2% With Michael Easter (Michael Easter)

*Member Episode* We're diving into the complicated world of exercise and weight loss. New science suggests exercise doesn't help you lose weight. It turns out that isn't true—so long as you use the right tactics.

You'll learn five new ways to think about exercise and use it to lose fat. These laws can help you make smarter decisions and save you time and effort—all while improving your health.

To listen to the full episode, go to TWOPCT.com and become a Member of 2%.

*Member episode* The topic of caffeine, like all topics in the health world, is rife with all sorts of good and bad information. Today, Michael covers a new, sweeping review that investigated the most common claims around caffeine.

Michael will highlight nine of them that matter most. We'll cover:

• Whether coffee dehydrates you.
• If pregnant women should avoid caffeine.
• If you should wait 90 to 120 minutes to ingest caffeine after waking up to avoid an afternoon crash.
• Whether drinking coffee regularly lessens its effects on fitness performance.
• Whether caffeine burns fat and how much it takes.
• If caffeine can cause depression and anxiety.
• Whether caffeine can kill you.
• If there are people for who caffeine doesn't work (non-responders)
• If caffeine improves fitness, and what dose it takes.

To access the full episode, become a Member of 2% at TWOPCT.com.

*Member Episode* Become a Member at TWOPCT.com

Michael reveals 43 incredible books that are favorites of Members of 2%.

*Member episode* Become of 2% at TWOPCT.com

Today, Michael talks about the stress and how he relieves it. He'll cover: 

• The mismatch between stress and the modern environment.
• The myriad of health issues that are exacerbated or caused by stress.
• His favorite way to relieve stress. It's backed by science on multiple levels.

Enjoy. For full access, become a Member at TWOPCT.com

Michael explains an incredibly sensical and effective path to improvement. You'll learn:

• Why traditional goal setting fails anywhere from 80 to 95 percent of the time.
• A radical new way to think of improvement. It's not only easier, it's also more effective (and backed by decades of behavioral psychology).
• Tactics to use the method to improve your nutrition, work productivity, and fitness. 

Michael learned the method from Dr. Trevor Kashey, the supergenius featured in Michael's book, The Comfort Crisis. 

Dr. Kashey has used the method to help people lose and keep off more than 100 pounds, win olympic gold medals, double the revenue of their businesses, and increase their productive output at work.

Get all the details at TWOPCT.com

Note: Monday podcasts are always fully accessible to all. But you must be a Member of 2% to get full access to Wednesday and Friday podcasts.

Michael reveals his thoughts on heat therapy—like saunas—after speaking with the world's leading heat-exposure researcher. You'll learn:

• Whether heat exposure therapy is worth it. (Hint: It depends on who you are).
• How heat therapy seems to offer some strong health benefits that mimic (but don't trump) exercise.
• Why heat therapy's impacts on fitness aren't as strong, but may be worthwhile for experimenters and elite athletes.
• How to figure out if heat therapy is worth it for you and the best way to do it.

To read all the graphs and data mentioned in the episode, go to TWOPCT.com.

Become a Member of 2% at TWOPCT.com to get full access to all of our episodes (Monday is always free, but only Members get full access to Wednesday and Friday posts).

Michael explains what we can do to help the declining mental health rates, especially among teens. He covers:

• His recent appearance on Fox News to talk about the issue.
• Why teens are more susceptible to issues from smartphones and how adults are at risk of the same problems. 
• Why the issue isn't as simple as "use your phone less." This one hits adults hard.
• What we can do at a governmental and institutional level to solve the smartphone conundrum.
• What parents who have kids and teens should consider doing to set their kids up for success.

To access the full podcast and links to all the pieces and studies mentioned, please go to TWOPCT.com and become a Member. 

*Member Episode* Become a Member at TWOPCT.com for full access.

Michael covers why you should help others. The case is strong! He'll cover:

• The wild and surprising health benefits of helping others.
• What we often get wrong about helping others.
• A mindset shift around helping others that'll help you get more benefits from your efforts.
• A guideline for how often you should help others.

Thanks for listening. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

Michael reveals important and surprising findings from the World Happiness Report—one of the world’s most extensive happiness studies—and what you can learn from them. He covers:

• Unexpected and nuanced findings on how being social impacts happiness. (It’s not as simple as “spend more time with others.”)
• How to leverage the once-a-month rule of helping others.
• How you can use screen time to boost happiness.
• How to exit a negative behavior loop fed by seeking happiness.
• Why happiness is a counterproductive goal, and what actually leads to happiness.

To access the full podcast and links to all the pieces and studies mentioned, please go to TWOPCT.com.

Note: Monday podcasts are always fully accessible to all. But you must be a Member of 2% to get full access to Wednesday and Friday podcasts. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com. Our promise is to save you more time and money than the monthly fee.

UFC 300 is this weekend. Fighters will lose up to 20 pounds in the five days before weigh-ins. Then they'll gain it all back in the 36 hours before the fight. 

We're covering the science of this extreme weight loss and the four lessons you can take from it. You'll learn:

• What to do when your weight changes day-to-day.
• The truth about low-carb diet results.
• How “calories in, calories out” is true but misses the big picture.
• How to lose weight in a way that makes you look and feel better—for the long haul.

To read the full post or become a Member, go to TWOPCT.com.

*Member Episode* To get the full episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

The Expedition is our monthly dive into the best information I found this month.

We're covering:

• Numbers on:
• Running and longevity.
• The 4-Minute mile.
• How the 4-Minute mile compares to mountaineering.
• How much weight you'll lose on Ozempic in the long term (not short term).
• Odds of one of the two main presidential candidates dying in the next year.
• Life satisfaction.
• How much crazier the internet is compared to real life.
• The three factors that put you most at risk of dying young of heart disease.
• The limitations of data, and what data misses.
• What science says about staying hydrated this summer.
• How humans compare to different animals in a foot race.
• An incredible podcast episode.
• A wise quote on death and how to view it.
• Four albums that changed my worldview.

