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NYPD detective shares grueling workouts to motivate cops to get in shape

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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.

JILLIAN MICHAELS REVEALS SIMPLE WORKOUT TO EXTEND YOUR LIFESPAN ‘UP TO 7 YEARS’

On his workdays, Barrett wakes up at midnight and heads outside for an ice bath. 

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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.”

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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.”

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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.”

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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“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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Healthy diets spark lung cancer risk in non-smokers as pesticides loom

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Healthy diets spark lung cancer risk in non-smokers as pesticides loom

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Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests.

The observational study, led by Jorge Nieva, M.D., of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at Keck Medicine, was presented this month at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in San Diego. It has not yet been peer-reviewed. 

Researchers looked at dietary, smoking and demographic data for 187 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer at age 50 or younger. 

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They found that among non-smokers, there was a link between healthier-than-average diets – rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and the chance of lung cancer development.

Young lung cancer patients ate more servings of dark green vegetables, legumes and whole grains compared to the average U.S. adult, the researchers found.

Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables was found to have a surprising link to lung cancer among younger non-smokers, early research suggests. (iStock)

The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association.

“Commercially produced (non-organic) fruits, vegetables and whole grains are more likely to be associated with a higher residue of pesticides than dairy, meat and many processed foods,” according to Nieva. He also noted that agricultural workers exposed to pesticides tend to have higher rates of lung cancer.

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“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” Nieva told Fox News Digital.

The disease is becoming more common in non-smokers 50 and younger, especially women – despite the fact that smoking rates have been falling for decades, the researcher noted.

The researchers hypothesized that pesticides applied to conventionally grown produce could be a possible factor in the disease association. (iStock)

“These patients tend to have eaten much healthier diets before their diagnosis than the average American,” he went on. “We need to support research into understanding why Americans – and women in particular – who no longer smoke very much are still having lung cancer,” he said.

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DEATHS FROM ONE TYPE OF CANCER ARE SURGING AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS WITHOUT COLLEGE DEGREES

The study did have some limitations, Nieva acknowledged, primarily that it relied on survey data and was limited by the participants’ memories of their food intake.  

“Also, the survey participants were self-selected, and this could have biased the findings,” he told Fox News Digital.

“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking.”

The researchers did not test specific foods for pesticides, relying instead on average pesticide levels for certain types of food. Looking ahead, they plan to test patients’ blood and urine samples to directly measure pesticide levels, Nieva said.

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Although the study shows only an association and does not prove that pesticides caused lung cancer, Nieva recommends that people wash their produce before eating and choose organic foods whenever possible.

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“This work represents a critical step toward identifying modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to lung cancer in young adults,” said Nieva. “Our hope is that these insights can guide both public health recommendations and future investigation into lung cancer prevention.”  

“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but is by no means certain,” a doctor said. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said the study is “interesting,” but that it “raises far more questions than it answers.”

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“It is a small study (around 150) and observational, so no proof,” the doctor, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

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“It is possible that the increased lung cancer risk could be due to pesticide exposure in whole farmed foods, but it is by no means certain,” Siegel went on. “How much exposure is needed? How much of it gets into food and in which areas? This requires much further study.”

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Kayla Nichols, communications director for Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network, a distributed global network, said the organization agrees with the study’s conclusion that more research should be done on the rise in lung cancer, particularly in individuals eating diets higher in produce and fiber.

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“There is a large subset of lung cancer patients whose disease is not caused by smoking,” the researcher told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“There is a bounty of existing research that already links pesticide exposure to increased risk of multiple types of cancers,” Nichols, who was also not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. She called for more research on chronic, low-level exposures to pesticides, as well as more effective policies to protect the public from pesticide residues on food.

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The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute, as well as industry partners including AstraZeneca and Genentech, among others.

Fox News Digital reached out to several pesticide companies and trade groups for comment.

