JUNE 2015 Vol. 24, No. 5

FIGHTING POACHERS AND OIL COMPANIES IN CONGO

NAVY SEALS, INC.The Big Business of Selling War Stories

MENSJOURNAL.COM

25 RACE DUNE BUGGIES

IN OREGON EXPLORE ITALY

BY VESPA BIKE FROM GLACIER TO

YELLOWSTONE

Action-Packed

Summer Trips

Inside AmericanNinja Warrior

Frozen Cocktailsfor Grown-ups

Gas Grills Under $600

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW

photograph by JOE PUGLIESE M E N S J O U R N A LJ U N E 2 0 1 5 5

CONTENTS

Volume 24, Number 5JUNE 2015

FEATURES

Former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb ies his Soviet-era prop plane over the hills outside San Diego.

25 Action-Packed Summer Trips Get out of that beach chair! From rafting an Oregon canyon to touring Tuscany on a Vespa, heres where to go this season. page 53

The SEAL CEOHow former sniper Brandon Webb built a media empire around the elite U.S. militarys crumbling code of secrecy. BY STAYTON BONNERpage 68

Last Stand in CongoCan a Belgian prince save Africas wildest place from poaching and big oil? BY DAMON TABOR page 74

CL

OC

KW

ISE

FR

OM

TO

P: J

EN

JU

DG

E; Z

AC

HA

RY

ZA

VIS

LA

K; C

OU

RT

ES

Y O

F C

HE

VR

OL

ET

; CO

UR

TE

SY

OF

NIK

ON

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 6

JUNE 2015

DEPARTMENTS

NOTEBOOK

TRAVEL

How New Zealand built 1,600 miles of bike trails to jump-start its economy............................... page 14

PROFILE

The evil geniuses who designAmerican Ninja Warriors punish-ing obstacle course............... page 24

BOOKS

Pedro Martinez on pitching in the steroid era and his unlikely path to the Hall of Fame..................... page 28

CARS

Big-engined American muscle is back and more sophisticated than ever............................................ page 34

HEALTH & FITNESS

MEDICAL

Your annual physical might be doing more harm than good. Heres why................................ page 37

EXERCISE

All the apps, workouts, and gear you need to get stronger this summer..................................... page 40

GEAR LAB

RUNNING

Lighter shoes and cooler apparel to help you go farther on hot-weather runs........................................... page 83

GOLF

New club designs increase con-sistency and power and x the aws in your game................. page 91

FATHERS DAY

Bourbon, tools, shades, and other cool and stylish nds for Dad this year............................................ page 96

THE LAST WORD

NICK OFFERMAN

Parks and Recreations manliest man on marriage, meat, and how to tell a dirty joke........................ page 118 ON THE COVER: Green Island, Antigua. Photographed by Alison Langley.

KIWI MOUNTAIN-BIKE PARADISEPAGE 14

RETURN OF THE MUSCLE CAR

PAGE 34

SUPERIOR TACOSPAGE 20

A PROS ZOOM LENS

PAGE 30

Volume 24, Number 5

2015 Maui Jim, Inc.

Recommended as an eff ective UV lter for the eyes and surrounding skin.

Under the water, the fish

HAVE THE ADVANTAGE Wearing the right sunglasses can decidedly even the game.

Available in prescription.

Color. Clarity. Detail.

FLAT ISLAND | HCL BRONZE LENS

There are 34 diff erent waysto mix gin on MensJournal.com.Start with this:

THE ATOM SMASHER3 cucumber slices2 pinches salt oz green Chartreuse oz Tomrs tonic2 oz St. George Terroir gin oz Fernet amaroBruise the cucumber with the salt in a mixing glass. Add the Chartreuse, tonic, and gin. Stir and strain into an ice- lled rocks glass. Float the amaro.

PR

ISC

ILL

A G

RA

GG

/GE

TT

Y IM

AG

ES

; CO

UR

TE

SY

OF

TE

SL

A; B

EN

MA

RR

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 8

WENNER MEDIA 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104-0298 1-800-677-6367 mensjournal.com PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES Copyright 2015 by Mens Journal LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Mens Journal is a registered trademark of Mens Journal LLC.

Its totally possible to transition yourself in 21 days. You just need to minimize calorie input while activating as many muscles as possible. RON MATHEWS, HOLLYWOOD TRAINER

Pro kayaker Ben Marr caught Pedro Oliva plunging down the headwaters of the remote Nachvak River, nearly a thousand miles north of New York City.

Teslas new $67,500 all-electric car comes with 514 horsepower and standard all-wheel drive.

What Were Testing

Three Weeks to a Summer Body

MensJournal.comF I T N E S S

Tesla Model S 70D

EDITOR IN CHIEFJann S. Wenner

EDITORIAL DIRECTORWill Dana

EDITORJason Fine

DEPUTY EDITOR Mark Healy CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Schlow DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Jennifer Santana MANAGING EDITOR Tara Cox FEATURES EDITOR Larry Kanter ARTICLES EDITOR Greg Emmanuel SENIOR EDITORS Stayton Bonner Jeff Dengate Ryan Krogh Marissa Stephenson ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rob Fischer ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR Marielle Anas

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dr. Bob Arnot, Mark Binelli, Tom Brokaw,

David Browne, Kitt Doucette, Daniel Duane, Josh Eells, Kevin Gray, Laird Hamilton,

Erik Hedegaard, Joseph Hooper, Walter Kirn, Dr. Robert Mordkin, Seamus Mullen,Stephen Rodrick, Paul Solotaroff ,

Matt Taibbi, Jesse Will, Sean Woods

COPY & RESEARCH COPY CHIEF Thomas Brown RESEARCH CHIEF Jordan Reed RESEARCH EDITOR Darren Reidy

ART ART DIRECTOR Todd Weinberger DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Kim Gray ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Amy McNulty DEPARTMENT FINANCE MANAGER Sandford Griffi n ART PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE Chelsea Schiff

MENSJOURNAL.COM EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Tyghe Trimble ASSOCIATE EDITORS Matt Allyn Jason Diamond Matthew Kitchen ASSISTANT EDITOR John Lonsdale PHOTO EDITOR Nicholas Hegel McClelland

PUBLISHERJay Gallagher

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, MARKETING Robert WeinsteinADVERTISING BUSINESS DIRECTOR Danika Parente FASHION & GROOMING DIRECTOR Lauren Doyle ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Richie Grin

1290 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, NEW YORK, NY 10104 212-484-1616SOUTHEAST Gary D. Dennis

NAVIGATE MEDIA, 1875 OLD ALABAMA ROAD, SUITE 1320, ROSWELL, GA 30076 678-507-0110MIDWEST Robert Frankel

333 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE, SUITE 1105, CHICAGO, IL 60601 312-782-2366 DETROIT & PACIFIC NORTHWEST Lori Friesner 248-743-1022 CALIFORNIA Tiff any Keele Grana

5700 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, SUITE 345, LOS ANGELES, CA 90036 323-930-3300

TEXAS Adam KnippaLEWIS STAFFORD CO., 5000 QUORUM DRIVE, SUITE 545,

DALLAS, TX 75254 972-960-2889

ADVERTISING ASSISTANTS Nancy Nguyen Emma Przybyszewski Amanda Velez

DIRECT RESPONSE ADVERTISING 800-442-9220

Monica Papadatos 212-484-1793

MARKETING Antoinette Enriquez, Fernando Mancuello,

Justine Trocchia

PUBLICITY Kathryn Brenner

DIGITAL MEDIA HEAD OF DIGITAL Gus Wenner

DIGITAL OPERATIONS Alvin Ling (EXEC. DIR.), Eric Ward (EXEC. PRODUCER), Justin Harris

CIRCULATION Linda Greenblatt, Elyse Kossin (DIRS.), Amy Fisher, Mee-Vin Mak, Jeff Tandy

MANUFACTURING John Dragonetti, Kevin Jones (DIRS.), Therese Hurter, Paul Leung, Chris Marcantonio, Lauren McGuinness

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Timothy Walsh GENERAL COUNSEL Natalie Krodel HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Victoria Kirtley INTERNATIONAL LICENSING DIRECTOR Maureen Lamberti RESEARCH DIRECTOR Amy Matoian Ninomiya CONTROLLER Karen Reed

WENNER MEDIACHAIRMAN

Jann S. WennerVICE PRESIDENTS Victoria Lasdon Rose,

Timothy Walsh, Jane Wenner

G E A R L A B

O N I N S T A G R A M

D R I N K S

IT's BACK.Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy

is crisp, refreshing

and perfect for sharing

the best parts of summer.

Pick one up and

join us out here.

Join Us At Leinie.com & Follow Us On 2015 Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Chippewa Falls, WI * Beer

MIC

HA

EL

PIR

RO

CC

O (3

)

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 10

LETTERS

CONTACT USTWITTER @mensjournalFACEBOOK facebook.com/MensJournalINSTAGRAM @mensjournal

EMAIL letters@mensjournal.com SEND LETTERS to MENS JOURNAL,1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Go tomensjournal.com/customerservice SUBSCRIBE RENEW GIVE A GIFT REPORT MISSING ISSUES PAY YOUR BILL CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS

about academia? Athletes should be monetarily rewarded, given the brevity of their careers. Instead we force them to comply with a system in which ev-eryone but the athlete is pro ting.

BRIAN NEWMARK, CAMBRIDGE, MA

I applaud Taylor Branch and his eff orts to have student-athletes treated more fairly. The NCAA lacks transparency and is all about the money, not the student-athletes. University presidents abandoned their responsibility long ago by ceding broad institutional re-sponsibility for athletics to the NCAA. Universities should not serve as farm teams for the NBA and the NFL. The achievement of academic success by all students should trump victories on the football eld and basketball court.

