Forget everything you know about surfing: it’s not all smoking dubious substances and cruisin’ Santa Barbara boulevards. Neither is it all about chasing waves the size of mountains.We recently had a chat with Air Wizard and retired World Tour professional surfer Josh Kerr to discover a new (or at least, recently renewed) aspect of professional surfing—aerial competitions.Last week Josh organised the first event of the Red Bull Airborne 2019 series, a competition which was won by Italo Ferreira (whose training shots you’ll see further down).In light of this, we caught up with Josh to discuss the crazy levels of agility, strength and mental dexterity it takes to fling yourself off the top of a wave the size of a bus, and land as nonchalantly as you like.While this might not be a requirement of the average gym-goer’s workout, the athletic principles involved carry over into numerous disciplines.Plus: when you catch a wayward drink at the bar, your newfound bae won’t care how you built your quick reflexes (and glistening triceps), they’ll just be in awe of them.So forget your ‘bench, deadlift, squat’ routine; if you want to train like a professional surfer, here’s what you need to do.

Light Up Your Fast Twitch Fibres

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A post shared by Italo Ferreira (@italoferreira) on Mar 5, 2019 at 5:09am PST

According to Josh, “With air training, it’s really about keeping everything really fast twitch.” This means, in the gym, “It’s definitely more about explosive quick and rotations and keeping the legs loose.”What does this involve, exactly? Josh recommends you ease yourself in with some explosive burpees, before moving on to “burpee rotations” where you explode and do a 360 or 180-degree rotation, trying to land really comfortable and solid.”Once you have this down pat, “Try the same exercise on a more unstable or soft platform—to keep the brain awareness to your lower half of the body strong.”If you do this correctly, all those nerve endings will end up stabilising your landing without (you) even having to think about it.

Aim For Variety

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A post shared by Italo Ferreira (@italoferreira) on Jan 7, 2019 at 2:12pm PST

In surfing, “Every section (of a wave) is a little different, so your awareness of your landing is your highest priority—because that’s how you stay away from getting injured.”As Josh told us, “If you’re not confident in how you’re going to land,” you are far more likely to get injured. Which is why, “Learning how to bail out correctly—without getting tangled up with your board—is one of your best assets.”This means training with a variety of exercises, on a wide range of surfaces, and getting used to dealing with unexpected circumstances is a crucial part of a professional surfer’s training routine.While this can take the form of other board sports like snowboarding and skateboarding (which was how Josh ‘cross-trained’ himself when he was younger), you can also try trampolining or skateboarding off a ramp into a foam pit, something which a lot of the younger guys are really getting into.

Train For Strength

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A post shared by Italo Ferreira (@italoferreira) on Feb 15, 2019 at 6:07am PST

Training for strength is another useful tool in the surfer’s arsenal. This can involve squats, weight training, lighter resistance-based training or even body weight training like pull-ups.

But Make Sure You Stay Balanced

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A post shared by Italo Ferreira (@italoferreira) on Dec 14, 2017 at 1:11pm PST

While training for strength can reduce your chance of injury and make your airs even more explosive, if you do it wrong, Josh warns, “You might lose other assets that are of benefit to surfing,” and imbalance your body.For this reason, Josh is a big fan of mobility-based strength training, as opposed to “straight building” like CrossFit, “Which doesn’t relate too well to surfing as in doing it you can lose flexibility, mobility and potentially also that fast-twitch motion in your muscles.”

“If you do bulk it can definitely stiffen you up and change your surfing—and that’s not always for the better.”

Keep Flexible

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A post shared by Josh Kerr (@josh_kerr84) on Oct 13, 2018 at 5:40am PDT

According to Josh, for air guys, ankles and knees are the most at risk limbs, which means you must keep them strong and flexible. To do this, Josh keeps track of his progress (and limberness) using assessments like the Dorsi Flex Test, “Where you see how far you can get your knee to a wall with your toes far away.”He also recommends you look after your hips—”You need your hips strong but also loose, mobile and mechanically sound.” This means you should train like a gymnast—”Able to do the splits but also still able to do double backflips.”

Be Proactive About Reducing Injuries

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A post shared by Reef Heazlewood (@reefheazlewood) on Nov 16, 2017 at 1:17am PST

As the above Instagram clip from Redbull’s latest air comp runner up (and Hurley’s most recent signing) Reef Heazlewood shows, prevention from injury is always better than cure… This means, above all, strengthening the stabilising muscles around your knees, hips and ankles.

Train Your Mind

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A post shared by Josh Kerr (@josh_kerr84) on May 2, 2018 at 5:51pm PDT

However much you prepare yourself physically, Josh revealed that: “Sometimes you’re hitting sections even though you’re not going to make it,” to see how far you can get through your air before you bail out.While this helps you get comfortable, it comes at a risk. And when you decide to go for it and land it, in the heat of competition or to nail a cool clip, you need a whole lotta confidence.