Become a Member at TWOPCT.com for full access to this episode and all our past episodes.

*Member Episode* Become a Member of 2% at TWOPCT.com for full access to the episode. 

Michael covers a fascinating new exercise study. It's an incredible workout for when you're strapped for time or want to finish a cardio session with some powerful strength work. 

• Scientists recently had a group of athletes do just one exercise in the gym.
• They'd do the exercise for 12 minutes, twice a week. That's it.
• Yet this single-exercise workout significantly improved strength, power, and performance.
• We're diving into the details of this all-powerful, single-exercise workout and how to do it well so you can run, ruck, lift, and live better.

Thanks for listening. Go to TWOPCT.com to become a Member of 2%.

**Member Episode** Become a Member at TWOPCT.com

The Expedition is a journey into thoughts, opinions, ideas, observations, studies, facts, figures, etc.

Good ones, bad ones, insightful ones, dumb ones, and ones you can use to live better.

It’s a roundup of all the worthwhile stuff I’ve encountered in the last month. The Expedition is a bit of an island of misfit toys. But, hey, the greatest journeys are winding.

This month, we’re covering:

• Numbers on:
• Who commits suicide and why.
• The amount of pushups that reduces heart disease risk.
• Money, marriage, and happiness.
• Who wins marathons.
• How changing the speed of videos impacts information retention.
• The truth about expensive treadmills.
• How much time we spend online.
• A wild and clever three-part challenge.
• A fun read about ChatGPT and its propensity for b******t.
• A thought-provoking read on a surprising source of a hidden health threat.
• How to survive—and thrive—this Godforsaken heatwave.
• A wild map on weight changes.
• A tough, fantastic workout I did while traveling recently.
• An important parting quote.
• An even more important parting question.

For full access, become a Member at TWOPCT.com

Michael talks about a 2-minute workout finisher he did to prepare for an expedition into some of the toughest mountains on earth. He's doing it again to prepare for a mountain run event and an 80k ruck in Normandy.

The drill is brutal if you do it as instructed—but also brutally effective. You'll hate us as you do it but thank us when:

• Your rucking improves.
• Your knee pain goes away.
• You can power up mountains on your hikes and trail runs.
• Your legs and assets look better.
• Etc, etc, etc.

Have fun, don't die. And check out TWOPCT.com for videos of the drill, references, and more.

*Member Episode* This month's Gear Not Stuff covers rucking gear. You'll get a list of gear I'll be using for a 50-Mile ruck and why—from the ruck to the shoes, food, and accessories.

To access the full episode and get the full gear list, go to TWOPCT.com and become a Member. Members save more time and money than the monthly cost of 2%.

*Member episode* // Become a Member at TWOPCT.com 

This month's Gear Not Stuff reveals 15 of Michael's favorite travel items. They've kept him alive and made his journeys better from Baghdad to Brussels. 

We'll start by exploring the difference between gear and stuff. Remember:

Stuff is a possession for the sake of it. Gear, on the other hand, has a clear purpose of helping us achieve a higher purpose. Gear is a tool we can use to have better experiences that make us healthier and give our lives meaning.

Then we'll dive into the 15 travel gear items.

*2% Member Episode* — Today we're covering the impacts of back pain and a new study that found the best way to prevent and relieve back pain. Topics include:

• Wild stats on back pain and why back pain is the most common and debilitating pain. More than 80% of people experience it in their life.
• Why back pain creates downstream effects that can severely impact long-term health and longevity.
• A new study that investigated the most effective types of exercise to treat back pain.
• The three best exercises to bulletproof your back so you can move free now and into old, old age.

To see the relevant graphs and figures for free, go to TWOPCT.com. 

To access the full episode, please go to TWOPCT.com and become a Member. We'll save you more time and money than the nominal monthly cost.

Michael reveals this month's Burn the Ships workout, the internet's most fun and effective monthly workout.

You'll learn the science of how often you should do tough workouts, and we'll give the details on this month's workout, called Operation Tiger. It's designed to make you stronger in every way so you can do epic stuff outdoors. It'll help you:

• Climb mountains.
• Hike, run, or ruck stronger down any trail.
• Chase down kids and grandkids.
• Be the Babe Ruth of your rec softball league or the Roger Federer of pickleball.
• Mostly, it’ll help you have more fun and not die in any active endeavor.

To get all the details on the workout and how to do it, go to TWOPCT.com. If you want full access to all the great content on 2% and all our Member podcasts, please become a Member of 2% at TWOPCT.com.

*Member Episode* This month's Gear Not Stuff episode features five amazing books and what I’ve learned from them. These books changed my thinking on: 

• Navigating the modern food system and what to eat. 
• Staying healthy in this strange modern world. 
• Expressing myself on the page through writing. 
• Telling a better and more persuasive story and weaving important information into those stories. 
• Living better in a world full of distractions.

Go to TWOPCT.com to listen to the full episode and watch the video breakdown of each book. Your Membership gets you full access to this podcast and its post and video on TWOPCT, the full archive of 2%, and many other perks.

Michael explores lessons from the life of Bill Walton—mainly, how important it is to live true to yourself. 

Being true to yourself is arguably the most important thing you can do to have a life well lived. This episode dives into the philosophy, art, and science of living true to yourself.

Then it explores five ways to live authentically.

