Summer, we hate to see you go, but we love to watch you leave… For our farewell ode to warm weather and lazy-days, here are the current hottest women of surfing. As the wave competition still snaps on for these ladies in hotter locales, these top athletes prove that the end of our favorite season has never looked better.
SEE THEM IN ACTION: The Swatch ASP World Tour Stop #7: Tresles >>>
All week long, we've been showing you a muscle-building strategy that forces your muscles to grow by pausing an exercise at a point in its range of motion. It's called the Countdown Sets Workout, and you can find the complete program here. Our training director Sean Hyson has been demonstrating all the exercises from Day I and Day II. Watch Day III here to see proper form of the moves.
Day 3 of the Countdown Sets Workout:
DIRECTIONS
Perform each workout (Days I, II, and III) once per week, resting a day between each session. Perform exercises marked with a letter (“A,” “B,” and sometimes “C,” or even “D”) in sequence, resting as needed in between. So you’ll do a set of A, rest, then B, rest again, and repeat until all the prescribed sets are done. Perform the remaining exercises as straight sets.
1A. Front Squat
Sets: 4 Reps: 5
1B. Dip
Sets: 3 Reps: Count down from 5
2A. Chest-Supported Row
Sets: 3 Reps: Count down from 5
2B. Leg Curl
Sets: 3 Reps: 10
2C. Hanging Leg Raise
Sets: 3 Reps: 10
2D: Hammer Curl
Sets: 3 Reps: 12
Countdown sets is a muscle-building strategy where you force your muscles to grow by pausing an exercise at a point in its range of motion. Head over here for the complete workout, and here for video of Day I. Then watch our training director Sean Hyson demonstrate proper form of the moves from Day II.
Day 2 of the Countdown Sets Workout:
DIRECTIONS
Perform each workout (Days I, II, and III) once per week, resting a day between each session. Perform exercises marked with a letter (“A,” “B,” and sometimes “C,” or even “D”) in sequence, resting as needed in between. So you’ll do a set of A, rest, then B, rest again, and repeat until all the prescribed sets are done. Perform the remaining exercises as straight sets.
- See more at: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/workout-routines/video-countdown-set...
The latest proposed solutions to America’s weight problem include multi-year nutrition experiments, mimicking the biology of grizzly bears, and eating more butter.
But we don’t need to spend millions of dollars studying single nutrients, nor must we try to replicate the metabolic processes associated with hibernation; and eating more butter is not the answer to our weight problems either (unfortunately). Rather, we already know what we need to do in order to lose weight; eat a well-balanced diet of real foods in modest quantities and engage in regular physical activity. Our longstanding problem isn't figuring out how to lose weight. It’s actually doing it.
So much of weight loss lies in changing behavior, which is especially challenging when our society (with its junk-food marketing and sedentary jobs) and biology (the body's natural drive to maintain its current weight) conspires against us. Engaging in healthy behaviors may be even harder for obese individuals who are likely to feel uncomfortable and perhaps stigmatized in the very places that could benefit them most - like the gym.
Enter Downsize Fitness. It might be the most important gym in the country.
The Most Luxurious Gyms in America >>>
Downsize is a chain of “gyms” for overweight and obese people only. Members receive intensive weight-loss support in a community where they feel accepted and fit in, both literally and figuratively.
“Getting in shape is a dramatically different journey for someone who is obese; simply climbing a flight of chairs can be a challenge,” says Downsize CEO Kishan Shah (who has his own compelling weight-loss story). Shah understands firsthand that, “standard gym equipment is not suited for larger bodies, which is why at Downsize, equipment and classes are intentionally designed for overweight and obese users.”
Downsize goes beyond just the physical to ensure the emotional and nutritional challenges that often accompany drastic weight loss are also addressed. You won’t see full-wall mirrors or judgment from other gym-goers here. The gym offers nutritional counseling courses focused on sustained health behavior change for obesity.
