Sam Crawford 23/07/2018 Sam Crawford 23/07/2018

Home gym 101: How to build the perfect home gym

Oh thy humble home gym – the secret sauce for those looking to get huge in a time efficient manner. If you’ve got a bit of space in your home, you need to consider installing some iron.

I’ve been flitting between home gyms and commercial gyms for the past 6 years now, which is due to the fact I’ve moved home 7 times meaning in some circumstances, building a home gym was quite hard.

As someone with experience in both realms, I can see the positives and negatives of each. I have to say though – when you pit the two against each other, there is only one clear winner…

BUT FIRST OF ALL: THE CASE FOR COMMERCIAL GYMS

Right, let’s be honest – most of us will have a gym membership if we’re into fitness. The amenities offered by gyms is unrivalled. They have hundreds of pieces of fancy gym machines, saunas, swimming pools, swanky showers, gym classes, etc. The list is endless.

The thing is though…is this even necessary? If you work out at home you have weights to push, pull, curl, squat and whatever else. You should also have a shower (hopefully). Do you really need anything else? I’d argue that you most certainly do not. Classes? Get ’em on Youtube. Machines? Don’t need them. Swimming pool? Just fill your bath up really high (please don’t).

The only thing I’d say you’re missing out on is a sauna (if your gym even has one). They are absolutely amazing BUT, you can pick up weird little sauna pods online for pretty cheap and whack that in your newly built home gym. Just something to think about.

Basically, there aren’t too many arguments for the use of commercial gyms over home ones except for your circumstance. In my opinion, motivation shouldn’t be an issue and if you have the resources to work out at home then you most definitely should.

THE CASE FOR THE HOME GYM

Building your own home gym is going to be the best thing you ever do. If you go for it, you will find that all these benefits will pop up at some point or another.

The cost is much lower

Okay, maybe not initially. But think of it as a lifelong investment. Let’s say you’re 25 for instance. You’re probably going to work out till you pop your clogs which is when you’re 80 let’s say. That’s 55 years of iron. If your gym membership costs you £30/month, that works out to £360 a year, which works out to almost £20,000 over your lifetime. Now that’s a pretty conservative estimate – imagine all the time and money spent on commuting to and from the gym and you’re looking at a lot more than 20k.

You can start your home gym with nothing but your bodyweight and slowly add to the collection over time – my home gym has cost me about £700 so far. If I was to add everything on this list it would still be nowhere near that commercial gym figure. Just think about that for a second.

You save countless commuting time

As mentioned briefly above, you’re going to spend a whole lot of your life commuting to and from the gym. Can you really afford to be doing that along with your commute to and from your job? I know I can’t. I get that there will be gyms close to your office but it’s still another little commute even if that is the case.

A lot of people I know will go home, get changed, have dinner and then go and work out. This makes their day full of 4 commutes – that’s not good for anyone who values their time.

The solution is to set your home gym up and work out right before or after you go to work. This makes you more likely to work out than if you were to try and go back out to pump the iron after your Wednesday night chilli.

You’re the only member

This is what I enjoy most about having a home gym. The equipment is always free, you don’t have to be distracted by other people talking or asking how many sets you have left.

You can simply go in, get your workout done with no distractions and get out.

If you like company to motivate you then why not invite your pals over for a workout? You may enjoy the intense atmosphere and you could make it a thing to train in your home gym with your mates more often. It can become a social thing, it’s not always about isolating yourself from the world – although sometimes that is quite nice.

You can do what you want

Fancy working out in nothing but sandals? Why not! It’s your gym and you can do anything you please. You can do all the stupid exercises you were afraid to do in the normie gym, you can play your music loud and you can grunt and make stupid faces to grind out those last few reps.

Building a home gym really creates a sense of freedom, lets you express yourself and do what you want whilst not having to look over your shoulder to see if you’re being judged.

Open all hours

You wanna work out at 1pm? Okay. What about 12am? Most certainly sir. Christmas day?? The gains don’t wait even for Santa my man. Any time you want to work out, you can. No bank holiday closures, unexpected late openings, nothing. If you want to work out, do it.

This makes it easier for you to fit training around your life. You may have to stay late at the office or you may have to be somewhere super early – whatever it is, you can fit a workout in instead of being a slave the gym’s opening hours.

It almost feels like getting control of your life back – no joke.

WHY YOU NEED OLYMPIC WEIGHTS

We will touch on Olympic weights in the Barebones segment but I’m going to cover it now because I believe it deserves its own section.

You see a lot of part-timers in their garage with a standard weights bar with those little screw-on ends. This is good if you’re just starting out and I applaud anyone who works out instead of siting on their backside all day. However, if you’re looking to make real progress then you better believe you’re going to need an Olympic barbell and weights.

“But, whyyyyy?” I hear you and your York bench & barbell set cry. Well, because your barbell set is gonna bend and snap once you start lifting heavier weights. They can usually support about 100kg (225lbs) max before bending out of shape and breaking. The size of the plates also makes conventional lifts from the floor needlessly more difficult to perform, exposing you to uneccessary injury risk.

By investing in an Olympic set now, you future-proof your gains- this equipment will last you (probably) forever if you care for it correctly. The barbell itself is much heavier and sturdier and rotates which will help your wrists out a lot during big lifts that involve any sort of wrist movement – which is basically all lifts ever.

There’s a reason you’ll never see a commercial gym with a standard bar – treat your home gym the same way.

ULTRA-BAREBONES

If you’re looking to go super minimalist in your set up and don’t want to spend a penny, then you can literally just use your bodyweight to get fit.

If you’re willing to purchase a little bit of kit, I’d recommend a door frame pull-up bar that doubles up as a dip bar. These are pretty cheap and will get you in great shape if you make the relevant progress.

Equipment:

Bodyweight – Cost (£0)
Door frame pull-up & dip bar – Cost (£15)

SHOP: ULTRA BARBONES

An example beginner workout would be a round of pull-ups, dips and jump squats. You would do 5 sets of each for 10 reps and try to add weight to each exercise by holding on to household items if you don’t want to invest in weights yet. Try holding old milk jugs filled with stones for your jump squats and holding a heavy book or two between your legs for the pull ups and dips.

The workout would look like this:

Pull-ups (10 reps)
Rest (30 seconds)
Dips (10 reps)
Rest (30 seconds)
Jump squat (10 reps)
Rest (60 seconds)
Repeat 4 more times

BAREBONES

This is the minimum amount of equipment you can use to get great results. You can of course, get great results with just bodyweight, but the difficulty arises when it comes to loading exercises.

Once you can do 10 push ups, doing 10 more isn’t going to build muscle, you need to be adding weight to your exercises in order to stimulate the muscle to grow. This is where the Olympic barbell comes into play.

Just having the bar and plates is enough to start off with (you can do hundreds of exercises such as clean & presses, rows, deadlifts, curls, etc, etc) but by adding in a pull-up & dip tower along with a dipping belt, you’ll really be able to take your gains to the next level.

Equipment:

Olympic bar & plates set – Cost (£300)
Pull-up & dip tower – Cost (£90)
Dip belt – Cost (£25)

SHOP: BAREBONES

Here, you can push your training into a more comprehensive routine. You could employ properly weighted pull-ups and dips now, alongside a variety of barbell moves. Below is an example workout:

Clean & Press – 3 sets of 5 (2 minutes rest in between sets)
Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 (2 minutes rest)
Dips – 3 sets of 8 (2 minutes rest)
Barbell rows – 3 sets of 10 (2 minutes rest)
Skullcrushers – 2 sets of 12 (1 minute rest)
Barbell curls – 2 sets of 12 (1 minute rest)

INTERMEDIATE

This is where I believe most lifters should be within the first 6 months to a year of lifting. If you aren’t doing exercises that require a squat rack then you’re probably not optimising your training correctly.

A squat rack is an essential purchase to getting peak #gains from your home gym. This will allow you to do heavy bench presses, overhead presses, squats, rack pulls, shrugs, heavy curls and just about anything else that involves having the weight off the ground.

I’ve also included a weights tree as in all likelihood, you’re going to be adding to your weight plate collection as you go along, so having a tree to keep everything organised will just make the whole experience much easier. If you walk into your home gym and see a million plates scattered round the floor then you run the risk of demotivating yourself – something which you don’t need. It’s a small thing but it’s made a big difference for me.

At this stage you’re probably going to want to invest in a pair of 20kg (45lb) bumper plates. These should be rubber or at least rubber encased. What bumper plates will allow you to do is slam your bar down from whatever height without damaging the other plates. If you have bought cast iron plates like I have, then you run the risk of snapping them if you go heavy enough on deadlifts or drop the barbell off your back during a squat.

A bench also becomes essential when you reach this stage. A sturdy bench shouldn’t cost the earth and will probably double the amount of exercises you will be able to do. You can now finally join the ‘how much do you bench, bro?’ club.

There’s also some dumbbells in there too that can help you to perform things like lateral raises, dumbbell curls, weighted lunges, flyes, etc. I’m not a huge fan of dumbbells and prefer barbell exercises much more but, they can add a new dimension and stimulus to your workouts.

Equipment:

Squat rack – Cost (£150)
Weights tree – Cost (£30)
Bumper plates – Cost (£110)
Bench – Cost (£80)
Olympic dumbbells – Cost (£30)

SHOP: INTERMEDIATE

You should take this opportunity to really build up your compound moves here. An example workout would look like this:

Squat – 3 sets of 5 (3 minutes rest in between sets)
Bench press – 3 sets of 8 (2 minutes rest)
Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 (2 minutes rest)
Dips – 3 sets of 10 (2 minutes rest)
Rows – 3 sets of 10 (2 minutes rest)

ADVANCED

By this stage in your lifting/home gym career, you should have excellent strength standards and a decent physique. This is when you can start to get more advanced in your workout programming and employ some fun moves to add to your arsenal.

Cable exercises can help to hit muscles from much different angles and tensions than conventional barbell and dumbbell exercises. The fact that you will likely be splitting your training up into body parts (Push, pull, legs) as opposed to full body workouts means that you can add more exercises to each workout. Obviously you should still be aiming to be progressing on the compound lifts but more isolation and assistance work can really help to bring up your overall development.

I am a huge fan of the hex bar and this is actually the cornerstone of my ‘athletic blueprint’ workout program as it is the perfect mix between a squat and a deadlift with none of the drawbacks. I would probably recommend getting one of these straight off the bat but each to their own…

Olympic rings can help you to develop gymnast-level control of your body as they allow you to practice moves such as the iron cross & maltese along with offering different kinds of stimulation in standard moves such as dips, pull-ups and dead hangs.

A landmine holder is such a versatile bit of kit. It will allow you to perform landmine laterals (a favourite of mine), T-bar rows, landmine presses, squats and cleans. It’s a very efficient bit of kit and pretty cheap for what it offers as well. Of course you could go old school and whack the end of the barbell in a corner of the room but if you have the money I’d recommend going for the safer option.

Ah the weighted vest. A mainstay in military training and the secret for so many fit bodies out there. You can whack a weighted vest on and everything becomes harder. Walking? Harder. Jumping? Harder. Taking a deuce? Much harder. Seriously though, the weighted vest is an excellent bit of kit and allows for variable resistance in exercises where it would usually be very difficult to do so, such as sprints, box jumps and hill walking. These will build muscle and torch fat no doubt.

Battle ropes are my favourite bit of cardio equipment. My home gym has these babies and I can’t believe I ever trained without them. They offer a full body workout and give you a fat arm pump along with burning fat at an almost alarming rate. They’re cheap and they are extremely effective. Pair these with a lower body cardio exercise like sprints or bike sprints to get a huge fat burning boost.

Now I know this is a boring one but let’s quickly talk about flooring. Luckily for me, I can beat my garage floor up because it can take it. I know a lot of people can’t. This is where you will probably need to kit your home gym out with some decent flooring. This will help to protect your weight plates and your floor, meaning you’re actually getting quite a bit of bang for your buck. This one comes down to personal preference but it just bears mentioning.

The airdyne bike has been showing up everywhere nowadays and with good reason. This bike differs from most cardio equipment in that it has no motor. Just a big old fan that naturally increases the resistance of the exercise the more beans you give it. Basically, the harder you push, the harder it gets. Even though it’s a leg-centric move, it works your arms and your legs much like the battle ropes. You can also burn some major calories on the airdyne compared to other cardio equipment (this guy burnt 87 calories in 60 SECONDS), which is exactly what we want in our home gym – the most bang for your buck.

Finally, my favourite – the sauna/sauna pod. If you’re looking to go full Scandi then you could invest in a big boy sauna. You can pick up a single person sauna for kind of cheap nowadays (£800-ish) and there are more expensive options if you want to fit a few more people in. But, for those who are after the benefits of the sauna without having to pay huge price tags – there are sauna pods. These offer most of the same benefits while being much cheaper and easier to install/fit in your house. As long as you don’t mind looking like Neil Armstrong then this could be the perfect addition to your home gym.

Equipment:

Hex bar – Cost (£90)
Cable machine – Cost (£420)
Landmine – Cost (£80)
Olympic rings – Cost (£30)
Weighted vest – Cost (£40)
Battle ropes – Cost (£30)
Flooring – Cost (£15+)
Airdyne bike – Cost (£180)
Sauna – Cost (£200+)

SHOP: ADVANCED

Since you will likely be training at a much more advanced level here, you will be adding volume to workouts and splitting up from full body into more of a body part split. Here is an example of a ‘Legs, abs & cardio’ workout.

Deficit hex bar deadlift (leg focus) – 3 sets of 8 (2 minutes rest in between sets)
Romanian deadlift – 3 sets of 10 (2 minutes rest)
Landmine front squat – 3 sets of 10 (2 minutes rest)
Cable kick backs – 3 sets of 12 (1 minute rest)
Cable crunch – 3 sets of 15 (1 minute rest)
Bike sprints – 3 sets of 15 seconds (45 seconds rest)
Weighted dead hangs – 3 sets of as long as possible (1 minute rest)
Sauna to rid the body of waste built up during workout – (15-30 minutes)

EXTRAS

These are just little bits that you can add to your gym over time to really put the icing on the protein packed cake. They’re self explanatory so I won’t go in to depth – you know what they’re for.

Equipment:

Foam roller – Cost (£10)
Speakers – Cost (£90)
Jump rope – Cost (£12)
Resistance bands – Cost (£10)

SHOP: EXTRAS

You will not need everything on this list but it is as comprehensive as you will find on the web and you can take inspiration from the equipment and workouts listed in order to create your ideal home gym. One thing is for sure, anything that is not on this list, you’re probably not gonna need.

There’s your complete guide to starting and growing your home gym into something that you can be proud of. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – get started with a bar, make some serious strength progression and before you know it you’ll be adding in bits, getting bigger & stronger, all whilst saving time and money.

What’s not to love?

Be sure to follow me on socials to keep up with the daily goings on of The Man Blueprint. You can also sign up for my inner circle using the newsletter form above. Just drop your email in there and it’s job done. Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.

How To Build Your Confidence As A Man - The Four Pillars

We live in a society where anxiety is rising and rising and an alarming rate. This can be attributed to so many different things such as social media, poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, lack of social interaction - the list goes on. This is an epidemic and this is the cure - sort of.

