The sport utility vehicle – or the SUV for short – is one of the most divisive car body styles ever made.Previously only a niche offering in a market dominated by sedans and hatchbacks, the 80s and 90s saw a dramatic increase in their popularity. In the 21st century, SUVs have come to dominate the global car market – in both Australia and the US, SUV sales now account for almost half of all vehicle sales.Yet many drivers despise the SUV, seeing them as rolling monuments to consumerism and responsible for dumbing down the public’s taste and perception of cars. But money talks – and as much as SUV haters would hate to admit it, there’s something compelling about the high ride height and versatility of an SUV.SUVs have also precipitated the rise of similar body styles, such as crossovers and sport utility trucks, which have also become wildly successful. There’s one type of SUV, however, that has failed to capture the public’s imagination – and is reviled even by SUV fans.That, of course, is the convertible SUV: the worst car trend to ever hit Australia’s shores.

The argument goes like this: the point of a convertible is to be light, sporty and playful. SUVs are heavy, slow and practical. It’s like pineapple and pizza: both are great, but shouldn’t belong together… Yet some people think it’s a good idea to combine the two.The most famous object of ridicule is the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. For a long time, it was the only convertible SUV on sale in Australia and garnered criticism for being underpowered, unaffordable and just plain ugly. (It did sell alright, however).Other convertible SUVs that made their way Down Under include the Suzuki X-90 (widely regarded as one of the ugliest cars of all time) and the Daihatsu Feroza (another obscure Japanese import). Hyundai Australia even teased a Santa Fe Cabriolet, the world’s first seven-seater convertible… But thankfully it was just a one-off prototype.The United States got it even worse. The ungainly Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet was only sold in North America, despite being made in Japan. Let’s not even talk about the bizarre GMC Envoy XUV, which had a bizarre retractable rear roof that made it the worst of both worlds. Let’s not feel too sympathetic for America, though – they did curse us with the Chrysler PT Cruiser Cabrio…But there’s a degree of cognitive dissonance among convertible SUV haters. Automotive journalists and the public alike turn up their noses at Evoques or Muranos with a drop-top but some of the most critically acclaimed SUVs of all time are convertibles.

Take the Jeep Wrangler – which is always a convertible – or other favourites like the Land Rover Defender, Mercedes-Benz G Class or Toyota RAV-4. These are cars that are absolutely beloved by gearheads – so what’s the difference?RELATED: ‘Affordable’ Toyota SUVs Fast Becoming Perfect Alternative To Skyrocketing Defender PricesIt seems as if auto makers still have faith in the concept, too. Volkswagen produces a drop-top version of their T-Roc crossover – which honestly looks pretty cool – and VW Australia has expressed an interest in bringing it Down Under, CarAdvice relates. Maybe even more convertible SUVs will follow it.Maybe we skeptics need to have a more open mind. Just because we’ve had some bad pineapple pizza in our time doesn’t mean we should write the concept off entirely. Or something like that.Besides, let’s reserve our wrath for the drivers, not the cars…

Read Next

• Jamie Foxx Spotted Driving England’s Most Unnecessary SUV
• Modern Performance Car ‘Malaka Button’ Leaves Australian Motoring Purists Fuming

The post Australia's Most Divisive Car Trend Could Be On Track For A Revival appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This feature has been produced in partnership with Raymond Weil.

Raymond Weil is one of those rare beasts of the luxury watch world: an independent brand.

It’s surprising to see how far the brand has come since its humble beginnings in 1976, too, its namesake founder initially hawking his pieces from a foldout bridge table in a stall in Geneva. 45 years later, the brand has secured its name as one of the most successful watch brands in Switzerland, while remaining family-owned.

Raymond Weil’s vision from the start was to make the highest-quality Swiss watches possible, at the most competitive price point possible. ‘Affordable luxury’ is a term that’s thrown around a lot these days but there’s no watch brand that better encompasses that than Raymond Weil.

But Raymond Weil’s latest watch also proves there’s another term that ought to be attached to the brand – exciting. Because that’s precisely what the new Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Skeleton (ref. 2785-BKR-20000) is.

Skeletonised movements are one of the hallmarks of haute horlogerie. Visually dramatic and weight-saving, they require an enormous degree of precision manufacturing to pull off.

RW has experimented with skeletonised movements before but this new model is unique in that it uses an in-house movement – indeed, it’s RW’s very first in-house movement, a landmark for the brand.“[The] Calibre RW1212 is a tribute to the present and a symbol of the future,” Raymond Weil CEO Elie Bernheim relates.

