Pumpkin hummus
http://ift.tt/2xNpglB You only need one half-cup of the puree to give this hummus a fall flavor, plus to get a healthy dose of antioxidants. Use to dip vegetables, or as a condiment on a turkey or chicken sandwich. Nutrition information (per ¼ cup serving) Calories: 106; total fat: 6.4g; saturated fat: 0.8g; protein: 4g; carbohydrates: 8.9g; fiber: 2.5g Recipe and photo by Meme Inge, M.S., R.D.N., L.D.N. of Living Well Kitchen.
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Ingredients
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 garlic clove
1 can (15 oz) reduced-sodium chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
How to make it
Toast pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat. Add all ingredients but about 1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 20 seconds. Add remaining ingredients, and process until smooth; stirring a few times throughout processing to make sure everything is completely smooth. Taste, and season as needed. Transfer to a bowl, and sprinkle with reserved teaspoon of toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with fresh veggies. Enjoy.
Cook Time:
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Prep Time:
10
Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 03:09PM
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Overnight pumpkin vanilla oatmeal
http://ift.tt/2yd47lK Toss these wholesome ingredients in a bowl, stick it in the fridge, and you have delicious breakfast waiting for you when you wake up. This bowl of goodness has 11g of protein, and close to 30% of the recommended daily amount of fiber. Nutrition information (per serving) Calories: 384; total fat: 11.9g; protein: 11g; carbohydrates: 9.8g; fiber: 9.8g Recipe and photo by Alexandra Caspero of Delish Knowledge.
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Ingredients
1/2 cup quick oats
2/3 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp ground flax meal
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Toppings:
1 Tbsp chopped pecans
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
How to make it
In a mason jar, layer the oats, almond milk, pumpkin puree, flaxmeal, syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Cover tightly, and place in the refrigerator overnight. Serve with chopped pecans and vanilla yogurt.
Cook Time:
0
Prep Time:
10
Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 03:09PM
Can weed really help you recover from workouts?
http://ift.tt/2wnlv2U When you get home from a grueling total body HIIT session or a long training run, you know what the next few hours hold: You’ll refuel, rehydrate, and slowly your muscles will start to stiffen and the aches will creep in (good ol’ delayed onset muscle soreness) as your muscles begin to repair and rebuild. Supplements like protein, creatine, and even ibuprofen can all help speed recovery. The latest “supplement” to be considered for the workout-recovery list: weed. (We’re gonna go ahead and assume it’s legal where you live. OK? OK.) Plenty of people already smoke it, and as it’s become increasingly tolerated around the U.S., plenty more are trying it. [RELATED1] Yet the question remains: Does cannabis help you recover? Or is it snake oil? Weed and athletic recovery: What the science says“While we have better data on marijuana’s effects than most think, the vast majority is looking for harm instead of benefits and/or is on chronically ill or adolescent populations,” says Jordan Tishler, M.D., a Harvard-trained internist and leading cannabis therapeutics specialist. “We’d love to address these questions with some quality science.” In other words, there’s slim to no research on how marijuana can positively affect healthy adult guys in general, including as a recovery aid. “Say you run 10 miles and come home and smoke to ease the pain,” Tishler says. What happens? “No one is funding that study right now.” [RELATED2] What we do know: Cannabis probably has zero effect on the process of muscle protein synthesis. Tishler says he hasn’t seen any studies on whether or not cannabis is catabolic. Does marijuana help clean out that biological debris and reduce the swelling that comes with inflammation? We’re not sure of that either. “While cannabis is certainly an anti-inflammatory, it’s unclear if this process works at a sufficient magnitude to actually help heal muscle damage and get you back in the gym faster,” he says. One way weed definitely helps after workoutsBut lighting up post-workout may be able to help you recover faster in one aspect: “It will