib cage toward your
slightly bent and your palms facing your pelvis. Pause, then slowly return to the
toes. The weights should be perpendicular to starting position.
the floor. Keeping your back flat against the
bench to elongate your lats, slowly lower the HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE
weights behind your head until your upper If you don’t have access to this machine, do
arms are parallel to the floor. Keep a slight the one-arm row described above, only with
bend in your elbows throughout. Then pull your palm, rather than your thumb, facing
back to the starting position. your body.

THE EXERCISES
LATERAL RAISE
Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit
A
holding them at arm’s length with your
palms turned toward each other. Bend your
elbows slightly.

B
elbows, raise your arms out to the
sides until they’re parallel to the floor.
Pause, then lower them back to the
starting position.
LATERAL RAISE
Sit holding a pair of dumbbells in front
A
of you with your elbows bent at
90-degrees, palms turned towards each other.
Raise your arms out to the sides until

B
they’re parallel to the floor. Pause, then
lower them back to the starting position.
CURL-AND-PRESS
Hold a pair of dumbbells and sit upright
A
on a bench. Let your arms hang straight
down from your shoulders, and turn your
palms forward.
Curl the weights upward as high as REVERSE-GRIP

B SHOULDER PRESS
you can without moving your upper
arms – they should stay tucked against Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your
A
your sides. shoulders, with your arms bent and your
palms facing towards you.
Then, turn your palms so they face
C Push the weights up, turning your
away from you, and press the weights B
overhead. Reverse the sequence to lower palms so they face away from you.
the weights back down. Pause, then slowly lower them back to the
starting position.

Cover Model Workout
TRICEPS KICKBACK
Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie face
A
down on a bench. Raise your upper
arms so that they are parallel to the floor, and
bend your elbows 90-degrees.
Straighten your arms by raising your

B SINGLE-ARM REVERSE FLY
forearms while keeping your upper
Grasp a dumbbell with your non-
arms in the same position. Pause, then lower A
dominant hand. Lie on your dominant
to the starting position.
side on a bench, placing that elbow on the
bench to brace yourself. Extend your working
arm, with your palm facing down and your
elbow slightly bent, and raise it to a 45-degree
angle with the floor.
Slowly lower the weight behind your

B
body until your working elbow starts
to bend. Pause for a moment, then return to
your arm to the starting position. Finish the
set with that arm, then do the same number
of reps with your dominant arm.
SINGLE-ARM SHOULDER
RAISE
Holding a dumbbell in your non-
A
dominant hand (your left if you’re right-
handed) lie on your dominant side on a bench,
placing your free hand on the floor. Extend
your working arm, with your thumb down and
elbow slightly bent, and raise it until it’s just
above parallel to the floor.

B
elbow, slowly lower the weight until
your arm is pointing down towards the floor.
Pause, then raise back up to the starting
position. Finish the set with that arm, then
do the same number of reps with your
dominant arm.

P HASE 4
BODY TIME
As in all the phases, you should finish all
WORK
your workouts in under an hour.
CARDIO ROUTINE
There are instructions after the weight
routines on the type of cardio you
T H IS IS T H E FINA L PH ASE OF YOU R 16-W EEK JOU R N EY TO A BODY WORT H Y should be doing for each of the three
OF A MEN’S HEALTH COV ER MODEL . T H IS MON T H YOU GET TO PICK YOU R regimes. You’ll do it three times a week
for all.
F
G OA LS A N D T H EN DO T H E WOR KOU T TA ILOR ED TO YOU R N EEDS.
or three months, you’ve sets to help support your lower back. By

followed this programme. now you’ll be pretty strong in all areas,
MAXIMUM
E
ON
You’ve burnt fat, built muscle but that doesn’t mean you should stop
and gained strength. Now you
get to decide what will most
paying attention to your smaller muscles:
if you do you’ll be risking injury.
FAT LOSS
This is simple but by no means easy. You do just
benefit your physique in the
three exercises, but with aerobic intervals in
final phase of the Cover Model Workout.
Do you need to sear away that final bit
THE ROUTINES between you burn kilojoules by the bucket. It’s one
As per the previous three phases of the of the most metabolically demanding workouts
of softness round your middle to reveal you’ll ever encounter. Imagine you are Rocky
Cover Model Workout, you’ll need to do
your hard abs? Perhaps you need to running up the steps off the Philadelphia Museum
three weight workouts each and every
pack on some more muscle? Or maybe of Art… only there are weights to lift at the top…
week. Twice a week (preferably Monday
you’re more concerned about being the and you have to do it eight times.
and Friday), you’ll do whichever core
strongest on the field in your chosen
routine is applicable to your goal. Once
sport?
weekly (probably on Wednesday), you’ll
Think back to the goals you had
MAXIMUM
O
do the integrity routine.
TW
when you bought this book. Have you

achieved everything you set out to?
What would give you the final edge? Pick TEMPO STRENGTH
the workout that will help you achieve In the fat-loss and muscle program, This doubles as a serious muscle-building workout
for the most advanced lifters. It also includes just
your ideal body. Beginner and advanced maintain a slow, deliberate pace of lifting
three exercises, but those exercises hit your body’s
guys alike should choose one of the – probably one second to lift the weights
biggest muscles. If you’ve been lifting consistently
following three core workouts. and two or three seconds to lower them.
for a number of years – say, more than three – your
For strength, lift the weights as fast as body probably responds best to this type of routine,
THE GOALS you can with good form and lower them
with control.
using heavy weights and low repetitions.
These will depend on which of the
In the integrity routine, lift at the same
three workouts listed on the next page
deliberate pace you’d use for the fat-loss
MAXIMUM
E
you pick. The name of each workout

RE
or muscle routine.
TH
provides a clue as to the goals you

should be aiming for. Take a hard look at MUSCLE
yourself before deciding. REST PERIODS This is for lean guys who’ve been training
The Phase 4 integrity workout is the This is particular to each individual consistently. The principles are the same as those
same for everyone. You’ll develop the workout, so take note of what is in the strength workout, except there are four
muscles surrounding your knee, shoulder described in the initial description exercises and they aren’t as demanding, so you
and elbow joints, with some abdominal of each routine. don’t get to rest as much between sets.

The Workouts
Fat Loss
You’ll perform each of the three exercises four times.
can: jog on a treadmill or ride an exercise bike. If you
can’t skip and don’t have access to cardio machines,
do star jumps, walk up and down stairs or jog on
the spot. Take your pick.
immediately repeat the whole circuit three times. Go
for as long as you can without resting.
WARM UP It’s a good idea to start out with five min-
utes of general activity –walking, stretching, etc – before
After doing the first exercise, the squat-and-press, Then do the bent-over row and dumbbell bench the circuits. Then use the first two circuits as warm-ups.
do a two-minute cardio interval. The best exercise is press without a break in between. After the bench Use light weight the first time, then slightly heavier the
skipping, but it’s also the toughest. So do whatever you press, do a three-minute cardio interval. Then second time, then serious weight the final two times.
CORE Week 1
Week 2
Friday
Week 3
Week 4
Friday
Curcuit 1 (warm-up sets with light weight)

Squat-and-press 10-12
Cardio interval (2 min)
Bent-over row 10-12
Curcuit 2 (warm-up sets with medium weight)
Bent-over row 10-12
Curcuit 3 (work sets)
Bent-over row 10-12
Bent-over row 10-12

Strength
Do a set of deadlifts, rest for two minutes. Do a
Then rest for 3 minutes. Repeat until you’ve done
the circuit five times. You’ll feel that you’re
spending most of your workout waiting, rather
than actually lifting (which is accurate), but these
which means more muscle.
WARM UP Use your first two circuits as
warm-ups. For your first circuit, use one-third of
your work-set weight. For the second circuit, use
set of dumbbell bench presses. Without resting long rest periods will let you handle heavier two-thirds. Then do the other three circuits with
after the bench presses, do a set of squats. weights when you do lift. That means more strength, your work-set weight.
CORE Week 1
Monday Friday
Week 2
Monday Friday
Week 3
Week 4
Friday
Circuit 1 (warm-up with 1⁄3 work weight)

Deadlift 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Squat 4-6
Rest (3 min)
Circuit 2 (warm-up with 2⁄3 work weight)
Deadlift 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Squat 4-6
Rest (3 min)
Deadlift 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Squat 4-6
Rest (3 min)
Deadlift 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Squat 4-6
Rest (3 min)
Deadlift 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Squat 4-6
Rest (3 min)

Cover Model Workout
Muscle
Three exercises – incline dumbbell bench press, lat
three circuits, rest for two minutes. Then do as many
press-ups as you can, and rest for two minutes.
Next, do as many pull-ups as you can, or do a set
of 6-8 lat pulldowns, followed by a drop set of as
as possible with 20% less weight.
WARM UP Do two warm-up circuits, as
described above for the strength program. Only this
time you use about 50 per cent of your work-set
pulldown (or pull-up), and leg press – are arranged in many reps as you can with 20% less weight. weight in the first warm-up set and about 75 per
a circuit. Do a set of each, with no rest in between Rest for two minutes, then do leg presses the cent in the second. Then do the other three circuits
sets, then rest for two minutes. After you’ve done same way: a set of 6-8, followed by as many reps with your work-set weight.
CORE Week 1
Monday Friday
Week 2
Monday Friday
Week 3
Week 4
Friday
Circuit 1 (warm-up with ½ work weight)

Incline bench press 4-6
Lat pulldown (or pull-up) 3-5
Leg press 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Circuit 2 (warm-up with ¾ work weight)
Leg press 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Circuit 3 (work sets)
Leg press 4-6
Rest (2 min)
Press-up Burnout
Rest (2 min)
Lat pulldown or pull-up)
Set 1 6-8*
Set 2 (drop)** Burnout
Rest (2 min)
Leg press
Set 1 6-8
Set 2 (drop) Burnout
*Or burnout ** Lat pull-down only, not pull-up

Fat Loss Strength Muscle
INTEGRITY Week 1
Wednesday
Week 2
Wednesday
Week 3
Wednesday
Week 4
Wednesday
Triset 1
Leg press 8-12
Lying leg curl 8-12
Rest (2 min)
Triset 2
Lat pulldown 8-12
Rest (2 min)
Triset 3
Bicep curl 8-12
INTEGRITY out near-maximum effort in each set

to get the desired effect. The workout
AND CARDIO designates 8-12 reps per set, so make
WORKOUTS sure you choose a weight you can’t lift

13 times.
The integrity workout, above, is the
same, whichever of the three workouts
you pick to do on the other days of the CARDIO FOR ALL
week. Likewise the cardio workout,
right, is the same for all: do it three times Warm up for 5 minutes (up to 50% effort)
a week, after your weights or on your > Sprint for 2 minutes at 80% effort:
rest days. Before doing the integrity Slow down to 45% effort for
workout, do one warm-up set of each 2 minutes
of the six exercises that aren’t crunches > Repeat the above intervals three times
(do six reps of each with two-thirds of Cool down for 3 minutes at 50% effort
your full weight). The main workout is
arranged as trisets, which means you do
a set of each of them without resting in
between. After your first triset, rest for
two minutes, then do another triset, rest,
and do a third. You’re only going through
this workout once, so you have to put

Cover Model Workout
THE EXERCISES
BENT-OVER ROW
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip,
A
and hold it at arm’s length. Stand with
your knees slightly bent. Bend at the hips,
lowering your torso about 45 degrees, and
let the bar hang.
Pull the bar up to your torso. Pause

B
for just a moment, then slowly lower
it to the starting position.

