Latest news with #ZacEfron
The Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
As a fitness writer I think Jessica Biel's workout is great – but it comes with a caveat
You might be familiar with the phrase 'comparison is the thief of joy'. This expression is particularly applicable to celebrity workouts. Yes, we can use the exercise regimes of our favourite actors and influencers as inspiration for our own efforts to stay in shape. But the two should never be put side by side, as Jessica Biel has highlighted in a recent Instagram post. After earning an avalanche of admiring comments for her strong physique in new Prime Video series The Better Sister, the 43-year-old pointed out that the 'peak shape' she was in while filming 'is not maintainable unless you are living the strictest, most rigid lifestyle with your nutrition and with your fitness, which I cannot do'. The caveat with celebrity workouts As a fitness writer, Biel's transparency is refreshing to see. Actors achieving an optimised physique for a role has become ever-more commonplace in the post-Avengers age, but it's important for viewers to note that recreating what they see on screen is rarely a viable option. Case in point: Zac Efron has been open about the impacts of his training for Iron Claw – 'Your life goes out the window during prep'. His intense efforts and diuretic use before filming Baywatch also led him to 'fall into a pretty bad depression' and 'develop insomnia', he tells Men's Health. Meanwhile, Chris Hemsworth's long-time trainer Luke Zocchi previously told me the pair approach top-off scenes in films like preparing for a bodybuilding show. They will know the exact date for filming months in advance, then fine-tune many factors to optimise his look for those few seconds of screen time. As a fitness fan, he's in great shape year round, but even Hemsworth doesn't look like Thor for all 12 months of the year. In summary, not even the actors themselves can maintain their on-screen physique for the long haul, so viewers shouldn't expect to either. After shining a spotlight on this on via Instagram, Biel goes on to share a workout from 'her plan to get a little bit back towards that [The Better Sister] shape' – and it's solid stuff for celebrities and the rest of us alike. Jessica Biel's workout Exercise Sets Reps Rest Dumbbell hip thrust 4 10 60 seconds after each set Dumbbell Romanian deadlift 4 10 60 seconds after each set Tempo Swiss ball hamstring curl (three second negative, or lowering phase) 3 10-12 60 seconds after each set Kettlebell goblet step-through lunge 3 6-8 each side 60 seconds after each set Resistance band kickback 2 10-12 each side 60 seconds after each set Kettlebell dead bug 2 12 60 seconds after each set This is a strength training workout. The targeted muscles are overcoming resistance – whether that's provided by a dumbbell, kettlebell, resistance band or your own bodyweight – to perform a movement. In the case of this particular session, the main working muscles are those of the glutes (backside), quads (front of the thigh), hamstrings (back of the thigh) and core (a collection of mid-body muscles responsible for supporting the spine, aiding balance and many more functions). The target number of sets and reps per exercise are geared towards building and maintaining muscle. If you want to try this workout for yourself, Biel has helpfully demonstrated the exercises in the video below. You can also substitute the Swiss ball hamstring curls for prone resistance band hamstring curls, and swap the kettlebell for dumbbells during the lunges and dead bugs, if you only have a couple of dumbbells and bands handy. Benefits of Jessica Biel's workout The body adheres to the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptations to imposed demands. As a result, if we apply a resistance that challenges us during each of these exercises, and progress this resistance over time as our fitness improves, the body will build muscle and become stronger. Put simply, it's adapting to get better at the specific thing we keep asking it to do. It's not just the muscles that benefit either; strength training will bolster your bones, tendons, ligaments and more. This reduces your risk of injury and improves physical capacity, often increasing quality of life as a result. It can also boost balance, coordination and mobility by working your joints through a wide range of motion under load – if you can comfortably sit in a squat and lift objects overhead, chances are your hips, knees and shoulders are in pretty good nick. Another perk Biel highlights is the benefits of strength training as you grow older. 'My body's not 20 years old anymore, so I am adjusting my workout to what I need to do,' she says. The video then cuts to the actor in what appears to be the splits. 'You've got to build muscle, so that is a key part of my particular routine – [that] and a ton of flexibility,' she continues. '…Let's get older and stronger together.' As she alludes to here, strength training can counter a condition called sarcopenia: the age-related loss of strength and muscle. This process can start as early as your 30s, with an article from Harvard Health Publishing reporting that people can lose 'as much as three to five per cent [of muscle] per decade'. 'As you move through midlife and into your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond, age-related muscle and strength loss – sarcopenia and dynapenia – become more significant concerns,' Ollie Thompson, an experienced personal trainer specialising in longevity, tells me. 'However, if you've built greater reserves earlier in life, you'll be in a stronger position to maintain muscle mass and physical function as you age. 'For someone who has dabbled in fitness during their younger years but hasn't prioritised staying fit through midlife, I recommend a minimum effective dose of two full-body resistance training sessions per week, along with approximately 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise,' he continues. 'This approach helps slow muscle loss, maintain strength and support overall cardiovascular health.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Serial killer-inspired baby names are trending — revealing how culture can ‘creep into our minds,' experts say
