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Getty
The Baltimore Ravens running back takes a break from the game to talk to MF.
MF: How are you feeling this season?
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Ray Rice is Ready to Lead the Ravens
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6 Not-So Obvious Newbie Training Mistakes
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Getty
Get started down the path of fitness in the right direction by avoiding these six not-so obvious beginner mistakes.
If you’ve just started hitting the gym more frequently, or just really getting into fitness more than ever before, it’s natural to want to feel more experienced than you are.
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8 Ways to Know She's Into You
Does she want you or not? AskMen spells out how to get your answer.
Long gone are the days when you could pass a girl a slip of paper and have her circle her feelings.
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The Fit 5: Workout Program Design 101
Fat loss or muscle-building. Our fitness expert answers your questions about building an effective workout program.
For all of our fans who shoot us questions on our Twitter and Facebook Page, this
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Q&A with HalfPipe Snowboarder Louie Vito
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Alli Sports
Here’s how one of the best technical boarders in the world stays fit enough to ride pipe.
Olympian and Team Toyota Rider Louie Vito is one of the most exciting half-pipe snowboarders on the professional circuit these days.
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MHP's Videographer Mike Pulcinella Tries X-Fit
In this video, the 50-year-old filmmaker is pushed to his limit when challenged to try a high intensity workout for the first time!
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5 Fats You Shouldn't Fear
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Getty
Fat is not the enemy. Here's why you need them and where to get them.
With the New Year well underway, many of us are struggling to develop healthy new dietary habits, while others are just hopeful of shedding the lingering excess holiday weight.
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5 Most Durable Watches for Adventure Seekers
These tough-as-nails watches can take punishment without suffering during your most extreme outings—from mountain forays to your next Tough Mudder.
Tough on your gear? These five watches can take a beating and keep on ticking.
Rugged. Tough. Endures abuse and emerges strong, still ticking. That might describe you or your ideal watch, because tough guys need tough timepieces that can keep up with the action, shed the dirt, and take a hit, unphased. Maybe you’re prone to drop things, or maybe you just like beating up your gear. Whatever the cause, these five watches will answer the call and—who knows—maybe even outlast you.
From shock absorption to stain-resistance to ultra waterproofing, you’ll find what you need here to help you keep time and keep truckin’, be you Survivorman or Tough Mudder.
Victorinox is known for the rugged, top-notch quality of Swiss Army-caliber watches, and they don’t skimp on durability with the Dive Master 500 Mid-Size. It’s got everything you’d expect in a bombproof watch—stainless steel case, tough rubber band, and a scratch-resistant triple-coated sapphire crystal face that’s also anti-reflective to beat glare when quick glances in bright sunlight are essential. And with water resistance down to 500 meters (that’s 50 atmospheres worth of water weight), it’s perfect for those who like to get wet without the worry. ($795; swissarmy.com)
There’s no need to get complicated when it comes to durability, and Momentum stays frugal with its Cobalt V Special Edition watch. You’ve got big, clean numbers with superluminova for easy reading through the mud flecks and not much else in the way of tech, which makes the 5-year battery life unsurprising. As for beating this thing up, give it a whirl. The sapphire crystal face is nearly scratchproof, and the titanium case with a vacuum-ion plated finish is tough. The coating itself tends to scratch off if you’re banging it around outdoors, but the titanium underneath won’t damage. Best of all, the ultra-white rubber strap is more than just stylish-—it’s practically stainproof. Post mud crawl, it’ll still be shining like new. ($295; momentumwatch.com)
Tsovet’s SVT-PX87 is engineered to withstand destruction in just about any environment, whether you’re crashing, diving, slamming, or tumbling through earth or water. Four-layer construction is screwed down tight so each layer helps insulate and protect those on either side of it, and the nylon/poly composite case is highly impact resistant, with impact diffusion plates and a contoured bezel that helps disperse energy when struck. Add a hardened mineral crystal face that’s tough to crack and water resistance down to 200 meters—and you’re not likely to go anywhere this watch can’t follow. ($249; tsovet.com)
Casio G-Shock collaborated with Burton to create a watch that’s both mountain rugged and stylish for those outdoor enthusiasts who take to the peaks. Like all G-Shock watches, the Burton case features hollow construction that floats the timepiece to protect from shocks. The urethane-resin bezel also gives all-directional coverage to the the watch face and uses cushioning to absorb shock in an impact (which you’re likely to find, we’ll wager). But the Burton shines in its added functionality: barometric pressure and temperature sensors show your altitude and help you forecast foul weather on high. That’s practical durability at its best—it can take a beating, but it (and you) can avoid one, too. ($170; gshock.com)
MTM specializes in crafting military and tactical timepieces, so you know the Silencer can weather abuse in the field. It bears a stainless steel case with durable DLC plating and a face that’s built with scratch-resistant, anti-reflective sapphire crystal. Though it’s more expensive than most sports watches, it’s worth every dime for guys who wear the same watch in all weather conditions—year after year. It comes with its own watertight tactical box and its electromagnetic rechargeable battery lasts about four months per charge. The ballistic velcro strap is tough and less likely to split or tear than rubber, so you can beat it up on your next special-ops outing with real peace of mind. ($750; specialopswatch.com)
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5 Best Sports Watches for the Adventure Guy
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12 Must-Read Fitness Features from 2012
We dive into the MF archive to highlight the best fitness advice features from 2012.