“The collection name picks up the digits of our address here in Switzerland: 1212, standing for the Geneva suburb Grand-Lancy. It symbolizes the path we have travelled to date and the free-spirited approach we bring to watchmaking.”

Unsurprisingly, the Calibre RW1212’s eponymous movement is the main attraction, framed by its masculine 42mm black PVD-coated stainless steel case. The movement’s fine engine-turned machining provides visual flair and provides an artistic counterpoint to the highly legible tachymeter scale that adorns its outer perimeter.

One mistake many skeletonised or transparent watches make is that the movement they so proudly display is ironically not that pretty nor decorated. That’s not a problem with the Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Skeleton, whose perfectly proportioned movement looks stunning.

Despite its elegant yet sporty appearance, the watch is rather practical for day-to-day use, too. Water-resistant to 100m, self-winding with a power reserve of 38 hours, sapphire crystal with dual-sided anti-glare treatment, an ultra-comfortable stitched rubber strap… It’s an eminently wearable watch and even fits comfortably under a shirt cuff. 

Oh, and it’s only $4,795 AUD.

We can’t think of another skeletonised men’s watch on the market that offers such precision and quality for such a price. You could tack another zero (or two) onto the end of its price tag and most watch fans wouldn’t bat an eyelid, especially if it had a Patek Philippe or Roger Dubuis logo on its dial.

Simply put, the Raymond Weil Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Skeleton is a triumph of Swiss watchmaking, and represents a bold new chapter in the history of the Raymond Weil brand.

Discover the Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Skeleton online here.

The post Raymond Weil’s New Skeleton Watch Looks A Million Bucks For A Lot Less appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The way you style your hair has come a long way since the days of gelling it down with lard. Twentieth-century men’s hairstyles have largely been influenced bicultural trends, political movements, and celebrities. Some have been iconic, history-making do’s and others have been downright high-maintenance hairstyles best not to make a comeback. Here are the most iconic men’s hairstyles over the last century, and in this installment, from the 20’s to the late 60’s.

1920s

In the 1920s, men were clean shaven and wore their hair mostly under a hat. However, beneath the hat hair was pin straight, slicked straight back and with a center or side part with the use of Brilliantine to give a high gloss. Style icons of the day were Rudolph Valentino and Fred Astaire, and it was the era of ‘The Great Gatsby’.

1930s

During the 1930s, it would have been unthinkable for a man to wear long hair. Hollywood was a massive influence and men styled themselves in the fashion of movie icons like Carey Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable.The typical 1930s cut was neat and clean around the ear and tapered down to nothing at the nape, blending up into a longer top length set in place with products like grooming creams and pomades. This has morphed into what we today call ‘the fade’. As it was also the post-Depression period, for those who couldn’t afford the barber, home or backyard haircuts we were rougher and ruder with the back and sides clipped or shaved off, and a longer top controlled by a cheaper grease product. Today these influences can be seen in the current undercuts or disconnected looks.

1940s

The 1940s were influenced by the golden age of Cinema Jazz and World War II. The era’s short cropped military cuts which were practical, neat and easily maintained have paved the way for today’s versions of buzz cuts, flat tops and crew cuts.The 1940s aesthetic was a bridge between the first part of the century characterized by short styles and the latter of increasingly wild and experimental culture and fashion. Common styles were short at the sides blending into longer length at the top, hence the phrase “short back and sides”. A side part was very common and slicked back with pomade, and styles remained tidy and refined with nods to icons such as Errol Flynn and Frank Sinatra.The pompadour begins to emerge again in the 1940s, giving rise to the greasers and rock and roll. Combinations of these looks are a very current trend. Facial hair, on the other hand, began to emerge again with pencil moustaches and goatees.

1950s

By the 1950s popular music and film stars had a major influence on hairstyles and fashion. Elvis Presley and James Dean made their mark with the high quiff and pompadour style. The ‘ducks tail’ became an emblematic coiffure of disaffected males in the 50s.The regular haircut or ‘Ivy League’ was side parted with a tapered back and sides, think Steve McQueen. However, crew cuts had begun to decline in popularity by the end of the decade.