“It’s when you have that doubt in your mind, and you still go for it anyway (that you can get injured).”

While talent and timing play a huge role in this, your self-belief is also boosted by knowing you’ve done the training, as you can see from the latest Red Bull Airborne comp, which—Josh points out—was won by Italo Ferreira, who has been doing a crazy amount of training this past year.

“When you’re fit and strong it builds your confidence to another level. All those attributes are really coming together for him right now.”

Read Next

• Self Awareness, Persistence & Push Ups: The Ultimate Guide To Learning To Surf
• 27 Men’s Board Shorts That Will Make You The Coolest Guy On The Beach 
• Surf Culture Has Evolved; These Are The Coolest Brands You Need To Know In 2019

The post Surfer Workout To Get Insane Agility appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Even today, you can still tell a gentleman by his shoes. Whether deliberate or not, one’s choice in men’s dress shoes – Oxfords, Derbys, monks or brogues – can still point the way to a man’s character: is he stylish or not?

The reality is that quality and aesthetically on-point dress shoes for men can cover a multitude of fashion sins. Conversely, cheap pleather knock-offs with a square-toe cap can undo hundreds of dollars invested in a made-to-measure suit. In short, you better get your shoes right if you want your outfit to work.

Don’t know where to start? Well, we’ve uncovered the best dress shoes for men. And, with the help of two knowledgeable luxury footwear experts, you’re about to discover the dos and don’ts of men’s dress shoes. Hint: it’s all about quality and being prepared to pay for it.

Dress Shoe Types

Before we get into what to expect from a pair of shoes depending on how much you’re able to spend, it’s important to get the various types of dress shoes out the way first, as it’s not necessarily as simple as just going out and getting a pair for work or a formal event. Each style has its own uses and connotations.

Oxford Shoes

The most formal and elegant of the dress shoe styles, the Oxford shoe distinguishes itself by a closed lace system. The eyelets for the shoelaces are generally located on the quarters (the part of the shoe uppers that wrap around the heel) and meet the vamp (the shoe uppers that cover the toes and instep in the middle of the foot).

Oxford shoes are ones you would certainly want to be seen wearing in the boardroom at work. Their formal nature imparted by their closed lacing system will let others know you know how to dress and just how much of an impact a good pair of shoes can make. If you do invest in Oxford shoes, you’ll want to spend as much as possible to get a long-lasting reliable pair.

Derby Shoes

A slightly less formal leather lace-up, the Derby is characterised by quarters with shoelace eyelets that are sewn on top of the vamp. This construction is known as open lacing, compared to the closed version of the Oxford. Derby shoes can be worn to the office with no problem, although if you’re higher up in the pecking order, then we’d recommend you steer more towards an Oxford.

Monk strap

For traditional purists, the double monk is something unique. Fastened, not with laces but two leather straps with a metal buckle closure, it’s a die-hard favourite among contemporary gents with nostalgic tastes. To stand out from the crowd at a wedding, for example, the monk strap shoe is the way to go.

Loafer

From the tassel to the penny loafer, the laceless leather dress shoe is a more relaxed, versatile option. “Some guys hate loafers. But for those who don’t, loafers are the perfect shoe for when you can’t think of what to wear,” says Nick Schaerf, co-founder of luxury men’s shoe store, Double Monk. “The no-lace factor appeals to our lazy side.”

Brogue

Classically English, the brogue – with its perforated leather patina – is a great smart casual shoe and is perfect with a tweed blazer or waxed cotton jacket and jeans or chinos.

Well-Made Is Worth It

While most luxury shoes are $400-plus, their quality, craftsmanship and longevity far outweigh the hefty price tag. “Like with everything in fashion, investing in lasting, timeless footwear is the key. A well-made pair of shoes can last a lifetime if not generations,” says Ross Poulakis, founder of luxury retailer, Harrolds.

And, whether you go bespoke or not, luxury dress shoes for men are made for you. “High-quality shoes, if well fitted, will mould to your foot over time and provide support and comfort as they wear in,” Schaerf relates.

If, however, you simply can’t afford a pair of luxury dress shoes, then you’ll be pleased to know there are still plenty of pairs of good-quality cheap dress shoes that are far more wallet-friendly.

Cheap Vs. Luxury

“Goodyear welting, hand painting, hand stitching and premium leathers are common techniques that speak of the artisanship that goes into the construction of luxury footwear,” says Poulakis.

While exotic crocodile and ostrich skin shoes are on offer, the most common leather is cow, full-grain calf leather and “sometimes Cordovan, which is from a horse,” says Schaerf. “Full-grain leather can be conditioned and treated to remain soft and supple for decades.”

