101 Best Workouts of All Time is the ultimate answer to the question "What workout should I do?" No matter what equipment you have available, from a fully-stocked supergym to a pair of mismatched dumbbells in your garage, or nothing but your body weight alone, you can build muscle, lose fat, and sculpt the physique you've always wanted.

Build Your Best Physique Ever! Buy the New Book! >>>

As trendy as kettlebells have become, many chain gyms don’t offer enough that you can be sure you’ll get a matching pair at a given time (especially if that time is during peak hours). Your best bet then is to do what you can with a single kettlebell. Incidentally, if you train at home and have just one dumbbell that you’ve been using as a paperweight up until now, this workout applies equally to you (kettlebells and dumbbells can be used interchangeably).

HOW IT WORKS
One bell offers a distinct set of benefits from a pair. Your body will have to compensate for the imbalance by recruiting your core muscles more intensely, and working one side at a time will make for longer sets with a greater cardiovascular demand. Done as a circuit, the exercises that follow raise your heart rate even further, making this workout a great adjunct to a strict diet for fat loss.

DIRECTIONS
The workout consists of two circuits. In Circuit 1, you’ll perform the exercises in sequence for six reps each. Complete as many rounds as possible in six minutes, and then rest one minute. Repeat twice more and then rest two minutes before beginning Circuit 2.

THE WORKOUT >>> [PAGE 2]

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THE WORKOUT

Circuit 1
1. ONE-ARM SNATCH
Reps: 6 (each side) Rest: 0 sec.
Hold a kettlebell in front of your thighs with your right hand and stand with feet between hip and shoulder width. Keep your torso as upright as possible and bend your knees until the weight hangs at mid-shin level—maintain the arch in your lower back. Jump, extending your hips explosively, and raise the weight straight up your body. When it gets to your chest, flip your wrist and “catch” the bell overhead with arm extended.

2. KETTLEBELL PRESS OUT
Reps: 6 Rest: 0 sec.
Hold the weight close to your chest at shoulder level with both hands on the handle and palms facing each other. Squat down as deeply as you can and then press the bell straight out in front of you with arms extended. Bring it back to your chest and repeat for reps while maintaining the squat position.

3. HARD-STYLE KETTLEBELL SWING
Reps: 6 Rest: 0 sec.
Stand with feet hip-width apart and the weight on the floor. Grasp the kettlebell with both hands (palms facing you) and, keeping your lower back flat, extend your hips to raise it off the floor. From there, take a deep breath and bend your hips back, allowing the weight to swing back between your legs. Explosively extend your hips and exhale—allowing the momentum to swing the weight up to shoulder level. Control the descent, but use the momentum to begin the next rep.

Circuit 2
TURKISH GETUP
Lie on your back on the floor holding a kettlebell with your right hand over your chest, arm perpendicular to the floor. Bend your right knee 90 degrees and plant your foot on the floor. Brace your abs and raise your torso off the floor. Use your left hand for support. Now use your right foot to raise your hips off the floor. Sweep your left leg back and rest on your left knee.

Come up to a standing position, and then reverse the motion to return to the floor. Note that the foot that rests on the floor changes with the hand that’s holding the weight (when you perform the getup with the left hand, your left foot will lie flat). Perform one rep with the weight in your right hand and then immediately switch hands and repeat. 

Switch back to your right hand and do two reps. Then do two on your left. Continue adding one extra rep in this fashion until you’re up to five on each side. Without rest, reverse the process and work back down to one rep.

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Men's Fitness training director Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S., assembled a team of the best trainers in the world to create boredom-beating, plateau-busting routines that cover any amount of time you have to exercise and whatever tools you have available to do it. Programs cover every body part, every implement (barbells, dumbbells, bands, etc.), and cardio. There's a nutrition plan, too.

Pick up what Arnold Schwarzenegger called "a fantastic collection of workouts" at 101bestworkouts.com.

This is a preview of our September 2014 cover story, "Michael Strahan's Giant Second Act." For the full version, download the Men's Fitness app for iPhone and iPad or pick up the issue on newsstands. 

He should not be this nimble.

After 15 years of NFL football—all of them on the defensive line, one of the more punishing positions in sports—42-year-old Michael Strahan should be slow. He should be gimpy. He should at least have a limp. But, no. Strahan is agile. He is spry. He is light on his feet, especially for a 250-pound man who spent two entire decades propelling himself into the man-mountains that are offensive linemen, play after play, game after game, year after year. His job was to chase and tackle the quarterback, and he did that as well as any person who’s ever played the game, which is why the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him into its ranks this summer. But in the pursuit of those 141½ sacks and 429 tackles, he played thousands of snaps, most of them resulting in violent contact between him and other giant humans. Somehow he did that without major injury and without doing harm to the body he has to live with for the rest of his life. 

“I feel better than I did when I was playing,” Strahan says, flashing the goofy, gap-toothed grin that is as much his signature as the quarterback sack. “And not only when I was playing [pro], but when I was a young player, in my early 20s.”

