No Days Off: Inside Robb Report’s April 2023 Fitness Issue
In this, our first fitness issue, we assemble some of the smartest, most celebrated trainers, health specialists and general white-coat-wearing brains to share some cutting-edge thinking on the subjects of looking good and feeling great.
You won’t be surprised to learn it goes somewhat further than the “eat less cake and go for a run” philosophy of a few so-called experts we’ve probably all had the misfortune of bumping into along our individual journeys to optimum health. But, importantly, the techniques and tips you’ll discover here feel manageable. Sure, it’ll take a measure of commitment, but nothing good comes easy, right?
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So to kick things off, let’s play a game. Spot the odd one out among the fitness protocols compiled on these pages. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers. Peptide drips. Plasmapheresis. Blood-flow restriction. Flash reflex training. A nice glass of Bordeaux and a chocolate mousse.
Did you get it? Correct—it was a trick question, as they’re all culled from legitimate expertise. Even the wine-and-pudding option. Actually, let’s turn to that first, because I really had to twist senior staff writer Lucy Alexander’s arm to persuade her to head off to the South of France to spend a few days on the Riviera being pampered while overlooking some of Europe’s most idyllic scenery. In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard a “Yep, bye” before I’d even finished talking.
Lucy astutely suspected that a French health spa might have a certain je ne sais quoi when compared to the more rigid regimes extolled by the German or Swiss fasting clinics that are so au courant right now. Indeed, at the Lily of the Valley wellness resort (even the name, a symbol of love and joy, is a giveaway), there’s a distinctly bacchanalian attitude detectable amid the workout programs and calorie-controlled dining. Hence the drink and dessert, even if the latter was made from avocado. That sense of smart thinking tempered with moderation stretches to the exercise philosophy, because, as the resort’s general manager explains, “Today longevity is taking care of your body so that you don’t need surgery and pills. It used to be a zigzag of excess and repair; now it’s continuous progress.” Intrigued? Turn to page 90 and get the full lowdown.
If you’re looking for something rather more hairy-chested, then you might appreciate the advice that five of the world’s top trainers offer you in “Shape Shifters.” That’s largely where the blood-flow restriction and flash reflex training come in, although there are plenty of other less technical suggestions, too. And in “The Path to the Peak,” we break down the science of longevity so you can pick what’s likely to work for you. You’re welcome. Though don’t thank me now; come find me when you’re 120 and we can go for a run to celebrate. Or maybe we can choose between the hardest, hottest footrace and the coldest—and what frankly looks the most miserable—triathlon instead. Click here and see whether you could handle either in The Duel.
Sticking to fitness(-ish), we look at the fascinating rise of nonalcoholic wines, which have exploded onto the lists of some of the world’s finest restaurants. Complex, nuanced and flavorful, these new beverages are increasingly popular with drinkers and nondrinkers alike as more of us choose to take a break—occasional or more long-term—from alcohol.
Elsewhere, we get behind the wheel of that most peculiar beast, the Ferrari Purosangue, the Prancing Horse’s seemingly reluctant entrant into the field of elite SUVs. Rather than allow it to become (heaven forbid) the financial driver for the company, as SUVs have for so many other marques, Ferrari insists it will account for only 20 percent of overall production, come what may. But the question really is, if you can get one, should you? We also reveal the most spectacular private villas to book this summer, meet the rather fabulous art and jewelry collector Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in The Answers, check out the latest from under-the-radar style star Umit Benan and question whether supersonic travel will ever take off again.
Enjoy the issue.
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