1960s

From The Beatles to Bob Marley, the psychedelic 60s marked a time in music culture and radical change reflected in men’s hairstyles. Full-fringed longer cuts were extremely popular, from a sleek, blunt style, to a more layered shaggy do worn by Ringo Starr. Longer hair became more popular in the latter part of the 60s and into the 70s.The ever-conservative crew cut and flat tops were still around from the 50s. Males had a variety of choices to choose from and facial hair became more popular in the form of sideburns.

Late 60s

The leaders of fashion in the mid-60s were the British. The Mods (modernists) were characterized by their sharp, clean cut high fashion style influenced by designers from Italy and France, and popularized Vespa. The lifestyle and fashion of the Mods was completely opposite to that of their rivals, the Rockers, who wore greased pompadours and leather jackets and rode motorbikes.Carnaby Street and Kings Road were the birthplace of the new Edwardian. Men wore double-breasted suits of crushed velvet, waistcoats, shirts with frilled collars and hair below the collar bone, a dandified look epitomized by Rolling Stone guitarist Brian Jones.By the end of the 60s, the androgynous look began to emerge and men began to let their hair grow long, sideburns morphed into full beards and headbands replaced hats. This was the beginning of the hippie movement, and the rest is history (or at least, our next installment of iconic men’s hairstyles).

The post The Most Iconic Men’s Hairstyles In History: 1920 – 1969 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If you were already worried about how you ‘measure up;’ spare some pity for your children.In news that will strike fear into the minds of culturally clobbered men everywhere, a recent study has found that the male penis is at risk of becoming smaller, permanently, and it’s all because of pollution. Male genitalia as a whole is also at risk of becoming malformed, the study adds, and we can also expect a greater number of people to suffer from erectile dysfunction.Now that we’ve got your attention, Sky News reports the findings have come from environmental scientist Dr Shanna Swan, of Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, who has recently written a book that looks into the effects pollution will have on future human reproduction.Dr Swan’s research has found that the manufacturing process for a range of plastics involves the use of the chemical ‘phthalates’. This chemical is released as pollution during the manufacturing process and is claimed to have a drastic effect on the endocrine system, which is responsible for releasing hormones into our bodies.It is believed that the human body recognises the chemical as the oestrogen hormone when it finds its way inside the body, but because it’s not part of the natural biological process we all go through, it “disrupts the natural production of hormones”, Sky News reports.To obtain her worrying results, Dr Swan investigated the effect of phthalate syndrome on rats. She found that rat babies who were exposed to the phthalate chemical when inside the womb were born with smaller-than-normal genitals. Subsequently, the chemical – which is believed to find its way into children’s toys, as well as the polluted air we breathe – can also have an effect on sperm count, which Dr Swan says could “[imperil] the human race.”Euronews cites Dr Swan as saying, “Chemicals in our environment and unhealthy lifestyle practices in our modern world are disrupting our hormonal balance, causing various degrees of reproductive havoc.”She adds, “Babies are now entering the world already contaminated with chemicals because of the substances they absorb in the womb.” Other sources of the substance are believed to be cosmetics, food packaging and detergents.Dr Swan’s latest research isn’t her first to look into the pollution’s effects on reproduction. A 2017 study she conducted looked at male fertility over the previous 40 years. She found that sperm counts had dropped by 59 per cent between 1973 and 2011, after closely studying some 185 other studies involving a cumulative total of nearly 45,000 men.Of course, Dr Swan’s research only adds weight to the notion the penis is inherently prone to shrinkage, with smoking and the unavoidable ageing process both playing their part on our peckers too.We’ve yet to see more conclusive evidence that recycling is absolutely paramount. It’s a far safer option than surgery…

Read Next

• The Cold Hard Truth About Penis Fillers
• ‘I Didn’t Want Anyone To Think I Was Bad In Bed’: The Dating Myth That Needs To Stop

The post 'Our Manhoods Are Shrinking': Scientific Study Has Concerning Implications For Men Everywhere appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Here’s a hot-take: menswear essentials are almost as important as a smile that will stop time. These are the pieces that all men should have in their wardrobe to cover them for all scenarios, eventualities and seasons. Not only do these pieces ensure guys can mix and match pairings and be safe in the knowledge they’ll look good, they’re also utterly timeless, so will seldom need replacing.

One man who appears to understand such niceties is Michael B. Jordan. One of Hollywood’s elite and a consistent source of workout and style inspiration, the Creed and Black Panther star regularly stands out for his faultless choices.