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with Michael Strahan>>>

He says this while lying on his back atop a foam roller, stretching out in an empty yoga room in the Upper West Side high-rise where he rents an apartment. Any minute, Strahan’s trainer, Latreal Mitchell (who also lives in the building, for convenience, after being convinced to relocate from L.A.), will arrive for the second of the two daily workouts she oversees for her increasingly famous client on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. 

The morning workout is shorter—a half-hour of high-intensity training with an emphasis on body weight that Strahan does around 7 a.m., before jumping in the shower and walking two blocks to the set of Live with Kelly and Michael, the smash-hit syndicated show he has now been co-hosting five mornings a week for more than two years. (He lives so close that he can see the audience line and studio building from the window of his upper-floor apartment.) Earlier in the day, they’d done kettlebells—three rounds of seven exercises, with minimal breaks. “I hate kettlebells, but I did them,” he says. Other days, they might rotate intervals between the rowing machine, the bike, and the treadmill, which they don’t turn on. Strahan pushes the belt with his own power.

Twice a week, Strahan has no time for the morning session, because he now has to be on set at Good Morning America, which officially added him to its roster of hosts in April. Those days, he heads straight to GMA, performs his hosting duties, then hops in a car for the 17-block trip back uptown to Live.

Strahan looks trimmer than he did when he was playing football, but he actually weighs about the same as he did when he retired—“between 247 and 252 pounds”—after winning the 2008 Super Bowl with the New York Giants, the only team he ever played for. “I’m leaner,” he says. “The weight is distributed differently, but it’s still there.”

To read the rest of "Michael Strahan's Giant Second Act," download the Men's Fitness app for iPhone and iPad. 

During Michael Strahan’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech on Sunday, the former New York Giants defensive end told a story about being 13 years old, when his brothers would call him BOB, which meant “Booty on Back.” They ribbed him so much for being overweight that he went out and bought Jane Fonda workout tapes.

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with Michael Strahan>>>

But no one's teasing him now. Not only was Strahan named to the 2014 NFL Hall of Fame class this month, the Good Morning America co-star also landed the September cover of Men’s Fitness, showing off a chiseled and lean frame that makes him think that he could still strap his pads on and take the field. Strahan, 42, says he actually weighs almost the same as he did during his playing days – “between 247 and 252 pounds” – but that the weight is more eventually distributed now.

Strahan has replaced much of his heavy-lifting training with more high-intensity cardio work and more bodyweight and functional training. It doesn’t hurt that his personal trainer also lives in the same building where he rents an apartment in New York, a couple blocks away from the GMA set.

Michael Strahan's Giant Second Act>>>

His trainer, Latreal Mitchell, holds him to a simple set of rules, Strahan explains in his September cover story: Minimize sugar, dairy, and pasta; focus on a high-protein diet. Mitchell demands that Strahan adhere to her “80/20” plan, which means he eats clean 80% of the time.

“Don’t get me wrong, I eat sugar,” Strahan said, although he admitted that his tastes for sweets have changed. The Oreos he loved as a kid now taste like “a stale cookie with Crisco on top.”

Strahan retired from football at the top of his game, just after winning a Super Bowl. He successfully transitioned into one of the most coveted host chairs in television, the one left behind by the legendary Regis Philbin. Then he landed a spot on the TV analyst desk at Fox NFL Sunday. He changed his diet and training regime and says his body feels better than it did when he was player. In his Hall of Fame speech, Strahan called his rise to stardom “improbable.”

It’s hard to think that anything that involves Strahan is improbabke anymore. Well, except for maybe a return to the field.

“In my head I think I’ve still got it,” he told writer Josh Dean in our September feature. “But I take one hit, man, and I know I’d probably be on the ground for an hour.”

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FLAX SEED WAFFLES WITH SAUSAGE
Makes: 3 waffles and 3 sausage patties

INGREDIENTS

WAFFLES
1/2 tbsp flaxseeds
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp wheat germ
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
Dash salt
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup whisked eggs (about 11⁄2 eggs)
1/2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Sugar-free syrup

SAUSAGES
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/2 lb ground pork

DIRECTIONS

TO PREPARE WAFFLES
1) Place flaxseeds in a coffee grinder or blender and process until ground. Set the flaxseed meal aside.
2) Spoon both flours into measuring cups and level. Combine the flaxseed meal, flours, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
3) In another bowl, combine milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla, and then add to flour mixture, stirring until moist.
4) Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray; preheat. Spoon 1/5-cup of batter per 4-inch waffle onto the hot iron, spreading batter to edges. Cook 6 minutes or until steaming stops. Repeat with remaining batter.
5) Serve waffles with sugar-free syrup.

TO PREPARE SAUSAGES
1) Mix spices in a small bowl and then mix into the pork with your hands. Form 3 patties.
2) Place a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the pork and pan-fry 3–4 minutes per side or until no longer pink in the center.

NUTRITION

774 calories, 77g protein, 56g carbs, 25g fat

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FLOURLESS PANCAKES
Makes: 5 large cakes

INGREDIENTS

2 bananas 
4 whole eggs
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
Strawberry preserves or strawberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1) Blend the bananas, eggs, and almond butter to make a batter (you can use a blender on a low setting or mix the ingredients with a fork).