definitely make delayed onset muscle soreness—or DOMS—less unpleasant, which may lead to getting you back into the gym faster,” Tishler says. While we don’t have any data on cannabis and the type of pain all gym junkies are most familiar with, we do know that cannabis most certainly alleviates aches. Cannabis significantly reduces chronic pain, according to a massive meta-analysis conducted by the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine that was released in early 2017. Chronic pain isn’t the same as acute pain, of course—DOMS falls under the latter—but other small studies say cannabis is good for acute pain relief, Tishler says. The relief is probably comparable to what you’d get from taking an Advil after a run, he says, but it’s less risky. All NSAIDs—that’s nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which include ibuprofen and all its derivatives—come with a risk, even slight, when you combine them with exercise. “People tend to think they can use over-the-counter medicine however they want, but they aren’t necessarily safe in all scenarios,” Tishler says. If you’re dehydrated, for example, NSAIDs can increase your risk of rhabdo or full-blown kidney failure. Long-term NSAID use can contribute to ulcers, Tishler adds. “Cannabis, on the other hand, is absolutely safe to use after a workout.” What’s the best marijuana method for your health?Edibles have become super trendy, but Tishler isn’t a fan. “Cannabis behaves differently according to how you take it. When you inhale, you get a direct and immediate effect in about 10 minutes. With an edible, you have no gauge for or control over when it will kick in,” he explains. This is where inexperienced users get into trouble: If the effect hasn’t kicked in after an hour, they often just eat another—which just doubles your dose when they both finally hit you. Plus, taking an edible that isn’t going to kick in for two to three hours won’t really help your soreness now. Tishler’s recommended avenue: vaping flower. “I don’t recommend smoking, since that presents its own harms separate from the kind we see in tobacco. And vape oils are problematic because the process of extraction can involve residual solvents while the cartridges can contain chemicals that aren’t good for you,” he says. “Vaporizing whole cannabis flower is shown to be the healthiest.” [RELATED3] Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 02:55PM
Do you need to warm up more if working out in cold weather?
http://ift.tt/2yaWHjf If you’re a seasoned veteran in the gym, you already know that you need to do some kind of warmup before lifting iron or pounding the treadmill. The movements get more blood flowing to your muscles so they respond quicker and become more flexible and less prone to injury when doing an intense workout. Ideally, your warmup should imitate the exercises you plan on performing in the main workout, and ramp up slowly to your preferred intensity. For example, when warming up for a run, simply start with a walk and then transition into a slow jog. But when temperatures drop and winter rolls in, and you’re heading outside for a run or a romp in an outdoor gym, do the frosty temps mean you need to warm up for longer? [RELATED1] Remember, your warmup has two main purposes: to decrease risk for injury and enhance performance. “A warmup prepares the body for exercise by increasing the temperature of muscles and connective tissue, which makes them more supple and elastic,” says Stephen D. Ball, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri. “Nerve conduction is also improved, which aids in fluid movement—all of these factors reduce risk of injury. The warmup also prepares the cardiovascular and metabolic systems to deliver blood and oxygen to the working tissues.” Also, warming up before practice—specifically 20 minutes of strength, balance, plyometric, and agility warmup—reduces injury risk, according to a 2011 study from Northwestern University on almost 1,500 high school athletes. Research has also shown that warming up can improve your on-field execution—a meta-analysis of 32 studies done before 2010 showed that warming up before sports can boost performance by 79%. Point is: Because warming up literally increases your muscles’ internal temperature before strenuous activity, you should definitely warm up for longer when it’s cold outside, says Ball. He recommends doubling your normal warmup, and starting out much more slowly because it is tougher for your body to exercise in lower temperatures. Also, says Ball, if exercising in the cold, dress in