If you’re the kind of person who uses televised sporting events to determine what season it is, consider this the announcement for spring: The Arnold Palmer Invitational takes place this week. The API runs Thursday to Sunday at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in suburban Orlando, FL. It’s neither the first event of the 2022 PGA Tour nor the first in warm weather (or even in Florida). It is, however, one of the biggest tournaments of the early season, and it serves as an on-ramp to the The Players Championship next weekend at TPC Sawgrass. The API draws a strong field, and it’s usually when the PGA Tour starts to really get competitive.
The tournament draws most of the world’s best players because of its revered namesake and because serves as a good opening act for a key stretch of the golf season. For those watching at home, the broadcast is split between Golf Channel and NBC, with streaming for much of the tournament on ESPN+. Golf Channel takes Thursday and Friday and the early weekend shifts, while the main telecast on Saturday and Sunday afternoons moves to NBC.
Last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational was one of the best events of the season, as two players with diametrically different styles, Bryson DeChambeau and Lee Westwood, duked it out in the final round. DeChambeau, a big masher in the prime of his career, had to work hard to hold off a 47-year-old Westwood and win by a shot. The Arnold Palmer Invitational 2022 field will likely offer similar levels of drama. Below are three storylines to watch as the players hit the course this week.
Arnold Palmer Invitational 2022 Preview: What to Watch This Week
1. The most notable thing about the field might be the player who just bowed out.
At nearly 7,400 yards across its 18 holes, Bay Hill is one of the longer setups on the PGA Tour. Its par-3 holes are the longest on tour, period, at an average of 212 yards.
Bryson DeChambeau is the biggest driver on the tour, and he made a mockery of the course on the way to winning there in 2021. His massive drives allowed him to play the course differently than anyone else. DeChambeau gained 1.76 strokes per round on the field on his tee shots, as his 305-yard average drive made the course a lot shorter for him than it is for most. Westwood navigated the course brilliantly but didn’t have the juice to catch him.
2. DeChambeau’s absence opens the door for other players with a similar profile.
Even with DeChambeau gone, the winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational will likely still be the player who can drive the hell out of the ball and shorten the course to his advantage. There are a few candidates who fit the bill:
Corey Conners, who finished third last year and has had one of the best drivers on the PGA Tour over the last four or five years. In addition to his recent strong performance at Bay Hill, Conners is seventh in the world in strokes gained off the tee over the last six months, according to Data Golf.
Cameron Young is a tour rookie, but he finished second at the highly competitive Genesis Invitational in February and has put up big numbers with his driver.
Keith Mitchell is another heavy hitter who finished tied for sixth and tied for fifth at Bay Hill in 2019 and 2020, respectively, before tying for 43rd last year.
Marc Leishman, the veteran Aussie who won at Bay Hill in 2017, finished second in 2020 and has sprinkled in a few other strong efforts on the course as well. Leishman, now 38, doesn’t fit the big-hitting mold at this point in his career, and he didn’t make the cut for the API in 2021. But maybe he can figure out the course again.
Generally speaking, Bay Hill doesn’t lend itself to big upsets. Tiger Woods has won this tournament an absurd eight times, and more recent winners have also tended to be some of the best players in the world: Rory McIlroy in 2018, Francesco Molinari in 2019 (the year after he won the Open Championship), Tyrrell Hatton in 2020, and DeChambeau in 2021.
McIlroy does that from time to time, and he’s started the 2022 PGA Tour on a hot streak. He won the CJ Cup in October (the start of what’s recognized as the 2022 season despite being in 2021). He played well in a couple of higher-end European Tour events in January, and he tied for 10th at the Genesis Open in February amid one of the year’s most packed fields. He’s so far averaging two strokes gained per round on the field, about a half-stroke better than 2021 and in line with his best seasons in the early 2010s. He has also won at Bay Hill before. McIlroy sometimes makes golf look easy, and he could be getting into one of those phases.
McIlroy, now 32, has remained a top-15 player in the world but hasn’t won a major championship since the 2014 PGA Championship. He’d no doubt like to win The Masters in April (the green jacket has torturously eluded him so far). To hit his peak around then, McIlroy needs to play well in March, and he’s played well at Bay Hill plenty of times. It’s not hard to imagine him having a big showing at the API this year.