Read the post in full at TWOPCT.com

*Member episode* In today's AMA, Michael explains his complicated and evolving thoughts on ice baths. You'll learn:

• A quick history of cold exposure for improving health, injury, and exercise recovery.
• Why I think ice baths/cold exposure is popular now (hint: it has little to do with health or recovery).
• What the research says about ice baths and exercise.
• What research says about ice baths and fat loss.
• What the research says about ice baths and physical and mental health.
• Why and how I changed my mind about ice baths.
• How I personally use cold exposure.
• Final thoughts on whether ice baths are a temporary trend or permanent fixture of the health world.

For full access to this podcast and to access all the great content on TWOPCT.com, please become a Member. Go to TWOPCT.com.

*Member Episode* To access the full episode, become a Member of 2% with Michael Easter at TWOPCT.com

Michael was recently at a Grateful Dead concert when a person asked him, "What is a popular health trend that you see on Instagram that you think is totally silly?"

He'll answer that question but also explain important information about the internet and how it's changing the health information we receive and act upon.

Topics include:

• How the internet has changed the state of health information. What it was like before the internet, and what it's like now.
• Some benefits of having more health information online.
• Some downsides of having more health information online.
• The "Great Endarkenment" theory of online health information.
• How social media in particular has impacted health practices.
• What I think is the silliest health trend.
• Larger lessons on how to think about, vet, process, and use the health information you see online.

Thanks for listening. To get the full episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com

Episode Summary

• I just finished a 50-mile ruck in Normandy, France, for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
• It was an incredible experience. A marriage of effort and experience to commemorate an act that 80 years ago saved the world.
• I'll cover six lessons in mindset, fitness, and living well I learned along the way.

Become a member at TWOPCT.com

**Member Episode** For full access to this episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com. We save you more time and money than the monthly cost. 

Michael recently gave a talk on mental toughness. Today, he's covering some points from that talk including:

• The conflicting and ambiguous research on mental toughness.
• How I think about mental toughness in a way I and others have found useful.
• Three of my favorite fundamentals of mental toughness and how to build it.

The result: You'll be able to accomplish more and perform better—all with less stress.

Read the full post at TWOPCT.com 

*Member Episode* Today we're exploring fascinating and important findings about how sitting impacts health. You'll learn:

• Why inactivity is a source of pain and disease in Western people.
• Why some people are just as inactive as Westerners yet they avoid pain and disease.
• How changing how you rest can improve your health and performance, and also help you avoid pain.
• The origins of the “inactivity mismatch hypothesis” and three effective ways to improve how you rest to boost your health and performance.

To get full access to this episode and the best and most practical information on health, fitness, and living better, become a Member at TWOPCT.com. 

You'll save more time and money than the monthly cost.

Guy Fieri recently got fit, lost 30 pounds, and reinvented himself. Michael spent time with him to learn how he did it for Men's Health magazine.

Fieri's approach was sensible—and wicked effective. It felt like a breath of fresh, sane air in a world of hyper-complicated health routines.

You'll learn his six most powerful methods, which can help you too.

Michael dives into the topic of what happens when you drink too much caffeine. We'll talk about:

• What happens when you quit caffeine.
• Why quitting caffeine could lead to weight loss, better sleep, more energy, and less anxiety and stress.
• The amount of caffeine the Mayo Clinic says can lead to problems. 
• How much caffeine the average American takes in and how much caffeine is in common drinks like coffee.
• How to find out if you're overdoing caffeine. 
• The two best methods to detox from caffeine. 

Become a Member at TWOPCT.com 

*Member Episode* Michael covers this month's Burn the Ships workout. We drop a Burn the Ships workout on the first Friday of every month and all do it once a week for the entire month. You'll learn what the workout is and the physical and mental benefits of doing one tough workout a week.

Our workout this month is called "Don't Die." It builds the two skills you need to live and perform well now—and in a s**t-is-hitting-the-fan scenario.

To get full access to the workout, become a Member of 2% at TWOPCT.com.

Michael explores the truth about a controversial new idea in fitness, called the "Constrained Energy Hypothesis." It states that we don't actually burn more calories a day when we exercise. But it has some pushback.

• This episode will help clear some recent confusion over whether exercise helps us burn more calories across a day.
• More research shows that exercise does indeed help you burn more calories, but you won't burn as many as you think.
• And if you want to lose weight through exercise, you'll have to do a lot of it.
• You'll learn just how many calories exercise really burns and how much you'll have to exercise to find an effect.

Thanks for listening. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

*Member Episode* Become a Member at TWOPCT.com 

Being more authentic is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being. More authentic people have better mental health, reach their goals, are more satisfied with life, and even better at sales. 

That's why it pays (literally) to be more authentic. Today, we're revealing a test you can take to measure how you fare in each of the components of authenticity.

Once you have your individual results, we'll explain four ways to improve. The results: You can begin living true to yourself—better and freer.

For full access to this episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com

*Member Episode* Michael explains what he thinks about saunas and heat exposure. 

The research around heat exposure therapy is interesting ...but using a sauna can feel like one more thing on a laundry list of health practices we should all be "doing."

This episode explores how Michael thinks about heat exposure from an evolutionary perspective, his thoughts on saunas, and how he uses heat exposure in his life.

You'll walk away with a practical and powerful perspective on leveraging the power of the heat.

To access the full episode, become a Member of 2% at TWOPCT.com, the internet's best site for practical and powerful health information.

Today Michael is covering the value of doing something hard this Memorial Day. Hundreds of thousands of people will do just that today by tackling the Memorial Day Murph Challenge.

• You'll learn the value of doing an annual challenge ...
• ... the fascinating (and surprising) history behind the Murph Challenge ...
• ... and how you can create your own challenge this Memorial Day.
• The result: You'll get out of your comfort zone, improve as a human, and help others.