LEWIS REDDING, BAR HARBOR, ME

NOT JUST FOR BEGINNERSIm pushing 70 and have been riding motorbikes for about 50 years sport bikes when I started, then 20 years on a variety of Harley-Davidsons. But a year ago I decided I couldnt push a 650-pound motorcycle around anymore. I sold my beloved Dyna and bought a Honda CB500X with delightful handling. The bikes you listed in High-Performance Bikes for Beginners, by Basem Wasef, are great for beginners, but theyre also great for older riders like myself or for folks getting back to it after some time off . The Honda has revived my love of riding, and when the sun is out in the gorgeous Hill Country of central Texas, so am I.

BILL SCHIFFMAN, LAGO VISTA, TX

CANYON PRESERVATIONIve hiked from the South Rim to the bottom of the canyon to catch the Colorado River run, made the trip from Pearce Ferry to Lake Mead, hiked the canyon North to South Rim, and made it to Havasu Falls so you can count me wholeheartedly against the Esca-lade gondola [Grand Canyon Under Siege, by David Browne]. We respect the Native Americans who own the land in that magni cent canyon, and the Escalade development seems way too invasive. As a native Arizonan,

born in Bisbee, the canyon has not lost its magic for me and is almost sacred.

GAIL ANDRESS, SEARCHLIGHT, NV

TERRA INCOGNITAThe Devils Obstacle Course [by Mark Adams] is the perfect name to describe the Tsingy of Madagascar. Venturing into the labyrinth of limestone, I was astonished at how otherworldly the Tsingy felt. I had previously spent years studying lemurs in remote parts of Madagascar and had traveled much of the country, yet this place was by far the most interesting and bizarre land-scape I had ever been to.

TRAVIS STEFFENS, EXPLORER IN RESIDENCE, MADAGASCAR

The Devils Obstacle Course, was outstanding my jaw was hanging in suspense and wonder the whole time I was reading about Mark Adams adven-tures in Madagascar.

GRANT WATERS, VIA THE INTERNET

CORRECTIONOn page 65 of our April issue, we incor-rectly stated that Mauna Kea is on the island of Oahu (its on Hawaii) and that Michigans Upper Peninsula is on the 45th parallel. We regret the errors.

THE SECRET GOOD LIFEThanks loads for telling the world about Ventura again [The 50 Best Places to Live Now]. Now can you please stop reporting about this town? Wed like it to be kept a secret. This place is already getting too crowded, and articles like yours only make things worse for the people who live here.

DAVID EIGNER, VENTURA, CA

FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHTSAthletes need more advocates like Taylor Branch hes the NCAAs worst nightmare by exposing it as the hypocritical, bureaucratic, money-making monopoly that it is, exploiting youth because it can [The Man Who Schooled the NCAA, by Stephen Rod-rick]. How can we justify the unbeliev-able amount of money that the NCAA, colleges, and coaches rake in yearly when the real earners the athletes make nothing for their eff orts? Tuition, room, and board are ne starting points for the academically inclined, but what about the athletes who just want to play ball and could care less

MARK ADAMS TALES OF ADVENTUREIN THE TSINGY OF MADAGASCARLEFT MY JAW HANGING IN SUSPENSEAND WONDER.

Introducing the New Volvo V60 Cross Country. With a rugged exterior designed to brave

the elements and a re ned interior crafted to shelter you from them. As well as standard

All-Wheel Drive, Hill Descent Control and Navigation. Your stories will practically write themselves.

VO LVO CA R S . C O M / U S

Stories worth sharing rarely begin with So we decided to stay in.

TRISTAINA LAKES ANDORRA 7,400FT ABOVE SEA LEVEL

In the lead role: John Travolta, movie legend and aviation a cionado. Guest star: the legendary North American X-15

that has smashed all speed and altitude records and opened the gateway to space. Production: Breitling, the privileged

partner of aviation thanks to its reliable, accurate and innovative instruments such as the famous Chronomat, the

ultimate chronograph. Welcome to a world of legends, feats and performance.

CHRONOMAT 44

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 14 photographs by JEN JUDGE

NOTEBOOK

TRAVEL &ADVENTURE

In addition to 1,600 miles of trails, New Zealand is building downhill bike parks, like Queenslands Coronet Peak.

N E W Z E A L A N D I S S ET to unveil what will become one of the worlds largest networks of mountain-bike trails a series of 23 sections totaling 1,600 miles. When the first phase is com-pleted this fall, the New Zealand Cycle Trail will stretch from the northern-most tip on the North Island to the southern reaches of the South Island with a decadelong phase two that will link up 1,600 more miles of trails. It will take riders through nearly every type of landscape the country has to offer, from thick rain forest canopies and grass-covered hillsides to high-mountain sad-dles with views of snow-covered peaks.

The new trails are the result of an ambitious and highly unconven-

tional public works project started in 2009. Still reeling from the ongo-ing global recession, the government hosted a job fair to solicit ideas on how to jump-start economic activ-ity. Among the usual proposals to invest in things like education and highway infrastructure was an idea to put $50 million into off-road bike trails to spur the tourism industry, which pumps upwards of $15 billion into the national economy each year, nearly 8 percent of the countrys GDP. It was a completely unorthodox idea, says Geoff Gabites, owner of the New Zealand outtter Adventure South. But it was also popular, so the government found some money.

New Zealands Never-Ending TrailHow the Kiwis built a 1,600-mile mountain-bike paradise with hundreds more miles yet to come. by A A RO N G U LLE Y

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 16

This is symptomatic of whats happening up and down the country, Gabites told me later that night. People are starting to see tangible benefits from the trails.

You can see this most vividly in Rotorua, a logging town of 54,000 on the North Island that is now home to a bike manufacturer, a cycling-equipment distributor, three trail-building companies, and six bike shops. Last year, it opened the worlds only year-round, gondola-accessed bike park.

Historically, Rotorua has been economi-cally depressed, says Gaz Sullivan, the owner of the mountain-bike apparel line Nzo. But we are changing that.

A thousand miles south, in Queenstown, meanwhile, the company Skyline operates the countrys largest gondola-served bike park, which has seen double-digit growth since it opened in 2011. And Christchurch approved a plan earlier this year to build an even larger bike park, with Gravity Logic, the team behind the world-renowned Whistler Mountain Bike Park, vying for the contract.

South of Queenstown, on a fourth-generation farm that sits high above Lake Wakatipu, we met Tom OBrien, a wiry 40-year-old who converted his family farm into a riding destination called Welcome Rock. Though hed never mountain biked a day in his life, OBrien hand-dug an 17-mile singletrack loop, complete with three trailside huts for overnight tours.

Its a gamble, but were getting more and more visitors, he told us. When the first pioneers got here, they called it Welcome Rock because of the relief from realizing that it was all downhill from here. OBrien, like all of New Zealand, hopes that moun-tain biking will keep him coasting for the foreseeable future. n

to create variety throughout the system to appeal to a broad audience.

A few nights later, we overnighted at Ben Dhu Station, a sheep ranch on the South Islands Alp 2 Ocean trail, where owners Hamish and Pip Smith recently renovated three rustic-chic cabins to cater to cyclists. The Cycle Trail program was controversial at first, but people have warmed to it, Pip told us over a glass of New Zealand pinot noir. As farmers, we are grateful for another means of helping support ourselves.

Turning to cycling to boost an ailing economy might seem foolish, but the sport is booming, both in New Zealand and abroad. In 2000, after opening a multiuse trail on the South Island, for example, tourism of-f icials were surprised to discover that it was more popular with cyclists than with hikers. So they decided to go all in on the new trail network, known locally as the Nga Haerenga (Maori for the journeys).

Mountain biking is on the rise in New Zealand, says Kevin Bowler, head of the countrys tourism bureau. And the trails success can be measured by the number of accommodations and cycling tour companies popping up alongside them.

I N M A R C H , I rode four sections of the Nga Haerenga with Gabites and Euan Wilson, owner of the U.K.based mountain-bike guid-ing operation H+I Adventures, which will begin selling tours on the trail this spring. A few days into the tour, we hit the St. James Trail, a 40-mile loop on jeep roads and single-track through hulking mountains covered with a veil of fresh snow. Unlike some of the purpose-built trails, the St. James is a rugged wilderness road passing through a former 1862 sheep station. The riding is physical and rocky but not especially technical.

This is challenging, but some of the trails are more like gravel paths, Gabites told me as we rode, explaining that each trail is graded on a difficulty scale of 1 to 4. (The St. James ranges from 2 to 4.) The idea was

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

The Saddle Spur suspension bridge over a 200-foot canyon, just one of the heart-pounding obstacles on the St. James Trail

Wellington

Tasman Sea

South PacicOcean

AucklandRotorua

Christchurch

SouthernAlps

The New Zealand Cycle Trail

1. TWO DAYS: Great Lake TrailOnly a few hours south of Auckland, this route follows Lake Taupo for 44 miles, with dramatic views of Tongariro National Park. In Taupo, Whakaipo Lodge has rooms near the lake; bike rentals are $50 per day. greatlaketrail.com

2. ONE WEEK: Alps 2 OceanThis trail spans 187 miles, but youll want to focus on the rst half, a laid-back descent that passes glacial lakes and Maori rock art. At night, crash at one of three dozen lodges, like Ben Dhu Station, on the route. alps2ocean.com 3. TWO WEEKS: Old Ghost RoadWith steep climbs and fast descents that pass through a dozen ghost towns, this 52-mile screamer is one of the systems highlights. H+I Adventures will take you there and to other sections on a 200-mile, 13-day tour. $3,910; mountainbikeworldwide.com

THREE WAYS TO RIDE THE KIWI TRAIL So far, 23 segments of the trail are complete. Here are the three best

routes worth a ride, whether you have a few days or a few weeks.

