All these sunglasses have the maximum protection rating of UV400 and are available from sunglassesforsport.com
➊ Best for… value
Evolution Dynamo
A versatile all-rounder, this pair has lightweight but extremely durable frames, fitted with high-quality lenses made from impact-resistant, shatterproof polycarbonate. Basically you’ll have trouble breaking them (although we don’t recommend trying).
Keeping an eye out for cars, pedestrians and other cyclists is crucial for staying safe on the road, which is why these gaudy, ’80s-style neon frames have been designed to give you an extended field of view and maximise your peripheral vision.
You don’t need to resort to Sharapovaesque tactics to give yourself an on-court advantage – these sleek sunnies come with three changeable lenses, two of which (the brown and red options) add contrast to your vision, helping you to focus more clearly on the ball when it’s in flight.
Who has the best physique of all athletes?You won’t get much argument if you answer“swimmers”, thanks to their water-sculptedV-shaped torsos comprising strong shoulders, wide back and narrow waist. Not to mention the flat-as-a-pancake stomach and rock-hard six-pack. But regularly taking to the water won’t just build you a better body, it can also boost your mood – really. Indeed, research from Ipsos Mori found that 74% of people found swimming one of the best ways to reduce stress and tension, and 70% said it helped them feel more mentally refreshed. Here’s how you can become a better swimmer to reap the physical and mental benefits faster.
➊ OBSERVE LANE ETIQUETTE
If you’re training in a pool, knowing the rules will help keep you and your fellow swimmers safe. “Check if the lane is running clockwise or anti-clockwise, be aware of those around you and always stop to let faster swimmers pass at the end of the lane,” says Sam Williams, a Total Immersion swimming coach at Swim Studio London(swimstudiolondon.com).
➋ STAY RELAXED
Most endurance sports such as cycling and running are all about exertion, but if you’re doing it properly, swimming should be the opposite. “If you’re too tense in the water, you’ll end up thrashing around, wasting energy and tiring yourself out,” says Williams.“Instead, focus on staying balanced in the water and maintaining a relaxed stroke.”
➌ FOCUS YOUR TRAINING
Mindlessly drifting up and down the pool for hours isn’t the most productive use of your time.“Aim to do two short, 20- to 30-minute technique sessions during the week where you focus on improving a specific aspect of your stroke, such as your breathing or kicking,” says Williams. “Then do one longer session at the weekend, adding extra lengths or time every week to monitor your progress.”
➍ TAKE TO A LAKE
More UK lakes are now being opened up for swimmers and not only are lakes ideal to swim in, but they also serve as a perfect development stage between the pool and the ocean. “Lakes are great for longer-distance training sessions where you can work on better breathing techniques and stroke improvement work, and they also double as fantastic practice for open-water races,” says Swim For Tri coach Dan Bullock (swimfortri.co.uk).
➎ TRY SEA SWIMMING
Swimming in the sea is an adventure in itself and can break the monotony of the pool where you’re constantly turning. “Sea swimming is really challenging compared with the pool and safety comes first,” says Bullock. “The cold, the wind, rough, choppy waters – they’re all factors, so establish some landmarks as ‘sighters’ so you always know where you are. Stay parallel to the shore, tell people you’re going in, and if a red flag is flying don’t go in the water even if you’re a strong swimmer.It’s simply not worth it.”
➏ WARM DOWN AND STRETCH OFF
“It’s worth allocating an extra five to ten minutes at the end of your session to warm down properly with a few gentle, easy laps,” says personal trainer Aaron Deere. “This will help flush the lactic acid from your muscles to initiate recovery.” Once you’re out of the water, take the time to work on tight muscle groups with dynamic, movement-based stretches.“Lunging forward with one foot while raising both your arms directly above your head will target your chest, hip flexors and shoulders, all of which tend to get tight during swimming,” says Deere.
➐ REFUEL AFTERWARDS
“Once you’ve finished your swim, replenish your glycogen stores with plenty of quality slow-release carbohydrates like wholegrain rice,” says endurance and nutrition coach Steve Whittle(stevewhittlecoach.com). “You should also have a decent serving of protein such as salmon to help your muscles recover.”
It might look like the result of an explosion at the Calippo factory, but the neon stylings of Nike’s Magista 2 actually indicate which parts of the foot are most likely to come into contact with the ball. It does this using Nike’s use of slowmotion video analysis, heat mapping and 3D printing, with the red sections offering extra cushioning for sensitive areas to help improve your first touch. And although such gaudy footwear may attract unwanted attention from opposition defences, the boot’s equally distinctive optional sock-like collar provides extra protection for your anklebones. Perfect for when the tackles start flying on a Sunday morning.
