Issue No. 50: Why Muscle Matters More After 40

July 31, 2025

Good Morning! Welcome to this week’s edition of Morning Cowbell. Let’s take a look at the top stories and coolest trends shaping fitness and health.

💪  Why Muscle Matters More After 40. In your 20s, strength is a flex - after 40, it’s a lifeline. Discover why muscle becomes your most powerful tool for health, confidence, and independence as you age. And how gyms can rise to the challenge.

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Wall Walks: Building Shoulder Strength
2. The 6‑6‑6 Walking Challenge
3. The REP AB‑3000 Bench That Delivers Big
4. 9 Ways Fasting Keeps Your Mind Young
5. Can You Predict Your Lifespan in 10 Seconds?

🐄 🐄 🐄 — John, Nolan and Josh

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now

Wall Walks: Building Shoulder Strength

Wall Walks are the bodyweight boss move you never knew you needed - until your shoulders start shaking and your abs cry for mercy.

  • The big picture: Total-body strength with zero equipment: Wall Walks start in a plank and finish with your chest inches from the wall, forcing your shoulders, triceps, lats, and core to work together in sweet muscle-building harmony. Built-in shoulder stability and control: This movement demands slow, controlled movement and precise alignment. As you inch your way up and down the wall, you train scapular stability, overhead strength, and the kind of control that carries over to big lifts like handstands, presses, and even pull-ups. Bonus mobility and resilience: Wall Walks stretch your shoulders while strengthening them, improving range of motion, and dialing in posture

  • The verdict: Wall Walks might look like a simple crawl, but they’ll leave you stronger, more stable, and far more humbled than you’d expect - consider them your next upper-body secret weapon.

The 6-6-6- Walking Challenge

It’s the trending wellness hack where you walk for 60 minutes a day (at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m.), sandwiched between six‑minute warm‑ups and cool‑downs, designed to lock in steps, habit, and happy vibes fast.

  • The big picture: The core format is walk briskly for 60 minutes, ideally at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., with a six‑minute warm‑up and six‑minute cooldown for injury‑safe flow and better recovery . Experts tout this challenge for being habit-friendly, accessible to all fitness levels, and delivering benefits like weight management, heart health, bone strength, blood‑sugar control, and a mood lift. The real magic: by walking at a consistent time each day, you cultivate a sustainable wellness ritual -plus it rakes in roughly 6,000–7,000 steps per session, inching you toward 10,000 without forcing it.

  • The verdict: If you’re looking for a low-impact, no-equipment routine that’s catchier than any dance trend and actually builds physical and mental wellness, the 6‑6‑6 challenge walks the walk and talks the talk.

The REP AB-3000 Bench That Delivers Big

The REP AB‑3000 is a rock-solid, feature-packed bench that delivers premium performance without the premium price.

  • The big picture: Tough and Versatile: Built with 11-gauge steel, this bench handles up to 1,000 lbs and adjusts to 8 back and 5 seat positions - flat, incline, or decline, it’s got your back (literally). Easy to Use: Quick ladder-style adjustments, laser-etched angles, and quiet operation make switching positions feel seamless - even mid-sweat. Big Value for the Price: At around $350–370, you’re getting heavy-duty quality, comfy CleanGrip™ padding, and pro-level features usually found in much pricier gear.

  • The verdict: For lifters who want serious stability, versatility, and value, the REP AB‑3000 is a no-brainer winner in the home gym game.

9 Ways Intermittent Fasting Keeps Your Mind Young

Intermittent fasting rejuvenates the brain by cleaning out toxins, powering cells with efficient fuel, bolstering new brain cell growth, and improving mood and metabolism.

  • The big picture: Clean, reset, repeat: Fasting stimulates autophagy, the brain’s cellular recycling process, flushing out toxic proteins like amyloid‑beta linked to Alzheimer’s and slowing neurodegeneration. Fuel the brain the smart way: Extended fasts lead to ketone production - which the brain loves - providing efficient, clean-burning energy that enhances clarity and protects neural cells. Boost brain growth and mood: Intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity, promotes new cell growth in the hippocampus, elevates neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and supports emotional wellbeing.

  • The verdict: Intermittent fasting isn’t just a diet fad. It’s a scientifically grounded way to sharpen your mind, uplift your mood, and bolster brain resilience as you age

Can You Predict Your Lifespan in 10 Seconds?

A super‑simple sit‑down‑and‑rise test (SRT) may predict longevity based on your mobility, strength, and balance.

  • The big picture: The Sit-Rise Test (SRT) is exactly what it sounds like: sit on the floor and then rise back up with as little help from your hands, knees, or other body parts as possible. Each assist deducts a point from a perfect score of 10. It's simple, fast, and oddly revealing. A large Brazilian study of over 2,000 adults aged 51–80 found that people with the lowest scores on this test were significantly more likely to die within the next 6 years. Those who scored 3 or lower were up to 5–6 times more likely to experience mortality from all causes compared to high scorers - making the SRT a surprisingly strong predictor of healthspan.

  • The verdict: If you can’t sit and rise from the floor without using your arms or legs, it’s a flashing neon sign that it’s time to boost your balance, flexibility, or strength because mobility today matters for longevity tomorrow.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now