“I’m a huge Birkenstocks guy,” says Bumstead. He owns three pairs of these comfortable suede slides. (He’s owned one pair for 10-plus years.) “I train barefoot, and I can slip these sandals on or off easily when I’m at the gym.”
Read More: Our Review of the Birkenstock Arizona Sandal
Because Bumstead weighs 250 pounds, running would wreck his knees. So he bikes instead. “I have always enjoyed riding and this bike is more comfortable than a typical road bike,” he says. “Because it’s a hybrid, it can handle some of the gravel I have to go over in my neighborhood.”
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
“I wear this pair of shorts every single day because they fit perfectly and feel super light,” he says. “The zippered pockets keep my valuables safe when I’m traveling or on my bike.”
Read More: Best Gym Shorts, Tested by Us
“It is 100 degrees in my gym most days, and this helps keep my liquids cooler,” Bumstead says. He uses it to hold his mixture of water, aminos, and electrolytes. And it’s his go-to container for his shake made with his own RAW Protein Powder.
Putting on the kind of muscle that Bumstead needs for competition would be challenging with just food. “I don’t think I’ve gone a single day in 15 years without drinking a protein shake,” he says.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Bumstead sits in this hot box for 30 minutes, four or five times a week. “I’ve noticed that I feel a lot better when I do this consistently.”
Read More: Best Home Saunas, Tested by Us
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
Charles Thorp is the Fitness and Commerce Editor at Men’s Health, where he shares the best product recommendations in gym equipment, recovery tools, supplements, and more. Following an early life in athletics, Charles became a NASM-certified trainer and began writing programs alongside the most respected coaches in the world.
Since entering the world of fitness content, Charles has had the opportunity to learn from and train alongside high performance individuals from the NFL, UFC, NBA, Formula 1, CrossFit, US Olympics, and Navy SEALs. When he’s not writing about training programs or gear, he can be seen at the gym or in the wild, putting them to the test.