Do a bent-over one-arm dumbbell row. Lean
over a bench, resting your left knee and
left hand on it. Hold a dumbbell at arm’s
length. Pull the weight up until your elbow is
at 90-degrees, keeping your upper arm out
away from your torso. Pause, then slowly
lower the weight. Do all the repetitions with
one arm, then repeat with the other arm.
SQUAT-AND-PRESS
Hold a pair of dumbbells just outside
A
your shoulders, arms bent, palms facing
each other. Set your feet shoulder-width
apart; keep your back straight and eyes
straight ahead.
DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS
Keeping your back straight and lower Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie face up
B A
legs perpendicular to the floor, slowly on a flat bench. Hold the dumbbells just
lower your body as if you were sitting down. outside your shoulders, with your arms bent
When your thighs are parallel to the floor, and your palms facing your feet.
pause.
Push the weights up and slightly
B
Press your feet off the floor to push inward so that when your arms are
C
yourself back up to the starting extended, the dumbbells are above your
position while you press the weights over collarbones. Lower the weights back to your
your head. Lower the weights and repeat. chest and pause before repeating.

THE EXERCISES
SQUAT
Set a barbell on a squat rack and step
A
under it. Lift the bar off the rack on your
upper back and step back. Keep your knees
slightly bent, your back straight and your eyes
focused straight ahead.
Slowly lower your body as if you were

B
sitting in a chair. Keep your back
straight and shins nearly perpendicular to
the floor. When you have squatted as far
as possible, pause before returning to the
starting position.

If you don’t have access to a bar, use heavy
dumbbells and hold them at shoulder height,
palms facing forward. Try to keep them as
steady as possible.
DEADLIFT
Roll a barbell against your shins. Grab
A
the bar with an overhand grip, your
hands just beyond shoulder width. Squat
INCLINE DUMBBELL down, focus your eyes straight ahead, brace
BENCH PRESS your core and pull your shoulders back.
Adjust a bench to a 10- to 30-degree
A
incline. Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit Stand by thrusting your hips forward
B
on the bench. Hold the dumbbells just outside and keeping your shoulders back.
your shoulders, with your arms bent and your Pause, then slowly lower the bar to the floor.
palms facing forward. When you bring the bar down past your
knees, squat, rather than bending your body
Push the weights up and slightly forwards.
B
inward so that when your arms are
extended, the dumbbells are above your HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE
collarbones. Lower the weights back to your If you don’t have a bar, you can use heavy
chest and pause before repeating. dumbbells held in front of your thighs.

Cover Model Workout
LEG PRESS
Position yourself in the leg-press
A
machine so that your back is against the
pad and your feet are about hip-width apart on
the platform.
Unlock the platform, and slowly lower

B
the weights until your knees are bent
90-degrees. Pause, then push back up to the
starting position.

If you don’t have access to this machine:
Do squats, as on page 106, instead.
LAT PULLDOWN
Sit at a lat-pulldown station and grab the
A
bar with a “false” overhand grip that’s
just beyond shoulder-width. A false grip means
you place your thumb on top of the bar, along-
side your index finger, rather than wrap it
around the bar.
Pull the bar down to your chest. Try

B
not to lean back too much: that’s
cheating! Pause, then slowly return to the
start position.
HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE PULL-UP

Pullover with dumbbells. Lie face up on a Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip,
A
bench and hold the weights over your chest, your hands just outside shoulder-width.
arms extended, your elbows slightly bent Hang with knees bent and your feet crossed
and your palms facing your toes. Keeping behind you.
your back flat against the bench, slowly low-
B
er the weights behind your head until your Pull yourself up until your chin passes
upper arms are parallel to the floor. Pull the the bar. Pause, then slowly lower yourself to
weights back to the start. the start position.

THE EXERCISES
LYING LEG CURL

Lie on the leg-curl machine
A
with the pads against your lower legs,
above your heels and just below your calf
muscles.
PUSH-UP Without raising your hips off the

Position yourself facedown, with your B
A bench, bend your knees to pull the
weight on your hands and toes. Your weight as far as you can. Pause, then slowly
hands should be shoulder-width apart, fingers return to the start position.
pointed forward. Keep your arms, back and
legs straight. HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE
If you don’t have access to this machine,
Bend at the elbows to lower yourself do the exercise lying on a bench holding
B
slowly to the floor. Stop when your a dumbbell between your feet.
chest is roughly 2cm from the floor, pause,
then slowly push yourself back up to the
SWISS-BALL REVERSE
starting position.
CRUNCH
Lie on a decline bench with your hips
A
lower than your head. Grab the bar
behind your head, or the bench itself, for
support. Bend your hips and knees at
90-degree angles and hold a small Swiss ball
between your hamstrings and your calves.
Start with your bottom flat against the board.
Pull your hips up and in towards your

B
rib cage. Curl them as high as you can
without lifting your shoulders, and keep your
hips and knees at 90-degree angles. Pause,
then slowly return to the start. If this is too
difficult, perform it on the floor or without
the Swiss ball.

Cover Model Workout
ROPE TRICEPS PUSHDOWN

Attach a rope handle to the high pulley
A
of a cable station and grab it so your
palms face each other. Start with your elbows
bent 90-degrees and your upper arms against
your sides.
Straighten your arms, allowing your

B
hands to pull the rope ends outwards
at the bottom. Pause, then slowly return to
the starting position.

Seated dumbbell triceps extension. Grab
a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench or
chair. Hold the dumbbells overhead with
straight arms. Bend at the elbows to slowly
lower the weights behind and to the sides of
your head, holding your upper arms in the
same position throughout. Pause, then push
up to the starting position.
BICEPS CURL
Grab an EZ-curl bar with an underhand,
A
shoulder-width grip. Stand with your feet
staggered so your left foot is in front; keep your
knees slightly bent and back straight. Hold the
bar at arm’s length, in front of your thighs. Keep
DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS your upper arms tucked against your sides.
Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a
A
bench set in the upright position. Keep Curl the bar as high as you can without
B
your back flat against the bench throughout. letting your upper arms move forward.
Hold the weights just outside your shoulders, Pause, then return to the start.
with your arms bent and your palms facing
towards each other. HOME WORKOUT ALTERNATIVE
If you don’t have access to this bar use
Push the weights straight overhead. dumbbells instead. Try to hold them in
B
Pause, but don’t lock out your elbows roughly the same position as you would with
at the top of the move. Then slowly lower to the EZ-curl bar and follow the rest of the
the starting position. instructions above.

Runner-Up Where previously he’d hone
IN 2014 his goalkeeping skills, Nasius
Pabz Nasius Junior dropped the soccer ball and
Age: 26 switched to kettlebell sets.
Job: Model and Student EAT YOUR VEGGIES “Diet is very

Hometown: Lephalale, Limpopo important,” he says. “If you eat properly, work
out properly and sleep properly, you’ll get results.
I make sure that every meal has some veg in it.
Vegetables are a key to muscle growth.”
KNOW YOUR WEAKNESS
“Every person has one of those exercises that
they can do better than anyone else,” he says,
“but you have to sit down and evaluate yourself
and look at your weak points as well.” Not
knowing where your body is vulnerable is a
recipe for injury, he warns. “With certain
exercises or areas, I know I won’t put on
weight. I understand what just doesn’t work
for me. Don’t look at the guys around you,
thinking that you have to be like them.”
SUPERSET YOUR AB EXER-
CISES The secret to his cover-worthy six-
pack? Instead of just doing crunches or planks,
Pabz combines three different core exercises
together with no in-between rest period to
form an abs-busting superset.
Runner-Up
IN 2014
Nicholas Dunn
Age: 24
Job: Graduate, B.Comm honours
Hometown: Sandton, Joburg
It’s more about being healthy, GO HIGH INTENSITY IN THE

aiming for longevity and treating PARK - THEN GO HOME On days
your body as a temple. that he doesn’t train, Nicholas will go to
the park and do short sprints. “Anything that’s
CARB-FREE AFTERNOONS
high-intensity cardio training is the most
“I don’t eat carbs from about 2pm onwards,” he
effective,” he says. Find a hill, and run up it 10
says. “If you take away carbs at dinner, you’ll
to 15 times. It doesn’t take much, and it beats
start noticing a huge difference in body fat
sitting on the treadmill for an hour.
without even having to train too much.” When he
does eat carbs, he makes sure they’re as healthy AIM FOR HIGH REPS “If you’re
and unprocessed as possible (he recommends looking to get shredded, high reps are the way to
sweet potato and brown rice). Nicholas also go,” he says. “A lot of the time at gym you see the
believes in mixing up your sources of protein, big guys throwing around heavy weights for four
with his typical meal including anything from fish or five reps. That’s not how you’re going to get the
or chicken breasts to less common protein results you want. I have always found that my
sources like turkey breasts or ostrich meat. body responds well to high reps.”

Cove
r Guy
Winn
IN 2014
2 0
er
JP La 14
JP Lamont mon
Age: 30 t
Job: Technical Sales
Hometown: Richards Bay
Around age 25, JP changed

his lifestyle and began a body
transformation process. “I
collected all the workouts in
Men’s Health,” he says. “I even
had a little black book where I
kept all those cut-out exercises.”
PARTNER UP It’s always great to have
a reliable gym partner, but when that person
happens to be married to you, it means that
you have a companion who understands your
commitment to fitness and general health.
“I partner up with my wife during training
sessions, and push her to lift her max weight,”
JP says. “It’s an incredible feeling seeing
her realise that she’s stronger than what her
mind tells her.”
STAND TALL “Posture is key to
success and results,” he says. “I like to keep
working on my core, as this improves my
posture during heavy lifting.” If JP can’t find
time to do different exercises that specifically
focus on his core, he simply cuts out his rest
periods between weight sets and uses that
time to work his core. “I’d rather do 30 to 60
seconds of core exercises in between my
weight sets than sit and wait for the next set,”
he says.
BUILD MUSCLE IN THE
KITCHEN “If you don’t follow
a well-balanced eating plan, you can
forget about seeing results from all the
effort that you put in at the gym,” JP
says. “As much as 80% of what you
do starts with what you eat, and only
the balance is down to training.
Breakfast will help to kickstart your

metabolism,” he says. But stop
there. “Have something healthy to
eat every three hours, otherwise
your metabolism just slows down
and you start bloating up again.”
12 NUTRITION
3
YO U R B O DY I S A C O M P L E X
M AC H I N E . A N D L I K E A N Y
M AC H I N E , YO U N E E D T O F U E L
I T C O R R E C T LY T O O P T I M I S E I T S
P E R F O R M A N C E . I F YO U D O N ’ T E AT
T H E R I G H T F O O D AT T H E R I G H T
T I M E S , YO U WO N ’ T B E A B L E T O
M A K E T H E M O S T O F YO U R H O U R S
I N T H E GY M A N D YO U R J O U R N E Y
T O A C OV E R-WO RT H Y P H YS I Q U E
W I L L S TA L L . AT I T S B E S T, E AT I N G
SHOULD BE INTUITIVE AND
BASED ON COMMON SENSE. BUT
WHERE THERE ARE GAPS IN
YO U R N U T R I T I O N A L K N OW- H OW,
THIS CHAPTER WILL FILL THEM
I N. T O S TA RT W I T H , H E R E A R E
T H E B A S I C RU L E S YO U N E E D T O
F O L L OW T O H E L P YO U S TAY L E A N,
FIT AND STRONG FOR LIFE.
70 MEN’S HEALTH| |COVER