2012 has come and gone and it's time for a new year and new resolutions. But before we put 2012 completely behind us, we thought we'd take one last look back.
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Can Masturbating Help You Lose Weight?
Here’s why one psychologist thinks pleasuring yourself could help.
How would you react if someone told you masturbating could help you reach your fitness goals?
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One-Off Workout: 6 Moves to Larger Legs
Build yourself up to be a powerhouse with this 6-move leg routine for size.
Build yourself up to be a powerhouse with this 6-move leg routine for size.
The base to a strong, powerful and balanced athlete is a set of well-developed legs.
Adam Von Rothfelder, C.S.C.S., founder of Drench Fitness boutique in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and training correspondent to HUMANFITPROJECT shares a leg workout mixed with bodyweight work, kettlebells, isometrics and plyometrics.
Perform 4 sets of 2 minutes each leg. Take 1 minute rest in between switching legs.
Exercise Instructions> Begin by standing in the lunge position. Your lead leg should bend at a perfect 45 angle. The quad of your trailing leg should be aligned with the rest of your body.
> Jump in air from lunge position and return to lunge position after jump.
> Continue the jumps for time, rest 1 minute, then switch.
Perform 10 sets of 5 while taking 4 seconds to go down into the deadlift. Superset this movement with Front Squats [the next slide]
Exercise Instructions
> With two kettlebells on the floor at your side, bend down while maintaining a straight back.
> Grab each kettlebells.
> Pull your shoulder blades back and focus on keeping your the weight in heels.
> Squeeze glutes, fire your hips and pull you kettlebells up to your standing position.
Perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions.
Exercise Instructions
> Rest the kettlebells on front of your deltoids with your arms at a 90-degree angle from the ground.
> Keep your elbows up and lower your hips to heels slowly for 4 seconds.
> From the bottom of the squat, squeeze your glutes and drive up and finish the move.
* Important:
Balance weight of then lift on your heel and big toe; don’t allow weight to shift on outer feet.
Perform as many reps as you can in 1 minute. Take 40 second rest in between sets. Perform a total of 5 sets.
Exercise Instructions
> Jump off a platform 2 feet or higher and land with your legs locked in a 90-degree position
> Absorb all force with glutes, quads and hamstrings.
> Hold the move for one-thousandth of a second, stand up and repeat
Perform 3 sets of 20 second holds. Take 30 seconds rest in between sets.
Exercise Instructions
> Lay flat on your back with both feet secured in the TRX loops.
> Raise your hips off the ground and begin pulling your heels towards your tailbone.
> Hold in the finished position for 20 seconds, retract and repeat.
Perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions on each leg. Perform seated hamstring stretches in between sets.
Exercise Instructions
> Remove your shoes and balance your weight at ball of your foot on edge of step.
> Transition 80% of of your body's weight onto your big toe, raise your foot up and flex your calf at top of movement.
> Slowly return to the neutral-start position and repeat.
Page Title:
Build More Muscle - 6 Moves to Larger Legs
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Will Your New Year’s Diet Make You Depressed?
Discover how to give up unhealthy grub without getting down in the dumps.
‘Tis the season to seriously overhaul your eating habits in order to look an
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What We're Eating This Week: Pomegranate Seeds To-Go
Get the heart-healthy goods from the annoyingly inaccessible fruit—without the hassle.