The way the leather is stitched and welted is also very important. “Most high-end Italian shoes are Blake stitched, built for loafing around in European piazzas rather than commuting or wearing several days a week for years on end.”

Speaking of Europe, English shoemakers can’t be beaten for sturdiness, says Schaerf. “The English bench-made shoe has its origins in military boot making, so durability has always been paramount, with refinement coming over many decades,” he adds. The cornerstone component? A Goodyear welted sole.

“The Goodyear-welted construction allows the shoes to be re-soled over and over again, so in theory, the shoes can last indefinitely. Some of our customers have had their shoes for forty or fifty years!”

Best Dress Shoes For Men FAQs

Some more helpful DMARGE stories about footwear:

• Best Smart Casual Dress Shoes For Men
• Best Casual Shoes For Men 
• Best Sneakers To Wear With A Suit

If you still want help on choosing a pair of men’s dress shoes, we’ve got you covered. These are the best dress shoes for men to buy right now.

The post The 27 Best Dress Shoes For Men In 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There is a reason why Melbourne is often regarded as the fashion capital of Australia. In addition to an eccentric food and lifestyle scene, the city which boasts four seasons in one day also houses some of the biggest Australian and International brands in menswear.
Whether you’re a local or a t...

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Its not often a Ferrari F40 pops up on sale but when it does you can expect to pay north of AU$2,000,000 for one. Don’t believe us? You can buy this example in Australia right now for a cool $2,390,000. But today we’re not talking about that particular sale. We’re talking about an even bigger one which comes via Ferrari of Newport Beach over in California – a 1992 F40 LM spec conversion with 0km on the dial since its conversion.For those who aren’t too familiar with the LM variant of this legendary supercar, it’s basically an upgraded race version of the ‘standard’ F40. Those behind the wheel of the LM receive more power, less weight, less creature comforts, and more aggressive aero to make this one of the most formidable race stallions of its time. Whilst not a legitimate LM – only 19 were produced by Ferrari – the car features the full range of upgrades required to get it up to spec.The U.S delivered F40 chassis was sent to Ferrari specialists Mototechnique over in the U.K where it received a ground up restoration alongside the LM upgrade to the utmost attention. Given that the cost of the conversion cost more than US$650,000 alone, it’s not too bad a deal for an F40 which also receives new paint, updated interior, engine bay, chassis and gearbox. And it will get you from 0 – 100km/h in 3.1 seconds thanks to a reworked 2.9-litre twin-turbo V8.Keen to get your hands on this beast? It’s time you dug deep and put in your offer here. It’s only going for US$1,690,000 (+AU$2,300,000). We won’t tell your financial advisor if you let us ride shotgun.

Read Next

• This Immaculate Ferrari F40 Is Now On Sale In Australia…For $2,390,000
• $48 Million Ferrari Becomes The Most Expensive Car Ever Sold At Auction

The post Ferrari F40 LM For Sale In Australia appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If this isn’t taking sponsorship obligations to the next level then we don’t know what is. Henry Golding was spotted this week in Las Vegas rocking one of the reddest suits you’ll ever see and he even conveniently matched the CinemaCon Awards red carpet and main sponsor Coca-Cola.It wasn’t so much the colour co-ordination that surprised us though (well, actually it is) but the cut of the suit which garners all sorts of ‘WTF-ery’. For starters the dress shirt, which is intentionally long and untucked with geometric fold lines to make for a very floaty piece. The blazer follows the same trend with diagonal crease lines ironed in…and not much else. And then we have the trouser-footwear combo. For someone who usually has a sharp eye for style, Golding looks like he raided his formal/prom night wardrobe with baggy red trousers paired to black and white sneakers. We know Golding is always out to make a statement with his style, but we’re really not sure what this male maternity suit is trying to say. Is the man pregnant? If you take one of his recent Instagram posts seriously then most likely.

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Little known fact…we actually filmed an alternate ending where Nick runs off with Rachel Chu’s brother, Jonathan Chu. Both lived happily ever after on a private island called Samsara (some say it has a great shopping boutique) This was from my picture wrap, such a conflicting moment of great joy and sadness… Would I be able to ever achieve anything of the like ever again? Tomorrow I head to CinemaCon in Vegas, this time last year @constancewu, @jonmchu and myself were on stage showing the world the first ever footage of @crazyrichasians. This year I’m there with Guy Ritchie’s new gangster flick and the best new christmas movie in the entire universe, @paulfeig’s “Last Christmas”. Every year we up the ante, every year aim to better yourself. Can’t wait till we drop some new footage for all of you : @iamsanjabucko

A post shared by Henry Golding (@henrygolding) on Apr 1, 2019 at 2:45pm PDT

But we digress. Since the debut of Crazy Rich Asians Golding has been on a bit of a winning streak both with crowds and menswear enthusiasts. Just last week he was at CinemaCon alongside Charlie Hunnam and Chadwick Boseman in sky blue are killer loafers.And a week before that he was showing men how to rock a mean windowpane blazer with jeans.Where is the Henry Golding of two weeks ago and can we please have him back?