MEN’S HEALTH ARMS +MODEL
ABS MUSCLE
Nutrition
Fuel for puts you in danger of overeating. Often,

you eat before you’re hungry at all. That
makes it easy to exert control over your
Workouts diet. You know when you’re going to eat,

and you have plenty of time to decide
what to choose.
A lot of people baulk at the idea of
No matter how keen you are to get lean, functions, and all cellular structures. eating five times a day instead of three,
you won’t help yourself by starving. Of course, there’s eating, and then thinking that five meals must add up
You may burn fat for a few hours, maybe there’s eating in accordance with a to more kilojoules. In fact, though, the
even a day, but after that your body larger plan. But it doesn’t need to be opposite is true. When you eat five times
starts to compensate by slowing your complicated. Simple guidelines and a day, you’ll be less hungry at meal times,
metabolism. Conversely, when you give common sense will get the job done if so less tempted to overindulge. You end
your body a steady supply of fuel, your you’re consistent about it. up eating less at every meal – sometimes
metabolism runs smoothly. This chapter gives you an eating substantially less. Five 2 000 kJ portions
In order to lose enough fat to achieve programme you can follow day in and day can feel like far more food than three
the look you want, you need a meal plan out. There’s no food involved that you 4 000 kJ portions.
that will allow you to eat consistently can’t buy at your local supermarket. You
while never leaving you hungry. can take this diet with you to restaurants. RETHINK DINNER
The second-most-important lesson is And you can follow it for life. All you need You’ll be amazed at the progress you’ll
this: you won’t achieve your goals with a to bring to the table is a determination to make if you change your evening eating
crash diet. Some men reading this book eat well consistently. habits. You still have to eat dinner – you
may have a lot of weight to lose. And if don’t want to go to bed hungry – but two
you’re excited about it, you’re probably GET YOUR TIMING RIGHT smart adjustments can cut kilojoules
thinking, “Why not lose as much weight You should eat about every three dramatically.
as I can fast?” waking hours. That works out to five First, stop thinking of it as your
Again, there’s the metabolic issue. small-to-medium-size meals a day, or biggest meal of the day. In most cases,
Rapid weight loss leads to a reduction in three meals and two snacks. Ideally, eat lean people tend to front-load their
muscle mass, as well as fat. Lose muscle something that contains at least two of kilojoules, eating more of them earlier
and your metabolism slows. If you starve the three macronutrients: protein, fat and in the day and tapering off at night.
yourself on a crash diet, it slows down carbohydrates. So one of the snacks could Second, avoid starchy carbohydrates
even more. That’s going to put you in be a smoothie made with protein powder. (that’s rice, pasta, potatoes or any kind
danger of regaining weight when you That gives you carbohydrates and, of bread) after 6pm. The better you can
start trying to maintain your new body. obviously, protein. Or you could have control your carb intake throughout the
And guess what form that weight will peanut butter and an apple – that delivers day, and the fewer carbs you eat in the
take? Fat. So then you have more fat to protein, carbohydrate and fat. evening, the faster you will see results
lose, in addition to the handicap of a Why does this plan work? First, if from this programme. You should also
slower metabolism. you eat at regular intervals throughout make sure you drink plenty of water so
The flip side of all this is food – and the day, you never get that sensation of you stay hydrated and your metabolism
lots of it. That’s right. If you want to ravenous, out-of-control hunger, which works at peak efficiency.
lose weight, eat. Eating lots of food
and losing fat aren’t just compatible;
they’re bedfellows.
Food is more than raw material for
THE SECOND-MOST-IMPORTANTI
your muscles; more than energy for your LESSON IS THIS: YOU WON’T ACHIEVEI
workouts. It’s essential to sustaining your
metabolism, your physical and mental YOUR GOALS WITH A CRASH DIET.I

EAT FOR POWER exactly how much of the nutrient they explain why fibre and protein are so
The best way to fuel your workouts is to contain. Sometimes it’s tricky to fit crucial to weight control. A rule to live by:
ensure that they fit around your five-meal protein into your meal or snack, but with if you can control your weight, you can
eating plan. You should hit the weights an occasional recourse to the purer protein control your health.
hour or two after you eat, then eat again powders and bars, you’ll find you’ll Way on the other end of the nutritional
as soon as possible after you finish. If manage. spectrum are the simple sugars and
you absolutely cannot exercise without sweeteners, such as sucrose (table sugar),
eating a little something on the way to the ENERGISE WITH CARBS which give you energy but don’t fill you
gym, then a banana or apple is okay. But Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred up. Stay away from these completely if
a simple cup of coffee is possibly the best source of fuel. They’re stored in your you can. If you do have sweets, make
low-cost – and low-kilojoule – way to give muscles, where they are ready to help sure they’re an occasional treat and, if
yourself a perfect pre-workout boost. you whenever you want to move. During you can, eat them on an empty stomach,
A healthy, lean, active body needs a prolonged exercise, they help you burn when your body is far more likely to burn
balance of the macronutrients: protein, fat. Sport scientists like to say that fat the energy they contain rather than
carbohydrates and fat. Each plays burns in a carbohydrate flame. Though storing it as fat.
multiple roles, and all those roles are fat is your body’s best source of energy, Fruit contains simple sugars – but with
important. But protein is the hardest carbohydrates make it possible to use fruit, the good far outweighs the bad.
to get right. We live in a world of cheap that fat. The sugars in fruit don’t act as fast as the
carbohydrates and hidden fats. You However, different types of sugar in cake, since the fibre they contain
get those things in foods, whether you carbohydrate have very different effects slows things down. Fruit fibre also has
want them or not. But you need to seek on your body. Complex carbs, such as the same health benefits that vegetable
out high-quality protein. Building your bread and pasta, that you’re avoiding at fibre does. So enjoy.
diet around it requires deliberate effort, night are easy to eat too much of and, Fruit juice is different. When you take
starting with careful selection of sources. unless you’re a competitive athlete, the fibre out of fruit, you still get the vita-
The first role of protein is building give you far more fuel than you need. mins and antioxidants, but you create
your muscles (which are mostly water, On the other hand, vegetables have the a product that’s much more like table
but otherwise built with protein). A man opposite effect. They don’t contain many sugar. It hits your bloodstream fast,
who’s doing a lot of strength training kilojoules, and they aren’t as easy to eat or and the faster a food goes through your
and wants to bulk up needs 2g of protein as moreish as bread and pasta. So eating system, the sooner you get hungry again.
per kilogram of bodyweight each day. So too much broccoli, lettuce, spinach and So eat fruit when you’re hungry and
if you weigh 90kg, you need to eat 180- green beans will never be a problem. drink water when you’re thirsty. Or better
200g a day. If you don’t want to build Eating enough of them is the bigger issue, yet, eat fruit before you’re hungry, and
muscle, you can get by on less than this. as any parent will tell you. drink water before you’re thirsty.
But for anyone doing the workouts in this
book, this is a good guide. KEEP FIBRE LEVELS HIGH BE WARY OF BOOZE
Divide your protein almost evenly The fibre in veg has amazing health As for beer and wine, they’re a bit like
among your five meals. So if you’re benefits – it’s been linked to weight sweets. Sugar alcohol isn’t technically a
aiming for 150g a day, you’ll be looking control, heart health and disease nutrient. Your body tries so hard to get
at 30g five times a day. How much is 30 prevention. Fibre-rich foods help you feel rid of it that it processes it preferentially,
grams? Later in this chapter we’ll look satisfied during a meal, as does protein, before any food you eat at the same time.
at some of the best protein sources and so you stop eating sooner. That helps So it can actually prevent your body
from building muscle. That’s not to say
CARBOHYDRATES ARE YOUR BODY’S you can never drink. Depriving yourself
completely of the things you enjoy will
PREFERRED SOURCE OF FUEL. only cause you to begin craving those
things. And once you crave something
THEY CAN HELP YOU BURN FAT. it becomes harder and harder to resist.

Nutrition
So when you do have wine or beer with Instead, you need to be stocking up on if you’re looking out for them.
a meal, consider it your carbohydrate. friendly fats: the monounsaturated As complicated as all this seems,
Have two beers and a steak, and you can ones you’ll find in plant sources such however, you can rely on your
survive with your physique intact. A as raw nuts, olive oil, peanut butter and common sense much of the time.
six-pack with pizza will set you back. So avocados. And look out for foods with Do you really need to be told that
keep alcohol for special occasions, or as a the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, found scoffing a bucket of fried chicken
weekly treat. In its place, you need to be in fish and fish oil, too. Try to minimise and a bowl of ice cream isn’t going to
drinking as much water as possible. saturated fats, the ones found in red get you a cover-calibre body?
meat and dairy foods. Saturated fats And don’t look so surprised.
DON’T DITCH FAT raise levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Don’t fall for the myth that all dietary fat Fortunately, most low-fat diary isn’t
is evil. Your body needs it. Your brain is loaded with extra sugar in the same way
about 70% fat; your manliest hormone, as other low-fat products, and lean
testosterone, is made from fat; and fat is cuts of meat are easy to come by,
vital to your body’s cellular structures.
A very low-fat diet is a bad idea for
most people. Not only that, it’s nearly
impossible to stick to. You put your
psyche through hell, for very little
benefit. Your body is smart. It won’t let
go of the fat it has if it’s convinced that
no more is coming. You may lose some
body fat early in a low-fat diet program,
but in the long run your body finds a way
to compensate, creating fat out of the
carbohydrates you eat. That’s why it’s
better to feed your body the fat it
needs. That way your body will
be more geared up for burning
fat reserves for energy.
Some of the worst dietary
choices you can make are to buy
only low-fat or fat-free versions of
desserts that normally have some fat in
them. Don’t be fooled into thinking they
are healthier. Often, these ‘diet’ foods
have as many kilojoules as the regular
varieties, with sugar replacing fat to give
the food bulk.

THE PERFECT
24 HOURS OF
EATING
OV E R T H E N E X T SI X SPR E A DS
YO U ’ L L F I N D S I M P L E , B A S I C
MEN US FOR ALL FIVE OF THE
M E A L S YO U S H O U L D E AT O N A
N O R M A L D AY. T H E R E ’ S N O N E E D
TO BE TOO STRICT ABOUT
MEASURING OUT PRECISE
A MOU N TS OF E ACH FOOD – USE
YO U R C O M M O N S E N S E W H E N
J UDGING PORTION SIZES. AND
YO U D O N ’ T H AV E T O E AT O N LY
THESE MEALS FOR THE REST OF
YO U R L I F E . J U S T F O L L O W T H I S
MEN U FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS
A N D YO U ’ L L G E T A G O O D I D E A
O F W H AT YO U S H O U L D B E
E AT I N G . T H E N B U I L D O N T H AT
K NOW L E D GE T O FOR M G O OD
HABITS FOR THE FUTURE AND
S TA R T T O I M P R O V I S E W I T H
SIMILAR DISHES.
BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER SNACKS

Nutrition
FIVE OF THE BEST

Breakfasts
2 4
F r u it a n d c o f f e e c a n b e b r e a k f a s t
s t ap le s – a n d , o f c o u r s e , w ate r. B ut
yo u n e e d p r o te i n f i r s t t h i n g i n t h e
PORRIDGE MUSHROOM
m o r n i n g , to o, wh ic h c a n b e t r ic k y.
& TOAST OMELETTE &
S o it ’s wo r t h g iv i n g s o m e t h o u g ht .
To h e lp we ’ve c r e ate d a h e a lt hy
The perfect kick-start for your BEANS
metabolism, this food combination will keep you Make an omelette with three eggs and mushrooms
ve r s i o n o f t h e c l a s s i c B i g B r e k k y,
going all morning. and sprinkle some raw spinach leaves on top. The
s o yo u c a n s t i l l e nj oy a we e ke n d
Porridge may be the best breakfast food on earth: vitamin B5 in the mushrooms will aid your digestion.
b r u n c h w it h o ut t h r ow i n g yo u r it fills you up, gives you clean, slow-burning fuel for Blend a can of kidney beans with a handful of
nut r it i o n o ut , a l o n g w it h s o m e the first half of your day and provides a nice dose of sesame seeds, two cloves of garlic, the juice of a
o t h e r c l e ve r o p t i o n s fo r t h e m o s t heart-healthy fibre and about 8g of protein to boot. lemon and a splash of olive oil for three minutes or
i mp o r t a nt m e a l o f t h e d ay. Again, use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. And add until smooth and creamy. The kidney beans provide
some fruit for an extra vitamin and antioxidant hit. extra protein, as well as being an excellent source of
1
Blueberries are ideal, but you can pick your favourite. molybdenum – essential for energy production.
5
And go for wholewheat toast and peanut butter.
MUESLI & It’ll give you slow-release carbs for energy and
YOGHURT protein for muscle building.

