For all the stick women (justifiably) give the media with regards to ever-changing body types, men don’t exactly have it easy either. Constantly bombarded with images of guys with rippling torsos, biceps with peaks like Everest and legs that can crush watermelons, the ‘masculine’ ideal lays quite the gauntlet.

RELATED: How The Perfect Male Physique Has Changed Over 10 Years Of Instagram

When it comes to choosing inspirational figures to follow on our quest to achieve the ideal male physique, one such name that can stand proud amongst the rest is Mark Wahlberg. The American actor has so often been a source of workout fit-spiration here on the DMARGE pages, thanks to his gruelling workouts that could easily see us turn our flab to fab.

But no sooner have we put across those messages – along with the mental workout of hitting the gym in the early hours – Mark appears to have jack-knifed on his commitment to keeping himself as huge as possible, as revived the dad bod trend. Posting an image to his Instagram account, Mark appears to have undergone a body transformation that, to be honest, took us by surprise.

 

 

 

 

 

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Posting the shocking image along with the caption, “From this 3 weeks ago, to this, now. Thanks for @chef_lawrence_d cooking.” At first, we wondered if he’d got the images the wrong way around, but no, he has ditched his six-pack abs in favour of a more rotund figure.

In the image in question, he doesn’t look overly pleased with himself, but at least he looks as though he doesn’t need to worry about his next meal. While Mark hasn’t confirmed himself, several comments suggest he’s been let loose on the junk food and brought back the dad bod in preparation for an upcoming movie role, something which could have potential ramifications on his mental health.

Alternatively, he could simply be going through a bulking phase, with a plan to drop the weight in a few months time to help achieve greater lean muscle definition.

Mark isn’t the only one who may need to go buy himself some wider fitting jeans, as fellow Hollywood megastar Will Smith also recently posted an image suggesting he too is taking it easy on the workouts.

 

 

 

 

 

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Adding the caption, “I’m gonna be real wit y’all – I’m in the worst shape of my life”, Will at least continues to have a smiling grin on his face as he poses outside in just his underwear and a jacket.

Arnold Schwarzenegger himself was quick to chime in in the comments, saying, “Will, you poor baby, I’m crying for you, even though you’re still in better shape than 90% of America. Keep pumping!”.

The majority of comments praise Will for his confidence and honesty, and Hollywood movie director Michael Bay said, “Well…let’s get the band back together?? Bad Boys Final Chapter. You’ll get in shape I guarantee you!”. That’s certainly how rumours start.

The takeaway message from both of these posts, however, is that we shouldn’t obsess over achieving a body with a body fat percentage lower than Salt Bae’s. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising even for just an hour a day is more important than getting neurotic about ‘macros.’

Besides, we even have proof that women aren’t that bothered about six packs anyway…

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• David Beckham Shares ‘Finisher’ Exercise That Keeps The Dad Bod Away
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The post Mark Wahlberg Champions Dad Bod Trend Taking Hollywood By Storm appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The world might think of Australia as a dangerous country – particularly our roads, with the success of the Mad Max film franchise not helping our international image one bit in this regard – but actually, Australian roads are some of the safest in the world.Australia is the 12th safest country in the world to drive in, according to Swedish driver safety provider Zutobi. That puts us below countries like Israel, Japan or Norway but ahead of others like Germany, New Zealand and the United States.Crucially, our roads are much safer than France’s, which comes in at #36 (below Albania or Russia, for comparison)… Which adds insult to injury when we consider what France’s most famous car brand has recently announced.Renault, which is partially owned by the French state, has announced that as of 2021, they will limit the top speed of all their vehicles to 180km/h as part of their new environmental and societal strategy, CarExpert reports. They continue:

“This also applies to Dacia [Renault’s Romanian budget marque] models, while the upcoming all-electric Megane-E will go one further and feature an automatic speed limit adjuster set by default.”

Furthermore, “[Renault] wants to equip all its vehicles with an automatic speed control system called the Safety Coach, which will adjust the speed based on posted limits while also taking into account factors like sharp curves and inclement weather.”How bloody patronising. For a car brand that trades on their status as a Formula One constructor, to be limiting the speed of their cars like this is truly merde.