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Deaths from one type of cancer are surging among younger adults without college degrees

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Deaths from one type of cancer are surging among younger adults without college degrees

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Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. New research shows one group getting hit the hardest – those without a college degree.

A recent study from the American Cancer Society analyzed data from over 101,000 adults aged 25 to 49 who died from colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2023.

While death rates remained stable for college graduates, they climbed significantly for those without a bachelor’s degree, the findings showed.

WIDESPREAD HABIT MAY RAISE COLORECTAL CANCER RISK MORE THAN YOU THINK

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For young adults with a high school education or less, the mortality rate rose from 4.0 to 5.2 per 100,000 people, while the rate for those with at least a bachelor’s degree stayed flat, at approximately 2.7 per 100,000.

This does not mean that a degree offers some kind of biological protection, researchers cautioned.

Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. (iStock)

The difference is likely driven by the conditions in which people live and work, which often correlate with education levels, the researchers noted.

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The study suggests that the higher death rates are likely driven by differences in the prevalence of risk factors, including obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and diet, which are “known to be elevated among children and young adults with lower [socioeconomic status].”

Because the study relied on death certificates, researchers couldn’t say exactly why college graduates had better outcomes.

Because the researchers didn’t have the patients’ actual medical records, they couldn’t see things like frequency of screenings or treatment options, which would impact survival outcomes. (iStock)

Certificates typically list the cause of death, age, race and education level, but they do not include a person’s full medical history.

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Because the researchers didn’t have the patients’ actual medical records, they couldn’t see things like frequency of screenings or treatment options, which would impact survival outcomes.

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Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for men under 50 and the second leading cause for women in the same age group, according to recent statistics.

While colorectal cancer death rates remained stable for college graduates, they climbed significantly for those without a bachelor’s degree, the findings showed. (iStock)

Because the disease is highly treatable when caught early, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) lowered the recommended screening age from 50 to 45 in 2021.

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Common signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer can include a change in bowel habits, such as diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool, that lasts for more than a few days, according to the American Cancer Society.

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Other signs that warrant seeing a doctor include blood in the stool or a persistent feeling of needing to go to the bathroom but being unable to go.

The research was published in JAMA Oncology.

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Cancer tied to woman’s vaping habit since age 15 as she’s now given just months to live

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Cancer tied to woman’s vaping habit since age 15 as she’s now given just months to live

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A young woman who started vaping at the age of 15 has been given just 18 months to live — after being diagnosed with lung cancer in her early 20s. 

Kayley Boda, 22, of Manchester, in the United Kingdom, was engaging in heavy vaping on a regular basis when she started coughing up a brown substance with “grainy bits” in it in January 2025, news agency SWNS reported. 

The retail assistant said doctors turned her away eight times, telling her she had a chest infection — until she began coughing up blood.    

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After seven biopsies, Boda was diagnosed with lung cancer. She underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy — and in February 2026, got the all-clear, the same source reported.

Two months later, though, doctors said the cancer had come back in the pleural lining. Now she’s been given 18 months to live.

Kayley Boda, 22, is shown in the hospital. She started coughing up a brown substance with “grainy bits” in January 2025, she said. She had been vaping since the age of 15.  (SWNS)

The young woman has now issued a warning to others to be aware of the dangers of vaping.

Boda said she smoked a bit as a young teenager. She took up vaping after that. 

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Then, “a few months after I switched from reusable vapes to disposable ones, I started coughing up brown, grainy mucus,” as SWNS reported.

TOURISTS MAY FACE STEEP FINES AND JAIL TIME FOR VAPES AT THIS VACATION HOT SPOT

“Doctors turned me away eight times with a chest infection. … Then I started coughing up blood, so they did an X-ray and found a shadow on my lung,” she added.

“They told me they were 99% sure, [since I was] so young, that it wasn’t cancer, so not to worry about it. When I got the results back, and they told me it was lung cancer, it felt so surreal.”

Boda said she was “very naive” before her diagnosis and thought that “something like this would never happen to me.”