We live in a society where anxiety and lack of confidence is rising and rising at an alarming rate. This can be attributed to so many different things such as social media, poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, lack of social interaction – the list goes on. This blog is going to tell you how to build your confidence as a man.

Some of these things can’t really be helped, most of us have to sit behind a desk for 8 hours a day, we only have access to ready meals and we don’t really get a chance to go out because of other commitments, etc.

With this in mind, I have developed what I believe to be the 4 pillars of building bulletproof confidence that will aid you in your quest to become the best man you possibly can.

The reason I have picked these is that they are easy to implement for literally anyone. Each pillar will take up a tiny part of your day and will almost certainly add to your quality of life if you practice them consistently.

ABUNDANCE - Build Self Confidence As A Man

First off, what is abundance and how can this help you feel more confident? In this instance, I’m talking about the abundance mindset.

In short, this way of thinking is aimed at completely reshaping the way you think about things. It will help you to frame situations in a positive manner and allow you to get out of the victim mentality that so many of us have fallen prey to in modern society.

How To Build Your Confidence As A Man — *Abundance will give you the confidence to climb a multitude of large cogs*

The easiest way to practice abundance is to write down 3 things that you felt went well during your day before you go to sleep. This makes you focus on what is actually going well in your life and stops you from leaning your cognitive bias toward insignificant negatives of the day.

This is part of the reason I have stopped journaling. Writing down all your stresses is supposed to be a cleansing experience but in reality, it just made me focus on the negatives. Use this little trick to become a much more abundant and confident fella.

MEDITATION

Meditation is one of the best stress relievers there is. Doing some meditation every day will bring your cortisol levels down massively and help you achieve your desired outcome. Decreased cortisol means increased testosterone – which means you’ll be biologically and psychologically more dominant. When you’re feeling so unstressed, it’s hard not to have superior confidence.

Meditation also teaches you to breathe deeply and from the stomach – not the chest, like most of us tend to do. This focus on breath will help you to stay calm in stressful situations that may trigger anxiety, force you to lose your cool or make you retreat into your shell. By becoming aware of your breathing, you become more present – something which others will pick up on subconsciously.

Meditation can build your confidence as a man

If you perform some meditation before you go to sleep, you will sleep deeper and at a heightened quality than if you were to simply switch the light off and go to sleep the conventional way.

Clearing your head of negative thoughts will help you to achieve more REM sleep and lower cortisol even more. As we know, lowered cortisol is good for testosterone, as is getting great sleep – so you’re effectively killing two very large birds with one stone here.

how to build your confidence as a man - NOFAP

This is something I’ve been kind of reluctant to talk about on the blog because of the nature of the topic but it’s something that I believe is essential if you want to lead a fulfilling life.

This topic is NoFap - and is one of the best ways to master your strengths and weaknesses, build mental health and feel comfortable in relationships.

There are loads of gurus online who promote this in order to make a quick buck from worried guys on the internet – they’ll sell courses on it and special supplements to go along with it when in reality, all you have to do when practising NoFap is not fiddle with your sausage.

I won't go too far into the nitty-gritty of the whole topic but the general gist of it is that we’re a world that’s addicted to porn. This addiction has gotten to a point where guys (even young guys) are sitting at home in front of a screen and beating it for 2 hours a day.

It has started to rewire our brains – our very beliefs when it comes to respecting the opposite sex, our expectations of the real world and our actual ability to handle ourselves in social situations.

To sum it up, porn has created a generation of fellas who are so devoid of confidence, they’d rather date a robot than talk to real-life people.

Four Ways to Build Your Confidence As A Man — *A visual representation of my NoFap induced relaxation*

Others (including myself) who have taken back their self-control have experienced confidence related benefits such as:

Increased energy
Deeper sleep
Reduced brain fog
A complete psychological ‘reset’

This is something I am quite passionate about but there are others who have an infinitely better grasp on the subject so if you’d like to read more, here’s a few resources:

Your Brain On Porn

Reddit No Fap

NoFap Official Page

There are also some sources which cite NoFaps benefit to increasing testosterone (good for body building) and can develop guys into more confident men.

COLD SHOWERS

These are my absolute favourite thing to do, especially if I’m feeling a bit unmotivated and introverted. Set your shower to a mild setting, get in and then slowly turn the dial down until it’s as cold as it’ll (or you can) go. This will build confidence like no other. Being able to face an ice cold shower every morning and night will help you to build balls of steel.

It’s these little victories that will help you to develop the sort of inner confidence that others can only dream of. All you have to do is face up to a little bit of adversity each and every day. Getting out of that comfort zone that so many of us are afraid to leave will be the best thing you’ll ever do.

The benefits to cold showers are varied and I have written about all of them in more depth here if you fancy having a little gander.

So, to recap and answer how to build your confidence as a man:

– Write down 3 things that went well that day each night.

– Meditate twice a day.

– Practice nofap and get a handle on your self-discipline.

– Take a cold shower every morning and night.

You now have your 4 pillars – your confidence foundations if you will.

Use this information as you please, but if you can implement at least one each week then you’ll be on your way to becoming that charming swine you were always destined to be. This isn't a quick fix or short confidence boost, it's a proven way for increasing your self confidence, to become a confident person and improve your body language.

Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.

Travelling Europe with Barrels of London

As you may have seen, I've been out and about on the continent a couple of times recently. Luckily, the folks over at Barrels of London sorted me out with their flagship product - The Black Collection Barrel Bag.

As you may have seen, I’ve been out and about on the continent a couple of times recently. Luckily, the folks over at Barrels of London sorted me out with their flagship product – The Black Collection Barrel Bag.

I put the barrel bag through its paces during my time in Amsterdam & Prague, here’s my thoughts.

BARRELS OF LONDON TRADEMARK FEATURES

The bag comes with loads of features – one which I didn’t even know was possible was that it’s entirely waterproofed canvas (?!) which means it’s equally adept in the winter months as it is in the summer.

It’s also pimped out with polished nickel on the luxury zips, straps and details. The thing oozes class.

As someone who is travelling quite a lot and has to pack his life into a bag, having different compartments was a bit of a game changer. The dedicated shoe compartment was fantastic – I wanted to get some training done on my hols so this was perfect for storing gym shoes. It was also great for shoving my sweaty garms in to stop them whiffing out the rest of my stuff.

The laptop compartment was another great addition, you usually get this in rucksacks but rarely in barrel and duffel bags. It was ideal for me as I need my laptop with me wherever I go for work purposes. This is perfect for the frequent traveller who is handcuffed to the internet.

MY ONLY GRIPE

My only gripe was a lack of small pocket on the inside. Usually, I like to store my keys, wallet, coins and other tidbits in a little pocket on the inside. Although I just put all this stuff in the big laptop pocket which was okay, I would have liked a separate part for this. Other than that I can’t fault this design at all.

Honestly, this bag was definitely the best I’ve had the pleasure of owning. I thought nothing would ever top my Nike shoulder bag from year 10 but this has come along and blown it out the water.

You definitely get what you pay for.

You can grab your own Barrels of London bag here. You can also follow the guys on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.

The Navy Seal Breathing Technique To Calm Down

Today's article will be discussing the Navy Seal breathing technique to calm down. This technique has been around for thousands of years in yoga practice but hasn't had as much publicity as it maybe should have. That has began to change in recent years with advocates such as Wim Hoff and the Navy Seals singing its praises.

Today’s article will be discussing box breathing. This technique has been around for thousands of years in yoga practice but hasn’t had as much publicity as it maybe should have. That has began to change in recent years with advocates such as Wim Hoff and the Navy Seals singing its praises. It has become even more popular recently after being called the “navy seal breathing technique to calm down”.

WHAT IS BOX BREATHING? Navy Seal Breathing Technique to Calm Down

Box breathing is a method of conscious deep breathing that is used to calm the mind and body. Whilst being able to boost sporting and athletic performance it can be a huge stress reliever as well due to the meditative nature of the practice.

It is named box breathing due to the way in which one is supposed to envision each breath. More on this a little bit later.

MAIN USES

Box breathing can be used for a variety of things. Its main uses include but are not limited to;

Calming the sympathetic nervous system.
Improving PTSD.
Reduce blood pressure
Decreasing anxiety and panic attack prevalence - improving mental health, reducing stress and anxiety
Aiding in the induction and quality of sleep through this well known relaxation technique
Improving pain management.

How do I do it? Navy Seal Breathing Technique To Calm Down

As mentioned before, you must envision your breathes in a box format. There are four steps to this process – each step forming one side of the box. Now we have that oh-so complicated visual exercise out of the way I’ll give you the steps.

Whilst sitting up straight, inhale for four seconds, filling your lungs with as much air as possible.
Hold the air in your lungs for 4 seconds - holding your breath is a key part
Slowly exhale for four seconds, completely emptying your lungs of any air.
Hold this emptiness for four seconds.

Repeat this process for as long as you want until you either fall asleep or are de-stressed beyond belief.

Remember, it is normal to feel slightly dizzy if it’s your first few times doing this so don’t worry about that. Just take a rest, sit in a chair and make sure you’re not standing up when you're practicing box breathing.

Navy Seal Breathing Technique to Calm Down

WHY BOX BREATHING TECHNIQUE?

If you’re looking to improve your stress levels then this can be a massively useful tool as it brings you into the present moment and stops your mind from dwelling on unnecessary details of your life. Lowering your stress and keeping yourself in a relaxed state can be one of the most important factors to focus on when trying to decrease cortisol in the long term, which can aid in increasing testosterone so give box breathing some serious thought.

The other impressive benefit of box breathing I listed above was that it can actually help you to get to sleep whilst also improving the quality of that sleep too. I know so many people who struggle with sleep and it affects them the next day in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

Most of the time, people struggle to get enough sleep because their minds are constantly doing overtime worrying about every little thing in their lives.

By focusing solely on breathing it prevents your mind from thinking about anything else, allowing you to drift into a much deeper, uninterrupted sleep. As we all know, quality sleep is key to maintaining high testosterone levels so anything that can help with this is absolutely invaluable.

Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.

Rack Pulls: Why they are a natural lifter's best friend

WHAT ARE RACK PULLS?

Rack pulls are one of the simplest exercises you can do in your training. As the name suggests, you pull off the squat rack. It’s the easiest compound exercise to load up and should be in your training at least once per week if you’re looking to build your back and your deadlift.

THE THREE VARIATIONS & HOW TO DO THEM

There are 3 variations to the rack pull, you have below the knee – where the rack pins are set below the knee (shock horror), just above the knee and then one pin position above that again. The easiest of these variations to load up is the furthest position above the knee, however this will not give you the most benefits and will basically just work your grip strength.

The best variation in my opinion, is the below the knee position as this best simulates a deadlift and therefore, this is the variation I will be referencing in this article. You can see how to correctly perform the rack pull below.

If you wish to increase the range of motion further, you can employ a snatch grip for the lift, which again simulates the deadlift’s range of motion whilst allowing for greater loading of weight. If you wish to employ the snatch grip for your rack pull then you can see how to do this below also.

WHY ARE THEY GOOD FOR THE NATURAL LIFTER?

Huge trap stress

Rack pulls put an immense amount of stress upon the traps – even more than deadlifts and shrugs. The trap muscles are notoriously hard to grow, so being able to overload them with the weights that rack pulls offer makes doing this exercise a no-brainer.

It is common knowledge that steroid using lifters tend to grow huge traps, upper back and shoulders due to how steroids interact with the androgen receptors in these areas. By building up the traps, it can completely transform your look as a natural and make you look far bigger in clothes which is a bonus.

Builds a thick back

Placing so much stress on the back can only cause massive hypertrophy. This exercise isn’t just for building smaller body parts and assisting lifts, it will build a big, thick & wide back. I use this along with weighted chins and standard deadlifts and my back is by far my strongest area. No need for lat pull-downs and iso-lateral cable rows at a 90″ inversion atop a unicorn whilst riding into the mists of Avalon.

Helps the lockout portion of the deadlift

The rack pull simulates the upper portion of a deadlift, which means that the pulling strength and explosiveness you build from rack pulling has transferable qualities to your conventional deadlift.

If you struggle with locking your deadlifts out at the top, practising rack pulls allows you to add massive amounts of volume and overload to this particular sticking point without having to perform too many tiring deadlifts that would hinder your overall recovery.

Less full body stress

The rack pull places less overall stress on the body which means you can do them for some considerable volume and not fry your central nervous system. I do 5 sets of 5 for rack pulls once a week on a separate day to my deadlifts.

This allows for a decent amount of recovery and means you’re hitting similar movements twice a week which is optimal for strength and muscle gains in the long run.

Boosts the ego

This one is sort of a joke but the rack pull can really skyrocket your confidence. Knowing that you can handle far more weight in your hands than you’ve ever done before builds up a mentality that becomes bulletproof to self doubt. When you’ve pulled 200kg from the rack, pulling a 160kg deadlift will be a much less daunting task than attempting that weight for the first time without having ever felt it in your hands.

Speaking anecdotally, once I started to incorporate rack pulls into my regime, my deadlifts flew up – and I think this was because I knew I could lift, lock out and hold far more weight than I was tasked with lifting from the floor.

If you’re not convinced to get down to the gym and start doing rack pulls straight away then I don’t know what else I can do for you son. Give them a go for at least 3 months and watch your deadlift, traps and upper back blow up.

Stoicism: Why this philosophy will change your life

Stoicism has gained a lot of popularity recently with people shifting away from constantly dwelling on the past and fixating on the future. People want to move away from materialistic desires and go back to becoming truly happy with what they have in the present moment.

I attribute this in part, to the fantastic book ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle which taught readers how to live in the present moment and become truly happy.

WHAT IS STOICISM?

Stoicism was founded by Greek Philosopher Zeno in the 3rd century BC. The key point that Stoicism attempts to make is that true happiness comes as a result of accepting the present moment for what it is. This includes acceptance of our emotions – abstaining from our desire for pleasure and our fears of pain.

It is centred around nature and the natural cycle of life – in short, treat everyone fairly, understand your role within nature’s plan and detach yourself from emotion as this can cloud judgement.

BENEFITS OF STOICISM

The benefits that stoicism hold are unlimited depending on how you interpret the philosophy, but I have listed the top ones which I have found in my experience with it.

Connection to nature

By appreciating your role in nature’s cycle, you allow yourself to accept the fact that you cannot change at this moment in time and you have a role to play in the Universe. This realisation of a bigger picture can calm your thoughts and allow you to feel more ‘at one’ with the world.

Increased consciousness

Once you become aware of your thought processes, it makes you more attuned to how your mind works. This can allow you to challenge your perceptions and live a more conscious life instead of suffering from the dreaded ‘autopilot’ that a lot of us cave into in the modern world.

De-stress

Letting go of you materialistic desires and becoming truly present takes a lot of stress out of day-to-day life. When you stop worrying about what is in the past and what is in the future, you free yourself from that which you cannot control. This allows you to become the architect of your own life. This is what separates stoics from everyone else, they are content with their life because they have accepted the present for what it truly is.