Of course, there are few places in Australia where you can legally drive faster than 180km/h anyway. In most of our cities, the fastest you can hope to go is around 110km/h (for example, on Sydney’s M4 Motorway). The Northern Territory famously used to have unrestricted rural speed limits but now the most generous limits in the NT cap off at 130km/h (most of the Arnhem, Barkly, Stuart and Victoria Highways).RELATED: Australia’s ‘Bogan Car Bubble’ Won’t Last Forever, Expert WarnsYou’d be lucky to hit 180km/h even in Germany, whose Autobahn network is fetishised by revheads around the world for its lack of speed limits. Germany’s reputation as a hoon’s paradise isn’t all it seems, for the record: about a quarter of the Autobahn network actually has permanent speed limits, and on speed-unrestricted stretches, an ‘advisory speed limit’ of 130km/h still applies – driving faster than that isn’t illegal, but if you get into an accident, driving faster than the advisory limit could scupper your insurance claim, so few Germans significantly exceed it.It’s a moot point anyway as most German auto makers have long abided by a gentleman’s agreement to limit the top speed of their cars to 250km/h… Although you can pay to remove that limiter with some brands (how very German).

But it’s the principle of it. Speed is a crucial tool in the modern driver’s arsenal that can actually help prevent accidents if used judiciously. It’s also unclear if this 180km/h limit can be paused or removed when you take your Renault on the track. More than that, it just feels un-Australian. For all its flaws, Holden never pulled this sort of bullshit on us.RELATED: $715,000 Holden Monaro Sale Highlights Australian Auto Industry HypocrisyRenault isn’t the only brand in recent years that’s decided to implement speed limiters in their cars. Volvo began limiting their cars to 180km/h since 2020 – perhaps unsurprising considering their long-term image as a leader in automotive safety. Japanese brands have long limited the top speeds of their cars to 180km/h for the Japanese domestic market, too.Now we’re not seriously suggesting that this speed limiter is a bad idea. Renault’s simply being a good corporate citizen and doing their bit to help prevent automotive accidents, which should be applauded. No-one really needs a car that can go over 180km/h.But it does have us wondering where the future of Renault’s performance vehicles is heading… As well as performance vehicles more broadly.

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The post Renault’s ‘Un-Australian’ Business Decision Bad News For Sports Car Lovers appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Pack your togs, don your Akubra and forget everything you know about Australia’s arid centre.Though ‘Alice Springs’ contains the word ‘springs’… to many it still conjures visions of barren desert and dust so dry it will keep an A380 in perfect nick.It’s no surprise, then, that many Australians forget it has a luscious side.We were ignorant until recently ourselves, before reading a recent Traveller article, which explained, though The Alice is famously dry, the MacDonnell Ranges that flank the town “are riddled with gorges that – given enough rainfall – function as waterholes.”“Some dry up quickly; others, like Ellery Creek and Glen Helen Gorge, have at least some water in them throughout the year,” Traveller reported in April.

 

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“We have had some really good rain events earlier this year – only two big ones, but that’s enough. Water levels rise very quickly here,” Scott Pullyblank, curator at the Alice Springs Desert Park, told Traveller. “Eventually it will evaporate, but for the next month or so, we’ll have a lot of water.”Before we dive on in: some context (and acknowledgements). The traditional owners of the Alice Springs area are the Central Arrernte people. As it is the largest town in central Australia, there are also speakers of Warlpiri, Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alyawarre, Luritja, Pintupi, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra, Pertame, Eastern, and Western Arrernte among others.Alice Springs is also known as the Aboriginal Art Capital of Central Australia, with Indigenous Australian art being the more dominant, and with galleries showing the rich culture and native traditions that abound in Central Australia.According to Australia.com, in Alice Springs, “You’ll find a deeply spiritual and passionate Aboriginal community, eager to teach you about their history and connection to country.”

 

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Unfortunately, many Australians (ourselves included), until the pandemic hit, were far more interested in drinking cocktails on inflatable pink flamingos in far-flung parts of the world than in exploring our own backyard.Fortunately, amid the havoc 2020 wreaked, there has been a silver lining in that many Aussies are re-discovering a greater appreciation for the incredible natural attractions and cultures of Australia.Speaking of incredible attractions: one of the most iconic around Alice Springs is the Ellery Creek Big Hole – one of the most popular and picturesque camping, walking, swimming and picnic spots in the Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park.This stunning waterhole is fed by the West MacDonnell Ranges (Tjoritja) and surrounded by colossal red cliffs.Ellery Creek Big Hole is located 90 km west of Alice Springs, via Larapinta and Namatjira Drives. Access is by conventional vehicle or 2WD, however, the last 2km is unsealed.