2) Heat a medium-size skillet on high. Pour in the coconut oil. When it’s hot, add the batter to form cakes. Cook until bubbles form and burst and then flip. Cook another minute or until undersides of pancakes are brown.

3) Plate the pancakes and cover with strawberry preserves or fresh strawberries, if you like. (The pancakes are sweet enough without it.)

NUTRITION

812 calories, 34g protein, 60g carbs, 52g fat

EGGS BENEDICT WITH CRAB
Makes: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup grass-fed whole milk
1/4 cup light mayo
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp grass-fed butter
1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 large eggs
2 English muffins, toasted
4 oz fresh lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
Cracked black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1) To make the sauce, combine first 5 ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring with a whisk. Add butter and stir until it melts. Keep warm.

2) To make eggs, add water to a large skillet, filling it two- thirds full. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer.

3) Add white wine vinegar to the water. Break each egg into a cup and then pour it gently into pan. Cook for 3 minutes or until your preferred doneness.

4) Place 1 muffin, cut sides up, on each of 2 plates, and divide crab among muffins. Remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon.

5) Gently place 1 egg on each muffin half. Top each serving with about 3 tbsp sauce. Sprinkle with cracked pepper. Garnish with chives, if desired.

NUTRITION

298 calories, 18g protein, 27g carbs, 12g fat

YOGURT PARFAIT
Makes: 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp apricot preserves
1 cup sliced strawberries 
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat granola
1 tbsp slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS

1) Place apricot preserves in a bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds or until preserves melt. Add strawberries and toss gently to coat.

2) Spoon some yogurt into a glass; top with strawberry mixture. Repeat these layers, then top with granola and almonds. Serve.

NUTRITION

273 calories, 15g protein, 47g carbs, 5g fat

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PESTO BURRITO
Makes: 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

2 whole eggs
1 1/2 tsp nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp prepared pesto sauce
3 grape tomatoes, sliced
1 slice turkey bacon
1 10-inch flour tortilla
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grapes

DIRECTIONS

1) Beat the eggs in a bowl with the yogurt until blended, and then stir in the cheddar.

2) Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onion and pesto sauce and cook until the onion is translucent.

3) Add the tomatoes to the pesto and onion and stir. Now pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook and stir until the eggs are cooked, about 3 minutes. Transfer everything from the skillet and set aside.

4) Place the turkey bacon in the skillet and fry until thoroughly cooked and starting to crisp. When the bacon is done, remove from the pan.

5) Respray the skillet and place the tortilla onto it. Heat until it’s warm. Remove to a plate.

6) Spoon the eggs and turkey bacon into the tortilla’s center and season wit h salt and pepper. Fold the bottom 2 inches of the tortilla up to enclose the filling and wrap tightly. Serve with grapes on the side.

NUTRITION

687 calories, 34g protein, 70g carbs, 32g fat

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Brian Scalabrine is returning to the Boston Celtics as a broadcast announcer and he’s getting started much the same way he did as a player. No matter when his name was called – which wasn’t often – he was ready to make an impact on the game. Scalabrine penned a truly hysterical LeBron James-style “I’m Coming Home” letter, which was posted to cnsne.com.

Seriously, this just adds to the many reasons that a guy like Brian Scalabrine is a fan favorite. For starters, he doesn’t look like the average NBA player. He looks more like the tall guy that you’d see in your after-work pickup basketball league. But he’s also the kind of guy that you’d love to grab a beer with and watch the game. Now Bostonians will get to hear him call their games.

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This letter is just one more reason to love the White Mamba.

Honestly, his entire letter is is worth reading. Even better if you read it out loud. He parodies James’ delivery perfectly, complete with a few random tangents that are just genius. Here’s are a couple of highlights:

I guess I was kind of like the fans except I had a courtside seat for free and if we were up by 20 with less than two minutes to play I would get to go into the game.  Where was I – the great American city of Boston.  In Boston, people's passion can be overwhelming.  But it drove me.  The Celtics hadn’t won a championship since the Larry Bird era of the 80s, so I wanted to give them hope when I could.  I wanted to inspire them when I could.  My relationship with Boston became bigger than basketball.  I didn’t realize that when I left Boston in free agency four years ago.  I do now.

He relieved a time when he left Boston and signed with the Chicago Bulls, comparing it to “graduate school” and like LeBron, refused to promise a championship in his first season.

When I left Boston, I was on a mission. I was seeking another championship. I wanted to ride in another parade, pop enormous bottles of champagne, and maybe even crash the podium.  But Chicago already knew that feeling with MJ and Oakland had that feeling in baseball with the Bash Brothers.  How did those guys only win one ring together? Seriously. Celtics fans haven't had that feeling since I was last there.  My goal is for the Celtics to win the most titles of any other NBA franchise, and I will not sleep until we are done.  No question.

