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Our annual Outsiders of the Year list honors the most influential people changing our outdoor world. For 2019, our staff and contributorsnominated an original list of 81 candidates, then got busy whittling them down to a select few. The U.S. womens national soccer team handily won the top spot, not only bringing home their second consecutive World Cup victory, but fighting a battle for gender equality at the same time. Others making the final cut include the teenage leader of a global climate movement; a mountain biker whosbreaking Americas long dry spell on the World Cup circuit; a Nepali climber whos shattering a mountaineering speed record, and many more. Here are the athletes, entrepreneurs, activists, and creatives who blew up the status quo in 2019.

(Photo: Michael Regan/FIFA/Getty)

They move across the field as one, shifting with the ball, actions precisely calibrated. A beautiful, brutally efficient machine. And an unbeatable one.

The U.S. Womens National Team stormed through the World Cup this summer, never once trailing in a game, ending the monthlong contest with a championship trophy. They became back-to-back World Cup winners. Their opener, a 130 rout of Thailand, was the most lopsided victory in World Cup history. At a time when womens soccer has never been more competitive, they scored 26 goals over the course of the tournament, double the amount of the next-highest-scoring team. And they did it while waging an off-the-field battle against gender discrimination.

In part, they were able to pull this off because they have some of the best players in the world. Alex Morgan, who tallied five goals in the opener and ruffled feathers when she mimed sipping tea after scoring on the English. Rose Lavelle, whose tricky movement spun defenders in circles. Crystal Dunn, who showed unmatched versatility and made defense look exciting by shutting down opponents as left back. (Shes normally a striker or attacking midfielder.) Pink-haired co-captain Megan Rapinoe, who netted ice-in-the-veins penalty kicks. Tobin Heaths magical footwork, Julie Ertzs power, Lindsey Horans command of the midfield, Christen Presss preternatural scoring ability. Et cetera. Regarding the depth of the squads bench, defender Ali Krieger quipped to The New York Times, We have the best team in the world and the second-best team in the world. That swagger was matched with exuberant post-goal celebrations (see: Rapinoe, arms spread wide, chin held high) that garnered the team the full range of media descriptions: awesomely formidable, supremely confident, arrogant, ruthless, disgraceful, even villains.

Call them whatever you want, but they have inspired a massive American fan base to give a crap about womens soccer. Thousands traveled to see them play in France, while millions smashed audience records on TV. A stop on their victory tour in Philadelphia drew the largest audience in U.S. history for an exhibition soccer match: nearly 50,000 attended on a Thursday night in late August to see the U.S. beat Portugal 40 in an essentially meaningless game. (Even after the World Cup, the National Womens Soccer League, in which every member of the national team plays, saw sold-out matches for a majority of clubs.) And they did all this with less marketing, lower pay, and fewer resources than their male counterparts, who didnt even qualify for the previous mens World Cup, in 2018.

But the women of the national team knew what they deserved long before they won the World Cup (again). Which is why, in March, instead of focusing exclusively on their preparation for the biggest soccer tournament in the world, 28 members of the team22 of whom were selected for the 23-woman World Cup rostersued the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination. They wanted equal pay, yes, but they also wanted better workplace conditions. Whether its youth team programs, marketing, the branding of the team, how they sell tickets, what they spend advertising money on, what they pay each side, what they spend on support staff, what they spend on coaching, whats the travel budgetits all of that, Rapinoe told The New York Times Magazine in July. The compensation is sort of the last big part. Besides suing their own federation, the players have also criticized FIFA, the sports international governing body, for lackluster support of female players.

Were trying to make it better for the generations after us, Lavelle told Outside in September, noting that their fight is part of a larger global effort. There are a lot of people in womens soccer pushing for change. Its not just our team. Its a really cool time. Its very unifying for the sport. Over the past few years, the national teams from Spain, Australia, Argentina, Nigeria, Sweden, Afghanistan, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Chile, and elsewhere have protested for better conditions or pay. (There have been similar movements in cycling, surfing, hockey, basketball, and other sports.)

The women of the national team fight for other social issues, too, even at a time when some fans say that sports should be an apolitical arena. Rapinoe continues to support former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernicks protest against racial injustice by keeping her hands behind her back and declining to sing during the national anthem. And she, along with other team members and head coach Jill Ellis, often speaks out for LGBTQ representation and rights. In France, after she scored two goals in the teams quarterfinal victory over the home country, Rapinoe told a group of journalists, Go gays! adding, To be gay and fabulous during pride month at the World Cup is nice.

Rapinoe also found herself at the center of a national controversy mid-tournament when the magazine Eight by Eight released a video of her saying, Im not going to the fucking White House if the team won. (The video was shot earlier in the year.) After the clip went viral, President Trump tweeted in response, Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job!

And so she did. To be able to couple that with everything off the field, Rapinoe said after the final, to back up all of those words with performances and to back up all of those performances with words, its just incredible.

Ultimately, the women of the national team probably hope that one day they no longer have to be activists. They want womens sports to be mainstream. They want equal pay and resources, and for LGBTQ acceptance to be the norm. They want to be able to focus on being soccer players.

But for now, theyll do it all. And you can count on them to finish the job. Jessica Luther

(Photo: McNair Evans/Redux)

For all the recycling and LED-bulb burning we do, few personal choices benefit the earth more than giving up meat. Curb our cravings for post-ride burgers and well slash deforestation and greenhouse gases. The problem? Meat is delicious, says biochemist and former Stanford University professor Pat Brown. Figure out why in molecular terms and you will have gone a long way toward solving the biggest threat our species has ever faced.

Which is why Brown, 65, founded California-based Impossible Foods in 2011: to convert meat lovers to a plant-based imitation. But it wasnt until 2019 that his plan began to lookand tastemore like reality. In January, the company released the Impossible Burger 2.0, a grill-sizzling, aroma-exploding ground-beef imposter that even chefs like Momofukus David Chang cant believe didnt once chew its cud. Bill Gates, Serena Williams, and Jay-Z joined investors in a $300 million round of fundraising this year. Burger King is on board, too, with the Impossible Whopper.

The secret to the faux burgers meaty flavor: leghemoglobin, or heme, an iron-containing protein that Browns scientists synthesized by fermenting genetically engineered yeast. With ersatz chicken, fish, and pork products on the way, Brown hopes that by 2035 hell have helped remove animals from the food chain. How? Bycoming up with a technology that does a better job of delivering what consumers want, he says. The market will take care of the rest. Tim Neville

(Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty)

For most of her career, Caster Semenya, 28, has had to convince people that she has the right to compete with other female athletes.

In 2009, following her 800-meter world-championship win, the International Association of Athletics Federations, the governing body for track and field, subjected Semenya to a sex-verification test. The IAAF never released the results, but it cleared Semenya to return to competition in 2010. In the following years, she won two Olympic gold medals in the 800, and was undefeated at that distance from 2016 onward.

In 2018, the IAAF created a new policy that would affect athletes with differences of sexual development and naturally occurring but unusually high levels of testosterone for women. The rule applied to Semenya. Based on the notion that high testosterone levels in women give them an unfair advantage, the IAAF mandated that athletes competing in events including the womens 400, 800, and 1,500 meters must sustain a level at or below five nanomoles per liter for at least six months, even if it means taking hormones to do so. Semenya fought the decision. I am a woman and I am a world-class athlete. The IAAF will not drug me or stop me from being who I am, she said in a statement in May. Many in the medical community backed her, saying that the IAAFs decision was based on flawed research. Some reasoned that testosterone levels have little effect on athletic performance, or no more than other naturally occurring biological advantages such as height, body composition, and response to training.

But in July, the Swiss Supreme Court (the Court of Arbitration for Sport is based in Lausanne) upheld the IAAFs decision, barring Semenya from competing in the world championships and, effectively, any shorter-distance races. As other governing bodies and sporting institutions create and clarify their policies, the court decision was seen by some as a blow to any athlete who doesnt fit into traditionally defined categories of sex.

For her part, Semenya made it clear shed rather stand for what she believes ineven if it means sacrificing her career at its pinnacle. In September, she announced a professional soccer contract with a South African club, calling it a new journey. Gordy Megroz

(Photo: Courtesy Peak Design; Philip Montgomery)

In 2017, Peak Design founder and CEO Peter Dering surveyed the mounds of fossil-fuel-based fabrics used to make his companys camera bags and realized how bad it was for the planet. Then he discovered something shocking: for a mere $60,000 of its $30 million in sales that year, the company could buy enough credits to negate every last bit of its carbon emissions from its supply chain, from raw-materials extraction to shipping. And for $200,000, he could retroactively offset the companys entire existence since it began in 2011.

I thought, this is either B.S., or every company on the planet should be doing it, says Dering, 36. And it isnt B.S.