 

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“Thousands of years of massive floods have carved out this waterhole, which is recognised as an internationally significant geological site,” the Northern Territory website states. “Take the 3 kilometre Dolomite walk to see the surrounding formations.”

“The Aboriginal name for Ellery Big Hole is Udepata. The permanent water made it a special meeting place for the Aranda people on the fish and honey ant dreaming trails.”

Camping is permitted (fees apply) and entry is via a gravel road.DMARGE spoke to a bunch of travellers to ask what it was like to visit.Olivia Snell – who is currently travelling around Australia in her campervan @murphythemercedes – told us: “Upon heading to the NT we also thought the Red Centre was going to be just that, red and dry. It was on our road trip for Coober Pedy to Alice Springs that we commented on how green the area was.”

“We were both shocked at how much greenery and water surrounded the city but ultimately thought that was just the city. It was when we started exploring the MacDonnell Ranges that we realised that this place is so much more than just red and dry.”

“We knew there were swimming spots in the Macs but didn’t really expect there to be much water around considering we were visiting during the dry season rather than the wet. In fact, we were so sure there wasn’t actually going to be any water at Ellery Creek Big Hole that when we visited the first time, we didn’t even take our bathers and had to run back to the van to get swimming gear.”

“After we found Ellery we made it a mission to explore all of the surprisingly chilly swimming spots in the area.”

Olivia, who visited recently, also told us: “Honestly, we were kind of surprised at how many people were there this time we visited. I can’t imagine what it’ll be like as more and more people begin travelling again and international travel opens back up.”

 

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“It was by no means crowded. But considering that it is in the middle of the school term and on the back of the year that was 2020, I have no doubt that these places will only get more and more crowded as Covid-19 restrictions continue to ease.”

“I think that 2020 has made so many Australians more aware of the beauty that lies in their backyard and the longer we go without international travel, the more people are going to start exploring what Australia has to offer rather than seeking to travel elsewhere.”

“We’re currently travelling around Australia in our self-converted campervan and so getting to Ellery Creek started no different than any other day for us really. We woke up, made up a rough plan for the day and hit the road.”

“We were surprised by how many cars and other people were at Ellery Creek especially considering we had visited the iconic Simpsons Gap only day earlier and had the place all to ourselves but didn’t think too much of it.”

“Heading down to the water we couldn’t really believe our eyes. The water was perfectly still except for the ripples of children playing. And the waterhole looked unreal lying beneath the towering cliffs that surrounded it. The water was cold to say the least, but I’m sure on a hot day that would’ve been super refreshing.”“It wasn’t the warmest day when we visited, probably reaching only 24 degrees at the peak. So we were definitely surprised by how many people were there. I’m glad we went then rather than a super-hot day where more people would’ve been wanting to swim. It wasn’t crowded by any means but having too many more people there would’ve definitely ruined the tranquillity of the place.”

 

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DMARGE also spoke to landscape photographer Luke Tscharke. Luke told us: “I think these sorts of places have the potential to become more popular with the increased visitation from domestic tourists however I feel it is social media which often helps to dictate these trends due to highlighting these locations via beautiful imagery.”

 

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“I don’t think it will be the last chance to see these places crowded, it will depend on ht time of year you are visiting and the amount of water present.”Hollee Bruce, who has visited Ellery Creek too, told DMARGE she found out about Ellery Creek via word of mouth: “Most Australians are super friendly and love having a yarn and telling you their stories. That’s the one big thing about my trip that I enjoyed. This is one way I heard about it.”

“Social media is a big one too.”

 

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Hollee also told us: “Ellery Creek is one of many amazing spots. it’s known as the ‘locals spot’ I was told. Very popular and easy access.”“We had other locals tell us it’s usually packed and when got there we met up with a few tourists who’ve been here for a few years now working and travelling.”“It was not too busy but maybe in the future due to Instagram suggestions and a big influx of people wanting to travel as soon as restrictions lift it will become full.”