BIG BREKKY
3
Go for a bowl of muesli that’s high in You can get away with the Big One, if
fibre (5g or more per serving), and low in sugar SCRAMBLED you ditch the fat-laden meat. That’s why
and salt. Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
Chop up some fresh fruit, if you’ve got any to hand,
EGGS ON these sausages are the veggie variety – they’re still
full of muscle-building protein, mind. Poach your
and sprinkle that on too. TOAST eggs rather than frying them to cut down on even
Yoghurt will add that all-important extra hit of Scramble three or four eggs for a big protein kick. more fat. If you’re craving some bacon flavour you
protein, but you still may be some way off the 20g Use only one yolk to limit cholesterol intake. Combine can sprinkle on some ‘bacon bits’. They’re available
minimum you should be aiming for at breakfast. the eggs with some metabolism-boosting chilli in most major supermarkets and made with soy, so
So, mix a scoop of whey protein into the yoghurt or dash of Tabasco to ramp up the kilojoule-burn. they’re veggie friendly (you’ll get a couple of extra
– or just drink a shake on the side. You could also add any combination of tomatoes, grams of protein too).
mushrooms, spinach, onions, capsicum and Beans, tomatoes and mushrooms are all packed
avocados. Eat two slices of wholewheat toast with with nutrients but, once again, go easy on the oil
the eggs – they’ll aid the digestion process and help when you’re cooking them. With all this on your plate
you absorb the protein. Easy on the butter. you probably don’t need the bread, but if you can’t
resist, ensure that it’s wholewheat.

FIVE OF THE BEST time, treat yourself and marinate the salmon in
Lunches
some teriyaki sauce first or swap the brown rice
for some egg noodles (pictured). It’s a healthy way
to introduce variety, but nutritionally speaking the
2
simpler version is better.
4
M a ny o f t h e lu n c h d i s h e s a r e
i nte r c h a n g e a bl e w it h t h e d i n n e r
TUNA &
o p t i o n s , w it h o n e d i f f e r e n c e : at BAKED CHICKEN
lu n c h yo u c a n s n e a k i n s o m e c a r b s . POTATO SALAD
P o t ato e s o r r i c e a r e b e s t . Yo u c a n Tinned tuna is a muscle-building staple and one of Chicken breast is a classic muscle-
e ve n g e t aw ay w it h a l it t l e b r e a d the best sources of protein around. Not only that, building food. It’s low in fat, high in protein and
o n o c c a s io n ( b ut n o t i f yo u h a d it’s low in fat and great value, too. Mix it with a little easy to cook – just take the skin off (to reduce fat)
to a s t at b r e a k f a s t). G r i l l o r b a ke sweetcorn (and mayonnaise if you’ve been hitting and stick it in the oven at 190° for half an hour.
yo u r m e at a n d s e a s o n it w it h the gym really hard). The potato takes 10 minutes Add a squeeze of lemon and some chopped chilli
le m o n , ol ive o i l , g a rl i c a n d s p ic e . in the microwave, or bake one the night before. This for flavour. Make the salad using spinach leaves, a
dish isn’t exactly rocket science, but it illustrates the yellow capsicum, cherry tomatoes, black olives and
main tenet of eating for a cover-model body: keep it
1
fresh parsley. For the dressing, whisk together a little
simple, keep it fresh. For variety you can easily swap olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a teaspoon of Dijon
MEAT & the tuna for chicken or even some cottage cheese
and baked beans.
mustard. This is low-carb, so perfect for rest days
when you don’t need as much energy, or even as a
VEGETABLES dinner option.
3
Lunch at its simplest should be a hunk of
lean meat or fish and some steamed veg. Add a few SALMON &
5
new potatoes for energy on training days, or if you’re
NOODLES
having this for dinner, leave them out and pile your
plate high with greens. OR RICE CHICKEN
If it’s a work day you can make this the night before WITH RICE
very simply. Wrap the fish in foil with a squeeze of Serve chicken up with some wild
lemon and bake for 20 minutes. Cook some brown brown rice and you’ll also get a big hit of low-GI
rice (which works well cold) and then stick it all in carbs, ensuring your energy levels don’t dip in the
your lunch box, with a few raw or lightly steamed afternoon. If you can’t find wild rice, go for regular;
veg. Done. A perfectly nutritionally balanced meal in just don’t be tempted by white. It’s highly processed
less than half an hour that’s ready to eat whenever and more likely to be stored as fat, rather than used
you are. If it’s the weekend, and you’ve got more for energy. You’ll also be missing out on all the
SNACKS (AM)
You’ll need to eat one of these snacks every that it’s high in protein and low in carbs and sugar.
morning (although if you prefer, you can pick
Cottage cheese
one from the afternoon snacks, overleaf). Try
This is an excellent source of protein to combine
never to go more than three hours without
with a carbohydrate such as an apple or banana. And
eating while you’re awake. Again, always
it’s a great source of calcium, too.
include protein. It will help control your
appetite, along with all its other benefits. Apple, banana and oatcakes
Two pieces of fruit is enough to give you a decent
Protein bar or shake
energy boost. Add oatcakes with two table-
This is the best way to get your mid-morning meal
spoons of peanut butter and you’ll get your
without stopping work. If you go for a bar, make sure
protein fix and feel like you’ve had a full meal.
Nutrition
FIVE OF THE BEST

Dinners
Yo u k now t h e r u le s b y n ow: n o r i c e , p o t ato, p a s t a o r b r e a d fo r d i n n e r (a n d
t h i n k a b o ut it c a r e f u l ly a ny o t h e r t i m e o f d ay, to o). T h e e ve n i n g i s n’ t t h e
b e s t t i m e fo r f r u it , e it h e r, a s it ’s f u l l o f n at u r a l s u g a r s , wh i c h a r e e a s i ly
c o nve r te d to f at . Ke e p yo u r m e at l e a n – t h at m e a n s n o s k i n o n t h e c h i c ke n
a n d no n e o f t h at m a r bl e d f at i n t h e b e e f. Yo u d o n’ t h ave to avo i d a l l f at i n
t h i s m e a l : o p t fo r o m e g a -3 f at s , f o u n d i n f i s h s uc h a s s a l m o n .
1 LOW-CARB
FISH PIE
How about fish pie? Yep, you read that
right. And we’ve not mixed up the pictures. That
topping isn’t potatoes at all, it’s cauliflower. You
make it in the same way as regular mash: chop, boil,
3 CASSEROLE
This gets you a hearty dose of filling
protein with virtually zero carbohydrate,
making it a perfect evening meal. You’ll need to stick
with red meat for this, no bad thing as whatever type
you choose it’ll have some creatine in it (a muscle-
into strips, then fry it in olive oil with similar-sized
pieces of green vegetables, such as asparagus,
broccoli or zucchini. For more flavour, add garlic and
squash. A clove of garlic at the boiling stage will add enhancing compound). A casserole is as simple basil, along with pepper and lemon juice. For an even
flavour and you might want to use a hand blender as stewing meat and vegetables together in stock. healthier twist on this recipe, ditch the frying pan and
rather than a masher to get a lump-free consistency. Here’s our favourite recipe: fry some onion and garlic grill your meat. Steam the vegetables and pile them
Cauliflower also makes a great rice stand-in. in a big saucepan then add chopped eggplant, lamb high on the side.
Simply grate it onto a paper-towel to absorb excess and a sprinkle of cumin. After five minutes or so,
moisture, then fry it for a few minutes. Now you’ve chuck in some tomatoes, stock (or just water) olives
got your carb substitute, pick your protein: as usual, and chilli and let it simmer for half an hour. If you’ve SNACKS (PM)
fish, lean red meat, turkey or chicken are best. got someone to impress, serve with natural yoghurt
and a sprinkle of fresh mint. These snacks work well in the afternoon,
2 4
but nutritionally they are interchangeable
with the morning snacks featured on the
SALAD MEAT & previous page.
Lean red meat is delicious in salads,
but as ever you can swap in chicken,
BEANS Tuna
This is meat and potatoes without Forget the mayonnaise and bread. Eat tuna as a
turkey or fish. Whack your steak on a griddle pan pure-protein snack, right out of the can. Or add a
the potatoes. Your main course is the usual lean
for a couple of minutes each side and eat it with little veg for texture, if you wish.
red meat, chicken breast, turkey or fish. Red, black,
whatever salad veg you have to hand. For an extra
kidney or soybeans take the place of the spuds. It’s Chicken or turkey breast
protein boost you could even add a boiled egg or a
best to buy fresh or dried beans and prepare them Without the skin, chicken and turkey breasts are
sprinkling of cheese, if you think you’ve earned it. But
yourself. If you get the beans out of a can, make mostly lean protein. You can add a small green
the key here is the veg: keeping it raw will retain far
sure no salt, fat or preservatives have been added. salad with a drizzle of olive oil to get some carbs
more nutrients, bolstering your immune system and
You can grill or bake the meat, then either serve it and fat as well.
promoting muscle growth.
separately or cube it and mix it in with the beans.
Miso soup with bok choi
5
Get some miso out of a packet or tin: it’s one
MEAT & of the highest protein broths around, but it’s

probably worth adding some extra tofu, just to
VEGETABLES be on the safe side. Chop in some bok choi and
Choose fish, chicken breast, turkey, lean spring onion. Enjoy.
red meat or any combination of those. Chop the meat

THE BEST
PROTEIN FOODS
YO U M AY H AV E N O T I C E D P R O T E I N I S M E N T I O N E D Q U I T E A L O T I N T H I S B O O K . A N D F O R G O O D
R E A S O N : Y O U N E E D T O E AT I T I N O R D E R T O B U I L D M U S C L E , B U R N FAT A N D G E T T H E B O D Y YO U
WA N T. B U T N O T A L L P R O T E I N I S C R E AT E D E Q U A L . T H AT ’ S W H Y W E P I C K E D T H E B R A I N S O F
S P O R T S N U T R I T I O N I S T M AT T L O V E L L T O C O M E U P W I T H T H E M O S T P O W E R F U L S H O P P I N G L I S T
E V E R : T H I S I S T H E P R O T E I N T O P 1 5 . T H E F O O D S F E AT U R E D G O H I G H E R U P O U R L I S T T H E M O R E
P R O T E I N T H E Y H AV E . M A K E A N Y O F T H E M PA R T O F YO U R M E N U, F O R A P O D I U M -WO R T H Y B O D Y.
Meat &Poultry
BEEF 1 LAMB 2 CHICKEN 3
PROTEIN CONTENT 36G PROTEIN CONTENT 35G PROTEIN CONTENT 33G
A 300g steak provides you with your RDA It’s a close run thing, but lamb loses out One large breast will give you your RDA
of zinc, which aids tissue repair and in the to beef by just 1g of protein per 100. However of niacin, which will help your body produce
conversion of food to fuel. Beef is one of the two chops give you your RDA of niacin and energy from food and keep both your nervous
richest natural sources of the strength-booster vitamin B12, which will help you train longer. and digestive systems healthy. It’s low in
creatine, which is a muscle-building aid. It’s a solid source of zinc and selenium, which saturated fat and carbohydrates, and is a good
helps your muscles recover quickly. source of omega-3, making it an ideal protein
WHAT TO EAT WITH IT source if you’re trying to lose weight.
Greek salad. Steak can take a while to digest, WHAT TO EAT WITH IT
leaving you feeling full for ages, so if you want Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, WHAT TO EAT IT IN
to lose weight pair it with a low-kilojoule, brussel sprouts). These increase the body’s Soup. The University of Nebraska found it
nutrient-dense salad to aid digestion and help ability to detoxify carcinogenic compounds inhibits mucus, which can obstruct airways
you absorb more protein. produced when meat is grilled. during exercise.
PORK TENDERLOIN 4 TURKEY 5

PROTEIN CONTENT 32G PROTEIN CONTENT 30G
Two small fillets will provide your recommended daily amount of Turkey is rich in tryptophan, which a study published in the Journal of
thiamine, which aids post-exercise recovery. It’s also a rich source of zinc, Physiology & Anthropology found helps you enjoy better quality sleep.
which helps your body to produce the muscle-building hormone testosterone. Save it for your evening meals, not right before training.
WHAT TO EAT WITH IT WHAT TO EAT WITH IT

Pinto beans. Arizona State University found 125g of these little wonders cut Carrots. The carbs help your brain absorb the tryptophan and convert it into
bad cholesterol by up to 9%. feel-good chemical serotonin.

