Health
NYPD detective shares grueling workouts to motivate cops to get in shape
A ripped NYPD detective who is becoming a social media sensation for his grueling nightly workouts wants to inspire police across the nation to get in shape.
Eddie Barrett, 35, known as “50Cal” to his hundreds of thousands of followers, recently told Fox News Digital he has never taken a day off from training in 21 years — and said there are no excuses for his colleagues to not be physically fit in the line of duty. (See the video at the top of this article.)
The married father wants his daily vlogs to show police officers that they can juggle work and family life while also making time for the gym.
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On his workdays, Barrett wakes up at midnight and heads outside for an ice bath.
He then drives an hour to the Bronx, where he works with the NYPD’s warrant department, a highly specialized unit that rounds up dangerous criminals wanted for serious crimes.
NYPD detective Eddie Barrett, pictured working out at the gym, said he has never taken a day off from training in 21 years. (Eddie Barrett/@50callabz)
But before Barrett punches in, the 6’1″ detective hits the gym to pump iron and pound the treadmill.
He then works his regular police shift — from around 3:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. — before driving home, spending quality time with his family and typically getting to sleep no later than 8 p.m.
“Getting my training in is of utmost priority — I’ve been doing this for 21 years.”
On weekends, Barrett gets up at around 3 a.m. and hits the ice bath before working out at his purpose-built home gym so he can free up the rest of the day for time with his family.
And if he’s on vacation, as he was recently in the Cayman Islands, Barrett will pound the sandy beaches in the dead of night with a torchlight strapped to his head — and that’s before his gym session.
Detective Barrett works out in the early morning hours before his police shift. ((Edward Barrett/@50callabz))
“Getting my training in is of utmost priority — my wife thinks I’m crazy, people think I’m crazy, but I’ve been doing this for 21 years,” Barrett told Fox News Digital.
“And it not only sets the standard for the day, especially first thing in the morning, but it’s just become who I am. It’s just me. No matter where I am, what time I gotta wake up, or whatever I have going on — I will train.”
Inspiring others
Barrett uploads daily videos of his morning routine and workouts to social media, offering words of motivation to his loyal followers.
His goal is to inspire others — police in particular — to get in shape so they can be faster and stronger.
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“If [a suspect] wants to run or wants to fight, they will lose, because you’ve trained hard to be at a higher level than them,” Barrett told Fox News Digital. “We’ve got to constantly work for that, because that can decide whether we go home safe or if we get hurt or God forbid something worse happens.”
Said Barrett recently on Instagram in a video that shows him doing sprints before work, “Think you can run from the warrant squad? Think again.”
Barrett uploads daily videos of his morning routine and workouts to social media, offering words of motivation to his loyal followers. (Eddie Barrett/@50callabz)
Barrett said he recommends hybrid training, a fitness approach that involves integrating strength training with cardiovascular exercises.
The detective often mixes extremely heavy weight-lifting with long or short runs, as well as high-intensity workouts.
While Barrett said he doesn’t expect other first responders to mimic his stringent routine, he emphasizes the importance of finding the time to be fit for duty. He noted that some police agencies are lowering fitness standards to help plug recruitment gaps.
“You want to have an appearance and a level of confidence in your fitness that demands respect and that always plays in your favor,” Barrett added.
NYPD detective Barrett, also known as 50 Cal, is pictured with wife Sierra and son Henry. He said balancing family, work and fitness is very important to him. (Eddie Barrett/ @50Cal)
Getting out of bed early is less complicated than people think, according to Barrett.
“Some days are harder than others, right? You just can’t give yourself a second option ever,” he said. “We know what we have to do in life. And life is very short. The days fly by.”
He added, “We have to be the best versions of ourselves, and there’s so much to accomplish in life … And if you don’t give yourself that second option, there is no snooze button. There is no scrolling on social media.”
“We know what we have to do in life. And life is very short.”
The detective does some “mind tricks” in the morning to help him get up, like counting down from three or saying a short prayer.
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“Get your mind going. It makes you think. It makes your brain function. You get that cool plunge. You do things that are difficult first thing in the morning, and before you know it, you’re rocking and rolling,” Barrett said.
Family tradition
Barrett said his goal is to have a lifelong career on the force, following in the footsteps of his late grandfather, who served as a police officer in New Jersey.
Today, Barrett proudly wears his grandfather’s police badge as a necklace.
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During the interview, Barrett’s young son, Henry, noted that he also wants to follow the family’s policing tradition.
“I feel like I live the best life. I really love my life and I tell people even in today’s crazy climate … being a cop is a great job,” Det. Barrett said. “I encourage everybody that’s thinking about it: Go for it.”
Barrett’s training regimen has helped him gain a large following on social media. (Edward Barrett, @50callabz)
The detective said his strict fitness discipline is what helps him balance his training, work and family life, as well as his own supplements business.
While he wants to sustain his fitness level for as long as possible, Barrett emphasized that family always comes first, and that he cherishes the support he gets from his wife and his father, who lives with them.
“The memories we gather with our families are the most important things in the world.”
“The memories we gather with our families are the most important things in the world,” Barrett said. “And recently, I’ve come to accept that business might not grow as fast, my fitness might not get to the level I want it to, because I would never sacrifice my time with my family.”
Barrett urged others, not just law enforcement members, to develop their own core principles and continue to work hard every day.
“There’s so much out there for the taking in life, and if you don’t get out there and do it, life is just going to pass us all by,” he added.
“You’re going to be amazed at what you can accomplish.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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