Perhaps the most powerful ingredient in the Downsize recipe is the fact that 95% of the gym's staff has experienced personal weight loss transformations, with prior obesity being a preferred criterion for job-applicants. “We're highly empathetic to our members. Since we’ve been there before, and since many of us are still on that journey, we make amazing mentors who should be easy to talk to and learn from,” Shah explained.
8 Ways to Ignite Your Metabolism >>>
The company's website boasts that Downsize members have lost thousands of pounds and are less likely to cycle out of membership versus obese users in traditional gyms. At its core, Downsize removes traditional barriers to entry and touches on multiple dimensions of weight loss; and it does so with a special kind of quality borne out of empathy from staff that know the challenge of weight loss firsthand. This holistic approach makes starting and continuing on what might otherwise be a prohibitive journey more feasible for overweight and obese individuals.
The story of Downsize is especially encouraging because the model is highly replicable. While many gyms are working to create environments that promote inclusivity, they are not going far enough to design comprehensive programs that are built around the unique demands of overweight and obese people. Although an approach like that of Downsize requires additional investment above and beyond a traditional gym, the market for it is huge, with nearly 70% of the American population being overweight or obese. If the Downsize model continues to prove effective for weight loss, one could even envision a world in which health insurance companies begin covering membership fees and doctors write “prescriptions” to enroll in these types of gyms.
You probably won’t find six-packs at Downsize. What you will find is a promising approach to weight loss. The demand is clear – it’s up to the fitness industry to meet it and play an increasingly meaningful role in thwarting one of our country’s greatest public health threats.
Brad Stulberg is a Population Health consultant for a large integrated health care system. His portfolio of work includes exploring innovative ways to keep people healthy. Follow him on Twitter @Bstulberg.
Whether you're crunched for time or simply need to shake up your current workout program, circuit training is your answer. Defined as performing one exercise after another with minimal to no rest in between, circuit training is one of the most effective ways to maximize your workout time. And circuit training is just as effective for the beginning as it is for the advanced since it can all be scaled to challenge you according to your individual fitness level and goals.
A circuit can be made of machines, free weights, bodyweight exercises or a combination of these elements. And, even though the cardiovascular effect of circuit training workouts is enhanced due to the minimal rest involved, you can also utilize cardio intervals to further enhance the caloric expenditure and fat-burning effects.
When designing your circuit, choose compound exercises, such as squats, pushups and lunges, whenver possible. These moves ensure that you're truly maximizing your workout by hitting the most muscle groups possible. Also, follow this 4-part framework that provides a killer full-body workout while torching major calories. You can repeat the same four moves for the entire workout or keep the same framework while choosing new exercises each successive time:
THE PERFECT CIRCUIT FRAMEWORK
Upper Body Exercise
Lower Body Exercise
Core Exercise
Cardio Interval
If you're completely pressed for time and/or want to add even more intensity to your workout, combine the upper and lower body exercises. This more advanced three-part circuit framework is more demanding of the muscles and cardiovascular system.
THE PERFECT QUICK CIRCUIT FRAMEWORK
Upper and Lower Body Exercise
Core Exercise
Cardio Interval
The cardio intervals can be anything that raises your heart rate even further: Jumping rope, burpees, running in place, box jumps, etc. Mix it up to add variety to the circuit. Here's one example of a phenomenal 20-minute, 3-part circuit workout to improve aerobic conditioning, burn fat and build muscle.
How Cardio Makes Your Brain Work Better >>>
THE PERFECT 20-MINUTE CIRCUIT
DIRECTIONS
Do three rounds of the 9 exercises, performing each exercise for 30 seconds with just 15 seconds rest in between.
THE WORKOUT
1. Squat with Dumbbell Overhead Press
2. Plank with Alternating Dumbbell Row
3. Jump Rope
4. Alternating Forward Lunges with Dumbbell Side Raise
5. Bicycle Crunches
6. Burpees
7. Alternating Backward Lunges With Dumbbell Bicep Curl
8. Double Crunch
9. Jump Lunges
The 30 Best Abs Exercises of All Time >>>
This spectacular adventure pits Godzilla, the world's most famous monster, against malevolent creatures that, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence.
