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Welcome to The BarBend Newsletter! Here’s everything on the docket for today’s edition:

• Is fasted cardio an outdated concept?

• Man vs. Beast, strongman and lion edition

• A 30-minute treadmill workout for the time-crunched

Cardio

Not so Fast

Doing fasted cardio, especially first thing in the morning, has been a staple piece of advice for fat-loss seekers for years. It has been prescribed to everyone from those just starting their weight-loss process to high-level performers looking to eke out the last fractional gains before a contest.

Does this mean fastest cardio actually works the way some people say it does, as in specifically targeting fat? Dr. Layne Norton says, “Eh.”

The good doctor clarifies that weight loss occurs as part of a calorie deficit, regardless of how it is achieved. This means there is nothing particularly magical about eating, not eating, or the movement patterns you engage in while in either state. Still, some may find it useful. 

Check out the science behind the debate and make your own decisions about when and where to consume your calories.

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Why Not?

Shaw v Lion

Anyone who remembers the halcyon days of peak “talking head” ESPN from the early 2000s will remember the unapologetic and unironic infatuation PTI’s Tony Kornheiser had for the 2003 FOX special, Man vs. Beast. In one of the greatest pieces of sports journalism ever, Kornheiser opined, “I think this is going to come down to whether or not the zebra understands it is supposed to be in a race.”

Internet personality Mr. Beast, strongman legend Brian Shaw, and a captive lion in South Africa recently teamed up to more deeply explore this “man vs. nature” concept by engaging in a tug-of-war match.

Should you be personally interested in this topic, the orangutans at the Washington, DC zoo can challenge you to some tug-of-war when they’re in the mood (they’re actually pretty cheeky about it). As for Shaw and the lion, probably the best that can be said is that nobody was martyred, and, unlike Shaw’s MMA fight with Eddie Hall, we can assume everyone got paid what they were supposed to (including the lion). 

Workouts

Walking in Place

Treadmills are a convenient way to knock out a simple workout without much prep time. They also happen to be really good at storing clothes and towels that you don’t particularly feel like folding once you realize how boring cardio can be.

Toss those shirts and linens onto a nearby armchair and get into the swing of treadmill training with this simple-yet-effective 30-minute workout that’s actually fun to do.

Unlike the popular 12/3/30 workout, this plan uses variable speeds and RPE (rating of perceived exertion) to ramp up and down over the course of 30 minutes. This can tap into different energy systems, and can even be combined with steady workouts like 12/3/30 to build a massive engine (and dissolve body fat).

Inconvenience and a lack of time can’t be an excuse for you anymore. Take the next 30 minutes or so to walk toward a better version of you.

Sound Off!

Pick Your Poison

Quick Hits

💪 Press This: If you’re a DIY garage gym enthusiast, you need to be careful about typing things like “how to build a land mine at home” into your Google machine. Once you have your hinged barbell receptacle (not a hair-triggered war crime device), you can get busy learning how to do the landmine press for an unreal shoulder workout.

🏋️‍♂️ Get Back to This: After a little speculation, CrossFit legend Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr has accepted her invitation to compete in this year’s CrossFit Games. This means switching her training up from the HYROX-focused work she’d been doing, and getting down to the business of claiming another title. Check out how the seven-time champ is training for Albany.

🎥 Up, Up, and Away: Just in time for the release of a new Superman movie in theaters, check out this vintage footage of the original Man of Steel, Christopher Reeve. In this clip from 1978, he discusses his training regimen for the role.

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