“Ellery Creek was beautiful but there are a few other gorges and rock holes that were much [quieter], such as Redbank Gorge, which was a longer walk and less people.”

Ormiston Gorge is another popular spot too.Time to don that Akubra? See below for more inspiration.

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The post The 'Secret' Side To The Australian Outback Many Tourists Have No Idea About appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The world might think of Australia as a dangerous country – particularly our roads, with the success of the Mad Max film franchise not helping our international image one bit in this regard – but actually, Australian roads are some of the safest in the world.

Australia is the 12th safest country in the world to drive in, according to Swedish driver safety provider Zutobi. That puts us below countries like Israel, Japan or Norway but ahead of others like Germany, New Zealand and the United States.

Crucially, our roads are much safer than France's, which comes in at #36 (below Albania or Russia, for comparison)... Which adds insult to injury when we consider what France's most famous car brand has recently announced.

Renault, which is partially owned by the French state, has announced that as of 2021, they will limit the top speed of all their vehicles to 180km/h as part of their new environmental and societal strategy, CarExpert reports. They continue:

"This also applies to Dacia [Renault's Romanian budget marque] models, while the upcoming all-electric Megane-E will go one further and feature an automatic speed limit adjuster set by default."

Furthermore, "[Renault] wants to equip all its vehicles with an automatic speed control system called the Safety Coach, which will adjust the speed based on posted limits while also taking into account factors like sharp curves and inclement weather." Rude, frankly.

All of this has got us thinking it might have been better if we didn't send our ANZACS over to Europe during WWII and just let the Autobahn-happy Germans have France. For a car brand that trades on their status as a Formula One constructor, to be limiting the speed of their cars like this is truly merde.

[caption id="attachment_289620" align="alignnone" width="920"] Renault's Mégane eVision concept car. Like most car brands, Renault is increasingly pivoting to EVs. Image: Renault[/caption]

Of course, there are few places in Australia where you can legally drive faster than 180km/h anyway. In most of our cities, the fastest you can hope to go is around 110km/h (for example, on Sydney's M4 Motorway). The Northern Territory famously used to have unrestricted rural speed limits but now the most generous limits in the NT cap off at 130km/h (most of the Arnhem, Barkly, Stuart and Victoria Highways).

RELATED: Australia’s ‘Bogan Car Bubble’ Won’t Last Forever, Expert Warns

Let's not fetishise Germany and their Autobahn network, either. Almost a quarter of the Autobahn network actually has permanent speed limits, and on speed-unrestricted stretches, an 'advisory speed limit' of 130km/h still applies – driving faster than that isn't illegal, but if you get into an accident, driving faster than the advisory limit could scupper your insurance claim, so few Germans significantly exceed it.

Hell, most German auto makers have long abided by a gentleman's agreement to limit the top speed of their cars to 250km/h... Although you can pay to remove that limiter with some brands (how very German).

[caption id="attachment_289619" align="alignnone" width="920"] A Porsche 918 Spyder clocking 350km/h on the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory back in 2015. Between February 2014 and November 2016, parts of the Stuart Highway had no speed limits, allowing Porsche to do this high-speed test. Image: Porsche[/caption]

But it's the principle of it. Speed is a crucial tool in the modern driver's arsenal that can actually help prevent accidents if used judiciously. It's also unclear if this 180km/h limit can be paused or removed when you take your Renault on the track. More than that, it just feels un-Australian. For all its flaws, Holden never pulled this sort of bullshit on us.

RELATED: $715,000 Holden Monaro Sale Highlights Australian Auto Industry Hypocrisy

Renault isn't the only brand in recent years that's decided to implement speed limiters in their cars. Volvo began limiting their cars to 180km/h since 2020 – perhaps unsurprising considering their long-term image as a leader in automotive safety. Japanese brands have long limited the top speeds of their cars to 180km/h for the Japanese domestic market, too.

Now we're not seriously suggesting that this speed limiter is a bad idea (or that we shouldn't have fought the Nazis). Renault's simply being a good corporate citizen and doing their bit to help prevent automotive accidents, which should be applauded. No-one really needs a car that can go over 180km/h.