Responsible companies have long sought to mitigate their carbon footprints by calculating emissions and then purchasing credits that help fund projects that reduce an equivalent amount of carbon. But the standard calculation mostly considers corporate travel and energy consumption, which is often just a fraction of the true amount. Dering teamed up with Jonathan Cedar, CEO of BioLite (maker of fuel-efficient cookstoves and portable lights), to push companies of all kinds to tackle the entirety of their global-warming filth. In February, they launched Climate Neutral, a nonprofit that helps brands calculate their cradle to consumer footprint, reduce it, and figure out how to offset the rest in a low-cost way. Weve created tools that make this as easy as using QuickBooks, says Cedar, 39.

Eighteen companies signed up in August, including Allbirds, Avocado Mattress, and Kleen Kanteen, and that number is likely to triple by the end of the year. By the end of 2021, Climate Neutral hopes to have 700 brands contributing more than $260 billion to offset 131 million tons of carbona full 2 percent of U.S. emissions. Consumers can look for Climate Neutral certification on member companies goods and services to support companies that are taking emissions reduction seriously.

Dering and Cedar still want more: a policy shift. How big of a collection of brands do we need for governments to say this is what responsible business looks like and it doesnt ruin the economy? Cedar says. Thats the tipping point. T.N.

(Photo: Schneiter Family Archives)

In June, Schneiter, a ten-year-old from Glenwood Springs, Colorado, climbed the Nose, the iconic 31-pitch route up El Capitan in Yosemite. She completed it in five daysmost do it in three or fourwith her dad, Mike Schneiter, and a family friend. She shared her account of the trip with Outside.

My dad wanted to do a shorter route. But I wanted to do the Nose. Its a classic. It stands out. To prepare, I had to learn some new skills. We did a practice night on a portaledge in Colorado. People ask, What if you fall off in the middle of the night? I say, Well, youre still tied in.

That morning I ate vanilla-blueberry granola with whipping cream. As we were hiking to the base of El Cap, I was scared I might not get to the top. But mainly I was excited.

Ive been climbing since I was a toddler. Climbing has always been something we do as a family. I thought I might be one of the youngest girls to climb El Cap, but thats not why I was doing it. I was doing El Cap because I climb and it was one of my goals.

I never wanted to quit, but I definitely had some moments where I was like, Dad, I know its only noon, but can we stop for the day? I would whistle when I was nervous. I kept thinking, When Im done, we get to eat pizza.

I was happy, but sad it was over. My dad made a point: I can climb El Cap again, but I can only do it for the first time once.

Im in fifth grade. When people at school ask what I did over the summer, I dont like to brag, but I also dont want to not share, because climbing the Nose is cool. Im trying to inspire other girls to climb and be active. As told to Megan Michelson

(Photo: Yvette Roman Photography)

The Chesters had no clue what they were getting into when they bought 214 acres of dried-up farmland north of Los Angeles in 2011. At the time, John was a burnt-out Hollywood filmmaker and Molly was a private chef. After Molly couldnt find the type of nutrient-rich produce she was looking forand they were kicked out of their Santa Monica apartment because of their barking dogthey decided to try farming. It was pretty much as naive as that, John says. What we hadnt anticipated is that turning the engine of an ecosystem back on is like opening Pandoras box. Youre inviting nature back in. The Chesters focused on an old-fashioned regenerative style of farming, introducing a wide variety of crops and animals to reinvigorate the soil.

John sold all but one camera when he left the film industry. He used it to capture close-up shots of the farm coming to life. I felt like I was seeing things that had never been photographed, he says. Five years in, he decided to hire a crew and make a feature film starring himself and Molly, a pregnant pig named Emma, and a chicken-killing coyote as a villain.

The eight-year transformation of Apricot Lane Farms is captured in the visually stunning, at times surprisingly intense documentary The Biggest Little Farm. The sleeper hit was a Sundance favorite, won best of festival at the Boulder International Film Festival, and hit theaters nationwide in May 2019. It took in more than $4 million at the box office, but more important, it reminded us that the food on our plate comes from somewhere, and the dirt it stems from has a story of its own. M.M.

(Photo: Dustin Satloff/Getty)

Kate Courtney can barely keep up with her Instagram. She has more than 300,000 followers (@kateplusfate), and the din of notifications can feel overwhelming. But she keeps an eagle eye out for one type of post. I try really hard to message back all the NICA kids, she says, referring to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, which organizes middle and high school mountain-bike races across the country (Courtney is a proud NICA alum).

Its not enough just to be fast anymore. Pro athletes are expected to be Very Online. Some polish their profiles to a high shine; Courtney rides her own line. There are the obligatory golden-hour shots, but her Insta also has quirky strength-training videos and footage of total yard saleslike her endoing on a training ride this spring. Pop over to YouTube and you can see her rap 50 Cents P.I.M.P. Even on her blog, she keeps her eyes off her navel and on the true prize: finding great tacos.

The 24-year-old is impossible not to like. It helps that shes one of the fastest mountain-bike racers in the world. Last fall, during her debut year in the elite field, Courtney became the first American in 17 years to win the UCI cross-country world championship. A year later, in September, she won the overall world title, accumulating the most points in a season that also included three race wins.

Her personal magnetism and success are reviving interest in American cross-country racing and drawing new fans to the sport. And theyre getting one hell of a show. Her two titles set a high bar for other U.S. pros, and theyre rising to it. Thank you for showing us whats possible, fellow American racer Chloe Woodruff wrote to Courtney on Instagram. At press time, the U.S. womens team was ranked second in the world and poised for a shot at the maximum allotment of three 2020 Olympic slots.

Courtney has already clinched one of those tickets to Tokyo. Before then, theres plenty for fans to look forward to: she plans to document her entire journey to the starting linebruises, tacos, face plants, and all. AC Shilton

(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty)

You might not know his name yet, but 23-year-old Caeleb Dressel is taking swimming by stormand breaking Michael Phelpss records. In July, Dressel won eight medals at the World Championships (six of them gold) in Gwangju, South Korea, eclipsing the seven-medal record set by Phelps at the Shanghai worlds in 2011. Heres what it took to make history. G.M.

49.5: Dressels time in the 100-meter butterfly semifinal, which outdid Phelpss ten-year-old world record by 0.32 seconds.

0: Individual gold medals won by other American men at this years World Championships.

21: Heats Dressel swam on his way to eight medals.

6: Number of drug tests Dresselestimates he underwent at theWorld Championships.

5: Records set by Dressel in South Korea, the most held by any swimmer at a World Championship meet. (The previous was four records at a single worlds meet.)

9: Wins Dressel will need at the 2020 Games in Tokyo to break Phelpss records of gold medals won and total medals won in a single Olympics.

50/25/25: The percentage of Dressels meal plate that he targets for carbs, protein, and veggies and fruits, respectively. I dont count calories, I eat until Im full. That is my bodys way of telling me how much fuel I need, he says.

3: Times Dressel has read the book Zen in the Martial Arts, by Joe Hyams. I read it in high school before the junior worlds and in 2017 before the World Championships [in Budapest, where he won seven golden medals]. I read it again before the World Championships in 2019. So I need to start keeping that a tradition, he told NBC Sports in August.

3: Animals Dressel has tattooed on his bodya bear (his favorite animal), an eagle, and a gator (hes from Florida).

(Photo: Matty Wong)

A few summers ago, Tracy Nguyen-Chung walked into a fly shop to buy some strike indicators and walked out with an idea that could change an industry. Since the age of six, Nguyen-Chung had been prowling rivers for trout and, as she got older, salmon. But as a short, queer Asian woman, the filmmaker and publicist from L.A. wasnt terribly surprised that day when a sales clerk offered herbut not her male frienda free 101 class. She declined, but the clerk doubled down: Its always good to brush up.

It was that sort of presumptuous encounter that led Nguyen-Chung, now 34, to send up a bat signal to find other fish-crazed or even just curious minorities who might feel uncomfortable wading into a space long ruled by tweedy white guys. I wondered how many more people like me might be out there, she says.

A lot, it turned out. Since Nguyen-Chung founded Brown Folks Fishing in February 2018, the group has swelled to over 4,000 online followers (@brownfolksfishing) and deployed 18 ambassadors. It connects people of color through free events, many of which offer opportunities to fish (and all of which include food). Together with fly-fishing brand Orvis and other industry leaders, Nguyen-Chung is also creating a pledge program, complete with education materials, for fly shops and guides that want to be more inclusive.

As the daughter of Vietnam War refugees, Nguyen-Chung sees fishing as a way for her to relate with the stories of her father, who used to help his family make and sell fish sauce out of their catch from the rivers and sea around central Vietnam. Through that lens, she says, preserving the environment and fishing take on added meaning for people of color. It comes down to our survival in a very different way. T.N.