Enter for a chance to win one of 25 Digital Downloads. Own Godzilla on Digital HD now, and Blu-ray September 16. For everything you need to know about the movie, visit the Godzilla Facebook page or follow @GodzillaMovie.
© 2014 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., and Legendary. All Rights Reserved. GODZILLA TM & © Toho Co., Ltd. High Definition not currently available for streaming or download on all devices from all ultraviolet retailers. Does not include iTunes file, but is compatible with most iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and android devices.
Check out the movie trailer:
Guys want options. Versatility is important especially when it comes to shoes because there are few things better than knowing your new kicks can make the cut whether you’re wearing shorts, jeans, khakis or a pleated pair of pants.
That’s the message being laid out in “THIS IS UGG,” the brand’s first global marketing campaign that looks to find synergy in connecting a man’s biggest moments with smaller ones. The campaign launches with a commercial starring New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with his father he prepares for a golf outing. The Brady father and son had a tradition of hitting the golf course every weekend, a tradition Brady, Sr., feared would end when the younger Brady, committed to the University of Michigan. Brady grew up in Southern California.
“The brand already plays an important role in many men’s lives with slippers and now with casual boots and shoes too,” said Nancy Mamann, VP of Marketing at UGG. “Moving forward, you can expect more from us as we expand this relationship with new and innovative product that fit into men’s everyday life, from multi-use footwear to loungewear.”
Pay special attention to boots Brady wears in the 60-second promo spot for UGG titled “Time Out.” The “Leighton” boots are a perfect example of a casual footwear you can flip both ways, dressed up or down.
UGG for Men promises a broad range of styles for the fall ranging from the featured Leighton boot to Ascot Tweed, Merrick and Munroe, according to Mamann. In regards to the campaign, Brady said: “I think this campaign had been my favorite one because there have been so many elements that are really coming into what has shaped my life.”
Take a look at the spot below.
Pull-ups are hands-down the best exercise for your upper back. It could even be argued that it's one of the best exercises for the human body. But for many beginners, hoisting their bodyweight doesn't always come easy, not even for a measely one-rep. If you're just starting out and want to step up your fitness game, here's your guide.
Start by doing iso-eccentric pull-ups. Grab onto a bar and jump up so your chest touches it. Try to hold that position for five seconds. If you can, take five seconds to lower yourself back down. (If you can't, keep working at the hold until you can.) If you can lower yourself with control, perform another rep. When you can bang out 10 reps in this fashion, you'll be able to do atleast one regular pull-up.
The 15 Most Important Exercises for Men >>>
The 21 Day Shred: Download the blueprint to building the perfect body >>>
All psyched up for that killer session in the gym? Having explosive energy is key, but eating the wrong foods too close to go-time can really ruin your workout and set your training back in a big way.
“Putting the wrong things in your tank before you exercise can leave you lethargic, crash your system, or cause wicked cramps,” says Jim White, R.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “And going on empty can do the same.”
So don’t doom your cardio or weight session before it even starts. Here, the biggest pre-workout diet mistakes many men make—and why you should avoid them.
In an interview last year, Oscar-winning Hollywood director Danny Boyle declared that sound accounts for “80%” of the total moviegoing experience. “You don’t realize it because you can’t see it,” he observed. If he’s correct, then your at-home TV viewing has never been worse. As flat screens keep getting flatter, their factory-issue speaker systems keep getting smaller. “A 65-inch TV? Man, these days, it has four speakers barely the size of a quarter,” says Bob Cole, CEO of audiovisual retailer World Wide Stereo.
If you go shopping for a powerful home entertainment system right now, audiovisual experts will advise you to cobble together a total budget in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $3,000—but to allocate only about 30% of it for the actual TV. The rest should be used for speakers, cables, monitors, and other components. Unlike your television, you’ll likely keep your sound system for years, if not decades. So, if you’re gearing up for football Sundays and Mondays (and Thursdays!)—or just want some extra oomph for a Netflix binge—here’s a guide to your ultimate home theater, starting with the speakers.