I always believed that I’d return to Boston and finish my career there. I just didn’t know when. After the season, I went to see 22 Jump Street. Then, I saw They Came Together with Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler. It was delightful. But I have two girls and one boy. We have a lovely family. I started thinking about what it would be like to raise my family in Boston, well not like downtown, more like Metro West or at least twenty minutes outside the city. I looked at other teams, but I wasn’t going to leave Oakland for anywhere except Boston…or maybe Chicago…or maybe Brooklyn…or possibly Los Angeles to go back with Doc. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.

Perfect.  The whole thing is perfect.

The shoulder joint is incredibly mobile and responsible for a large amount of movements in sports such as pressing overhead, blocking, and throwing. The best bet for adding size and strength are compound movements that recruit the deltoids, scapula, rotator cuffs, hips, and trunk for improving functional strength.

This muscle-building workout designed by Mike Strevel, C.P.T., training manager at David Barton Gym, will target the deltoids and scapula for total shoulder development. 

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1. Feet-Elevated Pushup
Sets: 5
Reps: 10-12
Rest: 2 min.
Lying facedown on the floor, place your hands shoulder-width apart from each other. Place your toes on top of a bench. Lower yourself slowly until your shoulders and elbows are parallel. Press your upper body back  to the start position, exhaling as you lift off the floor.

2. Dumbbell Overhead Press
(load should be 70% of your one-rep max)
Sets: 5
Reps: 8
Rest: 90 sec.
Sit on a bench and place the dumbbells upright on top of your thighs. Bring the dumbbells up one at a time to shoulder height at each side. Rotate the wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing forward. Press the dumbbells toward the ceiling to full lockout, then slowly return them to the starting position.

3. Face Pull
Sets: 4
Reps: 15-20
Rest: 1 min.
Attach a rope or a dual handle to a cable adjusted to shoulder height. Pull the weight toward your face, separate your hands, then bring your elbows up and back.

4A. Seated Alternating to Full Dumbbell Press
(load should be 35-50% of 1RM)
Sets: 4
Reps: 10 (each side), then 10 with both arms at same time.
While seated and your palms facing forward for your start position, raise the dumbbells to full extension. Slowly lower only one arm at a time, then press the dumbbell straight up and back into start position. Keep your non-moving hand stationary or in a lockout until the opposite hand returns to the top. Pause, then return weight to start. After completing 10 alternating reps go right into 10 full reps.

4B. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Sets: 4
Reps: 12
Rest: 90 sec.
While standing with proper posture and dumbbells in each hand. Lift the dumbbells out to your side with a slight bend in your elbows and your hands tilted like you were pouring a jug of water. Raise your hands until parallel with the shoulders, then lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

The Full Body Stability Workout >>>

If you've seen Style Spot's premiere and episode 2, you know the drill: our deputy editor Dean Stattmann brings you the latest in fashion,grooming,mixology, and celebrity interviews. In this special edition of Style Spot, Dean sits down with the face of Paco Rabanne's new invigorating fragrance Invictus, Nick Youngquest. It's easy to see why Paco Rabanne chose this 30-year-old former pro rugby player. The chiseled-bodied Aussie possesses the look and swagger of a modern champion, fully encapsulating what Invictus is all about—a fresh scent with a marine accord and woody notes. In this video interview, Nick further talks about the unique notes (and packaging) of Invictus, plus shares what he does to stay in shape.

Style Spot is shot at Felice, 15 Gold Street, in New York City.

Building a large social media following can transform your life. With access to a huge network, you can unlock resources, revenue streams, and, of course, the potential to get your big ideas out into the world. Establish yourself strongly in a specific market—and become an “influencer”—and brands will even start seeking you out (and hooking you up with free swag) in hopes of getting some love in your social streams. Of course, ascending to social media royalty isn’t easy. It’s a vast battlefield out there. But with a strategic plan of attack, and the best technology, you can capture your niche and reign over it with pride.

Pick Your Battles

The British tried to rule the whole world and eventually failed in spectacular fashion. Remember this as you consider your personal social media strategy, because you can’t engage on every front. If you try creating content for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+, Tumblr, and Vine individually each and every day you’ll find your kingdom collapsing around you. Either you won’t have time to do anything else, or your efforts on each platform will be weak and unfocussed.

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Start by identifying the type of content you’re primarily producing and sharing already. This can be pictures, videos, written text, or blog posts— even audio recordings, music, or podcasts. From there, you’ll need to figure out which social network and audience best matches your style. Facebook is great for connecting with friends, but if you’re a visual artist you need to be on Tumblr. Comedians have found great success on Vine and YouTube. Writers seem to love the confines of 140 characters on Twitter, and it’s the perfect
place to share links to things you’ve written as well.

A great way to maximize your exposure is to focus on smaller or niche sites where your content can really take off. While people watch billions of hours of video on YouTube every month, new channels are lucky if they’re able to garner even a few dozen subscribers. But if you’re dead-set on making videos, a smaller niche site or app might be the ticket. Ever heard of Socialcam? For a time it was the hottest new network on the planet, an “Instagram for video” years before Instagram actually added video. I have 1.6 million followers there, because it matches my skills perfectly. My background is in video, and I’ve honed my on-screen presence contributing to the Today show, CNN, HLN, and Fuse. I leveraged my advantage by putting my skills to work on the small screen and producing killer (if I do say so) mobile videos. As a bonus, because I started on the network early, I was able to produce content day after day to stand out and build a large following there. Don’t be afraid to be an early adopter of new social platforms.

