Issue No. 55: Women and Weight Vests: Real Progress or False Progress?
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.
💪 Women and Weight Vests: Real Progress or False Progress? If you’ve been scrolling fitness feeds lately or walking around your neighborhood. You’ve probably seen women walking with weighted vests on. What was once a piece of gear reserved for military recruits, CrossFitters, and elite athletes is now becoming an everyday accessory.
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Is Your Warm-up Killing Your Gains?
2. How Long to Improve Your V02 Max?
3. The Ultimate Waterproof Headphones
4. Why You Can’t Get Rid of Tension in Your Body
5. 6 Lifestyle Habits Hurting Your Heart
🐄 🐄 🐄 — John, Nolan and Josh
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Is Your Warm-Up Killing Your Gains?
The warm-up should prepare you, not exhaust you - less is more when it comes to priming your body for real gains.
The big picture: Excessive warm-ups backfire. Long, drawn-out routines eat into your time, drain your nervous system, and can actually reduce strength, power, and growth by causing central fatigue. Do only what’s needed. If you’re stiff, do a bit of mobility. If you’re sore, adjust the workout instead of smashing tissues with tools. If you’re sluggish, toss in a few explosive reps to wake up. Otherwise? Ramp up with lighter sets of your main lift and get after it. Train for performance on demand. The goal is to become less reliant on warm-ups. Through gradual progression, mental rehearsal, and focused intent, you can shift your body and mind to be ready without wasting 30 minutes on “pre-work.” True mobility work should be tackled separately, not before heavy lifting, and mental triggers can replace half the gimmicks.
The verdict: Warm-ups shouldn’t be workouts in disguise. They’re a quick tune-up, not a full-service overhaul. The stronger, smarter path is to strip your prep down to the essentials, build lasting mobility outside your sessions, and train yourself to flip the switch when it’s time to lift.
How Long to Improve Your V02 Max?
You’ll likely see VO₂ max gains in just 6–10 weeks if you're a beginner - but three months is a realistic timeline for most, while elite athletes may barely budge a percent.
The big picture: If you’re lacing up for the first time or just getting back into running, your body is basically a sponge for fitness. You can expect noticeable improvements in VO₂ max within six to 10 weeks, thanks to your muscles, heart, and lungs eagerly adapting to the new challenge. For those already in the habit of running but looking to level up, the timeline stretches out. Expect about three months of consistent training before retesting shows meaningful progress. Your body is already conditioned, so the improvements are subtler, requiring more patience and smart training strategies - like mixing in interval work, tempo runs, and recovery days. If you’re a seasoned athlete already knocking out half marathons for breakfast, VO₂ max improvements are hard to come by. Studies suggest that elite runners might only see a 1 % bump after an entire year of disciplined training.
The verdict: VO₂ max improvements are totally possible, but they're not instant. Plan for weeks, not days to see meaningful changes.
The Ultimate Waterproof Headphones
These bad boys keep the music flowing from pool to pavement with waterproof toughness, dual-mode magic, and a comfy, open-ear fit.
The big picture: Dive‑ready durability: With an IP68 waterproof rating and triple‑sealed design, the OpenSwim Pro laughs in the face of water - surviving up to 2 meters deep for 2 hours - so you can swim laps with your playlist without a care Bluetooth + MP3 power combo: Effortlessly switch between Bluetooth‑streaming on land and built‑in MP3 playback underwater, jammin’ with up to 32 GB storage for around 8,000 songs Open‑ear comfort that stays put: The bone‑conduction design keeps your ears free, while flexible ear hooks and a titanium alloy band ensure the headphones stay snug, even mid‑flip‑turn or steep climb.
The verdict: The OpenSwim Pro takes your tunes from water to land with fearless waterproofing, flexible dual-mode audio, and secure, comfy wear so your soundtrack never stops, no matter what adventure you chase.
Why You Can’t Rid of Ongoing Tension in Your Body
Your body’s “guarding reflex” is a built-in safety feature that can backfire, keeping you tense long after the threat is gone.
The big picture: Guarding Is a Nervous System Reflex: When your body senses threat or injury, muscles tighten to shield vulnerable areas. This is useful in the moment, but less useful when the “danger” has passed. Tension Becomes Habitual: The real issue is that your nervous system sometimes forgets to switch the reflex off. That means your muscles can stay in protective mode long after the stressor is gone, leaving you stiff, achy, and carrying around tension like an unwanted subscription you forgot to cancel. Relief Requires Retraining: The hopeful part? Guarding can be “taught” to calm down. Practices like slow movement, breathwork, gentle stretching, mindfulness, and even certain therapies can help reprogram your system.
The verdict: Your tension isn’t permanent - it’s just your nervous system being a little overprotective. With consistent, mindful practices, you can retrain your body to let its guard down, move more freely, and finally feel like yourself again.
6 Lifestyle Habits Hurting Your Heart
Even with a healthy diet and regular exercise, hidden lifestyle factors can significantly increase the risk of heart failure.
The big picture: Sleeplessness, pollution, and stress are like the sneaky trio, wearing you down without the usual drama, quietly ramping up your risk of heart failure. Ignoring oral hygiene and living in food deserts can lead to systemic inflammation and poor nutrition, making your heart pay for what your community or your neglected brushing routine might be costing it. Digestion matters, and sugar sabotages. Your gut microbiome plays a heart-healthy tune - or not - and excessive sugar is the uninvited guest that crashes the party with inflammation and metabolic chaos.
The verdict: To protect your heart, ditch the idea that salads and spin class are the silver bullets - it’s about syncing sleep, stress control, oral care, access to fresh food, gut health, and sugar smarts into your life.
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