Find out more about how you can learn lifesaving CPR in just 15 minutes on your mobile for free.

At MAN v FAT Football, we’re always looking for ways to support our members beyond the pitch. That’s why we’re excited to share a fantastic opportunity from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) that could make a real difference in an emergency. The BHF’s free RevivR training lets you learn CPR in just 15 minutes right from your phone or tablet – and it’s a skill that could help save a life.

The BHF is on a mission to create a nation of lifesavers, and with RevivR, it’s easier than ever to get the training you need. Inspired by the increased awareness of CPR after Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest during the 2020 UEFA Euros, RevivR provides a quick, simple, and interactive way to learn the life-saving technique. Click here to get started.

If you’re keen for success and are eyeing up the top spot, you’ll need to know how the MAN v FAT Football scoring system works. Let’s get into it.

On the pitch, the rules for MAN v FAT Football are pretty similar to the rules for any small-sided football league.

Off the pitch, and unique to MAN v FAT Football, are a number of weight-loss and healthy habit–related bonus goals that can be scored by players and teams to add to the score – and often decide the outcome of the match.

Players can score bonus goals in four ways:

1. Team bonus. Each week we add up the number of players on your team that have either lost weight versus the previous week or maintained their healthy BMI*. We award a goal for each pair, up to a maximum of 5 goals per team – so that’s 1 goal per every 2 player that loses weight, with half goals rounded up.*All players must have a BMI of at least 27.5 to join MAN v FAT Football. Once a player reaches a healthy BMI, we no longer encourage them to keep losing weight, so the rules switch up for them and they get bonuses for maintaining a healthy BMI, whether they gain or lose weight. Players who record a weight that is both heavier than the previous week and heavier than they were at the start of the current season will score an own goal.
2. Hat tricks. Any time an individual player records three losses within their club’s league season, they score 1 full bonus goal. These losses don’t need to be consecutive, but they don’t overlap seasons, so one player can get a maximum of 4 hat tricks for his team each season.
3. 5% loss bonuses. When a player reaches an incremental milestone loss of 5% of his body weight, he gets 3 full bonus goals for his team, a maximum of twice per season. This is always based off your weight when you first join us, so you’ll get a bonus for losing 5%, 10%, 15% of that starting weight, and so on, until you reach a healthy BMI for your height. If you manage to lose 15% of your starting weight in just one season, first of all, hats off to you, and second of all, don’t worry about missing out on those sweet, sweet bonuses – they’ll carry over to the first week of the following season so you can hit the ground running.
4. Food diary tracking. Teams will score 1 additional bonus goal for every 1-3 players who complete their weekly food diaries. This encourages mindfulness about your eating habits and a supportive team, since you’ll all need to work together and stay accountable to one another if you want to score the maximum number of points.

Losing weight is the key to success with your team in MAN v FAT Football, so don’t forget to focus on building your healthy habits as well as your performance on the pitch.

If you’ve taken part in your first MAN v FAT Football session and feel like you can’t walk the next day, that’d be the DOMS. Never heard of it? Let’s get into it.

What is DOMS?

DOMS stands for delayed-onset muscle soreness. It’s a fancy term for the muscle soreness that can happen after you exercise, especially if you’ve not exercised for a while, or if you’ve had a particularly vigorous session.

You might feel it in one place, like your legs, when you move or tense muscles. It usually comes on about 24-48 hours after exercise and can last a few days.

Is it actually DOMS?

It’s important to remember that DOMS is delayed. It’s not something you feel during exercise, so if you’re feeling pain during exercise don’t just dismiss it. DOMS is also about soreness, it’s not a sharp or severe pain. It also shouldn’t stop you from doing everyday activities, even though you might feel sore or uncomfortable.

If you’re feeling a sharp, severe pain that’s so bad it’s limiting your movement, that’s more likely to be an injury you should get checked out.

Why do we get DOMS?