(Photo: Erich Spiess/Red Bull Content Pool)

Lindsey Vonn never wanted to be the best female skier of all time, a title she locked up with her 82 career World Cup wins. She wanted to be the best period. And while she retired in February four victories short of all-time record holder Ingemar Stenmarks 86, the 35-year-old boasts wins in five downhill disciplinesa feat of versatility Stenmark never achieved. Throw in the grit shes displayed through one post-crash comeback after another (and the fact that heir apparent Mikaela Shiffrin is still 20victories shy of Vonns mark) and were ready to say the worlds greatest skier just left the building. Fight us. Gloria Liu

(Photo: Atta/Lukasz Warzecha)

Last year, worldwide tourist arrivals reached 1.4 billion two years earlier than predicted. Meanwhile, overtourism wreaks havoc on popular destinations and carbon emissions from air travel grows faster than expected. That puts Shannon Stowell, 51, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, in a tough spot: How does he steer his niche of the industry toward sustainability without becoming a pariah? Stowell has put an increasing amount of what he calls positive peer pressure on his membership basenearly 1,400 businesses, including tour operators and hotelsto minimize their impact on vulnerable places, wildlife, and people. Speaking at an annual ATTA summit in Italy last year, Stowell broached the topic of overtourism, saying, Were consuming ourselves to seeming inevitable destruction. But he still believes change is possible. We asked him how. Stephanie Pearson

OUTSIDE: How should we defineadventure travel today?STOWELL: The intersection of nature, culture, and physical activity. Mainstream travelers think bungee jumping and ice climbing, but they dont take into consideration nonexploitative cultural interaction with local people, which is a huge element of adventure travel.

What are some examples of what the ATTA does?We just completed a program with the country of Jordan so they can train, certify, and regulate adventure guides. Were also giving technical advice to Airbnb on safety and sustainability. And we launched the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund, which supports projects that protect natural and cultural resources.

Whats your solution toovertourism?The industry should stop using arrivals as a measure of success. Instead we should ask: How are the locals doing? How is the social fabric? How is the wildlife doing? Places that are good to live in are good to visit. I wouldnt mind seeing arrivals decline until we get it right. Also, traffic management. Peru is making a brilliant move to promote venues other than Machu Picchu. Adventure travel is an opportunity for destinations to start sending people off the beaten path.

How can travelers see the world more responsibly?Longer trips fewer times per year is one solution. It helps people decompress on their vacations, interact more with locals, fly less. And people should buy carbon offsets. When my wife and I drove from Washington to Colorado, we went online and researched how much to buy. I double-offset. Instead of just getting your carbon to zero, do quadruple if you can afford it.

(Photo: Michael Campanella/eyevine/Redux)

In August 2018, then 15-year-old Greta Thunberg began skipping school to protest outside Swedish parliament, demanding that her country reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the 2016 Paris Agreement. She kept at it every Friday for months thereafter, through rain, sleet, snow, and ice, attracting the interest of media and her peers. By March, two million students and adults in 135 countries were taking part in weekly strikes, dubbed #FridaysForFuture, earning Thunberg a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. By August, that number had escalated to 3.6 million protestors in 169 countries. In September, Thunberg arrived by sailboat at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City, where she made a stirring speech to world leaders (well be watching you) that made headlines.

Shes been able to speak with the appropriate bluntness and still have people listen, perhaps because of her age and perhaps because her bold action gives her a real moral authority, says Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and leader of environmental-advocacy group 350.org. There are thousands of other Gretas out there now, young people who are engaged, doing great work.

Thunberg attributes her single-minded devotion to her cause to her Aspergers syndrome. I see the world in a different way, with a different perspective, she told a Norwegian talk-show host in January. I see things very much as black and white. Most people say nothing is black and white. But the climate question actually is. We have to stop emissions. S.P.

(Photo: Nirmal Purja Project Possible LTD 2019)

On October 29, Nirmal Nims Purja stood onthe summit of Tibets Shishapangma andmade history. It wasthe 14th and final of the worlds 8,000-meter peaks hedclimbed in a littleover six months, smashing the previous record of just under eight years.

Purja isnt the typical alpine record setter. He grew up in the lush lowlands of Nepal, not America or Europe, where most famous, well-funded mountaineers hail from. He only started climbing in 2012. His career instead has been in the military, first in the UKs elite, Nepali-only Gurkha regiment, then as a special-forces officer in the British Army. He left his position in 2018 to pursue what he calls Project Possible, scraping together his budget through GoFundMe and small sponsorships.

Though his use of bottled oxygen and a climbing team rankledsome purists, Purja brushedoff criticism, pointing out that his style allowed him to help stranded climbers. During Project Possible, he wassupported by high-profile alpinists likeConrad Anker and Jimmy Chin, and by fans from the Indian subcontinent who wanted to see the record shattered by a local. Project Possible is for Nepalese climbers, he says, who have always been at the front of the 8,000ers but have never gotten the credit. Philip Kiefer

April 23: Nims summits Annapurna. One day later, he spearheads the rescue of a climber stranded on the mountain, providing him with oxygen. (The man later died in a hospital.)May 12: Nims and his team ascend Dhaulagiri and immediately downclimb through the night to reach base camp, where a helicopter awaits to take them to Kanchenjunga, the next mountain.May 15: On the way down from Kanchenjunga, Nims and his team come across a climber and a guide who are out of oxygen. Despite having barely slept in five days, the group help the pair down. They subsequently encounter a third stricken climber who was abandoned by his guide. They give the rescued men their oxygen, but two of the three climbers die on the way down when it runs out.May 2224: On his way up Mount Everest, Nims snaps a now iconic photo of dozens of climbers logjammed below the summit, which goes viral. Just ten hours later, he ascends Lhotse. Two days later, he stands atop nearby Makalu, setting a world record for fastest ascent of the trio.

July 3: Nims summits Nanga Parbat.July 1518: The team climbs Gasherbrum 1 and Gasherbrum 2.July 2124: Nims arrives at the base of K2. Weather has forced other climbers to turn back, but his team opens a route and makes the summit three days later.July 26: Two days after summiting K2, the team climbs Broad Peaktheir eleventh 8,000er in just over three months.

September 2327: Nims summits Cho Oyu, then Manaslu. Afterward, becauseShishapangma is closed for the season, he appeals the Chinese government for access, even rallyinghis Instagram followers to send e-mails, too: I think if we all go as a collective force, it may help.October 29: After receiving a special permit from China, Nims stands on top of Shishapangma, completing his Project Possible in six months and seven days.

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The 2019 Outsiders of the Year - Outside

(A word of caution: You like chai, I like kaapi. You like Nadhiya, I like Amala. This list is as simple as that. Do not tell me I didnt warn you.)

If there is something we, as humble citizens of India, need to be proud of about our cinema, it has to be the invention of this understated genre called masala. In a recent roundtable discussion hosted by Film Companion, Ranveer Singh made an interesting observation about the lack of appreciation for masala movies the sentiment was concurred by others in the panel. While critics wrote a thesis about his remarkable performances in Padmavat and Gully Boy, he said he was taken less seriously for a movie like Simmba...why? Because it was a masala movie. Now, whether Simmba falls under the masala-movie-done-right category or not is debatable. But you get the point he was trying to make, right?

Masala as a genre is either looked down upon or ignored altogether when it comes to film appreciation. We dont celebrate masala movies with the same fervour of a slightly auteurish filmmaker. But even in the masala universe, there is as much difference between masala and mass as there is between cinema and movies. So, what constitutes a masala movie in the first place? It is simple; it employs archetypical tropes it could be anything from the rise of the underdog template, rags-to-riches story to having mythological subtexts in the most entertaining (this being the keyword) fashion.

Theres a certain level of screenwriting (and by this, I dont mean Prabhas screenplay theory) that goes in writing masala movies, as opposed to say a mass movie, which, basically, offers happy-ending services to a stars fanboys. Trust me when I say this; a well-made masala has the healing power of watching a Kieslowski or a Bergman movie. Tamil cinema, in this decade, has produced an assortment of masala movies, made with genuine vigour and passion. This list is to acknowledge the contribution of auteurs of the other kind.

Hari is one of the rare filmmakers who had been consistently giving us enjoyable masala flicks, until he ran out of fresh ideas. Singam as a standalone movie was so perfect and so tightly-written that you wish it hadnt been turned into a franchise. Right from the casting to writing the cat-and-mouse scenes between Suriya and Prakash Raj (who, by the way, was the spine of Singam), Hari almost got everything right something he couldnt achieve in the preceding movies. Durai Singam as the astute and equally stubborn cop was perfectly tolerable before he was recognised as the loudest cop by the Noise Control Board of India. The number of times this movie has been remade goes on to explain why Singam is a strong contender for the decades best masala movie.

If Mani Ratnam comes from K Balachanders school of filmmaking, Shankar hails from SP Muthuramans. I get what you are thinking. Enthiran? Seriously? The sci-fi tag is just a faade. Look beneath its surface, and you will sense a strong flavour of masala it is what you get when Shankars visual sense meets SP Muthuramans screenplay. Its basically Rajinikanth going against his alter ego, played by...Rajini. The first half is painfully boring and you wish they had given you a red pill instead of blue. The plot kicks in only in the second half, when Chitti gets a new lease of life, thanks to Borah. What Shankar failed to realise when he made the sequel, 2.0, was that Chitti: The Red was the superhero the audience rooted for and not the banal, Chitti: The Blue.

