Sculpt the Ultimate Sand Palace

How can you catch her eye on a beach strewn with tanned, buff bodies? How about creating a giant sand sculpture of the NASA space shuttle or a characterture of Gene Simmons?

We’re sure that’s what scientists at the University of Amsterdam had in mind when they conducted a recent study appropriately titled, “How to construct the perfect sand castle” published in the prestigious journal Nature. (We’re pleased to report that scientific journal editors loosen up in Summer Friday season, too.) By using a similar mathematical equation civil engineers use to calculate the stability of buildings, they found the most steady sandcastles to have a water content of about 1 percent. (Click here for the best celebrity summer beach bodies!)

So how can you build a lofty castle (or sports mascot, marine mammal, or kraken)? To help you get started, we talked to the men behind I.B. Posse—the two-time reigning champs of the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition. (Yes, that exists.)

Gather your gear

The basic tools you’ll need are garden shovels, buckets of various sizes (5-gallon to 8-ounce), masonry trowels, and spoons. To carve your design, simple kitchen utensils should suffice. For extreme detail, use a straw to remove the smallest amounts of sand by blowing it away with your breath.

Devise a plan

Have a general concept of your desired outcome so you can focus your efforts. Sketches help. Claim some real estate within 20 feet of the tide line. Then take a stick and carve your blueprint. (Make sure to protect your eyes while you’re out there with The Best Summer Sunglasses.)

Start digging

Pile up sand in a volcano shape, dowsing it with buckets of water as you go. The mound will need to be packed down tightly to create a surface hard enough to be carved. Master sand sculptors complete this step with the aid of rigid wooden or plastic forms to keep the sand in place and to build height in multiple levels.

Be creative

Once you have a good structure, start carving at the top of the pile and work your way down so the sand you cut away doesn’t fall on sculpted areas below. Also, be ready to improvise. Sand is not a very forgiving artistic medium. If part of your sculpture crumbles, just roll with it.

If you liked this story, you’ll love these:

Your Ultimate Guide to Oral Sex

AppId is over the quota

Oral sex is easy if you’re trying to kill time before the main event, like politely sitting through an opening act as you prep for the headliner. But why stick with average foreplay when you can turn an appetizer into an entree? (OK, we’ll cool it with the metaphors.)

The point is, oral sex matters—and it matters to her that it’s more than mediocre. According to research, 30 to 50 percent of women say they can’t reach an orgasm through intercourse alone. So you’ve got some work to do, buddy.

Can you WOW her with your skills?

Luckily, we’re here to help—and so is Shanna Katz, M.Ed., a board-certified sexologist. Consider this your play-by-play on what she really craves when you’re making your way down south—and how to satisfy her desire every time. (For more hot secrets from the fairer sex, discover What Every Woman Wants.)

Take Your Time
When it comes to cunnilingus, the following words should never leave your mouth: How long should I do it for? “Women tend to feel more insecure about having oral sex performed on them,” says Katz. So your main goal should be to take her off the clock. Explore each and every inch of her vulva and continually let her know how much you enjoy her body, Katz explains. Wait for her to pull you up.

Don’t Treat Her Clitoris Like a Bullseye
Just as the body needs to be warmed up for sex, the clitoris needs to be warmed up before it’s stimulated, says Katz. So don’t hit that area as soon as she drops her pants. Instead, tease her. Think of the vulva as a clock (with her clitoris being noon), and make your way around the entire clock, suggests Katz. Many women are especially sensitive between the areas of 2 and 3 o’clock, so that’s a good place to start, she says. And don’t forget to use your fingers. By incorporating both tongue and manual stimulation, you’ll give her a variety of different sensations.

Vary Your Techniques
Ready to take her on a wild ride? Master these three positions from Katz’s new book, Oral Sex That’ll Blow Her Mind. (And for 26 more moves that’ll shake up your sex life, consult the Men’s Health Sex Position Master.)

The Easy Chair

Lie on your back, keep your feet flat on the bed with your knees bent, and position a pillow underneath your neck and head for support. Have her lay on top of you (with her back touching your stomach), move her feet by your head, and rest her head on your bent knees.

Benefits: With your mouth right near her vulva, you’ll have easy access to her most sensitive parts—and your hands will be free to do what they please.

Orgasmic Earmuffs

Both of you should lay on your sides, facing opposite directions. Have her support herself on a bent arm, then position yourself between her outstretched legs. As you rest your head on her thigh that’s closest to the bed, place her upper thigh over the top of your head, so both of your ears are covered by her legs.