But it does have us wondering where the future of Renault's performance vehicles is heading... As well as performance vehicles more broadly.

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Holster your stew pots and put away your margarine: there’s a piece of golden nutrition advice you need to read.

Though we’ve been beaten over the head for years and told butter, being high in saturated fat, will clog our arteries and choke us from the inside, according to nutrition coach Max Lugavere that may not quite be the case.

In fact, according to him, it’s a better cooking alternative than many oils.

Lugavere, who is a television personality, science journalist and New York Times best-selling author, took to Instagram on Saturday with a message for his followers.

 

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Crediting his friend nutritionist Ryan Carter with the post, Lugavere wrote, “When ordering eggs, then asking for them to be cooked in butter instead of pseudofood fats. I still have to explain to the wait staff that butter should not be feared, it is not a villain, it doesn’t cause heart disease.”

“That the alternative is more likely to be the culprit to poor brain function, cognition, memory and allow for poor and weak integrity and permeability to cellular membranes around the entire body. Fairly important.”

“It’s so unfortunate. I’m grateful that in my childhood my mother would cook me homemade meals (possibly outweighing these issues to a degree) but with vegetable oils or even margarine / low fat spreads on everything.”

“Who could blame her? It’s only what society, food lobbies and government agriculture healthcare alliances promoted at the time and still do to this day. There is no big butter lobby that can compete with the cheap grain and seed oils boasting the red heart healthy logo we’ve all seen and trusted.”

“It’s baffling.”

“The steps to make these spreads is repulsive. Bleach? High temperatures, emulsification, hexane (nerve toxin), deodorization (hello trans fats), add in your synthetic colors, “vitamins”, and allow the fats to oxidize in the hot, penny-pinching restaurant kitchen environment where the same oil can be reused across hundreds of meals.”

“This is post is not to say butter is a superfood. It’s impressive, contains surplus of potentially beneficial compounds and retinol. Great for your brain, nervous system, vision and hormones. But you don’t need to go through a block a day (personally I do about a tablespoon a day).”

“Butter tastes pretty amazing. You really can not deny it. It’s also nose to tail eating, aka making the most of the whole animal, whilst proving and sequesters carbon into the soil when investing in well raised regenerative sources.”

“I’m cooking with butter now with ground beef and onions, garlic, tomatoes, spices and herbs.
We need to unlearn and re-educate ourselves in real food not pseudo food promoted by pseudo science.”

On commenter chimed in with a remark that may have crossed many minds: “Simply curious – what about the saturated fat content of butter? Of course moderation is in mind when consuming butter, but conventional thought was minimizing saturated fat intake in favor of unsaturated ‘healthy’ fats due to associations with cardiovascular issues in the long run.”

Lugavere replied, “It’s proportionally high. No need to fear it but also don’t overdo it for multiple reasons.”

Carter’s page is full of thought-provoking nutrition insights like this, and is particularly good at comparing modern habits with ancient ones (without falling into the trap that many paleo warriors do of assuming just because something is older it is better).

 

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Put that in your pan and fry it.

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The post Nutritionist Busts Butter Myth You Probably Still Believe appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Some people are just unfairly talented. David Beckham is one of those people.

Not only is he one of the greatest football players of all time, a great father and someone who’s donated millions to charity, but he’s also just a really nice dude. It’s unfair, really. You’d at least hope he was a bit of a dickhead.

On top of all that, he’s one of the best-dressed men on the planet. While it’s true that his wife Victoria is an accomplished fashion designer and no doubt has helped him hone his sartorial chops, Becks’ personal style is still rather impressive. From Peaky Blinders-inspired, incredibly English looks to effortless streetwear outfits, the man has range.

His latest outfit is not only demonstrative of his exceptional poise but also hints at a fashion trend years in the making: the revival of the Hawaiian shirt.

Italian performance car brand Maserati, who recently signed Beckham as a new global ambassador, shared photos of the dapper 46-year-old gent relaxing on the set of one of their new commercials in an oversized Hawaiian shirt. Beckham paired the colourful chemise with a simple white tank top and tailored black trousers, with his vast array of tattoos and a bit of gold bling prominently on display.

