The 25 Fittest Men in the World – Part 1

For the past five years, Mens Fitness has been compiling a list of the fittest guys in the United States. This year they decided to include the rest of the world.

Here’s the list:

1.     Rafael Nadal

Someone at Mens Fitness is seriously in love with Nadal. Seriously.

I was going to print out their reasons behind choosing Nadal as the world’s fittest guy, but the author kept going on and on and on and on….it was a freaking love letter. Check it out here if you want.

2.     Hugh Jackman

C’mon he’s Wolverine. I’m surprised he wasn’t #1. No way is Nadal going to beat Wolverine in a street fight…even with a tennis racket.

3.    Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

To play “Heavy Duty” in the new G.I. Joe film, the British actor had to undergo his own version of basic training. “In four weeks I lost 35 pounds,” says Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who worked out with L.A.-based Epoch Training, the same crew responsible for shaping the cast of 300. “I’m thinking, ‘Why am I subjecting myself to this punishment? I’m only acting, I’m not a real superhero!’” Through a strict diet and fitness program that emphasized muscle confusion and intense cardio, the former star of Oz and Lost began to feel like a real warrior. “Muscles started popping out where I didn’t even know I had them,” he says, noting that his character’s gun weighed 120 pounds alone. “You see your body changing form like the Hulk and don’t even recognize it.”

4.     Josh Hamilton

A recovering drug addict, Hamilton is finally getting more attention for his actions on the field. The AL leader in RBIs last season with the Texas Rangers, the sweet-swinging outfielder added to his massive 6’4″ frame this winter, arriving at spring training weighing 240 pounds thanks to a dedicated off-season program in Arizona. “You see his power, his arm, everything,” said teammate David Murphy at the time. “Those are the things that make fans jump out of their seats and say, ‘Wow!’”

5.     Usain Bolt

Fastest Man in the World.

6.     Rudy Reyes

“We were the tip of the tip of the spear,” says Reyes of his special-forces unit, the first to invade Baghdad in 2003. Their experiences helped shape HBO’s Generation Kill, the gritty Iraq war miniseries in which Reyes played himself and served as military adviser.

His training philosophy eschews traditional bodybuilding techniques. “I’m more interested in real-world warrior strength,” he says. “I call it combat yoga.” Through body-weight circuits, kickboxing, and powerlifting (when they had access to weights), Reyes introduced the actors to the warrior mind-set. “It’s a sensibility where there are no limits,” he says. “It’s a lifelong endeavor.”

7.     Paul Ridley

In March, the former crew team member at Colgate University became the youngest American to row solo across the Atlantic, traveling from the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa to Antigua in the Caribbean. Inspired by the 2001 death of his mother from skin cancer, Ridley did it to raise money for cancer research through Row for Hope, his nonprofit organization (www.rowforhope.com). Ridley trained for nine months, rowing up to 10 hours a day and putting on an extra 15 pounds to make up for the 20 he’d lose during the three-month ordeal. Ridley now hopes to raise another $400,000 for the cause.

8.     Shani Davis

At 6’2″, 190 pounds, Davis is a much different athlete from the 155-pounders he usually skates against. “When I sink into the ice, it taxes my legs differently than a guy who’s 5’6″,” he says.

That’s why Davis trains so often, hitting the rink six days a week for two to four hours. He focuses on traditional leg lifts like squats and leg presses. He also calls running “fun,” and says plyometrics give his muscles some “snappiness,” which helps him best utilize his size. “I can carry my weight a lot easier than a smaller guy.”

A 2006 Olympic gold medalist, Davis has raced in short- and long-track events, though his height makes him more suited for longer distances. “People would say I’m a true all-around speed skater,” says Davis. “I can do almost anything on a blade.”

9.     Bob Burnquist

“Most skateboarders only work out when they’re coming back from an injury,” says Burnquist, who recently launched off his board into the Grand Canyon for a first of its kind BASE jump and continues to push the limits of Mega Ramp riding. “After a few injuries, I’ve taken a proactive role.”

The No. 1-ranked skateboarder employs bodyweight training, a medicine ball, and off-balance techniques to increase his body’s awareness of space and to improve his durability.

10.     Sir Richard Branson

Branson’s passion for fitness is exuded in both his personal endeavors and business interests. In addition to kiteboarding on his Necker Island, Branson swims, skis, surfs, dogsleds, and plays tennis.  The maverick also commits to physical wellness through companies like Virgin Health Miles and Virgin Active, a chain of U.K. gyms, which will soon be expanding worldwide.

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Stay tuned for part 2

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