DOMS is due to tiny tears in your muscles from moving them in a way your body isn’t used to. That can be from doing exercise that’s new to you, returning to exercise after a break, or if you exercise more vigorously than you’re used to.

‘Tiny tears’ in your muscles may sound scary, but it’s normal and expected. The pain you feel is thought to be the body’s inflammatory response to these microscopic tears.

Is DOMS a good thing?

You’ve heard of ‘no pain, no gain’, right? Well, feeling sore after exercise isn’t really a goal you should aim for, because that could lead to you pushing yourself too far and ending up with an injury. Even if you’re lucky and you don’t injure yourself, pushing yourself to do too much, too soon can lead to feeling fatigued, overwhelmed, and demotivated.

There is a small nugget of wisdom in the ‘no pain, no gain’ philosophy though: when you work your muscles and produce those tiny tears, your body will get to work repairing them. And if you give your body the right tools to repair your muscles (healthy food including plenty of healthy protein and good fats, good sleep), they’ll build back stronger and leaner.

Will I always experience DOMS?

As you get used to being active, you’ll experience DOMS less and less. This is where real progress is made, because if you keep it up, you’ll soon be able to do the hard things that once caused you to crawl up the stairs without any soreness the next day. Then you can gradually increase the intensity of your workouts.

Of course, if you stop exercising, then try to exercise at the same intensity after a break of several weeks, you’ll probably experience DOMS again as your body will be out of practice.

Recovering from DOMS

We know DOMS can feel crap, and no amount of telling yourself it’s for your own good helps when every step hurts. Here’s how you can help your body recover:

• Rest is absolutely vital to help your body thrive, and rest is just as important as activity when you’re looking to reduce fat and build muscle.
• Make sure you have rest days in between your MAN v FAT Football sessions and other exercise. This should include ‘active recovery’, where you do light exercise, like stretching and walking. It’ll probably feel awful at first, but warming your muscles up gently like this will do them the world of good. Don’t stop using your muscles entirely: gentle movement is one of the most effective ways of easing the soreness, through increased blood flow.
• Try and get enough sleep. Your body does its best repairing and rebuilding when you’re asleep, so get a good bedtime routine going and get your head down.
• Drink plenty of water and keep up your healthy eating, making sure you eat lots of lean protein.
• Massage your sore muscles. A foam roller can help.

How to prevent DOMS

The only foolproof way of preventing DOMS completely is not exercising, but you shouldn’t let fear of DOMS put you off being active.

The most important way of lessening the chances of developing debilitating DOMS is to warm up and cool down properly when you exercise. Dynamic warm ups, where you mimic the exercises you’re about to do, is a great way of preparing your muscles for activity.

Similarly, cooling down after your work out gets your muscles gradually used to not moving as much again.

Get the pump?

We’d all love to be able to instantly do Arnie-level workouts at the gym, or be able to outrun Usain Bolt, but listen to your body and go easy.

Losing weight and getting fitter takes time, and though that can be frustrating, push yourself too hard and you’ll end up out of action with a nasty injury.

It’s ok to challenge yourself and up the intensity of your workouts, but only do what you’re comfortable with, and gradually increase the intensity instead of suddenly going for broke.

Starting something new is always daunting, and you might be wondering what your time at MAN v FAT Football is going to be like. We completely get it, and while it’s easy for us to say ‘it’ll all be fine!’, it’s much better to hear it from people who have been in your shoes.

We’ve been running MAN v FAT Football for years and (not to brag or anything) have helped thousands of men lose weight. We asked our current football players what advice they’d give to guys just starting out, and this is what they said.

You get what you put in

“MAN v FAT is a journey you’re in control of” says Lee, who thrived on how good it feels to be improving your health. “Choices will be hard, but the feel-good factor when you achieve your targets and people start to notice your change is something you won’t experience anywhere else.”

Similarly, Nathan is keen to point out the importance of prioritising weight loss. He’s been a MAN v FAT player for over 7 years but didn’t take it seriously at first.