3

2

1

map i l lustrat ion by HAISAM HUSSEIN

GRAB THE DEALIts not a gift its a challenge. Tear through DOUBLE

Limitless Resort Credit* at the all-inclusive Hard Rock

Hotels of Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Book

now for travel in September or October 2015, and take

on twice the decadence from our entire collection

of epic add-ons including unlimited golf, Rock Spa

sessions, exotic tours, and more.

AND CASH IN ON PARADISE

*Promotion applies for bookings with a 3-night minimum stay or more. Promotion valid for bookings through August 31, 2015 and traveling within the following periods: September 1, 2015 October 31, 2015. Hard Rock Hotel Cancun is not part of the Double Limitless Resort Credit promotion. Blackout dates exist. Applicable to US and Canada Markets. Applicable for both land only and package reservations. Applies to NEW reservations only, existing reservations do not qualify. Reservations with overlapping dates qualify; Promotion is based on arrival date. Promotion is subject to change without prior notice. We reserve the right to discontinue this promotion at any time. All previously sent close-outs and inventory changes apply and remain in place. Applicable to social, leisure and wedding group bookings. Not applicable to reservations with employee rate, travel agent rate, FAMS, complimentary or compensatory stays. A 20% service fee will apply over the final price of all transactions using the Limitless Resort Credit promotion on all services or products available at Hard Rock Hotel Cancun, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana and Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta. Service fee can only be paid with cash, room charge and credit card. Service fee cannot be paid with the remaining Limitless Resort Credit promotion balance. Other restrictions may apply. Please refer to website for full Terms and Conditions.

HRHRIVIERAMAYA.COM

1.888.762.5002

Double your

FR

OM

TO

P: G

IAN

EH

RE

NZ

EL

LE

R/C

OR

BIS

; CO

UR

TE

SY

OF

HO

LD

AW

AY

FA

MILY

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 18

NOTEBOOK TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

the highest tightrope walk, crossing more than a thousand feet without supports between Switzerlands Biancograt and the next peak over, Piz Prievlus, at a height of 3,280 feet. It took Nock 39 minutes to obliterate the previ-ous record, which Frenchman Philippe Petit famously set in 1974, suspended at 1,350 feet between the World Trade Center towers.

Nock has daredevilry in his blood: His ancestors began tightrope walking in 1770, and a family circus group was founded in 1840. (A variation of it, the Nerveless Nocks,

I N 2 01 1 , professional stuntman Freddy Nock had just walked up cable-car wires in the Swiss Alps, about 9,800 feet above sea level, and was glancing out the window of a summit restaurant when his next chal-lenge formed in his imagination: conquering a tightrope between two peaks. I see these beautiful mountains, he recalls. Oh, thatd be a nice walk to do over there.

Four years later, Nock attempted it above a snowy ridge on the highest mountain in the eastern Alps. On March 20, he set a record for

Nock tightroped above a ridge

on the highest mountain in the

eastern Alps.

On March 21, 11 members of the Holdaway family ages 14 to 83 collectively ran 524 miles at the Buff alo Run ultramarathon on Antelope Island in Utah, setting a record for the most relatives to race more than 30 miles in a day. The oldest of them, grandfather Grant Holdaway, covered 50 miles. Im not ready to throw in the towel, he says. After his wife, Barbara, died last October, one of Grants grandsons suggested that attempting the record would be a special tribute. That meant one of Grants sons, two of his daughters, and seven of his grandchildren all had to complete one of runnings greatest challenges. You might not be going fast, but if you stop, you might not be able to get back up, Grant says. You have to remember to keep going. LAUREN STEELE

still performs in Florida.) Anticipating a life under the big tent, Nock began training on tightropes around his home in Switzerland at age three then he heard reports of Petits historic feat at the World Trade Center. I see that guy, and hes not from the circus, Nock says. He was a normal guy from the street,and he sneaked in there. I said, Wow, this guy is great.

Nock began searching for equally death-defying stunts. At age 18, he walked his first cable-car wire, in the mountains of St. Moritz. He broke his first world record in 1998, com-pleting the longest walk on the cable of an aerial tramway. In 2011, he set seven world records in eight days, including the longest and steepest runs on tram cables. Last year, Nock and his wife, Ximena, exchanged vows on a tightrope.

For the record-breaking attempt in the eastern Alps, Nock wanted to do it during winter because he thought the snowy cliffs would make the event more picturesque. His friend and wire-walking peer Nik Wallenda explains, Anything over 25 feet is dangerous, but in our minds the risk is the same. Its more about the beautiful shot.

But just getting a photo opportunity can be complicated. It took Nock three years to secure permission from Swiss authorities, who had to be convinced that the wire anchors he needed to drill wouldnt damage the mountains. We have a lot of crazy people who just want to get famous, Nock says. I want to do everything with permission.

Nock arrived a week early to acclimate to the altitude and learn to maintain composure while taking shallow breaths. The site could be reached only by helicopter, and stormy weather threatened to delay his walk for sev-eral days. Finally, the sun broke through, the temperatures rose, and the wind died down. Wearing rubber-soled Pumas and carrying his pole, he stepped onto the tightrope. I was not scared, he says. The important thing is to feel the wire. You think, My God, Im high, but then you do it step-by-step and try to keep it straight and comfortable. It was Take it easy. n

Worlds HighestWire Act

Freddy Nock walked between two peaks at 3,280 feetabove the ground. by DAVI D B ROWN E

R E C O R D B O O K

ULTRA RUNNINGS BIGGEST FAMILYEleven relatives nish an ultramarathon on the same day.

Part of the Holdaway team (from left): Wendy, Jeff , Grant, Alejandro, and Chris

IT LIVES. IT BREATHES.The ultimate in active cooling, our new Motion Quantum T-Shirt featuring FreeVent Pro technology is the worlds only sweat-activated venting system. Vents open when you sweat and shut when youre dry.AVAILABLE ONLY AT EDDIE BAUER STORESAND ON EDDIEBAUER.COM

#PrepareForAdventure

FO

OD

ST

YL

ING

BY

ED

GA

BR

IEL

S F

OR

HA

LL

EY

RE

SO

UR

CE

S

NOTEBOOK

FOOD &DRINK

W H E T H E R I T S lamb barbacoa, pulled pork, or grilled veggie, the key to a great taco is a balance among the tor-tilla, fillings, and garnishes. Unfortunately, most home cooks treat tacos like burritos, overstuffing them with a dozen different ingredients, giving little thought to the mash-up of f lavors. A taco is supposed to be uncomplicated, and they should be light enough for you to eat a few in a single sitting.

Sometimes the best tacos are the most simple, says Rick Bayless, the renowned chef behind Red O restaurants and the Emmy-nominated host of PBSs Mexico: One Plate at a Time. With just a few ingredients and a heat source, youre never far away from a good meal.

These three recipes demonstrate just how easy and versatile the taco can be. The trick is to make it all from scratch (or as much as you can) with the best ingredients you can find and dont forget the lime squeeze.

Simple, Superior TacosThree made-from-scratch recipes that elevate the Mexican staple. by N I L S B E R N STE I N

1. TACOS DE BACALAO Makes 10 to 12 tacos

This twist on the classic sh taco has become a favorite at Seattles lakefront Agua Verde Caf and Paddle Club. Its made with Alaskan black cod, also known as sablesh, which chef Ignacio Reyna prefers for its white, buttery esh.

Its also sustainable, he says, which is important because of the amount we go through.

BATTER2 cups our1 cup cornstarch1 tbsp baking powder cup shredded coconut cup coconut milk cup fresh lime juice1 12-oz bottle of beer

TACOSVegetable oil, for frying2 lbs black cod or Chilean

sea bass llets, cut into strips

Seasoned our, for dredging (add a pinch each of salt, cayenne, cumin, and garlic and onion powders)

Corn tortillas (opposite)Cabbage, nely shreddedCreamy avocado sauce

(opposite)

Mix batter ingredients until theyre the consistency of heavy cream. (Add more beer if necessary.) Pour oil into a wok or heavy pot so its at least 3 inches deep, then heat the oil to 375 . Dredge the sh lightly in the our, dip in the batter, and add it to the oil. Fry for 5 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasion-ally. Drain and serve in tortillas with cabbage and avocado sauce.

1

2

M E N S J O U R N A LJ U N E 2 0 1 5 21

2. TACOS DE QUELITES Makes 6 to 8 tacos

Jos Carlos Redons Mexico City food truck, Bueno Bonito Bistrot, showcases all-local ingredients, including pre- Hispanic foods like escamoles (ant larvae), aloe owers, and lambs quarters, a wild green related to amaranth that tastes like a meatier spinach. Redon uses lambs quarters for these tacos, and you can often nd it at farmers markets. But a good substitute is nettles or even a mix of spinach and chard, with a handful of popped amaranth grains.

Olive oil red onion,

julienned1 large bunch of

lambs quarters, a mix of spinach and chard, or any wild greens, rinsed and chopped roughly

Sea salt4 oz goat cheese,

sliced or crumbledCorn tortillas

Coat a large frying pan with olive oil, and saut onion over medium heat until its almost caramel-ized. Add greens, sprinkle lightly with salt, and heat until the leaves cook all the way through, about 10 minutes. Add goat cheese and stir until it starts to melt. Salt to taste and pile into tortillas.

H O M E M A D E CO R N TO R TI LL A S

Add 1 cups hot water to 2 cups masa harina (a corn our), and mix together. Let sit 5 minutes, then add small amounts of cold water and knead until its the consistency of soft cookie dough. Press walnut-size balls in a tortilla press lined with plastic from a ziplock bag. Peel off one layer of plastic, invert the tortilla on your palm, and peel off the other layer. Lay tortilla on a griddle set over medium heat. Cook until the tortillas edges are dry, about 20 seconds, then ip and cook until speckled brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip again (tortilla may puff, which is good), and cook 30 to 60 seconds. Stack tortillas as you cook them the residual heat will keep them warm. Makes 16 to 20 tortillas.