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Seize More Resources

China invented gunpowder, but it was the armies of Europe who perfected its use to spread their influence (and bullets) far and wide. If you’re just starting to ramp up your social media efforts, don’t reinvent gunpowder; instead, take advantage of what others have already built by leveraging the latest in social apps.

Just because you’re a photographer who’s decided to zero in on Instagram, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be paying attention to other social networks or have your content be visible there. Test drive a few different “dashboards”—apps like TweetDeck and Hootsuite that show you the big picture by displaying multiple social streams on-screen at the same time. Now you can see the larger conversation or engage with followers on multiple networks from a single view. Instagram might be the best place to post new pictures you’re taking, but by posting those same pictures to Facebook and Twitter as well, you’ll get tons more engagement. Dashboards save you time (no need to visit the Twitter or Facebook websites) and make you incredibly efficient.

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Of course, you can become even more streamlined by using tools that automatically share your content everywhere natively. Cross-posting your social content with a dashboard isn’t seamless, since your audience might have to click through a link to see your picture (think about how Instagram photos work when posted to Twitter). IFTTT (If This Then That) is a tool that puts a powerful collection of functions in your pocket. For instance, you could take a photo from Instagram and then cross-post it to a dozen other social networks, or it could scan your inbox for new Twitter follower notifications and automatically write people back thanking them. Buffer is a another great app that plugs into your Twitter account and constantly shares posts from a queue at regular intervals throughout the day.

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It Takes a Village

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and no matter how big a deal you think you are, nobody in this world succeeds entirely on their own. Social media is by definition about people, and therein lies your most valuable tool for success.

My buddy Gary Vaynerchuk turned his family’s small liquor store business into a major online wine retailer by being an early web video pioneer with his Wine Library TV show. Gary is an early adopter of virtually every network out there, including dozens you’ve probably never heard of, and he sets the bar high by trying to respond to every tweet or comment he gets and doing his best to help everyone who comes to him on social. Just ask anyone he’s personally helped with a business problem on Facebook. Or ask those who received a free bottle of wine from him because they asked him what it tastes like. But while Gary is just one person, he makes an around-the-clock impact because his followers are more like advocates; they love to amplify his content.

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If you’re just beginning to take your social media to the next level, it’s easy to get discouraged when you’re posting to a small following. While everyone wants to be friends with someone who has a million followers, what you need to do instead is build relationships with people in your league. Ten people with 10,000 active followers who retweet you can make a piece of content go viral in a single day.

Just don’t be an annoying brat constantly trying to get someone’s attention, because nobody likes a court jester. Other kings want to feel as if they’re at least dealing with a prince.

Hit Your Targets

Sometimes it pays to try and buy up the land before attempting to win it in battle. Similarly, you shouldn’t be afraid to spend some money to win big in the social media game. I don’t mean buying fake followers, because that trick can give the wrong impression, especially when you’re caught. Instead, spend some money to attract exactly the followers you want. On Facebook, running a paid social campaign is the perfect way to target exactly the kinds of followers you want. Facebook knows so much about its users that if you want to target male fixed-gear bicycle fanatics in Austin, TX, between the ages of 25 and 40, you can promote a post, picture, or story directly to that audience. On Twitter, while you don’t have the same level of analytics available, you can easily gain like-minded followers or insert and amplify your opinion into a trending conversation with a promoted tweet.

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For Michael Strahan's 2014 workout plan, download the Men's Fitness app for iPhone and iPad or pick up the new September issue on newsstands. 

Strahan trains five days a week with a whole-body circuit that incorporates vertical and horizontal push and pull movements, a mix of hip- and knee- dominant exercises, rotational movements, and core work. “My philosophy is making sure our workouts are functional, so that Michael doesn’t throw out his back picking up a grocery bag,” says Latreal Mitchell, Strahan’s trainer. “We train in all planes of motion and keep it challenging.” Here’s a typical week:

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

With a hat on and under the right light, Jon Stewart still gets carded. The 52-year-old from Utah attributes bartenders’ youthful suspicions to good genes. But watching him conquer the Denver finals course on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior, you also have to attribute it to his ripped frame.

The rock climber and father of five became the oldest competitor to qualify for the finale of the NBC show filmed in Las Vegas. On September 15, he will tackle Mt. Midoriyama – an obstacle course considered one of the toughest in the world – along with 11 other competitors, many of them half his age. We spoke with Stewart to hear more about his training regimen and secret to staying young, even after being alive for more than half a century.

Men’s Fitness: I have to ask, how old do people usually think you are?

John Stewart: A lot of times I do get carded. I do look pretty young, like late 20s or early 30s. Occasionally they think I’m in my 40s but no one ever guesses I’m in my 50s.

MF: So how do you stay in shape and maintain that youthfulness?