Expecting parents are taking a stab at it — quite literally. Villains, crooks and knife-wielding nuts. Although they're bad guys of society, their first names are becoming bloody good options for moms and dads-to-be, per a nightmarish new report. Baby names inspired by true crime icons, such as accused con artist Anna Delvey and mass murderer Ted Bundy, are on the rise, according BabyCentre UK and its Top 100 Baby Names of 2025. But the bloodcurdling trend has less to do with wrongdoer-worship and more to do with Hollywood's outlaw obsession. 'These names aren't being chosen because of crime,' SJ Strum, a BabyCentre naming expert and author, explained in a statement. 'More often, parents are unconsciously absorbing popular culture, and these names creep into our minds via gripping TV, podcasts and viral content.' 'It's a fascinating lens on how culture shapes language, and by extension, baby names,' she added. Nursery rhymes and true crime. The killer kiddos of Generation Beta — tots born this year and beyond — can blame the theme on the streams. Streaming platforms, like Netflix, have recently made a killing off of shows, documentaries and movies that spotlight salacious sins of notorious rouges. Think Zac Efron as Bundy in 2019 flick 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,' Joe Exotic's story in 2020 series 'Tiger King' and Delvey's 'Inventing Anna'-inspired thriller in 2022. In a number of cases, the cinematic sneak peek into the lives of the offenders has offered audiences a new perspective on the men and women behind the crimes, humanizing the antiheroes as misunderstood martyrs. And the names currently flooding the maternity are living proof of the media's freaky influence. Here are the true crime-inspired monikers featured in BabyCentre's top 100 baby names for 2025. Anna – The 'Fake Heiress' Anna Delvey Arthur – Arthur Lee Allen, 'This is the Zodiac Speaking,' suspected Zodiac Killer Bella – Inspired by wellness scammer, Belle Gibson Erin – Erin Patterson, The Mushroom Killer Freddie & Rose – The story of serial killer couple Fred and Rose West, featured in Netflix's 'Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story' Joseph – A nod to 'Joe Exotic', Tiger King Luca – From the documentary 'Don't F** with Cats' Teddy – A nickname inspired by serial killer Ted Bundy Ruby – From doc 'Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke,' an alleged child abuser Ronnie & Reggie – As in the notorious London gangsters, the Kray twins, featured in film 'Legends.'
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I thought I had great cholesterol, but a trendy new blood test said the opposite — sending me down a mind-boggling rabbit hole
A new $500 membership service allows patients to skip the doctor's office and get their own labs. Function Health then gives people nutrition and supplement advice, and encourages retesting. I found the extra data interesting, but ultimately needed a doctor to properly interpret it. The Rock loves it, Zac Efron invests in it, and Equinox gym members are signing up for it in droves. Function Health is the latest hot commodity for longevity seekers looking to optimize their health. The promise is simple: skip the waiting room at the doctor's office and head straight to the lab, for comprehensive medical testing that evaluates the health of key organs, like your heart and kidneys. Function also measures some things that "regular" doctors typically don't, like electrolyte levels as well as the so-called "heavy metals" — lead, mercury — potentially poisonous substances that can sometimes lurk in our air, water, and food. It might even find cancer. I wanted to see what all the big buzz was about with this $500 annual blood-and-pee testing service, so I tried it out. Disclaimer: I didn't have to pay for it, because Function Health gave out free trials to journalists as the company is still in beta testing mode. In the end, my Function results led me to seek out more advice from doctors than I usually would, to help me separate the signal from the noise in all the data. The good news is that Function is not a huge time suck. It takes about 15 minutes to get the initial testing done and you can roll up to just about any Quest Diagnostics lab location nationwide (except in Hawaii and Rhode Island). Their tests measure over 90 different biomarkers in your blood and urine, including almost all the typical stuff you'd find in a doctor's office (except STD testing). Function performed roughly three times the number of tests I had done the last time I went to the doctor's office for routine bloodwork. There were more measurements related to hormones, key nutrients, my metabolism, and heart health. Function Health also measured my "biological age," a scientifically squishy indicator of health and fitness. With so many tests being run, there's a good chance that something you measure when you do Function will come back abnormal. That doesn't always mean there's something wrong with you; sometimes your own "normal" doesn't fit neatly into a given reference range. Function is OK with having a few errant flags in the data, and encourages re-testing any out of range labs. Their ethos is the more information, the better. It's about