The post Henry Golding's 'Male Pregnancy Suit' Is Something You Should Never Try At Home appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Innovation after innovation has taken Business Class to the point where it is almost not worth upgrading to First. In the last few years alone we’ve had luxury screens, conference rooms, lie-flat double beds and private cabins.

But Airbus just put all those developments to shame with at this week’s Aircraft Interiors Exposition in Hamburg, showcasing a special new seat for Airbus’ ‘Goldilocks’ A321LR jets.

As these single-aisle jets ‘sweet-spot’ size gives them one of the widest range of flight capacities in the market, they are used by everyone from middle-distance hoppers like Norweigan Airlines and Jetstar to long haul trans-Atlantic carriers like Air Transat.

Long story short: no matter where you live, once it’s implemented, you should have the chance to experience this ‘special’ seat for yourself.

But what’s so special about it?

Well, it’s not really a seat: it’s a full blown couch called The Settee Corner, which twists conventional Business Class wisdom, allowing the passenger to recline, not the seat.

Developed with Geven, an Italian airline supplier, the sofa-style seat is designed to make business travellers feel more at home on Airbus’ A321LR jets.

Fortunately, the seat component of the settee is only intended to be used during take-off and landing; for the rest of the flight, you’re free to get your sprawl on.

To that end: a padded section at the front of the couch flips up to give you more space to get comfortable, and the corner nook opens to reveal a storage bin.

Read Next

• The Best Business Class Experiences For Your Next Trans-Pacific Flight 
• How To Get More From Your Qatar A380 Business Class Trip To Europe 

The post Airbus Unveils New Business Class appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Ready for another working day kicked off with your regular bout of coffee and granola bar combo? Then prepare to wave your fitness gains goodbye.

According to a new post by nutrition coach Graeme Tomlinson, “one’s intuition may lead them to believe that regular consumption of a coffee and a small granola bar is not worthy of consideration regarding effect on body composition”. It’s this same intuition which sets our perception in thinking that a big plate of paella, for example, will always contain more calories (i.e. higher caloric content) than a coffee and snack thanks to its size and general label as a ‘meal’ as opposed to a beverage.

Behold the inforgraphic below which compares the caloric content for a Starbucks coffee and granola bar against a plate of healthily prepared paella.

 

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A post shared by Graeme Tomlinson (@thefitnesschef_) on Apr 9, 2019 at 11:34am PDT

“If a survey was done without any prior knowledge of the quantities of ingredients in either of these two options, most would attribute the coffee and small granola bar as significantly less in caloric worth,” says Tomlinson.

And it’s this deceiving perception that Tomlinson believes that the fitness seekers need to be aware of despite its some-what “obsessive” nature.

“An army of intuitive eaters may lambast the very consideration of counting caloric values of these energy sources, labelling such practice as obsessive. Yet subconsciously their intuition must link energy consumed to their nutritional goals. This intuition is legitimate, it is not always factual.”

Tomlinson instead suggests that people should be more aware of the caloric values of energy consumed if they’re aiming to lose weight or hit their desired body goals. “It is simply an education on a subject like any other,” he says. “And by becoming aware of such information, we can appreciate the factual relationship between food and our body composition. As such, discovery of this information should rarely be discouraged”.

“Encouragement to appreciate nutritional information of items consumed may just be the catalyst in an individual finally linking such information with their goal after years of confusion. And that is a great thing. Regular grande mocha’s and granola bars may no longer fit the goal, yet maybe they shall.”

It’s import to note a few points from Tomlinson’s post before black listing coffee altogether though. The coffee on its own is roughly half the calories of the paella and it’s the granola bar which really bumps the caloric content into one that is noticeably comparable to the paella. The paella which Tomlinson uses is also a homemade variant which is healthier than most standard offerings of paella. What this all means is that extra attention should also be given to the variables of both coffee and meal, especially if you’re comparing the extremes of both as opposed to the median.

Read Next

• Why You Need To Eat Fat In Order To Lose Weight
• Coffee Hit No More; Scientists Predict The Extinction Of The Perfect Bean

The post Coffee Could Be Making You Fat appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="220340" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" link="#"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Though your surfing may stink—there’s no excuse for looking shabby between the carpark and the wa...

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If you love your shoes as much as we do, you’ll understand that they need to be cared for. Cleaning, polishing and repairs are all important aspects of keeping a good pair of kicks in check. What about when your travelling? It can be easy to overlook shoe care when you’re on the road but with this nifty Red Wing leather care travel care kit your kicks will never be without their care.

Explore Leather Care Kit Deal

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