Nutrition
Seafood
HAKE 1 CLAMS 2 TUNA 3
This is the animal protein with the lowest Often overlooked when it comes to This lean protein source has just 1g of fat
fat content: just 0.5g of fat per 100g. A 300g seafood, the humble clam earns a silver medal per 100g serving and a hefty 311mg dose of
portion supplies your RDA of magnesium to in our protein race. Just one serving has 302% omega-3, which will aid weight loss. Think of a
give you the energy needed to train, protect of your RDA of vitamin B12, which keeps fresh tuna steak as the ocean’s equivalent of a
you against cramps and help your muscles your nervous system healthy and also aids multi-vitamin.
contract. digestion. You’ll also get 128% of your RDA
of the antioxidant selenium. This boosts post- WHAT TO EAT WITH IT
WHAT TO EAT WITH IT exercise recovery and reduces stiffness. Green tea. One potential downside to tuna
Broccoli. The Institute of Food Research (IFR) is that it can be high in poisonous mercury.
in Norwich, UK, found eating selenium-rich WHAT TO EAT WITH IT But researchers at Indiana’s University of
foods, like cod, with food rich in sulforaphane, Tomatoes. Their vitamin C helps you absorb their Purdue found green tea reduces the amount
like broccoli, make the meal 13 times more iron, of which clams are also a great source. of mercury absorbed from fish by 92%.
powerful at fighting cancer. digestion and help you absorb more protein.
CALAMARI 4 PRAWNS AND SHRIMPS 5

PROTEIN CONTENT 32G PROTEIN CONTENT 21G
If you lack the oomph to train, snack on this. Just 100g gives you six Small in size but large in nutrition. They provide the antioxidant selenium,
times your RDA of the energy-releasing vitamin B12. It is also rich in the which aids recovery from exercise. They’re also low in fat (1g per 100g) and
antioxidant selenium, which will mop up free radical damage. high in iron, which help your muscles to burn fat.
HOW TO EAT IT WHAT TO EAT WITH IT

Pickled at lunch with potato. Studies at Lund University, Sweden found that Avocados. They will help you to absorb more of the omega-3 fatty acids in the
vinegar lowers blood sugar by 23% when eaten with a high-carb meal. fish, keeping you feeling fuller for longer.

Vegetarian
TOFU 1 PARMESAN 2 RED LENTILS 3
Tofu will provide you with 184% of your Due to its long ageing, the protein in Don’t discount the hippy favourite. Yes,
RDA of manganese, which strengthens bones parmesan takes just 45 minutes to digest. they’re carbs, but they’re also a brilliant protein
and helps metabolise carbs, cholesterol and You’ll get 138% of your RDA of bone- source. Go for the red variety for the biggest
amino acids. Tofu also has 24g of unsaturated strengthening calcium, also vital for making muscle-building hit. They are also rich in fibre
fats, which a study in the Journal of the your muscles contract. Look for low-salt and 120g will provide your RDA of manganese
American College of Cardiology found aid post- versions, but even so don’t eat this every day for a faster metabolism.
exercise recovery. as the fat content is quite high.
WHAT TO EAT WITH IT
WHAT TO EAT WITH IT WHAT TO EAT WITH IT Meat. Assuming you’re not vegetarian, lentils
Vegetable soup. This is a much better way to Broccoli or cauliflower. Chicago’s Smell & make an excellent teammate for a small, slab
flavour your tofu than salty, preservative-filled Taste Treatment and Research Foundation of animal protein instead of rice or potatoes.
seasonings that cancel out goodness. found people eat more of the healthy food if Their low-GI carbs will fill you up for longer,
they flavour it with high-fat food. and did we mention the protein?
WALNUTS 4
PROTEIN CONTENT 24G
Just 50g (a handful) of walnuts will provide
your RDA of the antioxidant manganese, which
will help you recover from exercise faster.
WHAT TO EAT WITH IT

Cheese. A study in the Journal of the American
College of Cardiology found that eating 40g of
walnuts with a high-fat meal helped to maintain
elasticity of your arteries, which can otherwise
become clogged, so if you’re indulging in some
cheddar, have walnuts, too.
ALMONDS 5
PROTEIN CONTENT 22G
They are high in fibre, omega-3 and
magnesium, making them a perfect snack for
losing fat. Just 73g of almonds a day reduces
free radical damage in your body by 19%,
which means you’ll hasten post-exercise
recovery and reduce stiffness.
WHAT TO EAT WITH IT

Porridge. A study in Metabolism found eating
almonds with a carb-heavy meal cuts the
severity of your blood sugar spikes by 50%.

Nutrition
RECIPES FOR
WORKOUT
SUCCESS STRENGTH FAT LOSS MUSCLE
D U R I N G P H A S E 4 O F T H E C O V E R M O D E L WO R KO U T ( D E S C R I B E D I N T H E P R E V I O U S C H A P T E R ) YO U H AV E T H E
C H O I C E O F T H R E E WO R KO U T S S P E C I F I C A L LY D E S I G N E D F O R S T R E N G T H , M U S C L E O R FAT- L O S S . S T I C K T O
T H E S O U N D N U T R I T I O N A L A D V I C E O U T L I N E D E A R L I E R I N T H I S C H A P T E R A N D YO U ’ L L G E T G R E AT R E S U LT S
I N A N Y O F T H E S E WO R KO U T S . I F YO U WA N T T O G I V E YO U R S E L F A N E X T R A B O O S T, D R O P I N O N E O F T H E
FOL L OW I NG DISH E S E V E RY NOW A N D T H E N.
PORRIDGE WITH
ALMONDS AND BANANA
When you’re eating for a cover-model body, oats should, more
often than not, be the cornerstone of your breakfast. They’re
extremely nutritious, but that doesn’t mean they’re perfect.
The problem is they are (whisper it) a bit boring. So, we’ve
created a recipe so delicious it’ll have you jumping out of bed
in the morning. Peanut butter and almonds provide all
important protein along with a rich base of healthy fats and
bananas add natural sweetness and a shot of potassium.
YOU’LL NEED
1 mug water
1 mug milk
STRENGTH
1 mug oats
1 banana, sliced
1 Tbsp peanut butter
Handful chopped almonds
HOW TO MAKE IT
In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and
add the oats. Heat, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, until the oats are
tender and have absorbed most of the liquid. Add the bananas, peanut butter,
almonds, and stir to mix evenly. If the porridge is too thick, add milk.
Makes 2 servings.
Per serving 1280 kJ, 10g fat (1g saturated), 42g carbs,
9g protein

STRENGTH STRENGTH
GNOCCHI WITH ZUCCHINI

PEAS AND PROSCIUTTO CARBONARA
Packaged gnocchi – Italian dumplings made with potato and Although lighter on pasta than your average carbonara, this
flour – make an energy-filled lunch to power your strength- recipe still has enough carbs to give you a pre-workout strength
building workouts. Boil them until they float to the surface, fry boost. Spaghetti carbonara is the Italians’ take on bacon and
them up with vegetables or even toss with pesto. Here, we take eggs. It’s comfort food at its finest: simple, soul-nourishing.
the classic Italian pasta pairing of peas and prosciutto, replace
the noodles with gnocchi and throw in plenty of asparagus to
YOU’LL NEED
round off the creation.
2 handfuls spaghetti
2 rashers bacon, sliced
YOU’LL NEED Small onion, diced
Knob of butter 1 large zucchini, sliced into thin ribbons
6 spears of asparagus, chopped 1 clove garlic, sliced
Handful frozen peas Black pepper
40g of prosciutto or ham 1 egg
Low-salt chicken stock Parmesan
Black pepper 1 handful chopped fresh parsley
Small pack gnocchi
Parmesan HOW TO MAKE IT
Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. While the
HOW TO MAKE IT pasta cooks, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until
Heat half the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the asparagus and fry crispy, about five minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
for 2-3 minutes, then stir in the peas, prosciutto and stock. Cook for 3-4 minutes, Discard all but a thin film of the fat from the pan. Add the onion, zucchini and
until the asparagus is tender and the peas are soft. Season with a few grinds of garlic and cook for five minutes, until lightly browned. Stir in the bacon and season
black pepper; keep warm. Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling water until with black pepper. Drain the pasta, saving a splash of the cooking water. Add the
they float to the top, no more than five minutes. Drain and add to the pan with pasta directly to the frying pan and toss to coat. Stir in enough of the pasta water
the vegetables, with a little more butter. Cook together for one minute, so that so that a thin layer of moisture clings to the noodles. Remove from the heat and
the sauce and gnocchi have time to mingle. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. crack the egg directly into the pasta; toss for even distribution. Divide the pasta
Makes 2 servings. among bowls and top with grated cheese and parsley. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving 1100 kJ, 10g fat (4g saturated), 32g carbs Per serving 1480 kJ, 8g fat (3g saturated), 33g carbs,
9g protein 7g protein

Nutrition
MUSCLE
MUSCLE
BAKED EGG WITH SESAME NOODLES WITH

MUSHROOMS & SPINACH CHICKEN & PEANUTS
When you’re building muscle you need to have protein in every Near the top of most people’s lists when asked to think of
meal and breakfast is the most important of all. Your protein protein-rich foods that are great for building muscle is chicken
reserves will have been depleted as your body repaired muscle breast. Meanwhile, an often overlooked protein powerhouse is
fibres in your sleep, so you need to make sure you get a big hit of the humble peanut. Here they combine with noodles to create a
the stuff as soon as possible. This delicious morning creation has lunch with enough carbs to power you through the heaviest of
egg and ham for a double-protein hit. Go for thick-sliced ham to workout sessions. Think of this as an Asian-inspired salad.
maximise protein levels, or whack in an extra egg.
YOU’LL NEED
YOU’LL NEED 2 nests brown noodles
1 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped Juice of 1 lime
6 mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp peanut butter
2 slices ham in strips 1 Tbsp soy sauce
Handful baby spinach 1 tsp chilli sauce
2 jalapeño chillies 200g cooked chicken
Black pepper 1 red capsicum, sliced
2 eggs Sugar snap peas
Edamame
HOW TO MAKE IT Crushed peanuts
Preheat the oven to 190°. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the
onion and cook for about three minutes, until translucent. Add the mushrooms and HOW TO MAKE IT
cook for five minutes, until lightly browned. Stir in the ham, spinach and chillies Bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to instructions.
and cook for a few minutes, until the spinach is heated through. If any water from Drain it and toss in a large bowl with a splash of sesame oil. Combine the lime
the spinach accumulates in the pan, drain. Season with pepper. Divide the mixture juice, water, peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli sauce and sesame oil in a microwave-
among two ramekins that have been lightly greased with butter. Crack an egg into safe mixing bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds, then stir to create a sauce. Add the
each; keep the yolks intact. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake until the sauce to the noodles and toss to mix. Stir in the chicken, capsicum, sugar snaps
whites are just set but the yolks are runny, about 10 minutes. Makes 2 servings. and edamame. Top with the crushed peanuts. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving 600 kJ, 9g fat (2.5g saturated), 8g carbs, Per serving 1360 kJ, 11g fat (2g saturated), 23g carbs,
22g protein 36g protein