creating a more detailed picture of your overall health, not making sure each test is perfect every time. People are "wanting to know more about their biology, and to be advocates for their own health," Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the founders of Function Health, told Business Insider. Hyman, a longtime friend of US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chalks it up "to disillusionment with healthcare in general" in the US. Hyman says many people who use Function's tests may be able to resolve their own health concerns without ever seeing a doctor afterwards. "While you'll need to see a doctor for certain things, the beauty of Function is you come in, follow up, order follow up tests on yourself, and then you can follow the guidance," Hyman said. His venture dovetails with the rise of new tech promising to put you in the driver's seat of your own health. Think wearables (rings, watches, glucose monitors) and concierge medicine (full body MRIs, anti-aging IV drips). As the personalized medicine industry booms, Function is taking off. The company says its membership has more than doubled since December, to more than 200,000 customers. The very first "out of range" marker that was mentioned in my Function report was a cholesterol measurement. While my regular LDL, or "bad" cholesterol number — the one you'd get measured in a doctor's office — looked fine, Function also measured the size of my LDL cholesterol particles. Apparently, I had slightly elevated numbers of small and medium sized LDL cholesterol particles, which are more dangerous than larger LDL particles. This "could indicate an increased risk for cardiovascular disease despite normal LDL cholesterol levels," my results said, adding "it is vital to address the out-of-range results." This was a surprise. I had always been told I have "good" cholesterol. I started imagining all those tiny, sticky cholesterol particles racing towards my aging heart. Knowing how important heart health is for healthy aging, and that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, I started to worry. Should I quit my beloved mayonnaise? Maybe I should at least cut back. After my initial shock, I reached out to independent cardiologists and longevity doctors for this story. I also spoke directly to Hyman about my results. All of those physicians refocused my attention, helping me interpret the results, and zoom in on the more meaningful ways to adjust my lifestyle. Frankly, they reminded me why this kind of testing isn't widely recommended, and why we go to the doctor in the first place. Even for me, a seasoned health journalist who isn't generally freaked out by medical test results, this felt like a lot to take in. In addition to the supposedly off-balance cholesterol numbers, there was also low vitamin D, and a few other items that could impact everything from my immunity to metabolism and fertility. Without a doctor's advice, I found it was easy to get lost in the noise of all the results. "I think if you showed any cardiologist or lipidologist your panel, they wouldn't be worrying about you," Dr. Ken Feingold, an emeritus professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who is an expert on lipids and lipoprotein metabolism, told BI. The cholesterol numbers that really matter were fine, including the basics (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL) but also some of the more niche measurements that doctors are now factoring into clinical decision-making, like lipoprotein A and apolipoprotein B (APOB), Feingold said. "I think it would be very unfair to expect a consumer, the person that had the lab work done to try and figure it out on their own," Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Ohio who is also not involved with Function Health, told BI. In theory, Function is designed to help consumers make simple nutrition tweaks they hadn't thought to make — perhaps adding fatty fish for omega-3, vitamin D, or fiber supplements. "80% of people's health issues will never need a doctor," Hyman said. "They're really lifestyle-driven and they can be modified through modifying your diet and your lifestyle." However, as a consumer, I found the barrage of information confusing, making it harder to feel in control of good decision-making. Plus, while Function gave me diet and supplement recommendations (vitamin D, fiber, berberine, omega-3, and coQ10, along with more fish and eggs), it buried the most important piece of nutrition advice that every doctor I spoke to was quickly able to point out. In a follow-up interview with Hyman — which is not standard procedure for Function patients — he told me I could improve my particle numbers by cutting down on, or ideally eliminating, refined starches and sugars. This was advice that was not highlighted in my Function dashboard, but other doctors wholeheartedly agreed. It was the first thing they said. Miora longevity clinic director Dr. Gregory Pippert uses advanced blood testing that's similar to Function's, often catering to patients who are trying to optimize their health and gains in the gym. "I look at so much green on that," he said of my cholesterol panel. "Then I see particle numbers that are not massively high." For Pippert, the headline was simple: just skip the refined grains more often. "Do I really, really need the big extra thick slice of white bread? Maybe not," Pippert said. "It's making the good choices more than the bad choices, but not obsessing." Seeing more granular data may help some patients take general pieces of health advice — to hit the gym five days a week, incorporate more strength training, or adhere to heart healthy diets, like the Mediterranean diet, more seriously. "The anxiety associated with the results may trigger more compliance with lifestyle modification," Sabgir said. But how can we be sure we'll pick out the right tweaks on our own? If I'm skipping mayo but not switching to whole grains or cutting back on sugar, I'm probably not going to have a huge impact on my test results. "I don't know why people are offering this," Feingold said. "It's a way to make a lot of money because sure, they're charging a significant amount of money for this, but you don't really need it to make decisions about who you're going to treat, most of the time." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