layers, know the warming signs of frostbite, and be aware of the wind chill. [RELATED2] One interesting point: You don’t need to warm up inside (unless you really hate the cold and want to limit your exposure as much as possible, although one then wonders why you’re outside at all). People with asthma or heart conditions should speak with their doctor before exercising in extreme temps. Some other general tips for warming up, during the winter or not, include performing the aerobic part of your warm up first. “The warm up traditionally consists of two components—aerobic and flexibility,” says Ball. “The biggest mistake I see in novice exercisers is that they stretch first before performing the aerobic portion of the warmup. You shouldn’t stretch a cold muscle since that may cause more harm than good.” And another factor related to warming up that most people neglect is the cooldown period after your workout. “The cooldown reduces blood pooling in your muscles and promotes recovery by removing metabolic waste products,” says Ball. “Ever notice that Michael Phelps swims at a slow pace after his races versus just floating there?” After a run, bookend your warmup with a walk for three to five minutes; when you’re done lifting, try a few minutes of lunges on legs day or some static stretching to help your pumped up muscles relax. [RELATED3] Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 02:26PM
5 times Demetrius Shipp Jr. bodied the gym on Instagram
http://ift.tt/2wZUXEl Demetrius Shipp Jr. is an actor on the rise, and he's been gaining more recognition after potraying the role of Tupac Shakur in the movie All Eyez on Me. The 28-year-old has a big following, mainly because of how much he actually resembles the all-time great rapper. But his looks and acting capabilities are not all that he has to offer. Shipp seems to enjoy working out and keeping his body in shape. For the film, Shipp had to lose a certain amount of weight, but it seems like he was able to put that muscle right back on with the help of his trainer, Mike Bradshaw, who's the CEO of #TeamTrainHard.
Here’s three other times Shipp went hardcore with his workouts:
Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 01:30PM
Photos: Hugh Hefner's life
http://ift.tt/2fBPHEj Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner died from natural causes at 91 years old on Wednesday, RadarOnline reported. The men’s magazine mogul “peacefully passed away today from natural causes at his home, The Playboy Mansion, surrounded by loved ones,” Playboy spokeswoman Teri Thomerson told Radar.
“My father lived an exceptional and impactful life as a media and cultural pioneer and a leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time in advocating free speech, civil rights and sexual freedom. He defined a lifestyle and ethos that lie at the heart of the Playboy brand, one of the most recognizable and enduring in history. He will be greatly missed by many, including his wife, Crystal, my sister, Christie, and my brothers David and Marston, and all of us at Playboy Enterprises,” said Cooper Hefner, Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises. Aside from becoming a legend for featuring beautiful, scantily-clad women in Playboy, which was first published in 1953, Hefner used the magazine to advocate civil rights, sexual freedom, and free speech. In fact, he's been called a revolutionary for his promotion of African American activists and entertainers—including Martin Luther King Jr., who did his longest print interview with Playboy, according to The Daily Beast. Plenty of his famous friends are paying tribute to him on social media:
And as our tribute to his storied life, here are some of our favorite photos of Hefner. Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 12:05PM
11 competitive tactics I wish I'd known before my first elite-level CrossFit competition
http://ift.tt/2wYFfhJ When I first show up to Flex on the Beach, a daylong, four-event, team-based CrossFit competition in Long Beach, NY, the first thing I see is another team warm-up their snatch lifts with the same weight I normally use for my one-rep max. This four-event slugfest has attracted 175 teams, each with two men and two women. Sixty-four teams comprise the most challenging division, including mine ("Marriage Material") and the team paired with us for the day, “Tropic Thunder Thighs,” which consists of four impossibly jacked humans who are still loading plates on their barbells by the end of the warmup. To be fair, I've done CrossFit competitions before. My home gym, CrossFit Virtuosity, hosted a "Subway Series" contested between a few Brooklyn boxes. And while it's immediately obvious that Flex on the Beach is another monster entirely, little do I yet realize how grueling the next eight hours will be. But in the process of snatching, squatting, sprinting, and burning in the sun, I'll learn myriad important lessons for my next competition. Here's the event-by-event breakdown. [RELATED1]