Raghava Lawrence single-handedly created whats now popularly known as horror-comedy, the single most viable sub-genre that will come back to haunt the audience. Nowhere else will you find a wild mix of genres; comedy, action, romance, social message, Kovai Sarala and so on. As much as you hate it, you cant diss the fact that Kanchana was a paradigm shift in the way horror was approached in Tamil cinema. All the movies in the Kanchana series tread a common line: spirits use Raghava Lawrences body as a medium to take revenge, with the (spiritual) presence of Kovai Sarala. If someone had told you that Kanchana would become a multi-million franchise, you might have let out a chuckle or two. But now, the joke is really on you.

Will I not be lynched with hate messages if I dont include Mankatha, the terrific anti-hero movie, which exploited Ajith Kumars solid screen presence to the fullest? A Tamil cinema hero can never be the bad guy this is an unwritten rule in the industry. Even if youre a Velu Naicker, your actions are determined by the number of good deeds you do to the naalu peru. But Venkat Prabhu broke this notion by fleshing out a character that carried devil-may-cry attitude right from the opening sequence. Every frame in Mankatha had a purpose. And the purpose was to capture the star whos both good-looking and carries the I am the one aura around him. Venkat Prabhu constantly toyed with how Vinayak Mahadev (Ajith Kumar) was perceived by the audience. Youd expect the director to make him the good guy in the end, thereby restoring Tamil cinemas fascination for dharma and karma. Thank heavens, Venkat Prabhu gave no room for such notions, and Mankatha was a celebration of the anti-hero.

AR Murugadoss gave a masterclass on how to reinvent an archaic template wherein the hero is pushed into becoming a saviour in what could be argued as THE best masala movie of the decade. In another Vijay movie, he would have been introduced with slow-mo shots exposing just his legs followed by different body parts; hands, eyes and then the face. That happens to a large extent in Thuppakki too. At the same time, it was a rare instance where Vijay was in the character when he makes an entry. The movie is very much about the hero who finds himself at the wrong place and at the wrong time, thereby reducing the villain to nothing more than a buffoon. The scene where Vijay emerges out of a room full of smoke is a textbook example of how to write a mass scene, without compromising on the craft. All of which is to say that I am waiting to watch Vijay go back to his Thuppakki zone. He was an absolute delight to watch the same cannot be said about his recent woke movies.

Kamal Haasan, the writer is more fascinating than Kamal, the actor. Given the political climate, can you imagine a Muslim protagonist saving the world in Indian cinema? Allow me to rephrase it: Can you imagine a vegetarian protagonist-cum-Kathak dancer-cum-RAW Agent saving the world? Kamal has a fetish for mythology and youll always find mythological references/characters in his movies. In Vishwaroopam, he mounts the story of Arjuna when he cross-dressed as a woman in the Mahabharata, on the backdrop of third world politics. Kamal doesnt subscribe to straightforward narration and has great regard for the audiences intellect, even though hes often dismissed for his overt intellectual-ness. As a genre, you could say Vishwaroopam is a spy-thriller. However, the sensibilities are still Kodambakkam. Its essentially about a man trying to prove his nationality to his mother (read: country) and masculinity to his wife, who thinks hes a w**s. No wonder she calls him Wiz. That smashing transformation stretch during the interval block was testimony to that.

I have a theory; any film that employs amma sentiment as a strong emotional core will invariably be a blockbuster. Thats how Tamil cinema has conditioned the audience. In Velai Illa Pattathari, director Velraj milked this phenomenon to the films betterment. The pay off was huge and we got a satisfying, unpretentious masala movie. Dhanush plays Raghuvaran, channelling the inner aggression of an Angry Young Man reminiscent of Kamal Haasan in Sathya, another great masala movie about a man revolting against the system. Also, how refreshing was it to have the presence of a heroine, who for once, wasnt reduced to a must-have? Theres a quiet moment between Dhanush and Amala Paul that comes after the affecting Amma Amma song, that speaks volumes of how good writing elevates a simple scene. VIP had everything it its favour the amma sentiment, the comedy track from Vivekh, the shirtless-six-pack-show-off scene and the croon-able songs by Anirudh.

This sophomore film by Vijay Milton is a classic example of the rise of the underdog. But it is also about the survival of the fittest, in a quest to find an identity. Goli Soda tracks the lives of four boys who get their breaking point which, in turn, makes them undergo a transition from being boys to men. When you are stripped to bare bones, what do you do but rise above your oppressors? Yes, the action scenes towards the end are over the top, but Vijay Milton showed remarkable tenderness in the way he told their story.

When the director himself is a self-confessed fan of masala universe, youll get an irresistibly fun movie like Maari. A mischievous don with a bunch of sidekicks, who, actually, are funny for a change; a loosu ponnu who looks gorgeous and a thara local number from Anirudh...this is Balaji Mohan at his best, pumping (read: senjifying) every masala staple into the narrative. But, I would any day defend Maari 2 over Maari the latter had poor Vijay Yesudas screaming for attention. Of course, Maari 2 had Rowdy Baby aka Sai Pallavi, which made it all the more reason to sit up and join in the madness.

Writing a cop film in Tamil cinema means two things; a) its a shot of testosterone and b) elevating an actor to the position of a star. There is no middle ground. But Vijay Sethupathi brings a certain amount of vulnerability to his performance in Sethupathi, a refreshing masala movie by SU Arun Kumar that humanises the lives of police officers. That scene where Vijay Sethupathis son handles a revolver to evade bad guys is a brilliant mass scene. Rarely do you get to see a level-headed police officer in Tamil cinema. Sethupathi is one and hence the line: Kulirukkum neruppukum naduvula niruthuriyae.

A big-shot businessman masquerades under the identity of a beggar to fulfil a prophecy, in order to save his dying mother. How ridiculous is the premise, right? But Pichaikkaran showed us what it all it takes to convince the audience into its madness. Here too, theres amma sentiment, theres action and a case of the mistaken identity and above all, a filmmaker who understands our masala sensibilities. A whistle-worthy scene that comes to mind is where Arul (Vijay Antony) gets out of his car, adjusting his shades while showing the world his real identity.

Double-hero subjects are a ploy. You know the nicer twin will meet with his/her eventual death. In that sense, Kodi isnt any different. But RS Senthilkumar makes it up by writing a powerful female character, Rudhra (Trisha Krishnan). She is a powerful character NOT because she goes against a man, her lover. But because she was given a voice, more importantly an arc. Dhanush and Trisha were too good in their characters, especially when Rudhra leads Kodi to his own death.

If Thiagarajan Kumararaja gave an explanation as to what dharmam meant in Aaranya Kaandam, Pushkar-Gayatri took the tales of Vikram-Betal, exploring the concept of morality in Vikram Vedha, an ordinary but effective cat-and-mouse game that worked big time for its superb casting. As Vedha puts it simply, both Vikram and Vedha are cut from the same cloth and are a product of society. The narration presents two perspectives to the case of Good vs Evil, and makes the audience consider these two opposing views without taking sides the interrogation scene is a hoot! Not to mention Sam CS rollicking background score.

Looking from a broader perspective, the thing about masala is; if put together to proper use, it can fit into any movie. More than understanding the pulse of the audience, Pandiraj knows his audience. Kadaikutty Singam is a big, fat family drama that resonated with families across borders. Yes, it is bloated and clichd at the same time. But, who cares about all that when the movie turned out to be the biggest blockbuster of 2018?

A three-hour love letter written by a fan to the Superstar. Petta is an exploration of a masala sub-genre called Rajinikanth. Though it typically follows the Baashha formula to a large extent, the second half is where Karthik Subbaraj, the man who gave us the pulp gangster-drama Jigarthanda, takes control of the narrative where it plays out like a black comedy, when the whole Rama and Vali story sets in. From the gate-opening sequence in Apoorva Raagangal to the Raman Aandalum song from Mullum Malarum, everything about Petta felt meta. After a set of serious movies, Rajinikanth returned to familiar territory a path he created and mastered over the years, and it was absolute feast watching Rajini have fun. If anything, Petta is a cautionary reminder. That none of todays stars can ever come close to the enigma that is Rajini.

Baahubali and Sypder have been excluded from the list, given both films are bilingual.

Continued here:
Thuppakki to Petta: Tamil cinemas 15 best masala movies of the decade - The Hindu

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Rambo: Last Blood.

By the time the credits roll on Rambo: Last Blood, many people are dead, and a significant chapter of John Rambo's journey has come to an end. Last Blood is one of the most violent movies of the decade, laying bare the potential barbarism inherent in humanity. As stated in an earlier entry in the series, "When you're pushed, killing's as easy as breathing."

It came as a surprise when the film was announced, since Rambo 2008 served as something of a definitive ending for the long-running war-themed franchise. That film ended with Rambo returning home to Arizona after decades away from his country. However, even after the journey home, the battle still continues.

Related: John Rambo's Tragic Backstory (& How The Character Changed Over Time)

In addition to all the righteous blood-letting and testosterone-fueled declarations of murderous intent, Rambo: Last Blood is filled with important developments for the character of John Rambo, as well as the politically-charged themes that have defined the series since its inception. Despite the Mexico/Arizona setting, the film doesn't make any polarizing statements regarding the real-life political showdown at the US/Mexico border, but that doesn't mean it has nothing to say.

