This article was produced in partnership with Capelli Sport
If you’re a footie fan, odds are you’ve seen the name Capelli Sport emblazoned on soccer jerseys. The brand opened its doors in 2011 as a soccer equipment and apparel provider, serving teams and players around the world.
The company’s growth story was seismic. After a few years supplying predominantly youth and amateur teams stateside, it landed an exclusive deal with Greek club champion AEK Athens in 2018, stealing the iconic club away from its former provider, Nike. It’s struck up a handful of other professional and national team deals while continuing to sell its wares to an American consumer base, too.
Sometime in those early years, the company started talking about what they saw as a natural expansion of their business. If they could make a soccer business work on multiple continents, they could branch into fitness and lifestyle gear as well. So they did, periodically rolling out new products to its fitness line over the back half of the 2010s and into the new decade.
It wasn’t like the company was new to the fashion industry in the first place. Capelli Sport’s parent company, GMA Accessories, brought a 34-year track record to the table. GMA’s expertise guided Capelli Sport as it expanded beyond soccer.
The New York-based Capelli Sport prided itself from the beginning on fostering a collaborative relationship with its customers—another aspect of the company’s approach to business that started with GMA’s fashion products, as far back as the 1990s .
Capelli Sport leaders wanted a two-way exchange of ideas that would improve offerings, rather than a standard supplier-customer relationship. And for the last several years, the company has tried to capture that same spirit for athletes in sports and exercise activities well beyond the pitch. Capelli Sport’s scope has changed, but to hear leadership explain the firm’s growth, two things have not: its pricing and goals.
“It’s one thing we discuss every day,” says George Altirs, GMA’s CEO and President. “Any time we’re developing a new product, we talk about the product, obviously. But I’d say 50 percent of that conversation, if not more, is spent on the customer. ‘Will the customer enjoy this product? Will the customer come back? If they come back with feedback, do we have the proper answers for them?’ It’s always about the customer.”
To that end, Altirs describes an exhaustive feedback process between Capelli Sport’s product designers and early customers and testers to refine the company’s new fitness line. It’s the same approach GMA has brought to fashion for three decades, now aimed squarely at fitness. The result is something for just about every type of athlete, in just about every setting.
The focus on ease of use and versatility doesn’t just apply to what the products can do. It applies to who they’re for.
“Our fitness line is for everyone and anyone at an affordable price,” Altirs says. “It complements the entry-level person getting into fitness, as well as that advanced athlete. Any time we develop a product, we think of anyone and everyone.”
A common shortcoming with sports and fitness apparel is that companies brand them for elite athletes exclusively. The lines don’t always offer athletes anything special, but they’re inaccessible enough to chase away the rest of us. That’s the primary thing Capelli Sport wanted to avoid with its line, and it seems to have worked. There’s something for athletes of every caliber, in a way that recalls the accessibility GMA has tried to convey with its products for over 30 years.
“A lot of brands don’t stand for much, and they don’t tell a great story, and I think Capelli Sport has been doing that over the last 10 years,” Altirs says. “We’re telling a great story. We’re building a community. And I think there are a lot of people who respect that.”
Men’s Journal readers get a 20 percent discount at Capelli Sport with the code MJ20.
Spotlights From Capelli Sport’s New Fitness Line
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CS Fly I Shoe
This running and training shoe boasts lightweight support. It has a soft fabric shell, something that often comes with significant strings attached, like a lack of durability and heel support. But the CS Fly side-steps those traps with a beefed-up sole that softens ground impact and limits wear and tear. It has a form-fitting, elastic-like fit to really lock your foot down. (If you’re sensitive to a tighter-fitting shoe, consider sizing up.)
These tights are effortlessly comfortable and suitable to the gym, track, or field—and a variety of different climates. We trained in them under Capelli Sport’s Men’s Uptown Training Short, wore them as long underwear on a snowy day, and took them for a brisk jog outdoors.
The Classic Packable Windbreaker can be folded up into the jacket’s front pocket, or transformed into a bag to be hooked or folded anywhere for easy travel. Elastic cuffs and drawstrings at the hood and bottom openings help to lock in the warmth while protecting you from the wind—perfect for a blustery morning run.
Versatile also characterizes the line’s crew socks, which are astonishingly warm for day-to-day wear but particularly good at keeping your feet from sliding around whether you’re sprinting across a field or doing a home HIIT workout.
Capelli Sports’s gym products also get a nice personal touch to make workouts more effective. The pushup bars are made of steel, rather than the unnervingly common plastic or wood, providing added stability. It has its own rubber grips on the bottom to prevent slippage (and to prevent the user, in turn, from faceplanting). While it comes at an added cost for Capelli Sport, it’s still affordable for the customer.
It’s hard to reinvent the wheel—or, in this case, roller—but Capelli Sport found ways to differentiate itself. Its body roller has a unique grooving pattern that makes for a delightful pre- or post-workout massage.
There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
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1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
Marius Bugge
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
Marius Bugge
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Marius Bugge
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
Marius Bugge
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Marius Bugge
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top. Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
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