@hai_intensity and @antlucic
Photo: Derek Godwin and Moran Dankner of team "Marriage Material" compete at Flex on the Beach in Long Beach, NY. Photo credit: @hai_intensity and @antlucic. Event One: The Snatch Complex(one-rep max of 1 snatch + 1 hang snatch + 1 overhead squat + 1 hang snatch) For the past few weeks, I've been practicing my technique for this first event, which I know will be my weakest. I recently cleaned 200lbs but haven't been able to transfer that same power to the snatch, so I've been working on high pulls and dropping below the bar. In training, the best I've done is 115lbs, and I'm hoping for 125 today. To make sure we're hitting clean reps, Tropic Thunder Thighs will judge us, and then we'll switch. The four members of our team have 20 minutes to hit our one-rep maxes. I open at 95lbs, hit it, and then snatch 105 and 115. A little too buzzed with adrenaline, we're moving at a frantic pace, and within eight minutes, everyone's hit a personal best. Collectively, we take a deep breath, and then I do the complex at 125. I shout and pump my fist. The musclebound members of Tropic Thunder Thighs do not look impressed. When I load 135 on the bar, I talk myself through the lift: Drive through my hips and move quickly. I pull from the ground and get it overhead: a new snatch PR. Then, I drop it to my waist, lean over, re-grip, and hang snatch it. The overhead squat is fairly easy, leaving only the last hang snatch. I readjust my grip again, but when the bar gets to eye level, I'm too slow dropping below it and fail the complex. No rep. A coach from my gym is watching, and he pulls me aside. "On your hang snatch, you keep pushing your knees forward instead of your hips back," he tells me. "You can't get any power that way." I try the weight again, but fail. I'm too burned out, but am stoked with a new one-rep max. When the next heat starts, a guy on Tropic Thunder Thighs opens at 185, hits 205, and barely misses 225 twice. Lessons learned: On the snatch, push your hips back—not your knees forward—and drop underneath the bar. [RELATED2] Event Two: The AMRAP9-minute AMRAP of: Then a 2-minute rest, followed by: We have about 40 minutes between the first and second event, and I try to eat an Rx Bar, but have no appetite and can't take more than a few bites. I'm glad that my weakest event is over, but my back is unreliable, and I'm nervous that it won't survive the second part of the next workout: deadlifts, on the sand, at 225lbs. Since pistols are one of my strengths, my partner Derek and I divide up the work accordingly: We'll each do sets of six deadlifts, but he’ll start and finish (and do six more). I'll make up for it on the pistols by doing seven at the beginning and end, leaving him with six in the middle. [RELATED6] First, though, we have to do the kettlebell snatches and burpees. Since it's only nine minutes and we're alternating rounds, we say we'll sprint the whole way. I make Derek go first, and as soon as he finishes, I grab the kettlebell. When we practiced this workout a week earlier, Derek told me to swing the kettlebell so it wouldn't rotate at the top and hit my wrist, but I ignored him, which I regret as soon as the kettlebell slams into my arm. As I rest in-between rounds, I try to spit out the sand that's now living in my mouth, but there's no moisture left in my body. Finally, the nine minutes end, and what feels like a few deep breaths later, but is really two minutes, Derek starts the deadlifts. My back feels good as I begin my reps, but my legs are more tired than I expected. Soon, I’m gutting through each rep one at a time, and when I drop the bar at the top of the deadlift, it makes the divots in the sand even deeper. The pistols are unpleasant but bearable, and since Derek's wobbling on his (and since he's doing six more deadlifts each round), I switch to doing 16 of the 20 squats. By this point, it'd mid-afternoon and at least 80°. When the round finishes, I feel dizzy, leave the women on the team to judge, and go eat ice under a tent. Lessons learned: Rotate your grip on the kettlebell to save your wrist; never do deadlifts in the sand. Also, hydrate.