Let’s start with the big one. Your profession isn’t exactly a natural fit with a clean and healthy lifestyle…
Ha! People see girls, large crowds, lots of booze and partying… and it’s exactly like that! But you need to have the mental strength to realise that if you keep doing that then you might not live past 35 years old. You have to take that on board and get your training in and sort your diet out, to have longevity in the music industry – and in life.
Is that why you wanted to do a body transformation challenge?
I wanted to lose some belly fat and get my abs to come out! I wanted a more defined chest. It’s pretty hard for me to do that.
I am a big lad, and I can get away with murder. Because I have a big frame, in clothes I do look as though I am ripped. But when my shirt comes off I just look like a big lad! So while my main focus was to lose body fat I wasn’t worried about how much I weighed at the start or how much weight I wanted to lose. I weigh a lot more than most people my height and I wanted to lose fat and get more defined.
What was your training like?
I did a lot of resistance training and a lot of weights-based circuit training. I also used one of those high-altitude training masks. And the beauty is that not only do I look better, I am performing better too – I’ve brought my 5K time down to 23 minutes.
What was the hardest part?
It was a hard road, mainly because when it comes to the diet side, I am terrible.It was a bit like educating a 12-year-old.I had a lot to learn. I have always put on muscle quite easily, so I’ve not had to be too strict with my food intake. The thing is, I can also put fat on quite easily, so that’s a problem. But I think I have one of those bodies where I can store more fat quickly, but I can also lose it quickly too if that’s what I want to do. That means the need for me to find the balance is really important.
How did you manage to stay on track while touring?
The touring schedule was tough. I’d only have a couple of hours in between landing and arriving at venues. That made eating hard. I had to be patient sometimes and hold out until I could find the right place to eat. Being prepared is huge, so I took protein powder with me so I could have a shake if I couldn’t find a good place to eat. But sometimes it doesn’t matter how prepared you are, you will struggle to find healthy food. And that’s when you have to be smart and make the best of whatever situation you’re in.
Rest and recovery is vital to changing your body shape. How did you get enough?
Sleep was massively important. To be honest, I did miss a couple of soundchecks so I could get a bit of sleep. You learn in my industry that you have to sleep when you can. Take advantage of every opportunity to get your head down and don’t try to put it off. So now I am lucky in that I can practically sleep standing up. If I were to do it again I would make sure I got my sleep and research better restaurants so that I had somewhere healthy to eat when I needed to eat.
Were you worried at all that you’d fail?
I can train for days on end – no problem. But I can also go down the pub and drink for days on end – easy. And there’s no point training for days if I am not eating right at the same time. That’s where balance comes in. It was imperative my nutrition was on point. For me, getting my diet right was even more important that the training. If anything I was nervous about peaking too early in the challenge. That might sound strange, but I know how quickly I can lose weight when I want to. And my personality is like that – if I’m doing well and working hard, then my natural instinct is to reward myself. I have had those dips on two or three occasions in the 30-day challenge. Even after ten days I was really pleased with my progress and my first thought was that I deserved to go out on the piss and eat what I wanted. But I knew that if I did I would undo all my hard work overnight and be back to square one.
What’s the right approach if you do slip up?
You have to get back on the horse straight away. As soon as you possibly can. There’s no point dwelling on it. All that does is quickly lead to a spiral. Don’t feel guilty, remember you’ve worked hard, and work hard again from now on. Ultimately, the mental side is crucial to success. There will be lots of dips along the way, because you are tired or whatever, but your muscles will move if your mind tells them to. You need to stay motivated and keep moving.
DJ Locksmith was speaking at the launch of MaxiNutrition’s 30-day Ibiza Challenge. To find out how MaxiNutrition products can power your body transformation, visit maxinutrition.com
There are four pillars of bulletproof health, according to US sports clothing giant Under Armour: sleep, activity, nutrition and fitness. The HealthBox, UA’s debut in the activity tracker market (in partnership with mobile tech company HTC), allows you to ensure each of your pillars is in good nick.