05-07-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
I thought I had great cholesterol, but a trendy new blood test said the opposite — sending me down a mind-boggling rabbit hole
The Rock loves it, Zac Efron invests in it, and Equinox gym members are signing up for it in droves. Function Health is the latest hot commodity for longevity seekers looking to optimize their health. The promise is simple: skip the waiting room at the doctor's office and head straight to the lab, for comprehensive medical testing that evaluates the health of key organs, like your heart and kidneys. Function also measures some things that "regular" doctors typically don't, like electrolyte levels as well as the so-called "heavy metals" — lead, mercury — potentially poisonous substances that can sometimes lurk in our air, water, and food. It might even find cancer. I wanted to see what all the big buzz was about with this $500 annual blood-and-pee testing service, so I tried it out. Disclaimer: I didn't have to pay for it, because Function Health gave out free trials to journalists as the company is still in beta testing mode. In the end, my Function results led me to seek out more advice from doctors than I usually would, to help me separate the signal from the noise in all the data. I freaked out about all the little cholesterol particles hiding out in my blood The good news is that Function is not a huge time suck. It takes about 15 minutes to get the initial testing done and you can roll up to just about any Quest Diagnostics lab location nationwide (except in Hawaii and Rhode Island). Their tests measure over 90 different biomarkers in your blood and urine, including almost all the typical stuff you'd find in a doctor's office (except STD testing). Function performed roughly three times the number of tests I had done the last time I went to the doctor's office for routine bloodwork. There were more measurements related to hormones, key nutrients, my metabolism, and heart health. Function Health also measured my " biological age," a scientifically squishy indicator of health and fitness. With so many tests being run, there's a good chance that something you measure when you do Function will come back abnormal. That doesn't always mean there's something wrong with you; sometimes your own "normal" doesn't fit neatly into a given reference range. Function is OK with having a few errant flags in the data, and encourages re-testing any out of range labs. Their ethos is the more information, the better. It's about creating a more detailed picture of your overall health, not making sure each test is perfect every time. People are "wanting to know more about their biology, and to be advocates for their own health," Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the founders of Function Health, told Business Insider. Hyman, a longtime friend of US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chalks it up "to disillusionment with healthcare in general" in the US. Hyman says many people who use Function's tests may be able to resolve their own health concerns without ever seeing a doctor afterwards. "While you'll need to see a doctor for certain things, the beauty of Function is you come in, follow up, order follow up tests on yourself, and then you can follow the guidance," Hyman said. His venture dovetails with the rise of new tech promising to put you in the driver's seat of your own health. Think wearables (rings, watches, glucose monitors) and concierge medicine (full body MRIs, anti-aging IV drips). As the personalized medicine industry booms, Function is taking off. The company says its membership has more than doubled since December, to more than 200,000 customers. I ended up overanalyzing my results, and coming to some pretty silly conclusions The very first "out of range" marker that was mentioned in my Function report was a cholesterol measurement. While my regular LDL, or "bad" cholesterol number — the one you'd get measured in a doctor's office — looked fine, Function also measured the size of my LDL cholesterol particles. Apparently, I had slightly elevated numbers of small and medium sized LDL cholesterol particles, which are more dangerous than larger LDL particles. This "could indicate an increased risk for cardiovascular disease despite normal LDL cholesterol levels," my results said, adding "it is vital to address the out-of-range results." This was a surprise. I had always been told I have "good" cholesterol. I started imagining all those tiny, sticky cholesterol particles racing towards my aging heart. Knowing how important heart health is for healthy aging, and that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, I started to worry. Should I quit my beloved mayonnaise? Maybe I should at least cut back. After my initial shock, I reached out to independent cardiologists and longevity doctors for this story. I also spoke directly to Hyman about my results. All of those physicians refocused my attention, helping me interpret the results, and zoom in on the more meaningful ways to adjust my lifestyle. Frankly, they reminded me why this kind of testing isn't widely recommended, and why we go to the