@hai_intensity and @antlucic
Photo: Brett Ferguson of team Tropic Thunder Thighs competes at Flex on the Beach in Long Beach, New York. Photo credit: @hai_intensity and @antlucic
Event Three: The Relay4 rounds, 100-meter relay sand sprint After event two, I'm not in a good place. Derek brings me an ice pack to put on my chest, but 10 minutes later I'm still lying on the sand, overheated. Nicky, one of my teammates, brings me a banana, which I choke down, and Moran, our fourth teammate, delivers frozen blueberries, which are surprisingly delicious. We all take a salt pill for the electrolytes, and I try again to wash the sand out of my mouth. Thankfully, we have another 40 minutes or so until the next event: four rounds where we each sprint 100 meters on the sand. We debate whether it's best to run on the sand with shoes or barefoot, and opt for the former. I volunteer to go first, and when the buzzer sounds, I sprint the first 50 meters, touch the tape, and turn to run back. During the last 50, I feel myself slowing down. But, as hard as I will my legs to move faster, they only sink further into the sand. It's startling how the first two events have crushed my fast-twitch muscles, and on each of the next three 100s, I go slower and slower. We finish the mile in 6:19. After the event, I talk to Katie Harper, one of the women on Tropic Thunder Thighs and a coach at CrossFit South Brooklyn. She ran track in college and gives me some advice for the next time I sprint: "Focus on keeping the shoulders back and down, away from the ears, and pinch the ribcage down toward the hips. Use your arms to counterbalance your stride, not to produce force, and swing them freely, with the fists pointed forward." Lessons learned: Running technique is worth learning, and make sure your CrossFit training has enough volume. Also, frozen blueberries are the ultimate mid-event snack. [RELATED5] Event Four: The SerpentRound 1: Round 2: Round 3: Round 4: After the sprints, I drink some more electrolytes and finish an Rx bar. Shockingly, I feel better now than I did after the deadlifts and pistols. We have over an hour to rest and only one workout left to complete. No matter how painful it is, I tell myself, it'll be over in 20 minutes. We know we need to be smart about dividing up the work, and decide that one pair will lunge 25 meters down, the other will lunge back, and the first will start the thrusters. We'll switch off sets of 10, and then tackle the gymnastics. Nicky and I need about 10 meters to synchronize our lunges underneath the bulky weight. When we start the thrusters, we need to stop after each shoulder press to make sure we're together, which adds an extra second or two to each rep. Because we have the strongest muscle-ups, we each do five after the thrusters are complete, and we start lunging again. By the third round, I'm entering the pain cave. My shoulders are roasted not just from the snatches earlier in the day, but also from the thrusters, muscle-ups, dips, and the fact that we have to hold the Serpent while our teammates do the gymnastics. If I were on my own, I'd stop, but Nicky isn't slowing down, so I can't either. The Serpent is also grinding sand into my sunburnt shoulders, but the pain from that is helping to distract me from the pain everywhere else, so I don't mind. [RELATED3] When we finally get to the box jump-overs, I can barely breathe. Instead of taking them laterally, I face the box, which means I have to do a half-turn after every rep—a huge mistake. Because my legs are essentially useless at this point, I skim the top of the box, almost tipping it over a few times. After I finish my 15th rep, though, my contribution is complete. A few seconds later, Derek hits our 60th, and we collapse on the ground with a time of 18:10. Lessons learned: Practice the movements (with the implements) ahead of time; don't pause on partner movements; take the box jumps laterally; wear a shirt (but only under exceptional sand-related circumstances). Out of the 64 teams, we take 34th. Tropic Thunder Thighs takes 11th. A few minutes after our team finishes, we take a swim in the ocean, which stings our shoulders but feels great everywhere else. For the first time that day, I don't have sand covering my body. [RELATED4] Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 11:30AM
Blunt Trauma: Vaping cannabis extracts might hit your lungs with cancer-causing gunk