Thanks for listening. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com

Today's episode will help you get your time and attention back. We're introducing the 2% Screen Time Challenge in partnership with Clearspace. Sign up for the challenge at TWOPCT.com. You'll learn:

• Why we're doing the 2% Screen Time Challenge and how it works. (Bonus: The challenge winner gets a GORUCK ruck and 2% dad hat).
• Why Michael hasn't found a better method to reduce screen time than the Clearspace app.
• How Clearspace "works" by breaking The Scarcity Loop, which is the most powerful behavior loop. Michael wrote about The Scarcity Loop in his NYT Bestseller Scarcity Brain (it's the ultimate addictive habit loop).
• How to think about your own time and attention to have a more meaningful life.
• Why high tech problems like screen time need high tech solutions (not methods like "hide your phone," or "get a dumb phone.")
• Why Clearspace is an ideal solution—Rather than banning apps altogether, Clearspace helps users get the upsides of apps and none of their downsides.
• And more.

Enjoy. Read more at TWOPCT.com.

Note: Monday podcasts are always fully accessible to all. But you must be a Member of 2% to get full access to Wednesday and Friday podcasts. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com. Our promise is to save you more time and money than the monthly fee.

*Member Post* This month's episode of The Expedition dives into a handful of important topics for your health, performance, and mindset. 

We're covering:

• A timely documentary I re-watched—I think it’s the best documentary ever made.
• Fascinating numbers on:
• How far Walmart workers walk during a shift.
• The number of steps that protects against the world’s top killer.
• How Gold Medal-winning Olympians balance intense training with relaxed training.
• The power of one additional hour of sleep.
• Data on being vegetarian.
• The dose of creatine per day that increased recovery.
• The three dirtiest supplements and how I think about supplements—a hotly debated topic.
• The benefits of basic foods and problems with “natural” foods.
• A great reading tool.
• A spectacular, long, cutting quote about taxes.
• An important parting question and a prolonged, grievance-laden rant from me related to the question.

To access the full episode, become a Member of 2% at TWOPCT.com. We're the best spot for practical, actionable information that can help you live better right now. 

Michael gives a last call to join the 2% Screen Time Challenge and then reveals his 12 favorite smartphone apps. These applications cover a wide range—from fitness and nutrition to mindfulness and music and much more. They'll improve your ideas, nutrition, productivity, fitness, mindset, and many other important facets of your life. Get 'em. Improve. Have fun, don't die.

Read more at TWOPCT.com

Note: Monday podcasts are always fully accessible to all. But you must be a Member of 2% to get full access to Wednesday and Friday podcasts. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com. Our promise is to save you more time and money than the monthly fee.

Michael covers an important new study that shows us three tacts to run farther, faster, with less effort. You'll learn.

• How not to run.
• Findings from a giant study investigating running form and technique.
• Common running advice the study debunked.
• The three tactics the study found work to help you run farther, faster, with less effort.
• Tips and drills to apply those three tactics.

Please go to TWOPCT.com to access the full podcast, video of the exercises, and links to all the posts and studies mentioned.

Note: Monday podcasts are always fully accessible to all. But you must be a Member of 2% to get full access to Wednesday and Friday podcasts. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com. Our promise is to save you more time and money than the monthly fee.

We are a culture awash in hacks to optimize our way to wellness. But the data shows quick fixes aren't working—we’re actually not getting happier or healthier.

Taking the hard road of mastering something new and difficult—no matter your age—is more likely to improve your health and happiness. It can even add years to your life.

This is the core of the 2% philosophy and at the center of a fantastic new book I recommend, called NOT TOO LATE.

The book's author, Gwendolyn Bounds, went from a desk-bound exec glued to her computer to a competitive obstacle course racer starting in her late 40s. And she got good at it. Very good

In today's episode, she explains why we should all strive to try new, challenging things—and get really good at them. It's especially important for people over 40.

Have fun, don't die. TWOPCT.com

*Member Episode* (get full access by becoming a Member at TWOPCT.com).

Today, Michael breaks down five simple health rules you may have heard.

• Don't eat after 7 pm.
• Don't do burpees.
• Don't drink alcohol.
• Don't eat ultra-processed food.
• Don't eat added sugar or seed oils.

Rules like this often work and can improve our health, nutrition, or exercise routine—but not for the reasons we think.

We'll explain the benefits of each rule and then dive into the nuance of why each one "works."

The result: You'll arm yourself with smarter tactics so you can get the results you want with more freedom.

Get full access to his episode and all our great 2% material at TWOPCT.com.

We tend to think getting lost is a bad thing, but it has legitimate benefits for our mindset, health, and creativity. We're covering:

• Six powerful reasons why getting lost can be so great ...
• ... and three great ways to get lost and reap the benefits.

To learn more and read the referenced material, go to TWOPCT.com.

Want full access to our full archive of 2% material? Become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

Today's episode of 2% with Michael Easter covers the benefits of exploration.

We explore less today. But humans are built for exploration—we're the greatest explorers in the animal kingdom.

Exploration is one of the best things you can do to live in the present, learn new things, experience awe, and more. We'll cover the benefits of exploration and five ways you can explore more right now to live better.

Want access to all our emails and audio podcasts? Become a member at TWOPCT.com

Michael explains how he's physically preparing for the GORUCK 50-mile rucking event in Normandy in June. You'll learn:

• Five big-picture training strategies for long rucks.
• How to implement those strategies.
• What a week of my training plan looks like.

You may not be rucking 50 miles, but the information in this podcast can help you ruck any distance better so you can radically improve your fitness. 

Being able to ruck farther also shifts your mindset. Long rucks redefine what you consider "long," expanding your comfort zone in all physical endeavors. 

To read the full post or become a Member of 2%, go to TWOPCT.com. 

Big news: Two Percent is returning to Substack. Michael will explain why. Topics include:

* Why we left Substack.

* What happened after we left.

* The power of the Two Percent community.

* The plan Substack created to bring Two Percent back.

* Big new things happening at Two Percent.

