MEN’S HEALTH 85
“Sumo wrestlers are more
athletic than most people
expect. We often carry a lot
of fat, but it’s on top of a very
solid, muscular structure.
It’s just a different body style.
We need strength, speed,
balance and flexibility.
“In my sport, I’m trying
to move a human who is my
own size quickly, so I do a
lot of explosive lifts using
weights that are equal to my
bodyweight. I’ll put, say, 160kg
on the bar and do five back
squats, front squats, or hang
pulls. I keep the intensity high
and try to make the bar move
“I just love exercise,” says
chirpy centenarian John Nagy.
“I’ve always been active and
involved in sports – and I love
the social aspect of training.”
Nagy is part of a crew of about
30 mature swolesters, all of
whom are over the age of 70.
Every day, they train at the
Physical Activity Centre of
Excellence (Pace) gym at
Ontario’s McMaster University,
providing the oomph in an
ongoing research project
on strength and longevity.
“The data shows that
being strong is a significant
mediator in your long-term
health,” says Dr Stuart Phillips,
director of Pace and professor
of kinesiology. “Muscle
protects against cancer,
enhances the survival chances
of people with cancer and
reduces the risk of mortality
in those with hypertension,
diabetes and metabolic
STRENGTH 2.0
as fast as possible. I also do
yoga, jiu-jitsu and Graeco-
Roman wrestling, and I play
basketball. I can even dunk.
“I’ve won a national
championship at 172kg and
competed at 180kg, but I like
165kg – at that weight, I felt
faster but just as strong, and my
energy in daily life was higher.
“What is it like to be my
size? I don’t get to have a style.
When I’m able to find a pair of
shoes or jeans that fit, that’s
what I buy. I have to put my
work desk on blocks, and I use
an oversized office chair. I’ve
always wanted to work on cars,
but I can’t get my big hands
in the engine very well.“Some sumo wrestlers
use that moment when they
squat down before a match
to intimidate or stare down
their adversary. I always try to
look right into my opponent’s
heart and empty my thoughts.
I completely relax and stay
in the moment, so I can react
better without attempting
to anticipate how the match
will go. Sometimes, we start
and have a big clash, while
other times, I’m able to move
my opponent like butter. I’m
never trying to hurt anyone.
I’m just trying to manipulate
their body with force.”BECOMING A
MOVABLE FORCE
ROY SIMS - IT GUY, US SUMO CHAMPION, BRICK POWERHOUSE
6FT 5IN | 175KG | 37 YEARS OLD
PLAYING THE
LONG GAME
JOHN NAGY - PRISON OFFICER, PRESS-UP KING
5FT 6IN | 70KG | 101 YEARS OLD
syndrome.” A new study
revealed that if you can do 40
or more press-ups in a row,
you’re 96% less likely to have
heart problems over the next
decade than someone who
can’t manage 10.
Phillips expects government
guidelines on strength training
to be beefed up within five
years: he believes that instead
of suggesting two strength
sessions per week, the US
department of health will
recommend three to five.
“Strength really is a buffer
to mortality,” he says. “More
importantly, it extends your
health span, so you can maintain
a higher quality of life for longer.”
From around the age of
40, most people begin to lose
muscle mass. It’s imperceptible
at first but accelerates to
about 1kg every two years
by the time you reach 50.
As you might expect, it is far
easier to mitigate the decline
by training more when you’reyounger than it is to attempt
to rebound when your muscle
has started to waste away.
Nagy is living proof of that.
He has trained regularly for the
past 70 years and is around
the same weight he has
always been. Standing cable
presses and press-ups are
his favourite exercises; he
performs them in workouts
that last 90 minutes but
include plenty of recovery time
spent joking with his squad.
Nagy took a tumble two
years ago, breaking his arm
and losing a few teeth. “Being
strong helped me to recover
better,” he says. “I can still
walk as well as I can because
I train. Simple as that.”02
HOW STRONG ARE YOU?
You don’t have to be able to bench-press
a small car to have might on your side.
Take this test to find out if you possess
the kind of strength every man needs3min Max Hand-Release Press-Up
Perform as many press-ups as you can,
but for each one, lower your chest fully to
the floor and lift your hands off.
<30
1 point30-80
2 points81+
3 pointsWall Sit
Sit with your back to a wall and your thighs
parallel to the floor for as long as you can.
30-45sec
1 point46-60sec
2 points61sec+
3 points2min Bodyweight Reverse Lunge
Do as many reverse lunges as possible.
In each rep, your back knee should touch
the ground. Count your total reps for this,
not reps per side.
<30
1 point30-55
2 points56+
3 pointsSide Plank Max Hold
Hold a straight-arm side plank for as long as
you can on each side. Add up your times.
45-60sec
1 point61-150sec
2 points151sec+
3 pointsTurkish Get-Up
Lie on your back with one hand directly
overhead, holding a paper cup full of water. Get
up off the floor without letting your arm go
below your head. Once you can do it with a cup
of water, try it with a 12kg kettlebell.
Can only
get halfway
up with
bodyweight
1 pointFull
get-up
with
cup
2 pointsFull
get-up
with
weight
3 points0-5
Keep at it.
Try to train
three times
per week6-12
Now we’re
talking. Time
to take it to
the next level13+
Go out
and crush
life. You’re
readyYOUR SCORE