JS: I’ve always been active and it’s been important to take care of myself. Anytime I exercise, I feel good. I come back feeling younger. I love doing that hard sweaty exercise because I feel great. About 20 years ago I started rock climbing and bouldering. I love to be outdoors climbing on something. You totally lose your stress from the world – all your daily rigmarole – you just focus. You are so intense, it’s exhilarating.

MF: What do think about when you climb or workout?

JS: Your mind just kind of clears and you just think about nothing. Life is good. This is good. I feel like I belong outdoors and so when I’m out there on that rock I feel like I am one with the rock and it’s just awesome.

MF: So after you found out you were going to be a contestant on American Ninja Warrior, how did you start preparing?

JS: The first time I found out I was pretty dang excited, and then it's like 'What am I going to do to get ready?' I had already built some obstacles but I thought, 'I have to step up my game and start getting in better shape.' I started running a couple times a week to get lean. I started doing quite a bit of pullups, weighted pullup variations, and pushups, which I always do on my fingers.

MF: You build obstacles in your backyard?

JS: I work in construction, so that wasn’t a problem; I have access to materials. As soon as I saw that I was on [ANW] I started hanging stuff and building stuff. I had to make everything a little bit tougher. I had to build a salmon ladder that has 18 rungs on it to make it harder than the show. That’s my philosophy.

MF: The salmon ladder that you built is 30 feet tall.  It’s an obstacle that uses a loose bar and pegs to climb while doing pullups. Why build it?

JS: That’s what happens when the wife goes to her sisters for three or four days. She was just like ‘holy crap,’ and then right after the initial awe of it she says ‘OK I don’t want you getting hurt on this thing.’

MF: What was it like to build this monstrosity?

JS: It was terribly exhausting. I started one day and got it on some palates and the next day I stood it all the way up. It was the best workout I’ve had in a while. After I got it set up, I had to put some ropes on it for safety, so I spent about three or four hours doing that, then I gave it a go. I made it all the way to the big gap at the top. Even to this day I have to be pretty fresh to make it to the top. It’s hard. It’s like doing 40 pullups.

MF: Now that you are into the finals in Vegas, what sage advice can you offer the younger competitors?

JS: It would be that you have got to have a strong desire to vary things. Don’t just lift weights; do some CrossFit training, pullups, ropes, running, jumping on things. I always do pullups on my door jam to like, do things that aren’t normal. Try to vary it up and grab and hang on things. 

Crank Out More Pullups >>>

Financial journalist Erik Schatzker shared a problem common with Men’s Fitness readers—trying to keep in shape while advancing his career and making time for family. In 2005, when Schatzker relocated to New York City with his wife and kids to take over Bloomberg’s financial services coverage, something had to give. “I’d get to work at 6 a.m., leave at 7 p.m., and work at home till midnight,” he says. “I didn’t know where the rest of my life fit.”

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Small Steps

In 2007, Schatzker switched roles once again, moving over to Bloomberg Television (where he now co-hosts the show Market Makers, airing every day from 10–12 p.m. ET). His schedule improved, but lack of exercise and a reliance on takeout food had already taken their toll. “I was getting a little soft around the edges,” Schatzker says, dryly. “That’s when I started to realize that as you get older your metabolism slows down.” At age 37, he stood 5'9", weighed 176, and could no longer ignore his growing belly.

Schatzker’s first step toward shedding weight was to clean up his diet. “I ate fewer starches and more vegetables,” he says. 

Predictably, Schatzker leaned out a bit, but it wasn’t until his 40th birthday was on the horizon that he decided to take the next step. “That’s when I thought, ‘Can you really afford to be this lazy at this age?’ ” Schatzker began taking advantage of a gym in the basement of his apartment building, riding an exercise bike and performing makeshift strength workouts.

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“I went down there when I had time,” he says. “It could have been a few times a week, or two weeks without going at all.”

Hip Check

If everyday health wasn’t enough to motivate Schatzker to be consistent, a serious health threat was. He had begun feeling pain in his left hip that made it difficult to even get out of bed. His doctor diagnosed it as impingement—the head of the femur bone in his leg was pinching the labrum, the connective tissue that lines the hip joint—and presented Schatzker with two options: Start strengthening the muscles around the hip, or undergo an invasive surgery.

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The scare spurred Schatzker to action. He hired a trainer and began working out three days per week. “I made great progress, and it was the first time I saw what the right approach to getting fit was,” he says. “Programmatic, disciplined, regular.” Unfortunately for Schatzker, surgery proved unavoidable.

By the summer of 2012, the pain had worsened to the point where Schatzker had to give up all exercise. And after an MRI revealed significant cartilage damage, Schatzker elected to have the surgery that November to reshape the bone in his leg and repair the damage.

“Coming out of the surgery, my doctor said if you want to go back to the life you want to lead, you’ll have to rehab aggressively.”

Schatzker set a goal: He would ski— his favorite hobby— before the season ended. By January, Schatzker was going to a physical therapy clinic and working out in a gym. Though his job had him getting up at 4 a.m. to go to the studio and film his show, he was done by the afternoon and free to train.

