ΟΝΕ
MY STRUGGLE WITH SUGAR
IF YOU ASKED THE 25-YEAR-OLD ME TO PREDICT WHAT my 40s would look like, I would have used just one word to describe them: fat.
Fat was my inevitable destiny. I'd grown up as a lonely latchkey kid with a serious sugar addiction; my best friends were the Three Musketeers, and all I knew of the world outside my suburban Pennsylvania neighbourhood was French vanilla, English toffee, and Dutch chocolate. When my 90 kilograms went into the US Navy Reserves after college, I could see the disgust on the faces of the basic-training instructors: Who sent us this leaky old tugboat? And how the heck are we supposed to turn it into a battleship?
The Navy did whip me into shape - morning revelry of burpees and sprints for months on end will do that to you but when I entered the workforce soon after, the weight began to pile back on. So, I started exercising like a fiend, completing the New York City Marathon twice and turning the company gym into an extension of my office. But in a lot of ways, I was just trying to outrun the devil. My father had struggled with severe obesity for most of his own adulthood he'd be dead from a weight-related stroke by the time he was 52 and there was no reason to believe that destiny wasn't awaiting me too. No matter how hard I exercised, nothing could overcome my own desires for sweet, instantly gratifying confections.
This story is from the January/February 2023 edition of Men's Fitness South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January/February 2023 edition of Men's Fitness South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE NEED FOR SPEED
Interview with NASCAR's Parker Retzlaff
Test your T
Low testosterone can be a serious (and seriously annoying) problem. But there is help.
The no-gym beach body
Take a vacation from the weights and sculpt your best beach body ever using only your body weight
The 6 Greatest Outdoor Workouts, Period
After a dark and cold winter, the fluorescent-lit gym starts to feel as drab and stuffy as a fluorescent-lit cubicle, and the old routines of arm day and leg day and ab day just aren't cutting it. Ditch the racks and benches and venture outdoors into the sunshine. Your bleary eyes will find life's better with the wind in your hair, the sun on your back, and the world zipping past. We've ranked the top outdoor sports mountain biking, trail running, open-water swimming, obstacle course racing, road cycling, and rock climbing - based on exercise efficacy, calories burned, cost of gear, availability, and risk factor to see which one offers the most burn for your buck. So, go ahead and take your fitness to the next level while communing with nature. The outdoors awaits. Go work it.
ARCHER TELLS YOU...How To Be a Real man
STERLING ARCHER is the world's greatest secret agent as well as a devastatingly handsome jet-setter, model-banger, and daydrinking enthusiast. And now I'm a noir detective living in the 1940s. Sorry, are you confused because I switched to first person? Well, get over it, because I'm about to give you some invaluable life advice on how to get through this decade- or any decade, for that matter - like a true gentleman.
Broiling Point
The broiler is an under-appreciated workhorse that can quickly and easily bump up the flavour of your favourite dishes
Johnny Jimenez FROM FITNESS MODEL TO BUSINESS MOGUL
Johnny Jimenez (aka JohnnySwole) is not your ordinary fitness model. He has taken his passion for fitness and turned it into a lucrative empire. With a blend of dedication, entrepreneurship, and a keen sense of opportunity, Johnny has established himself as a prominent figure in the fitness industry.
30 ways to get stronger
To celebrate MF's 30th year, we present our 30 top tips for turning yourself into a lean, mean, brawny, beach-ready machine
Extremely loud and incredibly close
As a neighbour, you want to build relationships based on mutual respect - but that's sometimes easier said than done. Here's what to do should drama come knocking.
Win every fight you're in
Defuse the most dreadful situations with tips from these hostage experts