C R E A M Y AVOCA DO SAU C E

1 avocado, peeled and pitted cup sour cream cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 green onion, minced 2 tbsp cilantro 1 serrano or jalapeo chili, stemmed and seeded 1 tsp black pepper 2 tsp fresh lime juice

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor; add salt to taste. Dollop on top of tacos de bacalao or any other dish.

3. TACOS AL CARBNOne of the most common taco styles in Mexico, tacos al carbn are simply tacos whose llings are cooked quickly on a coal-red grill or griddle. Mexican butchers usually sell meat already

sliced paper-thin, but you can slice it yourself, then pound it thin with a tenderizer.

Beef, chicken, or pork, sliced or pounded thin, lightly salted

Corn tortillasWhite onion, minced Cilantro, minced

Roasted tomatillo salsa (above)

Lime wedges

On a blazing-hot grill or griddle, sear meat for about a minute on each side, until its just cooked through. Pile meat into heated tortillas with onion, cilantro, salsa, and a squeeze of lime.

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

1 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed 4 serrano or jalapeo chilies 2 cloves garlic white onion, sliced -inch thick 3 tbsp minced cilantro tsp salt

Under a broiler, cook the tomatillos, chilies, garlic, and onion, turning occasionally, until soft and lightly charred. Stem the chilies, peel the garlic, then add tomatillos, chilies, garlic, and onion into a blender. Mix until almost smooth. Stir in cilantro, and add salt to taste or water to thin, if needed. For a red salsa, substitute 6 canned chipotle chilies.

3

photograph by ZACHARY ZAVISLAK

DR

INK

ST

YL

ING

BY

CH

RIS

LA

NIE

R F

OR

AP

OS

TR

OP

HE

photograph by TRAVIS RATHBONEJ U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 22

NOTEBOOK FOOD & DRINK

O N E D A Y I N 1 9 4 2 , w hen the f ishing was no good, Ernest Hemingway ran into a friend at a bar in Havana. We drank seventeen double frozen daiquiris apiece, he wrote after the ensuing bender, without leaving the bar except for an occasional trip to the can. Hemingways tolerance for alco-hol is mind-boggling. But his love for frozen drinks? That we understand. At least we do now.

Today, the boozy, slushy concoc-tions are getting a much-deserved

PIA DORADA4 oz gold or dark rum 1 cup chopped fresh

pineapple2 oz sweetened coconut

cream 1 oz fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender with 2 cups ice. Pulse until smooth. Garnish with pineapple spears and leaves, or anything else festive.Serves 2

FROZEN NEGRONI1 oz gin1 oz fresh orange juice1 oz fresh grapefruit

juice1 oz Luxardo Bitter1 oz sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a blender with 2 cups ice. Pulse until well blended. Garnish with an orange twist. Serves 2

PAPA DOBLE (HEMINGWAYS DAIQUIRI)3 oz white rum2 oz fresh grapefruit

juice1 oz fresh lime juice1 oz simple syrup1 oz maraschino

liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a blender with 2 cups ice. Pulse until smooth. Garnishwith a lime wedge. Serves 2

makeover. Instead of the syrups served at margarita mills, crafted frozen drinks are showing up at bars across the country. At Parsons Chicken & Fish, in Chicago, bartender Charlie Schott took a stuffy classic, the Negroni, and turned it into a crowd favorite by freezing it in a margarita machine. Its popularity is a reaction against purism, says Schott. Fro-zen cocktails are among the easiest drinks to make, and theyre refreshing enough that youll want more than one just stop somewhere south of 17.

Summer FreezeThe right way to make a blended cocktail.

by ST. J O H N F R I Z E LL

To prevent your drinks from getting watered down by melting ice, freeze them in advance. Just mix all the ingredients together, pour into a ziplock bag, and stick in the freezer. At drink time, dump the mix into a blender, whir into a slush, and serve.

PRO TIP

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Must-have products, promotions and services to fuel an active lifestyle

SIGHTINGS @SightingsMJ

SEEING IS BELIEVING At Maui Jim, we believe in the beauty of the world.

With lenses that eliminate glare and make colors pop, Maui Jim sunglasses dont shield your view

of the world they bring it to life.

MauiJim.com

ENGINEER MASTER II PILOT GMT The vintage aviation watch is revisited by BALL

as a tribute to all aviation heroes. 28 micro gas tubes. 43.5mm. Second time zone. Available with

a stainless steel bracelet.

BallWatch.com

NEW THICKER FULLER HAIR THINNING HAIR TREATMENT!

Once daily foam treatment with marine flora complex is clinically shown to help reduce

the appearance of hair loss. Plus it has cell-u-plex pure plant extracts and caffeine energizers.

ThickerFullerHair.com

BENCHMADE 665 APB (AMBIDEXTROUS PUSH-BUTTON)

ASSIST FOLDING KNIFE A first of its kind.

The 665 APB Assist features Benchmades latest mechanism, the Ambidextrous Push-Button

(APB) Assist which offers the strength of Benchmades

AXIS lock with the added ergonomic benefit

of the push-button.

Benchmade.com

DA

VID

BE

CK

ER

/NB

C/N

BC

U P

HO

TO

BA

NK

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 24

obstacle, the ninjas build it in their backyards and you see it pop up on YouTube. So we have to stay fresh. Weed, a veteran producer of reality game shows like Hells Kitchen, used to test every obstacle himself the last barrier against anarchy in the ninja world but he gave it up after a serious eye injury. He will still jump in if he thinks an obstacle is too easy: If a reality-TV producer in his fifties can handle it, he reasons, then its obviously not tough enough for the ninjas.

American Ninja Warrior originated in Japan, where, under the name Sasuke, its had 30 competitions since 1997. (There is also a U.K. spin-off, and dubbed versions of Sasuke are syndicated worldwide.) Thou-sands have climbed ropes, scaled walls, hoisted themselves up salmon ladders in which contestants use a single movable rung to lift themselves a foot at a time

aspiring ninjas and surprise its viewers with a constant barrage of new challenges. For the 2015 season, premiering this month, the producers have brought in stuntmen, parkour experts, and former competitors to test-drive dozens of new obstacles (kept top secret so no aspiring ninja can get an edge). The ob-stacles need to have just the right amount of difficulty the goal is for only 20 percent of contestants to finish the preliminary courses held in six cities across the country. Ulti-mately, only 24 new obstacles will make the cut. So on this February afternoon, the top brass watch Bivoinos every twitch like theyre judges at an Olympic diving competition.

We have to keep up with the ninjas, says Kent Weed, whos been the shows executive producer since it started five years ago. Hes wearing a green polo shirt and has the mien of an aging surfer. The minute we create a new

F OR A S ECON D, Eric Bivoino hangs in midair. Hes young, fit, and trying not to land on his handsome face. Bivoino, a part-time stuntman, is in the middle of a challenge that the makers of the TV show American Ninja Warrior call Downhill Pipe: Hanging on to a steel bar, the warrior slides like a human roller coaster down two curved metal rods and then launches into a predict-able vector. Hes supposed to grab a rope and swing to safety. But even though his hands reach out for the dangling rope, it remains just past his grasp. Bivoino lands on the ground with a heavy crunch.

In this nondescript warehouse a half-hour north of Los Angeles, Bivoino is testing the Downhill Pipe for possible use on Ameri-can Ninja Warrior. The show the nations top-rated obstacle-course competition and a summertime hit for NBC needs to test its

The Evil Geniuses Behind American Ninja Warrior

Inside TVs most punishing obstacle race. by GAVI N E DWA R DS

A national nalist running across the

spinning bridge in Las Vegas last June

NOTEBOOK

SPORTS

vw.com

Everything we do best.All under one panoramic sunroof.The new Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel. Let the sun shine down through the available

panoramic sunroof* on every luxurious detail in the new Touareg, the pinnacle of German craftsmanship.

Get comfortable in its 8-way power-adjustable heated front seats and enjoy available new features,

like Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking,** and Adaptive Cruise Control all of

which help offer the invaluable amenity of more confidence on the road. Its everything weve perfected,

perfectly combined. Isnt it time for German engineering?

*Available only on select trims. **Do not rely solely on Front Assist with Autonomous Emergency Braking. It is designed to help minimize the effects of certain collisions and is not a substitute for attentive driving. This feature has important limitations; see Owners Manual for further details. 2015 Volkswagen of America, Inc.

CL

OC

KW

ISE

FR

OM

TO

P L

EF

T: P

ET

ER

BO

HL

ER

; JO

HN

PA

RR

A/N

BC

/NB

CU

PH

OT

O B

AN

K V

IA

GE

TT

Y IM

AG

ES

; DA

VID

BE

CK

ER

/NB

C/N

BC

U P

HO

TO

BA

NK

(3)

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 26

Bivoino nods, doing an instant replay in his head. I had time, he reports.

The toughest obstacles get reserved for the finals in Las Vegas in six seasons, no American has reached the end of the course, so no one has yet claimed the $500,000 prize for finishing. Producers would love for some-one to win, but they arent about to make the obstacles any easier to see the first American make history by topping Mount Midoriyama.

The first time I scaled the Warped Wall and hit the buzzer, I went to my knees and cried like a little girl, says Joe Moravsky, one of last seasons top contestants. Because of that moment, I feel like Ive lived. n

challenge, Storm says. That one is about separating the athletes from the wannabes. Almost everyone can physically get past the second obstacle, but if youre nervous, youre probably going to fail it.

Here at the warehouse, Bivoino picks himself up and returns to the start of the Downhill Pipe, where he is lifted high above the ground by a forklift. He launches him-self down the slope again and this time Bivoino nails the timing, grabs the rope, swings forward, and hops onto a platform for a victorious dismount.