The audio
For surround sound in the typical living room, opt for a 5.1 speaker setup. The “5.1” is stereo-jockey speak for five speakers and one subwoofer for bass. Though some obsessive audiophiles will rave about sprawling setups with speakers on every available flat surface, dropping crazy numbers like “7.1” or “9.2,” remember: For viewing a winning touchdown or an exploding building, 5.1 will still rattle every window within a one-block radius.
Stick to traditional cabled speakers and avoid wireless or Bluetooth speakers, as they cut quality as much as clutter. Likewise, you might be tempted to invest in speakers that can be embedded flush in drywall. Unfortunately, there’s a technical trade-off: Boxed units that sit on sturdier surfaces like a bookshelf or the floor rely on the maker’s own sound-dampening specs from their casings, rather than the variables of your wall space. So, for quality, be sure to put them where they’re designed to go.
The U.K.-based company Monitor makes compact, affordable models like the Radius (from around $320) or the terrific GX50 series, which also offers wood-veneer finishes. Connect any five of them with a subwoofer from Sunfire, such as the HRS-8, a 10-inch cube boasting an internal 1,000-watt amplifier. You can buy all of these online, as they’re tougher than flat screens, so hit up newegg.com or amazon
.com, which have good return policies and low prices.
The visual
A bigger TV isn’t always better, says veteran A/V system designer Justin Schwartz, of New York’s Sage AV. To calculate the right size tube for you, measure in inches the distance between your couch and the wall where the TV will mount, then divide by 1.5. Are you six feet away? Buy a 48-inch TV or smaller. Anything larger, and your eyes will notice the pixilation, which will negate that whole “high-definition-experience” thing.
Flat screens of all sizes are available in two different technologies: plasma and the LED/LCD variety, which stands for “light-emitting diode” and “liquid crystal display,” respectively. (Not that it matters, since they’re essentially two variations of the same technology.) Sure, plasma produces the higher-grade picture of the two, but as a technology it’s being phased out—pricey manufacturing makes margins too thin, while chunky components keep the TVs too thick. Consider plasma the future DeLorean of televisions: Yes, it’s way cool, but if it breaks down in a year or two, good luck finding tech support or spare parts. Your best bet is an LED.
Avoid ultra-HD TVs described as “4K.” At the moment, very little content is available at that superhigh-end resolution—and it’s unlikely to surface soon, either, since cable providers are wary of clogging bandwidth. (If you’re using Apple TV to stream movies, that system already compresses data below that resolution anyway.) Trust me: The current standards of 720p or even 1080p resolutions are more than adequate, though be sure to avoid cheap brands from China, such as Evesham, Emerson, and TCL. Samsung’s TV line remains the best value at any size, especially its core 6400 series, with screens from 40 to 75 inches ($1,150 to $6,000). When you make the purchase, do so in person at a big-box retailer like Costco or Best Buy rather than online. These TVs are often damaged when shipped from the factory. (And replacement is easier at your local store.) More important, big-box stores often use TVs as loss leaders, selling them close to cost and hoping to make up the extra on overpriced peripherals.
The system
Finally, your A/V receiver will serve as a backbone linking together the entire system. It’s basically an amplifier that communicates between the TV and speakers, providing both electronic power and a sonic burst. There are two factors to consider when choosing one: a) The number of HDMI ports you need (for your TV, Blu-ray player, Xbox, PlayStation, whatever); and b) the “wattage per channel,” or the power behind each speaker.
Any “WPC” below 50 watts is too weak. Sage’s Schwartz recommends Denon’s AVR-X2000 as a reliable workhorse, with 95 watts per channel ($700). The next level up is Integra’s DTR 30.5, with 95 watts of output and the ability to download software updates directly to its hard drive, extending its lifespan ($999). But if you really want something top of the line: Denon’s AVR-4520CI ($2,600), features Audyssey technology that sends out pulses to each speaker, gauging their position and digitally adjusting audio output to compensate for uneven placements. That’s right: a “smart” system. Maybe Danny Boyle sold the power of sound short.