“I skied in Vermont that Easter,” Schatzker says. “I went on the black diamond trails, and my wife said I was crazy. But I had put the work in, and I felt confident I could do it.” Remarkably, Schatzker’s hip felt better than ever.

Fit For Life

Today, at 44 years old and 157 pounds, Schatzker has finally made exercise a permanent part of his routine. He strength trains two or three times per week and swims or uses a rowing machine another two or three days.

“When you’re working long hours, your energy level and productivity really drop off,” he says. “But when you’re fit, you have more energy. You don’t have to be fanatical about [exercise],” he says. “Extremism is a bad thing. But I found that a little discipline goes a long way.”

Michael Strahan's Giant Second Act >>>

Michael Strahan may have hung up his cleats after his Super Bowl–winning 2007 season with the New York Giants, but he’s still a jock at heart. The Live with Kelly and Michael co-host trains twice a day, three days a week, and throws in two more single sessions a week for good measure, usually taking weekends completely off. While Strahan doesn’t need to be in defensive lineman shape to handle his 5'3" co-host, his workouts—and physique—don’t indicate he’s lightened up much since exiting the gridiron. We asked Strahan’s trainer for the details of his program.

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HOW IT WORKS    
“Our morning workouts are high-endurance, functional sessions,” says Latreal Mitchell, Strahan’s trainer (latrealmitchell.com). “The second session of the day is heavy lifting—more of a bodybuilding split.” The combination keeps Strahan healthy and lean while maintaining muscle. Included here is a typical morning routine, done as a circuit to keep the heart rate up and build conditioning, and a sample afternoon session, where the back, hamstrings, and abs are targeted.

DIRECTIONS
Perform the morning workout as a circuit. Complete one set for each exercise in turn, resting as little as possible between exercises. Repeat for 3–4 total circuits. (The workout should take 20–30 minutes.) Perform the afternoon workout as straight sets, completing three sets of 10 reps for each exercise in turn.

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MORNING WORKOUT

1. BATTLING ROPE UP/DOWN WAVE
Reps: Repeat for 30–45 sec.
Attach battling ropes to a secure anchor point and grasp an end in each hand. Get into an athletic stance with hips and knees bent and raise both ends in the air. Slam them down into the floor and repeat as quickly as possible—your reps should cause the rope to make waves.

2. SLIDER KNEE TUCK
Reps: 20
Get into pushup position, resting your feet on furniture sliders, Valslides (available at valslide.com), or towels or paper plates (if you’re on a waxed wooden floor). Brace your abs and draw your knees up to your chest, sliding your feet along the floor. Don’t let your lower back round.

3. BATTLE ROPE IN/OUT WAVE (PICTURED ABOVE)
Reps: Repeat for 30–45 sec.
Set up as you did for the up/down wave but spread your arms apart and out to your sides. Now bring them in front of you quickly. Repeat to create waves.

4. KETTLEBELL SWING
Reps: 20
Hold a kettlebell with both hands (or grasp one of the ends of a dumbbell) and bend your hips back while keeping your lower back in its natural arch. Allow your knees to bend naturally. When you feel a stretch in your glutes, explosively extend your hips and let the momentum swing the weight up to eye level.

5. ALTERNATING REVERSE LUNGE
Reps: Repeat for 30–45 sec. (each side)
Set up as you did for the previous rope waves and begin waving the rope with alternating hands—raise your left arm and then the right; slam the left side and then the right. While you’re waving the rope, step back with one leg into a lunge, lowering your body until your back knee is just above the floor.

6. MEDICINE BALL SLAM
Reps: 20
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold an eight- to 10-pound ball in front of your chest. Raise your arms overhead until you feel a stretch in your abs, then throw the ball hard into the floor. Catch it on the rebound.

7. V-UP WITH SWISS BALL
Reps: 10
Lie on your back on the floor and place a Swiss ball between your feet. Squeeze the ball and raise it off the floor with your legs straight. At the same time crunch your torso up and reach for the ball with your arms straight. Pass the ball from your feet to your hands and lower your torso and legs to the floor, reaching the ball behind your head. Repeat the V-up and pass the ball back to your feet. Each pass is one rep.

8. JUMP ROPE
Reps: Jump for 60 sec.
The rope’s handles should reach up to chest level when you stand in the middle of it. Perform any style of jump you like for 60 seconds.

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AFTERNOON WORKOUT

1. TEMPO PULLUP
Hang from a pullup bar with hands outside shoulder width and palms facing forward. Take three seconds to pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Take one second to lower yourself to the starting position.

2. STIFF-LEG DEADLIFT/ROW COMBO (PICTURED ABOVE)
Hold a barbell at arm’s length in front of your thighs. Brace your abs and bend your hips back, keeping your lower back in its natural arch. Allow your knees to bend only slightly, and continue until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. From there, squeeze your shoulder blades together and row the bar to your belly. Lower the bar and extend your hips to come straight up again. That’s one rep.

3. ACTIVE PLANK
Get into pushup position with your abs braced. Now arch your back and bring your hips toward the floor. From there, bend your hips and push your hands into the floor. Drive your butt back and up until your torso forms a straight line with your arms and you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and calves.

