B
Pull
thewool
If the idea of training
in wool leaves you
cold, that’s the point.
Merino wool is best
used as a thin
training layer, as it
wicks away sweat
super-quick and
keeps you cooler
than regular tees.
Don’tbeasheep;
wear one.
Icebreaker Relay
Short Sleeve Crewe,
$79.95
(au.icebreaker.com)C
Shootfor
bamboo
Bamboo cotton is
created from
sustainable materials
with antibacterial and
heat-controlling
properties. It does
what your high-tech
performance fabrics
do,withouttheneed
for textile cross-
pollination. #smug
Witjuti Bamboo
shorts, $59.95
(bamboovillage.
com.au)A
Heatyour
wheels
Fixies are okay for
Fitzroy laneways. But
the fitter hipster
preferstofollowin
the pedal strokes of
Le Tour riders, with a
carbon-fibre frame
as strong as it is light
–idealforsportives,
or cobbles on your
way to work. It even
comes in on-point
monochrome black.
Canyon CF SLX,
$4699
KNOW YOUR LINGO (canyon.com/au)
Thefitnesshipsterisn’talwaysasdumbashe
sounds – talk the line between the argot worth
knowing and the mere mumbo jumboDon’t settle for style over substance when
you can happily have bothimeschange.Nottoolongago,healthand
fitnesswasaniche.Nowit’smostdefinitely
athing.Acoolthingeven.Andwhen
something becomes a cool thing, it becomes
bigbusiness–oneworth$8.5billionin
Australiaalone,accordingtoaSuncorp
Bank report.
Drivingthisrapidlybulkingindustryisthe
fitness hipster. You’ll find him in Fitzroy,
Erskineville,NewFarm,Northbridge...sippingona
bottleofcharcoalwater,rightatthepointwherefitnessand
fashioncollide.Dressedinblackcompressiontightsandadeep-
cutvest,hewasdoingyogabackwhenitwasjustformums,and
makinghisownchaiandalmondmilklatteslongbeforeeventhe
hippest cafe.
And,despiteourbetterinstincts,wesalutehim.Becauseforthis
guy, it’s not enough just to follow the crowd: he needs to set the
agenda in kit, classes and culinary discoveries. Without him, we
wouldn’t have quinoa in our cupboards, bamboo threads in our
gymbagsorTabatainourexercisearmoury.Buttheproblemwith
beinganearlyadopteristhatyouruntheriskofgettingitwrong,
reallywrong.Andsuddenlyyourbearddoesn’tlookquitesohip.
This,then,isamanualfortherightkindoffitnesshipster.One
whoisaheadofthegame,notrunningaimlesslyaroundincircles.
One who knows where to draw the line between useful trends and
passing fads. And one who doesn’t look like, well, a tool.
MET-CON
Short for metabolic conditioning:
exercisesthatforceyourmusclesto
work harder than normal, increasing
the storage and delivery of energy.
Use itYou’re doing met-con
today?Well,Iwasdoingfartlek
training pre-millennium.FAT-BURNING ZONE
Popularised by Ironman trainer Phil
Maffetone. By exercising at low
intensityoverlongdistances,you
teachyourbodyto consume fat, not
carbs, as fuel.
Use itAfter readingNatural Born
HeroesI’ve slowed my training
runs down to get in the fat-
burning zone. It’s shaved
minutes off my marathon time.MUSCLE CONFUSION
A technique pioneered by the smash-
hit home-fitness DVD P90X, which
introduced unstructured workouts to
beat performance plateaus.
Use itTwomonthsofthesame
workout and your gains have
stalled? Switch up the sets and
reps; muscle confusion will
totally reboot your bulking.CATABOLIC
The process where the body breaks
down muscle instead of building it. It
occurs when you over-exercise or
undereat. But it doesn’t happen easily.
Use itCardio’s out as you’re
worried about going catabolic?
Come on, three sessions a week
won’t do you any harm.WOD
WorkoutOftheDayisanacronym
used by CrossFitters to describe
exercise routines carried out in a
spartan (but nevertheless very
expensive) gym space, AKA box.
Use itDid you hear that try-hard
refertohisrunasaWOD and his
gym as a box? Idiot!LOOK THE PART
62 APRIL 2016