HOW YOU CAN BECOME A STOIC

Be open minded at all times

You do not have all the answers, no matter how much you think you do. I have been victim to this mindset, which can close your mind to advice that could have greatly benefited my life.

Once you open up your mind, you become truly engaged with what others have to say and allow yourself to soak up far more knowledge than if you had your walls firmly up.

Read quotes and meditations from famous stoics

This allows you stay on track with your Stoic journey. By reminding yourself of stoic principles each week, you can begin to understand its underlying principles – expanding your mind in the process.

Whenever you feel demotivated and lost on your journey, referring back to famous philosophers can offer beneficial guidance on where you want to go.

Let time pass before engaging in emotion-driven reactions

One pitfall that the majority of us suffer from is our tendency to use knee-jerk reactions when presented with a difficult situation. We let our emotions take control and act without thinking of the consequences.

By taking a step back and becoming conscious of our emotions, we allow ourselves to be calm amongst chaos and never act upon impulse again. This can stop a lot of regrettable confrontation or decisions being made in future, contributing to your increased wellbeing.

If you want to become happier with what you have and express gratitude every single day then adopt a stoic mindset. This will lead to you becoming much more productive, engaging in healthier relationships and experiencing a spike in your general well-being.

There’s your guide to Stoicism, easy isn’t it.

How your grooming essentials are killing your testosterone

What does the average man’s grooming bag look like? My guess is he will have a £3 plastic zip up contraption containing a can of Lynx, some 99p shaving cream, a disposable Gillette razor and finally, a lovely plastic toothbrush complete with the newest Colgate toothpaste promising a glistening smile fit for a king.

If your wash bag resembles this monstrosity in any way, shape or form, this article will probably shock and potentially offend you. I don’t really care – what I do care about is the sad decline of testosterone (and the modern man in general) in this generation and therefore it is my duty to address one of the biggest – and most ignored causes of this. Grooming essentials.

THE FIRST GROOMING CULPRIT: TOOTHBRUSH

What’s so bad about it?

Chances are, your toothbrush is made from plastic. Not only is this terrible for the environment due to plastic’s almost infinite breakdown time – it is awful for your testosterone. By over-exposing your body to plastic, you can disrupt what is known as your endocrine system (the body’s hormonal hub).

This is facilitated by the much demonised BPA, which can leach from plastics into your body. To then go one step further and put this stuff in your mouth by using a plastic toothbrush is almost beggar’s belief. Billions of men do this daily without second thought, not realising the harm they are doing to their testosterone.

What can I do?

What I have been doing for the past couple of years is using a bamboo toothbrush with charcoal bristles. Whilst this sounds all very la-di-da, it is actually an effective way of getting rid of any plastic from your tooth-care routine and is good for the environment due to bamboo being easily bio-degradable.

The charcoal bristles also aid in cleaning teeth as charcoal has many antibacterial properties. No need for the latest Colgate teeth whitening super duper 3000 mouth blasting moon rock infused tooth foam then…

TOOTHPASTE

What’s so bad about it?

Along with your toothbrush, your toothpaste is completing a hefty one-two grooming combo on your testosterone levels. Most toothpastes contain at least 20 ingredients, 90% of which you can’t pronounce and end in oxide, zine or ate.

Basically, if your toothpaste contains more than one ingredient ending in each of those or you can’t pronounce over half the ingredients list, chuck it in the bin.

The single most dangerous ingredient in toothpaste is fluoride. This has been in toothpaste since its inception and is still used as a teeth whitening aid to this day. Fluoride has been shown to significantly lower testosterone and wreak havoc among various other bodily functions such as the neurological system and gut health.

What can I do?

The most basic step and one which I recommend to anyone starting out would be to invest in a fluoride free toothpaste. After this though, I recommend going full hippy and buying some all natural toothpaste that contains only natural ingredients and absolutely no chemicals.

Any natural toothpaste that contains baking soda will do the trick nicely as this has been shown to be one of the most effective active teeth whitening ingredients around. Having used the Georganics range for the past couple of years, I have noticed my teeth looking whiter than ever (despite upping my intake of coffee substantially…).

DEODORANT

What’s so bad about it?

One thing that shocked me into switching my deodorant overnight was the fact that cans of deodorant contain anti-freeze. Yes, ANTI-FREEZE. What a strange concept it is then, to liberally spray this all over your ‘pits.

Your armpit skin is more absorbent than most parts of the body, so putting these harmful chemicals in the huge quantities that men tend to spray them onto the body is a recipe for hormonal disaster.

What can I do?

If you’re a really sweaty, stinky fella then maybe going full natural could be a bit of a disaster. Switch to roll on and try to limit the application to the bare essentials if you want to lower your exposure to harmful chemicals.

I use a deodorant stick called Salt of the Earth. It’s literally just a stick of solid salt but it does the business, will last you years and is odourless, so if you wear aftershave then that can take centre stage instead of overpowering deo.

Top that with a dollop of coconut oil under each armpit and you’ve got a rock solid antiperspirant. Coconut oil has antibacterial properties and can absorb smell – another use for this absolute men’s health powerhouse.

SHAVING CREAM

What’s so bad about it?

The majority of off-the-shelf shaving creams are a tin full of bollocks in my humble opinion. Far too many harmful chemicals such as Triethanolamine are packed into the average bottle of squirt, which has been shown to increase your risk of liver & testicular cancer. Not something you’d like from your grooming staples.

Whilst levels of Triethanolamine may be small, the majority of men tend to shave at least a couple of times per week, meaning these doses stack up and can spell disaster for your long term wellbeing.

What can I do?

Find yourself a quality shaving cream or lather from brands you know you can trust. I used to use coconut oil as my shaving cream and post-shave moisturiser. Whilst this may be the best way to shun the chems, my skin was too sensitive for this lack of lather, much like millions of other men.

If this is the case for you then opt for the highest quality and lowest amount of chemicals possible. I really like Cade by L’Occitane & any of Cornerstone’s offerings.

HAIR PRODUCTS

What’s so bad about it?

Where to start with this one? Gels, waxes, pomade’s, sprays, shampoos…you name it, there’s about a million zillion different grooming products for men’s hair and almost every one of them is hurting your testosterone levels. Let’s say the average man uses a dollop of pomade in his hair every day.

Contaminants such as lead and coal tar have been found in hair pomades in recent years – I don’t need to explain why these are bad to be massaging onto your scalp.

Then there’s your shampoos. Most men I know tend to use head & shoulders or bedhead shampoos. Whilst these may reduce your dandruff, they will over time not only strip your hair of natural oils and nutrients – they’ll strip your gonads of their precious T.

Sodium lauryl sulphate is the biggest offender here and has been shown to lower testosterone in males significantly. This is what is used to create the foaming effect in your shampoo for the most part and therefore can be easily left out without much effect on your hair.

What can I do?

For styling your hair I recommend a big ol’ dollop of everyone’s favourite little miracle – coconut oil. I’ve been using it in my hair for years now and even my barber has asked me what I use in it.

Whilst this completely neutralises any threat to testosterone and provides vital nutrients for your hair, it also gives it decent hold and keeps it soft instead of that horrible hard, straw-like effect that so many hair products give.

In terms of shampoos, shop around on eBay and Etsy for all natural offerings. These tend to last for months and months, smell great and are so much healthier for your hair than the mass-produced garbage peddled in shops.

I’m currently using something called all-natural (believe it or not) that I got off Etsy which acts as a shampoo and bodywash, so you’re killing two birds with one stone, not killing your testosterone in both stones.

Whilst having every grooming item optimised for testosterone production can be hard for a lot of people, you really do reap the benefits when making the change. Of course, compromises can be made in all areas – sweaty fellas may opt to keep the deodorant, smokers may opt for stain preventing toothpaste etc.

However, by making a conscious effort to try and eliminate chemicals, toxins and xenoestrogens from your grooming regime, you will be doing your hormones a huge favour.

Turn your commute into the most productive part of your day

We’ve all been there – the morning commute. Then followed with a back-breaking 9-5. THEN followed with the evening commute. Repeat this 5 days a week for the rest of your godforsaken life and you can see why the majority of people turn into cement-faced zombies by the time they’re 30.

I’m about to unleash a whole flurry of productivity on you in order to prevent zombification. You’ve got no excuse here either – there’s something for everyone; Trains, planes, automobiles (even cyclists) – I’ve got you covered.

Here’s how you turn your commute into the most productive part of your day.

THE MORNING COMMUTE KING: PODCASTS / AUDIOBOOKS

Podcasts and audiobooks are two of the most popular pastimes nowadays. We are cash rich and time poor, so why sit down to read a book when you could have someone (with a lovely soothing voice) read to you whilst you crack on with another task?

Listening to podcasts and audiobooks on your way to work can relax you before the hectic day ahead and give you insight into the minds of experts in various fields. Tim Ferris runs an excellent podcast where he interviews lots of experts and celebrities – it’s funny and engaging, which is probably why it’s so popular.

You could also listen to audiobooks such as Rich Dad, Poor Dad or The Art of War to expand your mind during those soul-wrenching journeys to and from work.

STAND UP

You’re off to sit down all day, ruining your posture and your health in the process. Why would you want to sit down some more on your way to sitting down? Standing up on your way to work can give you roughly an hour’s extra physical exercise (assuming your commute is a half hour) per day. Now obviously I know you can’t do this in your car, but if you take public transport, give standing a chance.

Standing has so many benefits that people are completely unaware of, due to the fact it’s such a medial activity. Standing for just one fourth of your day can reduce your risk of obesity by 32%, improve your posture, increase your lung capacity and reduce your risk of diabetes.

There are so may more benefits to standing that you simply can’t be missing out on. Aim to stand for at least 3 hours of each day and then try to work your way up to 6 or 7 hours. This can have a profound effect on your health and may be the key to reversing some of the ailments you suffer from that you may have thought were just part and parcel of life.

EMAILS / WRITING

Early in the day is when your creative juices are fully flowing. This is before your head is filled with a million tasks and your boss’s voice is ringing in your ears.

The morning calm can let your mind be free and if you are in any way required to write for your job, then this is the time to get your best work done. I tend to write my best articles early in the morning as I have no stressors or distractions at this time.

Obviously if you don’t need to write, you can get all of your emails in check before you even get to work, freeing up your morning to do whatever you please. This can skyrocket your productivity in work as you won’t have to keep checking in with your emails to see which daft idiot has dared to disturb your coffee break.

Now you have no excuse to sit and zone out on the way to and from the rat race. No more getting stressed about that fat smelly gentleman taking up half your seat on the train. You can put your mind to work and get your day off to a flyer.

Dead hangs: Exercise guide & Benefits

Dead hangs – doesn’t sound very exciting does it?

The benefits of this exercise certainly are though. Hanging on a bar is one of the easiest things you can do and the risk to reward ratio is better than any other exercise out there, hands down.

DEAD HANGS? WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?

There’s quite a lot in it for you actually. I have listed some of the top benefits here but the improvements that dead hangs will offer you in the long run are far more detailed than these five points.

Spinal Decompression

The biggest draw when it comes to dead hangs is their proficiency at decompressing the spine. Hanging for just a few minutes per week can help to undo all the compression you put your spine under day in, day out from things like squatting in the gym, sitting all day and carrying heavy backpacks. This is great for spinal strength and can vastly improve your posture.

Grip strength

Another fantastic benefit that dead hangs offer is that they can turbocharge your grip strength. Having to hold onto the bar for far longer than you usually would forces your forearms to work overtime keeping you and the bar acquainted.

Over time as you build up your hang time and eventually add weight to the exercise, you will gain a vice-like grip that will carry over to your big lifts such as deadlifts, chin ups and rows.

Build huge forearms

An often overlooked benefit of dead hangs is that along with building mammoth grip strength, they also blow up your forearms. You’ll realise once you give these a go – doing 4 sets of dead hangs per week will blast your forearms 10x as hard as 10 sets of mindless forearm curls with 15kg barbells.

It’s a much more natural way to build mass and vascularity whilst adding transferable grip strength to your arsenal.

Rotator cuff strength

The rotator cuff is to a lifter what the metatarsal is to a footballer. These puppies are the main culprits when it comes to injuries in their respective practices. The rotator cuff is one of the most vulnerable muscles and is often injured due to an overload of pressing movements.

Because it isn’t a show muscle people tend to overlook it’s importance in favour of 5 extra sets of bench press. By doing a few sets of dead hangs you can stimulate the rotator cuff and proof them against strain and injury in the future – all whilst working a variety of other areas simultaneously.

Un-tightens lats

The final benefit that dead hangs posses is that they can stretch out and un-tighten the lats. The lats are crucial in pulling AND pushing movements so keeping them loose and healthy is key to skyrocketing your pressing exercises like bench press (where your lats do a large portion of the work) and overhead press.

It goes without saying that this will also carry over into your chins, dead lifts and rows. For the sake of a few minutes a week it looks like you’re getting some serious bang for your buck here doesn’t it?

HOW?

So, how exactly do you complete a dead hang?

Grab a pull up bar, totally disengage every muscle in your body and just hang onto the bar for as long as you can.

For your first go, record your max hang time.

After finding this, work out 70% of your max and use this as your ‘working weight’ to stop fatigue setting in and interfering with your other exercises. So you would do 2 sets of 70% of this time a few times a week after a workout.

Try to then add 5 seconds on to that time every month, retesting your max every 12 weeks.

Make sense?

CONCLUSION

Dead hangs are the easiest and most efficient exercise you’re not doing. Add them to the end of your workouts three times a week to decompress that spine, blast your forearms and super-strength your rotator cuffs. Try it for 12 weeks and see how much your performance and wellbeing come on.

What Helps Clear Up Brain Fog: Causes, Symptoms & Remedy

What Helps Clear Up Brain Fog - A comprehensive guide on the causes, symptoms and remedies.

Brain fog is an extremely common issue in today’s society due to our overly fast-paced lifestyles and lack of healthy living in all areas. It is a state of mental fatigue whereby a person will generally lose focus and become irritable more often than usual. Luckily for you though, brain fog is widely considered to be easily reversible providing the right course of action is taken. This blog will answer what helps clear up brain fog.

The Causes of brain fog

High stress levels

Having high stress levels can play havoc with your hormones. Having chronically high stress over a long period of time can lead to extremely high cortisol, low dopamine and the testosterone levels of a 700 year old corpse. Your hormones are so susceptible to stress and therefore it is paramount that you get this under control.

Inflammation

Inflammation can be caused by a lot of things but the main culprits are stress and your diet. The main dietary cause of inflammation is the ingestion of processed foods – something that is common place in this day and age. Most foods in the modern age will cause some degree of inflammation but there are steps you can take to limit this.

what helps clear up brain fog: Causes, symptoms & remedy

Lack of sleep

Another big offender here, lack of sleep can be attributed to all manner of problems but brain fog is definitely one of its bigger targets. Lacking sleep can have a knock-on effect on your stress levels AND inflammation, making this the most important factor to dial in during your fight against the fog.