The HealthBox bundle is made up of a comfortable, lightweight wrist-worn activity band that can measure your resting heart rate, a chest strap heart rate monitor for workouts and a sleek disc-shaped digital scale that reads your weight and body fat percentage – though not 100% accurately. This trio sync via Bluetooth to the free UA Record app, a hub that allows you to chart your weight changes, sleep quality, mood, steps taken and calories burned and consumed.
It’s a fitness fanatic’s dream, but the best thing about UA’s software is it’s compatible with a multitude of fitness apps you’ve probably already tried, including Google Fit and Apple’s HealthKit as well as UA-owned MapMyRun and the excellent MyFitnessPal. It means all your fitness gadgets can work together to deliver on their overall premise: to get you fitter. Makes sense to us.
Under Armour HealthBox, £349
ABOVE AVERAGE
The UA Record app relays your data to tech platform IBM Watson, which provides regular insights on how your stats compare with the average in your age group. Like an on-board GP cajoling you to up your game.
FUTURE PROOF
Later this year the kit will sync with UA’s new GPS-connected trainers, the Speedform Gemini 2, as well as UA’s in-ear HRM earphones, to give you an even clearer picture of your health. AI-fused compression pants can’t be far away.
40% How much longer it can take to solve maths problems when attempting to multi-task
Put down your pens, people. More of us than ever are working longer hours too often, and it’s starting to have an impact on our mental and physical health and wellbeing. In the past five years the number of people working excessive hours – defined as more than 48 hours a week – has risen 15%, according to research by the TUC. Workers who spend such long hours at their desks are exposed to a significant increase in their risk of developing heart disease, stress, mental illness and diabetes. Here are four ways you can work smarter so you can leave the office earlier and spend more time doing the things you enjoy.
➊ Multi-tasking might feel like a shortcut to success but it’s actually the fast route to failure. Our brains work best when focusing solely on one job, not when juggling multiple projects. Study subjects who had to switch between tasks took up to 40% longer to complete complicated maths problems than those who focused on solving one at a time, the Journal Of Experimental Psychology reported.
➋ Prioritising the key tasks is important but it’s also good to keep ticking off boxes on your to-do list for a sense of achievement and success. A separate conclusion from the multi-tasking study was that failing to solve work problems released stress hormones and adrenaline, creating a vicious circle of more pressure, anxiety and fear that work would never be finished.
➌ If you tend to procrastinate or feel overwhelmed by the volume of work, try the Pomodoro technique. Advocates set a timer to work for 25 solid minutes on a task. When time’s up, take a five-minute break, then do another 25. After four work periods, take a break of 15-30 minutes. Creator Francesco Cirillo used a pomodoro (tomato-shaped) kitchen timer, but you don’t have to.
➍ Parkinson’s law says work always expands to fill the time available to do it. Setting yourself artificially early deadlines for big jobs, or breaking them down into smaller daily chunks, can increase focus and motivation. And take a five-minute break every hour: a study from the University of Illinois found that regular short work breaks significantly increase people’s ability to focus for prolonged periods.
Mushrooms are full of chitin, a type of water-insoluble dietary fibre that makes up the cell walls of all fungi. Insoluble fibre is not metabolically active so it doesn’t contain calories, but it does add bulk to meals. Add mushrooms to stews, sauces and omelettes to stay feeling full.
➋ NUTS
All nuts are high in water-soluble dietary fibre, which is dissolved and fermented in the colon. Of all nuts almonds have the most fibre per 100g, so snack on them when hunger strikes to avoid the temptation of sweet snacks. You’ll also get a whack of vitamins B and E.
➌ LEGUMES
Beans, pulses and other crops in the legume family are low in calories but high in soluble fibre and decent amounts of protein – 100g of chickpeas contains around 7g – as well as other essential vitamins and minerals. Use them to bulk out soups, sauces and other main meals.
➍ CARROTS
Most varieties of root vegetables are high in soluble fibre, while their skins are full of insoluble fibre, especially sweet potatoes. Cover chopped root veg and peppers in olive oil and roast in the oven for a low-calorie, nutrient-dense side for steak and other protein choices.
Eat less for a longer life
We all know that eating too much too often will lead to weight gain which, if left unchecked, turns into obesity and a reduction in life quality and expectancy. But new research on mice has shown that a diet restricted in calories, but which still contains enough essential nutrients, might itself increase longevity. New research published in the Journal Of Proteome Research suggests a calorie-restricted diet, similar to that of intermittent fasting, delays the onset of agerelated disorders by reducing the amount of damaging compounds in the body and positively changing hormone levels and upping fat metabolism.
