Is intermittent fasting a metabolic loophole? A biohack that tricks your body into burning fat faster? Spoiler: no. Fasting isn't magic, and it doesn't change the basic rules of fat loss. But that doesn't mean it's useless. We're breaking down what fasting actually does in your body, why people think it works, when it might be helpful, and when it's likely to backfire. Plus, we'll tell you exactly who should avoid fasting altogether (hint: if you're training for performance, this probably isn't for you).

Fasted training is currently a pretty polarized topic in the fitness world, with some arguing that it can provide meaningful improvements for fat loss, and others claiming it will ruin your performance potential or cause hormonal dysfunction in women. In this article, Coach Chris examines three of the most common claims we’ve seen lately: that training fasted improves fat loss, that it harms training adaptations, and that it doesn’t work for women.

In this blog post, we’re breaking down the latest episode of Black Iron Radio, where Krissy, Amanda, and Ryann dive into the science and strategy behind pre-, intra-, and post-training nutrition. If you’ve ever wondered what to eat before a tough lift, how to fuel a long run, or why your recovery isn’t where it should be—this episode covers it all. We’ve taken the key points from the conversation and turned them into a clear, practical guide to help you fuel smarter and train stronger.