Peter Figasinski’s leg is bobbing under the small, varnished wood table. That, and his wide open eyes give you the sense that he can’t believe he is here. Not here - in this trendy SoHo coffee shop. But here in New York.
Here to see the US Open.
Late last summer, an anonymous user with the screen name PeterFig - and a profile picture of a computer-illustrated dog named Noodle – posted to the forums of Tennis Warehouse, an emporium dedicated to all things racket and ball. The post included a Photoshopped racket design. The file was just a passion project, the tinkering of a devoted Wilson tennis fan.
Around the same time in Switzerland, Roger Federer was doing some tinkering of his own, working with “racket scientists” at Wilson to engineer a new racket. At 33, with 17 grand slam titles, Federer and his team decided the time was ripe to leave a more permanent mark on the court. He had his clothing line, his trophies, and his endorsements. But one of the classiest men in the game still didn’t have a racket named after him.
Tennis rackets aren’t like basketball shoes. It’s rare for a player’s name to grace the shaft. Wilson only bestowed that honor on two previous greats, Chris Evert and Jack Kramer. Federer would be the third.
Leading that effort was John Lyons, a global product director at Wilson. While fabricating dozens of prototypes from his Chicago office for Federer to test, Lyons stumbled into a Tennis Warehouse forum speculating about Federer’s mystery racket. Between arguments about specifications and general tennis geekery, he found a Photoshopped file of a racket design. It was sleek. Professional. The bright red hoop with clean lines mixed a throwback wood aesthetic with modern design.
When Figasinski received an email from Tennis Warehouse asking if Wilson could contact him about the posted photo, he figured it could be about one of two things. “At most I thought, ‘they like your design so here's a $15 gift card because you are a fan’,” he says. “At worst I thought maybe I was infringing on some sort of copyright.”
That’s why he apologized immediately when the phone rang and Lyons was on the other end. Except the call wasn’t about copyright infringement, and Wilson didn’t want to give Figasinski a gift card. They wanted him to design Federer’s new racket.
First of course, Lyons needed to figure out if the anonymous “PeterFig” was a 15-year-old writing tennis posts from his mother’s basement.
At 42, Figasinski is a freelance design veteran living in Vancouver, Canada. Professionally, he’s illustrated corporate logos and websites for a wide range of clients. On the side, he’s developed a good enough tennis game to stay competitive on the neighborhood courts.
The one-man shop with a home office beat national firms to design Federer’s signature racket.
“Wilson became my client which was a little weird – a little surreal,” Figasinski says. He says surreal a lot. His leg still bobbing, eyes still wide, with the grin of a man about to watch a tennis legend play in the US Open, holding the latest addition to his design portfolio.
Federer Serves up Jordan's at US Open >>>
Federer played publicly with a black-framed racket for more than eight months before the official reveal of the Wilson Pro Staff RF97. During that time, Figasinski only told his wife about his newest client. On July 31, Federer tweeted out a photo with the finished product, letting Figasinski go public with his work.
Today is the official debut of my new @WilsonTennis#RF97 racket. Been really looking forward to this! #sweetstixpic.twitter.com/Xu9SwBYPd5
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) July 31, 2014
Figasinski first met Federer at a Wilson party in Manhattan before this year’s Open. He approached Figasinski, told him he really like the design, then they immediately started talking shop. What is the public saying about the racket? Where’d the inspiration come from?
From the second row at Arthur Ashe stadium, Figasinski then got to watch his racket advance two rounds in the hands of the tournament’s number-two seed. “It was fantastic, a surreal experience. I spent minutes not watching the points, but watching the racket in his hand as he hit the shots.”
Done in 3 sets! From row 2. :) @rogerfedererpic.twitter.com/3veyyAYP8o
— Peter Figasinski (@peterfig) August 27, 2014
Peter Figasinski can’t really believe he is here. He can’t believe he is going to leave this coffee shop and fly back home to an office full of racket prototypes and paint swatches (Wilson is now his only client). He can’t really believe that in the next few weeks, he’ll walk into tennis stores and onto his local courts and see his racket design – one that a year ago was just a passion project posted to an online forum.