* How you can steer the future of Two Percent.

Become a Member at TWOPCT.com to get full access to all of our upcoming posts, podcasts, and videos filled with information that will help you live a happier, healthier life.

If you’re a new Member, here’s how to set up your podcast:

P.S. As a welcome back, we’re running an Annual Membership discount.

It’ll last for 48 hours. Sign up now and get 15% off an annual Membership. We rarely run discounts. So take advantage while it lasts.

Have fun, don’t die, and get excited—because we’re putting the band back together …

Thanks to our sponsors:

* Momentous Nutrition: The company that made me feel good about supplements again. The US Military and most pro sports teams trust it.

* GORUCK: Maker of the best rucking gear (not stuff).

* Maui Nui Venison: Provider of the world’s healthiest meat (the research, linked here, is insane).

* Use discount code EASTER for all brands.

Today we're covering the science of job satisfaction and how any job can be fulfilling with the right mindset tactics. 

You'll learn:

* The counterintuitive, surprising relationship between work and happiness. Much of this material comes from what Michael learned living at a Benedictine monastery in New Mexico.

* Why roughly half of all people are unsatisfied with their jobs.

* How being the half of “extremely satisfied” workers is mostly determined by your mindset about your job.

* How any job can be fulfilling and rewarding if you learn the right mindset tactics.

* Then we'll explore three ways you can build the right mindset around your work, including:

* What scholars get wrong about modern jobs and how any job can be fulfilling.

* A framework for viewing your career that’ll leave you happier and healthier.

* The surprising science of happiness and retirement and what we can learn from it.

Thanks for listening!

Today's AMA covers an important question from a Member of the Two Percent community. 

The question is: How do I move well and not feel stiff as I age? The good news is that the answer is wonderfully simple and practical—and it has a huge return on your time invested.

This matters because:

* Movement quality is at an all-time low—we all face movement issues as we age. And yet ...

* Maintaining good movement is critical for longevity.

* Good movement is important for exercise performance.

* Solid mobility also reduces your risk of injuries.

* Mobility is life saving during an emergency.

We'll also cover a few things people get wrong about mobility. 

Have fun, don't die. 

Members, set up your podcast in the button below. It’s best to do this on your phone.

Michael covers the surprising benefits of cycling and mountain biking. Topics include:

* Why cycling has unique benefits over other endurance sports, and why mountain biking is especially powerful.

* The metabolic upsides of cycling and why it often trumps running for metabolic health and fat burning.

* Why biking compliments rucking and running.

* The fascinating cognitive benefits of mountain biking.

* The connection between mountain biking and meditation.

* Why mountain biking is safer than road cycling.

* For those not interested in biking, we’ll cover how you can get the same powerful effects from other activities.

* The most effective advice for your first rides.

This podcast episode is free to all subscribers of Two Percent. Become a Member to get all of our episodes, full access to the Two Percent community, and all the perks of Membership. TWOPCT.com.

Michael recently drove across the country, which required a lot of sitting.

During stops, he'd do a quick movement routine and four specifically-tailored stretches.

The routine is quick, simple, not embarrassing to do in public—and effective. You can use it to offset the downsides of sitting, stay limber, and live, feel, and perform better. The data suggest it can help you avoid pain and injury and maybe even add some time to your life.

Check out the post at TWOPCT.com for videos of all the exercises. Have fun, don't die, don't let your chair kill you.

This month’s Two Percent Burn the Ships workout requires just one weight and 21 minutes of your time. But it moves fast and hits hard.

* It works your entire body without any fluff.

* It burns fat while improving strength in some of the most important movements a human can do.

* It transfers over to helping you move and perform better in all other activities—from rucking to golf to pickleball—and life in general.

We’ll cover the workout and explain why doing one tough workout a week is important for health, VO2 max, and more.

Become a Member to access the full podcast, get video of all the exercises, and see the workout in written form.

Michael covers a counterintuitive way to run faster—by not using GPS. He covers:

* The benefits and drawbacks of using GPS while running.

* Why more coaches are advising runners to leave their GPS technology at home.

* The benefits of running without technology.

* Four methods that can help you run faster, reduce your risk of injury, and improve your enjoyment of running.

Become a Member of Two Percent to get full access to all three of our weekly posts and podcasts—plus access to our epic community and bonuses. 

Many fitness tracker companies claim their devices will help you become more active.

Michael recently went down the rabbit hole to learn if that claim is true—and the answer is far more fascinating than he anticipated.

Here’s what today’s podcast covers:

* The chicken/egg problem of fitness trackers.

* Results from studies on long-term tracker use.

* Whether fitness trackers lead people to become more active.

* Reasons why people stop using trackers.

* Three features science tells us we should look for in a tracker.

* Why your tracker is wrong and what to do about it.

* Final thoughts on trackers and activity.

Become a Member of Two Percent to get full access to this episode, all Two Percent posts and podcast, plus access to our epic community.

July’s Gear Not Stuff features the 13 best pieces of outdoor and hiking gear.

Our Gear Not Stuff picks come from three friends who have spent more time in the wilderness than just about anyone. I’d venture to bet only trees spend more time out there than them.

They’ve tested more gear over more miles and in more sketchy situations than just about anyone. Which means their 13 picks will work for you.

They delivered epic recommendations for critical items ranging from a tent, sleeping bag, pack, and pad, to inexpensive accessories that make your time outdoors far more enjoyable and safer.

To listen to the full episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

Michael recently analyzed three reports on the health trends of 2024. He’ll explain:

* Nine of the most popular health trends of 2024.

* Why some of these trends can improve your health—and some can hurt it.

* You’ll learn which of these trends are worth your time, and which you can ignore.

* The result: You’ll boost your health and performance while saving time, money, and energy—and you’ll avoid harm.

