| PLUS: you need to embrace bacteria |
| | |
|  |
 | | | TRAINING LESSONS FROM BATMAN | | | He's the only mortal who can take on Superman – but which Bat is best? Here's our expert analysis | |
| Though injection moulding was invented in 1872, Batsuit technology was still in its infancy by the 1960s so what you're seeing in the original TV series is prime, unfiltered West (until Affleck took over the cape, the only man to match Batman's DC-verified 6ft 2in stature). Unbelievably, over 120 episodes, Batman doesn't do a single press-up, preferring to get his training on the job by beating up endless hired goons and occasionally running around carrying a bomb. Somehow, it works.
The lesson Integrate activity into your everyday life – perhaps by taking the stairs, doing the big shop or fighting a subordinate in your lunch break. |
|
| | The first big-screen Bats relies on gear over grunt – he'd rather fling a remote-controlled Batarang than a punch, and isn't above setting a man on fire with his car rather than engaging in a fair fight. His sole concession to working out: dangling from a pair of gravity-boots while he's waiting for top reporter Vicki Vale to wake up after a champagne-fuelled sleepover. Incidentally, she still doesn't make the connection. Journalism!
The lesson Your billion-dollar inheritance will win you a lot of fights, but it can't help you get up the Gotham clocktower when the Joker's heading for his emergency helicopter. Do some stair climbs. |
|
| | Before Affleck, Bale was the uncontested king of the Bat-workout. Whether he's doing plyometrics with the League of Shadows or busting out press-ups simply to impress Alfred, he was the first Batman who actually bothered to train onscreen. His finest moment? Going from a broken back to his prison-wall-scaling peak with nothing but calisthenics, then winning a rematch with Bane after cleverly spotting his weak point (spoilers: it was his face all along).
The lesson Press-ups and pull-ups beat almost anything else. Do five of the former, ten of the latter, rest a minute, and repeat as many times as possible until you look like this. |
|
| | The newest Batman's also the most up-to-date with modern training theory. In Dawn Of Justice, you'll see him dragging tyres and doing weighted chin-ups to sculpt a Superman-beating body. Of course, having an impossibly hi-tech robo-suit doesn't hurt, but there's an important takeaway: old-school training beats machines for building functional, fight-ready muscle.
The lesson Forearm strength is important. Once you've broken the ten pull-up barrier, add weight or do them hanging from a towel or rope to make bigger gains with fewer reps. |
|
|
| | |
|
|
|
 |
| UPGRADE YOUR UNDERWEAR DRAWER | | | BECAUSE NO MAN DESERVES THE INDIGNITY OF A BAD PANT DAY | |
Face it: life's too short to spend any of it looking dolefully into your underwear drawer, trying to decide whether to break out the comfy blues for a special treat today (when only the men at the gym will see them) or save them for Friday (daaaate niiiight). Throw out the bad/shameful/hole-filled ones and start again: preferably with a boxerjock from Under Armour (the sportsman's option), Bjorn Borg's Brazilian short shorts (topical, fun-loving), some Saxx Kinetics (for the run to work) or a 2-pack of microskins from M&S (timeless, classic, good value). Once you've invested, fold them as tidying expert Marie Kondo demands (pictured), and start every day with the inner glow that comes of an on-point pant-game. |
|
|
|
|
 | | | EMBRACE BACTERIA | | | IF YOU WANT TO BE THE BEST, FERMENTATION'S WHAT YOU NEED | |
| | If you've been paying attention to the latest developments in food science this year (who hasn't, right?), then you'll already know it's about going with your gut. Breeding "good" bacteria in your bowel and colon can do everything from supporting your immune system to controlling your body's hunger mechanisms. But if you've been resisting society's exhortations to eat a tiny pot of bacteria-filled yogurt a day, there's good news: those probiotics, it turns out, are less useful than prebiotics, which encourage your body to make their own bacteria rather than just topping up existing reserves. Onions, asparagus and garlic will work, but a blend is better – so non-traditional fermented foods, like sauerkraut and drinking-yogurt kefir, are the way forward. Your project for the weekend? Learn to cook kimchi – your bowels will thank you. | |
|
|
 | | | LESSONS FROM A GOLD MEDALLIST | | | ANTHONY JOSHUA IS THE BOXER YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING RIGHT NOW | | "Lots of people fight against their genetics but I go with what I've got," says British boxer Anthony Joshua, who'll fight southpaw technician Charles Martin for the IBF heavyweight title on 9th April. "It's like being an architect – they look at the design of their building and work out how much weight it can carry before they build it. I'm not trying to change shape too much – it's got me this far." That said, the Olympic gold medallist's been consciously eating more in recent months, putting on muscle to stay competitive in one of boxing's biggest-money divisions. He's part of our How I Got My Body special, on shelves right now. |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| 5 THINGS WE LEARNED THIS WEEK | |
1. According to Forbes, Iron Man has more money than Batman (but Scrooge McDuck is richer than both of them).
2. Tesco's Woodside Farms and Boswell Farms are NOT REAL FARMS.
3. There is no way to maintain your dignity on a cruise.
4. Supposedly "health-conscious" millennials are responsible for the decline of the full English (even though it's perfectly healthy if you do it right).
5. Pole vaulters do some of the most insane training (pictured) you've ever seen. |
|
|
|
|
Men's Fitness is published by Dennis Publishing Ltd, . Company registered in England number
This email has been sent to you by Dennis Publishing (UK) Ltd because you have signed up for the Men's Fitness newsletter.
If you do not wish to receive such emails in the future you can unsubscribe by clicking here.
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