Many Neo-Westerns see their heroes head off to their final battle with no expectations of getting out alive. Last Blood feels different because, while Rambo is prepared to die, he is confident enough in his skills to tell his adopted family that he's going to return to his old life as a drifter after he leaves his old family farm. During the final battle itself, he brutally eviscerates the gang attacking his homestead, and he's only injured as a result of his own pride; he denies himself the quick and efficient kill on the gang leader, Hugo, opting instead to "make him feel his rage." While this leads to one of the most shockingly violent kills ever captured on film, with Hugo's heart being ripped out of his chest, it also leads to Rambo being grievously injured by his final opponent.

As the movie ends, Rambo struggles to maintain his composure as he makes his way to the front porch of his modest house, before collapsing into the embrace of a rustic rocking chair. He looks as though he might die, but his inner monologue muses about how he has to live because it's the only way to keep the memories of everyone he lost alive. From his Vietnam buddies to his adopted daughter, Rambo holds them all inside his heart, and he has to keep going, for their sake. It's not enough to kill for revenge, but to live on their behalf.

The closing credits of Last Blood feature a dramatic montage of Sylvester Stallone's iconic character across all five films in the series, and the final images show Rambo getting on a horse and riding away, not towards a setting sun, but towards a nearby mountain range. He's still wounded and bleeding, so it's a bit ambiguous whether or not Rambo could still die. However, if the movie performs well enough at the box office it's a pretty safe bet that he'll live on to appear in another sequel.

Related: Read Screen Rant's Review of Rambo: Last Blood

John Rambo's story beganseven years afterthe army veteran returned to America after fighting in Vietnam, one of the most infamous armed conflicts in the history of the world. It's arguably impossible to fully understand the damage done to America as a result of the Vietnam War, and Rambo represents all the guilt, pain, suffering, and trauma of that dark chapter in American history.

At the end of Rambo 2008, the eponymous war hero finally returned home. The closing shots of that film showed Rambo walking down the long road back to his family's farm. In Last Blood, Rambo seems to be in a positive place, but as he describes it, he hasn't conquered his demons - he just "keeps a lid on it, every day." It's implied that his self-prescribed therapy includes building a network of tunnels under his farm. Early on in the film, he gets a brief Vietnam flashback, and the imagery of his tunnels is indicative of the tunnels used by the Vietnamese to elude detection by American forces and launch sneak attacks.

Ironically, Rambo concludes his Vietnam journey by employing the same guerilla tactics that were used against him all those decades ago. As the Mexican gang attacks his farm, he pops out of spider holes, blasts a few foes, and immediately returns underground, completely disappearing before his enemies even have a chance to react. Inside the tunnels, he destroys his opponents with hand-made traps, including a spike pit which evokes the imagery of punji sticks, which were used to devastating effect against Americans in Vietnam. Like the Vietnamese during the war, Rambo is outnumbered and outgunned, but he's defending his home, and he knows his land better than the opponent does, which is why they never stood a chance. From this perspective, it's a provocative way for Rambo to end his journey, by using his own nightmares to overcome his latest foes. In a way, it could be seen as his way of making peace with his past.

One of the biggest concerns regarding Rambo: Last Blood was how it would handle its setting, the border between Mexico and The United States. Rambo lives in Arizona, near the border, and his adopted family are Mexican immigrants. The story of Last Blood doesn't make any grand declarations about the political situation between America and Mexico; it just uses the circumstances as a backdrop for a personal story of revenge and man's proclivity towards brutality.

Related:Rambo: Last Blood Cast & Character Guide

The story is kicked off when John's adopted daughter, Gabrielle, crosses over into Mexico in an effort to find her birth father, who abandoned her years before. Most of the characters in Mexico are portrayed as villains, but that's because Rambo is explicitly looking in all the seediest places. There are several Mexicans who are shown in a positive light, from Rambo's new family to Paz Vega's character, a journalist seeking justice for her sister's murder at the hands of the gang.

As for the border itself, there is no mention of the current President's obsession with building a wall to keep people out of the country, and the film even takes steps to show how it would be ineffective. There are several scenes involving border crossing: the first shows Gabrielle crossing through a legal checkpoint, but one shows Rambo simply driving through a thin fence, and another shows the Mexican gang using an underground tunnel to go from one country to the next. Ironically, for those who decried the movie as being wall-building propaganda, Rambo would have been hindered by a wall, while the villains would have been unaffected. Make of that what you will.

Could there be a Rambo VI? Or, to stick with the series' unorthodox naming conventions, Rambo 6: Last Blood Part II? To quote the tagline from Rambo 2008, "Legends never die; they reload." Rambo is a distinctly American character, and there will always be more stories to tell with him. In his world, warriors are needed to protect the innocent, punish the wicked, and aid those in need. As long as there is life in his bones, John Rambo will meet that need.

Assuming he survives his wounds, Rambo ends Last Blood the way he began back in 1982's First Blood. He's alone, drifting across the country, looking for meaning in a country that would rather pretend he never existed than admit it was a mistake to send him and his generation off to die in the jungles of Vietnam. The national tragedy of Vietnam is still embedded deep in the American collective unconscious. It's part of this country's DNA. As long as this remains the case, Rambo will always be relevant, and more stories can continue to be told using the character.

More: First Bloods Original Ending Killed Rambo: Heres Why It Was Changed

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Star Wars 9's Secrecy Is Even Worse Than The Force Awakens

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Rambo: Last Blood Ending & Real Meaning Explained | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

This article is part of our Mash'O'Meter review series, where Mashable India delves deep and obsessively into movies and shows. Sit back, grab a cuppa. This is going to be a long ride.

I think I have to make this a habit now because the CBFC clearly doesn't know how to rate movies. Prassthanam is rated U/A i.e. this movie can be watched by anyone if they're under adult supervision. But in case you're planning to take your children, just be warned because this movie has a lot of violence, a really uncomfortable rape scene, and storytelling that can turn their mind to jelly. On a side-note, if you're planning to watch this movie alone, please bring meds because you're going to have a headache before the credits roll.

Prassthanam is written and directed by Deva Katta, who also made the 2010 original Telugu film of the same name. It stars Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff, Manisha Koirala, Ali Fazal, Satyajeet Dube, and lest anyone forgets, Amyra Dastur. The story revolves around the family of politician Baldev Pratap Singh (Dutt) and how their hunger for power destroys them completely. Pretty simple, innit? Well, then watch how Katta muddles the hell out of it for over 2 hours!

How's the writing by Deva Katta?

Prassthanam features a lot of crime. But the greatest crime is committed by Katta on the female characters in the movie. I can't find a reason why he even thought of making women a part of his script. Because all they did was look pretty, whine, be someone's love interest or... umm... die. They are used as objects in order to have some form of bearing on the plot. None of them were made to take active or organic decisions. They were just there like an afterthought to make the men look more 'manly'.

SEE ALSO: Prassthanam - Cover Your Ears! There's A Lot Of Screaming In This Sanjay Dutt-Led Trailer

Coming to the men, there are just too many of them. There can only be a certain amount of testosterone in a movie until it becomes too much. There are so many men that there's no room of nuance or understandable character arcs. And that's why after every other moment, they're reduced to slapping each other, shouting into the open sky or smoking so much that it will make your lungs burn. But the worst side-effect of adding too much manliness into the screenplay is the metaphors spewed by the characters.

To make matters worse, the structure is very rickety. The movie starts in the present day. Then it goes to 6 months prior to that moment. Then it jumps to what all happened 25 years ago, all within a span of 20 minutes (approximately). And you might be thinking that that must have a purpose, right? Well, it doesn't because there's just so much plot and plot-twists that it dampens the impact of the non-linear storytelling.

How's the direction by Deva Katta?

To be honest, it was difficult to determine what Katta was going for in the first 20-minutes of Prassthanam. Because all of it was very basic stuff. There was no flavour in the scenes. Then came the moment that started Baldev's political career. In that scene, Dutt took on an entire army of goons with just two sickles and a ball of steel. People went flying into random stacks of cans. Other people were running around randomly. And I realised Katta's style of direction: swaying between over-the-top and Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Thi levels of bland.

SEE ALSO: Sanjay Dutt Is Ready To Start Shooting For Munnabhai 3 But There's One Small Issue

Then there are the Dutch angles/tilts i.e. shots where the camera is kept at an angle for dramatic purposes. Most filmmakers use the Dutch tilt when they have to show something is askew or something surprising is going to happen. But Katta uses it anywhere and everywhere. Where someone like a Christopher McQuarrie, Anurag Kashyap or Quentin Tarantino can impress you with their Dutch tilts, Katta just drops them on you and leaves you with a feeling of disgust. And the reason why that feels noticeable is because the conversational scenes are shot in grey environments and cut boringly.

Finally, there are the action sequences and the item song. Some moments of Prassthanam's action sequences are good. I mean, there's potential. If Katta chooses to focus only on that and not on the plot (because clearly that's not his strong suit), I guess he can do wonders. But since he hasn't mastered it yet, they're jarring and dull all at the same time. And then there's that item song which is completely unnecessary (all item songs are unnecessary but this was particularly unnecessary). Because it felt like Katta didn't have any confidence in Satyajeet to sell the fact that his character is debauch AF.

How's the acting by the cast of Prassthanam?

If somebody makes a mash-up of every scene that Satyajeet Dubey is in and leaves the rest on the cutting room floor, I think that would make for a much, much better movie. That's because Dubey's on fire in Prassthanam. His character arc isn't something original. But the odd mix of repulsion and empathy that he brings to the screen was quite fascinating to watch. This is the second time he's starring alongside Ali Fazal, and those were clearly the highlight of the movie.

SEE ALSO: Getting Geeky with Ali Fazal

The only person who wasn't overshadowed by Dubey's powerhouse performance was Ali Fazal. The international star (FYI, he has done Furious 7, Victoria & Abdul, and is about to star alongside Gal Gadot) brought a lot of Guddu-wala charm from Mirzapur. There are two moments where he breaks down emotionally and it was too compelling to tell if he was acting or actually having a breakdown on-screen. However, the sad part is that his character is written in a way that it supplements Dutt's Baldev, thereby robbing him of a lot of solo moments to act the sh*t out of.

The rest of the cast is just horrendous. Dutt is just bad. Manisha Koirala is wasted. Jackie Shroff is wasted more than Koirala (The dude literally has a handful of lines in the movie for one of the stupidest reasons ever!). Chunky Pandey botches the hell out of the horribly written dialogues given to him. Amyra Dastur just hangs around for a bit, dances while looking beautiful and then returns at the tail end of the movie only to be forgotten all over again. In summary, it's painful.

Final verdict

Prassthanam stands atop a simple plot about how power corrupts everyone, even familial relations. But then it crumbles under the weight of an over-complicated screenplay, a tedious run-time, and too many slaps! And with a slew of mediocre to bad movies (The Zoya Factor, Rambo: Last Blood, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas) coming in this week, it's a relief that there's Srikant Tiwari/The Family Man to get us through the weekend.

Cover artwork by Dhawal Bhanushali/Mashable India

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'Prassthanam' Review: Sanjay Dutt Came Close To Taking Saaho's Spot Of Worst Movie Of The Year - Mashable India

What To Expect With Injectable TestosteroneDeciding to treat low T with injectable testosterone is the first step to a healthier life. Heres what you can expect from testosterone shots.Keyword(s): injectable testosterone

Most peopleknow what testosterone isa male steroid hormone. We associate it with manliness.

But testosterone does more than just promote a healthy sex drive. It also affects body fat, bone density, muscle mass, red blood cell count, and mood.

The normal testosterone levels in men arebetween 300 and 1,000 ng/dL.

But if you get ablood test that shows your levels are far below that, your doctor may suggest testosterone replacement therapy in the form of injectable testosterone.

While its totally normal for men to startlosing some of their testosterone when they hit their 30s or 40s, more rapid declines in testosterone levels couldindicate a more serious problem called low T.

Common symptoms of low T include:

Some men may also notice shrinkagein the size of their penis and testicles, while others may haveswelling of the breasts. These symptoms can take many months before you notice them.

Its at this point that you may consider testosterone replacement therapy.

The injection site is most oftenin the gluteal muscles in the buttocks. But ifyour doctor allows you to do the injections yourself, the injection site would be in your thigh.

Whatever the case, if your doctor recommends injectable testosterone, you need to be realistic.You are not going to drop 25 pounds in a monthor quickly add 2inches.

Thats just not how it works.

The benefits of testosterone therapy will not take years though. It will take a longer amount of time to see some benefits than others as theincreased testosterone starts working on a cellular level.

But if you go into this therapy with realistic expectations, youll probably be pretty satisfied with the changes you eventually see.

In general, you can expect to see results within thefollowing time frames:

On a cellular level, there will be improved insulin sensitivity. Although this improves within the first few days, you may not notice the effects for 3-12 months.

So this is the time where youll probably start to notice some real differences.

Most men report an improvement insex drive, sexual thoughts, fantasy, satisfaction, and libido. There is also an increase in morning erections and ejaculation

At this stage, many men also seea decline in anxiety and aggression. They tend to feel more sociable, awake and attentive.Some report feeling more creative.

A reduction in inflammation typically begins around this third week too, and continuing to lessen throughoutthe remainder of treatment.

Improved erectile function begins around this time and continues to improve over the next several months. Mental alertness and improved memoryare alsoapparent during this time with continued improvement expected.

A slight decrease in triglycerides and total cholesterol begin, while an increase in full erections and sexualperformance are noticeable.

Feelings of depression and lack of motivation begin to lift around the six-week point, althoughthe maximum benefitstake longer to take effect.

In most cases, men report a general satisfaction with their sex lives by the end of the eighth week.

This is the time when youll start to notice a change in lean body mass, fat mass and muscle strength.

There will be an improvement in glycemic control and the formation of red blood cells (known as erythropoiesis) and a decline in blood pressure.

The decreases in LDL cholesterol levels and increases in HDL cholesterol levels continue, though the maximum changes typically occur some time between 6 and 12 months. (Proper diet and exercise play into this too.)

Additionally, there is an increased exercise capacity at this point even for men who experience chronic heart failure.

As mentioned above, many of the benefits are continuing to maximize over the course of your treatment.

At the six-month point, there is increased bone density, as well as a rise in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels which are typically very low in those with low T.

The list below gives you the overall benefits from using this testosterone replacement therapy.

Keep in mind though that while injected testosteronecan help regulate fat distribution, youlikely wont experience seriousweight changes from hormone therapy alone.

As for maintaining muscle, it should be noted that injectable testosterone and other therapies have been found to help increase muscle mass, but not strength.

Still, the results from injectable testosterone can be life changing. Especially for those who experiencedebilitating symptoms associated with low T.

If you makethe decision to try testosterone therapy, youll want to be educated on what will happen once the treatment ends. Fortunately, you can turn to hormone replacement therapy specialists who can guide you to ensure that your body continues to produce enough testosterone.

Specific medication protocols are usually followed at the end of treatment so that the effects of low T dont return.

While its not a cure, using injectable testosterone is an effective therapyto help you reach alevel of wellness and vitality thats closer to what you felt when you were younger. And this will give you a better quality of life.

If you have already experienced the benefits or drawbacks of injectable testosterone therapy, please feel free to share below.There are some guys out there who could benefit from your experience.

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What To Expect With Testosterone Shots - Mantality Health

Updated: Feb 27, 2018

Testosterone injections aren't generally discussed as a first line treatment when starting replacement therapy.

There are many testosterone preparations on the market such as; gels (Androgel and Testim), creams, pills (Andriol), pellets and patches.

However the marketing efforts of pharmaceutical companies are quite effective at influencing your doctor's prescribing habits, away from the older and more testosterone injections.

What's sad to say... the above treatments are all inferior to the much older developed injection method, when treating low testosterone.

It's not what you'd generally think is supposed to happen. Isn't medical science supposed to develop better treatments over time?

The thing is... not everyone loves needles. Understandably so.

In lieu of this, we have many alternatives with poor general absorption, leading to less effectiveness and worse outcomes.

So what's the point? Why use less invasive methods if they're barely going to work, with an increased chance of side effects included.

The good news is - injections allow for higher and more stable testosterone levels, and are about 5 - 10 times cheaper!

All the other formulations are self-limiting in how much testosterone can be absorbed. They may be enough to get you to the mid range of normal.

However, for a lot of men, mid range isn't enough to increase energy, libido, and mood to a satisfactory level. What you want is to be in the high normal range.

Dosages can also be titrated much easier compared to the other formulations.

As far as needle size, I use 31 gauge, 5/16 inch, 3/10 ml, insulin syringes subcutaneously in the upper/outer quadrant of my thighs. Rotating legs and areas, with subsequent injections.

To maintain correct dosing due to the small syringe size (0.3 ml), a 3 times per week schedule may be needed (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), or 2 smaller injections every 3 days like originally outlined.

The 3/10 ml small syringe size is what helps maintain maximum pressure to draw the oil. The smaller the syringe size, the greater the internal pressure. You'll notice a large difference in drawing capacity compared to the 1ml syringes.

It takes about a minute to draw, so you'll need to be patient. No need to warm the oil in advance I've found, although it may speed up the process.

The smaller needle size is well worth it in my opinion, to avoid long term scar tissue build up, especially with treatment potentially spanning decades.

Read the original:
Testosterone Injections/Shots | Depo & Cypionate Dosage Chart

Testosterone could be the magic weight-loss drug that men are looking for. Then again, it might not. A new study shows that obese men receiving testosterone shots lost weight, but doctors are divided on the value of the results.

Over the course of five years, obese men on hormone replacement therapy lost an average of 35 pounds each. Their body mass index also dropped from 34 to 29, moving them from the obese to overweight category. This coincided with improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as lower blood pressure.