MUSCLE FAT LOSS
CHICKEN FAJITA SWEET & SPICY

BURRITO BEEF
Fajitas can make it into even super-strict nutrition plans, albeit Stir-fries, by their very nature – fresh vegetables, a bit of protein,
without the tortilla wrapped around them on most occasions a thin veneer of sauce – are bona fide healthy eats. This spicy-
(and the cheese is a luxury). Nevertheless, master this recipe and sweet beef treatment is exactly what a stir-fry should be: fast,
you’ll never be without a protein-filled wonder that will ensure flavoursome and incredibly good for you. It has very little in the
you have the building blocks of post-workout muscle. way of carbs, making it a perfect choice for fat burning. If you’re
pushed for time, you can just fry the whole lot up at once.
YOU’LL NEED
1 Tbsp olive oil YOU’LL NEED
1 small onion, sliced 1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 red capsicum, sliced 1 tsp cornflour
Black pepper 200g steak, thinly sliced
½ can black beans 1 tsp vegetable oil
¼ tsp cumin 4 spring onions, chopped
Juice of ½ lime 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Hot chilli sauce 6 mushrooms, sliced
2 wholewheat tortillas Handful green beans
Handful grated cheddar 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
200g cooked chicken
Salsa HOW TO MAKE IT
In a large shallow dish, stir together the soy sauce and cornflour with a fork. Add
HOW TO MAKE IT the steak, toss to coat and let it sit for around 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok
Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the onion and red capsicum and over a high heat. When it starts smoking add the white bits of the spring onions
cook until browned. Season with pepper. Combine the beans with cumin; add the and the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned. Add the
lime and a few shakes of hot sauce. Preheat a pan over medium heat. Microwave mushrooms and green beans and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, using a spatula to keep
the tortillas for 20 seconds, just so they’re pliable. Building one burrito at a time, the vegetables in motion. Add the beef, along with the soy sauce, and continue
sprinkle some cheese, top with some beans, onion-capsicum mixture, chicken and to stir-fry for three minutes, until the beef is browned. Stir in the hoisin sauce
salsa. Roll into a tight package. Place the burritos directly on the griddle, cooking and cook until the sauce lightly clings to the surface of the meat and vegetables.
for a minute on each side until lightly toasted. Makes 2 servings. Garnish with the chopped green bits from the spring onions. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving 1420 kJ, 13g fat (6g saturated), 15g carbs, 39g protein Per serving 1200 kJ, 13g fat (5g saturated), 8g carbs, 22g protein

Nutrition
FAT LOSS
SEARED TUNA
Tuna is packed with lean protein and heart-strengthening,
brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, and, what’s more, it’s easy to
cook perfectly in less than five minutes. All it takes is a pan set
over high heat, a touch of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. We
add bok choy to make this a more nutritious, substantial dish,
but any green vegetable (spinach, broccoli, asparagus) will do.
Just don’t skip the delicious ginger-spring onion sauce. Note,
FAT LOSS
of course, the lack of any complex carb here. This dish is a fat-
burning dream. YOGHURT PARFAIT
This might not look like a weight-loss option, but in fact it’s
YOU’LL NEED packed with a lot of good stuff, and if you compare this to the
3 spring onions, chopped damage you’d do by eating a bowl of ice cream or a chocolate
1cm fresh ginger, grated brownie, it’s saintly. The fruit will give you an immune-boosting
½ Tbsp soy sauce vitamin and antioxidant hit, and there’s even a bit of protein in
1 Tbsp peanut oil
the yoghurt. Yes, the fruit also has some natural sugars, but have
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
this at lunch and you’ll have plenty of time to burn them off.
250g tuna steaks
Salt and pepper
5 shitake mushrooms YOU’LL NEED
5 baby bok choy Handful strawberries
Handful blueberries
HOW TO MAKE IT 4 mint leaves, chopped
Combine the spring onions, ginger, soy sauce, half the peanut oil and vinegar in a 200ml low-fat Greek yoghurt
bowl and stir thoroughly to combine. Set aside. Heat the remaining oil in a frying Handful granola
pan. Season the tuna liberally with salt and lots of black pepper. When the oil is
smoking, add the tuna to the pan and sear for two minutes per side, until browned. HOW TO MAKE IT
Remove. While the tuna rests, add the shitake mushrooms to the same hot pan. Combine the fruit and mint in a bowl and allow to sit for a couple of minutes.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly browned, then add the bok choy. Cook for Spoon half of the yoghurt into a bowl or glass, top with half the fruit and granola,
another 2-3 minutes, until it’s lightly wilted. Slice the tuna into thick strips. Divide then repeat with the remaining yoghurt, fruit and granola. Pour any accumulated
the bok choy and mushrooms between two warm plates. Top with slices of tuna, juice from the fruit over the top. Makes 1 servings.
then drizzle with the ginger-spring onion sauce. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving 1320 kJ, 8g fat (3.5g saturated), 24g carbs,
Per serving 1200 kJ, 12g fat (2g saturated), 7g carbs, 30g protein 8g protein

12 MEN’S
HEALTH
HALL
3
OF FAME
T H E G U YS W H O A P P E A R O N
O U R C OV E R A R E T H AT P E R F E C T
M I X : B R AW N A N D B R A I N S . W H Y ?
LOOKING THIS GOOD DOESN’T
C O M E E A SY. T H E Y ’ V E P U T I N
H O U R S AT T H E GY M A N D O N T H E
FIELD – BUT THEY’VE ALSO PUT
SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT INTO
W H AT T H E Y D O, A N D W H Y. C L U E
I N T O T H E I R C OV E R-WO RT H Y
SECRETS.

Dale Brett
Leisegang Roux
Local cover: 1 Local covers: 2
International International
covers: 8 covers: 5
< <
Sean
Sanders
Local covers: 2
International
covers: 7
<
Johan
Maree
Local covers: 6
International
covers: 2
<
Max
Mmethi
Local covers: 4
<
Marcel
Snyman
Local covers: 5
International
covers: 27
<
Bryce
Thompson
S H R E D FAT A N D B U I L D B E AC H B O DY M U S C L E W I T H
T H E S E WO R KO U T T I P S F R O M T H E C OV E R G U Y W I T H
T H E M O S T M H C OV E R S U N D E R H I S B E LT.
W
hen we talk about getting a
body ready for a summer full of
pool parties and days at the
beach, we’re talking about
getting as lean as possible,
as quickly (and as safely) as possible. It’s tough
to change bad habits, but you’ll see results if you
work to maintain this diet and workout routine.
All you have to do is put some effort into making
some lifestyle changes, but I back you.
You’re going to have to make some changes in
the meal (and probably multiple snacking) depart-
ment. As you’ve heard time and time again, diet is
the biggest battle that you’ll fight when you’re get-
ting into shape. And killing yourself in the gym will
never be enough without a good eating plan.
Don’t think of it as a diet, think of it as a lifestyle
adjustment, and start integrating it into your every-
day life for the long-term. You don’t want to look
good for summer only, right?
Remember that most men take care of their cars
or bikes as if their lives depended on it – with only
the best fuel, oil and services. So why then would
you throw sawdust into the tank when it comes to
your body? From now on, it’s rocket fuel for you!
IN 2010
Age: 31
Job: Model and Photographer
Hometown: New York
Local covers: 5
International
covers: 47
The Fitness Plan For Every Man, p81
The magazine APRIL 2009 R34.95
men live by
SIX-PACK Attack-Proof
YOUR
ABS!
HEART!
p128
New Muscle In Just 4 Weeks, p87
10 EASY WAYS TO
BEAT STRESS
MORE SEx,LESS BEGGING!
The Best YOUR

Places For COVERGUY
A Quickie, p120 WORKOUT
Get This Body Now!
Boost Brain Power! p44
LIVE LONGER WITH
BURGERS & CHIPS!
SCUBA-DIVInG
BONUS!
50 WAYS TO
LOOK GREAT!
GIVEAWAY! FREE!
Winte r Style Guide Get Your Lessons For Two, p126
Flip For Your

N$34.95 Namibia (TAX Incl)
R30.65 Outside RSA
(R4.30) VAT Incl
RIL09_COVER_TRY5_light.indd 1 3/5/09 10:16:40 AM

MH Hall of Fame
COVER GUY TIP 1 COVER GUY TIP 5 the last stubborn layers of body fat, as well
Power Up on Breakfast Get Savvy as to tighten and shred the core and the
I never skip breakfast. Whether it’s before I want you guys to understand: these “show” muscles. It’s simpler than you
morning cardio or just before you head to eating choices need to be a lifestyle shift. think, and it all starts with cardio.
work, breakfast must contain some protein. When you choose your sauces, mustards, We’re not talking about building an
I start most mornings with a serving of jams and pretty much anything you overall physique. You’ve got that already.
fat-free plain yoghurt – it’s low in consume, take the time to find the Now you’re shredding for summer.
kilojoules, but packed with protein. Add in healthiest and lowest sugar option. If you
half a banana, drizzle some honey over the start making these small lifestyle changes COVER GUY TIP 9
top, and your breakfast is a power meal. now, your weight gain next winter will be Rev Your Heart Rate
much lower. It all adds up! I start with cardio because that is your
COVER GUY TIP 2 number one goal: cutting.
Eat Small, Eat Often COVER GUY TIP 6 Start every workout with your
Throughout the day, I’ll have small snacks Keep Counting, Stay Stoked cardio. My choice is running; I run
– sometimes in the form of a green juice or Stick to the basics. Lower your kilojoule for at least 45 minutes at a speed that
a protein-heavy quinoa salad filled with intake and make sure you’re burning more ranges from 11.5 km/hour to 14 km/hour.
grilled chicken. Snacking doesn’t mean kilojoules than you eat in a week. The ultimate goal when doing cardio
that you have to eat less of your regular Note that I say a “week” because to shred fat is to hit the right heart rate,
meals, just make sure that snacks are small counting kilojoules every day is painful. so technically you can run at any speed
portions and that they aren’t starchy. By the end of a week your count will show that gets you to 75% to 80% of your
your rewards in numbers, and this should maximum heart rate.
COVER GUY TIP 3 give you a boost in your motivation for
Trim Your Diet training. COVER GUY TIP 10
Cut out potatoes, rice, bread and dough- Rev Your Fat Burner
based foods from your meal plan. And, COVER GUY TIP 7 The best results I see are when I stretch
yes, that means pizza and pasta. Instead, Boost Your System for 15 minutes and run first thing in the
integrate good fats and leaner cuts of meat As far as supplements go, everyone morning with nothing but my morning
into your diet. I recommend that you stick has their own preferences. I personally coffee in my stomach. That gets my
to turkey, chicken and fish, because start each workout with a thermogenic muscles to crave energy that is stuck
they’re a little easier to digest. But don’t caffeine-based fat burner. This gives my in the storage that is my fat.
max out on protein – you’re not trying to heart rate a head start and extra energy Stretching before any workout is
build extra muscle and bulk up. In fact we for cardio. I also take 3 500mg of CLA key for prepping your mind, body and
actually want to tighten things up a bit by daily. My post workout drink of choice breathing rhythm. Cold muscles are
rather running lean for the summer is low in sugar and high in electrolytes. useless to impact training, so remember
months. When it comes to preparing food, I also aim to drink a “red eye” coffee to stay warm and limber.
I chose steamed meals over any other before a cycle, run or workout. This
method of preparation. is usually a shot of espresso added to COVER GUY TIP 11
a regular filter coffee. As for protein Move on to Metal

COVER GUY TIP 4 intake, I only take protein shakes as Once you’ve got through the cardio,
Fuel Up meal replacements when I’m too busy you’ll move onto a type of weight training
You need to make a point of getting to get a proper meal in. that’s going to be cardio-based anyway
enough water in your system throughout and used to cut fat and maintain muscles,
the day and before you hit the sack at COVER GUY TIP 8 not grow them.
PHOTOGRAPH: SAM NORVAL
night. This is because dehydrated muscles Start Shredding Don’t skimp on your run to get onto the
will simply not repair and recover as fast as Once you’ve leaned out your diet and cut flexing, because summer is closing in.
a well hydrated system. back on the excess and unnecessary On the next two pages you’ll find a
I drink a lot of cold pressed green juices kilojoules, you need to move onto the workout with the shredding exercises I try
to balance the pH levels in my blood. methods of training that I use to cut down to get in almost every time I hit the gym.

