Archive of Men's Journal Magazine Articles

MAY 2012

Justin Verlander, The Throwback

Most pitchers are pampered, pitch-counting technicians who think six innings is a full day's work. Justin Verlander has a different strategy: Shut up and throw the ball.

Wade Davis, Wandering Spirit

The blood-drinking, psychedelic-toad-smoking, voodoo-inspired adventures of explorer Wade Davis.

Travis Pastrana Takes on NASCAR

One of the X Games' wildest heroes is searching for a second act – on the banked corners of NASCAR. But can he contend?

Lagos, Nigeria, is a city of 18 million people where the electricity barely works, the traffic doesn't move, and there's a corrupt cop on every corner. Yet somehow, it's almost impossible not to have fun here.

APRIL 2012

Woody Harrelson's (Mostly) Happy Ending

He lives off the grid in Hawaii with his wife and kids, his kiteboard, his organic garden, and his stoner buddies, 3,000 miles away from the Hollywood studios that never stop calling. No wonder Woody's pretty much a walking, talking ray of sunshine. Until he's not.

Why Workout Pain Is Good

Train to tolerate pain and you'll become a better athlete.

The Downside of MRIs

Do high-tech imaging scans cause more harm than good for casual athletes?

The U.S.-Mexico Border's 150 Miles of Hell

Drug smugglers and human traffickers have seized control of a narrow corridor of untamed Arizona desert along the U.S.–Mexico border, turning ranches – and even backyards – into killing fields. A visit to the most lawless place in America.

Marty Reisman, Ping-Pong Hustler

Marty Reisman's athletic career may have peaked during the Truman administration – but that hasn't kept him from living every day since like he is champion of the world.

MARCH 2012

Kit Harington, the Game Changer

Here's hoping Harington's Jon Snow survives until the end of 'Game of Thrones,' HBO's breakout fantasy epic.

Gerard Butler's Mavericks Wipeout

Actor Gerard Butler had a brush with death filming the biopic of legendary surfer Jay Moriarity.

Laird Hamilton's High Performance Breathing

Whether you're surfing, climbing, or skiing, deep breathing calms your body and readies your muscles for movement.

Losing the Last Hundred Pounds

How one indulgent big guy stopped living every day like it was Thanksgiving and lost a third of his body weight.

Can Oral Sex Cause Cancer?

More and more men are contracting throat cancer from a shockingly common sexually transmitted disease. Here's what you need to know to protect yourself.

The Last Word: Jared Diamond

The scientist and acclaimed author of 'Guns, Germs, and Steel' on facing fear, being rescued at sea, and why one German wine is the best.

FEBRUARY 2012

Mark Wahlberg Handles His Business

He gave up the partying, stopped the brawling, and even erased the tattoos (well, mostly). The man once best known for dropping trou has evolved into a Hollywood force on and off the screen. Now can someone please get him Barry Pepper on the phone?

The Last Word: Sugar Ray Leonard

The boxing legend on courage, eye contact, and the pain of Pilates.

Tom Freston, Runaway Mogul

Tom Freston spent 26 years pushing the likes of 'Beavis and Butt-Head,' 'Yo! MTV Raps,' and 'South Park.' Then he did something really cool: He got fired, and instead of finding another gilded media perch, he took charge of Bono's nonprofit and resumed his lifelong globe-trotting – hooking up American conservatives with reformed warlords in Liberia and helping to bring his favorite medium to the Afghan masses.

The Dawn of Bodybuilding

In the 1970s, a new breed of American man emerged from the weight rooms of Gold's Gym in Venice Beach. Led by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a clique of world-class bodybuilders – muscle-bound, steroid-fueled, bronzed like suntanned gods – pumped iron, chased girls, and changed the world's exercise culture forever.

DECEMBER 2011

Dawes' American Classic

Our favorite new band, L.A. '70s rock revivalists Dawes, have built an intense, growing fan base precisely because of their dedication to a dated aesthetic: no-frills craftsmanship, big-lunged choruses, and songs about guys with big hearts and bummed-out thoughts.

A Drunken Afternoon With Anthony Bourdain

By the time he turned 40, Anthony Bourdain was convinced he'd never be a top chef or a great writer and he'd never realize his dream of traveling the world. A decade later he's writing bestsellers, criss-crossing the globe as TV's best-fed hedonist, and spending more time at the bar than in the kitchen.

NOVEMBER 2011

How Muhammad Ali Conquered Fear and Changed the World

Before he was boxing's greatest champion, Ali channeled the fears of African-American youth in the segregated South into a fierce energy, propelling himself to an easy world heavyweight championship title. Then, just as suddenly, he turned that prominence into a political stand, redefining what it meant to be a black athlete in America. This is his story.

The Testosterone Dilemma

Toxins, obesity, and even fatherhood could be causing a drop in testosterone. But do you really need hormone therapy?

Elon Musk’s Risky Business

How America's boldest entrepreneur doubled down on his dreams – of rockets and electric cars – and nearly lost them all.

OCTOBER 2011

Mark Ruffalo's Good Life Formula

How Hollywood's greenest star found peace.

Plus: The New Whiskey Masters

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW

Subscribe to Men’s Journal »

Stay Connected

How we use your email

We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Men's Journal and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.