Did you feel like you were actually finding the rope? asks Storm.

and balanced on increasingly unstable surfaces in an elaborate four-stage obstacle course. In 2012, the show was adapted for NBCs prime-time schedule. Now contestants take on a preliminary course in regional com-petitions while striving to advance to the finals in Las Vegas, where they face off against the final challenge, dubbed Mount Midoriyama.

This year, 40,000 people applied to be on American Ninja Warrior. About a quarter of them submitted videos show-ing off their skills at clambering up walls and swinging through homemade ob-stacles. (The show has launched its own fitness craze: There are now gyms all over the country specializing in Ninjaskills and obstacle courses.) Roughly 800 contestants are chosen to compete in the qualifying rounds. We see a lot of stunt people, former athletes, and ex-military, says J.J. Getskow, the shows lead course designer. We dont want to put something out there that everybody just walks through.

So far, the show has debuted more than 100 obstacles. Before arriving, contestants have no idea what course they will encounter, so they train to be ready for anything. Theres a lot of dif-ferent physical attributes necessary to be a ninja, explains Anthony Storm, a co- executive producer. Speed, agility, balance, upper-body strength, grip strength. Each obstacle tests one or some of those. Grip strength is the shows X factor: Its not some-thing athletes typically focus on improving, but its essential when youre swinging above a water tank or holding on to a polyurethane ring with your fingertips.

Despite the element of surprise, producers do have a semi-set pattern for sequence. The Quintuple Steps is always first, the Warped Wall sixth, and Salmon Ladder eighth. And for the second obstacle, we generally have some not incredibly taxing upper-body

THE FIRST TIME I HIT THE BUZZER, I WENT TO MY KNEES AND CRIED LIKE A LITTLE GIRL.

From left: Producer Kent Weed, who

tests the obstacles himself; a regional

nalist swinging across the Mine eld

in Miami last July

NINJAS TO WATCH: THIS SEASONS HOPEFULS

JOE MORAVSKY, 26 Last season, the weatherman fromConnecticut made it further than any other contestant. His greatest skills: climbing and strategy.

I attack the course, he says, but dont take huge gambles.

TRAVIS ROSEN, 41 The four-time nalist works as a stock trader in Tennessee and was once an NCAA All-American gymnast at the University of Iowa. I watched the show, created my own exercises, and therest is history.

BRIAN ARNOLD, 36Last year, he quit his job at a nursing home in Colorado, transformed his house into an obstacle course, and became a two-time nalist. My life is about becoming the rst AmericanNinja Warrior.

SPORTS

V.J

. LO

VE

RO

/SP

OR

TS

ILL

US

TR

AT

ED

/GE

TT

Y IM

AG

ES

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 28

NOTEBOOK

BOOKS

I N J U LY, P E D R O M A R T I N E Z , the most dominating pitcher of his generation, will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He won the Cy Young Award three times and was arguably the most important member of the 2004 Red Sox, which broke the clubs 86-year World Series curse. But it was the improbability of his prowess that elevated him to mythic status among baseball fans: It didnt seem possible that a 97 mph fastball, wicked changeup, and real estate agents knack for pinpoint location could be packaged in a 5-foot-11, 170-pound frame. I guess people appreciated the fact that I was smaller, he says. I didnt feel like I was smaller. I was intimidating.

In his new memoir, Pedro, the 43-year-old Martinez recounts his journey from the Dominican Re-public where he shared a one-room shack with his parents and five siblings to Major League star-dom. Along the way, he dispenses

Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty, by Charles Leerhsen

One of baseballs original

bad boys, Tigers icon Ty Cobb left a complex leg-acy. Leerhsen argues that much of what we remem-ber about the outelder has been corrupted by myths (like ling his cleats to assault inelders) Cobb himself propagated. He wanted to be considered dangerous to the point of dementia. Leerhsens Ty Cobb, on the other hand, is a man who devoted undy-ing attention to every de-tail of the game and never faltered under the pressure of being Americas rst sports superstar. And that old story about his killing a mugger in 1912? Thats not true, either.

The Game, by Jon Pessah

This might be the den-itive account of how front offices con-trol Major

League Baseball. And were not talking about landing a free-agent shortstop. Pessah crafts freeze-frame descriptions of the most critical backroom moments of the modern era from George W. Bushs failed 1992 campaign for the of-ce of MLB commissioner to the strikes and steroid scandals that periodically torpedoed the integrity of the sport. The title is meant to be ironic: Pro baseball is more than a game; its a money-crazed power struggle which is, of course, Americas true pastime. ROB FISCHER

Pedro Martinez Goes Off

A new memoir recounts how he went from the Dominican Republic to Cooperstown on his own terms. by M I K E R U B I N

tales of clubhouse pranks, scoffs at the studs he vanquished during the steroidal home-run era, and unpacks the ire he inspired among New York fans. They just hated to see me with the Red Sox, he says. But they wouldve loved to see me with the Yankees.

The book is also a stinging rebuke to all the naysayers who declared that Martinez lacked the size to succeed. An early coach with the Dodgers said the scrawny prospect would end up cutting sugarcane in the Dominican. His pitching coach with the Expos and Red Sox, Joe Kerrigan, openly criticized his work ethic. Martinez used their scorn as fuel. I heard boos

as cheers, he writes. When prov-ing those critics wrong failed to inspire him, he had another tactic to psych himself up: imagining that his mother was bound and gagged by kidnappers if he didnt get the batter out, they would cut her throat. Yeah, he says, that was a way to push myself way over the limit. n

THE BEST READS IN BASEBALL

The undersized Martinez could

outduel the biggest hitters of

the steroid era.

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 30

NOTEBOOK

STYLE&DESIGN NEW

WHATS

The Discreet PocketknifeThe tiny Spyderco Dog Tag Folder is about the size of a military ID, so it wont create a bulge in your pocket, but has a rock-solid build that standsup to much larger tasks. Its handle is made of aluminum and titanium, and the blade has a at bevel for protection when the knife is closed. From $120; spyderco.com

The Bare LED Lightbulb Like the Edison incandescent, the three-watt Buster+Punch Buster Bulb is stylish enough to hang naked and casts a soft golden glow, but this LED lamp uses less energy and lasts ve years. Hopefully we can get people looking at eco-effi cient design in a diff erent light, says designer Massimo Minale. $59; busterandpunch.com

The Floating CamperIs it a boat? Is it a camper? Its both. The Sealander isa pint-size trailer big enough for two adults. If your adventure takes you on the water, just roll the watertight vessel from land to lake and bolt on a small electric outboard motor for cruising. The Sealander has a small dining space that converts to a sleeping bunk, and it can be tted with optional packages for a kitchen and toilet. Flip open the hatch on land or at sea, then roll back the roof to let in the suns rays. From $16,025; sealander.de

The Superzoom ShooterWith a zoom range equivalent to 242000mm on a 35mm camera, the point-and-shoot Nikon Coolpix P900 has the kind of reach typically found only on lenses that cost more than an Audi A3. Even from the cheap seats, youll be close to the action. $600; nikonusa.com

An attachable motor gently guides

the Sealander over small lakes.

The Swiss AdventurerThe North Flag from Tudor, little brotherof Rolex, is as tough as it is elegant: waterproof to 100 meters, with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Its based on the Oyster Prince model worn by British explorers on a frigid, two-year expedition to North Greenland in 1952. From $3,550; tudorwatch.com

Nobody knows eggs better than Bacon, Kevin Bacon. Thats why I

know an egg is a great way to get 6 grams of high-quality protein

for 70 calories, and no sugar or carbs. Perfect for when youve got

your hands full being carried by someone whos got their hands full.

IncredibleEgg.org

ST

YL

ING

BY

CH

RIS

TO

PH

ER

ST

ON

E

FO

R H

AL

LE

Y R

ES

OU

RC

ES

photograph by GREG BROOMJ U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 32

Sneakers for Work and PlaySummers new classic styles. by D E N N I S TA N G

D U R I N G TH E CA S UA L days of summer, a pair of sneakers can dress down a lightweight cotton suit or add a pop of color to jeans but youve got to do it right. Blend business with casual and vice versa, says Rian Pozzebon, head designer for Vans. Wear clean, restrained sneakers with a summer suit no Air Jordans with a pinstripe and larger bas-ketball sneakers with more understated basics. Here is our guide for pairing five classic kicks with the right clothes and occasion.

A

D

C

E

B

A. THE OFF-COURT MVP $120The Tretorn Rdlera Suede rd lera is Swedish for red clay is inspired by the labels Silver Wing tennis shoes from the 1980s. The retro detailing is best paired simply, whether dressed up or down. It goes well with uncuffed, raw-denim jeans as a weekend outt, says Tretorns U.S. general manager, Loris Spadaccini, but its sophisticated enough to wear with a tted gray suit, too.

B. THE GROWN-UP SKATER $60The Vans Side Stripe Old Skool is a new take on the companys iconic skate shoe. Its chill versatility can be worn with relaxed chinos, cords, and cargoes, or as a textural addition to a slim cotton suit for an easygoing summer work ensemble.

C. THE REFINED RACER $100Worn by runners at the 1968 Olympics, the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 is a sprint shoe at its core. But redone in a textured dark gray, its low-prole look is ideal for casual wear the perfect complement to jeans on the weekend.

D. THE RETRO HIGH-TOP $65This Sixties-era basketball shoe works much better as a style statement than athletic wear nowadays. The Puma Suede Mid Classics high-top ankle should be paired with pants

that keep it on full display: slim jeans and trousers with cropped or rolled hems and a T-shirt or polo.

E. THE EVERYDAY BOAT SHOE $85From the company known for its Nantucket-ready boat shoes, the Sperry Cadet merges a low-prole rubber sole with a sleek lace-up upper. Pair it with tapered chinos, or go with sweat- pants and skip the socks, says Sperry mens product designer Ben Hamlin.

NOTEBOOK STYLE & DESIGN

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 34

NOTEBOOK STYLE & DESIGN

Crazy Eights Big-engined American muscle is back and more sophisticated than ever.