Rick Grimes as you've never seen him before: wearing designer henleys and cracking a smile! Men's Fitness headed down toThe Walking Dead set just outside of Atlanta and shot Andrew Lincoln's cover in one of the megahit AMC show's soundstages (sorry, TWD fans, we can't reveal what we saw). And while Andrew certainly looked the part of Rick Grimes—sporting his zombie-apocalyptic beard and even wielding some of the actual firearms Rick uses to off Walkers—he was a complete 180 from the brooding sheriff's deputy he plays on television. He was upbeat, gracious—and even game to layer on fall fashions in the blistering Hotlanta heat. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes video, Andrew shares what he does to train for grueling shoots, plus doles out some "game-changing" advice.
Don't forget to pick up the October issue of Men's Fitness (on newsstands September 8), or download now on iTunes.
At the start of August we launched our 21 Day Shred program with our online director Mike Simone. The program includes workout routines for the full 21 days which consist of full body circuits, bodybuilding splits, intervals, and unique cardio challenges. There is also a daily meal plan. Overall, the program has been a combination of what the editorial teams here at Men's Fitness and Muscle and Fitness magazines have been writing about for years, along with the strategies Mike has used through his training career. Here is a demonstration of DAY 12 of the 21 DAY SHRED.
The 21 Day Shred: Download the blueprint to building the perfect body >>>
THE WORKOUT: Day 12
BACK: Complete exercise one as straight sets. Complete 2A and 2B, and 3A and 3B as seperate supersets.
BICEPS: Complete each exercise as straight sets.
BACK
1. Deadlift
Sets: 4 Reps: 5 Rest: 15 sec
2A. Chin up
Sets: 4 Reps: 6-8 Rest: 0 sec
2B. Lying Lateral Raise
Sets: 4 Reps: 20 Rest 60-90 sec
3A. Seated Cable Row
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 0 sec
3B. Back Extension
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 60 sec
BICEPS
1. Fat-Grip Hammer Curl
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 Rest: 30 seconds
2. Behind-the-Back Cable Curl
Sets: 3 Reps: 10-12 (each side) Rest: 30 sec
3. EZ-Bar Preacher Curl
Sets: 2 Reps: 8-10 Rest: 30 sec
Be sure to get in on the conversation with the hashtag #21DayShred. And connect and train along with Mike by giving him a follow on Twitter and Facebook.
In story after story, Men’s Fitness teaches you how to build muscle. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) does just the opposite – it destroys the body’s ability to function within two to five years.
While most people are done dumping buckets full of ice on their heads, in Yonkers, NY, Pat Quinn’s muscles continue to wilt. The 31-year-old creator of the Ice Bucket Challenge is grateful, and pretty stunned, that he helped raise $100 million for the ALS Association. But as the viral tide recedes, he hopes you won’t forget about the disease slowly decaying his body. Now that you’ve done the challenge and donated, this is what Quinn wants you to know about ALS, and why – even while enduring the debilitating disease – he won’t stop fighting.
Men's Fitness: How were you diagnosed?
Pat Quinn: In my case, I'm very young compared to others that get diagnosed, so it was a long road. It took almost two years to get diagnosed. In that time frame they pretty much run you through the mill with blood work, MRIs, CT scans, and I had a muscle nerve biopsy on my forearm. Pretty much anything you could think of, they did.
I was going to special surgery in the city and I took a trip up to Johns Hopkins Hospital last March when I was diagnosed. They pretty much did every test they could in one day and when they tell you you’re diagnosed it was pretty much like, "All tests are pretty conclusive that you have ALS, let me get the nurse practitioner and she'll tell you how to move forward." It was like, "We really can't do much, let me get the nurse so we can give you whatever advice we have."
What were you feeling at the time?
It was tough in the beginning. Emotionally you're all over the place. You don't know what’s going to happen. The first thing you see when you go on the internet is your life expectancy goes from, "going to be an old man," to being two to five years. So it’s not the easiest thing. Your mind wanders to the worst places. But after a couple of weeks we really regrouped and decided we're not going to sit back and take this thing, and so we started to be as big of advocates as we could be.