The results are impressive, but some doctors doubt that its time to start ordering testosterone shots for obese men. The preliminary study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, has yet to appear in a peer-reviewed journal, and was also sponsored by Bayer, which makes testosterone supplements.

Testosterone levels start to drop in most men between the ages of 40 and 50, with some menlike the ones in this studycomplaining of symptoms like erectile deficiency, fatigue and lack of energy. Testosterone replacement therapy is sometimes prescribed for these conditions. Low testosterone has also been linked to obesity.

In this study, men were prescribed testosterone shots because of their low hormone levels. Researchers also noticed that they lost weight during the study, although its unclear whether this is a direct result of the hormone therapy. Normalizing the mens testosterone levels could have increased their energy levels, which may have led to increased physical activity and weight loss.

The good news is that, in this study, testosterone therapy wasnt linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer.

It is too soon, however, to say that the hormone is a miracle weight-loss drug. Larger, more rigorous studies are needed.

More here:
Can Testosterone Help You Lose Weight? | Men's Fitness

Story highlights

Looking cool -- while superyachts tower like white cathedrals and racing rocketships strain at their mooring lines -- is not one of them.

The bronzed crews, with sun-bleached hair, big shades and matching kit, mill about the pontoon looking fit and confident, masters of their nautical universe.

The broad sterns of their multi-million dollar vessels boast of enticing home ports -- George Town (Cayman Islands), Road Harbour (British Virgin Islands), Valletta (Malta), London.

Outsiders strolling the quay look on in awe. It is not hard to tell the two tribes apart.

Welcome to Porto Cervo, Sardinia, created by His Royal Highness the Aga Khan in the 1950s and now one of the world's most upmarket yachting locations.

Porto Cervo hosts the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, one of the most prestigious events on the Mediterranean big-boat calendar. The boats will be inspected Saturday, skippers are briefed the following day, with racing starting on Monday.

A record 52 yachts from 60ft and upwards have turned up for a week of inshore racing and coastal sprints along the spectacular Costa Smeralda and its notorious stretches of water with names like "Bomb Alley."

The sailors, globe-trotting guns for hire, exude an air of surf chic combined with preppy pro jock. The younger the sailor, the more disheveled the look. Much like life.

Hands are strong and coarse. Handshakes firm to crippling. Eyes crinkle into smiles, the effect of years sailing in sun and wind.

While the scene is glitzy, at least in the marina, the sailors' office can be a dangerous salt-lashed bucking bronco with high stakes.

Chatting to the crews, the number one trade-off is not the risk but the time spent away from home and families.

"You're part performance athlete and part hobo," says Andy Green, a Newport, RI-based British sailor and America's Cup commentator.

"You're living out of a bag but living the life of a billionaire. When it's all over you go back to your apartment or whatever and live a normal life."

The big yacht circuit generally begins in the Caribbean with races such as the Caribbean 600 from Antigua in February and Les Voiles de Saint Barth in April before moving to the Mediterranean for the summer and regattas in oh-so chic spots like Majorca, Corfu, St Tropez, Porto Cervo and Palermo in Sicily.

Among the traveling tribe there is a distinct hierarchy at work.

At the top, at least on shore, are the owners. High-achieving businessmen with big bucks to lavish on their chosen sport. A new mainsail costs north of $160,000 and just the running costs for a summer campaign can be anything between about $1.5 million and $5.4 million.

"It's highly competitive. All the owners are very friendly, we have drinks and invite each other to parties but on the water nobody gives you any quarter -- on the water you want to kill them," Sir Peter Ogden, owner of Maxi 72 Jethou, told CNN.

Britain's Ogden, who built up UK company Computacenter and owns the Channel Island Jethou, adds: "The hardest part is signing the cheques. That, and steering the boat.

"But this is what I do to relax. Angst is when I go home and see the pile of envelopes."

To deliver the boat to these sun-drenched corners of the world and get it to the start line in one piece, the owners employ a full-time boat captain and a handful of permanent crew.

"We're partly sailors, partly worker bees," laughs England's Mike Atkinson, boat captain on the Wally 107 Open Season, owned by former Bugatti boss Thomas Bscher of Germany.

His role involves logistics, crew transfers, accommodation, food, safety, maintenance and budgeting. Running costs "virtually doubled" from the previous 94ft Open Season to the current 107ft version -- a "big learning curve", says Atkinson.

"It's a good lifestyle, you have to work hard and it's definitely not 9-5 but it beats working in an office. I couldn't work in an office," adds Atkinson, who is based in Palma, Majorca, with his Spanish wife and two young kids.

"I started just crewing on boats, then I got a mate's job, and we needed an engineer," says Weatherstone. "I learned on the job, and when I did my exams they said I was the third girl that had been through in 10 years.

"It is a bit blokesy, it's a testosterone-fueled week."

On the Maxi 72 Bella Mente, owned by Minneapolis businessman John "Hap" Fauth, the permanent crew of four swells to 20 for racing.

Skipper Peter Henderson leads a full-time team comprising a boatbuilder, a hydraulics and winches expert, and a junior. With a bigger budget, the role of travel organizer and logistics is separate.

"We're on the road non-stop, you ask my wife. In 2013 I was on the road 300 days," said Henderson, who grew up sailing in Michigan.

Unlike the more cruising oriented Wally class, Bella Mente is a stripped-out racer, a black carbon shell with no frills down below.

The toilet is of the "bucket and chuck it" variety. There is no galley in day-race mode, and sleeping facilities, should they be needed for longer offshore races, are pull down canvas shelves, operated on a "hot-bunk" basis for sailors on different watches.

Last year a storm in Porto Cervo meant Henderson and another had to sleep on board and take turns to keep watch as a big sea surged into the harbor, threatening to ram her onto the dock -- Bella Mente's keel is too deep to retreat further inside the marina.

"That was stressful. More so than the racing," said Henderson.

While the permanent crew are the workhorses, the stardust comes from the tacticians and other members of the "brains trust," the big-money signings making the racing decisions.

Among those calling the shots this week are Open Season's Jochen Shuemann, a multiple Olympic champion and former sporting director for America's Cup outfit Alinghi, and former America's Cup-winning tactician and skipper Brad Butterworth on Jethou.

The tactician can also have an input on the rest of the crew, often beginning with the top pros in their specializations.

Kiwi Warwick Fleury, who has competed in eight America's Cups with Team New Zealand and Switzerland's Alinghi, is the mainsail trimmer on Jethou.

"It sounds glamorous and probably looks glamorous, but the downside is time traveling and away from home," said Fleury, who will join 30 or so other sailors for a charter flight to Mahon, Menorca for the TP52 Worlds as soon as this is over. "But even then, a bay day is not all that bad."

Like all freelancers, the next gig comes through contacts, word of mouth and old-fashioned cold calling. Some have to work harder than others.

"There's not huge job security. And it can be dangerous," adds Green, who was once skippering a yacht in Sardinia when a crewman broke six ribs and later lost his spleen when he was thrown against the rigging.

"You have to be enthusiastic, you've got to keep current, and keep winning.

"It can be challenging. It's all about building relationships. You sometimes have to have difficult and frank conversations about how to make a boat go fast. Some people have very strong opinions, so you have to be a diplomat and a racer, it's a difficult balance.

"But you go to some amazing venues and meet some really interesting people. It can be incredibly rewarding."

Being able to cross the owner's palm with gold, sometimes literally, helps get a ride.

Croatia's Igor Marenic and Sime Fantela won the gold medal in the 470 class at Rio 2016, and are sailing alongside Green on Nahita, owned by the Turkish-Croatian sponsor of their Olympic campaign.

Marenic, not long back from Rio, carries his Olympic gold medal wrapped up in a black sports sock in his rucksack. He is reluctant to flash it around.

"It's safer with me," Marenic tells CNN. "I don't get it out. I only showed the boss when he asked me where the medal was."

Further down the chain are the rank and file, grafting pros and youngsters whose office just happens to be in a billionaire's playground. Or guests of the owner, in turn borrowing the sailors' lifestyle for a few days.

Whoever they are, stepping onto the yacht places them in a different realm to the shore-bound onlookers.

A school of cool. Part of the tribe. A long way from home.

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Sailing's glamor tribe and the downsides of paradise - CNN - CNN International

By DAVIS MERRITTCourtesy of the Wichita Eagle

Considering all the recent public bombast, one might think that Kim Jung Un and Donald Trump control the future of the Korean peninsula. They dont. China does.

Kim and Trump choose not to distinguish between rhetorical and actual threats, so seem compelled to demonstrate their manhood by over-reacting to either one. Thats how fights start, whether in kindergarten sandboxes, after senior proms or on the world stage with apocalyptic weapons. Fortunately, theres an involved adult around in this case China to keep the lid on.

If Trump were an enlightened, experienced leader rather than a spoiled, insulated autocrat, he would know that true strength is most effectively employed quietly and its exercise neednt be preceded by public bluster.