Case in point: this latest shot of the man himself on the set for the upcoming film Journal For Jordan, wearing a denim shirt, one of the pinnacle pieces that should feature in every man’s capsule wardrobe, and one that works perfectly throughout the transitional period from summer into autumn (and for those on the other side of the globe, winter into spring).

Michael’s version is a classic example: mid-wash blue colouring, two chest pockets and rivet popper fastenings. It’s this style that guys should look for if they’re making their first steps into denim shirt territory.

What makes the denim shirt such an essential piece? It’s versatility for starters. Not only can it be worn in casual settings, as Michael proves here – being layered over a t-shirt in a complementary darker shade of blue and brown pants – but it can also be dressed up somewhat, slotting comfortably underneath a blazer and paired with jeans. There are some rules to remember, however, with the main one being you should always try and contrast top and bottom, if you’re wearing denim jeans too.

RELATED: The Best Denim Shirts For Men

Expert men’s stylist Jeff Lack, who says the western style denim shirt is the “single best dating uniform for the modern man,” adds weight to this argument, explaining to DMARGE that the denim shirt has remained timeless because it can be “used for work, play and getting dressed up. Throw on a tie with an unstructured suit and sneakers, or open a few buttons to highlight your chest lettuce and pair with chinos.”

Jeff agrees that the denim shirt is a quintessential transitional piece, adding, “Everyone can look good in denim shirts. Jackets and coats over the top or t-shirt or roll necks underneath, there’s no end to its versatility.”

Hopefully, if you’ve made it this far, you’re feeling persuaded enough to go out in search of your own denim shirt. To help you with the search, Jeff recommends some foolproof colour pairings for your bottom half to get you started, “pair with black, white, navy, tonal denim, army green and tan”, and we here at DMARGE are able to point you in the direction of some of the best brands producing denim shirts right now.

For Jeff, his go-to choice for a denim shirt right now is this one from Danish menswear brand, SNEUM. It takes the classic western style adopted by Michael B. Jordan, but gives it red stitching for a subtle colour pop and sawtooth-style pocket flaps to push the style boundaries.

Jordan’s upcoming movie Journal for Jordan is an adapted screenplay from the memoir of Dana Canedy, Senior Vice President at publishing house Simon & Schuster. The memoir was written in response to the death of Canedy’s husband Charles Monroe King (whom Jordan portrays) in the Iraq War.

Read Next

• NBA Star Russell Westbrook Shows These Much-Maligned Boots Aren’t Just For Hipsters
• Lionel Richie’s ‘Smooth As Cognac’ Outfit A Masterclass In Dressing Over 50

The post Michael B. Jordan Spotted Wearing This Season's 'Must Have' Men's Shirt appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Sorry to break it to you but Maslow forgot one crucial thing: self-actualisation is impossible without starting a lemongrass candle and organic yoga matt boutique in Seminyak.If there’s anything we’ve learned over the last twelve months – as any hint of a Bali travel bubble sends Australians frothing – it’s that the Island of the Gods has a special place in Australians’ hearts.On that note: Bali held an intoxicating allure long before it was snatched from our reach by The Spicy Cough.Now its call has increased double, with the age-old seduction tactic of unavailability.Australians, in case you have been living under a stone for the last year, are forbidden from travelling internationally right now.Though some have gained exemptions to fly off abroad, the vast majority have stayed at home. This has led to a domestic travel boom – as well as a whole lot of FOMO.RELATED: Incredible Photos Australians Really Shouldn’t Look At If They Miss TravellingSpeaking of FOMO, one photo which was recently posted to Instagram by account @whitepalm_hotel_bali depicts a Bali scene which, we’d bet, practically every Australian wishes they could magically transport themselves too.

 

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Taken at Balangan Beach, the surfer’s playground north of Bingin and Dreamland, the image shows off the beach in all its glory.Heading over to Twitter, recent Tweets show we’re not alone in missing Bali.

Wish I was in Bali sippin on a piña colada, watching the sunset right now!

— S (@SSmara1) March 13, 2021

I wish I was in Bali right now cleansing my soul

— Sundeep Saran (@sundeep_saran) January 11, 2021

RELATED: Kelly Slater Scoring Filthy Waves In Bali Sparks Fierce Travel DebateWhile you might argue there is more to Bali than sunbaking and surfing (and there definitely is), search deep in your suitcase and your priorities will probably betray you (something DMARGE discovered on a journey to the archipelago in 2019).DMARGE also (guiltily) discovered a burgeoning social media trend – FOMO mongering.RELATED: I Tried Bali’s Instagram-Famous ‘Floating Breakfast’ & It Was A Total DisasterAs we reported earlier this year, “There is one slightly sordid reason we have developed an even greater love for Bali in recent years – the opportunity to provoke FOMO in family and friends.”