This episode is free to all listeners. If you want access to all our episodes, Two Percent posts, and community, become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

Today we’re diving into the important and ever-evolving science of human gut health and our microbiome.

What we think we know about our guts and their health is constantly shifting. Yet getting to the bottom of what makes a healthy gut is worth considering. It’s linked to many chronic diseases. We’ll cover:

* Upsides and downsides of sanitizing.

* The benefits of “germs.”

* A groundbreaking hunter-gatherer gut health study.

* The truth about probiotic supplements.

* Why modern life gives us “weaker armor” against disease.

* Six practical ways to protect your gut, which can lead to reduce risk of disease.

Become a Member of Two Percent to listen to this post in full and get full access to all our podcasts, posts, and other valuable bonuses.

The Expedition rounds up all the worthwhile and useful stuff I’ve encountered in the last month.

This month, we’re covering:

* Numbers on:

* Processed meat consumption and health risks.

* A minimum effective dose of running.

* Couples who sleep alone.

* The drop in violent deaths.

* Women’s sports.

* How long rice lasts in the fridge.

* Social media and democracy.

* An important phone number.

* The easiest way to become a millionaire.

* A graph on the history of income and happiness levels.

* A graph on what helps you prevent getting cancer.

* Results from a survey of what supplements feel like they work.

* An insane travel trend (that my wife was way ahead of the curve on).

* A mindfulness podcast I appeared on.

* How to get organic food for 66% off.

* A wonderful, tough, supremely functional workout I did—that you should do, too!

* My insane friends and why you should get your own insane friends.

* A parting quote.

* A critical parting question for the comments section.

Have fun, don’t die, enjoy the episode.

Become a Member of Two Percent for full access to all of our important health and wellness content.

We recently held the first Two Percent Don’t Die retreat.

Our next Don’t Die retreat is scheduled for November 2 and 3 in Las Vegas. Join here.

Today we’re covering three important lessons from that event—tactics that anyone can use to stay safe at home and abroad. You’ll learn:

* How to build an plan to avoid danger, whether traveling or at home.

* How to move from point A to B (escape, driving/car skills, walking cities).

* How to avoid being targeted at a hotel and make your hotel room safer.

Learn more about the event below.

On Friday, we covered how 50 minutes of running a week reduces the risk of death from any cause by 27 percent.

A Two Percent community member asked how 50 minutes of running would translate to other activities.

Today’s episode answers that question. We’ll help you figure out how long you’d have to do 41 different exercises to get the same health benefits and boost your performance.

That is to say, you’ll learn how long you’d have to do (insert activity) to get the same benefits you’d get from 50 minutes of running. We’ll cover:

* Rucking

* Swimming

* Cycling

* Weight lifting

* Kettlebell workouts

* Walking

* Sports like golf, tennis, and basketball

* Yoga

* Everyday activities like cooking, yard work, etc …

* … and much more.

Become a Member of Two Percent to get full access to this episode.

Substack recently asked the Two Percent community to beta-test their live video feature—so we decided to use the new feature to do a live AMA.

Today’s episode features the audio from that AMA plus some special bonus content to deliver more context and actionable information to the answers.

We’ll answer the following questions from Two Percent readers:

* What are some core Two-Percent activities I can do to improve my health?

* Does rucking build muscle, and is it more of a strength or cardio activity?

* Are greens powders like AG1/Athletic Greens worth it?

* What do you think of balance tools like balance boards and slack blocks?

* I have trouble gaining muscle. What are the fundamentals of building muscle?

* Are you working on another book?

Check out TWOPCT.com to watch the video and get all the resources mentioned in the episode.

Michael recently spoke with Tim Mak. Tim runs The Counteroffensive, a publication on Substack that covers the war in Ukraine in ways you won’t see in mainstream media.

Tim landed in Kyiv right as the war started and has (mostly) been there ever since.

In today’s episode, Tim and I discussed:

* The wild story about how Tim ended up covering the War in Ukraine.

* What war can teach us about meaning and how we spend our time.

* What failing out of the Green Beret pipeline taught Tim about strength and intelligence.

* Safety skills that every person should have. They’re critical for war zones and home.

* How Tim approaches fitness in a war zone.

* My thoughts on putting together an exercise routine when you have limited time and equipment.

* How a hilarious insult from a Ukrainian doctor led Tim to change his nutrition habits in the Ukraine.

* My thoughts on alcohol and health, whether moderate drinking is healthy, and how that can guide our decisions around other “bad” habits.

* The gear Tim brings with him when he’s reporting stories on the frontlines.

* The gear I bring with me when I’m reporting stories in austere environments.

* What motivates me to publish Two Percent.

* My response to Tim challenging the thesis behind Two Percent.

* What Tim and I do to get a break from work.

To get full access to all Two Percent episodes, become a Member at TWOPCT.com

Michael recently drove 5,011 miles—from Las Vegas to New Jersey and back.

Seventy-two hours of sitting in a car gave him way too much time to think, learn, and observe.

Today’s post covers 11 brief lessons, tips, and ideas from the voyage. Topics include:

* Travel gear insights.

* Thoughts on the nutrition of a nation and downsides of the Paleo movement.

* How to offset excess sitting.

* My favorite magazine story of all time (which occurred in a place I drove through).

* How to combat back pain.

* What we lost when we became able to travel anywhere quickly.

* Reclaiming your attention in a world of tech.

* How I eat on the road (and thoughts on hunger).

* An uncomfortable but fruitful way to improve relationships.

* Two useful tips for traveling with dogs.

Become a Member of TWOPCT.com to access the full episode and all of our leading health and wellness content (plus epic bonuses).

Two Percent is holding its second Don’t Die retreat in Las Vegas on November 2nd and 3rd.