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It’s a somewhat retro look that despite being rather casual also screams class. It’s relaxed yet refined; peak Beckham, really. The tropical motif of the shirt also complements the exotic 440kW Maserati Levante Trofeo crossover he’s leaning against, too.

RELATED: The Maserati Levante Trofeo Is A Practical 300km/h SUV With Ferrari Power

As the name implies, Hawaiian shirts (or ‘aloha shirts’) first appeared in the 1930s in Hawaii, with the style eventually gaining wider popularity after WWII veterans stationed there brought the colourful shirts back to the continental United States. Elvis Presley’s 1961 film Blue Hawaii also did much to popularise the tropical shirt style.

Hawaiian shirts have always had a divisive reputation. Many consider them kitschy, although their kitsch quality is also exactly what attracts people to them – ironically or unironically. Recent years have also seen designer brands like Prada or Saint Laurent produce their takes on the Hawaiian shirt, as well as a renewed interest from bespoke tailors in the style: wearing a suit jacket with a Hawaiian shirt has become a smart-casual staple.

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We predict that 2021 will continue to see the Hawaiian shirt – particularly classy numbers like Beckham’s – continue to enjoy a boost in popularity. The last twelve months have seen fashion take a decidedly more relaxed, comfortable direction (understandably when most of us still can’t go out like normal thanks to The Spicy Cough).

Plus, at a time when there’s so much doom and gloom, we all need a bit of fun… And what’s more fun than a loud shirt?

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The post David Beckham Rocks Once Ridiculed Fashion Trend In Stunning Style appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

COVID-19 may be making business class feel more like economy, but it’s seeing the sector boom.

Though reports (see: this one from Busines Times) came in last year predicting the removal of close customer service and multi course banquets might send premium passengers scuttling back towards economy, the opposite has occurred.

With passengers more hygiene conscious than ever, and it now being public knowledge cattle class passengers are the first to be bumped whenever there is a squeeze on arrival caps, business class is seeing a mini-boom.

As Bloomberg reported in April, “For those who are able to travel, you might find that the business-class cabin is less empty these days. The once-exclusive haven is being invaded by the masses.”

“Flush with cash and unused air miles, leisure travelers are splurging on premium seats as they return to the air,” Bloomberg reported. “It’s not just the lure of reclining beds, gourmet food and champagne. They’re also trying to minimize the risk of catching Covid-19 in the closer confines of economy.”

The sentiment is summed up well by retired New York resident Jennifer Arnold, an avid scuba diver, who in anticipation of a trip to the Maldives told Bloomberg securing a business-class seat was, in her opinion, essential.

“It was strictly to try to sit in an area with fewer people. I wouldn’t have taken this trip if I had to fly in coach while the virus is still raging in so much of the world.”

This business class boom is an unexpected silver lining for beleaguered airlines punching through a crisis that’s forecast, according to Bloomberg, to have cost them $174 billion in losses by the end of 2021.

 

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The ‘businessclass‘ and ‘businessclassflyer‘ Instagram hashtags show the pointy end’s social media presence is still going strong.

British Airways’ company’s chief executive, Sean Doyle, speaking recently at an industry webinar, said he believes corporate travel will bounce back after the pandemic.

Though he admitted he’s not exactly sure what shape it will take, he said he had faith his carrier’s £6.5bn (AU $11.64bn) investment in refurbishing its business-class cabins, seats and lounges since 2018 had been worth it.

 

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“The reason we’re very compelled by the investments is we have a significant premium leisure segment.”

“A lot of people who travel in our premium cabins are travelling for leisure, or visiting friends or relatives.

“That’s been growing over the last decade and we think that will continue to grow – and that gives us a very effective buffer if the corporate segment is not recovering at the pace of other segments.”

Doyle also spoke about people being very fed up with Zoom meetings: “I think we will see business travel recover because people do business with people, not organisations.”

A positive sign for the industry? Only time and ticket sales will tell.

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The post Business Class Booms Even As Aviation Industry Stares Down $174 Billion Loss appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Shakespeare once wrote “uneasy is the head that wears a crown”, and Dr. Dre once said “you gotta work hard to get it, you gotta work twice as hard to maintain it.” All this is to say that it’s hard being on top – especially when it comes to sports.