There are plenty of reasons that you should be incorporating heart-healthy pomegranate seeds (aka: arils) into
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Get Stronger: 2 Ways to Boost Your Deadlift
Hit a new personal best with these two surefire ways to sky-rocketing your deadlift.
Are you still stuck at the same number you have been at for the last year? Frustrated that despite visiting the gym religiously day in and day out you just can't seem to get stronger?
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How to Master Time Management
The start of a new year is always hectic, but that doesn't mean you have to get behind.
When life throws obstacle after obstacle your way, it can feel overwhelming.
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The Coolest Health and Fitness Gadgets at CES 2013
Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the place for brands to introduce their newest health, fitness, and lifestyle devices. To hone in on what's hot—and avoid the flops—we’re roaming the massive trade floor in Vegas and snapping shots of the most promising products as we go. Watch this space as we continue to update it with even more game-changing gadgets.
Check out the newest health, fitness, and lifestyle devices from the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas
This do-it-all device is a big upgrade from your standard bathroom scale. Step on the Withings Smart Body Analyzer ($150, withings.com) to get readings of your body weight, BMI, and body fat percentage along with resting heart rate, a good indicator of overall fitness. The scale also monitors indoor air quality, including room temperature and CO2 levels, and syncs all its data with your iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth or a wireless internet connection.
Last summer, fitness wristbands (ie the Nike Fuelband and Jawbone Up) hit the market and promised to change the way that we track our activity. Because they're taking off in a big way, we figured we'd see at least one or two newbies—if not a dozen—promoting bands that offer even greater benefit to your overall health.
The first promising device we spotted was the Lark Life wristband ($150, lark.com), a 24/7 activity tracker monitors your movement, sleep hours, nutrition information, and mood by prompting you with questions throughout the day. In response, a coaching tool spits out tips. Did you spend all day cranking through a home improvement project? The device will probably tell you to take a hot shower and hit the sack early.
The plug-in fingertip reader on Masimo's iSpO2 pulse oximeter ($250, iSpO2.com) uses LED lights to turn your iPhone, iPad or iPod into a pulsometer. In addition to a pulse reading, the device also measures blood oxygenation levels, which can be a huge help to anybody training for a high-altitude hike or climb.
Looks like there's some competition among consumer-grade pulsometers. The iHealth Pulse Oximeter (ihealthlabs.com, price not yet announced) also measures pulse (BPM) and oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2) from an iOS device.
Feel a fever coming on? Touch the Scanadu SCOUT ($150) to your temple and in less than 10 seconds you'll get a reading of your body temperature, along with your blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital signs. The device (it's the small white box on the left) then sends the data to your smartphone to help you—and your doctor—get clued in to what's happening with your health.
For more on what's happening at CES—including tons of must-try gadgets for every guy, check out full coverage on Mashable Lifestyle.
The Consumer Electronics Show is the place to debut the hottest new health, fitness, and lifestyle gadgets every year.
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Fitness Technology Products from the Consumer Electronics Show CES 2013
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7 Surprising Sugar Bombs
So you think steering clear of soda and candy keeps your sugar intake down? Beware of these seven sneaky sources of the sweet stuff.
Beware of these sneaky sources of the sweet stuff.
When it comes to added sugars, you know the obvious offenders, like sodas and candies. But you may be shocked to discover where else these sweet sabotagers lurk—and what the cost to your body may be. We’re not just talking a little extra pudge, but also an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high LDL (or bad cholesterol). Yikes.
“Sugar tacks unwanted empty calories on to your diet that can rapidly pack on pounds,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LDN, nutrition consultant to the Chicago Cubs and author of The Flexitarian Diet. “And sugar-loaded foods can oust those that actually pack nutritional benefits, such as from antioxidants, fiber, protein, and vitamins.”
The American Heart Association recommends men consume less than 150 calories from added sugars daily, which translates to less than 9 teaspoons (or 36 grams). And while it’s easy enough to scan nutrition labels for sugar-grams-per-serving, it’s hard to know how much of that amount is added sugars because the number also includes natural ones—those found in fruit (fructose), milk (lactose) and grains (glucose).
So your best bet? Eyeball ingredients lists. If added sugar (or one of its code names such as agave nectar, cane sweetener, dextrose, HFCS, honey, fruit juice concentrate, malt syrup or molasses) ranks high, or you see several smattered throughout, return that sugar bomb to the shelf. And, of course, keep an eye out for these seven sneaky sources.
