The warrior’s workout

The warrior’s workout

Tom Hardy used this workout for the movie “The warrior”. This exercise is very intense so be prepared.

1.        Judo Press up

Start in modified press-up. Lower your body until your chin reaches the ground. Raise your head and shoulders while lowering your hips until they almost touch the floor. Come Back up.

2.       Assisted chin up

Grab the bar using with underhand grip. Cross your ankles, with the toes of one foot resting on the bench hang from the bar and pull your chest up, pause, lower, and repeat.

3.       Shoulder press

Put your feet on a bench and your hands on the floor. Raise your hips so your torso is nearly vertical. Bend your elbows until your head nearly touches the floor, then push back. 

4.       Upright power-row

Lean forward with a pair of dumbbells, then pull the weights up to your sides. Reverse the movement to return to the start.

Do 6 reps of each move, then 5 and count down until you reach 1. If you manage to do one of the exercises in under 15 minutes add a rep to your first set next time.

Men’s Health

10 fall fragrances (women)

10 fall fragrances (women)

These are 10 fragrances that are perfect for fall. I categorized them in 3 sections.

1.       Retro

Dahlia Noir by Givenchy: Dahlia is a powdery scent with some floral aspects.

Notes: pink pepper, mandarin, mimosa, rose, iris, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and tonka bean.

N°19 Poudré by Chanel: Powdery/green scent. Named after the birthday of Coco Chanel.

Notes: neroli, galbanum, jasmine, iris, white musk, vetiver and tonka bean.

Shalimar Parfum initial by Guerlain: Shalimar is an Orange type fragrance but pretty strong.

Notes: bergamot, orange, green notes, fruity notes, rose, jasmine, iris, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean and white musk.

2.       Tempting 

Sensuous Nude by Estée Lauder: This scent is a little sweet and woody in the base.

Notes: bergamot, mandarin, pink and black pepper, jasmine, muguet, coconut water, honey, musk, sandalwood, amber, heliotrope, vanilla and Melted Woods NaturePrint.

Loverdose by Diesel (Love + overdose): This scent is fruity and floral with some woods in the base.

Notes: mandarin, star anise, gardenia, jasmine, licorice, vanilla, amber and wood.

Madly Kenzo! By Kenzo: A floral and spicy scent with some woods and musk in the base.

Notes: orange blossom, pink pepper, heliotrope, rose, frankincense, vanilla, cedar and musk.

3.       Floral scents

Un air de First by Van Cleef & Arpels: Floral scent with some fruity aspects.

Notes: mandarin, aldehydes, blackcurrant bud, galbanum, jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, white peach, vetiver, vanilla, amber and musk.

Trésôr Midnight Rose by Lancome: This is a more gourmand smell but with a lore of florals.

Notes: raspberry, pink pepper, jasmine, peony, rose, vanilla, cedar and musk.

Golden delicious by DKNY: Floral scent with some apples.

Notes: orange blossom, mirabelle plum, Golden Delicious Apple, white rose, Casablanca lily, vanilla orchid, muguet, musk, sandalwood and teakwood.

Violet Blonde by Tom Ford: Violet based fragrance with some spice and woods in the base.

Notes: violet leaf, orris, jasmine, mandarin, pink pepper, benzoin, cedar, vetiver, musk and suède.

Boost your stamina with beetroot juice

Boost your stamina with beetroot juice

A study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found beetroot juice is abundant in nitrate, which widens blood vessels, optimising your oxygen intake for extra energy. A test showed that drinking 400 ml of beetroot juice gave cyclists almost a minute off their 10 mile cycle times. Not only does it boost your stamina but it also lowers the blood pressure.

The researchers believe their findings could help people with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases - and endurance athletes. 

Cars: The new audi A5

The new audi A5 

The A5 is one of the nicest cars that audi has to offer. It’s the most sporty car of the A segment but it’s still comfortable and prestigious. 

The new edition of the A5 hasn’t changed a lot. The design is pretty much the same but the car had a facelift. The grill of the A5 comes from an A6 which I think looks better on the A5 and the back of the car has had some minor changes which I do not regret because it makes the car more aggressive.

The new engines are more economical than previous models and the A5 is equipped with a start-stop system and a turbo. 

Previously the S5 coupé had a V8 engine but this has been replaced by a 3.0 TFSI which I think is a shame. Of course the 3.0 won’t lack of power but the sound won’t be as gorgeous as the V8. (Also telling your neighbours you have a V8 sounds a lot better than “Well it’s a 3.0 TFSI”.)

The interior has had some upgrades for example the A5 has a new steering wheel and you can have an access point to connect your laptop or smartphone so you can browse the internet or read your emails.

Fragrance review: Midnight in Paris

Fragrance review: Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris by Van Cleef & Arpels was made after a watch. The watch was a limited edition and costed around 32 000 euros. 

In the top there is a blast of citrus mixed with rosemary. You can also detect the leather which you will smell from the beginning to the end. After an hour or so the florals begin to come forward. This is where the fragrance begins to start smelling a little feminine. But the powdery leather feeling makes it still manly. 

The drydown is very beautiful. You can smell some inkt, leather, and even some woods. Together they smell very powdery but they stick to the skin.

Midnight in Paris is very mysterious yet it is not overly powerful. From the beginning to the end the fragrance changes a lot and that makes it very unique and daring. The bottle design is very nice. It represents an illusion of a stary sky.

I don’t recommend this to people that just want to smell good but to fragrance lovers who will find this one a masterpiece!

Wolverine Workout

Wolverine Workout

Hugh Jackman talked about his workout to become Wolverine. He does it in 12 weeks by following this workout. In the first 6 weeks he does not workout over an hour and between workout days there must be 2 days to let the muscle repair. Use the maximum possible weights.

For this workout you have to do 3 sets:

§  First set: (8 reps)

§  Second set (6 reps)

§  Third set (4 reps)

A.      Bench press

Lie on a bench with the barbell above your chest and both hands must be slightly wider than your should width. Lower the bar to your chest and push it back up again.

B.      Incline dumb-bell fly

Lie on an incline bench holding two dumb-bells above your chest. Open your arms sideways until they’re parallel with the floor, then go back up again.

C.      Close-grip barbell press

Lie on a bench below a barbell rack. Hold the bar with your hands about 20cm apart. Lower the bar slowly to your chest and then push upwards in a controlled motion.

D.      Tricep dip

At a dip station get into starting position with arms straight . Bend your arms at the elbows until you reach 90 degrees, then push back up.

E.       Press up

Get into press up position bend your arms at your elbows until your nose as an inch from the ground. Then push back to the start position.

After 6 weeks doing this workout it’s time to do some cardio. Hugh Jackman combines the previous with some running or rowing. Instead of lifting maximum weights he takes lighter ones but does more reps:

·         First set (10-14 reps)

·         Second set (10-14 reps)

·         Third set (10-14 reps)

·         Fourth set (10-14 reps)

Mont Blanc Anniversary Edition

Mont Blanc Anniversary Edition

In 1821 Nicolas Rieussec tested his invention of recording time at a horse race in Paris. 190 years later Montblanc makes a tribute to the man. Montblanc created a watch with the name “Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Anniversary Edition”. The rose gold version will be available as a set of 190 pieces, 90 pieces in white gold, and the platinum model will have only 20 pieces available. Prices will be between 30 000 – 40 000 for the gold ones and over 50 000 for the platinum models.

The result of these watches is beautiful. Every little detail is perfect and this is a very high-class timepiece.