MENSHEALTH.CO.UK MEN’S HEALTH 55actually, but only eat if you’re hungry.”
He is hungry. She makes him some
chocolate protein oats and he eats them
standing by the sink as they discuss
tomorrow’s agenda. It’s his day off from
training but his schedule is busy and
bizarre: a morning meeting before an
afternoon driving dumper trucks...
“He does too much,” say Madeley.
“It’s non-stop. A day with him and I get
so tired my eyes start to itch.” She turns
to Haskell: “You’ve got to rest, babe.”PLAYING THE FIELD
James Haskell does not rest. Outside
his rugby commitments – four training
sessions a week with Wasps and a match,
with trips abroad for European Challenge
Cup weekends, England camps and
games during the Six Nations, the annual
Autumn internationals and possible
involvement with the Lions this summer- his personal ventures are myriad.
His brand, James Haskell Health
and Fitness, sells his own range of
supplements, clothing, training books
and equipment, all propelled by posts on
Instagram, Twitter and his own YouTube
channel, BodyFireTV, which currently
boasts just over 35,000 subscribers and
is home to training advice, nutritional
tips and, of course, the odd bit of banter.
He has put his name behind products as
diverse as coffee beans, tiny swimming
trunks and shooting clothing, and is a
regular on the after-dinner speaking
circuit. He DJs at clubs, bars and private
parties. His front room is full of sparekit and books for autographing. He has
recently become a certified barista.
At nine the next morning he is in the
function room of a local pub, meeting
with the UK rep and international
training expert of Compex, an electrical
muscle stimulator purporting to improve
recovery and performance. Haskell has
been using it on his injured foot in an
effort to speed up his rehabilitation.
Now topless, pads are attached to his
body as he is given a tutorial on all the
possible applications of the product.
When the electrodes are switched on, the
expert (whose glasses, long hair, thick
Dutch accent and maniacal grin do little
to normalise the scene) pushes Haskell
through a series of movements. As the
mad professor cranks up the intensity
of the stimulation, the England rugby
player – hopping up and down on one
foot, half-naked in the back room of a pub
at 9.15am on a Thursday morning – begins
to laugh uncontrollably. In between the
demonstrations, Haskell asks questions
about the proper use of the machine; howRECOVERING FROM AN
INJURY HAS PROVED
LONELY, BUT HASKELL’S
FOCUS NEVER WAVERS“I’VE MADE IT
MY BUSINESS
TO CHERRY-PICK
INFORMATION
FROM OTHER
SPORTS”
COVER MODEL MUSCLE
JAMES HASKELLGROOMING: LAURA DEXTER | STYLING: HAYLEY LAWRENCE | ALL CLOTHING BY UNDER ARMOUR | ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY