Health & Fitness

The Science: Riding the Storm

Laird Hamilton's fitness odyssey is challenging our understanding of how athletes age

On the morning of Monday, December 3, 2007, Laird Hamilton heard the monsters stomping off the north shore of Maui.

"The big waves often kick up during the night," says Hamilton, hunched over an espresso at a café in Paia, near his home, seven weeks later. With his daunting slabs of muscle and blazing green eyes, Hamilton has an overpowering physical presence, yet he emanates an aura of calm. "You lie in your bed and try to sleep, but you can feel the waves building. When an 80-footer breaks, the foundation of the house trembles. That's why I live on Maui: The waves come to you. It's my job to be ready for them."

Get Back in the Game

Within every man is the heart of an athlete. Rediscover yours.

At some point, many a forty-something guy has come to the same delusion: His glory days in athletics are behind him. "It's the greatest falsehood of aging," says Mark Verstegen, president of Athletes' Performance, in Tempe, Arizona. "At the age of 40, much of a man's athletic potential has simply been locked down by the sacrifices he has made to climb the ladder of success." The key to turning back the clock is to focus on exercises that build not only strength and power, but also muscular symmetry, coordination, and stability. "And that's what the following workout does," says Verstegen, "in just 30 minutes a day."

The Diet: The 40/40 Club

Forty must-have foods for the 40-year-old body

The Passion: You Can Go Home Again

After more than 30 years away from the game he loves, Mark Svengold laced up his cleats, stepped up to the plate, and struck a blow against the sliders and curveballs of midlife

Size Matters

Measuring the risks of penile surgery

Five to seven inches: That's the average size of an erect penis. Although most men believe they have an average-size penis, according to a recent study in Psychology of Men & Masculinity, most still want it to be larger. If you're not satisfied, your options are limited. Those vacuum pumps, pills, and lotions on late-night infomercials don't work and may damage your penis or even cause impotence. Phalloplasty, a cosmetic procedure to increase the length or girth of your penis, is another option, but tread carefully: "These relatively new cosmetic techniques haven't been proved safe, and training for them is not provided by any American medical specialty board," says plastic surgeon Alan Matarasso, a spokesman for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Trimming your pubes and losing your spare tire can make your penis appear larger, but if you're considering more drastic measures for your member, here's what you need to know.