You say ‘we.’ Who is in your support system?
I recently got married, so my wife, my brother, my mom, and my dad. My network is pretty strong. I’ve got a lot of close friends since grade school and high school that are right behind me this whole way. I just moved back to Yonkers so I could be closer to everyone and have more assistance because my daily living has gotten pretty difficult. My arms are very weak now so it’s tough, like little things, like eating, getting dressed. Stuff like that I really can't do on my own – or it is very difficult – so the assistance is no longer something I appreciate, it’s something I need.
Cutting through the science jargon, what is ALS? What do you feel?
At this point, I guess I am lucky that my progression is slower than average. I'm not in a wheelchair, I’m still walking, I still talk. I lose my breath here and there but it's not the worst thing. It's a disease that has robbed people of the ability to speak or walk within six months. Within a year people are in wheelchairs. I'm over a year and I'm still doing what I can do. At this point I've lost a lot of muscle. I have a lot of atrophy in my upper back, my shoulder blades are pretty bare, my neck is very weak - I have to support my neck a lot of the time. If I'm home I'm always lying down or I'm using a pillow. My hands and my arms are very weak; picking up stuff is very difficult. Like I said eating is tough. It's weird. It's slowly taking my ability to do daily things. Now it's all about figuring out new ways of doing it.
What is your mindset through all this?
Let's figure out a new way. I can't look down. We're always looking forward. I feel like a positive attitude will help me sustain what I have, longer. We always stay positive. I mean it's tough, you get emotionally down at times. But whatever we do, we do it to get right back on track with our goals of sustaining what I have, creating awareness, and doing what we can to support this cause.
After you created the Ice Bucket Challenge, when did it come full circle? What was the video you were most excited to see?
I mean, I’m a big basketball guy so I saw LeBron James doing it and I was like, "Wow, it’s reached the top level of all athletics." It’s reached every actor or actress. It’s not just here, it’s worldwide now and it’s unreal how big it’s gotten.
What keeps you motivated? Why do you keep fighting?
I'm married. I have an amazing wife supporting me on a daily basis. I have a great family. I have a lot of people behind me that won't let me settle for "hanging in there." It’s more than just me now. When I’m dealing with ALS my family is dealing with it. It’s something that we are all involved with now. I may be the one losing the muscle, but they deal with it just as much, so it’s more of a group effort than just me right now.
You can support Pat on his Facebook page Quinn for the Win. To find out more about ALS and to donate, visit alsa.org.
Part of what makes Andrew Lincoln endearing (well, outside of the fact that he plays the role of a gun-touting zombie thrasher on one of the most popular shows on television) is his personality—humble, honest, and relatable. And the fact he fully acknowledges the improbability of his career trajectory is what makes Lincoln, who graces the October cover of Men’s Fitness, all the more endearing.
“That’s the astonishing part about my career,” he tells writer Karl Taro Greenfield in the cover story. “I turned 40, my bones started aching, and it was the weirdest thing: I became a leading-man action hero.”
That’s why Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes on AMC's The Walking Dead, hired a trainer to help him bulk up for the first time last season.
Andrew Lincoln: Our Sheriff at the Apocalypse>>>
Lincoln was more of a runner than gym rat, but his trainer mandated he ditch the distance running if he wanted to pack on some mass. So, he cut out carbs and sugars and added free weights. But Lincoln admitted that losing the sugar and carbs did leave a void in his life. “Why would you want to do that to yourself, man?” he asked.
Mostly because shooting The Walking Dead in Georgia heat and humidity is a killer workout in itself. But Lincoln steadily leads the cast. “We’re working these hard hours in the the sun. Everyone should be breaking down; we should have divas, these Hollywood clichés,” said fellow TWD actor Steven Yeun. “But no, there’s Andy, and he’s showing up and pushing it harder than anything. He’s the culture of the show. I mean, if your No. 1 guy isn’t a diva, then who can be.?”
Don't miss the fifth season of The Walking Dead, which premieres October 12 on AMC