This month’s Burn the Ships workout is inspired by some of the fitness tactics we cover and practice at the Don’t Die retreat.

It’s a hard-and-fast practicum of training in a way that makes us perform better and remain resilient if our goal is to … yeah … not die.

* It builds the physical skills needed to survive an emergency at home or abroad.

* It’ll help you perform at your peak on trips deep into the wilderness.

* It’ll improve your day-to-day life by boosting your healthspan.

And it’s not what you might expect. Typical fitness programs get this type of fitness totally wrong.

We’ll cover the workout and explain why doing one tough workout a week is important for health, VO2 max, and more.

Become a Member to access the full podcast, get video of all the exercises, and see the workout in written form.

Michael spent years covering the Olympics for Men’s Health. Olympian nutrition was always one of the most fascinating parts. This episode covers:

* The surprisingly wacky diets of the athletes at the Paris Olympics.

* Why unpacking why Olympians eat the way they do can help us understand:

* How to eat to fuel different levels of exercise/activity.

* When to eat junk food and how much of it to eat based on your activity level.

* A fundamental underlying cause of metabolic diseases.

* Why overly restrictive and finicky diets can backfire.

Have fun, don’t die, become a Member of Two Percent at TWOPCT.com.

During the 2008 Olympics, many outlets like the New York Times and Washington Post reported that Michael Phelps was eating 12,000 calories a day.

The problem: It wasn’t true.

But it highlights one of the largest problems in nutrition, which is that we suck at knowing how much we ate.

Today we’re providing a solution. We’ll cover:

* The science of how incorrect we are when we estimate what and how much we ate.

* Who is most likely to be most wrong in their eating estimates.

* The three reasons we tend to get food estimates wrong.

* Why knowing your intake matters.

* A skill you can use to know what you really ate.

* How to use the information so you can lose weight, gain it, maintain your current weight, or fuel a workout.

Become a Member to access the entire episode and get access to the entire Two Percent universe.

It’s the second Friday of the month, so it’s time for our monthly Gear Not Stuff episode—the internet’s no-BS dive into gear. Today’s Gear Not Stuff will help you not die.

We’re covering 11 pieces of gear that can save your life. You should keep them at home, in your car, and take them with you while traveling (even into places you think are safe).

Don’t overlook these items. When traveling abroad, gear can determine whether you get home in the plane’s cabin in seat 27C or its cargo belly in a bodybag. Even at home and in cities we believe are secure, having the right gear and using it well can prevent assaults, home and hotel break ins, and more.

Have fun, don’t die, buy gear, not stuff.

“Nasal breathing” and other breathing techniques have become a massively hyped topic in health and fitness.

Proponents say nasal breathing can boost heart health, fitness performance, sleep, and immunity while also reducing our reduce stress—and much more.

These people even say you’re breathing “wrong” if you breathe through your mouth.

We spoke to scientists and read the research to separate what’s helpful from what’s hype in the breathing world.

The result: A no-BS guide to breathing. It’ll help you focus your time and energy on what actually works so you can improve your health and fitness in less time.

You’ll learn:

* Why humans are unique in how we breathe through our nose.

* How breathing through your nose versus your mouth impacts your health and performance.

* Where we tipped into insanity around nasal breathing.

* How to use nasal breathing in three exercise scenarios: during strength, interval, or cardio workouts.

* On Wednesday, we have a super helpful post explaining how I use this information in my own life (my favorite breathing trick).

Become a Member at TWOPCT.com to get full access to all our episodes.

Today we’re covering a breathing trick that will improve your endurance. It’s simple—it’s effective.

The breathing technique originated with one of the fiercest Native American tribes.

This tribe was known to drive their enemies into exhaustion with their “almost superhuman stamina,” as one historian put it.

Call it the best d*mn endurance breathing trick on the planet.

When Michael started doing it, his endurance in all workouts improved. He could cover more miles running and rucking and recover quicker between rounds of intense workouts like Burn The Ships.

Try it. It’s not easy at first. It takes some getting used to. But you’ll thank us when:

* Your run times drop.

* You’re able to cover more ground

* You’re less beat down after a run.

* Your resting heart rate improves.

The Expedition rounds up all the most useful, fascinating stuff I’ve encountered in the last month. It’ll help you live better.

This month, we’re covering:

* A book I enjoyed.

* Numbers on:

* How much your genes influence your strength.

* How many workouts a week younger people have to do to preserve muscle and strength.

* How many workouts a week older people have to do to preserve muscle and strength.

* A trick that will help you do 77 percent more workouts—and like them all.

* Hours of sleep a night that’ll make you sick, depressed, and anxious.

* How to prevent half of cases of dementia.

* How much money the casinos in my home state of Nevada won from gamblers last year.

* Just how strong 80-year-olds can be (hint: really strong).

* How we’re dying differently over the past five years.

* Weird strength science.

* Kids and nutrition—the competing problems of kids nutrition and what this can tell us about how you should feed your kids.

* A great story about how competition can fuel fitness.

* The true science of how sauna compares to exercise.

* A far-out idea that explains why the Scandinavian countries are so happy (it involves bloodthirsty Vikings).

* A smart, shocking take on smartphones (involving, um, McDonald’s?).

* Why you should love those who push you.

* Why problems can be opportunities (a wonderful case study involving Dead & Co).

* A good parting quote about how to live.

* A very important parting question (my answer involves guns and grapefruits).

See you on the other side …

This episode is the most comprehensive guide to rucking.

Michael’s book, The Comfort Crisis, set off the rucking craze, according to the New York Times. Since the book’s publication, Michael has received a lot of very specific questions about rucking.

Today we’re answering those questions. We’ll cover:

* How many calories rucking burns.

* Why rucking gives you the SUPERMEDIUM build.

* Why women should ruck.