THE COVER MODEL BEACH BODY WORKOUT
B R YC E TA K E S YO U T H R O U G H H I S FAT- S H R E D D I N G WO R KO U T.
BRYCE SAYS Gloves are essential to my training as a lot of my moves rely on grip and traction on surfaces. I recommend using rubberised utility gloves.
IGNITE YOUR ENGINE BRYCE SAYS A BRYCE SAYS
Afterwards, If you want to

A you can move add variation
through any when holding
stretches position C,
that you feel raise your
you would shoulders up
need to warm and crunch
up your body repeatedly. I
further, as B C do three sets
you know of 15 reps
your body with this.
best and your Make sure
B muscles may that you
be feeling a focus on
bit tight. exhaling as
you reach the
height of the
jackknife.
1 | Plank
Start in a standard plank position, hold for 30 seconds and then shift into
an arch position. Do this while keeping your core as tight as possible by 2 | Weighted Jackknife
using your triceps and shoulders. The movements you make should be slow Reach back into a full stretch (A), extending you legs and arms. Be careful not
and controlled. Make sure that you hold the arch for 30 seconds and repeat to arch your back; if you cannot stop your back from arching, lower your weight.
these two processes until you have done no less than 5 sets of both of them Now, start a lateral raise while bringing your legs up for a weighted jackknife
– preferably without taking a break. (B). Lift your hips off the bench (C).
SHRED WITH BRYCE SAYS
SUPERSETS
Bounce back
and forth
A between the
swing and
BRYCE SAYS curls, while
A B
Move to the maintaining
kettlebells a high
with minimal heart rate.
rest to keep These are
your heart supersets.
rate up. Here
I use a 22kg
kettlebell. Do
this near to a
bench with a
22kg dumb-
bell close
at hand
because you B
are going to
be super
setting
kettlebell
swings with
core-stabilis-
ing bicep
curls.
3A | Kettlebell Swing 3B | Bent-Over Dumbbell Curls

With your back straight, bend your knees until the kettlebell touches down After 12 reps, drop the kettlebell and grab your dumbbell. Taking position A,
between your ankles. In a single motion – and without bending your elbows or and while clenching your core and holding your posture and arm steady,
shifting your balance – thrust your hips forwards from position A to position B. complete 12 bicep curls on each side. Your elbow should not move from
Bring the kettlebell to your eye level and back down again. position A to B.

MH Hall of Fame
A B C
BRYCE SAYS
AWAKEN THE ABS BRYCE SAYS
While your
Using your
body weight
will tighten
heart rate is your core
B still jacked and burn fat.
from the It takes
kettlebells, practice, but
move onto combining
squats. moves will
Remember get you
that there ripped even
A
should be faster.
very little
rest time 6A | Dip With Leg Raise
between Start in the dip position (A) and raise yourself up. As you reach the top of the
exercises in
this session. lift, perform a leg raise while combining your shoulders, chest, triceps and core
in a single move. Once this becomes easy, don’t add weight, simply increase
your reps. Three sets of 12 should keep your heart rate up. The tricky part now
is adding in the next move to form another superset with this one.
A B C
BRYCE SAYS
These
movements
need to be
slow, and as
a variation
you can start
to hold for a
few seconds
in positions
B and C.
4 | Dead Lifts 6B | Dip With Lateral Leg-Raise

Do three sets of 10 reps, and be sure to realise that there is no need to kill the Similar to the move above – and to be combined to form this core-killing
weights here. I use a squat cage at a total weight of 70kg. You know the rules superset – start in position A and lower yourself into a dip. Slowly, and with
with these ones – keep your back flat, push from the legs and keep your head maximum control, shift your legs out as far as you can (B). Next, return to figure
up. This should jack your heart rate all over again before heading over to the A’s position and repeat on the opposite side. (C). Be sure to move slowly and
Standing Russian Twists below. with control. Do not swing.
BRYCE SAYS
A B
THE FINAL FAT-BLASTER A
BRYCE SAYS
Before we At this point,

move onto the B you should
bodyweight be exhausted
moves, we are or at least
going to get ready to add
the core ready reps into
for the abuse. these
guidelines.
My final
5 | Standing exercise that
I often do as
Russian Twist a variation on
the pull-up
As with figure A, get into a is a bit of
balanced position while 7 | Pull-Up a floating
holding a weight plate at a with Push-Up push-up.
Note – you
90 degree angle, pivot left It’s pretty simple, pull up C be
should
C
(B) and then right (C), and hold (A). Push out able to do
without pausing at position and back to the bar as 30 pull-ups
in a single
A. Do four sets of 12 close to original position set before
complete twists. Try not to as possible (B). No need attempting
this one.
bend your knees too much to pause during this – try
– only as much as needed to make it as fluid as
for balance. regular push-ups.

RyanBotha
S P O R T I S L I T T E R E D W I T H P L AY E R S W H O D I D N ’ T P R E PA R E F O R L I F E A F T E R T H E F L O O D L I G H T S . T H I S
P R O S O C C E R P L AY E R T O L D U S H O W H E P L A N S T O AVO I D T H E S C R A P H E A P – A N D H O W YO U C A N , T O O.
Sort Out Your Priorities Right now, I see IN 2010

myself as a professional footballer. It’s been Age: 29
heartbreaking recently, though. I’ve given my Job: Professional soccer player
all, but you can so easily get forgotten, espe-
Hometown: Durban
cially having not played much due to injury in
the past 18 months. I believe I’ve got about five
years left. Modelling is a close second.
Local covers: 3
Make the Right Choices If I could give a
younger version of myself one piece of advice, it
International
covers: 8
would be to study. After school my dad encour-
aged me to, but I assumed I’d make money from
soccer, so didn’t. Then I got injured in Turkey
and ended up being out for 20 months. I was
told I had a 50/50 chance of playing again, but I
didn’t quit. I matured quickly then, even though
I was only 23. It taught me to look at what I can
do to prepare for life after football.
Go Above the Call of Duty A normal day of
training with the rest of my team would go from
9.30 to 11 in the morning and then from 3.30 to
5.30 in the afternoon. This includes fitness, ball
and strategy training. In the evening, I do my
own gym work – a 10-minute cardio warm-up on
the bike, 45 minutes of intense weight training,
ending off with 10 minutes of core work.
Recruit Good Support Having people
around who love and are there for you, whether
you’re rich or poor, means you’ve succeeded. I chat
to my folks a lot. My dad’s a calming influence.
He’ll sit back and think before giving answers. I
know that whatever I try, I have my family’s sup-
port. I also let off steam by speaking to my fiancée.
Plan Well I want to be the best father possible.
I want to be a loving partner and treat my fiancée
with respect, something that’s been lost in rela-

tionships. After football, I’d like to be a television
presenter. My agent is helping to get my profile out
there and I’m training for TV, too. Coaching clinics
at schools also interest me – it’s where we need to
develop players. I’d like to go to schools a few times
a week, for coaching or public speaking.

MH Hall of Fame
Local covers: 4
International
Trevor
Lagerwey
covers: 9
T H E FI TSTRONG P T H A R N ESSES FU NCT IONA L

TR AINING AND A TRICKED - OUT JUNGLE GYM
TO WHIP HIS CLIENTS INTO TOP CONDITION.
Fitness Formula:
Olympic Weightlifting + Bodyweight
Training + Gymnastics
FitStrong is a fitness fortress filled with
functional training tools, and one of the best
outdoor training areas in the country. It’s
run by brothers Trevor and Paul Lagerwey,
who provide high-intensity, total-body,
circuit-based workouts that get you to move
properly and efficiently again. “No matter if
we focus on more Olympic style training or
body weight work, the makeup of each
workout is to maintain a high intensity from
start to finish,” explains Trevor. “Combining
various isometric and compound exercises
in an intense superset can also produce great
results – but as long as the intensity is there
and as little breaks are taken as possible, IN 2014
you see great results. We also find that Age: 29
development in one area will often result
B ES T O F F I T N ES S A N D T R A I N I N G
Job: Strength Coach
ISSUE #1
in improvements in others.” Hometown: Cape Town

HARD SECRETS TO
OUTSIDE THE BOX Upgrade Your Body
ABS!
The Shotgun
SUPER
STRENGTH Core Curriculum
Six-Pack Diet
CRANK UP With Swiss ball kettlebell swings, Trevor places a lot of emphasis on core
4
PROTEIN
YOUR
METABOLISM
TRAIN AT HOME The outside area of
FITstrong is a muscle mash-up of a Marine control and strength. While you can’t do that move yet, here are three of
PACKED
POWER
MEALS
obstacle course, jungle gym and torture run. Trevor’s favourite core moves to get you there.
SL
EEV
E -T E A R I N
GB THE BEST “There’s 350m2 of synthetic grass, a five
1. SUPERMAN PLANK “This is always a winner, no matter what your fit-
I
LEGAL
D
CE
metre wall with a cargo net, monkey bars,

IL
PS
BU
MUSCLE
SUPPS!
five metre high ropes, pull-up rings, tractor ness level, as it takes concentration and balance, and strengthens the deep
XXL ARMS! 4 POTENT WORKOUTS THAT WILL
GUARANTEE BIG GUNS IN 8 WEEKS
tyres, sleds, sandbags, boxes, battling ropes
and balance beams,” says Trevor. “We also
core muscles that support the spine as well, while engaging the hip flexors.”
Total Battle Rope Shred! // Mass-Gainer Breakfast Shake // Ripped in 3 Moves

use barbells, kettlebells and slam balls in our 2. TRX BAND SUSPENDED SIDE CRUNCHES “It forces you to engage
outdoor workouts.” Most of the obstacles the core, otherwise your lower back (lumbar spine) will sink down and you’ll
require a little teamwork, which is exactly

what the brothers want to amplify. “We
immediately feel uncomfortable pressure on your back (which can cause
want it to be competitive, but we still want damage). The added benefit of this exercise is the massive crunch you feel
athletes to help each other,” says Trevor. on the obliques each time you bring your legs up to your sides.”
Use these five tools to create your own
outdoor gym. 3. TOES-TO-BAR “Leg raises are a great lower ab exercise, but the extra
extension of the legs to the bar forces a huge crunch of the upper abs as
+ + + +
01. 02.
03. 04.
05. well. It really engages the core, particularly when at the bottom of the
Pull-up TRX Kettle-
bar band
Tyre Rope
bell
movement you need to prevent your legs from swinging back behind you.”