http://ift.tt/2xzJNdR You've heard of dabbing, right? No, not that kind of dabbing. We're talking about the process of putting a small amount of cannabis extract—called a dab—on a heated surface and inhaling extremely high levels of cannaboids in the vapors. And as marijuana continues to become legalized and grow in popularity (even a few pro athletes swear by the stuff), dabbing is becoming more widespread, partly because it'll get you really high. But new research is providing evidence that this method of getting stoned could have some pretty serious consquences for your health. [RELATED1] Vaporizing cannabis extracts—like butane hash oil—can produce benzene and other potentially cancer-causing chemicals, according to a new study published in ACS Omega, a journal of the American Chemical Society. In the study, researchers from Portland State University analyzed the chemical profile of terpenes (fragrant oils found in marijuana that are also used in e-cigarette liquids) after vaporizing them in a process similar to dabbing. Their findings? The experiments produced high levels of both benzene and methacrolein, carcinogens that have been shown to cause cancer. While the topic is still controversial, studies show that weed can have both positive and negative effects on your body. So while we're not gonna tell you to stay away from the stuff altogether—on the upside, it's been linked to having a lower body mass index—you might want to consider exactly how you're smoking it, too. [RELATED2] Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 10:26AM
Yippee Ki-yay: Bruce Willis starring in new ‘Die Hard’ movie, but it’s not a exactly sequel
http://ift.tt/2k8v5oK Just like his good friend Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor Bruce Willis isn’t ready to hang up the guns on one of his most iconic roles. The Pulp Fiction and Expendables 2 actor will be back as cop John McClane in the sixth installment of the Die Hard franchise, according to Deadline. [RELATED1] Underworld director Len Wiseman will be behind the camera for the new film, which will be a “part-prequel” rather than a straight sequel or reboot. No plot details have been released, but the film will follow two tracks involving McClane’s character: One in present day and the other in 1970’s New York, during which McClane was an NYPD beat cop. In the earlier films of the series, there were many references to McClane’s early days on the force, and now fans will get to see that in action. Willis will portray McClane in the present day storyline, but Wiseman will be casting a new actor to play the character in the 1970’s flashbacks. “The right casting for this role is crucial,” Wiseman said to Deadline. “Those bare feet have some very big shoes to fill.” [RELATED2] The last Die Hard film to be released in theaters was 2013’s A Good Day to Die Hard, which starred Willis alongside Jai Courtney, who played McClane’s son. The original Die Hard is considered to be one of the greatest action films of all time, and the first five films in the series have grossed a combined $1.4 billion worldwide. No release date has been set for the new Die Hard film. [RELATED3] Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 28, 2017 at 09:36AM
How Jason Day’s powerlifting training prepared him to dominate the 2017 Presidents Cup
http://ift.tt/2xMLUL1 Jason Day is ready to take back the Presidents Cup. Although the United States has won the last six Presidents Cup titles, Day isn’t fazed. In fact, he thinks the international team is ready to surprise everyone. [RELATED1] “Obviously, the U.S. are the heavy favorites,” Day told Men’s Fitness. “They do have, statistically, a better team than us on paper, but I think we have a great shot at beating these guys. The whole team is excited about it. The new guys and old guys, we are very motivated to try and win. The international team hasn’t won since 1998, so this is kind of a big time for us to step up and try to beat the Americans on their home soil. They're heavy favorites, but we don't have any pressure.” The former top-ranked golfer in the world didn’t win a tournament during the 2017 season, but he sees the Presidents Cup as a way to build momentum into next year. “Having a good Presidents Cup run would be something that I could really draw on and hopefully take into the new season,” Day said. “I want to do what these other guys are doing, and be able to have a successful year, every year, and be consistent that way.” One way Day hopes to do that is by putting an even stronger focus on his training. Like other players on tour, including Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy, Day uses powerlifting and weight training in the gym to keep himself in shape. [RELATED2] The 29-year-old switched trainers this year, and that’s helped him get his body where he wants it to be when he’s on the course. “I started out the year in quite good shape, but my upper body was almost too big,” Day said. “For golf you can't have a big upper body and a small lower one. You've got to have big strong legs and a strong core. I do a lot of squats, do a lot trap-bar