One tablespoon = 6 grams of sugar
The average pulled pork sandwich contains about 18 grams of sugar. Combine that with lemonade or sweet tea for lunch, and you’ve hit your sugar ceiling for the day. “We don’t often consider condiments and sauces sugar hotspots, but these pockets can add up quickly and push us past our daily intake limits,” says Blatner, who points out that even a teeny-tiny Ketchup packet contains 2 grams of sugar. So if you’re planning on BBQing, measure a limited amount of sauce to use in the dish, then coat the meat using a brush to spread the sauce evenly. Also plan to avoid other sugar sources throughout the day, from breakfast muffins to yogurts.
12 fl oz (one bottle) of Gatorade = 21 grams of sugar
Yes, a sports drink may replenish fluids after a hard-fought game or intense workout. Thing is, sports drinks tend to contain way more added sugar than is needed to properly hydrate. If you’re not reaching for this after a serious sweat session, then put it back. That way you can spread your daily sugar-spend around, rather than guzzle it down in one big saccharine gulp. Sports drinks don’t have to be outlawed entirely, just limit them to post-exercise times and be sure to spot-compare the sugar counts on the bottles. (Many brands have lighter versions.)
Clif Builder’s Protein Bar = 20 grams of sugar
Duped again? No shame, so were we. While protein bars sound fit-friendly and the protein is a plus, many are also loaded with sugar and carbs. So be sure to scour nutritional labels and ingredients lists, and if the rest of your diet is overly sugar-packed, consider swapping in packs of protein-packed raw almonds, peanuts or seeds as your clutch on-the-go snack.
½ cup Bush’s Country Style Baked Beans = 16 grams of sugar
So easy to crack open and heat up—and better than French fries, right? Yes, probably. But as far as vegetable sides go, 16 grams of added sugars is certainly a bit indulgent. Consider other nutrient-rich sides that can naturally satisfy your sweet tooth, such as baked whole sweet potatoes or cooked frozen sweet peas—both of which contain no added sugars.
One Dunkin’ Donuts Honey Bran Raisin Muffin = 40 grams sugar
Yep, so if you’re playing by the American Heart Association's rules, it’s pretty much game over once you down one of these puppies at breakfast. Consider instead steel-cut oatmeal with fresh fruit or health-promoting spices such as cinnamon. Caveat: Not fast-food oatmeal though, some of which is sugar-loaded (for example, Burger King’s Maple & Brown Sugar Flavor Oatmeal has a whopping 29 grams of sugar, while McDonald’s Blueberry Banana Nut Oatmeal packs 21 grams).
½ cup Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce = 10 grams of sugar
Clearly this is not a huge sugar slayer in and of itself, but if you tend to go heavy on the sauce, then the amount of added sugar in your meal can quickly add up. What’s more, grams of starches in most pastas, such as cooked spaghetti, correspond—once digested—to grams of glucose. And you will even find sugar amounts listed on boxes of whole-wheat pasta. So consider whipping up your own homemade pasta sauce. Just slice up fresh ripe tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, and oregano; add to extra-virgin olive oil; and, heat.
One bottle of Arizona Ice Tea with Lemon (20 oz) = 59 grams of sugar
You stop for gas on your way home from the gym, and damn. Does that iced tea starting at you from the cooler look good or what? Not so fast. Downing just one of these suckers can give you more than the daily recommended amount of sugar intake for men, so try to fight the urge. And if plain old water just isn't doing it for you post-workout, you can also try bringing bottles of citrus water—just soak some lemon or lime slices in a pitcher overnight—with you to the gym.
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Cut Sugar From Your Diet: 7 Surprising High Sugar Foods
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The Caffeine Fix: Press Beyond Your Limits with Coffee
Why coffee is one of the best health drinks out there.
Back in the ’70s, a young small-town distance runner named Todd Carmichael read a magazine article that changed his life.
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Healthy Recipe: Stress-Busting Orange Salmon
This delicious 9-minute salmon recipe is rich in Omega-3s.
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Trainer Q&A: What Are The Benefits of Massage?
Our expert explains the main benefits of massage and how they help improve your workouts.
If you’ve ever laid down on a massage table for a session, chances are you know that massages feel good. But, how exactly can it help improve your athletic performance?
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