The SYMPTOMS of brain fog

Some of the most common symptoms to look out for when trying to diagnose brain fog include:

There are many other answers to what does brain fog feel like - ultimately, brain fog will be unique to you, so make sure to speak to your doctor if you feel you are being impacted by the symptoms of brain fog.

HOW TO REVERSE BRAIN FOG

You are probably going to be thinking "how to get rid of brain fog" and the ways you can reverse the effects of brain fog - below I have added three things you can do to get rid of the symptoms. These have not been medically reviewed, so be sure to speak to your doctor to discuss your brain health, mental health and medical condition if needed.

De-stress

As mentioned before, stressing will only fog your brain out faster. In order to clear your mind you will have to put a lot of your efforts into tackling stress. This could involve practising meditation each night before you go to sleep, working out a few times a week, keeping a diary or even supplementing with adaptogenic herbs such as ashwaghanda. Adding these steps into your daily routine can drastically reduce stress and help you feel clear headed in no time.

Don’t limit macronutrients

Low-quality fats from processed foods can cause brain fog, but low fat intake can cause brain fog. High levels of processed and refined carbs can cause brain fog but low carb intake can cause brain fog. See what I’m saying here? Don’t demonise a macronutrient because some schmuck told you it’s the devil.

Keep a healthy serving of healthy fats in your diet from things like olive oil, salmon, quality beef, organic butter and coconut oil. Add to that some healthy carbs from foods such as sweet potatoes, bananas, berries and green veg along with a moderate serving of protein from animal meats and lentils. Keep your macronutrient split around 40% Carb/ 40% Fat/ 20% Protein and you’ll be just fine.

Remember, that without macronutrients, your immune system will not function optimally and you could develop chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sleep long, sleep deep

The most important factor to get in check – improving your sleep should not be taken lightly as it can improve brain function and increase red blood cells. The most potent actions for attaining a deeper and longer sleep are to switch off all electronic devices an hour before bed (failing this, buy some blue-light blocking glasses), get a nighttime routine and to make sure your room is cold.

You would be surprised how many people are impacted by sleep deprivation - you need to make sure you're getting enough hours of sleep as otherwise, you can develop poor concentration and disrupt your mental clarity.

These three tips have been shown to skyrocket your sleep quality in just one night, meaning you get instant benefits.

There’s your definitive guide to brain fog and how you combat the symptoms. If you can address these basic areas then you will notice a huge difference in your mental ‘sharpness’ and feel much more energised in no time.

Completely free and completely brilliant. Whilst you’re here, have a little browse of some other article you might like below too. You won’t regret it.

The official whistle-stop Stockholm travel guide

Stockholm. Not the first destination that springs to mind when thinking of your next travel destination, but definitely one that should.

I have recently just come back from this wonderful city and couldn’t believe just how good it was considering how little we knew about it before going.

The Swedes call this city ‘beauty on water’ and with good reason, some of the views on offer were simply astounding and we were lucky enough to get some great pictures for you to feast your eyes on.

THE STOCKHOLM PRICE PROBLEM

When we told people we were off to Stockholm the default response was “That’s a bit strange! What is there to do there then?!!?!?” followed by “Ooo I’ve heard it’s expensive over there!!!”. While both of these responses were valid – it isn’t a popular tourist spot and some places can be expensive – we didn’t care.

After spending 3 full days in Sweden my pockets were £400 lighter. However, when you consider the fact that this included return flights, a 2 night stay in a great hotel, travel passes and everything in between, it starts to look relatively cheap – especially after everyone’s reservations beforehand. You’d probably end up paying that if you stayed a few days in Slough and I know where I’d rather go…

Let’s not forget that Stockholm is also a capital city, so any reservations you may have about having things to do are unfounded. We managed to pack a massive amount into our few days here and you could literally go back another 5 times and you’d still have things to do.

THE FOOD

Hands down the best meal I’ve ever had was cooked in a little German restaurant called Slingerbulten. It was an ox cheek and mash dish – simple and hearty which is exactly how it should be in my eyes. 2 mains, 2 desserts, 2 drinks and a side came to the equivalent of £50, not exactly the astronomical fees promised by every man and his dog.

One thing I noticed about the food scene in Stockholm was that there were lots of vegan restaurants available. Travelling whilst following a vegan diet can be notoriously hard so if you’re looking for a city break where you can enjoy amazing food along with everything else, Stockholm has got you covered.

There’s also a bevy of cafes all over Stockholm selling lots of fantastic food and drink but one thing that is synonymous with Sweden along with their meatballs is cinnamon buns. These are amazing but far too easy to wolf down, if you’re watching your waistline then be careful because one of these could easily turn into eight.

THE SIGHTS

The ABBA museum was definitely the highlight of the trip. It’s around £25 to get into but it’s worth the initial outlay. Believe it or not, I’m not actually an ABBA fan – but by the end of it I was hooked. Even if you’re not into Eurovision winners of yesteryear you need to buy yourself a ticket, because this was hands down the best thing we did all weekend.

Fotografiska is a museum solely dedicated to photography. There are hundreds and hundreds of pictures in here, with new collections going on display regularly. The main exhibition that was on display during our time of visiting was highlighting poverty and refugees which was hard hitting but a definite eye-opener and offered some major perspective.

The Old Town was our favourite area of Stockholm and was full of fantastic old buildings (believe it or not), amazing views and a whole host of backstreets where you could slink off to for a quiet meal or drink. The whole atmosphere around the old town is so relaxed and laid back that you’d think everyone was stoned 24/7 – turns out everyone in Sweden is just extremely chilled. Compare this to the thunder-faced commuters in basically every other capital city (except for Amsterdam, because everyone actually is stoned 24/7) and it’s a breath of fresh air.

One thing in Stockholm that is free is the changing of the guard. I’ve never witnessed anything like this before, being the uncultured swine that I am, so this huge display blew me away a bit. As Sweden have a royal family, this whole performance is very regal and would be ideal for those of you who love a good bit of royal prestige.

THE REST

The 72 hour travel pass is absolutely essential if you’re staying outside the centre like we were. It allows you to get on any train and is an easy way of getting trams to different parts of the city centre instead of walking everywhere clocking up too much exercise (because who wants to waste energy walking when you could save it for eating?).

Katarinahissen is a pedestrian bridge that offers amazing views of the whole of Stockholm and should not be missed, as it’s the best free option to get some amazing shots of the city. Unfortunately the lift up is broken, and with no plans to fix it in the pipeline you will have to take the stairs. If you’re not knock-kneed then definitely give this one a go on your way to Fotografiska.

The NK shopping centre was one of the most beautiful shopping centres I’ve ever seen in my life. It was like something out of Harry Potter except there were no wands and everyone was dressed better. There’s something for everyone here, with lots of high end designer wear, homeware, food & drink, you’re spoilt for choice. You do have to pay £1 for the toilet though so if you want to save money you can find yourself a dark corner outside and spend that pound on a sandwich instead.

Impromptu performances are extremely common as you traverse the cobbled streets of the old town especially, with everything from Alien worshipping flash mobs playing ABBA songs to people playing classical music by rubbing glasses. It’s a bit of free entertainment and can brighten your mood if they aren’t too terrible.

Stockholm. My favourite holiday destination so far and definitely somewhere you need to consider for your next weekend city break.

How to start a men's lifestyle blog - from the pros

By the end of this article, you’re going to know exactly how and why you should be starting a men’s lifestyle blog. Let’s get into it.

What would you do if you could round up your industry’s leaders? Would you gawp at them or would you pick their brains about how they got to where they are? Luckily, I went for the latter and decided to reach out to some of the top men’s bloggers to quiz them on how they got to where they are and what tips they’d give for starting up your very own men’s lifestyle blog.

MEN’S LIFESTYLE BLOG? WHAT’S THAT?

When I started out my men’s lifestyle blog, there was a wealth of info out there about starting a blog but, a lot of it was focused around female blogging – which seems to be a much larger market than the male equivalent. Don’t get me wrong, that’s fine – if there’s a bigger market for that then fair play.

But my blog was a men’s lifestyle blog.

With this in mind, I decided to get as many of the top brass as I could involved in the creation of this guide so that the men’s lifestyle market could finally have the guide that all of us would have wanted when we were starting out.

This will hopefully be the new blogger’s holy grail, so listen closely and milk these answers for everything they’re worth. All bloggers – both those starting out and those who think of themselves as seasoned veterans, can pick up some fantastic tips along the way.

If you’d like to learn more from any of the guys down below then drop them a line – I’ll link their contacts underneath.

Right, let’s get down to it.

SAM SQUIRE

Imsamsquire.co.uk // Twitter // Instagram
Hello@imsamsquire.co.uk

How and why did you get into blogging?

My sister is a blogger and I saw the cool things she got involved in and when I started 4 years ago there wasn’t a whole tonne of guys doing it. There was loads of girls blogging about fashion and lifestyle, however not a load of guys.

I thought I would give it a try and see if there is a niche out there for male bloggers. Really it was just to fill a bit of time, and I definitely didn’t think that 4 years later I would still be going and people would still be reading!

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

I think it’s gone from being something that I can use to fill a bit of time here and there to being a real hobby! I personally have no intentions to ever become a full time blogger, but it’s become something that is actually recognised within the industry.

When I first started I was always looking for a break, looking to work with people and emailing around to see what opportunities brands had. Unfortunately most weren’t actually interested in working with me, however now brands contact me asking for collaborations, advertising and sponsorship deals and I have had some massive opportunities to work with brands.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Patience

The first is patience, I was so keen to get going and start working with brands at the beginning that when it didn’t happen, I felt like I must’ve been doing something wrong. That’s definitely not the case, it just takes time!

Hard work

The second is hard work, like with anything in life, you don’t get success without a bit of graft. If you’re not in it for the hard work then don’t even try – you need to be prepared to put time into your content to make it the best it could possibly be!

Honesty

My third is honesty, list most honest creators, I am sick of seeing new creators come along and get 50k followers in a month by using bots to grow their followings. It’s important to remain honest and get your growth organically, otherwise you’ve lost the respect of fellow creators before you’ve even started!

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

Honestly, not really! When I first started I felt super inadequate compared to some of the awesome creators out there. I really looked up to creators like John from The Everyday Man, and Matthew Zorpas from The Gentleman Blogger – they were two people that definitely shaped the way I create my content.

I think on the most part though you can reach out to any content creator with any questions or to ask for advice, really we’re a pretty tight community in the male blogging sphere, minus a few that have cheated their way to success – so we’re all pretty happy to give new creators a bit of direction!

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Work hard, engage with as many creators as you can, and make the most of the experience – don’t forget to showcase your personality!

CURTIS ROSCOE

Curtisluke.com // Instagram
curtisroscoe@gmail.com

Who are you?

Hi! My names Curtis Roscoe, I run the blog CurtisLuke.com where I chat all about fashion, lifestyle and travel. I’m from Wales but currently study in university in London.

How and why did you get into blogging?

I got into blogging through writing for other sites and through internships in the entertainment industry. I decided that this was something I genuinely love so created my blog back in May!

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

My blog has and always will be a personal blog. The name ‘CurtisLuke’ comes from my first and middle name. I’m only ever called Curtis Luke by my closest family members. So having this as an overall theme for my blog made it feel so much more personal.

It’s evolved because now I feel like I’ve become more daring in my writing. I’m not scared to challenge views and express my opinions.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Passion

Write what you are passionate about (the biggest thing).

Authenticity

Don’t pretend, be authentic. Don’t try write a positive review about something you didn’t like.

Time

Take your time. The best bloggers don’t shoot out a 500 word blog post everyday, they take time.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

I looked to some bloggers that I followed before I started people like Em Sheldon. She’s a great example of someone who balances being able to blog effectively and also showcase this through social media. You genuinely feel invested in her life. Ali Gordon is another great example. His work ethic is insane.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Be you, be bold, be brace. Don’t be scared to challenge blogging stereotypes, make your own trend.

CARL THOMPSON

Carlthompson.co.uk // Twitter // Instagram
Carl@pincollarshirts.co.uk

Who are you?

I’m Carl Thompson, 5 years ago I left a very successful career in IT to pursue a better work/life balance in the menswear industry. In 2013 I launched ‘Hawkins & Shepherd‘ and began selling luxury, hand-crafted shirts, suits, coats and accessories.

Shortly after I launched blog – I now work from home 7 days a week from 7.30am to about 10pm most days, if not later.

How and why did you get into blogging?

To begin with I was looking to drive more traffic to my Menswear label, but it soon came apparent that the blog was developing into something separate and deserved its own platform. More and more people were coming to me for advice and I wanted to provide a place for people that wanted to further themselves.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

Primarily it’s still menswear orientated. Menswear is my wheelhouse and I can write prolifically and importantly; fast, when it comes to menswear. Sometime ago Menswear began to bleed into other areas like Lifestyle, and I wanted to talk about things other than fashion such as travel, cars etc.

And Carl Thompson the blog became an extension of Carl Thompson the person. I love showing off the blog now, although I’ll forever be tweaking it. It has to evolve.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Imagery

Imagery is key and is paramount on my blog. I collaborate with a lot of other talented bloggers and photographers. If you’re looking to get into blogging, then I suggest investing in fair-to-middling camera.

You can pick one up between the £100-200 mark second hand and just experiment. Watch online tutorials and convince your friends or folks to get you some photography classes for Xmas.

Work ethic

You have to be willing to get up before everyone else, work longer than everyone else and turn up to a lot of events for free. You’ll have to write a lot of reviews for free. If you have a laissez faire attitude towards blogging it will forever be a hobby, not a success.

Be an all-rounder

It’s not just enough being a good writer, or a good photographer. You have to be knowledgeable about multiple social media platforms. You have to know how websites and WordPress templates work.

I’ve come to realise that you have to have as many arrows in your quiver as possible. (Even now I’m learning the world of podcasting). If you think you’re going to get by on your good looks then good luck. You won’t be able to ride that gravy train forever.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Rocky Balboa – It ain’t how hard you hit, it’s how hard you get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.
Yoda – Do, or do not. There is no “try”
Rafiki – Oh yes, the past can hurt. But you can either run from it, or learn from it.
Ferris Bueller – Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Neil McCauley – You want to be making moves on the street, have no attachments, allow nothing to be in your life that you cannot walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you spot the heat around the corner.

Oh wait… did you mean characters as in… oh boy that’s embarrassing. But phew, 140? I thought I was going to be here all night.

MICHAEL ADAMS

Michael84.co.uk // Twitter // Instagram
Hola@michael84.co.uk

How and why did you get into blogging?

I have always had an interest in the web and creating things, and have made other web properties such as websites and forums, so moving on to a men’s lifestyle blog was a natural progression for me.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

Michael 84 is about men’s fashion and lifestyle, and combines personal thoughts and reviews, to news and information about what’s going on in menswear and everything guys like.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Work

Putting the work in is definitely the first, you need great content for people to want to come and read it.

Promotion

Being active promoting it is another, this can be by utilising social media.

Perseverance

The last thing is to keep going, so many people start a men’s lifestyle blog because they think it’s a good idea and then it fades away. Most the successful ones are the ones who keep persevering.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

Not really, since this has been more of a passion than anything else and it’s something which I am interested in. The web is always changing so I am always learning, and do a lot of reading and discussing the more technical sides of running a blog.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Start a blog for the right reasons and make sure that you’re prepared to work on it, make sure it’s ready then just put it out there.

