Table of contents for July/August 2020 in Shape

Sun’s Out, Guns Out For a strong arm game, trainyour triceps with this mix: overhead extensions (pictured), plus triceps kickbacks. “The former targets the long head of the triceps [down the center], whereas the kickback places greater emphasis on the medial and lateral heads [along the sides],” says Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., an exercise science professor at Lehman College in New York. The combo of the two, he says, nets complete development of this three-part muscle. Even better? Go to failure when doing reps with lighter weights to sculpt more muscle, says his new study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. SHOP IT! Click here to shop products on these pages. Suit up for Action Sh3.ro by Adidas is a sleek new line of one-pieces and bikinis ($25 to…

TREATING YOURSELF to a dip shouldn’t be reserved for chilly winter nights. In fact, according to ritucharya, the ancient Ayurvedic principle of scheduling rituals to respond to the seasons, summer is the perfect time for a soak, says Shrankhla Holecek, an Ayurvedic expert and the creator of the beauty brand UMA. But use cool water to help balance your body temperature, and add a few drops of an aromatherapy oil to the bath to help you wind down. “Chamomile and vetiver encourage you to breathe deeper and relax,” Holecek says. Find them in UMA Pure Calm Wellness Bath Oil ($80, umaoils.com) and 100 Senses “Spirit Guide” Soothing Mind/Body Soak ($28, 100senses.com). After you step out of the tub, massage a hydrating oil with grounding notes, like vetiver and iris…

In particularly stressful times, we’re all at risk for suffering from what experts call inflammaging: chronic, low-grade inflammation that ages our skin. To be clear, some inflammation is OK. In fact, our bodies respond to injuries with a short burst of it. And many antiaging treatments—lasers, peels, retinoids—work by damaging skin just enough to incite an inflammatory response. When it’s properly regulated, it serves us well and we heal quickly. “A normal inflammatory process clears out bad stuff and stimulates collagen production,” says Tom McClellan, M.D., a plastic surgeon in West Virginia and a cofounder of the Serucell skin-care brand. But as we get older, and when we’re stressed (from anxiety, poor diet, pollution, and UV exposure), our bodies can’t maintain control and get stuck in a pro-inflammatory loop, or…

Your brain and your gut share information around the clock. The gut, just like the brain, is lined with nerve cells and even has its own nervous system. When something happens there—you get hungry, say—your gut sends signals to your brain to let it know. Likewise, when your brain experiences a feeling like anxiety, it notifies your gut, and you get that butterflies-in-your-stomach sensation. “There’s a pathway between the two with neurotransmitters and hormones traveling back and forth,” says Laura Frado, M.D., a gastroenterologist in New York. “What goes on in your brain can change the way your gut functions, and what goes on in your gut can change the way your brain functions.” This can be a good thing, like when your gut lets your brain know you’re…

Tomatoes, corn, summer squash, watermelon, and peaches are all at their best right now. “There’s nothing like tart-sweet heirloom tomatoes off the vine or just-picked corn with tender kernels,” says Susan Spungen, a recipe developer, a food stylist, and the author of the best-selling cookbook Open Kitchen. When preparing your farmers market haul, branch out from your usual techniques, and tap into your creative side. “Think about flavor, of course, but also color and texture,” Spungen says. Turn the page for her fresh ways to enjoy summer’s favorites. Giambotta START TO FINISH: 45 MINUTES SERVES: 4 TO 6 ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus morefor drizzling1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced2 medium shallots, sliced crosswise2 cups sliced leeks, white and light-green parts, rinsed well2 garlic cloves, thinly slicedKosher salt…

