Fitness
Leg-press 214 times his body weight
When it comes to strength, your lower half is your better half. Your leg and butt muscles are the foundation of your body and essential for almost any activity—from standing upright to sprinting to pushing your brother-in-law's Hyundai out of a ditch. You're 175 pounds? Make your leg-press goal 400 pounds. Your brother-in-law will bow in your presence.
The Test
Assume the position in the leg-press machine. Lower the weight until your knees are bent 90 degrees, then push the weight back up. To get your score, divide the highest amount of weight you can lift one time by your body weight.
The Scorecard
Less than 1.8: A shaky foundation
1.8-2.2: Ordinary
More than 2.2: Serious strength
Get Stronger Legs
Try this technique, called diminished-rest interval training. You'll improve your leg-press performance by 10-20 percent in three weeks, says Alwyn Cosgrove, CSCS, owner of FAST Systems in Newhall, California.
Using a weight that's about 95 percent of the amount you lifted in the test, perform 10 sets of one repetition, resting 80 seconds after each set.
Do this workout twice a week, each time reducing the rest period between sets by 10 seconds. When your rest period is down to 30 seconds, retake the test and increase the weight.
Bonus tip: Right before you take the test, do a leg press with 20 percent more weight than what you think you can lift one time—but lower the weight only halfway before pushing it back up. When you perform the test, your muscles will be expecting a heavier weight. It'll not only seem easier, but you'll be able to push more pounds.
Swim 700 yards in 12 minutes
Funny thing about swimming: We know guys who can run 26 miles without breathing hard, yet sink to the bottom of the pool after half a lap. Why? Because swimming requires both aerobic capacity and upper-body muscle (the kind a lot of those marathoners lack). Paddling 700 yards in 12 minutes should be just enough to help that cute lifeguard in a pinch.
The Test
Swim as far as you can in 12 minutes. Your total distance in yards is your score.
The Scorecard
Less than 500 yards: You're sunk
500-700 yards: Ordinary
More than 700 yards: Aquatic excellence
Swim Better, Swim Farther
According to the American Swim Coaches Association, only two out of 100 swim well enough to complete a quarter of a mile without stopping. That's usually because they have poor form, says Terry Laughlin, author of Swimming Made Easy. Follow this rule: Keep your head aligned with your body (the way you hold it when you're not in the water) the time you're swimming. When you breathe, roll your entire body—as if you were breathing with your belly button—without changing the position of your head. You'll float better and use less energy. And that means you'll be able to swim farther.
Bonus tip: Swim 25 yards at a time to practice your form. Start by swimming a total of 200 yards per session—eight 25-yard intervals. Add 50 yards each week until you're swimming a total of at least 500 yards. Increase your intervals by 25 yards every two weeks until you're able to swim the entire distance without stopping.
Do 40 pushups
Drop and give us 20, soldier. Twice. Why? Because pushups measure upper-body endurance—the ability to use your strength over time. If you can crank out 40 pushups, we guarantee that your body won't quit when everything's on the line—like when you're carrying a kid out of a burning building (or hauling your wife's luggage through three airport terminals).
The Test
Lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, then push yourself up. Repeat as many times as you can.
The Scorecard
25 or fewer: Weak
26-39: Ordinary
40 or more: Strong and tough
Build an Upper Body for the Long Run
Try this program from Charles Staley, a strength coach in Las Vegas. It will get your upper-body endurance to fitman level in 12 workouts.
Perform sets of half the number of pushups that you completed in the test—resting 60 seconds between sets—until you've done a total of 40 pushups. (For example, if you did 12 pushups in the test, you'll do seven sets of six pushups.)
Each workout (do it every four days), deduct five seconds from the rest interval. After 12 workouts, you'll be able to do 40 pushups without rest.
Bonus tip: Time how long it takes you to do as many pushups as you can. Then rest for the same time period, and repeat the process two to four times. You'll quickly improve your upper-body endurance.
Measure up
Take a look at yourself. If your belly is growing faster than your butt, you have bigger problems than figuring out how to get a tan without taking off your shirt. The more fat your body stores in your midsection, the higher your risk of heart disease. And this much we know: Fit men don't get heart disease.
The Test
The easiest method of determining your risk level is a comparison of your waist and hip circumferences. Grab a measuring tape and measure the circumference of your waist at the narrowest point. Then measure the distance around the widest part of your hips and butt. Divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference for your score.
The Scorecard
0.92 or higher: Your wife and kids are going to miss you
0.82-0.91: Ordinary
0.81 or less: Flat and happy
Shrink Your Belly
A combination of diet and exercise will help you lose weight the fastest, says Jeff Volek, PhD, RD, coauthor of The Testosterone Advantage Plan. Try this simple method to make the transition from chip-eater to healthy guy: Cut 250 calories from your diet and burn 250 calories a day through exercise. That's a total of 500 calories—enough to lose a pound a week. Foodwise, 250 calories is about the same as a 20-ounce Coke, a small bagel, or two handfuls of potato chips. To burn the same number of calories through exercise, a 180-pound man could lift weights for 30 minutes, walk 212 miles, or play basketball for 20 minutes.
Bonus tip: Limit your carbohydrates—especially the high-sugar kind—after 5 PM. Research shows that as the day progresses, your body has a greater potential to store them as fat.
» Fitness archive
Men's Health Philippines - May 2006 Issue
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