 

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Social media has gone off like popcorn kernels in boiling butter in recent years, with Instagram and Youtube – for many – replacing Tripadvisor, The Lonely Planet and Google for travellers looking for guides, inspiration and visualisation for their upcoming trips.RELATED: Australians ‘Indignant’ At Controversial New Bali Law ProposalThis, combined with the fact that luxury experiences that cost an arm and a leg back home only cost an arm in Bali, has seen many Australians develop a penchant for splashing out on luxury experiences in Indonesia they wouldn’t dream of paying for back home, in order to get a better ‘jealousy induced per dollar spend’ ratio.Kind of like the influencers who rent private jets to pretend they flew in them (except presumably far more enjoyable)…The truth is living in Bali right now as an expat, for the small number of Australians who have managed it via travel exemptions (or already being over there when the borders came down) is not entirely the career of cupcakes Instagram makes it out to be.

 

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An anonymous source told DMARGE his plans were wrung out by The Bat Kiss: “My partner and I came here for a job in the tourism industry, which was great timing (not). We arrived in late January 2020 to start work and by the middle of March Bali’s tourism began to suffer due to COVID. This meant that we stopped work because of the rapid decline in tourism.”“It has been very challenging. But the most difficult thing has been to witness the devastation this pandemic has caused Bali and its local people. Very minimal tourism has meant that local businesses have been un-able to support themselves during these very tough times resulting in people being forced to travel back to their villages and/or islands to find work again.”“We have been here just over 1 year and are planning to come back to Aus next month,” he told DMARGE in February 2021.“Regarding the job luckily we had savings. But me and my girlfriend were unable to find another job as working here requires a KITAS visa, which requires the company you work for to sign you on and do all the logistics with Indonesian Immigration.”

“There are definitely a lot of expats who have experienced the same, whether they be holidaymakers who got stuck or business owners that have also suffered from the lack of tourism. Everybody has definitely been affected here one way or another.”

That said, there is another side to the coin. Peter Hibberd, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy who has become quite the WFH (work from hotel) connoisseur in Bali, told DMARGE in February, “the surreal reality is… dead silence. The streets of Seminyak are like a ghost town still to this day most nights. There’s maybe 10% of places actually open. A usual trip from Canggu to Seminyak (6.5km) is usually an hour or more, now, 15 mins.”

 

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“There are still some wonderfully surreal things happening even though the island is under the influence of Covid. For example, I sat and watched an international concert pianist on a white grand piano on the edge of the cliffs at Uluwatu as the sun set.”RELATED: The Embarrassing Mistake Most Tourists Make In Bali“Beyond the regular coastal areas, Ubud, the vegan loving, hippy yoga retreat centre of Eat Pray Love fame, is really empty.”

“So forget booking three months in advance to eat fine dining at Locavore, a call that day and you’ll generally get you a seat.”

“Even if I ran out of things to do on the main island of Bali, (which I haven’t), I’ve jumped on a boat to Gili to finally take my deep diving license to chill out with turtles, manta and sharks at the bottom of the ocean floor then skip over to Nusa Penida and Lembongan for some of the quintessential IG location shots.”

“All three of the smaller islands are empty of tourists so wherever we went, we had the place to ourselves. I think a long ship diving tour of Komodo is on the cards next.”

Keep on dreaming…

Read Next

• Filmmaker Captures Rare Moment In Balinese History Most Australians Will Never Experience
• Provocative Videos Suggests Some Australians Still Enjoying Bali Just Fine

The post The 'Envy Inducing' Bali Photo Australians Can't Look At appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Jamie Foxx is one of Hollywood’s great tastemakers, which makes his latest automotive pickup particularly interesting.The incredibly talented 53-year-old actor and serial entrepreneur was spotted leaving cult Los Angeles restaurant Nobu – a favourite of celebrities like Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox – in an ‘Arctic White’ Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge. The luxurious British SUV retails for 480,000 USD (~632,000 AUD) in the United States, but prices start at 760,000 AUD here in Australia.Rolls-Royce has always been in the business of making extremely extravagant vehicles, but the Cullinan might just be the most unnecessary SUV England’s ever produced. Yet its success among the super-wealthy points to a paradigm shift in the world of high-end motoring.