Here are three cars that let you make the most of it. by J E S S E WI LL

The Dodge Challenger R/T

Scat Pack

T H E F UTU R E OF sports cars will be writ by nerds. Every day, engineers are wresting more performance from smaller, more effi-cient powerplants. So who needs a V-8 when you can draw 400 horses or more from a turbocharged six? Anyone who thinks the smooth delivery of torque is a fundamental right of the Ameri-can man. And anyone whose pulse races at the guttural rumble of a big V-8. I can promise you thats a thrill you will never get from a foreign six-cylinder car, says GMs Mark Damico, a Corvette engine designer. Sadly, V-8s are probably doomed: Fuel-economy standards that will require manufac-turers to average 35 mpg by 2020 will limit their use to a dwindling number of models. Instead of listening to the V-8s symphony, expect to hear more synthetic approximations of it: Every-body from BMW to Porsche to Ford has been electronically augmenting the engine notes of smaller turbo-charged engines. But its not time to cry in your beer just yet: Weve arrived at an unexpected golden hour for big-engined American muscle cars. Just as gas prices are hitting decade lows, the Big Three are unleashing the most powerful, most sophisticated V-8s yet. Enjoy them now, before its too late.

The Ambassador Ford Mustang GTFrom $32,300; 19 mpg combinedAmericas most beloved muscle car just turned 50. So what did the Mustang get as a gift? An independent rear

suspension to bring it in line with the best of the sports car universe. Historically, Mustangs have relied on a rear suspension with a solid rear axle great for laying down power on the drag strip, less so for handling the contours of real roads. This year that axles been swapped with a setup that permits the rear wheels to move indepen-dently. This is crucial, because when its paired with the velvety awesomeness of the GTs 5-liter V-8 engine, it helps the Stang hold tight to imperfect streets, letting you use more of its 435 horsepower more of the time. On both Californias Angeles Crest Highway and Brooklyns pockmarked Belt Parkway, the Mustang cruised over road seams and wounded

asphalt unperturbed. Otherwise, the Mustang GTs highs (that baritone roar) and lows (an interior with plastic to rival the Lego stores) remain. But Ford has given the pony handling its never seen before it makes sense that, after 50 years, this will be the rst Mustang sold in markets across the globe.

THE TIME MACHINE Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack From $38,495; 18 mpg combined

Barely a minute after pushing the ignition button on Dodges 485-horsepower Challenger Scat Pack, Im looking back at the trail of rubber Id left on a Dallas backstreet. That kind of old-school fun comes eff ortlessly when driving the

Scat Pack, so its almost alarming that this 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 is seen as a modest choice in comparison with the Hellcat, the 700-horsepower iteration of the same car. That these two fuel-sucking, eardrum-thumping mischief makers exist in 2015 seems like an anomaly especially considering Dodges big boss is a dude named Sergio. In any case, the Scat Pack is the smarter choice charmingly retro, 20 grand cheaper, and harder to wrap around a tree. On a long drive through Texas Hill Country, its aggressively mapped throttle, eff ortless shifts, and big Brembo brakes made driving feel like an elemental joy.

T H E H O R S E P O W E R B O O MTwenty years ago, most Corvette engines produced about half as much power as the 2015 Z06. So how did the Vettes V-8 gures double? The Z06 uses a supercharger, for one, which pumps oxygen into the engine, letting it burn more fuel. Boost devices like that are smaller, more efficient, and more durable now than they once were, says GMs Damico. Likewise, the use of stiffer, lighter-weight parts like titanium intake valves reduces mass and allows the new engine to run at a higher rpm. So are we at peak horsepower? Perhaps not. Lets just say that the V-8s trajectory hasnt at-tened out yet, says Damico. Youre gonna continue to be amazed. J.W.

The Homegrown Supercar Chevrolet Corvette Z06 From $79,000; 18 mpg combined

Imagine a Corvette racing through Death Valley at a buck 40. Do you picture it clamorous, shaky, running

at its upper limit? Not in the Z06, Chevys race-bred Vette variant. As you nudge the throttle, its heads-up display projects numbers that seem improbably high yet cause little worry. The self-assurance comes from a 6.2-liter V-8 engine supercharged to make 650 horsepower, married to a GM-developed magnetic-control suspension proven so unappable that its now used by Ferrari and Audi on rides that cost four times the Z06s price. Cars from Detroit arent supposed to do what the Z06 can do: hit 60 mph in less than three seconds, then slow down to zero in the length of a basketball court, and offer relentless grip while ripping around corners. Even if youre not a pro driver, this Vette has digital aids like an electronic limited-slip differential that splits torque between the rear wheels at 10th-of-a-second increments working on your behalf. The tech helps the car stay planted without stripping away feedback. All in all, the result is an absurdly capable vehicle so comfortable it begs to be driven both on the track and coast to coast, quickly. Do it now, while gas is cheap.

Play harder, work smarter, live better.Introducing vvoactive, the GPS smartwatch for the active lifestyle

2015 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

Keep a healthy balance between work and life with vvoactive. Built-in running, biking, gol ng,

swimming and activity tracking apps let you view your stats even when away from your phone.

vvoactive gently vibrates to alert you to incoming calls, messages and calendar items. Free downloads

to customize watch face design, data elds, widgets and apps from our Connect IQ store.

Garmin.com/vivovvoactive

Skip Your CheckupA routine physical may seem like a harmless, better-safe-than-sorry idea.

But there is no evidence that it improves your health. In fact, it may do the opposite.by JO SE PH HO OPE R

SINCE THE 1940S, the venerable annual physical has been re-garded as one of the cornerstones of good health. Each year, many

primary care physicians across the country still send out a boilerplate reminder: Its time for your checkup. But privately, if not pub-licly, most doctors regard the annual physi-cal as a medical emperor with no clothes, not even a hospital gown. (Ask your doctor how often he or she gets a checkup.) And as University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel says, Spending billions on something that we have pretty good evidence is not working is not the way to go.

After tracking nearly 60,000 people for a decade, researchers in Denmark reported last year that regular checkups had no effect on

preventing cardiovascular disease or death. That study followed a 2012 meta-analysis that included 182,000 people and arrived at a simi-lar conclusion: Regular checkups are unlikely to save lives or prevent disease. Meanwhile, the U.S. Preventive Health Services Task Force, an independent panel of health experts, explicitly recommends that people skip a number of the usual procedures of the annual checkup (for instance, the heart EKG and the prostate-cancer PSA test); its Canadian counterpart recommends against annual visits altogether.

And yet more than 45 million otherwise healthy Americans will undergo a physical this year, gobbling precious health care re-sources and driving up insurance premiums. All of this raises the question: Why do we get annual physicals?

You have to look back to the early 1900s, when a doctor named Eugene Lyman Fisk convinced the life insurance industry that people who saw their physicians regularly enjoyed better health and were better in-surance risks, says Nortin Hadler, emeritus professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina and the author of Worried Sick. Fisks research methods were crude, and his positive results were never replicated else-where. Regardless, the checkup soon became public-health dogma. By the 1960s, medical labs had developed automated, high-speed methods to test blood for all sorts of things. The annual physical as we know it took shape. Today were likely to chat briefly with the doc-tor, step on a scale, put on a blood pressure cuff, maybe get an EKG, and then have blood

photograph by DARREN BRAUN

Health Fitness&

Forty percent of testsand procedures are

useless, a New England Journal of Medicine

report found.

M E N S J O U R N A LJ U N E 2 0 1 5 37

HAVE YOUR FITTEST SUMMER + SKIN - CARE ESSENTIALS FOR THE SUN + HEALTH NEWS

Health &Fitness

EVERY TWO YEARSHemoglobin A1cThis test measures how your body processes carbs, and its more useful than the more common blood-glucose test. The range youre shooting for is from 4.8 to 5.6; anything higher is a signal to cut back on sugar and booze. Get it checked now if you suspect your blood sugar is abnormal (say, you often feel faint or dizzy from low blood sugar, or youve had inexplicable weight gain). High-sensitivity C-reactive proteinKnown as hs-CRP, this is a general test of

inammatory markers in your blood. Amounts rate on a scale from 1 to 3; a reading above 2 indicates high inammation levels (a harbinger of almost every chronic disease) and the need to reboot diet and exercise. Test for it immediately if youve had high-inammation side effects: constant fatigue, digestive problems, weight gain. Vitamin D test Low levels of D affect everything from mood to heart, brain, and metabolic health. Ask your doctor for the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test to ensure levels are at 20 ng/ml or higher.

ONCE A DECADEColonoscopy This disease is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Screenings reduce risk; you should get one at ages 50, 60, and 70. Why only once every 10 years? Because colon cancer grows slowly even if you were scoped at 50 and the cancer started growing at 51, youd still have time to catch it at 60, with the same good results. It may sound counterintui-tive, but research shows that health outcomes are no better when testing for colon cancer every ve years versus getting tested every 10.

T E S T S W O R T H G E T T I N GFour screens and procedures that can keep you healthy.

T E S T S T O A V O I DCarefully consider these if youre healthy with no preexisting conditions.

drawn to be sent to a lab to get back numbers on everything from cholesterol and kidney and liver function to prostate-cancer risk.

This brisk conveyor-belt system has its advantages. Primary care doctors labor under an insurance-reimbursement system that rewards doing (say, performing a CT scan or colonoscopy) more than advising, so the streamlined checkup lets them cram in enough patients to make a living (if not a fortune). Patients seem satisfied that their medical information is being collected and marshaled to safeguard their health. Going to the doctor becomes like taking your car to the garage to have the oil checked and the tires rotated, Hadler says. The more the tires are rotated, the better everyone thinks the annual exam was.

