The 2013 MH Man Award Winner

LIVES: SYDNEY

WEIGHT: 77kg
HEIGHT: 176cm
CHEST: 107cm
WAIST: 76cm

If Hugo Gemal weren’t in cover-model shape you’d probably cut him some slack, seeing as his workplace is the emergency room of a metropolitan hospital.

But the good doctor himself doesn’t deal in excuses. Nor is he anything less than ripped, as you can see.

“Sure, my work can get pretty crazy,” says Gemal. “Typical shifts last 10 hours and can involve anything from an extremely abusive, drunk patient at 3am to a lovely grandmother who’s had a stroke.”

His medical expertise came to the fore during the competition’s physical challenge, when exhaustion got the better of a fellow finalist. In his calm, undemonstrative way, Gemal stepped in, checking the patient’s vital signs before prescribing a rehydration protocol that worked a charm.

“Fitness is about being organised,” continues Gemal. “You don’t just find time – you make time. When you’re organised, suddenly there are more hours in the day.
“I don’t do anything extreme. I just learn from my mistakes, learn what foods and what exercises work best for my body.

“I prefer sticking to principles rather than strict rules. I believe in eating clean, eating regularly and eating often. You see how many times I’ve mentioned eating? It’s a huge part of it. Your physique is your plate, it’s not just your workouts.”

Want a six-pack to go with your new muscles? Follow Gemal’s top six nutrition tips – doctor’s orders

1. Stop before you’re full
“I never go hungry, but I’ll stop eating before I feel full or sluggish,” says Gemal. The trick here is to eat slowly, even when you’re ravenous.

2. See food as fuel
“I don’t believe in dodging carbohydrates. I have to be thinking and functioning at the peak of my mental ability while at work.” That means lunch is often a wholegrain wrap or bread with chicken breast, rocket and avocado. “I don’t need loads of bread, especially in the evening. But you know what? If I’ve done a 10-kay run, I need it, so I have it.”

3. Go green
Among the many great attributes of non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, is their low kilojoule count. “You can load up on them without risk of overeating. I like to have five types of veg with every dinner – maybe broccoli, kale, capsicum, tomato and Spanish onion.” Teamed with lean meat, they’re your ticket to a beach body.

4. Snack smart
Poor choices between healthy meals can sabotage your physique goals. Don’t fall back on sugary treats just because time’s short, urges Gemal. His top picks: almonds, fresh fruit, tinned tuna or biltong – strips of dried meat similar to beef jerky, minus the sugar. At bedtime, go with cottage cheese for its slow-release casein, which will feed your muscles while you sleep. “Or Greek yoghurt with a few walnuts and blueberries will do the same job.”

5. Take up reading
Gemal refuses to be self-conscious about poring over food labels in supermarket aisles. “Some people might say it’s being fastidious or overly cautious, but it’s not really. You're putting this into your body.” Gemal does some of his most intense reading when it comes to protein bars, where he tries to dodge excessive sugar, fat and bizarre-sounding ingredients

6. Cop a boost
While he prefers real food, Gemal will use whey protein powder for convenience, as well as creatine when he wants to stack on muscle: “There’s a very good evidence base for creatine, unlike for a lot of other supplements.” He’ll also sip on a double espresso pre-gym.

Gemal’s golden rules

Want to look better than ever this summer? Here’s Gemal’s three-point prescription for smart, results-based training

Principle I
Train like you’re in a hurry
“I don’t rest in the gym,” says Gemal. “So if I’ve done a chest set then I’ll do some abs, then go straight back into chest. All my training is supersetted and very intense.”

Principle II
Prioritise form
Training with intent doesn’t mean getting sloppy with technique. “I don’t go too big with the weights because I think perfect form is extremely important. If I need to lower the weight to achieve it, then I’ll lower the weight.”

Principle III
Do what’s sustainable
“If you have to drag yourself to the gym, then why are you going? If you hate it that much there are so many other ways you can get fit – you can dance, run, cycle, surf, skate. Just because some of us like the gym doesn’t mean everyone does.”