JOHN ROBERTSON

Theeverydayman.com // Twitter // Instagram
mail@theeverydayman.co.uk

Who are you?

I’m John and I’ve been writing The Everyday Man for 5 years now. It’s essentially a men’s lifestyle blog that brings together things that I like with a slight editorial edge. I cover lots of topics so I hope that most people will find at least one strand that they can resonate with.

How and why did you get into blogging?

I started it back in 2012 as a hobby with no vision of it ever becoming anything more than that. Over time the growth came and I started to take it more seriously.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

It’s a lifestyle site so I cover a whole range of topics, everything from cars to art and culture to travel. I love the variety of stuff that it enables me to experience. Over time it has become a lot more structured but I still try to keep my original ethos of only featuring things that I like or would like to try.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Hard work, creativity and commitment I’d say.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

Of course. My friend Paula started a site around the same time (The LDN Diaries) and I took a lot of help from her in the beginning.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Don’t become one of those generic samey sites. By being yourself and not following that mould you will stand out instantly from the crowd.

RORY CARRICK

Eatdrinkrunfun.com // Twitter // Instagram
Rory@eatdrinkrunfun.com

Who are you?

I’m Rory, I’m 40 years of age and my day job is working in the School of Psychology in Trinity College Dublin. I’ve been with them 12 years and am a quadruple graduate of Trinity. This year I’ve returned to study with them for a fifth time and am working through an M.Sc in Digital Marketing Strategy.

How and why did you get into blogging?

I had spent a lot of time studying part time and decided to take a break. I’m a man of many interests and always tied with the idea of doing some writing. I had been reading blogs for years and thought, what better way to try my hand at some writing and at the same time explore my interests which had been put on hold while I studied.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

My men’s lifestyle blog is an eclectic mix of content. I have a strong interest in food and drink so there is an emphasis on that. I’ve also spent time studying wine so you will see some wine reviews scattered throughout it. Movies, travel and running are also passions of mine which feature on the site.

I suppose the blog is a reflection of me. Depending on what is going on in my life the content will change. There may be a burst of travel if I have been away, or a feature on running if I’ve been spending too much time eating and drinking. It’s essentially a diary of my adventures in life.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Success?

First I think you need to decide what success means to you. To me, it’s knowing that people read it. I have a full time job so my focus is not on making it into a monetised platform. I write about my interests and that comes first. If a commercial opportunity comes along, I’d consider it, but its not paramount for me.

Effort

Other factors I would consider are making the effort to put the time into your content. If you want people to read it then content is key. Write with passion and people will read with joy.

Numbers

Lastly, I would say, don’t get caught up with numbers. Sure everyone wants their blog read but 40 engaged readers who give you feedback are worth more than a 100 who never talk/engage with you at all. An audience will grow over time and you will find your voice and your niche.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

Yes, the technical aspects of setting up a blog can be trick. Buying your domain and getting to grips with all the roles a blogger has to play. You are writer, editor, photographer, videographer, marketer and promoter of your work.

I was lucky to have friends in the blogging world who were generous with their time and gave me plenty of set up help. Tips that ranged from, the best way to take photos of food to linking your social media accounts and not being afraid to share your work.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Be you. Be your own voice and write about what excites you. Focus on your own work and don’t copy others and you will find your place.

PETER GEMMELL

Thegentlemanselect.com // Twitter // Instagram
info@thegentlemanselect.com

Who are you?

My name is Peter and I’m the founder and editor of the men’s lifestyle blog, The Gentleman Select. Through my passion for blogging and fashion I have expanded into contributing to the Telegraph Men’s Fashion section, worked with brands such as Wax London, Mercedes Benz and Braun all whilst meeting some wonderful people along the way.

How and why did you get into blogging?

I actually got into blogging through a couple of factors. Initially my good friend John who runs The Everyday Man had been doing this for some time and I caught a bit of the bug from him.

Also for as long as I can remember I’ve always had an interest in fashion and various lifestyle aspects so to be able to put in writing what I like and importantly what I feel readers would like to know about was a huge influential factor for me.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

The Gentleman Select has a focus on men’s fashion, lifestyle and motoring. It covers many aspects which are current and also more niche areas which may be slightly more off the radar to many readers but I feel they would love to know about.

The blog has evolved in such an amazing way as originally it focused on Horology (watches), another passion of mine, however as I began to introduce more and more of my other interests it evolved and expanded rapidly.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Content

For me the first has got to be creating great, engaging content. Through doing this, it keeps my regular readers excited and engaged and also grows my new, unique visitors as well.

Consistency

This then nicely leads in to the second important factor and that is posting content regularly. It stops the blog getting stale and keeps my momentum going.

Imagery

For me it is also important to have strong images to compliment the article, this can give the viewers a great insight into what a jacket, for example, may look like on, this in turn also helps the brands you are working with.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

Yes definitely, my friend John of The Everyday Man was a fantastic help to me when starting out. There was certain aspects I was unsure of such as how to respond to various emails and how to lay out and structure my website when building it. Certainly don’t be afraid to ask for help, there’s plenty of people out there ready and willing!

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Simply just keep working away at it. It takes time! Stay true to putting out good content and don’t be drawn into cutting corners to get ahead. You’ll get there!

DAN BARTLE

Ablokeseyeview.co.uk // Instagram
Lifeofdanblog@gmail.com

Who are you?

My name is Dan and I am a part time blogger! I run a men’s lifestyle blog. I have been blogging for a few years now, but recently re-launched my blog due to taking a year out to concentrate on family life as I became a dad last year!

How and why did you get into blogging?

I first got into blogging when my partner started an apprenticeship in PR, she introduced me to blogging as there weren’t many male bloggers around at the time. I thought I would give it a try, I have never had an interest in writing however this totally changed my view on it!

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

I originally started with a specialist blog relating to ethical consumerism, however I quickly realised that as this was such a niche subject that it really limited what I could write about and my reader base. My blog has evolved into a men’s lifestyle blog, I don’t have a specialism like some blogs do I just write about anything and everything that I am interested in.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Original

Keep your blog original and don’t stray away from your writing style. By doing this you will keep your readers coming back, there are so many bloggers producing plastic posts. They are about different products, however the actual content is same blog after blog.

Social Media

Have a social media “A” game and plan. Social media is the best way to interact with your following, again keep this personal. Show there is an actual human behind your blog and not a robot. So many people make this mistake and schedule post after post, by doing this you can’t always interact to any comments you may receive.

Time

Don’t rush your posts. A lot of people are under the impression you need to post a blog per a day! Some of the bigger bloggers sometimes don’t post once a month! Take time on your posts and always ensure the content you post is relevant. Just remember that if you don’t post in a while to keep on top of your social media.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

To be honest when I first started my grammar was terrible and my writing style was wooden! I turned to my partner and constantly asked her for feedback so I could improve my content.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Interact with your following! Ask them for feedback on your posts. Just remember that there are some really honest people on the internet and you might not always like their comments!

KRIS STURMEY

1st-man.com // Instagram
business@krissturmey.com

Who are you?

My name’s Kris founder of 1STMAN, I’m an entrepreneur and director, 25 years old living in London

How and why did you get into blogging?

I started my men’s lifestyle blog because of my own research. I was finding all of this information online in order to improve my own life, and I thought it would be great to share this knowledge and help the male community. I also had a bigger vision of producing high level video content which I knew could begin with a small blog and a loyal following.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

1STMAN focuses on 3 things, showcasing, professionalism and value. We like to combine the best of men’s lifestyles without getting too materialistic. If we were to film a man in a Ferrari with a Rolex on but without any advice/interview content, then it would just be a waste of people’s time.

Therefore we never lose sight of our self-improvement roots which got us to where we are today. In fact that’s how the business has evolved. We’ve increased the professionalism and delivery with each transition without deviating from the original ethos which is so important to us. In short the end vision has remained the same, but the path we took to get there changed multiple times.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Promotion

Don’t get caught in a writing cycle. Make sure you’re promoting the content 90% of the time and only writing it 10%. Too many people are concerned with what to write next, however by promoting your best 10 pieces of content relentlessly, they could bring in 50,000 people per month once they rank on Google.

There’s no point spending hours writing content if only 100 people are going to read it. Once you have a huge audience you can write daily in order to keep them there, but at the start rankings are so important.

Detachment

Be detached from the content. Most people start a men’s lifestyle blog and write about themselves and their own experiences. You’re going to run out of content quickly and people will become bored with the “I, me, in my opinion” vibe. Umbrella blogs that have multiple voices and use a report style rather than a story telling style always grow bigger long term.

Originality

Be original. Write every idea and thought down. A lot of people will say that you should simply write all the time and get everything out there. I believe you should write a lot, but only put a few pieces out there. I start with a huge list of potential projects, documentaries, articles, etc that we could produce.

Then I start slashing the typical, boring and bad ideas off the list. Do this until you only have the finest pieces of content left, it’ll improve the overall quality of your blog and force you to think deeper. Take a fashion blog for example. The obvious and boring choice is to write “How men can dress better” but this is dull, it’s been done before and you’re going to get swallowed in the SEO.

Instead sit and come up with original content or alternative ways of producing the same ideas. This increases SEO rankings and gives people a reason to come back to read your content. If your men’s lifestyle blog is a clone of larger and already established blogs, then why would anyone read yours?

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

Sean Russell of Menprovement and myself would talk a lot via email, so he was like a blogging mentor for me. But my main inspiration has to be the likes of GQ, Esquire, Mr Porter etc. I never saw 1STMAN as a simple blog and therefore always looked at the whales of the men’s lifestyle industry as the benchmark.

I was thinking about hosting and filming fashion shows before I even registered the domain name 3-4 years ago, and now we’ve just started doing this type of content.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Align the brand with the long-term vision and decide upon your entire identity/strategy before you even write a single word.

FRANK CRONIN

fashionablefrank.com // Twitter // Instagram
fashionablefrank@gmail.com

Who are you?

My name is Frank and I am a fashion fanatic! I love sports particularly football and I support Juventus in Italy. In fact I love Italy! It is my favourite country to visit. I love travelling, photography, writing and reading and the gym.

How and why did you get into blogging?

My men’s lifestyle blog is primarily about fashion & lifestyle and recently I have begun to produce fashion and style tip videos. My YouTube channel made the final of the V by Very Blogs Ireland 2017, I was thrilled with this as I have only been shooting video for a short time.

I had no video editing or video shooting experience at all which makes it even more remarkable! fashionablefrank.com has also been as one of the Top 50 UK Men’s Fashion and Style Blogs in 2017, Top 100 Men’s lifestyle Blogs as well as shortlisted for Best Fashion Blog in Ireland in 2016 and 2017.

My aim is for my blog is to become a resource for any man wishing to dress better and feel more confident about their personal style. I believe the better you look, the better you feel! I realise not every guy is interested in fashion so I try to write posts which appeal to every man regardless of his level of interest in fashion.

Looking good to one guy is totally different to what another would consider to be well dressed so I mix up my posts to appeal to most guys. My blog is quite detailed from the point of view it shows easy to understand tips like;

How to wear…the latest trends, white jeans, khaki, a grey blazer etc
What to wear…to different events like a christening, the races, on a date etc
Every man needs…certain pieces in his wardrobe like a grey blazer
Style tips…my sale shopping tips with practical advice and the pieces I have picked for great prices.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

During my short career my blog has evolved through the use of technology. I have discovered some new passions like photography and producing videos, both of which are challenging but rewarding! I get to travel quite a bit too so I want to write more about these experiences too.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

This is a difficult question to answer since success can be defined in a number of ways. For me, the factors I think you need for a successful blog are;

Happiness

Happiness! Blogging is a lonely, sometimes derided hobby/profession but why you started it is what will keep you going! Success means different things to different people.

It might sound absurd but happiness is certainly a crucial factor in the success of a blog. There will be times when running your blog will be tough! We all experience it. Is it worth it? No one reads my stuff? Etc its in these moments of desperation you need to remember why you started your blog.

Recognition

While happiness is important I think recognition of your hard work is amazing to receive and develops hunger for more. Recognition is also a sign your on the right track for the industry you are in. I encourage entering awards and competitions because they give you a glimpse of what others are doing. Its an opportunity to learn too.

Down Time

I think it is important to have some down time with your blog. Yes, it is a passion almost an obsession BUT sometimes taking a break from it can lead to new ideas and recharge the creative batteries. Taking some time off will feed the hunger and passion for your blog again! This is something I have learnt during my short blogging career.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why

This probably sounds bad but no. I had an idea and saw a niche in the market and went for it. My aim is to help guys to look good, dress better and feel more confident about their fashion and style choices. I want to show guys you don’t have to spend a lot of money on big brand names to look good.

You won’t instantly look better because you are rocking a big brand name. Fashion pieces and how you style them will determine how you look, good or bad. Factors like colour flow and how you layer clothes are what creates a great outfit! It is about the synergy of your outfit. The power of looking good cannot be underestimated! If you look good, you feel good!

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Try to spot a niche in the market. The industry can be tough & very competitive but focus on why you started your blog. Believe in yourself!

MIKE LYONS

Mklyns.com // Twitter // Instagram
Mklyns1@gmail.com

Who are you?

My name is Mike Lyons and I’m a part time blogger from a small city called Chester in the north west of England.

How and why did you get into blogging?

I’ve always been interested in menswear, lifestyle and interior design and the launch of Instagram only fuelled my interest. This helped me find new blogs and ultimately led to me bite the bullet and launch my own blog last year!

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

I think my blog is relatively young in terms of some bloggers but it’s started to gain some good traction recently which has helped me to work with brands I never expected to have the opportunity to! My blog is mainly ramblings about places I visit, products I love and new menswear collections from some of my favourite brands.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

I’d definitely say consistency and quality is a huge factor, stick to a similar theme across your content and actually create content you’d want to read yourself!

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

To be honest I read so many blogs and I’m finding new ones week in week out. All of them have some sort of influence, a lot of them set the bar very high content wise which gives me some great ideas for my own pieces.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Create content you’d want to read yourself, invest in a half decent camera, use light to your advantage & keep your content similar in style if you want to make a successful men’s lifestyle blog.

ANDY LONGLEY

Offthecuffldn.co.uk // Twitter // Instagram
Offthecuffldn@gmail.com

Who are you?

My names Andy Longley, I’m the co-founder at off the cuff / ldn where I spend most of my time but I also work agency and client side in the digital industry with large fashion brands across the UK & Europe and I’m currently based in Amsterdam working on ASICS’ digital strategy.

How and why did you get into blogging?

It was a passion thing really, after struggling to find men’s lifestyle blogs blogs that really represented the brands we were interested in we decided to go out on our own and setup a site covering everything we couldn’t find elsewhere.

We really felt British brands that weren’t on the high street were being overlook and we wanted to change that.

What is your blog and how has it evolved over time?

