Innehållsförteckning för Jul/Aug 2025 från Men's Health South Africa

How Much Protein Do You Aim for in Each Meal? I DON’T CARE: 10% AT LEAST 20G: 35% 35G+: 30% AT LEAST 35G: 25% The lazy man’s guide to eating more protein on page 64 has macro benefits with minimal graft. Would You Ever Use an AI Chatbot for Companionship? NO: 79% YES: 21% Turn to page 70 to find out why some guys are swiping right on syntax. How Often Do You Go Camping? NEVER: 40% I’D LIKE TO GO MORE: 47% A FEW TIMES A YEAR: 9% ONCE EVERY FEW YEARS: 4% Want your gains to be of the great outdoors? Page 41 has our guide to the best adventures and gear. What’s Your Biggest Focus in the Gym? UPPER BODY: 35% LOWER BODY: 20% CORE: 25% CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS:…

I recently returned from the source of the red tide itself, Zhengzhou China. Here, the roads teem with impressive metal—unfamiliar coupes and SUVs. (Just imagine it and it already exists, albeit with badges and emblems you’ve never seen before.) Electrification is rife, excess has been normalised, and the origami exteriors hide ornate cabins endowed with the sort of technology that would make a starship blush. Ambient lighting associated with high-end European brands live here somehow, painting the interiors in all manners of light shows, with textured surfaces seemingly in line with the knitted and poly plastic materials trends that have overrun leather and wood in the West. Back in South Africa, it’s a similar scenario as a new Chinese manufacturer seems to emerge almost monthly with names that elicit goofy…

Avocados are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which can provide slow-release energy. These good fats help keep you fuelled for any fitness regime, plus help with the absorption of some vitamins and protect your heart. Post-workout recovery is just as important as the training itself and avocados contain potassium (double than bananas), which helps prevent cramps and supports muscle recovery. The anti-inflammatory properties of the avo also help reduce post-exercise soreness. Avocados contain fibre and prebiotics to support digestive health, keeping your gut microbiome well-balanced which can improve nutrient absorption and even support immune function. Fuel smarter, recover faster, and keep your gut in the game with the power of avocados. So go on, just add an avo! Biltong and Chunky Basil Avo Pesto Toasts SERVES 6 PREP TIME: 15…

JUST A FEW CLICKS NORTH OF THE SA-NAMIBIA BORDER, you’ll find a vast canyon carved into the country’s lunar-esque grounds. The Fish River Canyon, the second largest in the world just behind the US’s Grand, is a nature-hewn marvel begging to be explored. At points, the canyon plunges 550 metres—about the height of the lofty Lotte World Tower in Seoul—with dusty rockface looming large over a plethora of wildlife that have laid claim to the gargantuan gulley. From the lookout point, it’s awe-inspiring; but set forth and explore and you’ll be rewarded with an otherworldly adventure like no other. EPIC STRIDES Chartering the course of the canyon is an 85km undertaking and, based on your pace, will take you 4 to 5 days of hard slogging to reach the exit.…

WHEN IT COMES TO DEEPSEA DIVING, or shallower depths if you’re still dipping your toes, few locales compare to Mozambique. The water is crystal-clear with visibility reaching up to 30 metres giving you a clear view of the abundance of colourful marine life that teems in the warm aqua. It’s why veteran divers, like those at the Cape Town-based dive school Dive Action, regularly set off in search of prime plunges off the country’s coast. There’s diving for all levels, says the school’s co-owner Barry Bey-Leveld, from memorable expeditions just 30 to 40 metres from the coast to farflung splashes where you’ll encounter “sharks and other pelagics”. While veterans of the discipline will go “bushwhacking” in search of undisturbed waters—think near Santa Maria—where massive shoals and giant whales glide through the…

The true route to core strength—and to the hard, toned look many guys seek—has always been about more than crunches and hours of cardio. To shed belly fat and build brick-strong abs, you have to train your core using two key science-backed strategies. First, you’ll need to work through unilateral exercises, moves that challenge each side of your body in different ways. These exercises activate your lower back and ab muscles, which stabilise your spine against unique forces, an approach championed by top PTs like Dr. Aaron Horschig, best known on Instagram as Squat University. The workout also teaches you to move at different speeds, sometimes doing exercises very quickly and sometimes doing them super slowly. This keeps your abs (and other muscles) off-balance and is a tactic often utilised…

When it comes to building size and strength in the gym, we’re beholden to the laws of progressive overload. In lay terms, if you want to change your body, you have to give it a reason to change. In the case of brawn, this means applying a stimulus (training), and your body, clever thing that it is, adapts to that stimulus by growing bigger muscles or making you more efficient at using the ones you already have. That’s the overload part. The bad news is that once we’ve adapted to that particular stimulus, it probably isn’t going to cut the mustard next time around, so we have to up the ante if we want to keep seeing changes. This is where “progressive” comes in. There are a few ways to…