“I prioritised the football first, so I yo-yoed in weight, never really getting anywhere. But then I finally started to focus on weight loss.”

He’s now lost over 70lbs, and knows a lot about the challenges of staying consistent. “It’s not a race, it’s not about who loses it the quickest. You will fall off the wagon at some point, it’s just about getting back on. You’ve got to keep going, make it a lifestyle change”.

Support each other

One thing that makes MAN v FAT Football so successful, is the community the clubs create. Making the most of it is key to your long-term success, says Alan.

“Build a good community within your club, not only with your own team but with everyone. Support each other with weight loss, meal ideas, mental health, everything. When there’s an excellent support network available, weight loss will be easier.”

Ryan agrees and credits his MAN v FAT community with being a big part of his weight loss success. “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s a great community, the team spirit you build is second to none.”

Go at your own pace

“Once I had lost 10% of my starting weight, I slowly introduced extra physical activities which then helped push me to losing 15% of my body weight” says Andrew.

But remember to listen to your body, and don’t push yourself if you’re not ready. If you’ve not exercised since you were in school, you’re not going to suddenly be a pro football player. Anthony stresses the importance of remembering this: “Stretch those hamstrings, you’re no longer a teenager!”

Alan agrees and says “You’ll remember that you’re not a kid anymore and you’ll be tired out after 5-10 minutes at your first game. Enjoy yourself but remember to listen to your body. We’ve all been there pushing through it trying to look good!”

Enjoy it!

MAN v FAT Football is a great way of losing weight and improving your health, and one of the best things about it is that it’s actually fun! Above all, we hope you have a great time getting to know your teammates and getting out there on the pitch.

We’ll leave it to Nathan to sum it all up: “My advice is to do it now, take the risk, feel uncomfortable at your first weigh in but after that if you’re driven and committed and are consistent with your efforts, enjoy your football and the rest will come.”

You know you should be drinking enough water, but exactly how much is that?

The Eatwell Guide recommends we drink 6-8 glasses of fluid each day. It’s not just water, low fat milk, sugar free drinks, tea and coffee count too. Remember, it’s a guideline so it varies according to weight, lifestyle and activity level. If you’re more active, you’ll need to drink more.

Water makes up a whopping 60% of your body and it’s lost through sweating, peeing and even breathing. Being hydrated benefits your digestion, circulation and complexion. Fats are more easily broken down and converted into energy by a hydrated body, even more reason to find a way to keep hydrated.

Top tip: Often we feel hungry when we’re actually thirsty. If you’re feeling a little peckish, try drinking a large glass of water and then see how you feel. This can cut a snack or binge session off at the pass.

How do you know if you’re dehydrated?

Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, fatigue, headaches, dizziness and cramps. We don’t need to explain how that can impact your potential on the pitch.

Severe dehydration can lead to dry skin and lips, sunken eyes, fainting spells, rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing. You’re also more likely to get dehydrated more quickly if you’ve got diabetes, it’s a hot day, or if you’ve sweated a lot.

Can you drink too much?

As with most things in life, you can overdo it. Water intoxication (hyponatremia) is a thing, albeit a rare thing.

Drinking vast amounts too quickly leads to an abnormally low concentration of sodium in the bloodstream. This damages the kidneys and liver and can even be fatal. It’s very rare and you’d have to drink an absolutely huge volume of water, but it’s worth knowing about.

Regular glasses or bottles of water throughout your waking hours won’t put you in the danger zone, just don’t down 4 litres of water in one go.

Starting to drink more water will make you pee a lot, especially if you’re not used to drinking enough. And that’s okay – although it is a little annoying, we’ll give you that.

How do I know if I’m hydrated?

Check your pee. If urine is a pale yellow and you’re peeing frequently, you’re hydrated.
If it’s a darker colour or you’ve not been for a few hours, fill that glass up and get sipping.