But human bodies, unlike cars, can heal themselves. And when doctors attempt to dis-cover and treat the early signs of disease, they often do more harm than good. We all harbor abnormalities, so our diagnostic technologies find all sorts of things, says Gilbert Welch, a professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the author of Less Medicine, More Health. That leads to more testing and more prescriptions and procedures, and thats a recipe for making people sick.

How does that happen? New York cardiolo-gist Sandeep Jauhar, the author of Doctored: The Disillusionment of an American Physician, says, Doctors are trained to be uncomfortable with uncertainty. An example Jauhar sees frequently are patients who have no history of heart problems yet fail a basic stress test; this could be a false positive, but doctors often order cardiac catheterization, just in case an invasive procedure that can result in infection. Every doctor I know would tell you stories about minor problems getting worked up and leading to all sorts of downstream complica-tion, he says. And thats the aspect of the annual physical that I worry about the most, the unnecessary testing.

The problem is, when you take a closer look at what happens during a checkup, much of it begins to look unnecessary. Screening for cancer is a classic example; its a big reason many people believe they should see a doctor, even if theyre feeling fine. But there is less here than meets the eye. Screening for colon cancer once a decade is generally considered a good idea, but screening more often than that yields no additional benefit. And the PSA test, still a common feature of the annual physical, is a mixed blessing at best, considering the risk of false positives and unnecessary overtreat-ment. Welch estimates that for every prostate- cancer death prevented by early detection and treatment, 50 men are needlessly treated and about a third of them are harmed. Hunting for early-stage testicular cancer, meanwhile,

is no longer recommended, because treatment success in its obvious, later stages is so great; you risk a potentially damaging biopsy of a testicle that otherwise would have caused no harm. In fact, there is only one regular cancer screen that we can definitively say saves lives, a CT scan of the lungs of smokers.

Even less-serious screens pose problems. Take blood pressure. Sure, it may be good to know whether you fall into the mild- hypertension range, between 140 and 159. But if thats the case, your doctor will prob-ably recommend blood pressure meds pills that can cause fatigue, fainting, chest pain, and other side effects though recent re-search suggests they do nothing to reduce the

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 38

Blood tests can gauge your liver, kidney, and metabolic function, but the results often yield little value.

METABOLIC PANEL The Chem 7 panel tests for seven things related to liver and kidney function, and the Comprehensive for as many as 20. As epidemiologist Mark Ebell says, they almost never turn up useful data. ELECTROCARDIOGRAM The EKG measures the electrical activity of the

heart. If you dont have cardiac problems, however, the EKG, often included in annual checkups, is unnecessary. BLOOD LIPID SCREEN Its not a bad thing to know your LDL number, though doctors have a nasty habit of being too quick to prescribe statins. A high reading should cue

lifestyle changes, but in an otherwise healthy person, its no reason to panic, experts say. PSA Because of the risk of false positives and harmful, unneeded treatment, automatically getting a PSA test during a physical is unwise. Weigh when to test with your doctor.

AD

AM

LE

VE

Y

odds of a stroke or heart attack. Cholesterol is a similar story. High LDL cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attacks, but one thats not as strong as we once thought. Doctors, however, tend to be very quick to prescribe statin drugs, even though, as University of California, San Francisco, preventive cardi-ologist Rita Redberg says, theyll prevent only a few nonfatal heart attacks, with a much higher chance of causing adverse events like muscle aches, memory loss, and diabetes.

Doctors have a better shot at promoting health, Redberg says, by asking the kind of unglamorous, unsexy questions your mother might ask. What is your diet like? How often do you exercise? Do you have trouble sleep-ing? As for higher-tech tests of heart function for people at low risk of heart disease, such as the common EKG, they are more likely to lead to unnecessary treatment than to uncover some hidden defect that needs to be fixed. Studies show that patients with abnormal EKG results can wind up getting stents or a full-on coronary bypass, even though these risky procedures dont reduce the chance of a heart attack in patients without symptoms.

Last, we have the metabolic screens that measure liver and kidney function. If youre healthy and not on regular medication, these lab results are mostly as useless as they are indecipherable. Youll get a panel that tests for about 20 things, says Mark Ebell, a University of Georgia epidemiologist and a primary care physician who serves on the U.S. Preventive Health Services Task Force. Just by chance alone, one of those values is going to be ab-normal. A metabolic screen might pick up liver damage that suggests alcohol abuse, he says, but an honest conversation about lifestyle could yield the same information. And good numbers can give the heavy drinker a false sense of security, the same way a good LDL reading can be an excuse to ignore a diet and exercise routine in need of an upgrade.

So should you drop the physical alto-gether and see a doctor only when youre sick? That is Ezekiel Emanuels personal approach, championed in a controversial New York Times article, but hes not prepared to recommend it to everyone. He does sug-gest that otherwise-healthy men postpone regular checkups until they hit their late forties, when there is more to be concerned about. That would save two or three de-cades worth of annual physicals, he says. Of course, a pragmatist might also say that its a good idea to see a physician often enough so that if you do get sick or develop some unusual symptom, the first person you call will know your name and medical history. Visits should be more of a check-in than a checkup, explains Welch. The choice is yours. Even if that choice means not at all. n

Ask Dr. BobOur in-house doc answers

your questions about health, tness, and living

adventurously.

SOUND OFFI like to crank my music when I exercise, but Im sure its hard on my ears. Any advice?Turn it down. An hour or more of blar-ing music in your ears isnt just stress-ful on your eardrums in the moment; it actually destroys your hearing over time. Thats not a problem exclusive to workouts, either. The World Health Organization released a study this winter that found the majority of us regularly listen to music at levels that will eventually induce hearing loss that no surgery or medicine can bring back. Whats alarming is that the level where damage begins isnt high; it can start with the equivalent of heavy traffic on a city street. And during exercise, we often subconsciously blast the music even louder to psych ourselves up to push harder. To know when to dial it down, try the app SoundMeter+ ($2; itunes.apple.com). Ive been using it for my workouts, and its been revealing to see how quickly I get into the high decibels that kill hearing.

DIET ADVICEI exercise to eat what I want pizza, burgers, ice cream. Im not gaining weight, but my friends say its unhealthy. What do you think?Sorry, but no amount of exercise can protect you from the ill effects of a poor diet. Filling up on trans fatladen junk

THE DOC IS ONLINEEmail your questions for Dr. Bob Arnot to dr.bob@mensjournal.com.

food can cause inf lammation in your body that, if it doesnt just make you feel like crap, may raise your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabe-tes, and metabolic disease. It may also change your gut bacteria, which can lead to chronic gastrointestinal issues down the line. You can splurge on guilty pleasures just dont regu-larly weaponize your diet with toxic fats and sugars.

EXERCISE SECRETI always hear that biceps curls are pass for strength training. Whats best for stronger arms? Normally I recommend compound exercises to build better functional strength. But if your aim is bigger, stronger biceps, then curls are the best way to train, according to a new study from the American Council on Exercise. The key is that they have to be concentration curls: propping your elbow on your leg and very deliberately raising and lowering the weight to put the biceps under maximum tension. Theres an easy way to turn this isola-tion move into a total-body exercise, too: Pick up a pair of dumbbells and go into a low static squat, with elbows propped against your inner thighs, chest up and shoulders back. Very slowly curl the weights up, and then even more slowly lower them back down, staying in the squat position the entire time.

OL

EK

SIY

MA

KS

YM

EN

KO

/AL

AM

Y

M E N S J O U R N A LJ U N E 2 0 1 5 39

Your Fittest Summer Ever

Exercising outdoors isnt just more fun its more eff ective. Heres all you need to get strong this summer: the right gear, the best

apps, and an all-purpose, on-the-go meal. Plus, four quick exercise routines including Laird Hamiltons ultimate workout for the beach.

by L AU R E N ST E E L E

GET LEAN IN 10 MINUTES A DAYFor melting fat, jumping rope is practically a surgeons scalpel, says Michael Olajde Jr., who trains the likes of Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. Go beyond basic jumping by adding in these three moves to a 10-minute routine, and, Olajde says, you can burn 15-plus calories a minute while defining your arms, shoulders, legs, and abs.

Running barefoot on the beach works

the small stabilizing muscles in your feet.

T I PT I P How to stop the sweat Post-workout, drink ice water immediately (when it hits your stomach, it signals your brain to curb sweating), and hold a frozen water bottle to the back and sides of your neck. You have large arteries here that are close to the skin; cooling them helps cool your whole body.

FOR RUNNINGStudies show that when runners synchronize their strides to a beat,

they can run longer and more vigorously. Spring pairs your favorite music to the speci c run youre doing slog jog, intervals so your playlists tempo matches your cadence.

FOR CYCLINGNo app gives you more ride data than Cyclemeter GPS. The program tracks

25 metrics from every session including distance, elevation, speed, cadence, and power, and you can turn on an audio alert that will update you on your numbers in real time. Post-ride, review your stats with easy-to-read progress charts that you can sort by day, week, month, and year.

FOR STRENGTH TRAININGHead for a park and cue You Are Your Own Gym.

The app has step-by-step video instructions for more than 200 body-weight exercises that are scalable to any tness level. Your coach, Mark Lauren, a trainer who consults with U.S. special ops, demonstrates perfect form for every move.

A P P S T H A T M A K E T H E G O I N G E A S I E R

1. Squat jumps Turn the rope at half normal speed, while pushing off the balls of your feet to explode up and land in a half-squat position. Use the quads and glutes to absorb impact. Jump again.

2. Double turns Turn the rope quick enough so that it passes under your feet twice with each jump. To do it, focus on circling your wrists faster, keeping arms relaxed, core tight, and posture upright the entire time.

3. High knees to butt kicks While jumping, raise your right knee as high as possible, then your left, then immediately kick right foot back toward butt, and repeat with left foot. Thats a rep. Try for 10 in a row.