deadlifts, and a lot of sumo deadlifts. You can't get too big. I started losing power when I got too big in the upper body, but now I’m on top of it.” Now that the Presidents Cup is here, Day is hoping to show off that renewed power. Day spoke with Men’s Fitness about his training routine, playing a pro-am with Peyton Manning, and his ultimate cheat meal. The Presidents Cup runs from Thursday, September 28 to Sunday, October 1, with coverage on the Golf Channel and NBC. (Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity.) What’s your mindset heading into the Presidents Cup, knowing it’s on American soil this year and that the U.S. team has won six in a row?We know that it's tough, but the good thing about it is we don't have a lot of pressure on us. So we just have to go out there and try to be as aggressive as possible. We usually get down in the Thursday matches pretty early, just because that's not our strongest format. The team that we have now, we've been playing together—apart from a few rookies—at least the last three, four Presidents Cups. So we've kind of gotten used to each other. How do you adjust to team events after playing most of the season with individual tournaments? Does having familiarity with your teammates help while making the adjustment?Yeah, it definitely does. The Americans have it perfect where they have to play something every year. So they either play Ryders Cup or Presidents Cup. For us, it's every couple of years. Sometimes we don't see these guys. We have Japanese, Koreans, South Africans, Australians, an Argentinian—a cluster of guys brought together to play some golf. But we're starting to really get to know each other. You know, when I first came out, it seemed like there were little clusters of guys hanging out with their own people from their own country, and now it's totally different. Everyone is hanging out with everyone and everyone knows each other, and that tells me we are doing something good in the team room, which hopefully will correlate to better results on the course. [RELATED3] Does being the underdog help motivate you and the team even more? How do you use that for inspiration?Yeah, it helps. No one likes to be on the losing end. Adam Scott’s been on seven Presidents Cups, and he hasn't won once. This is something hard for us. We obviously want to try and do our best to beat these guys, but they are just a good, solid team. I mean you can tell that they're a team and you know how hard they want this as well. Back in 2015, when we had it in Korea, it was very close. I mean we came down to the last match. But we just want the competition to be good competition. I mean obviously we want to win, but we just want it to be exciting. And I think a lot of fans want that, too. What’s your training and workout routine like?I changed trainers this year, and it’s definitely been making a difference. I actually played a pro-am with Peyton Manning this year, and my trainer asked him: "If you wanted to throw the ball really, really far, what would you do?" And [Peyton] said, "I'd have big, big legs, a strong, stable core, and a smaller, loose, and flexible upper body." It works the same way in golf. You can't get too big. I started losing power when I got too big in the upper body, and now it’s evened out. What are some of the foods you like to eat, and things you like to do to fuel your fitness?We also need the healthy fats as well. I went through a stage where, when I was cutting, carbs were non-existent. Then I went through a stage where I was just tired on the golf course, and I can't afford that. So, even though I looked good, and I was cut, I had to start eating a lot more carbs. I take in about 800 to 1,000 [calories] when I play. I at least have two or three bars and a protein shake as well, just so that I'm constantly eating and hydrating out on the golf course. If I'm typically cutting, like in the off-season, I'm usually having about five eggs and maybe two bits of toast, and then I have a protein shake mid-morning. Then I usually have chicken, or most likely chicken, broccoli and rice, another protein shake, and then probably something like steak and broccoli or something like that. That's really the only vegetable I can actually eat. I mean, I've got to take in 3,557 calories during a golf day, just so I don't lose weight. What's your favorite cheat meal?Wow, if I were on death row, and I needed to have my last meal, it would most likely be a Baconator from Wendy's, French fries from McDonald's, and a Coke. I'd probably go with the Mastro's butter cake, it’s just off the charts. And that is pretty much it. [RELATED4] Fitness via Men's Fitness http://ift.tt/Jz6nE4 September 27, 2017 at 04:50PM |
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