Roger Federer has been on top of the tennis world for decades, but it’s not been easy – especially considering the competition he faces from stars like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. It’s been especially tough for him lately: the 39-year-old Swiss legend hasn’t had a fantastic 2021, bowing out of the Australian Open as well as a number of ATP Tour events, while only recording a fairly average performance at the Qatar Open.

So it’s only understandable that he’s felt the need to take it a bit easy lately. On a mission to recharge his batteries, The Rog has headed back home in Switzerland to have a bit of R&R – as well as indulge in some of his country’s horological delights, it seems.

Federer shared a photo of himself hanging out with SC Bern coach Severin Lüthi at the ice hockey team’s home stadium in the Swiss capital last week, rocking a new Rolex GMT-Master II ‘Pepsi’ – a refreshing new watch for the tennis champ that’s sure to excite fans.

The ‘Pepsi’ is one of Rolex’s most famous models. Its sugary nickname comes from its blue and red bezel, but this colour combination – the GMT-Master’s original colour scheme – was actually inspired by now-defunct airline Pan Am’s livery.

RELATED: ‘Counterintuitive’ Rolex Aftermarket Trend Renews Age-Old American Rivalry

It’s a rare and coveted watch, but we doubt Federer has that much trouble getting his hands on it. Being a Rolex ambassador means Roger has the pick of the litter when it comes to Rolexes. He’s previously worn a GMT-Master ‘Batman’ so it seems only natural that he’d want to add the other incredibly popular colour combination to his collection.

Roger’s Rolex heat doesn’t stop there, either. Late in March he was also spotted with an even rarer, arguably even more iconic model: a Cosmograph Daytona ref. 6263 ‘Big Red’ he had on his wrist whilst taking in the sights at the Val de Bagnes in Canton Valais.

Rare watches, even rarer views… Must be nice being Swiss.

It seems Federer isn’t just in Switzerland to holiday, either. After bowing out of so many tournaments this year, it seems he’s been saving his 2021 return for the Geneva Open, which will run from the 15th to the 22nd of May.

It won’t be plain sailing for The Rog, however. There are some seriously formidable players set to compete in Geneva, including Australia’s very own Alex de Minaur and German wunderkind Alexander Zverev.

Viel Glück, Federer.

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The post Roger Federer Relaxes In Switzerland With A Refreshing New Rolex appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Close friends and family are the most important things in your life. We’ve always known this, but if you were ever in any danger of forgetting it, the global pandemic that wreaked havoc on 2020 (and continues to ravage the globe in 2021) has brought home how real that statement rings.

Not being able to see family and friends for extended periods of time, being locked inside your own home and unable to enjoy outside space is certainly enough to take its toll on anyone, no matter how healthy you believe yourself to be.

With that in mind, it’s nice to see how many prominent figures have taken to the airwaves in recent months to remind us what’s most important in life. We’ve already seen how Chris Hemsworth can be a guiding source of inspiration with regards to making positive affirmations, and even American musician P. Diddy gave us a wholesome “F*ck it” mentality we’d do well to adopt, and now it’s the turn of NBA star Nate Robinson.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, the former point guard, who can cite the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls on his resume, tells us to “Appreciate the real ones in your life.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nate Robinson (@naterobinson)

Effectively saying, “appreciate those who are good to you”, Nate’s message rings true to anyone who finds themselves getting caught up chasing friendships and relationships that will ultimately have no real value on their life, and often neglecting the friendships that should be nurtured instead. In a time when we haven’t been able to maintain friendships as easily as we would have liked, we may have found that some have simply drifted away.

It’s a similar message to “appreciate the little things in your life”, which Young Diggers says is about “focusing our attention on what is pleasurable, nurturing, and sustaining in our lives and away from those events that are annoying, frustrating, or hurtful.”

“It means practising gratitude for those everyday things that are easy to take for granted or miss altogether.”

“Adopting this outlook won’t stop negative events from occurring, but it may help prevent us from over-emphasising their importance in our lives.”

Nate’s post has received plenty of praise and admiration in the comments section, with several users saying “Facts”, and “True that @naterobinson. You’re a real.”

Let it be your inspirational message for the day.

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The post Former NBA Star Nate Robinson Shares Most Important Life Lesson You'll Hear This Year appeared first on DMARGE Australia.