Our aim is to bring together a unique blend of British heritage & modern minimalism to create a magazine & men’s lifestyle blog that celebrates British style culture and embraces the aesthetics & inspirations behind modern men’s style.

Nowadays we only really work with the brands we love, showcasing accessible premium menswear and lifestyle products to create a blog that we hope you’ll find refreshingly different & inspiring.

What are the 3 most important factors when it comes to making your blog a success?

Passion

You have to have a genuine passion for it, if not you won’t last long as it’s not as easy as people may assume, something other than likes and shares need to keep you motivated.

Design

Not the sexiest topic but it’s crucial to be have the right CMS. We spent the first year of our men’s lifestyle blog constantly fighting against a limited system with a poor design and it distracts you from everything else that matters.

Identity

Have a clear point of view that runs through all your posts. With every generic men’s lifestyle blog out there, the majority pass people by. You need to let people know what your blog stands for that others don’t.

Is there anyone you looked to for help when starting out and why?

I’m a big fan of Mr Porter’s journal and took a lot of inspiration from there, in terms of direct help from people – we had to rely on a few web development colleagues to get us all the functionality and clean design we have now.

What advice would you give to new men’s lifestyle bloggers in 140 characters?

Choose a topic you’ll always enjoy. Find a perspective that’s different to the rest. Put equal effort into sharing content as producing it.

Now you have all the knowledge on starting, evolving & making a success of your men’s lifestyle blog. Obviously it doesn’t have to be a men’s lifestyle blog – it can be any sort of blog you want. But, foundations of a men’s lifestyle blog can be applied to any sort of blog you can think of.

Reckon I could say men’s lifestyle blog any more?

All that’s left to do is apply what all the guys have said and maybe one day you’ll make it into an article like this!

Make sure to follow each of the fantastic interviewees to stay up to date with what they’re doing – I’m sure you’ll pick up a tip or two along the way.

Forget the dog. The Sauna is Man's new best friend.

Have you ever wondered if saunas are actually any good for you? Turns out they are. Very much so. Get your sweat on and learn about the benefits of the sauna.

SAUNA PRECONCEPTIONS

The sauna can conjure up a whole host of images for different people. For some, it’s a place where you can flush toxins, zone out and enjoy a peaceful cleanse. For others, it’s an old man’s saggy gonads swinging freely, dripping sweat just about everywhere they possibly can.

No matter what your preconceptions are of the sauna, I’m here today to tell you about the benefits you can reap if you choose the hotbox life. So long as you make sure you go in without any old overly body-confident gentlemen then you should be fine…

IMPROVES SKIN

As we all know, saunas are quite hot. The heat given off by the hot rocks of the sauna raises your skin’s internal temperature – increasing the blood flow to top-layer cells exponentially for the duration of your session.

The increase in blood flow means more oxygen (amongst other nutrients) is transported to your cells and these nutrients allow for your skin to repair itself efficiently – even as your natural reparation processes get slower with age.

STRENGTHENS HEART

After reading another article – this time from Harvard University, it became crystal clear that saunas have an extremely beneficial effect on the blood flow system. The researchers at Harvard suggested that increased blood flow caused by sauna sessions decreased blood pressure and decreased the risk of heart attacks in men in particular – good news for the fellas.

Taking a trip to the sauna has also been shown to lower cholesterol. This has been suggested to be caused by the sauna’s stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which can mimic the effects of exercise – causing a decrease in overall cholesterol levels and further decreasing your risk of heart disease.

PROTECTS BRAIN FUNCTION

Studies have shown that regular use of the sauna can decrease your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as you age. This promising research was conducted on over 2,000 men over a 20-year period which further adds to the validity of their claims.

The key here is regular use if you want to decrease your risks of brain ailments. Those who went 4-6 times per week were over 60% less likely to develop diseases of the brain than those who went just once.

BOOSTS IMMUNITY

One interesting effect of sauna exposure is that it can boost the strength of your immune system. It’s been shown that as little as two saunas per week can reduce your risk of colds and flu by 65%! That’s a huge improvement in flu resistance and highlights just how effective saunas can be to overall health.

How exactly does a sauna help with immunity? Well, once your body is exposed to the heat, it triggers your body’s immune system to ward off bacterial infection. This causes your body to produce more white blood cells whilst sweating out a whole load of toxins that would have otherwise been kept within the body. This all creates a more harmonious and balanced immune system that protects your body as opposed to fighting against it.

IMPROVES GYM PERFORMANCE

Some small-scale studies have considered the effects of saunas on athletic performance, with one in particular finding that athletes who followed running workouts with sauna sessions of only a half hour were able to run further without hitting exhaustion after just three weeks.

This was attributed to the increased levels of blood plasma in the body caused by the heat of the sauna. This increase in haemoglobin allows for better oxygen transfer from the lungs to the rest of your body – meaning that cardiovascular performance can be increased massively.

Basically, using the sauna is like real life cheat codes. Forget your Grand Theft Auto jet pack cheats, climbing into the sauna is the way forward.

If that list isn’t enough to get you down to the sauna I don’t know what is. Don’t let them Scandis keep all the good stuff for themselves – get sweaty.

Productivity tips that will triple your output in minutes

Productivity is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. We all want to be more efficient with our time when it comes to work output. How good would it be if we could half the time it took to write that essay, draft that report or read that book?

Well look no further, because these productivity tricks will help you triple your productivity in no time…

PRODUCTIVITY STARTS WITH NO PHONE

Literally the most important thing you will ever do for your productivity.

Put your phone away for one hour and I guarantee your productivity will shoot through the roof. Doing this stops you from looking at distractions like facebook, emails, whatsapp, snapchat etc and lets you focus solely on the task at hand.

If you simply can’t cope without your phone for more than 5 minutes then at least turn it on silent and look at it every 20 minutes so you’re not constantly bombarded with buzzing and notifications. This way you can get more work done but still maintain that oh-so important social media presence.

SET A SCHEDULE

Don’t just make a huge to-do list consisting of 50 unrelated tasks you need to get done, because you simply won’t get them done. What I suggest is a method called ‘time-blocking‘.

Basically, time-blocking means getting all of your to-do list and ordering it into certain time periods where you will get it done. This way, instead of attacking your list un-methodically and burning out, you will have set time-frames to guide you and give you a deadline to work towards.

Not only does this give you rigid guides so you know exactly what to do and when, it motivates you to try and beat these times, giving you more longer to rest between blocks.

GET UP EARLY

No one ever accomplished anything great rolling out of bed at 12pm, making a piece of toast and watching Jeremy Kyle for 4 hours straight. Late rising breeds mediocrity, make sure you get up at 9am latest every single day and make every minute count.

This means waking up, going through your morning ritual and starting work on whatever goals you have set yourself that day/week/month. There’s a reason so many successful people say the key to their success was waking up early every day – do it.

PRIORITISE

To be productive you need to realise what is conducive to your goals and what isn’t. If you’ve got an important deadline coming up in the next week or so, which is more important – Working proactively towards your deadline, using all the hours God sends…Or playing your Xbox for 7 hours every day sat in your boxers eating chocolate.

Learn how to prioritise effectively and you’ll see your output grow exponentially. Sometimes you will have to make important sacrifices – I found it so hard to do any work when I had my Xbox I had to sell it (I actually did this three times because I kept buying it back but I’m video game-sober now…mostly).

This way I got work done and passed all my exams. Sometimes you have to look at the bigger picture and decide where you want your life to go.

DON’T MULTITASK

Multitasking leads to burnout. Trying to juggle your emails, writing, reading and whatever else is just a recipe for disaster. Make sure you set one task and concentrate all your efforts into getting that completed instead of half-trying to complete all sorts of other things. It’s far better to do one task at 100% effort than 2 at 50%.

PROCRASTINATE

Set a little bit of time every couple of hours in order to have a 15 minute walk, watch a couple of Youtube videos or reply to any messages you have on your phone.

Setting this time aside throughout the day allows you to unwind and stops you burning out earlier than you otherwise would. I find that using procrastination can let me work for far longer than if I tried to simply work through with no breaks.

WATER

Often overlooked, but keeping yourself hydrated not only keeps your muscle strong and body healthy – it keeps your mind as sharp as possible. Your brain consumes a lot of calories and a lot of fluid in order to stay at peak performance. Think of water as your brain’s fuel – if it’s not getting that fuel you’re not getting that performance.

There you have it.

Get out there and enjoy all the time you’ll save with all this new productivity power.

The official whistle-stop Liverpool travel guide

Liverpool – the best city in the world.

No bias here whatsoever, that’s just a fact.

Liverpool is a city of fantastic history with signs of its rich heritage scattered throughout the city. But that’s what Liverpool does best – it merges these wonderful old, historical buildings with new and exciting buildings, creative spaces and greenery in a completely seamless and wonderful way.

I could wax lyrical about this fantastic city forever but for your sake I’m going to give you a brief history and then a short list of what exactly our city can offer you.

LIVERPOOL: A BRIEF HISTORY

Liverpool was and still is famous as a port city – a hub where traders came to trade their goods from all corners of the world. Most famously fruit and (unfortunately) slaves.

The city used this income as a means of becoming one of the largest traders and industrial cities in the world. However, time passed, industry was required less and eventually unemployment levels rose spectacularly.

Fast forward to 2008 and Liverpool won their bid for European capital of culture, meaning huge investment in the city from the European powers that be. From then until the present day, Liverpool hasn’t looked back.

Liverpool has risen again to become a tourist hotspot, rivalling the other big cities of the UK such as London, Birmingham and Manchester when it comes to where those coming to our shores choose to spend their time and money. This upturn in fortunes can be powerfully summed up by this side by side comparison of Liverpool’s famous Albert Dock before and after the 2008 investment…

So, with that little bit of history done and dusted it’s time to show you exactly why I love my city and why you simply need to come and pay it a visit.

THE FOOD

Into fine dining? Come to Liverpool.

Massive meat loving carnivore? Come to Liverpool.

Animal loving vegan? Come to Liverpool.

Call a lolly-ice an ice-lolly? Come to Wigan.

Liverpool has one of the most vast and varied selections of eateries in the world. There’s big chains and independents all vying for your custom by bringing unique and fantastic culinary delights to the table (pun fully intended).

Even though there are literally hundreds of places to eat here I’ll give you a few that are guaranteed to sort you out more than most;

Mowgli

Indian tapas? A weird concept but one I fully advocate, some of the tastiest grub in Liverpool for criminally low prices. You’ll pay your tip on the toilet the next day though, don’t worry about that.

The Italian Club

I don’t know if you guessed it but these serve Italian food. Looks tiny from outside but this restaurant goes back forever and has a huge high rise ceiling that makes you feel like you’re dining in the Vatican.

Fazenda

I go here religiously every year for my birthday (except for last year’s vegan phase) and with good reason. The food here is on another level to the usual chains of South American meat restaurants – brought round on loop until your stomach has capitulated, nothing compares in my opinion.

The Egg

If you’ve made the choice to ditch the meat then first of all – good for you. Second of all – you have options. The Egg cafe just off Bold Street serves up vegan and vegetarian food all day every day and is a regular meeting place of the Liverpool Vegan society in case you’re looking to meet like-minded people.

The Clubhouse

This is one of the newer additions to Liverpool’s food scene but has made a huge impact. Located in the Liverpool ONE shopping centre, it serves all sorts of food, from hanging kebabs to hummus boards. They also have an outside seating area which gets absolutely choc-full during the summer which creates an atmosphere like no other restaurant in the city I can think of.

THE DRINK

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to where you want to sink some beverages in Liverpool. Not only alcohol though…the rise of the coffee connoisseur has seen an influx in coffee and tea shops popping up around the city so if your poison is ethanol or caffeine you’re in for a treat.

Unfortunately, I can’t mention them all but here’s a few of my favourites;

Someplace

This bar is hidden away from plain site, with only a green light hanging outside the door to indicate that there is something lurking behind. Go up the stairs and you’ll be greeted by a darkened room lit mostly by green light.

This green light is trying to tell you something – these fellas specialise in absinthe.

I know.

But the cocktails the bar staff make with the absinthe here are unbelievable. Just don’t go for the hardest options on your first go – like I did on my first date with my now-girlfriend. It doesn’t make you look big or clever. I’m surprised I even got a second date after the faces I pulled trying to drink straight absinthe and whiskey.

Jenny’s bar

One of Liverpool’s best hidden and most intimate venues. Jenny’s used to be a seafood restaraunt but now houses a dimly lit 70’s themed bar where you get table service and a cosy booth to try and woo your travel partner. Or just have a nice drink if you’ve come with your mum.

Boston pool loft

Now I’m not going to pretend Boston Pool loft is a high class la-dee-da establishment. It’s not. But it’s fun and that’s all that counts. You can play FIFA for free on their big screen, there’s pool tables, snooker tables, table tennis tables, shuffleboard tables and even table tables where you can put your drink!!!

They also have arcade games and pinball machines along with a free virtual reality night every Monday. If you want to learn more about that then head here.

Where can I go with my hangover?

Well, apart from the plethora of wonderful Wetherspoons in Liverpool, you can grab yourself a strong coffee and a hearty bit of grub at these fine establishments…

Ziferblat

I hate using the term but this is a hidden gem and a half. I’m not going to tell you where abouts to find it so you have to go through the heartache I did trying to find it as well.

BUT, once you do it’ll all be worth it. This is a cafe where everything is FREE. Everything except for your time. You can go here and scoff as much of anything you want and all you’re paying for is how long it takes you to digest said scoff. Beware though, it’s easy to spend 6 hours in here without even realising. Trust me, I’ve done it more than once…

Rococo

I love this place. Far better than your standard Starbucks or Costa, Rococo is located above Church Street and resides inside a renovated Victorian building. Long corridors, high ceilings and barmy decor is what I’m all about and Rococo has it in abundance. Go here if even just to gawp at the design of the place.

THE BUILDINGS

You just don’t get this sort of architecture outside of the UK but Liverpool especially is full of amazing feats of design. The amount of grade II listed buildings we have is testament to this.

Three graces

The most iconic buildings in Liverpool. The three graces is made up of the Royal Liver building, the Cunard building and the Port of Liverpool building. They’re full of offices now but they’re still a sight to behold, they’re also situated on the waterfront so you can go and explore the docks whilst you’re taking your pictures stood outside.

Central library

Where I currently am writing this – the Central Library has had a huge makeover and is now one of the most impressive buildings in the city – both inside and out. Since the renovations it has been consistently voted amongst the best libraries in the world – and it’s free to go in.

Museums

The World museum, The Liverpool Museum, The Walker Art Gallery, The Tate Modern and The Maritime Museum.

What do all of these have in common?

They’re all great, they’re all in Liverpool and they’re all free to go in. I’ve never known a city to have so many amazing museums, galleries and activities you can do for free. Having just come back from Stockholm, where a trip to a museum costs £25, it highlights just how good we’ve got it here.

Cathedrals

How many cities do you know with two cathedrals on one street? How many? Oh, none? Well Liverpool does. Little old Liverpool is packing two cathedrals on one street and we’re not afraid to shout about it.