FR

OM

TO

P: R

ICH

VIN

TA

GE

PH

OT

OG

RA

PH

Y/G

ET

TY

IMA

GE

S; M

ICH

AE

L P

IRR

OC

CO

R O P E T O T R YThe Blizzard This hybrid combines a speed rope with a weighted jump rope (a half pound on each handle) to allow you to turn the rope quickly for high-intensity intervals while challenging the muscles in your upper body. Dont scoff at that one pound, either. We guarantee even two minutes will be a challenge. See if you can stick with it for ve. $35; aerospacenyc.com

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 40

Health&Fitness

Introducing the EAS Building Blockthe protein tub made the way it always should have been. With EAS 100% Whey, a built-in scoop holder, and a pop-off lid, its everything you demand from a protein powder. And nothing youve ever seen from a protein tub. Goodbye, mess. Hello, EAS.

LESS MESS.MORE BUILDING.

SAVE $1 ON THEEAS BUILDING BLOCK AT EAS.COM/SPECIALOFFERS PAP93103

POWER PUSHUPSThe soft surface of the sand lets you more easily do pushups with hands in sts a tactic that engages more muscles in your forearms to boost arm size and strength. Begin the pushup on your sts, lowering the chest to the sand, then explosively push up your body an inch or so in the air, and land with your hands planted at. Go for three sets of 10.

PLANK-PIKE DRAGSBesides its forgiving surface, the beach also adds resistance when you drag your feet over it. And that is exactly what youll do for this ab-challenging move: Get in pushup position, abs tight and back at. Slowly drag feet inward, piking hips in the air as high as you can. When you cant go any farther, jump feet back to start. Keep it up for a minute.

SAND BURPEESThis is your cardio nisher, and its supposed to feel tough. Its straightforward: 25 burpees, as fast as you can knock em out. Jump down to a pushup, lower your chest to the sand, jump back up, and repeat. At this point, you will be dirty. By the time you nish, youll be covered in sweat and sand which makes a plunge in the ocean that much more refreshing.

Why the Beach Beats Any Gym

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 42

Health&Fitness

YOU WON T F I N D A B ETTE R PL ACE to get your heart rate up and strengthen your entire body than the beach. Compared with the pounding that exercising on blacktop, trails, or even grass delivers to your joints, the beach goes easy, and causes less muscle inflam-mation and fewer post-workout aches, too. Its also particularly good for explosive movements, like jumping and sprinting, because

you get higher resistance from the sands softer, uneven surface that helps you burn more fat than doing the same thing at the gym. Try my three favorite moves below for a total-body workout, or cherry-pick one to work up a sweat whenever youre bored with your beach chair.

K E E P C O O LMission EnduraCool Instant Cooling Towel Dunk this towel in water, wring it, then snap it, and the fabrics temperature immediately drops to about 68 degrees which feels pretty damn good around your neck on 100-plus days.

What youll need1 cup unsweetened almond milk

or nonfat milk4 tbsp Greek yogurt1 tbsp almond butter cup blueberries cup mango chunks1 carrot, chopped1 stalk of celery, chopped raw beet, chopped cup rolled oats (uncooked) teaspoon turmeric teaspoon cinnamonSmall handful raw spinach or chardSmall handful of ice

Created by New York City sports nutritionists Willow Jarosh and Stephanie Clarke

T I P Freeze cut-up watermelon Eating icy slices before a hot workout can help you stay cooler, and the fruits high concentration of the amino acid I-Citrulline can help bring down your heart rate, aid in muscle recovery, and make you feel less sore from your workout the next day.

Sand is the perfect place

for core-strengthening

headstands, Hamilton says.

FR

OM

LE

FT

: CO

UR

TE

SY

OF

GA

BR

IEL

LE

RE

EC

E; C

LA

IRE

BE

NO

IST

/TH

EL

ICE

NS

ING

PR

OJ

EC

T.C

OM

THE ALL-PURPOSE SUMMER SMOOTHIEMake this power shake for breakfast, post-workout, or whenever you need an energy boost. Made with summers freshest produce (berries and greens), it has the perfect three-to-one carb-to-protein ratio to speed muscle repair, and fiber from whole grains, veggies, and fruit to curb hunger and keep blood sugar stable. Throw the ingredients in a blender for two minutes.

R A D I C A L F I T N E S SL A I R D H A M I L T O N

,TM, 2015 Kashi Company *5g Fat per serving

T I P Tread water Seriously. Treading continuously is exhausting it burns the same number of calories as running at a 10-minute-mile pace for the same amount of time. Its also an easy way to add some cardio on days when your main goal is simply to chill by the pool.

NEW WAYS TO USE THE TRACKThe ovals precisely marked sections increase focus,

boost intensity, and provide the perfect setting for high-intensity intervals. Add the bleachers and the outdoor space turns into a total-body gym. Heres how to use it.

Forget the crawl. The real powerhouse move of the pool: the breaststroke. It incor-porates all the major muscle groups, including everyones favorite beach muscles the pecs, says Keenan Robinson, Michael Phelps strength and conditioning coach. And be-cause the breaststroke requires a glide, a big breath, then a total-body movement, Rob-inson says swimming laps is like a mini-interval session. Heres how to do it properly.

1. GLIDEGet into the pool and push off the wall, gliding forward in the water with your arms extended in front of you, toes pointed and body tight. Glide under the surface for one count any more than that and youll lose your momentum.

2. ARM SWEEPSweep arms apart with palms facing out so youre pushing the water away from you. When your arms reach your sides, bend your elbows and quickly bring your hands in front of you as you raise your head to break the surface and take a breath.

3. LEG SQUATLower head and move arms straight out in front of you as you bring heels close to butt like you are in the deepest of deep squats, says Robinson. (Note this happens after the arm sweep; youre not moving arms and legs at the same time.)

4. JUMPOnce your arms are fully extended, kick heels backward as hard as you can. Think of it as an underwater squat jump, Robinson says. This motion propels you back into your underwater glide, and youre ready to repeat steps 2 and 3.

The Stroke That Gets You

Strongest

INTERVALS The fastest way to see gains in cardiovascular tness is to do intervals. Professional runner and two-time USA Track & Field Olympian Nick Symmonds suggests going for 200 meters at a time a distance far enough to push your heart and lungs but not so long that it torches your legs. His workout: Jog two laps to warm up, then go for your rst interval. Run that 200-meter sprint very, very hard, he says. (Symmonds aims for 25 seconds; you should go for 30.) Then you get a breather: 200 meters of bounce-back walking time. Do this eight times total, ending with two more laps of slow running to cool down. By taking your body out of its comfort zone jogging you stimulate your muscles to use fat as fuel during and after the workout, he says.

LADDERS A descending ladder drill run-ning distances that gradually get shorter and shorter wont only ght monotony. It can also make you run a little more than you would if youd just set out to jog laps. The idea is simple: Run hard for a certain distance (400 meters, say), jog the same amount to recover, then repeat the run-jog couplet for 300 meters, 200

meters, then 100 meters. A ladder routine like this will help to up your endurance and make a typical run around the neighborhood feel easier, says Cliff Rovelto, director of track and eld at Kansas State University. And psychologically, its motivating to know the workout is only going to get easier as you go.

A BOOT CAMP Every summer, Holly Rilinger, a Nike master trainer in New York City, puts clients through an outdoor boot camp that uses a two-part system to build strength and burn fat: Fire up the muscles with short-burst cardio, then fatigue them with body-weight moves. Use Rilingers plan on the track bleachers, running up and down a ight of stairs before doing each exercise.

DECLINE PUSHUPS Place hands on the ground and prop feet on the bottom bleacher. Keep back at and abs tight for a set of 10 reps.

BLEACHER JUMPS Stand facing bottom bleacher and, using arms to propel you, jump up, hop back down. Go for 20 continuous reps.

PLANK-OFFS Go back to your decline pushup, and hold that top position as long as you can. Too easy? Put a hand behind your back; switch hands halfway through.

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 44

Health&Fitness

AN

DY

WA

KE

MA

N. IL

LU

ST

RA

TIO

NS

BY

MC

KIB

ILL

O

Health &Fitness

J U N E 2 0 1 5M E N S J O U R N A L 46

PR

OP

ST

YL

ING

BY

WE

ND

Y S

CH

EL

AH

FO

R H

AL

LE

Y R

ES

OU

RC

ES

photograph by TRAVIS RATHBONE

Summer Skin Survival GuideHow to prevent a burn and look healthier and younger, no matter how long youre outside.

by J E N N I F E R G OL D ST E I N

START WITH THE FACE Want to look older fast? Spending more than 10 minutes in the sun without a sunblock can cause damage that accelerates aging, says Adam Friedman, M.D., director of dermato-logic research at Montefiore-Einstein College of Medicine. Its not just the initial burn that hurts. As the tan sets, Friedman says, the damaged skin becomes more dehydrated, making wrinkles more apparent. To stay pro-tected, Friedman advises you to use a mois-turizer with broad-spectrum coverage and SPF 30 or higher. We recommend the Der-malogica Age Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery lotion, which has SPF 50 and a polypeptide that boosts collagen production to make skin firmer and softer. $66; dermalogica.com

DONT IGNORE YOUR SCALP The crown of your head and temples get more UV exposure than your cheeks, making them far more likely to burn. Even a thick head of hair wont protect you the rays easily find their way between strands, says Friedman. You can wear a hat all the time. But if thats not your style, mix a dime-size amount of clear sunscreen with an equal amount of hair gel to rub into hair, suggests Julien Farel, the founder of New York City grooming salon JF Men. Or you can use products with sun-screen built in, like the new leave-in condi-tioner from Nios Shield. It does double duty with SPF 15 and vitamins E and B, which make hair stronger. $26; niosshield.com

USE THE RIGHT SPORTS SUNBLOCK If sunscreen mixes with sweat and drips in your eye, its more likely to burn if you applied a block with chemical UV filters, s