When runners get together you can be certain two topics of conversation will arise. The first is their personal bests, the second the various injuries they’ve suffered chasing those times. Indeed, a Danish study found that out of 930 new runners – those who had only started in the last year – 254 suffered a running-related injury within 12 months of training.
“Bad movement patterns and muscular imbalances can cause damage to ankles, knees and hips and contribute to injury, which is why all my running clients lift, jump and squat,” says coach and sports science expert David Arnot, cofounder of personal training studio Evolve 353. Try Arnot’s at-home drills to injury-proof your body. “The aim with these sessions isn’t to increase the size of your muscles but their strength and stability so you run more efficiently and reduce your risk of injury,” he says.
❶ LYING HIP CLAM
Why This move strengthens your glutes and will prevent your knees caving in during your runs to reduce the chances of developing long-term knee injuries.
How Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent and one leg resting on top of the other. Raise your top knee as high as you can, pause, then lower back to the start. Complete all the reps on one side, then switch and do it on the other side.
How many Do three sets of 15-20 reps with 60 seconds’ rest between sets.
❷ UNWEIGHTED SQUAT
Why Squats increase leg strength so that each stride will become easier. To make this move harder, you can do it while holding a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
How Stand tall, keeping your chest up. Bend your hips and knees to squat down as deep as you can, until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Keep your knees in line with your toes, and your weight on your heels.
How many Do three sets of 12-15 reps with two minutes’ rest between sets.
❸MULTI PLANE LUNGE
Why These will give you strength in different positions – you want to be strong as you turn, not just on the straights. You can also do this move holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides in each hand.
How Stand tall, keeping your chest up, then lunge forward and back, then to the side and back, then behind you and back, with good form. Do all the reps, then swap legs and repeat.
How many Do three sets of 15 reps on each leg, with two minutes’ rest between sets.
❹ BOX JUMP
Why Doing this move improves power through the hips and will help your leg drive up those hills. Make sure you have a solid raised box or platform to use.
How Stand in front of a knee-height box. Drop into a quarter-squat, swing your arms back then explode upwards to jump onto the box. Bend your knees as you land to absorb the force, step down and repeat. Stop if you feel fatigued.
How many Do three sets of eight reps with two minutes’ rest between sets.
99% of people who follow a restrictive diet regain all the weight they lost within one year, according to research analyst Datamonitor
Indulging your sweet tooth when on a diet might not spell disaster for your fat-loss plan. Indeed, it might be the key to getting into better shape. People who eat chocolate several times a week are slimmer than those who only eat it very occasionally, even though it’s high in calories from sugar and fat. Other factors, such as daily activity levels, were also included in the research, published in the Archives Of Internal Medicine journal. It’s thought that having a little bit of what you fancy isn’t just good for you mentally because it gives you a brief time-out from your diet, but it might also help you to continue to burn fat by spiking levels of the hormone leptin, which tells your brain you are getting enough energy so it continues to release fat from cells to burn as fuel. Just don’t make every day cheat meal day.
ASK THE EXPERTS
Can diet cheaters sometimes prosper?
We asked three top fitness experts for their take on a break from the meal plan
Photography Getty
A tactical cheat meal stokes your metabolism and eases diet boredom, says outdoor training expert Andrew Tracey (wayofthenomad.co.uk)
“Prolonged periods of calorie restriction trigger hormonal changes that eventually slow down fat loss. A tactical inclusion of your favourite high-calorie ‘cheat foods’ on a regular basis tells your body that it’s no longer in a restrictive mode and keeps your metabolism healthy, creating a more sustainable diet plan. That’s the key to continued success.”
Finding a sustainable and healthy way of eating is the secret to success, says Matt Warner, head of personal training at Ultimate Performance Manchester
“A cheat meal will not derail body composition improvements for most – although cheat days or cheat weekends are a different story! If you plan and prepare meals to hit your health and fitness goal – and stick to your plan – you will make great progress, but remember that ultimately the best plan is one you can adhere to for life.”
A cheat meal gives you a mental and physical boost but you need portion control, says Shaun Stafford, performance director at City Athletic gym in London (cityathletic.co.uk)
“When planning a cheat meal you should try to be sensible with portion size. Instead of having a whole takeaway to yourself, share it with someone – and you don’t have to eat a whole tub of Ben & Jerry’s just because you’ve opened it! This approach will prevent you going overboard, while providing a psychological boost that’ll keep you on track.”
