How do you build a rock-solid foundation for 2025, chase your goals and keep your attention on those crucial steps that’ll take you there? Simple. Just flip through the Jan/Feb issue of Men’s Health and you’ll find all the answers you need to thrive for the next 365 days. If you’re overindulging over the festive season, try the 20-minute blitz that can help undo the excesses of your downtime—primed for peak efficiency. Why not tackle our multi-tasking muscle maker that’ll help you save time without sacrificing gains? Or, if you’re stuck in a debilitating fitness rut, we give you a stacked list of expert-approved tips to take you from stagnating to supercharged overnight. Scrap the resolutions—you won’t be the 88%—because, with this Men’s Health Jan/Feb issue in your hands, you’ll be giving it 100% from now until the final countdown.
1. The MH Guide to Training Outdoors
You know spending time outdoors is good for you, so don’t waste your time in a sunless gym. Whatever your fitness goals, these boredom-beating, beach-friendly workouts will make strength gains a shore thing. No weights? No worries. Swim, crawl, jump and sprint your way to superior fitness in no time at all. Torch your core, pump up your quads, and build bigger shoulders with just a sandbag. Plus, our cover guy, CrossFit coach and fitness fanatic Du Toit Botha, turns unwavering consistency into massive results (and enviable muscles). Here’s how he gets comp-ready—and how you, too, can build a strong rig like his.
2. Get Out of Your Fitness Rut
Feel like you’re going through the motions? We’ve all been there. But while training can’t be a riot every day, you should feel tired at least some of the time. Whether you’re bored, burned out, or barely have the time, we have a solution. Let’s get your mojo back with these 10 smart training tips.
3. The Globetrotting Diet
Reach far and wide to overhaul your meal plan for out-of-this-world health benefits. The Mediterranean diet has been popular for decades, but critics say that a more global and inclusionary approach is better—and way more delicious. Health experts love it because it’s simple and flexible, unlike complex and restrictive diets. On a Med diet, all you have to do is focus on eating lean proteins (especially seafood and poultry), with loads of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats and a little wine if you’d like. This isn’t a diet—this is a lifestyle.
4. The Optimist’s Guide to Keeping Your Brain Sharp
What if we knew how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease or could detect it earlier? How everyone can build their mental strength and resilience? Recent scientific leaps have resulted in major advances in Alzheimer’s prevention, detection, and treatment success. These new developments aim to knock the disease out of its spot as the seventh-leading cause of death in the world. There’s a lot to be optimistic about in all areas of building stronger, more resilient brains.
5. Net Gains with Padel
Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. It’s estimated the sport has attracted more than 25 million active players, and that number is still growing exponentially. With courts springing up everywhere, here’s why you should get in on the action, with tips from the pros and the latest gear to elevate your game.
6. Your New Icebreakers
Hot out there, huh? You need something cold and refreshing without the sugar shock. These recipes will hit the sweet spot and quadruple the nutrition. This is your menu: watermelon granita with chile lime, chocolate strawberry crunch bowl, internet-famous desserts, maple bourbon banana chia pudding, and more. Also in this issue: the best post-workout shakes and all-in-one air fryer recipes.
7. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hair Loss
How to delay it, reverse it, or even embrace it. Firstly, there’s nothing wrong with being bald. You don’t need hair, and you’re certainly not alone in losing it. An estimated half of men will experience a notable degree of hair loss before the age of 50. And yet we also know that the experience of balding can deliver a serious blow to a man’s self-esteem. From topical treatments to next-gen transplants and hair-growth “helmets,” there’s never been more choice for the follically challenged man. We consulted the experts to equip you with the facts.
8. The MH Trainer Section
Atone for festive excess: three full-body workouts will do more than just tighten your t-shirt sleeves and brighten your mood. Perform them in the gym or at home with basic weights, including a hybrid running and bodyweight blast designed to clear your head and build bigger biceps. Just fit them in when you can—no scheduling required. Moves that are the foundation for your fittest year yet.
