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Ben Shephard isn’t one to stay to a single coaching type. Over the previous yr alone, he’s accomplished an intense power programme for his Men’s Health cowl, completed his first Hyrox (in 1:15:17), and is now deep into coaching for the London Marathon.
So relating to attempting new health gear, he’s not precisely quick on context. The 51-year-old just lately put a choice of reasonably priced coaching devices to the take a look at – to see which of them are genuinely helpful and that are extra novelty than necessity.
First up: fitness dice. Designed to maintain exercises assorted, they’re particularly helpful for anybody travelling, coaching with out tools or just missing inspiration.
The set consists of one die with six workouts – squats, lunges, burpees, push-ups, leaping jacks and crunches – and one other with time intervals or rep counts. That provides you 36 potential mixtures. Still, it’s truthful to say Shephard wasn’t thrilled when he rolled 90 seconds of burpees.
‘The devil exercise,’ he says. ‘Literally my most hated exercise – we’ve established the health cube can fuck you.’
Next, he tries a resistance bar, sometimes utilized by folks coping with golfer’s or tennis elbow. Twisting the bar creates resistance by the forearms, wrists and elbows, serving to to construct grip power and assist the encircling tendons. Shephard shortly sees the attraction.
‘As phallic as they look, they’re actually good for loosening off. Essentially, you twist it and maintain it. Being in a position to do one thing that targets all of the tendons and muscle mass across the elbow is absolutely essential,’ he explains.
He additionally provides a boxing reflex ball a go – a small ball connected to a string that wraps round your head, designed to enhance velocity, coordination and reactions.
‘Punch it and keep it away from my face,’ he says. ‘It’s nice enjoyable, but it surely’s terrifying. Just don’t get hit within the face.’
Finally, Shephard tries an orthopaedic back stretcher – one thing that hits nearer to dwelling given his historical past of again points.
‘A little gadget the team have given me to support my lumbar spine. It’s acquired these acupressure factors as effectively. You lie on prime – it mimics the pure curve of your backbone and decompresses all these small joints,’ he says.
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Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a ardour for storytelling, well being and health. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later acquiring his NCTJ qualification, Ryan began his profession as a Trainee News Writer for sports activities titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World earlier than progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with soccer journal FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote information tales for the web site and options for the journal, whereas he additionally interviewed names similar to Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, amongst many others. His standout reminiscence, although, got here when getting the chance to talk to then-Plymouth Argyle supervisor Steven Schumacher because the membership received League One in 2023.
Having grown up a eager footballer and enjoying for his boyhood aspect till the age of 16, Ryan acquired the chance to characterize Northern Ireland nationwide futsal staff eight occasions, scoring three objectives in opposition to England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now previous his peak, Ryan prefers to combine weightlifting with operating – he achieved a marathon PB of three:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, however credit the warmth for failing to get beneath the coveted 3:30 mark…
This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its authentic location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow:
https://www.menshealth.com/uk/gym-wear/a70962095/ben-shephard-fitness-gadgets/
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