These are two absolutely beautiful structures and they’re not just pretty to look at. They often hold events such as vintage clothing fares and even whiskey tasting events in the crypt! If you’re heavily into the man upstairs there’s regular services you can attend as well. Basically, you’re spoiled for choice with us.

Universities

Liverpool is home to 3 universities – four if you count Edge Hill University which is situated on the outskirts. John Moores University has just won University of the year and Edge Hill won this gong in 2014 – not bad eh. So if you’re looking to expand your mind and drink loads of booze, come and pick one our unis.

THE EVENTS

Primarily, we are a city of fun and this is evident in all of the fantastic events we hold throughout the year.

Bongos bingo

Started by Johnny Bongo only a few years ago, Bongo’s bingo is nothing like you’ve ever seen, merging bingo (believe it or not) with music, prizes and alcohol. It’s obviously a winning formula as they’ve expanded not only to other cities in the UK, but overseas to places like Amsterdam and Sydney!

Shiverpool

One of my favourites this one. The guys at Shiverpool are all acticing students who are not only extremely fun to be around but give you a great history of the city, giving you chills as they recount Liverpool’s dark and scary past. Jumps aplenty ensue and you get some great photo opps at the end, just saying.

Food & Drink Festival

Do you like food? Do you like drink? If you answered yes to either of those I’m sure you’d enjoy a festival dedicated to food AND drink – who would have thought it?

Located in Sefton Park, this festival is full of all sorts of wonderful cuisine and acts as a melting pot for so many different people and cultures all coming together – a great experience for anyone visiting the city.

LIMF

The Liverpool International Music Festival is Europe’s largest free music festival (we give a lot away for free don’t we) and manages to draw in over 350 performers every year including the likes of Gorgon City, Sigma and Basement Jaxx. Can’t really ask for much more can you?

THE FOOTBALL

Oh the football…it runs through every scousers blood, football is what brings us together and tears us apart. Literally every single taxi journey ever in Liverpool goes like this:

“Alright mate.”

“Hiya mate, you on all night tonight?”

“Yeah, are you a red or a blue?”

The journey hinges on which answer you give to that question. So, are you going to be Everton or Liverpool for the duration of the trip? My suggestion is the latter but if you enjoy trophy-less heartache then I’d go with the blues.

Something unique to Liverpool is the fact that both teams’ stadiums are literally on either side of a single park. This may not be the case for long, as Everton have plans to move their stadium up towards the city centre – so get down while you can.

THE SHOPPING

There is no shortage of places to burn through your cash when it comes to shopping in Liverpool. There’s a mix of independents, cheap and cheerful, designer wear, flagship stores and just about everything in between.

Liverpool ONE

I used to work for these but there’s no bias – this place is responsible for the massive influx of visitors coming to Liverpool and has transformed the city centre massively. They brought flagship stores, events, green space and late night shopping to Liverpool where there was once marshland between the rest of the city and the docks.

It was designed to blend seamlessly into the city landscape and is all outdoors. There’s not many shopping centre’s that can say that. BUT, they do charge you 30p to go the toilet – so if you don’t like having to spend 30 pennies before you spend one then maybe go to some free ones before you head in…

Church Street

Probably Liverpool’s busiest street. This was the city centre’s main shopping area before the introduction of Liverpool ONE in 2008. Church street still houses all the shops you could think of ranging from high-end jewellers like Goldsmiths to everyone’s favourite, Primark.

Keep an eye out for the myriad of buskers and street performers on Church street as well – another bit of free entertainment for you lucky swines.

*Autism awareness display just off Church Street*

Bold street

This is geared towards the more independent shops and has a huge selection of vintage clothing stores, unique sneaker shops and organic marketplaces. One of Bold street’s endearing qualities is that it is seemingly a meeting place for Liverpool’s more extravagant characters. You won’t believe your eyes with all the different and unique people you’ll see flying through on rollerblades or equally strange modes of transport.

THE BEATLES

Yes they get their own category now shut up. Without doubt the biggest and best band ever, the Beatles are absolutely everywhere in Liverpool. They’ve got their own hotel, statues, museum, stores, pubs – you name it they’ve got it here in Liverpool.

You can go and stand next to John Lennon on Matthew Street, The Four of ’em on Canada Boulevard and even Eleanor Rigby on Sir Thomas Street. There’s also four statues on their famous hotel – The hard days night.

The most famous place involving The Beatles of course is the Cavern club – where they played hundreds of gigs before hitting the big time. Go to Matthew Street and head in to listen to live music all day and night and take a look at their Beatles memorabilia.

There is also the relatively new Beatles Story where you can go and learn everything you could possibly want to about the Fab Four. They also have their own gift shop in case you’re looking to bring back some merch to show the grandkids.

THE PEOPLE

If there’s one thing you’ll probably notice more than most when you come to Liverpool, it’s the people. The people are what makes this city the greatest in the world. It’s not uncommon to get chatting to a complete stranger out of nowhere. But it’s these little things that can make your day more than buying an expensive trinket from a gift shop.

Not only are we friendly, we’re bloody funny. The famous Scouse humour is most definitely alive and well throughout the city. If you find it hard cracking jokes with us or can’t get through our language barrier then head down to a comedy club and get someone – who’s actually paid to be funny, to show you exactly how funny we can be.

If you really want to get the most out of your trip to Liverpool then get talking – interact with as many people as you can and you’ll come away with much more than pictures for your Facebook.

So there you have it, a comprehensive breakdown of what Liverpool can offer you. I’ve had to miss lots off because it’d take you an hour to read through if I’d waffled on any more. If you think there’s something that needs to be in the guide then comment below.

If you want more current news about the ins and outs of this fantastic city go here & here.

Spiritual and Psychological Benefits of Hiking

After visiting Moel Famau a couple of weeks ago I was inspired to write a piece on hiking. The hike itself wasn’t particularly hard – there were literally children doing it. But, there was just something special about it – I got such a buzz afterwards. This got me interested in learning more about the spiritual and psychological benefits of hiking.

Despite not being the most challenging it was certainly a tough 4 hours and provided an almost instant improvement to my wellbeing, which prompted me to do some research into the area. Some of the results I found were extremely promising.

I am going to share with you some of my anecdotal experiences mixed in with the hard science behind hiking and how these can have immense benefit to you – and more importantly, your testosterone (which you should always pay attention to)

The Scenery Can Clear Your Mind

Going up a mountain and hiking in nature is pretty much a guaranteed way to get yourself some of the best views in the world. Just looking out at the vast expanse ahead can have a fantastic head-clearing effect, which is only helped by the health benefits of hiking.

When we reached the summit of Moel Famau (not the hardest task in the world), we sat there in silence for about 5 minutes just taking in the miles and miles of green space ahead of us.

Besides getting a break from her whining…it offered me a perfect opportunity to let my mind completely empty. After a few stressful weeks with work beforehand it had an extremely de-stressing effect on me.

Clearing my mind not only gets rid of negative thoughts, but it also boosts my creative problem solving skills, perfect for problem solving tasks in everyday life. This can be almost like a form of exercises, which, as well as being great to reduce stress, has immense physical benefits (almost as much as the physical activity itself!)

Clearing your head has been shown to decrease cortisol substantially which can lead to huge increases in testosterone. This is mainly due to cortisol’s SHGB increasing properties. Basically – Clear mind – Lower Cortisol – Lower SHGB – Higher total & free testosterone.

The Air Can Improve Blood Flow

Although it’s quite common knowledge, I’m going to tell you anyway – the higher above sea level you go, the thinner the air becomes. Believe it or not, mountains are quite a way above sea level, meaning there’s less of that precious air for you to breathe in.

This challenges your respiratory system, and physical fitness in general much more than a standard walk. It can also induce a state of hypoxia without having to use one of those ridiculous bane masks that fitness ‘gurus’ like to pedal quite regularly.

Induced hypoxia has been shown to have a myriad of benefits such as increased blood flow to tissues, higher blood cell production, reduced risk of heart diseases, lower blood pressure and higher Vo2 max. These results can actually be observed after only one bout of exercise meaning just one hike can give you lasting benefits.

The Success of Getting Outside and The Spiritual Benefits of Hiking

There is a certain sense of accomplishment you get when you reach the summit. Technically, Moel Famau is actually a hill so my sense of accomplishment was diminished slightly upon learning that. This success and accomplishment gave me a spiritual boost, which is really hard to describe in words unless you have a spiritual experience yourself.

However, this is universal throughout life. Who doesn’t love to accomplish something after putting in some seriously hard work? Getting a high grade after putting in hours of research, winning a game of football you’ve put your all into or even completing a video game you’ve stayed up all night to play.

This is backed up by science which shows that competing with people or against yourself can be beneficial to testosterone. Especially when you taste success or complete a massive task – this can skyrocket testosterone and give you a massive mood boost along with the benefits increased testosterone bring.

Spiritual and Psychological Benefits of Hiking

THE END

To conclude, not only is hiking a great way to access the world’s greatest views but it comes with a whole host of health benefits both for the mind and body. Get your hiking boots out and get rambling.

Blue light: The dangers and how to combat them

Blue light is a type of light given off by electronic devices mostly. Think phone, laptop, tablet etc. It’s a much more powerful and concentrated type of light compared to natural forms such as sunlight. It comes with its fair share of disadvantages which is why I bring you today’s article.

Let’s take a look at the potential side effects.

SLEEP DISRUPTION

The biggest issue that gets all the publicity when it comes to blue light is the fact that it can disrupt sleep. As we all know, sleep is one of the most fundamental building blocks to high levels of testosterone and muscle building.

To ensure that you get at least 8 hours per night you should be wary of blue light and its sleep disrupting dangers.

EYESIGHT

With every man and his dog now possessing some form of electronic device capable of giving off substantial amounts of blue light it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a huge increase of people under 30 suffering from eye problems due to constant strain.

DIABETES

There was a small-scale study conducted into Circadian rhythms and how shifting them gradually can affect the human body. They found that this shift caused a spike in blood sugar which put subjects in a pre-diabetic state.

Blue light has been shown to mimic real life sunlight, making your body believe it’s still daytime when you should actually be going to bed (thus messing up your body clock). Basically, don’t shift that good ol’ Circadian rhythm and you’ll be much healthier for it.

So, what can I do???

SWITCH OFF AN HOUR BEFORE YOU GO TO BED

One thing I like to try and do is switch my electronics off about half an hour to an hour before I go to bed. If you read a book or do something relaxing like yoga or meditation it lets you take your mind off everything going on like messages, emails, notifications etc and allows you to simply relax and get in the right state of mind for bed.

Having your mind running overtime will keep you awake for hours and you’ll kick yourself in the morning when you’ve got no energy for the day ahead and your whole day is off to the worst start possible.

SWITCH TO NIGHT MODE

You can use night mode on apps such as Facebook and Twitter or if you have an iPhone, use the blue light reducing feature they have now installed in their phones.

I’m sure there’s some wonderful app out there that helps just as well if you’re on Android but I couldn’t be bothered looking for that so you can do your own research…

BUY A PAIR OF BLUE LIGHT BLOCKING GLASSES

I’ve only recently bought these but I noticed the difference straight away after using them. When I was sat on the laptop or even just zoned out watching TV I felt like I was straining much less to concentrate on what was in front of me.

I slept like a baby from the first night of wearing them and long may it continue. They look surprisingly un-awful as well which is a bonus. You can buy pairs for pretty cheap on eBay or Amazon.

So, to conclude…

So, there you have it, blue light’s major dangers and what you can do right now to minimise them. From trying out these tips myself I’ve noticed a drastic reduction in the time it takes me to ‘switch off’ at night. This has helped me sleep brilliantly, which has aided in my recovery and surprisingly, my mood the next day.

Give at least one of them a go and see for yourself.

Why you should try to create a minimalist wardrobe right now

Contrary to popular belief, it is not just women who are the primary offenders when it comes to having mounds of clothing bursting out of their wardrobe. I know so many men who are guilty of this. This is why us fellas (and ladies, if you’re reading), need to strive towards a minimalist wardrobe.

Their wardrobes, drawers and rooms are full to the brim with clothing, shoes and accessories of all kinds. I am here today to explain how this way of living will never come to a head and will leave you out of pocket time after time.

THE PROBLEM

The first problem you encounter when you have mounds and mounds of clothes is that when it comes to picking an outfit, you have too much choice and so you don’t know what to pick.

This is a phenomenon called ‘paralysis by analysis’, whereby a person has so many choices, they fail to make even one. This then leads to my girlfriend’s favourite phrase – “I have nothing to wear”, which is where I got the bright idea of the minimalist wardrobe.

*When I tell her she has enough clothes. Except I wouldn’t wear a pork pie hat – promise.*

We all know that the reality is quite the opposite but in the head of the person, they equate too much choice with no choice at all, which then leads to spending on new items they can pair up together straight away, which may alleviate the problem for one particular event but the next time something comes up, in reality you just have the same problem again, but exacerbated by the fact you now have another outfit in the mix.

Multiply this by the amount of times you do this over a year and you can quickly see how people end up needing walk in wardrobes where they find things that they haven’t worn for 4 years nestled at the back.

We’re not on an episode of cribs – you really don’t need this amount of clothes in your life. Keep it simple and you’ll save yourself a lot of money and frustration. Now, it’s all well and good me preaching and preaching but if I didn’t offer you a solution then what sort of hypocrite would I be?

THOUGHTS ON A MINIMALIST WARDROBE

I’m going to give you a quick extreme example to highlight how important streamlining your clothes can be before giving you a few steps to get you on your way to becoming a minimalist wardrobe specialist. Just think of all the great Instagram opportunities this will open up too…

So, here’s your example. You remember Einstein? Y’know, the fella who had lots of theories and a bad haircut? Well it’s said that Einstein literally had the same 7 suits in his wardrobe for each day of the week so he didn’t even have to think about what he was going to wear each day. He did this so he could put all of his efforts into his studies which, from what I’ve heard, went quite well for him.

Now obviously I don’t want you to wear the same thing every day – you’re not Spongebob. However, I think that this anecdote highlights the need for you to streamline your choices so you don’t have to waste needless energy on selecting an outfit.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Get all your clothes out and sift through which ones you really want to keep, things you sort of like and things you don’t like. If you can sell the ones you don’t like then great – make yourself a bit of money. If not, then give them to charity or throw ‘em in the bin.

Then go to the ones you sort of like and see if there are any you haven’t worn for over 6 months. If there’s ones there you haven’t worn for 6 months or longer then do the same with them as you did with those you don’t like – you don’t need them and you’ll thank yourself in the long run. This is a great method to trim your wardrobe down a great deal.

Focus on the quality of what you’re buying. Don’t go to the low budget stores and buy a £5 t shirt that’ll lose shape and get ruined within a month. Go and buy the £30 t-shirt and save yourself buying the same low-quality clothes over and over again.

Not only will you look much better, but you’re going to save yourself money – let’s say your t shirts keep getting ruined and start going ugly like the always do. You buy a few each month so you have a selection to choose from.

I’ll be conservative and say you only do this for half a year. That adds up to £90. You could have bought 3 quality t-shirts that’ll last years for that price and you wouldn’t have all these extra garments cluttering up your space.