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She said that she had surgery to remove half of her right lung.

“After the surgery, I started chemo and I had a terrible reaction to it. I couldn’t lift my head up. I was throwing up blood. I was urinating blood. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep.”

VACATION HOT SPOT CRACKS DOWN ON VAPING WITH JAIL THREATS AND HEFTY FINES

She said that when she got the “all clear [in Feb. 2026], it felt amazing, but just two months later I was told the cancer had come back, and I have 18 months to live.”

She added, “I’m 22. This isn’t meant to happen to somebody my age.”

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“Stay off the vapes because they will catch up with you.”  

She blames her cancer on vaping, she said.  

“My symptoms started a few months after I started disposable vapes, and there’s no lung cancer in my family,” she said. “I haven’t vaped for three months, I’ve made my partner stop, I’ve made my mom stop, I’m urging all my friends to stop. Stay off the vapes,” she continued, “because they will catch up with you.”  

When doctors did an X-ray, they found a shadow on Boda’s right lung. She was later diagnosed with lung cancer and has undergone surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy. (SWNS)

She said she’d been using reusable vapes since the age of 15 and began using disposable vapes a few months before her cancer symptoms started.

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DISPOSABLE VAPES MORE TOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC THAN CIGARETTES, STUDY SHOWS

In November 2024, when she developed a rash all over her body, doctors said it could have been due to shingles, chicken pox or scabies, she told SWNS.    

‘Nothing worked’

“I got treated for all three, and nothing worked,” Boda said. “It got to the point where I was cutting myself from scratching so hard.” 

A few months after that, she began coughing up a dark brown mucus, with “grainy bits, the consistency of sugar, in it,” she said. When the coughing continued, she visited the doctor’s office, but was told it could be scarring from pneumonia or a chest infection, she also said.    

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It wasn’t until March 2025 that she began coughing up bright red blood. At that point, doctors gave her a chest X-ray and told her they’d found a shadow on her lower right lung.    

Over the next four months, she had seven biopsies as doctors took samples from the “shadow.” In August, when she went to get the results, she was told she had stage one lung cancer.

Boda is shown in the hospital. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and had surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy. (SWNS)

In September 2025, she had surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, and the surrounding lymph nodes. During the surgery, doctors upstaged her cancer from stage one to stage three after finding cancer in six surrounding lymph nodes, she said.  

Following the surgery, Boda was unable to breathe properly and had to learn to walk all over again.  

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“The oncologist said this is so rare.”

After finishing chemotherapy in February 2026, Kayley was given the all clear, leaving her feeling elated. 

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However, just a month after that, she began experiencing extreme chest pains and was told by doctors she had a pleural effusion — a build-up of fluid in the lungs. She had the fluid removed, but when doctors tested it, they discovered her cancer had returned to the pleural lining of her lungs, giving her 18 months to live.  

“The oncologist said this is so rare, and usually something they see in patients that are 80 years old,” she said, as SWNS reported.  

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Increasingly, vacation hot spots are enforcing strict bans on the use of e-cigarettes in public venues.  (iStock)

Boda claimed that doctors were unable to pin her cancer to a specific cause — but told her that smoking and vaping definitely didn’t help.

Since her diagnosis, she has stopped and is urging others to stop, too.    

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She’s hoping to raise the thousands of dollars needed for treatment to try to prolong her life, she said.  

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Last year, Fox News Digital reported on the case of a Pennsylvania woman, 26, who said she vaped for just one year before her lungs collapsed. She was 22 when she took up the habit, she said in an interview. 

“Everybody warned me about it, but I didn’t listen — I wish that I did,” she said.

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Dr. David Campbell, clinical director and program director at Recover Together Bend in Oregon, told Fox News Digital at that time that signs of collapsed lungs include sharp chest or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

Lung issues are just one of the many health issues linked to vaping, he warned. The habit can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as exposure to harmful heavy metals.

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Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

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