Let’s hit you with some stats. First introduced in 2018 and named after the largest diamond ever found, the Cullinan is easily the biggest vehicle Rolls-Royce has ever made, weighing in at 2.6 tonnes and measuring 5.3m long, 2.2m wide and 1.8m tall.The Black Badge nomenclature refers to the high-performance version of the vehicle (Rolls-Royce’s equivalent to Mercedes-Benz’s AMG or BMW’s M divisions): a 441kW, 6.75L V12 twin-turbo petrol engine can propel the huge machine from 0-100km/h in a shockingly fast 5.2 seconds – or about as fast as a Porsche Boxster, despite weighing twice as much.Its performance is impressive, but as automotive expert Luke O’Neill tells DMARGE, “talking about horsepower is almost irrelevant” when it comes to Rolls-Royces. The bottom line is that it’s an absurdly comfortable car to drive or be driven in – and that leads us to our main point.RELATED: I Was Chauffeured To Work In The Latest Rolls-Royce & It’s Ruined Me For LifeTwenty years ago, the ultra-wealthy preferred to drive around in convertibles or high-end sports cars. These days, however, they tend to favour luxurious SUVs – just take Justin Bieber’s Lamborghini Urus or Travis Scott and his Mercedes-Benz G500 Cabriolet.

 

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Some automotive purists consider these luxury/performance SUVs to be somewhat sacrilegious… But their continued popularity proves that money talks, with Foxx’s Cullinan a solid case in point.Of course, the general public has long been switched on to the virtues of the sports utility vehicle. The once-niche body style saw a dramatic increase in popularity in the late 90s, and has since grown to dominate the global car market – in both Australia and the US, SUV sales account for almost half of all vehicle sales.One vehicle segment that’s yet to be fully explored by luxury car makers is the luxury crossover SUV… Although we’d rather luxury marques stay in their lane. We still have nightmares about the Aston Martin Cygnet…

Read Next

• Australian NBA Star Ben Simmons Buys Brother Incredible ‘Baller Spec’ Audi SUV
• Kendall Jenner’s ‘Perfect’ Pickup Truck Shows Celebrity Cars Are Changing For The Better

The post Jamie Foxx Spotted Driving England’s Most Unnecessary SUV appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Eight packs are not so much a reality as an ‘urban myth’ – for most of us.Russell Westbrook is not ‘most of us,’ however. The Washington Wizards point guard (who is also a 9 time NBA all-star and the 2016-2017 NBA most valuable player) took on the Brooklyn Nets at New York’s Barclays Center on Sunday.Although his team lost, Westbrook won the internet. How? He signed his jersey for Creed star Michael B. Jordan, who was sitting courtside, after the game. Westbrook’s rippling physique then sent shockwaves through the internet so far that 638,805 pairs of hands decided to tap ‘like’ when the video was reposted on Instagram account @sportscenter.

 

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Michael B. Jordan, who has a ripped rig of his own, threw Westbrook a praise hands emoji (presumably as a thanks for the shirt) while the rest of the Sports Center followers lost their shit over the 32-year-old’s chiselled body.“Russ looking like [Jordan’s] next opponent in creed 3,” one wrote.“Yo he built as,” another commented.Further remarks included:

“Russ is built bro.”“Bro built like a cornerback.”“Russell Chestbrook.”

From Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace (formerly known as Sandiford-Artest) to Andre Iguodala, there are a lot of contenders for the (unofficial) title of ‘most ripped man in the NBA’ right now.

 

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But With Lebron James currently out injured, we feel comfortable making the following claim: Russell Westbrook is the most ripped man in the NBA right now. He’s also, as we have reported time and time again, one of the league’s most stylish gents (see: Russell Westbrook Will Steal Your Wife With The World’s Most Expensive Skater Outfit).If you’re wondering about the secrets to Westbrook’s extreme physique, it pays to look at his workouts. Team-mates have said there is an air of secrecy over how the triple-double machine trains, and that he is always in before anyone else.“I think I saw him lifting weights once during the preseason,” forward Domantas Sabonis told Bleacher Report, “but not since.”According to Bleacher Report, “Westbrook’s workouts are shrouded in secrecy,” and the last time one of them leaked, it came from former director of athletic performance Dwight Daub.The leaked workout was centred on core and balance – and suited a player who prefers to “crash the lane” at every opportunity (and angle) and avoid injuries.Wes Long, UCLA basketball’s strength and conditioning coach, who arrived in Westwood for Westbrook’s final season as a Bruin, in 2007-08, told Bleacher Report he recalls seeing a pickup-style preseason practice on his first day and marvelling at Westbrook’s cardio.