Benefits: This position also gives you access to the entire vulva, and it’s mighty comfortable, which means it’s easy to maintain for long periods of time.

Forward Fold

As your partner stands in front of you, bend her over with her legs shoulder-width apart and have her place her hands around her ankles. Kneel behind her (add a pillow under your knees if needed) and help keep her stable by placing your hands on her hips.

Benefits: It’s a very easy position for you to hold, and it allows you to manually stimulate her clitoris.

Illustrations by Byron Gray

If you liked this story, you’ll love:

The Ultimate Taco Recipe

TACOS AL PASTOR

Ingredients

2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp orange juice
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp chipotle pepper in adobo
1/2 Tbsp guajillo pepper powder or chili powder
Pinch cinnamon
1 lb pork loin, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
Salt and pepper
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 cup store-bought salsa verde
2 thick slices pineapple
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 handful cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges

If you like this recipe, sign up for our free Cook This, Not That newsletter to have new recipes delivered to you every week.

MINUTES 1-5
Prepare the marinade

In a food processor or blender, blend the first seven ingredients to a puree and pour the mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Season the pork slices with salt and pepper and add them to the bag. Refrigerate for at least an hour (and up to 4) before cooking.

MINUTES 6-10
Make the salsa verde

When you're ready to cook, preheat a grill or grill pan on high. In a small mixing bowl, mash the avocado to a coarse paste. Then stir in the salsa verde to form a thick sauce. Set aside.

MINUTES 11-20
Cook the pork

Remove the meat from the marinade and grill until browned and firm, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, grill the pineapple until light grill marks develop, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Fold the tortillas and fill them with pork and pineapple; add salsa verde and cilantro and serve with lime wedges. (If you love your grill as much as we do, pick up Grill This, Not That! for dozens of new, mouthwatering recipes.)

Makes 4 servings

PER SERVING: 495 calories, 37 grams (g) protein, 41 g carbohydrates (8g fiber), 20 g fat, 350 milligrams sodium

The Ultimate Workout, a Kick-Ass Party

The Men’s Health and Women's Health Beach Boot Camp is, quite simply, the best fitness experience you’ll ever have.

No, it’s not a race. It’s an all-new way of challenging your body—and have a great time doing it. But unlike other events, you won’t just walk away sweaty, tired, and sore. You’ll leave smarter. We’ll introduce you to exercises you’ve never done, equipment you’ve never tried, and workouts that you’ve never dreamed of! We’ve literally brought the pages of our magazines to life in the most fun venue on the planet: the beach. That’s right: Fit men and women in swimsuits—abs rippling, butts glistening—getting fitter by the second.

The two-day event will take place Aug. 18-19, 2012, in Long Beach, N.Y.

REGISTRATION OPENS TUESDAY, MAY 15!

Come back to MensHealth.com/bootcamp then, or email us at bootcamp-feedback@Rodale.com, and we’ll alert you when you can sign up!

Day 1 starts with a grueling and exhilarating 12-station, 90-minute workout on the beach: We call it The Gauntlet. It combines the latest metabolic-training methods along with the coolest equipment. You’ll learn how to use battling ropes, kettlebells, medicine balls, TRX, and even sandbags to get an unbelievable workout.

Day 2 features The Beach Battle, a unique fitness competition that will crown the King and Queen of the Beach! You’ll tackle a 5-station course that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Think of it as part Survivor, part World’s Strongest Man competition. The top male and female will each win $2,500. Bragging rights will be awarded to the winners in various age-group categories. Are you tough enough? Prove it.

You can sign up for either day—or both. Our guarantee: You’ll get the best workout of your life, while having the time of your life! Don’t miss this first-of-its-kind event. It’ll change the way you look at fitness forever.

Your Ultimate Guide to Oral Sex

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Sculpt the Ultimate Sand Palace

How can you catch her eye on a beach strewn with tanned, buff bodies? How about creating a giant sand sculpture of the NASA space shuttle or a characterture of Gene Simmons?

We’re sure that’s what scientists at the University of Amsterdam had in mind when they conducted a recent study appropriately titled, “How to construct the perfect sand castle” published in the prestigious journal Nature. (We’re pleased to report that scientific journal editors loosen up in Summer Friday season, too.) By using a similar mathematical equation civil engineers use to calculate the stability of buildings, they found the most steady sandcastles to have a water content of about 1 percent. (Click here for the best celebrity summer beach bodies!)

