Fitness
The One Exercise Gordon Ramsay Believes Everyone Should Do Everyday
Gordon Ramsay is in fucking good shape. Sorry for the language, maybe we’ve been hanging around with him for too long.
Let’s forget that he’s 57 years old for one second. When we shot our Men’s Health cover with him, the world-renowned chef, TV personality, and ultra-endurance athlete was only five weeks post-bike accident – Ramsay crashed into a pothole during a training ride in Connecticut and had to be rushed to the hospital for scans.
Most people would have cancelled the photoshoot under such circumstances. Moreover, after being advised to stick to walking for four weeks post-crash, you wouldn’t expect someone to be in such great shape, especially for a Men’s Health cover. But Gordon Ramsay isn’t most people. With biceps, shoulders, and a chest that many would envy after months of dedicated gym time, the question on everyone’s mind is, ‘How does he do it?’
If you check out the early episodes of Kitchen Nightmares on YouTube, you’ll notice that Ramsay’s physique has hardly changed over the years. While he might have good genetics, it’s clear he’s also putting in the work. Ramsay’s love for endurance sports might suggest hours on the bike, but that’s not the secret to his muscular build.
The answer? Push-ups.
‘Simple push-ups,’ Ramsay reveals. ‘You can gain so much from just a daily routine of 25 push-ups, doubling up on weekends before you even get out of bed. It’s something I strongly recommend.’
Ramsay credits fitness as one of the best-kept secrets of his life. ‘Anywhere I go, whether it’s a swim, a bike ride, or even a walk – keeping fit is essential. A healthy lifestyle leads a healthy life. And the energy you get from even a 20-minute training session, not necessarily every day but every other day, adding just 1% to that, gets you to where you want to go.’
The Benefits of Press-Ups
MH Fitness Director and self-professed ‘huge fan of press-ups’ believes press-ups are the ultimate, portable, upper body muscle-builder. ‘You can do them literally anywhere to hit the muscles of your chest and triceps, as well as helping to build your shoulder strength and stability,’ says Tracey. ‘Maintaining a straight, rigid plank position offers significant benefits by engaging your core isometrically, which helps build a solid foundation that supports other movements and daily activities. Given their low load [just your body weight], press-ups can be performed frequently, even daily. Over the years, many impressive physiques have been built with little more than a consistent daily dose of press-ups.’
The latest issue of Men’s Health is out Tuesday, or grab a digital edition today by hitting the link, where you’ll also get exclusive video content featuring Gordon.
Robert Hicks is the multiplatform director at Men’s Health UK. A Sport Science graduate and author of three fitness books published by Bloomsbury, Robert has written numerous articles on health, fitness and nutrition and created several documentaries, most notably Britain’s Steroid Epidemic and The Faces of Attempted Suicide. Robert has been working at Men’s Health UK for seven years.
Physical activity saves lives, but now it turns out there’s a “precise dosage” at which it becomes especially effective in preventing heart disease.
Exercising is key to longevity; it’s been associated with everything from improved cardiovascular health to increased strength to a longer life. But there’s one exercise, in particular, that a doctor says women over 50 should add to their routine.
Meet the expert: Steven Bowers, D.O., board-certified family physician and author of Secrets of the World’s Healthiest People
Daily strength workouts may help boost all aspects of life, Steven Bowers, D.O., board-certified family physician and author of Secrets of the World’s Healthiest People, previously told Prevention. Physical fitness makes functional tasks like carrying grocery bags from the car, opening jars, and lifting heavy items easier.
There are plenty of moves to try, but Dr. Bowers says the one that should get top billing in your routine is the plank.
While planks challenge your whole body, they’re particularly great for strengthening your core. “Core muscle fibers tend to shrink and become less supple as we age, which can put more strain on your back,” he previously said. Having a strong core is important for balance and stability, and it can help you go about your day with more ease.
Wondering how long to hold a plank, and the proper form? First, place your forearms on the floor. Your elbows should be right below your shoulders, and your arms should be parallel—not turning in or out. Your feet should also be shoulder-width apart. Press your hands and toes into a mat on the ground, lifting your body, squeezing your glutes and quads for support. Your body should create one straight line from head to toe. Don’t lock your knees or arch your back, and keep your neck straight by looking slightly in front of you.
Hold this position for 20 seconds. “As you get more comfortable and your core gets stronger, hold the plank for as long as possible without sacrificing form or breath,” Dr. Bowers noted. It’s that simple! Whether you’re a pro or want to test your plank skills, adding the simple move to your routine may be what your core has been waiting for.
Shin splints are one of those nagging aches and pains most runners encounter at some point in their training—but that doesn’t mean you should just grin and bear it.
“We see it all the time in the clinic,” osteopath and clinical lead at The Livewell Clinic, Danny Sayandan tells Fit&Well.
Common themes, he says, are runners in worn-out shoes, heel striking instead of landing midfoot, or overstriding.
“It’s often linked to the least stretched muscle in the body—your calves—and most neglected muscle—the tibialis anterior—found on the front of the shin,” says Sayandan.
When they’re tight or undertrained, the impact of every footstrike gets pushed straight into the shins, triggering a dull ache down the front or inside of your shins.
The solution? Add these five exercises from Sayandan to your weekly workouts to stretch and strengthen these often overlooked muscles.
5 exercises to try if you get shin pain when running
1. Toe raise
Toe Raises – Ask Doctor Jo – YouTube
Watch On
Sets: 2 Reps: 12-15 each side
Why: Lifting your toes strengthens the front of your shin.
How:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Lift your toes.
- Hold for two seconds.
- Lower your toes to the start.
2. Calf raise
Sets: 2 Reps: 12-15
Why: Build strength and endurance in the lower legs.
How:
- Stand with your feet together.
- Lift your heels to rise onto your toes and the balls of your feet.
- Pause, then lower slowly.
You can also perform these with your heels off a step (as in the video above), lowering your heels below the step to add a stretch to your calves.
As you get stronger, progress to single-leg calf raises, then begin to add weight with a dumbbell or kettlebell held in one hand.
3. Soleus wall hold
Sets: 2 Reps: 12-15 / Time: 30sec
Why: This bent-knee heel raise targets the deep-lying soleus muscle in your calves.
How:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a bannister or other sturdy anchor point for support (an alternative is to rest your back on a wall, as in the video above).
- Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat, with your knees bent at 90˚.
- Hold this position and either perform 12-15 calf raises (see above), or rise up onto the balls of your feet and hold for 30 seconds.
4. Tibialis stretch
Anterior Tibialis Stretch Kneeling – Ask Doctor Jo – YouTube
Watch On
Sets: 2 Reps: 8-10
Why: This is a gentle stretch for the muscles in the front of the shin.
How:
- Kneel with your feet together, sitting on your heels with your hands or forearms on the floor to help control the load through your ankles.
- Push through your hands or forearms and carefully lift your knees to increase the stretch in the front of your shins.
- Hold for a few seconds, then lower.
Rather than an exercise, try to practice this continuously—and certainly as you move from exercise to exercise in this workout. Concentrate on landing softly through your midfoot to retrain your gait and reduce impact through your heel, ankle, calves and shins.
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