The same rule applies for every other item of clothing – especially shoes and coats. What I’m really trying to say is everyone’s favourite phrase – “quality over quantity”. Make sure most of your purchases are based around the classics to keep your style evergreen

*Just trying to find someone with more classically classy classic clothing than me*

One final piece of advice I’d give you is to make sure 70% of your wardrobe contents go together. That means you can wear the majority of your shoes with jeans, shorts, trousers, whatever. Make sure the same applies to your Shirts, tees and polos. This will make sure you never run out of combinations. My rule is that if it only has one use then it’s probably not worth it.

Think of it in terms of kitchenware; if you buy something that has one use – like a mandolin or burger maker then it’s usually a fad and belongs in the bin or at the back of your Nan’s kitchen cupboard. Basically – don’t fall prey to gimmicks, keep it simple and you can’t go wrong.

RECAP

So, let’s recap; trim down towards a minimalist wardrobe as much as you can, go for quality investments that will last, look for timeless classics that are evergreen and never go out of fashion and finally, make sure 70% of your clothing works together.

This way you’ll never run out of combinations and your wardrobe will feel fuller than ever.

The Testosterone Diet: Supercharge your testosterone

Today’s article will be taking you through a very detailed testosterone diet template.

After reading this article you’ll have a much greater knowledge of testosterone increasing foods and how to use them together in your testosterone diet in order to elicit the most optimal hormonal response.

THE TESTOSTERONE DIET

First of all, I recommend using a 12/3/6 intermittent fasting protocol in the testosterone diet.

This means eating a meal at 12pm, 3pm and 6pm.

Your snack is there for when you get hungry between meals or up to 8pm if you are still hungry. You should consume nothing but coffee and water before 12pm or after 6-8pm if you want to reap the fasting benefits.

MEAL ONE – THE MAN SMOOTHIE

The first ‘meal’ of the testosterone diet comes in the form of a smoothie. This is an upgraded version of my ultimate man smoothie recipe with some minor tweaks to improve its benefits further.

2 bananas

Bananas are full of potassium and aid greatly in boosting recovery due to their high electrolyte content.

100g frozen berries

Get yourself a big bag of mixed frozen berries and you’ll be getting a huge dose of antioxidants, vitamin C and resveratol which are all fantastic for testosterone production and overall health. Not to mention they make the smoothie taste fantastic.

100g pomegranate seeds

Without a doubt my favourite addition to this smoothie. Pomegranate tastes amazing and are an extremely potent nitric oxide booster which boosts blood flow around the body. Great for meeting your performance goals.

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds

These are a fantastic source of iron and magnesium which are vital nutrients for overall health and vitality.

100g steamed beetroot

Beets are loaded with vitamins A & C and have a large amount of folic acid as well. They make the shake taste great as well.

100g watermelon

Watermelon is one of the densest sources of L-Citrulline which is great – just like pomegranates, for increasing blood flow. This nutrient will help you achieve improved vascularity as well if that’s something you’re into.

1 raw egg

Eggs are great. They’re full of protein and healthy saturates. Adding a raw one into this smoothie allows you to get these great benefits without even noticing it’s in there.

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

This adds a nice flavour to the drink and has proven benefits when fighting off diabetes and improving blood sugar levels.

2 Brazil nuts

Brazil nuts are loaded with selenium which is one of the lesser known nutrients but is a potent T-booster. Just two of these will give you your full selenium needs for the day.

1 tbsp Honey

Honey helps to prevent cancer and can actually increase your athletic function so if you are an avid gym goer then honey should definitely be part of your arsenal.

1cm cube Ginger

Ginger can be used to treat all manner of stomach problems. Since testosterone health can be directly linked to gut health, implementing ginger can be hugely beneficial.

1/4 tbsp turmeric

Turmeric can go some way to preventing Alzheimer’s disease and can be used as an anti-inflammatory supplement to aid your intense gym sessions.

3 dates

Dates are full of iron and magnesium, two essential nutrients for a healthy endocrine system.

25g whey protein

Now for a final protein boost. Whey is one of the most easily absorbed forms of protein and putting a scoop into the smoothie makes it the ideal post workout shake.

1 tsp ashwaghanda

This adaptogenic herb has been shown to improve your sleep and significantly lower stress. It may also improve testosterone but results have mostly been observed in animals so far.

1 tsp maca

Maca may not actually be the potent testosterone booster it was previously claimed as being. However, it is fantastic at balancing hormonal levels, boosting energy naturally and giving your libido a kick start.

1 tsp Ginkgo biloba

This herb can improve concentration, improve libido and can fight depression and stress. Basically, it’s like cheating at health but it’s cheap and legal.

1 tsp Forskolin

Forskolin can reduce blood pressure and help manage weight. These are both beneficial to increasing testosterone and becoming the healthiest version of yourself.

COOKING

Quite a tough one this…
Add all the ingredients into the blender.
Press blend.

    Nutrition Facts
    % Daily Value*
  
    Servings 1.0
    
    Amount Per Serving
    
    Calories 790
    
    Total Fat 17 g
    
    Saturated Fat 5 g
    26 %
  
    Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
    24 %
  
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
    
    Trans Fat 0 g
    
    Cholesterol 245 mg
    82 %
  
    Sodium 184 mg
    8 %
  
    Potassium 1101 mg
    31 %
  
    Total Carbohydrate 135 g
     45 %
  
    Dietary Fiber 18 g
     72 %
  
    Sugars 96 g
    
    Protein 37 g
    74 %
  
    Vitamin A
    9 %
  
    Vitamin C
    119 %
  
    Calcium
    7 %
  
    Iron
    18 %

* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

MEAL TWO – BOLOGNESE

150g pasta

Tasty and full of fibre. Also helps to up the calorie content of the dish. This isn’t conducive to a ‘testosterone diet’ per se but it’s tasty and that’s all that matters.

70g bolognese sauce

You can make your own by blending tomatoes and spices but I use this for ease. Makes the dish taste authentic enough that you don’t have to think about how bloody healthy this meal is.

50g spinach

This is the poster boy for health foods. Full of zinc, iron and folate, Pop Eye’s food of choice is one you simply can’t afford to be leaving out of your daily intake.

1 clove garlic

When this is paired with the freshly squeezed orange juice it will boost your nitric oxide by up to 200%! This is great news for your blood flow and sporting performance.

100g button mushrooms

Button mushrooms are an amazing source of vitamin B, C & D along with being an unusually potent source of potassium.

130g beef mince

Red meat is a powerhouse of nutrients – iron, zinc, protein & healthy fats to name a few. Animal protein is most bio-available when compared to plant sources – although don’t discard the protein you can acquire from your greens.

3 finger chillies

Recently, chillies have become renowned for their high levels of capsaicin, a nutrient that can reduce cancer, headaches and increase testosterone. Go with spice if you want to give your T levels a kick.

1/2 large avocado

The greatest plant source of monounsaturated fat, maybe tied with coconut oil is avocado. They can lower cholesterol, protect your heart and can aid in the absorption in other nutrients – all fantastic things if you want to be healthy and increase your T.

1/2 lime

Citrus fruits such as lime can aid in a massive spectrum of areas. They can improve your eye health, skin health and your digestion. All areas you should be striving to improve if you’re looking to become the healthiest version of yourself.

COOKING

Saute spinach, chillies, mushrooms and garlic in a dash of water.
Add in the mince and cook til brown.
Boil the pasta.
Add the cooked ingredients together and top with the bolognese sauce until it heats up.
Serve and top with the avocado and the juice of the lime.

    Nutrition Facts
    % Daily Value*
  
    Servings 1.0
    
    Amount Per Serving
    
    Calories 1142
    
    Total Fat 46 g
    71 %
  
    Saturated Fat 16 g
    80 %
  
    Monounsaturated Fat 8 g
    
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
    
    Trans Fat 0 g
    
    Cholesterol 0 mg
    0 %
  
    Sodium 616 mg
    26 %
  
    Potassium 1688 mg
    48 %
  
    Total Carbohydrate 130 g
    43 %
  
    Dietary Fiber 14 g
    55 %
  
    Sugars 12 g
    
    Protein 51 g
    103 %
  
    Vitamin A
    322 %
  
    Vitamin C
    110 %
  
    Calcium
    17 %
  
    Iron
    32 %

MEAL THREE – CHICKEN, EGGS & VEG

3 eggs

See above. These should be a staple in any testosterone diet.

125g chicken

Chicken is amazing if you’re looking to add protein into your diet for relatively low calorie expenditure.

100g broccoli

Broccoli is fantastic at flushing oestrogen from the body and is full of vital nutrients like folate, vitamin E and manganese. This should be a staple.

1 bell pepper

Bell peppers have got great T boosting vitamins and minerals including folate, vitamin C and potassium.

4 sticks of asparagus

Asparagus is a brilliant source of vitamin B1, choline and vitamin C.

Spices of choice

Tasty and healthy, no more needs to be said here. These are perfect for keeping the testosterone diet fresh.

Sea salt & pepper

Sea salt is chock-full of minerals, just make sure you stay hydrated and stay away from the rat poison that is conventional table salt. As for pepper, see above.

Coconut oil

Using coconut oil instead of your usual 1-cal sprays or vegetable oil nonsense has been shown to increase your testosterone due to its high levels of saturated fat. Coconut oil is one of the best fruit-based sources of this essential nutrient for perfecting your body’s T production.

Vinegar (optional)

Red wine vinegar is a great topping for your meals and is full of antioxidants.

COOKING

Saute the chicken, peppers, broccoli and asparagus in the coconut oil then empty onto a plate.
Cook the eggs in a pan with the remainder of the veg juices and add in the salt & pepper.
Add everything into the plate and top with spices and the vinegar.

    Nutrition Facts
    % Daily Value*
  
    Servings 1.0
    
    Amount Per Serving
    
    Calories 556
    
    Total Fat 29 g
    44 %
  
    Saturated Fat 17 g
    84 %
  
    Monounsaturated Fat 6 g
    
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
    
    Trans Fat 0 g
    
    Cholesterol 608 mg
    203 %
  
    Sodium 1282 mg
    53 %
  
    Potassium 846 mg
    24 %
  
    Total Carbohydrate 16 g
    5 %
  
    Dietary Fiber 5 g
    18 %
  
    Sugars 9 g
    
    Protein 59 g
    119 %
  
    Vitamin A
    35 %
  
    Vitamin C
    466 %
  
    Calcium
    12 %
  
    Iron
    25 %

SNACKS

3 stalks of celery, 2 tbsp Natural Peanut butter & 1 tsp cinnamon

Celery is a great source of folate & vitamin K and is great at boosting blood flow. Peanut butter is good for boosting the calorie content of this dish and has a great helping of protein and fat. Finally, cinnamon can lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease.

PREP

Fill the celery with peanut butter and top it with cinnamon. Another extremely tough recipe.

50g Grapes

Not only are grapes tasty but they are another potent blood flow booster too

    Nutrition Facts
    % Daily Value*
  
    Servings 1.0
    
    Amount Per Serving
    
    Calories 268
    
    Total Fat 16 g
    25 %
  
    Saturated Fat 2 g
    10 %
  
    Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
    
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
    
    Trans Fat 0 g
    
    Cholesterol 0 mg
    0 %
  
    Sodium 154 mg
    6 %
  
    Potassium 509 mg
    15 %
  
    Total Carbohydrate 22 g
    7 %
  
    Dietary Fiber 7 g
    27 %
  
    Sugars 13 g
    
    Protein 10 g
    19 %
  
    Vitamin A
    17 %
  
    Vitamin C
    10 %
  
    Calcium
    10 %
  
    Iron
    3 %

DRINKS

1-2 cup(s) of coffee

Coffee is a great nitric oxide booster and may help to prevent erectile dysfunction.

3 litres of water

Keeping hydrated is key to keeping your body running as smoothly as possible, amongst hundreds of other functions – fill up on as much water as you can

200ml freshly squeezed orange juice

Orange juice is a great source of vitamin C. Make sure to take this with the bolognese meal, as vitamin C and garlic is a potent nitric oxide booster which can be great for your T.

This testosterone diet meal plan comes to;

2,850 calories
158g protein
325g carbs
108g fat

This gives you 150 calories to treat yourself each day. This could be in the form of some sweets, some chocolate or even just some trail mix. You can switch it up every day to keep you on track with the plan and stop yourself getting bored.

So there you have it, if you’re looking to bulk up, build muscle and increase your testosterone then the testosterone diet should be your go-to every time.

Eat these things 80% of the time for 3 months and you’ll notice a huge difference.

Coconut oil is a man's best friend. Here's why

Coconut oil is the Swiss army knife for the modern man’s health and wellbeing. You could probably replace every single thing you own with coconut oil and you’d have a better product on your hands.

Okay, maybe not everything…

But, I’m about to talk you through all the uses for coconut oil that can hugely benefit us men in particular.

COCONUT OIL FOR COOKING

Using coco oil instead of your usual 1-cal sprays or vegetable oil nonsense has been shown to increase your testosterone due to its high levels of saturated fat. It is one of the best fruit-based sources of this essential nutrient for perfecting your body’s big-T production.

TANNING

This is for the vainer gents out there. Whilst it’s probably not advisable to put coconut oil on before you head into the sun (unless you want to sizzle like the little pale sausage you are), applying it to your skin post-sun exposure can help your skin tan and turn brown – not the usual bright red.

HAIR WAX

This is one I discovered by accident a couple of years ago and haven’t used a conventional hair product since. Add a fingertip full of coconut oil to slightly wet hair and comb into the style you go for. Once that’s dried you’ll have a solid hold for about two days if you don’t wash it out. This will save you money on constantly buying hair wax as a tub of coconut oil will last you for months and costs about £3.

DEODORANT

This is another slightly unconventional use for coconut oil but an extremely useful one. I apply my stick deodorant and then use a thin layer of oil over the top. This is extremely effective as coconut oil has been shown to posses antibacterial properties and is excellent at neutralising underarm smells – perfect if you want to avoid smelling of 3 week old onions.

SHAVING CREAM & MOISTURISER

This one is quite novel and may not be the best for those with extremely sensitive skin. However, I have had great success when using coconut oil as my shaving cream AND as my post-shave moisturiser. It allowed me to get a great smooth shave and didn’t irritate my skin noticeably more than a conventional cream. This saved me lots of money and kept my skin in top condition.

I have now moved to a natural shaving gel from Cornerstone as my skin did start to feel the burn just using oil but if your skin isn’t sensitive then give this one a shot.

So there you have it. Using coconut oil as a replacement for your conventional items can save you mounds of money and can help you to shun all the chemicals we are now seeing in grooming and cooking products, which helps you to optimise key hormones in your body such as testosterone, DHT and SHGB.

Give your normal products a rest for 2 weeks and sub in coconut oil. I guarantee you’ll feel great and not miss your old stuff at all.

BUT FIRST OF ALL: THE CASE FOR COMMERCIAL GYMS

THE CASE FOR THE HOME GYM

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ULTRA-BAREBONES

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BAREBONES

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SHOP: INTERMEDIATE

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SHOP: ADVANCED

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SHOP: EXTRAS

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