So how can you build a lofty castle (or sports mascot, marine mammal, or kraken)? To help you get started, we talked to the men behind I.B. Posse—the two-time reigning champs of the U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition. (Yes, that exists.)

Gather your gear

The basic tools you’ll need are garden shovels, buckets of various sizes (5-gallon to 8-ounce), masonry trowels, and spoons. To carve your design, simple kitchen utensils should suffice. For extreme detail, use a straw to remove the smallest amounts of sand by blowing it away with your breath.

Devise a plan

Have a general concept of your desired outcome so you can focus your efforts. Sketches help. Claim some real estate within 20 feet of the tide line. Then take a stick and carve your blueprint. (Make sure to protect your eyes while you’re out there with The Best Summer Sunglasses.)

Start digging

Pile up sand in a volcano shape, dowsing it with buckets of water as you go. The mound will need to be packed down tightly to create a surface hard enough to be carved. Master sand sculptors complete this step with the aid of rigid wooden or plastic forms to keep the sand in place and to build height in multiple levels.

Be creative

Once you have a good structure, start carving at the top of the pile and work your way down so the sand you cut away doesn’t fall on sculpted areas below. Also, be ready to improvise. Sand is not a very forgiving artistic medium. If part of your sculpture crumbles, just roll with it.

If you liked this story, you’ll love these:

The Ultimate Workout, a Kick-Ass Party

The Men’s Health and Women's Health Beach Boot Camp is, quite simply, the best fitness experience you’ll ever have.

No, it’s not a race. It’s an all-new way of challenging your body—and have a great time doing it. But unlike other events, you won’t just walk away sweaty, tired, and sore. You’ll leave smarter. We’ll introduce you to exercises you’ve never done, equipment you’ve never tried, and workouts that you’ve never dreamed of! We’ve literally brought the pages of our magazines to life in the most fun venue on the planet: the beach. That’s right: Fit men and women in swimsuits—abs rippling, butts glistening—getting fitter by the second.

The two-day event will take place Aug. 18-19, 2012, in Long Beach, N.Y.

REGISTRATION OPENS TUESDAY, MAY 15!

Come back to MensHealth.com/bootcamp then, or email us at bootcamp-feedback@Rodale.com, and we’ll alert you when you can sign up!

Day 1 starts with a grueling and exhilarating 12-station, 90-minute workout on the beach: We call it The Gauntlet. It combines the latest metabolic-training methods along with the coolest equipment. You’ll learn how to use battling ropes, kettlebells, medicine balls, TRX, and even sandbags to get an unbelievable workout.

Day 2 features The Beach Battle, a unique fitness competition that will crown the King and Queen of the Beach! You’ll tackle a 5-station course that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Think of it as part Survivor, part World’s Strongest Man competition. The top male and female will each win $2,500. Bragging rights will be awarded to the winners in various age-group categories. Are you tough enough? Prove it.

You can sign up for either day—or both. Our guarantee: You’ll get the best workout of your life, while having the time of your life! Don’t miss this first-of-its-kind event. It’ll change the way you look at fitness forever.

The Ultimate Taco Recipe

TACOS AL PASTOR

Ingredients

2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp orange juice
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp chipotle pepper in adobo
1/2 Tbsp guajillo pepper powder or chili powder
Pinch cinnamon
1 lb pork loin, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
Salt and pepper
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 cup store-bought salsa verde
2 thick slices pineapple
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 handful cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges

If you like this recipe, sign up for our free Cook This, Not That newsletter to have new recipes delivered to you every week.

MINUTES 1-5
Prepare the marinade

In a food processor or blender, blend the first seven ingredients to a puree and pour the mixture into a large resealable plastic bag. Season the pork slices with salt and pepper and add them to the bag. Refrigerate for at least an hour (and up to 4) before cooking.

MINUTES 6-10
Make the salsa verde

When you're ready to cook, preheat a grill or grill pan on high. In a small mixing bowl, mash the avocado to a coarse paste. Then stir in the salsa verde to form a thick sauce. Set aside.

MINUTES 11-20
Cook the pork

Remove the meat from the marinade and grill until browned and firm, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, grill the pineapple until light grill marks develop, 2 to 3 minutes a side. Fold the tortillas and fill them with pork and pineapple; add salsa verde and cilantro and serve with lime wedges. (If you love your grill as much as we do, pick up Grill This, Not That! for dozens of new, mouthwatering recipes.)

Makes 4 servings

PER SERVING: 495 calories, 37 grams (g) protein, 41 g carbohydrates (8g fiber), 20 g fat, 350 milligrams sodium