“This practice meant nothing, but he was rebounding. He was setting screens. He was cussing guys out…It was like it was the national championship game.”

According to Bleacher Report, “When Westbrook was preparing for the 2008 NBA draft, he trained with Rob McClanaghan – and without him.”“After mornings running full-speed basketball practices for over an hour nonstop, he’d carve out time to lift weights on his own in the evenings. And although McClanaghan begged Westbrook to take Sundays off and let his body recover, he heard reports each week of fans who had spotted him in one gym or another around Los Angeles.” It would seem his physique is well earned…

Read Next

• NBA Star Russell Westbrook Shows These Much-Maligned Boots Aren’t Just For Hipsters
• How To Get Russell Westbrook’s Style & Epic Fashion Vibe

The post Shirtless Russell Westbrook Remains NBA’s Most Stylish & Swole Unit appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

While in theory Formula One is a team sport, in reality, it’s all about the drivers. The fact that only 20 can compete in motorsport’s premier competition naturally means a huge amount of attention is focused on the drivers: their driving styles, their personalities, their rivalries…The inter-team battles as well as internal team dramas are what makes the sport so interesting. Drivers aren’t just competing against the other teams but also their teammates, which are arguably the most fierce and most compelling conflicts.But the fiercest battle between teammates might not be on the track – rather, it might be on social media. Last night, the official F1 Instagram ran a series of polls, asking fans who their favourite driver in each of the 10 teams competing in 2021 is. The results were consistently emphatic – a clear winner emerging from each team – as well as being, quite frankly, brutal.Generally speaking, most teams (either officially or unofficially) will have a #1 or #2 driver. Usually, it’s a case of seniority – for example, it’s not surprising that Kimi Räikkönen is considered Alfa Romeo’s #1 driver, as the 41-year-old has won 21 Grands Prix, compared to his 27-year-old teammate Antonio Giovinazzi, who hasn’t won any.Unsurprisingly, the Instagram popularity polls also tended to favour the “#1” drivers, too: Räikkönen beat out Giovinazzi, Fernando Alonso beat out Esteban Ocon for Alpine, Sebastian Vettel beat out Lance Stroll for Aston Martin, Daniel Ricciardo beat out Lando Norris for McLaren, Lewis Hamilton beat out Valtteri Bottas for Mercedes…RELATED: Finnish Formula One Legend Shares ‘Viking’ Secret Behind Succeeding In Life

But there were some outliers that can’t be explained just by seniority or points won. For example, Pierre Gasly beat out Yuki Tsunoda in AlphaTauri’s popularity contest – but 2021 is Tsunoda’s first year in F1, so fans haven’t had the chance to get to know him properly yet.Both of Haas’ 2021 drivers are new to F1 this year, but there was still a clear result. Mick Schumacher beat Nikita Mazepin by a huge margin – Mick’s popularity no doubt fuelled by fans’ love for his father, the legendary Michael Schumacher.The closest battle was between Ferrari’s two young drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. Leclerc is three years younger than Sainz, yet still won convincingly – perhaps because he’s won more points and podiums than Sainz, and has already spent a year with Ferrari. It was a similar situation for Red Bull: Sergio Perez has seven years on Max Verstappen, but Verstappen’s won many more points and podiums.RELATED: F1 Star Max Verstappen’s Bizarre Neck Exercise Is Actually Incredibly ImportantThe most devastating difference was with Williams’ poll, with virtually all fans voting for George Russell. That must hurt for Nicolas Latifi… But it’s understandable. Russell not only has more of a personality (ooft), but unlike Latifi, Russell’s actually scored some points during his in F1. Latifi hasn’t.Ah well. This season will give drivers plenty of opportunities to reverse their fortunes in the popularity stakes.The 2021 Formula One World Championship will kick off with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, with the Australian Grand Prix (which normally opens up the season) being pushed back tentatively to November. Pre-season testing wrapped up last week in Bahrain: a departure from the norm, as pre-season testing is usually done in Barcelona.

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