It’s nerve-racking turning up to something new, so you’d be forgiven for feeling a little anxious about your first MAN v FAT Football session. But we’ve got your back – and here’s why you don’t need to worry.

I’ll stick out like a sore thumb

You might think this, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Remember, every guy at your MAN v FAT Football club is in the same boat as you: everyone wants to lose weight and get healthier. Besides, you can guarantee that you’ll receive a warm welcome from your coach, and by the end of the session we reckon you’ll be revelling in your team’s camaraderie.

What if no one talks to me?

We’ve all had this worry at some point, and it can be especially worrying if you’re naturally a bit of an introvert. But there’s never been a better place to strike up a conversation – you know you’ve got at least two things in common (football, and wanting to lose weight), so you’ve instantly got an in. Be bold and say hi!

What if I’m awful at football?

Want to lose weight? Good. Like football? Great. That’s literally all that matters. No one’s going to judge you on your fitness level or football skill. We’ve got guys on MAN v FAT Football leagues who are surprised they can even kick a ball, and it doesn’t hold them back in the slightest.

The important thing is that you turn up, try your best, and support your teammates.

Be honest, do you warm up before exercising? Well, you should. Warming up properly gets your body ready for movement, and it’s an important measure to help lessen the likelihood of injury.

If you think about warming up, you might think about stretches. Y’know, stuff like putting your arm behind your back and stretching it. And while these movements do have a place, they’re static, still stretches, and dynamic movements are much better for preparing to get moving.

Active movements help our bodies limber up and prep muscles for the strain to come. A lighter intensity version of the exercise you’re about to do can really help too.

Not sure where to start? Begin with trying these 5 simple dynamic warm-ups to get the blood flowing and get your primed for action.

Leg swings

• Standing straight, hold a wall for support.
• Swing your left leg back and forth gently.
• Repeat for 10 swings, then swap legs.
• You should find that each swing allows your leg to go a little higher, increasing the range of movement at the joint.

Lunge rotation

• Standing tall, gaze forward with your back straight.
• Take your left leg forward and bend the knee.
• Drop your right knee to the ground as you do so.
• Then rotate your torso to the right and turn your head to look over your right shoulder.
• Hold for 2-3 seconds, then release and come back up to standing.
• Aim for 4-5 rotations on each side.

Walkouts

• This is great for engaging your lower and upper body. Stand tall and bend at the hips, keeping your legs straight.
• Drop your arms down to the floor and walk with your hands forward until your body is in a plank position, with hands under your shoulders and body in a straight horizontal position.
• Then slowly walk your hands back towards your feet, eventually coming back up to standing.

Arm circles

• Keeping your arms straight, raise them forward and rotate them all the way behind you in a big circular movement.
• Repeat 5 arm circles forward, then 5 arm circles back.
  Glute bridges

Waking up your glute (bottom) muscles is important as they’re generally incredibly inactive from long periods spent sitting down. If your glutes aren’t woken up prior to exercise, other muscles in your legs may end up working harder to make up for sleepy bum muscles, and this can lead to injury.

• Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
• Slowly lift your hips up from the ground, keeping your upper back firmly down on the floor.
• Once your hips are lifted, hold the position for 5 seconds, squeezing your glutes, then slowly lower yourself back down.
• Aim to repeat this 10 times.

Not prepared enough and want more? No problemo.

Bodyweight squats

With your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees and drop down slowly, keeping your back upright and gaze forward. Keep your heels glued to the floor. Then, pushing through your heels, rise back up to standing. Aim for 10-15 repetitions.

Skipping

No rope? No problem! Simply act out the movements with an invisible rope. Aim to do this for 1 minute, whether your rope is real or imaginary. Get ready to feel the pump in your calf muscles!

Jumping jacks

AKA star jumps, there will wake up your entire body and raise your heart rate too.

Jump both feet out simultaneously while lifting your arms out to either side of your body and touching your hands up above your head. Then drop your arms back down to your side as you jump your feet back together. Aim for 20 repetitions.