doctor in the first place. Without help from doctors, I was stressing about the wrong things in my labs and on my plate Even for me, a seasoned health journalist who isn't generally freaked out by medical test results, this felt like a lot to take in. In addition to the supposedly off-balance cholesterol numbers, there was also low vitamin D, and a few other items that could impact everything from my immunity to metabolism and fertility. Without a doctor's advice, I found it was easy to get lost in the noise of all the results. "I think if you showed any cardiologist or lipidologist your panel, they wouldn't be worrying about you," Dr. Ken Feingold, an emeritus professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who is an expert on lipids and lipoprotein metabolism, told BI. The cholesterol numbers that really matter were fine, including the basics (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL) but also some of the more niche measurements that doctors are now factoring into clinical decision-making, like lipoprotein A and apolipoprotein B (APOB), Feingold said. "I think it would be very unfair to expect a consumer, the person that had the lab work done to try and figure it out on their own," Dr. David Sabgir, a cardiologist in Ohio who is also not involved with Function Health, told BI. In theory, Function is designed to help consumers make simple nutrition tweaks they hadn't thought to make — perhaps adding fatty fish for omega-3, vitamin D, or fiber supplements. "80% of people's health issues will never need a doctor," Hyman said. "They're really lifestyle-driven and they can be modified through modifying your diet and your lifestyle." However, as a consumer, I found the barrage of information confusing, making it harder to feel in control of good decision-making. Plus, while Function gave me diet and supplement recommendations (vitamin D, fiber, berberine, omega-3, and coQ10, along with more fish and eggs), it buried the most important piece of nutrition advice that every doctor I spoke to was quickly able to point out. Doctors told me to cut back on white bread and enjoy avocados In a follow-up interview with Hyman — which is not standard procedure for Function patients — he told me I could improve my particle numbers by cutting down on, or ideally eliminating, refined starches and sugars. This was advice that was not highlighted in my Function dashboard, but other doctors wholeheartedly agreed. It was the first thing they said. Miora longevity clinic director Dr. Gregory Pippert uses advanced blood testing that's similar to Function's, often catering to patients who are trying to optimize their health and gains in the gym. "I look at so much green on that," he said of my cholesterol panel. "Then I see particle numbers that are not massively high." For Pippert, the headline was simple: just skip the refined grains more often. "Do I really, really need the big extra thick slice of white bread? Maybe not," Pippert said. "It's making the good choices more than the bad choices, but not obsessing." Seeing more granular data may help some patients take general pieces of health advice — to hit the gym five days a week, incorporate more strength training, or adhere to heart healthy diets, like the Mediterranean diet, more seriously. "The anxiety associated with the results may trigger more compliance with lifestyle modification," Sabgir said. But how can we be sure we'll pick out the right tweaks on our own? If I'm skipping mayo but not switching to whole grains or cutting back on sugar, I'm probably not going to have a huge impact on my test results. "I don't know why people are offering this," Feingold said. "It's a way to make a lot of money because sure, they're charging a significant amount of money for this, but you don't really need it to make decisions about who you're going to treat, most of the time."
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Zac & Dylan Efron just turned a casual lake day into the thirst trap of the summer
If you heard a collective splash on gay Instagram this week, that was the sound of everyone diving into Zac andDylan Efron's latest IG drops. Zac, 37, kicked things off with a carousel that opened on him shirtless at the helm of a speedboat, aviators on, arms flexing like it's still Baywatch press-tour season. Swipe once and he's carving a perfect wake-surf line. Swipe again and you get him strolling the dock in nothing but board shorts and a strategically slung blue towel. Scroll to the end for an adorable sunset video with the bros trading cowboy hats. See on Instagram Dylan, 33, answered with a slick montage set to Briscoe's 'Easy Does It.' Over the text prompt 'Describe summer in one word,' the Traitors champ cannonballs off the deck, plays around with some handstands, and shares some dock time with his brother and longtime girlfriend Courtney King, whom he playfully tosses into the water. See on Instagram Predictably, comment sections became a parade of parched reactions. — (@) 'Save a horse, ride Zac and Dylan Efron,' claimed one user. 'Zac and Dylan Efron not at the same time bc they're brothers but idk one can tag in while the other goes to the gym and vice versa idk,' said another. — (@) The Efrons have history here: Dylan's infamous 'back arch' photo sent Insta into meltdown last year, and Zac has done his own share to catch our attention. But this joint flex hits more wholesome, homosocial, and dripping with bro-bod glory. While we wait for another summer roundup, queue the screenshots, crack a seltzer, and remember hydration is a lifestyle, especially when two shirtless Efrons are out making waves. This article originally appeared on Pride: Zac & Dylan Efron just turned a casual lake day into the thirst trap of the summer