FITCHELLA, THE FITNESS PARTY, is an always-pumped celebration of movement, featuring intense competition that sees over 360 athletes throwing down across a wide range of challenges. In other words, it’s a showcase of raw power, skill and endurance. In the 2024 iteration of this two-day event, athletes of all levels were pushed to their limits across strength, calisthenics and high-intensity cardio—battling it out to claim the title of fittest of the summer. The event was born from a simple truth: humans need connection. And what better way to connect than through a community that champions grit, consistency and a commitment and shared goals? This isn’t just a fitness event—it’s a festival of hard reps, camaraderie and pushing yourself every step of the way. UP NEXT: FITCHELLA 2025 ▸DATE: 12-14 December…

In mid 2018, Neill started feeling uncharacteristically, persistently anxious. He’d just left his full-time job to study for his PhD, and was struggling with the shift. “I live on my own, and then I was in an office in a university, studying on my own,” says Neill, now 43. “It was really isolating. I was thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’” Fortunately, he knew what he could do to make himself feel better. For the past few years, Neill had been exercising regularly, cycling the 32-odd kilometres to work a couple of times aI week and getting out to his local parkrun on Saturday mornings. His primary motivation had always been fitness. But when his mental health began to decline with the transition to studying, Neill soon realised that being…

Carved by wind and time into a Martian-like alien dreamscape, this two-day pilgrimage lures both hardened hikers and brave beginners alike. So, we sent a first-timer into this rocky heart of the Western Cape to return with stories and sore legs. PERMITS, PITSTOPS AND PLANNING Before you shoulder your pack, there’s some essential admin. Only 50 overnight hiking permits are issued per day—groups must be between 3 and 12 people—and you'll need to book through CapeNature in advance. Expect to pay R255 per person for “accommodation”, plus a R70 conservation fee—unless you're a Wild Card holder, in which case the conservation fee is waived. The journey begins with a three-to-four-hour drive from Cape Town, ending in a rugged 36km stretch of gravel that leads to Dwarsrivier—the base for all things…

IN SEARCH OF AN ADRENALINE RUSH? You don’t have to look far in SA. We’ve got bungie jumps from record breaking heights, ziplines strung tall over tree canopies and whitewater rafting that delivers on speed, turbulence and, yes, a real good time. Just a 1.5 hour drive outside of Joburg, you’ll find the small town of Parys. While it’s the perfect place to grab a cuppa and sample some baked goods, veer right and you’ll make a real splash worth the trip. Ground Zero Adventures serves up a full-day trip of whitewater rafting on the Vaal river that’ll take you through a series of grade 2, 3 and 4 rapids. For the uninitiated, these choppy sections of water are rated according to the challenge they present. Grade 1? Small waves but,…

THE SAMARA KAROO RESERVE, nestled in the heart of its namesake in the Eastern Cape, is a semi-arid 67 000 acres of dramatic escarpments, lush grasslands and jagged mountaintops. It’s here that you’ll find the Cheetah Trail, dubbed as such due to the big cat’s prevalence in the reserve. And you’ll likely spot this iconic predator as you embark on a 3-night walking safari with an experienced guide who will give you much-needed sparknotes on the area’s flora and fauna. (Trust us, this is the elusive “fun” version of getting an education.) As for the hiking itself, well, you won’t need to be a seasoned outdoorsman to trek to the next campsite every day. The pace is gentle, bordering on leisurely, and you'll stop frequently to marvel at game tracks…

ARMS YOUR ARMS ARE like built-in publicists for all the hard work you do in the gym. That’s because they’re the only major muscles you can expose almost anywhere, anytime. If your biceps and triceps are well-defined, people will assume the rest of you is chiseled as well. The best part is that a sculpted set of arms isn’t as hard to achieve as you might think. The reason: almost every upper-body exercise—whether it’s for your chest, back or shoulders—also involves your arms. After all, these exercises require that you use your arms to help move the weights. So work hard on your other upper-body muscles, and your arms will benefit by default. Then use specific arms-focused moves to give them extra love. BICEPS The front of your upper arm owes…

Myth: you can’t forge otherworldly brawn in your backyard. Fact: choose a fine-tuned workout and purpose-built tools and you’ll make strides that can match your reps in the gym. We’ve got you covered with this total-body routine designed by MH Cover Search 2024 finalist Mfundo Mthembu that’ll help you grow, sculpt and burn with just two pieces of Trojan equipment: the kettlebell and aerobic step. Trojan – for health and fitness equipment that delivers on its promises. Trojan is exclusively available in Makro and Game stores countrywide, or on their websites. The Workout: Do 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each move before advancing to the next exercise 1. Goblet Lateral Step Lunge Grab a kettlebell and palm it between your hands against your chest. Step about a metre to the…