BE WATERPROOF NEAL SCHULTZ, M.D. Dermatologist ELLEN MARMUR, M.D. Dermatologist MELISSA KANCHANAPOOMI LEVIN, M.D. Dermatologist NUNZIO SAVIANO Hairstylist GITA BASS Makeup artist MONA GOHARA, M.D. Dermatologist ELIZABETH K. HALE, M.D. Dermatologist SARAH LUCERO Makeup artist JENNY PATINKIN Makeup artist TINA TURNBOW Makeup artist DENDY E. ENGELMAN, M.D. Dermatologist KRISTAN SERAFINO Hairstylist JENN (makeup), KRISTIE (brows), and ASHLEY (hair) STREICHER Owners of Striiike beauty studio BE STRONG + WELL JEN WIDERSTROM Consulting Shape fitness director, trainer, life coach ADAM ROSANTE Strength and nutrition coach CEDRIC X. BRYANT, PH.D. Exercise physiologist MICHELLE LOVITT Celebrity trainer JORDAN METZL, M.D. Sports medicine physician MICHELE OLSON, PH.D. Clinical professor of sport science SHAUN T Celebrity trainer ALEX SILVER-FAGAN Nike Master Trainer HARLEY PASTERNAK Celebrity trainer MARTIN GIBALA, PH.D. Professor of kinesiology JAY WRIGHT Trainer, studio…

Last summer, Billie became the first women’s razor brand to show actual body hair in an advertisement. This year, grooming brand Flamingo launched its “Bush 2020” campaign to encourage women to embrace their pubic hair and groom (or not groom) it however they choose. Instagram accounts like @curatedbygirls and @girlgaze beautifully depict women with unshaven legs, bikini lines, and underarms. “For decades, society has given two extremes: remove all your body hair to be considered feminine, or quit grooming altogether to be a real feminist,” says Allie Melnick, the general manager of Flamingo. “We think you should do whatever feels right for you.” Women everywhere agree: It’s time we think less about rules and more about flaunting a look that’s uniquely our own. “My body hair is part of my image…

A body that looks great for its age begins from within. While chronological aging is counted by your birthdays, biological aging is different, says Aaron Baggish, M.D., the director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It’s measured by the health and stamina of the cardiovascular system, the pulmonary system, and all the different organs that combine to let us do exercise,” Dr. Baggish says. One way to aim to be biologically younger is by improving your VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use per minute—which typically stays stable until age 35 or 40. “To really prevent declines in it, the body needs to be pushed close to its peak performance, usually once or twice a week,” he says. So add HIIT—sprintervals, fast-paced circuits—to your…

In all your different research findings about exercise, what surprised you the most? How much our muscles influence our psychological and brain health. Science shows that when you move your body, your muscles release chemicals known as myokines into your bloodstream that improve your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and make your brain more resilient to stress. I call them hope molecules. Your muscles will do this no matter what activity you choose to do: dancing, lifting weights, walking, swimming. As long as you’re using your muscles, they’re essentially a pharmacy of molecules that are good for your mental health. That is absolutely mind-blowing. Hope Molecules—I Love That! How Do They Work? The chemicals coming out of your muscles when you exercise instruct your brain to change in certain beneficial ways,…

I wanted to be the builder of my kitchen tools, not just the consumer,” Sara Dahmen says of why she became a coppersmith. The idea sparked about five years ago, while researching vintage cooking vessels for some writing projects. Inspired, Dahmen found artisans who helped her hone the craft, and today the mom of three makes beautiful pots and pans. “Our kitchen tools should be as conscious a decision as our food is,” she says. “Like food grown with the least impact on the environment, we should expect the same of our cookware.” What drew you to coppersmithing? I love to build something useful from a flat sheet of copper. And I’m happy to know that what I’m making can feed people—and last 100 years. Every time I use one…

Cheeks Out Butt care has arrived. Ingredients once reserved for your face are being tapped to smooth, clear up, and tighten your bum. “Look for caffeine, which can temporarily shrink fat cells, and retinol, which helps build collagen to firm skin,” says dermatologist Anne Chapas, M.D. Try StriVectin Crepe Control Tightening Body Cream ($59, strivectin.com) and Paula’s Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment ($29, paulaschoice.com). To treat buttne (butt acne), apply an exfoliating mask, like Megababe Le Tush Clarifying Butt Mask ($22, megababebeauty.com), which combines glycolic, malic, and azelaic acids to eradicate blemishes and clogged pores. Smooth Moves There’s a new way to banish cellulite. Injections of the enzyme collagenase clostridium histolyticum—which is expected to get FDA approval in July (check endoaesthetics.com for updates)—can break the rigid bands within your…

