Men\'s Health Malaysia - Jun 2017

28 JUNE 2017

Fitness

WORDS

PAIGE CARLOTTI

RICABAI

PHOTOGRAPH

ISTOCKPHOTO

ILLUSTRATIONS

RAMI NVIEMI

(MAIN IMAGE USED FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY)

THE ANTI-

DAD-BOD

PLAN

Who needs free weights when a

kid’s in the house? Trainer Sean

Garner has a few ideas

ZERCHER SQUAT

Hold your kid parallel to the floor

with your hands under his or her

hips and shoulders. Squat.

TWISTING LUNGE

Still holding the child, stand and

lunge backward with one foot,

twisting your torso. Switch feet.

WEIGHTED PUSH-UP

Assume a push-up position, and

have the child lie flat on your back,

arms hanging, during your reps.

WEIGHTED V-UP

Lie face-up on the floor with your

child’s torso on your shins. Bring

your legs and torso together.

KEEPING UP WITH YOUR KIDS CAN

be quite difficult.

Just ask Christian Bizzotto.

He’s the proud father of Milla Star

Bizzotto, the youngest competitor

in the 24-hour Battle Frog Extreme,

a grueling obstacle race designed

by Navy SEALs. Bizzotto, 38, is

right there next to his mud-covered

daughter as they cross the finish line

together. And this isn’t the kiddie

race: 10-year-old Milla runs with

adults – and beats most of them too.

Just eight years ago, Bizzotto

wouldn’t have dreamt of taking on

such a challenge. When Milla was a

baby, a motorcycle accident left him

with a broken back, a herniated disc,

a broken foot and hand, and – once he

could move again – a broken heart. His

Raise a Fitter Family

To lose weight, you need to make some big changes – and your flesh and blood might just be the

inspiration you need to succeed. Here’s the story of how one man and his daughter overcame the odds

BEAR CRAWL

Get on all fours and have your child

hop onto your back. Lift your knees

slightly; crawl forward and back.

wife left him as soon as he recovered.

“I was broken in every sense of

the word,” Bizzotto says. So he knew

he had to make a change in his life.

“I had this little kid who looked up at

me every day like I was a superhero.

But to myself I was a super nothing,”

he says. “I wasn’t any of the things

she probably saw when she looked

up at her dad.”

So Bizzotto started by ditching his

diet staples of fast food, soda, candy,

chips, and sugary cereals. Now he

guzzles water when he’s thirsty and

eats mostly organic eggs, avocados,

nuts, kale, spinach, and chard.

His fitness journey began sim-

ply: by running between two trash

cans at the beach. First they were

50 feet apart, then 100 feet, then

500, then a mile. Eventually he was

doing 12-mile trail runs “for fun”.

Now 45kg lighter, Bizzotto co-owns

Focused Movement Academy, a

training facility in Miami. Milla’s

ambitions keep him going.

Hitting the gym with a friend can

double the duration of your workout,

according to research from Michigan

State University. For the Bizzotto

family, it’s more like quadruple.

“Practising what you preach is

everything,” says Sean Garner, a

trainer with Anatomy at 1220 in

Miami, and the father of two. You

can’t tell your kids to eat healthy

and then let them see you choke

down pizza and beer every weekend.

“They’re watching you, whether you

realise it or not,” he says.

http://www.mens-health.com.my 29

A Loose Muscle

is a Strong Muscle

These 4 exercises will relax your muscles in just 10 minutes, improving your

flexibility and priming them for explosive growth. All you need is simple equipment

DIRECTIONS Perform each exercise every day for the prescribed time or number of reps. Do

them before your workout on training days, and intermittently throughout your workday or

while winding down on your rest days, says Doug Kechijian, D.P.T., who created this routine.

PHOTOGRAPH

RODALE INTERNATIONAL

(CIRICLE)

1 / Counterweight Deep Squat

Grab two light dumbbells, and place a foam roller between your thighs.

Push your knees forward and then squat until your butt is just above the

floor. (Use the lightest weight that allows you to achieve this position.)

Try to round your spine by “tucking” your pelvis. From that position, take

5 long, deep breaths. Stand back up. That’s 1 rep. Do 3 to 5.

4 / Lat Hang

Hang from a pull-up bar. Squeeze your glutes to slightly tilt your pelvis

forward. Breathe in deeply. Breathe out as much air as you can – you should

feel your lats stretch. Take 5 deep breaths. That’s 1 rep. Do 3 to 5.

3 / Modified Pigeon

Get down on all fours, and place a pillow or foam roller under your left

knee. Lift your right knee and place it behind and to the left of your left calf.

Rock your hips back and forth for 2 minutes. You should feel your left hip

stretch. Switch sides and repeat.

2 / Couch Stretch

Assume a half-kneeling position with your back knee close to a box or

wall; your back shin should be roughly parallel to the box or wall. You may

need to hold on to something at first. Hold the position for 1 to 2 minutes

as you contract the stretched leg’s hamstring. Repeat with your other leg.