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There’s no doubt when the weather turns colder as we settle into winter, stouts take center stage. And while we enjoy all its iterations: standard stout, imperial stout, and robust barrel-aged stouts, we think this malty, chocolate-filled beer’s close cousin deserves a little respect as well. Of course, we’re talking about the oft-overlooked porter. And the best porters, oh buddy, they’ll have you rethinking your seasonal bevvie of choice.
For those uninitiated, the porter style had its genesis in England like many other iconic beer styles. It first appeared in the 1700s and is (you guessed it) named after porters—individuals tasked with transporting luggage.
A confusing origin story
“Stout is the direct descendant of porter. In the 1700s, it was common to use the word ‘stout’ to refer to a bolder, higher-alcohol version of any beer style, much in the same way we use the word ‘imperial’ today,” says Zach Fowle, advanced cicerone and head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in Phoenix, AZ. “Porter was the most popular beer of the day, and over time, “stout porter” became a popular variant. But by the late 1800s, demand for regular porters evaporated, and stout porter shortened simply to stout.”
But more has changed between the 1800s and today than just our penchant for wearing top hats. “Today, most brewers seem to market beers as either stout or porter based on vibes, rather than on any notable stylistic differences,” he says.
Specifically, porters are known for their dark, almost pitch-black color and rich, sweet flavor profile. If you were to drink a porter and a stout side by side, you might even have difficulty discerning the differences between the two.
Stout versus porter is an enduring topic of discussion in the brewing industry. “While there’s no debating the porter came first—and stout used to be called stout porter, so it was a stronger version of a porter—the lines have become very blurred over the years,” says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Brewing in Richmond, CA.
“I would venture that even among professionals, a blind taste test would often yield inconclusive results,” says Lightner.
The difference between porters and stouts
Porters tend to be on the milder, more chocolatey end of the spectrum, Lightner says, whereas stouts are typically a little stronger and more roasty. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule
Fowle agrees, “Porters tend to be fruitier, sweeter, and less bitter than stouts, with cocoa and caramel flavors in balance with dark malt bitterness. And stouts are usually hoppier, drier, maltier, and more coffee-forward—and may even have a touch of acidity.”
Whether or not they fit neatly into boxes, one thing’s for sure: both make for incredible cold-weather brews.
“As the nights grow longer, drinking a light, summery beer just doesn’t seem right,” says Fowle. “Porter is the perfect style for the transition to winter: warming and toasty yet not too heavy, with flavors of coffee, chocolate, and pie crust that correspond with autumn weather and holidays.”
It’s the perfect time to broaden your repretoire. Sweet, robust, warming, and well-suited to the season, here are the best porters to drink now.
1. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
There are few porters more well-respected than Deschutes’ iconic Black Butte Porter. It’s brewed with Cascade and Tettnang hops as well as 2-row, Chocolate, Crystal, and Carapils malts as well as wheat. This 5.5% ABV year-round offering is great for cold-weather drinking because of its mix of roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. It’s a robust, subtly sweet beer perfect for imbibing on a crisp fall night.
The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.
“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.
If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.
Directions
Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.
Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength
Circuit 1
A. Barbell Back Squat
Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps
B. Renegade Row
Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side
Circuit 2
A. Dumbbell Bentover Row
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps
B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 3
A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side
Circuit 4
A. Pullup
Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top. Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps
Circuit 5
A. Dumbbell Pushup
Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
B. Biceps Curl
Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps
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If you haven’t picked up a jump rope since elementary school, you’re missing out on a fantastic cardio workout. Not only will you burn a ton of calories in a short amount of time—200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes—but jump ropes can also improve your coordination and agility. Better yet, jumping rope doesn’t require much space, so it’s easy to do at home, and it’s often more mentally stimulating than jogging or swimming.
Choosing a Jump Rope
When deciding which jump rope is best for you, it’s important to determine what your goals are. While lightweight speed ropes are popular for cardio-focused training, weighted or drag ropes will be best for those focused on strength training.
No matter what your training goals are, we’ve got you covered with this roundup of 10 jump ropes from top brands including Crossrope, TRX, Rogue, and more.
The Best Jump Ropes of 2022
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