4. REAR-DELT CABLE CROSSOVER
Attach D-handles to the pulleys of two facing cable stations. Grasp the handles with the opposite hands and cross the cables over. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and draw your arms back and out to your sides. Hold the contraction for a moment.

5. SINGLE-LEG CLOCK SQUAT
Stand on one leg, holding one end of a dumbbell with both hands. Bend back at the hips and then bend your knee and, keeping your chest up, lower your body while reaching slightly to your left side. Imagine a clock face on the floor and touch the end of the dumbbell at 11 o’clock. Stand back up and squat down again and touch 12 o’clock. Repeat, and reach to the right to touch 1 o’clock. Each touch is one rep. Re- peat on the other leg.

6. STRAIGHT-LEG HANGING LEG RAISE
Hang from a pullup bar with hands either facing each other or forward. Contract your abs and raise your legs all the way up to the bar.

7. SUSPENDED ROW
Use a suspension trainer and lengthen the straps as needed. Hold the handles and lean back, away from the anchor point, so your body is between a 45-degree angle and parallel with the floor. Row your body up to the handles.

8. SUSPENDED LEG CURL (PICTURED ABOVE)
Lower the straps to near the floor and lie on your back—place your feet in the foot cradles. Brace your abs and drive your heels downward to raise your hips off the floor. From there, bend your knees and draw your heels back toward your butt.

9. SUSPENDED SIDE PLANK
Place your feet in the foot cradles and rest on your left forearm. Bridge your hips up so your body forms a straight line. Lower your hips to the floor. That’s one rep. Complete your reps and then repeat immediately on the other side.

10 Ways to Gain Muscle >>>

Summer is still in full swing, which means you should be on top of your juice and smoothie game. Candice Kumai, celebrity chef and author of Clean Green Drinks, has rounded up three muscle-building post-workout smoothies, and three cleansing juice recipes to keep you on track. 

1) The Peaches and Green Protein

f you haven’t experienced the wonders of pea protein yet, I suggest you give it a whirl. It delivers 9 grams of protein per serving and takes care of 30% of your daily recommended amount of iron. 

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup kale
1 tablespoon green superfood
1/2 frozen banana
2 cups frozen peaches
1 teaspoon spirulina
4 tablespoons (1 scoop) protein powder

DIRECTIONS

Add ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

2) The Green Mango Booster

If you love the combo of banana and mango, you’ll love this naturally power-boosting smoothie with bee pollen and spirulina.

INGREDIENTS

11/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup frozen mango
1 frozen banana
1 teaspoon bee pollen
2 teaspoons spirulina
4 tablespoons (1 scoop) protein powder

DIRECTIONS

Add ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

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3) The Blueberry Protein “Power” Shake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
2 cups frozen blueberries
4 tablespoons (1 scoop) protein powder
1 cup ice

DIRECTIONS

Add ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

4) The Ginger Peach

This fresh combination of peaches, ginger, kale, and coconut water will have you energized and hydrated, naturally. Kale is packed with iron, perfect for post-workout replenishing.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups kale
5 cups baby spinach
1 teaspoon fresh ginger 3⁄4 peach, pitted
1/4 cup coconut water

DIRECTIONS

Juice kale, spinach, ginger, and sliced peach into a glass. Add the coconut water and whisk well to combine.

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5) The Sweet Melon Kale Elixir

With a hint of refreshing honeydew melon, cucumber, and kale, this green juice is a sweet and hydrating way to nourish your body with natural electrolytes after the gym.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups kale
1 cup honeydew melon
1 medium cucumber
1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients into a juicer and juice. Pour into glass, whisk in lemon juice, and serve immediately.

6) The Cinnamon Beet

Cleansing, filling, and good for you? You bet! This fresh juice will reinvigorate you after a long run, and give your tired body a fresh kick.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups baby spinach
1 cup kale
1 medium beet, scrubbed, halved
1 medium cucumber
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients into a juicer and juice. Whisk in the cinnamon and serve. 

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Hard work always pays off. Always. But that doesn't mean you need to spend all of your time clocking in the hours and grinding away. This workout is quick, but tough, and you'll leave the gym burning fat long after your last circuit.

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DIRECTIONS:

Complete 3-6 rounds of the circuit with 30-60 seconds rest in between. More advanced athletes can increase the number of rounds and reduce rest periods.
Select an amount of resistance you can perform 1-2 reps more than the prescribed amount. 

THE WORKOUT:

Dumbbell Thruster x 20
Dumbbell Bent Over Row x 10
Pushup x failure
Dumbbell Curl x 10
Dumbbell Skull Crusher x 10
Plank Variation x failure

Advice:

1. Perform all of the movements quickly and intensely, but remember to focus on controlling the weight and always keep tension on the muscle group(s) being worked.
2. If you have shoulder issues (like Mike in the video) always do overhead presses movements with dumbbells and with a neutral grip. For pushups, position your hands slightly further back than normal, and tuck your elbows closer to your sides instead of flaring them outward.

Get Mike's Real Workout Routines: Download the #21DayShred for only $4.99>>>