DaleHorne
D A L E I S O N E H A L F O F S O U T H A F R I C A’ S F I T T E S T
COUPLE – WITH HIS WIFE, ANDENE. HERE, THEY HAND
O U T S O M E A D V I C E O N H O W YO U C A N G E T F I T T E R , A N D
H E A LT H I E R – T O G E T H E R .
IN 2015
Age: 30
Job: Business owner
Hometown: Durban
Local covers: 2
International
covers: 5

MH Hall of Fame
StealFromEach they give up. But it can take years. does a lot of research and tries she has time for everyone and
Other’sPlaybook Enjoy the training experience different recipes.” hasn’t got an inflated ego,” says
Men and women train differ- (especially if you can share those Dale. “We’ve been lucky to meet
ently, but there’s plenty we can moments with a partner) as Don’tCutFoodGroups these kinds of fitness celebrities
learn from each other. Andene is that’ll keep you consistent,” says When Andene competed in at the different competitions and
an ex-competitive freestyle Dale. “The results will come, and fitness events and bikini shows that we’ve done.
dancer with a natural affinity for you’ll end up, at 50 or 60 years competitions, it was nothing Another example is Joey Swoll.
cardio, but she learnt how to gain old, healthy and fit and living a like she’d imagined it would be. He has a massive following and
muscle from Dale. “He showed happy, balanced lifestyle. Don’t Instead of being in the best loves fitness, but he says it’s all
me what I should eat and what take short-cuts, drugs or any shape of her life, she was going about having a big heart, and I
moves I should do if I want to drastic diets.” Andene recom- to the extreme, cutting out too can appreciate that. Leave the
build muscle. I’ve always eaten mends you make smarter long- much from her diet. “It can also image out of it, respect each
healthily, but now it became term goals: “I don’t train to get a play havoc on your hormones other and have a good time.
about eating for performance big bum or a six-pack – I do it and drastically affect the way That was surprising to me, as
and gains,” explains Andene. because I love it and it makes me you feel. You can’t cut whole you see these guys and their
“Dale needs to do more flexibility feel good. You need to find what food groups from your diet. It’s portfolios and you think that
work, but he’s done this for a lot suits your lifestyle and what not healthy – you need to take a they don’t have to give you the
longer than me and knows makes you happy.” long-term, balanced approach time of day, but the top guys,
exactly what works for him.” And that’ll look after your body and like Joey, were always keen to
Dale’s eating a lot better, thanks PreparationIs your health. Fitness events and chat and help out.”
to Andene. “I’m eating more Everything competitions can be great
superfoods and natural foods – “We do our grocery shopping on motivation, and they’ve taught FindtheRight
that’s probably the biggest a Sunday and organise our meals me so much and it helps to get Motivation
change that’s taken place since up to Wednesday,” says Andene. your name out there, but you Be inspired by others. “Before
we got together and it’s paid off “Then on Wednesday we do the need to realise that you can’t my first show, a good friend of
more than any other diet I tried meals for the rest of the week. take a short-term view on your mine passed away, and I dedi-
before. It’s a really simple way of You need a plan. When work gets health and fitness. Rather aim to cated the first show to him. He
eating, just keeping everything really busy, that’s when eating be healthy the whole year and always wanted me to compete
as natural as possible.” plans fall apart and people eat not just in competition time.” and I did it in honour of him,”
crap. I know a lot of married cou- Andene herself focuses instead says Dale. “That became the
SkiptheShort-Cuts ples where the wife is trying to on maintaining a balanced diet. biggest change in my life as I
“I’ve come across people whose live healthily and eat clean, while “A little of everything: fat, carbs, realised I really enjoyed the
weight fluctuates like the JSE – the husband wants pasta and protein, dairy (if you aren’t fitness modelling and lifestyle
going from one extreme of starv- junk food every night. So she has intolerant) for your bones. Don’t that you live to become healthy
ing themselves to gorging on to cook two meals, and she ends cut carbs! Even your brain stops and in shape. And that’s where
junk food,” says Dale. “Living a up with all this temptation functioning properly when you having a supportive partner is
healthy lifestyle is not a one- around her.” cut carbs completely.” invaluable. Everything I’ve
month project, but a matter of achieved in the last two years
long-termmaintenance.Thatlets EatLikeaWoman YouAretheSum has been thanks to Andene.
you have those cheat meals and “I think guys keep it pretty sim- ofYourFriends There are days when you don’t
socialise with friends and family, ple when it comes to making “We’ve become very good feel like getting up early or
because at the end of the day it’s a meals. Compared to many friends with fitness celebrity putting in the graft, but when
lifestyle that should leave you women, most men are happy to Bella Falconi. She’s such a you’ve got a committed,
content.” The best advice he’s eat the same thing every day,” genuine person, and when you motivated partner with you,
ever been given? Consistency is says Dale. “Woman prefer vari- met her, she’s so friendly and you get excited to train. Sharing
key, and trust the process. “Peo- ety, and I’ve been spoilt in the down to earth. I really respect training time with the most
ple expect results in a week or way that Andene keeps our eat- that, as even though she’s a really important person in your life
month, and if they don’t get them ing plan exciting. She always big name in the fitness industry, means it becomes quality time.”

LeeThompson
T H I S R U L E - B R E A K E R K N O W S T H AT T O B E Trading Places Thompson continues. “This
S U C C E S S F U L , YO U S O M E T I M E S N E E D T O L E AV E Deciding to leave the provincial definitely helps with flexibility
YO U R C O M F O R T Z O N E .
set-up for Varsity Cup rugby was and injury prevention.”
a big step for Thompson, but
also a testament to the success Beyond the Field
of the five-year old league. “The Thompson is currently
Varsity Cup is an extremely studying a BComm in
competitive competition that Marketing Management,
has become a key stepping and will be starting a degree
stone for players to get noticed in Sports Science. “I have
by various unions,” says always believed that an active
Thompson. He’s also full of body supports an active mind,
praise for his new team: “The so training and studying
quality of coaching and the complements each other
professionalism shown at Tuks nicely,” he says. “Time has to
is one of a kind, which improves be set aside for both and finding
the development of the players a good balance is key. If you
and will inevitably get the have a passion for something
players noticed.” you will always make the time
to pursue it.”
Flexibility is Key
Versatility is the new rugby Local covers: 2
currency and Thompson is the International
perfect example, playing covers: 10
equally well on either flank and
can lock the scrum as well.
Thompson says that the two
positions are very similar, but a
lock needs to be heavier (to bulk
up the set-plays) and a flank
needs to be lean and mobile to
get to the breakdown. “Both
focus on speed, catching,
fitness, ball carrying and
defense but I would say with
being a loose forward you need
to be a lot fitter. At Tuks we’re
lucky enough to have top class
conditioning coaches who are
gurus in their field, and they
IN 2010
incorporate a combination of
Age: 23
PHOTOGRAPH: SEAN LAURENZ
stretching exercises and

Job: Rugby Player & Model mechanical preparation work
Hometown: Pretoria into our daily training routine,”

MH Hall of Fame
Marc
Buckner
M A R C TA L K S A B O U T B O U N C I N G B A C K F R O M
I N J U R Y A N D D I S C O V E R I N G YO U R I N N E R
C AV E M A N I N T H E P R O C E S S .
IN 2010
Local covers: 3 Age: 28
International Job: Model
covers: 4
Hometown: Cape Town
Train to Your
Body’s Needs
My day, all day, every day
revolves around sport. That’s
why I do this job – for all the
free time! I don’t have a specific
programme, but have learnt to
adapt my training to what my
body needs. With my injury,
that’s meant a lot of swimming.
For example, my average day
would involve a two-kilometre
ocean swim off Clifton (in a
speedo and fins), a hike up
Lions Head or Table Mountain 15-minute workout (100 chin- of organic chicken. Around
(with a bit of bouldering on ups, 100 dips and 100 push- midday I’ll have protein (oily
the way up), and then I’ll go ups) to get my metabolism go- fish, chicken or lean beef) and
to gym and do a core stability ing. Then I’ll have some fruit for salad, and then at night I’ll have
session. breakfast, being careful not to protein again, with some salad
combine sweet and acidic or raw veg. The only cooking of
Go Alkaline fruits. Actually, I don’t combine veg I do is to steam my broccoli.
I did a lot of research into natu- foods at all. I just don’t think I’ve cut out all pasta, rice and
ral anti-inflammatory foods a caveman would’ve killed a bread – but I do eat a lot of nuts
and built my diet around that – mammoth and then gone and and seeds. I don’t take any tra-
pineapples, oily fish, raw vege- dug up some potatoes to eat ditional supplements because
tables, things like that. Also, I with it. If he couldn’t get the of the preservatives in them,
try to keep everything organic mammoth he would’ve gone but I do make my own mixture,
and alkaline. So, on a typical for the potatoes. So I don’t mix depending on how my body is
day I’d get up, take a slow run to carbs and protein at all. I’ll have feeling – usually cinnamon,
the jungle gym in the park another meal at about 10, may- cayenne pepper, soya
down the road and do a quick be a pineapple, or a big piece lecithin and others.

MH Hall of Fame
KallasEksteen
T H E Q U A N T I T Y S U R V E YO R H A S C O N S T R U C T E D H I S
B O D Y W I T H C L A S S I C M U S C L E M O V E S , H I I T WO R KO U T S
A N D E V E N S O M E FA R M E Q U I P M E N T.
Fitness Is a Philosophy Bring a Buddy

“You are the architect of your “If you train alone, find a partner
own body. I see my body as a so that you can do heavier reps.
gift and it’s up to me to take You should also experiment
care of it, and take pride in it. with your sets. For example,
Every day you have a chance to instead of resting, train a differ-
work out and use this machine ent muscle group. Try drop sets
that we call our body to its full too: for example, do 15 reps with
potential and to improve our 100kg, drop 20kg and do 10 reps,
health. I start every workout drop another 20kg and do 5 reps
with a positive mindset and without resting in between sets.
know that after this session, no And lastly, try supersets, where
matter what, I’ll be stronger and you do two exercises in quick
fitter afterwards. There are no succession – you can break it
excuses for skipping training – down into upper and lower
you can always make a way to moves, pushes and pulls, or
work out, anywhere, anytime. If focus on the same muscles.”
you skip one day a week and do
that for a whole year, it adds up Ultimate Tip
to 52 workout days. When I go “Make sure your exercises use
Local covers: 2
to our farm I’ll use farm a full range of motion – you’ll International
equipment and use nature activate more muscle. Change
covers: 9
itself. Try load 50kg bags onto a your programme regularly, as
truck – it’s not easy. I also love your body adapts quickly. Hit
trail running: it’s the best way the sack early; sleep releases
to clear your mind and growth hormones, which help
appreciate the scenery.” muscle building and burning
fat. And use active recovery – it
The Routine keeps the blood circulating to
“I always warm up and stretch get rid of lactic acid and toxins.”
for 10 or 15min. Then I start with
compound exercises (squat, Nutritional Rules
deadlift, bench press, shoulder “Every meal consists of a set
press) so that I can maintain protein- to-carbs ratio
proper form before fatigue sets (150g-200g of any protein
in. After that I focus on machines source and carbs) but it varies
and cable-based exercise, and on what I train that day. I’ll eat
then finish off the session with less carbs on light workout days IN 2016
isolation movements. I change and more on heavier workout Age: 28

my cardio routine every day, but days. I also eat as clean as
Job: Quantity surveyor
it normally consists of steady- possible, so I cut out oil and
state cardio, HIIT and sprints.” heavy sauces.”
Hometown: Lonehill, Joburg

ARE YOU THE NEXT MEN’S HEALTH
COVER GUY?
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coverguTyE.mR AT
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& CLOSE 1 S LY
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IT’S
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and body you’d expect to see on the cover. Landing a Men’s Health cover has launched careers all over the world, and is
ON! one of the most sought-after gigs in men’s magazines. If you think you’ve got what it takes, we want to hear from you.
The upside? Fame, bragging rights – and, of course, appearing on the cover in Summer 2017!
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99 MEN’S HEALTH | ARMS + ABS

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A Men’s Health Special

Jason Brown SUPPLEMENT EDITOR DESIGNERS CONTRIBUTORS

A division of Novus Holdings

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 5

Angelo Picoto p.17

Marco Klue p.47

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 6

Get started today –Only

GUARANTEED RESULTS! SIGN UP TODAY AND GET...

8 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 9

5 Muscles should always be

10 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 11

12 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

1 | Shoulder 2 | Shoulders- 3 | Chest-and-

7 | Glutes 8 | Groin 9 | Lower-Back

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 13

HIDDEN need to be useful, not just

AS IMPORTANT of iron if you can’t palm a lumbering

ONES of the net? same goes for the sideways or twist

14 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

DRINKING might not work so well if you’re

WILL WORK need six to eight glasses of water a day

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 15

explains why it is foolish to work the

CLEAN LIVING to plan one day a week as a ‘cheat day’.

WORKOUTS of people as it’s like a safety valve that

16 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

there for about 40 minutes.”

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 17

18 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

MINDSET 1 someone suffering from obesity and

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 19

20 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

can without stopping. This hits your

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 21

higher and higher foundation as you

22 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

Casey took his sportsman’s

muscle groups, he never finishes a workout

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 23

24 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER

YOU’RE ABOUT TWO LEVELS

NEW BODY appropriate for almost everybody, but

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 25

STRONG endurance, substantial improvements in

RATING YOUR CARDIO EFFORT %

26 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE

CORE BEGINNER Week 1

INTEGRITY BEGINNER Week 1

Dumbbell bench press 12-15

COVER MODEL MUSCLE | MEN’S HEALTH 27

CORE ADVANCED Week 1

28 MEN’S HEALTH | COVER MODEL MUSCLE