150 A meta-analysis* involving 35 studies and over 849 000 participants has found people who eat 150g of fish daily have an 18% lower risk of cognitive impairment or decline. Researchers put the reduced risk down to the fact some fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and help maintain the health of the brain. Try to get at least two portions of fish in your diet per week, including one of oily fish, such as trout, mackerel, salmon or sardines. Nothing To Sneeze At If you’re under the weather, you may be better off for it. A team of researchers from the University of Georgia found that natural immunity from previous infections had a significant impact on how well future flu vaccines work.…

AGE: 36 HEIGHT: 1.85M WEIGHT: 95kg Ashley Laatz always wakes up at 4am. But it’s not so he can boast about being part of an exclusive “club” of early risers who watch smugly, sipping coffee, as the rest of the world rubs their eyes. For the always-busy director of Tigris Wealth, those hours between four and seven are an oasis of calm. It’s a moment where he can stash away his phone without worrying that he’ll tap the screen to reveal an onslaught of urgent requests. In short, in a world that’s becoming increasingly noisy, he’s reclaiming a one-man island where the focus is one thing: taking care of himself… and doing it right now. “Procrastination is the biggest killer,” he says. “People will say ‘I’ll do it later’, ‘I’ll…

Before Covid came and weirded out the world, a job was something you went to. Five days a week, eight hours a day (or often more). Sometimes in an office with water coolers and plants and those strange triangular phones in conference rooms. Work was work, life was life. Then bam! We underwent the most revolutionary change in workplace culture in at least a generation. The lucky ones who could do so worked from home, choosing when, where and how—unlike workers in the Apple TV+ series Severance, who have no awareness of one part of their life when they’re in the other. IRL, work became life, life became work. Everything got scrambled. Whereas once work and life felt like counterweights that were meant to be balanced, the two are now…

K-WAY HIKER 50L + 10L HIKING PACK Comfort meets clever design in this value-packed backpack. The padded hip belt eases the load, and there are plenty of accessible pockets for snacks, water and trail essentials. A roomy, no-fuss pack that punches well above its price tag. R2 399, capeunionmart.co.za STANLEY THE AEROLIGHT TRANSIT MUG Coffee lovers, rejoice. This 470ml mug keeps drinks hot for 6 hours (or cold for 8), and the leakproof locking lid means you won’t spill a drop—no matter how bumpy the trail. Light, sleek ek and spill-proof. Trail MVP? We think so. R1 035, awesometools.co.za K-WAY MEN’S VENTUREQUEST DOWN PUFFER JACKET Lightweight and built for the wild, this puffer is the ultimate cold-weather wingman. Recycled 650FP down brings the heat, while a DWR finish fights off…

01 SALOMON X ULTRA 5 MID GORE-TEX This hiking boot is surprisingly light for how tough it is. The Advanced Chassis gives solid ankle support and lateral stability without limiting movement. GORE-TEX keeps your feet dry from the inside out, while the All Terrain Contagrip® sole sticks through mud, rocks and loose ground without hesitation. A great pick for trails that throw everything at you. R4 199, salomonsports.co.za 02 SALOMON UNISEX SKYPASS HAT or travel. It folds Simple, breathable and easy to pack, the Skypass is a great choice for day hikes down easily into your pack, and the zipped pocket is a handy touch for stashing a card or key. Lightweight, comfortable and functional—just like good gear should be. R499, salomonsports.co.za 03 SALOMON MEN’S CHROMA HALF-ZIP MIDLAYER This fleecy…

The secret to building muscle has always been about the reps. But that doesn’t mean what you think. We’re often taught that 8- Sto 10-rep sets are the key to unlocking hypertrophy, the increase in the size of our muscle fibres that results in what we know as muscle growth. But new research shows that’s not the case. According to a meta-analysis*, you can build muscle with almost any rep scheme, as long as the move is repeated until near-failure. This doesn’t mean maxing out every set. Instead, it means using a full range of motion on every exercise, because your muscles generally have their best growth potential as they’re stretching out. Think of the bottom of a biceps curl, when your arm is nearly straight, as the key to…

THE PRESSURE TO LOOK YOUR BEST on the silver screen is already monolithic. But when said television series is a grand-scale and critically acclaimed historical epic where the male cast has a reputation for exuding raw physicality in every scene, that responsibility to show up in your prime is multiplied tenfold. That, and you’ll be shirtless every time you’re in front of the camera. Shaka iLembe just rolled out its second season continuing in the footsteps of its much-lauded debut run with a few new faces joining the chiselled ensemble. For the uninitiated, the show traces the origins of its namesake, King Shaka, and his rise to power. Episodes explore the interactions between notable historical figures, from Shaka’s family to his most bitter rivals. There’s intrigue, drama, romance and an…