Mens_HealthUSA_December_2016

(Grace) #1

“The most beautiful thing about my


fitness journey is that what helps me


is also helping other people.”


Smith forged this
muscle with portion
control, real food,
and strength training.

26 MensHealth.com | December 2016

Courtesy Vinson Smith (inset, opening spread), +ISM (illustrations)

Useful
Stuff

Three Yoga Poses


for Overweight Men
Go easy. Try these moves.

Plank
In a pushup position with your hands
beyond shoulder width, drop your
bu t t so yo ur head and sp ine align.
Brace your core. Hold for five breaths.
“It’s awesome for building arm and
core strength without crunches,
which can hurt your lower back,”
says Sadie Nardini, founder of Core
Strength Vinyasa Yoga.

Bridge
Lie on your back with your arms at
your sides, palms facing down,
knees bent, and feet hip-width apart
and flat on the floor. Raise your
hips as high as you can and lift your
c hin a li t tle of f yo ur c hes t. H o ld the
pose for five breaths. “This provides a
ton of chest and shoulder flexibility,”
says Nardini.

Tree
While standing, shift your weight to
your left foot as you rest your right
foot against your heel. Slowly raise
your right foot to your shin or the
inside of your thigh. Put your palms
together at your chest and gaze at
a fixed point. Hold for 10 slow breaths
and work up to 20. “It works your
whole lower body,” Nardini says.

THE WAKE-UP CALL I was a groomsman at
my cousin’s wedding and I could barely stand for
45 minutes. I was sweating. The tuxedo coat I
had on was a size 64. I remember thinking, “How
am I going to look into the eyes of a woman
and tell her she’s going to have me for the rest
of my li fe? W hat k ind of heal thy, l o ng li fe c an I
share with her at 500 pounds?”

THE FOOD I’ve learned how to eat enough to
stay satisfied. In the morning, after my cardio,
I’ll have a cup or two of fruit. I eat a lot of water-
melon, cantaloupe, strawberries, and grapes. For
snacks I’ll eat cucumbers and radishes. Then I’ll
typically do chicken, asparagus, and brown rice
for dinner. I still deal with emotional eating, but
now I know where it comes from. I had to cry about
my dad. Opening up extinguished my hunger.

THE FITNESSI started out by walking from stop
sign to s to p sign in my neighb o r ho o d. Even tuall y I
built up the confidence to join a gym. The biggest

battle started when I hit the mid-300-pound
range. So that’s when I started coaching football
and running 40-yard dashes with the kids. Now
I’m a yoga fiend. Every week I practice yoga at
least two or three days, do a strength program
at least twice, and go running and biking three
times. I love the great community of Charlotte, and
on weekends I explore. I might grab a bike and
ride uptown, or run the trails at one of my favorite
places, Freedom Park.

THE REWARD I wen t fro m sho p p ing in p lus - size
magazines to visiting real stores. Now I can go
to Polo. I can shop at Nautica. That’s a treat for me
because I never thought I’d be able to. I like my
shir ts to fi t tigh t now — ever y thing’s sp and ex. T he
most beautiful thing about my fitness journey is
that what helps me is also helping other people.
I’m working toward becoming an exercise physiol-
ogist. I’m still single, but the basis of my workout
plan isn’t about right now. It’s about what I want to
be doing 10 years from now.
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