It has been inevitable for years with China as reluctant enabler that North Korea would develop nuclear missiles capable of hitting the U.S. Thats in Chinas best interest, but its also in Chinas best interest that they never be used.

Both China and North Korea know that any attack on American territories or facilities would result in the instantaneous destruction of North Koreas cities, military and the Kim regime. Thats the last thing China wants because the inevitable result of the collapse of Kim whether by fire and fury or strongly enforced economic sanctions would be millions of refugees flooding across the 880-mile Chinese-Korean border, eventually followed by reunification of Korea that would plant Korean and American forces along that border.

Which would also upset Trumps buddy Vladimir in Moscow, since Russia and Korea share 11 miles of border tucked into the northeast corner of the peninsula.

Given those realities, it is useless as well as a sign of weakness that Trump, every time Kim fires off another missile or his mouth, responds with threats of fire and fury, and America being locked and loaded.

Its possible, and scary, that both pathologically narcissistic men are talking primarily for home consumption and that either could talk himself into a testosterone-infused corner from which the only escape he could see would be to lash out militarily.

Kim and his familial predecessors long have used the threat of American aggression to justify the vast expense of the missile buildup that helps impoverish his miserable nation. Every public outburst from Trump strengthens Kims domestic propaganda hand, so Kim immediately responds (watch out Guam), and Trump doubles down.

Whether Trumps bombast helps him with more than his impenetrable, if shrinking, political base is uncertain. But if hostilities erupt, Americans will clearly know who to blame since 70 years of presidents have lived in a nuclear environment while maintaining Americas position in a changing world.

China and Russia recognize the danger of the Trump-Kim mouth-off, but they have limited options. They understand Mutually Assured Destruction and have avoided playing the N-card or overtly threatening to do so. They know there would be no winners, only survivors. They know that employing North Korea as a proxy combatant against the U.S. would also have the same net negative results, so North Korea will be allowed to join the club.

MAD is neither a comfortable status nor inexpensive, but its where the world is stuck and it has worked thus far. Trump, the prideful Great Disrupter, needs to figure that out, or, if he cannot, heed his advisors who have.

Davis Merritt, Wichita jounralist and author, can be reached at dmerritt9@cox.net

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China, not Trump or Kim, calls shots - The Garden City Telegram

Would you like to be known as king of the pigs?

For the Carolina Panthers, this is a true honor. The pig in question is P-I-G, a shortened form of the backyard basketball game of H-O-R-S-E. The tournament in question is a 32-player bracket carefully written out on a piece of cardboard and played indoors with a toy basketball, a miniature hoop and an abundance of testosterone.

P-I-G commissioner Ryan Kalil also the Panthers five-time Pro Bowl center rules the league, seeds the bracket from 1-32 and has the final say on all of the many controversies.

The biggest story in the run-up to this years still-in-progress tournament has concerned the absence of quarterback Cam Newton, a previous P-I-G champion and noted pot-stirrer who took exception to some of Kalils many rules and decided not to enter.

He wanted me to beg him to get in, a chortling Kalil said of Newton, and I wouldnt do it.

I asked linebacker Thomas Davis P-I-G champion in 2015, a finalist in 2016 and the No. 1 seed in the 2017 bracket about Newtons reputation for rule-bending in the tournament.

Yeah, hes a big cheater, Davis said, laughing. Thats why were happy hes not in it.

Added Kalil of Newton: Thats one of the reasons I took it public this year, to show him that the league goes on without him.

Kalil has this year decided for the first time pulled back the curtain on the P-I-G tournament, which has been a diversion in the Panthers locker room for about a decade now.

The games originator and commissioner was former Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross, and Gross still serves as an unpaid consultant to Kalil on all rules disputes.

Most of the rules are in place to protect everybody and make it fair, Kalil said. I get being (NFL commissioner) Roger Goodell. ... You cant please everybody. You do what you think is best and somebody is not going to be happy.

If you think a game like this would not need many rules, you would be dead wrong. Kalil gave me only a sampling, and he kept thinking of others as we talked.

No dunks, Kalil said. And no jumping. In the past, we had guys who were more athletic than others doing some really crazy stuff. They felt like I changed the rules to make it more fair for the offensive and defensive linemen. But in fact I didnt want to have to explain to Coach why a guy rolled an ankle or something, so I banned it all. Its called too athletic. (Newton did not agree with this rule). So any shots called too athletic are completely banned.

Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil (67) said that contrary to what some teammates think the too athletic rule banning certain shots in his P-I-G tournament was not put in place simply to benefit the other offensive linemen who play alongside Kalil.

Jeff Siner jsiner@charlotteobserver.com

The point in P-I-G, of course, is not to get any letters and to make your opponent spell out the word first by missing three shots that you made. The player who gets to shoot first used to be determined by a 2-out-of-3 rock-paper-scissors contest. But in the interest of speeding up the game, the higher seed now always gets that right.

Kalil also reserves the commissioners power to hand out additional penalty letters to anyone showing poor sportsmanship or delaying the game.

If you miss a shot and out of anger you spike the ball or you toss it on the ground where somebody else has to go pick it up? Kalil said. Thats an automatic letter for you. Also, say you do a shot and then I have to match your shot and I miss. And then I catch the ball and do another practice shot? Automatic letter. Theres no extra practicing.

Any player who goes on injured reserve is also knocked out of the tournament, Kalil said. This may seem heartless, but Kalil said it is only because that players schedule no longer gives him the same break time as the others.

Thus, safety Dean Marlowe won his first-round matchup but then was disqualified for the rest of the 2017 tournament because he was recently placed on IR with his hamstring injury.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly (left) found his way back into the P-I-G tournament run by center Ryan Kalil (67) when his toy horse won the Spartanburg Derby. Kuechly celebrated as if he had just made a game-winning interception.

Davie Hinshaw dhinshaw@charlotteobserver.com

How to replace him? Kalil decided to use a kids horse-racing game during training camp, where six players would pick a horse and the winner got back in. Linebacker Luke Kuechly won what was christened the Spartanburg Derby, which Kalil also put on social media. Kuechly celebrated his return to the tournament like he had just taken back an interception for a touchdown.

Newton was also a big part of the video Kalil posted for the Spartanburg Derby, and he has been hanging around the game occasionally without playing it. The quarterback teasingly posted on Instagram that Kalil should give the people what they want. This years tourney has NO entertainment or PHENOMS. ... The tourney needs a different marketing strategy.

Newton also told the teams website that his absence has struck a deep blow to every games attendance. Ive been the cash cow for that association for too long, he said.

It is true, Kalil admitted, that Newton as a competitor in any P-I-G game brings more players in to watch. The audience is encouraged to verbally abuse the players competing, but cannot touch them.

Cam doesnt have a lot of trick shots, Kalil said. But, as you can imagine, Cam has a lot of theatrics. So he has one shot where he leans against the wall and does the Saturday Night Live What is Love thing and he says Yeah, yeah, yeah about eight times. Then he does an easy shot. But what happens is you are so distracted by the Yeah, yeah that by the time you get to the easy shot youre so flustered and distracted that you end up missing."

There are controversies inside this years tournament as well. Quarterback Derek Anderson has a signature shot he calls The Dolphin, in which he bounces the ball off his forehead and into the hoop. At 6-foot-6, this shot is a lot easier to make for Anderson than it is for 5-9 cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, who complained it should be illegal.

We ruled in favor of D.A., Kalil said of Anderson. We felt like he was using his body type as an advantage. Captain has to figure out a shot that only a short guy could do.

Kalil is a playing commissioner but always loses quickly. I like to play, he said, but I dont like to win because it becomes very controversial if I go deep. I dont honestly throw any games, but I dont get upset if Im out early.

Last years tournament was won by the now-departed offensive tackle Mike Remmers who was much better at playing P-I-G than he was at blocking Von Miller in the Super Bowl so there will be a new champion this year. The tournament is headed toward the quarterfinals with a change of venue, and Kalil plans to get some games in during the Panthers five-day stay in Nashville this week.

Defensive end Julius Peppers has already been eliminated this year by offensive guard Trai Turner despite the fact Peppers once played in college basketballs Final Four.

Bracket Update!

A post shared by Ryan Kalil (@ryankalil67) on Aug 16, 2017 at 5:42am PDT

Defensive end Charles Johnson is still alive he eliminated a former champion in long snapper J.J. Jansen but believes he has been placed in the toughest part of the bracket.

I took out Duke! Johnson said, speaking of Jansen.

The problem is that North Carolina is still in your bracket, countered Kalil, speaking of Davis.

As for Davis, he exudes confidence and is Kalils pick to win his second championship this season.

Im pretty versatile, said Davis, who in slightly more important news signed a one-year contract extension with the Panthers Tuesday to play actual football. I can make them all.

The linebacker hasnt won the 2017 tournament yet, though. The tournament continues, with the winner taking home the piece of autographed cardboard the bracket has been written on and bragging rights as king of the pigs until next year.

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When P-I-G-S fly: Cam, Kalil, and the art of Panthers indoor silliness ... - Durham Herald Sun (blog)