Remote Possibilities IT STARTED WITHA CACTUS. For our beauty feature “Body Hair State of the Union” (page 23), my creative team had the idea to show a large-scale image of a prickly cactus posed next to a razor—a “hero shot,” as we say in the magazine biz. If we were going with an image of a cactus alone, we could have purchased the picture from a stock photo agency. But what makes magazines magical is the creativity that goes into conceptualizing the perfect shot to illustrate a story. So began our first experiment with a socially distant photo shoot. Normally, the styling of these two props would be simple to pull off. But because of stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, getting a cactus to the photographer’s home studio in New…

Simone Biles learned the importance of embracing her inner beauty from her Olympic teammate Aly Raisman. “She taught everyone on the team to love our raw, authentic selves by encouraging us to focus on what’s inside before worrying about what’s on the outside,” says Biles, an Olympic gymnast and gold medalist. She has taken Raisman’s confidence-boosting tactics and passed them along to her friends. “When they’re having a bad day, I go down the list of what they’re good at to help them feel better,” she says. That strong, peaceful mental place is where Biles lives strategically, starting with tuning out any internet negativity with a strict don’t-engage policy. Instead, she dedicates her free time to the people who are closest to her. “I’m happiest when I’m at home,…

FIRST, KNOW THAT YOU’LL STILL SWEAT Deodorants mask odor, but only antiperspirants block the production of sweat, says dermatologist Whitney Bowe, M.D., a spokeswoman for Schmidt’s natural products. When sweat mixes with an aluminum compound in antiperspirants, it creates aluminum salts, which plug the sweat ducts, or eccrine ducts, explains dermatologist Alicia Zalka, M.D. You have eccrine ducts all over your body, so blocking the ones under your arms isn’t likely to cause issues. “But sweating is the way your body regulates your temperature so you don’t overheat,” Dr. Bowe says. So some people prefer to just let their bodies do their thing. THERE’S A TRANSITION STAGE Sweat itself is odorless, but it smells when it mixes with the bacteria that naturally flourish under your arms, Dr. Zalka explains. When…

DURING PREGNANCY EXPECT YOUR BREAST SIZE to increase 25 percent from the end of your first trimester to the end of your third, according to research in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, in which expectant moms had 3D scans of their breast volume starting at 12 weeks. “The main impact on breast size is the effect that the pregnancy hormones—including estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, and human placental lactogen—have on glandular tissue [as the glands mature and ultimately produce milk], more than the effect of weight gain,” says Amanda Underwood, M.D., an assistant professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the Indiana University School of Medicine. In fact, the increase of dense gland tissue actually causes fat cells to shrink. “This makes for breasts that are both larger and heavier, with…

The Hurricane In a punch bowl, combine 12 ounces white rum (about half a bottle), 8 ounces pineapple juice, 6 ounces fresh lemon juice, 4 ounces passion fruit syrup (like BG Reynolds or Liber & Co.), 4 ounces water, 2 ounces simple syrup (1 part water to 2 parts sugar), and ½ ounce Angostura bitters. Chill 1 hour. Stir, then serve over crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple leaves and a wedge of pineapple. Now Switch It Up TURN IT INTO A TROPICAL ITCH For a sip with oaky notes, substi-tute bourbon for the white rum. MAKE IT A SINGAPORE SLING For a fruity, herbal cocktail, swap the rum for gin, then add 2 ounces cherry liqueur and 1 ounce Bénédictine.…

I started boxing a few years ago to learn to defend myself after a scary confrontation on a subway ride going home from the bar where I worked. I got an unlimited membership to EverybodyFights studio and took classes daily. So when the head boxing coach asked if I was interested in actually fighting, I thought, Why not? Muscle memory In the ring, you’ve got to feel your way through a fight. By instinct, you throw a punch that you’ve worked on a million times but don’t even think about it. That’s just one part of developing ring IQ. The shuffle is real It was hard bartending at night, going to bed at 2, 3, or 4 a.m., and then waking up early to train. Adrenaline rush When you get…