* Rucking injury rates and how they compare to running and lifting.

* The amount of weight you should ruck with.

* The amount of weight you should ruck with if you’re just starting.

* Whether you should ever ruck with over 50 pounds or 1/3 bodyweight.

* How to fix rucking shoulder aches.

* Whether to use a hip belt while rucking.

* The difference between rucking with a weight vest and backpack.

* Whether you should run with a ruck on.

* Whether walking with your kid in a backpack kid carrier counts as rucking.

* Final points.

Thanks for listening. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

“How many calories did my ruck burn?” is a question that fills Michael’s inbox.

People message him details like their bodyweight, ruck weight, and pace and ask if he compute their exact calorie burn number.

Today, we’re answering that question.

We’re unpacking the results of a new study on rucking and calorie burn.

You’ll learn what factors contribute to rucking calorie burn and exactly how many calories your ruck burns.

To get the full calorie burn data, become a Member and see the post at TWOPCT.com.

It contains graphs that reveal how many calories your ruck burns based on your body weight, the weight you have in the ruck, the terrain, and how fast you’re rucking.

In today’s AMA, we’ll be tackling four questions

* I’m rucking with your recommendation for the heaviest weight I should use (50 pounds). How should I improve from here?

* What’s an ideal minimum effective dose of exercise?

* What do participants learn at the Don’t Die event?

* I need a knee replacement. Could the knees over toes methodology help my pain?

Why each question matters/going beyond the questions

* The rucking question: We all want to continue to improve. But, at a certain point, chasing improvement for the sake of it can come with downsides. The answer will help you think about progress in all forms of exercise.

* The minimum effective exercise dose question: This answer will help you determine how much exercise you need to stay healthy. We’ve given answers that apply to both for the general public and to Two Percenters (people who want to go beyond).

* The Don’t Die event question: We’ll explain the event’s origins, its key takeaways, and some lessons you should consider about living safer, longer, and better.

* The knee injury question: Our answer will help you approach any trend in fitness smarter. The result: You’ll be able to analyze and use new ideas in health and fitness in a way that gives you benefits but helps you avoid the downsides of getting swept up.

Michael covers a powerful three-step process to build good habits and break bad ones. You’ll learn how to use the process to reach any goal.

Michael used it to lose a significant amount of weight before a Misogi. But he’s since applied the method to other areas of his life and watched the improvements pile up (e.g., strength, work productivity, etc).

Michael will also also cover current problems with how we try to fix bad habits and why memory is the worst resource to use to change.

We’re starting a new quarterly episode where we round up the top community comments on Two Percents posts (TWOPCT.com).

Magic happens in the comments, where additional information, insight, and inspiration comes to light. It can help us all live better, think differently, and more.

I’ll highlight some of the best comments and give some extra thoughts/information you can use.

We’ll cover:

* How to be self-reliant and find your path in life.

* How to balance saving for retirement and living well now.

* How to stay active after a running injury and the benefits of cross-training.

* Rucking weights and the “low and slow” fitness method (plus a really dumb but useful equation around that method).

* The truth about fear.

* A great portable exercise tool.

* How to use a fitness tracker better.

* Dog-friendly travel.

* Nutrition for long rucks.

* A powerful comment on weight loss and gain.

* How to put on muscle and avoid fat gain.

* Benefits of the Tsimane Diet.

* The value of experimenting on yourself and what conditions are best for experimentation.

* How to fail, get back up, and kick ass.

If you want full access to this episode, please become a Member of Two Percent.

Today we’re covering an exercise that will turn your legs into pistons, render your core solid as steel, and make your grip a vice.

Michael did it to prepare for his 33-day expedition into the Arctic, and he recently placed it back in his routine to get ready for an upcoming backcountry hunt.

It will improve your rucking, running, hiking, walking, cycling, lifting, and your ability to do “life stuff” like carrying kids and gear.

It may also make you live longer. Stronger legs and grip are two of the best predictors of longevity.

For video of the exercise and tactics on how to do it well, visit TWOPCT.com.

Today we’re talking about Labor Day and why modern jobs are hurting our health in new and insidious ways.

Labor Day celebrates the American Labor Movement, which made our jobs much safer and fairer.

But today our jobs pose new dangers—they impact our health in different ways. Yet there is a simple solution.

You’ll learn:

* The surprising numbers around how our new style of work has impacted our metabolic health and weight.

* Why “exercise” has failed us in some ways.

* Eight things you can do to fight back against the downsides of modern jobs.

* A call to action for this Labor Day.

Monday episodes of Two Percent are always free. To gain full-access to Wednesday and Friday episodes, be a Member at TWOPCT.com.

Today we’re covering why modern jobs have made us the weakest wave of humans ever—and what we can do about it. You’ll learn:

* Why modern jobs have made us weak.

* Why manual labor builds what Michael’s high school friends called “bricksh*thouse strength.” It’s raw, functional strength that works in the real world and makes you exceedingly strong for your size—i.e., supermedium.

* Why manual labor jobs lead to extreme strength—but have a diminishing rate of returns over time that can backfire for strength and health.

* How to find the sweet spot where you get the strength benefits of manual labor yet avoid its downsides.

* 5 exercises to build “bricksh*thouse strength,” the powerful strength, functional strength often seen in manual laborers.

Today we’re covering our epic monthly Burn the Ships workouts.

Fall is when Michael heads into the mountains to hunt, hike, and run trails.

And you should, too. Go outside. Get off the asphalt and onto the Earth. As Edward Abbey put it:

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.

To help us perform our best on crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous trails, Two Percent partnered with MTNTOUGH for this month’s Burn the Ships workout.

The workout makes you better outdoors. But it also makes you a more well rounded human who’ll live longer and better. Read why Michael thinks outdoor exercise is a great unlock for human health and wellbeing here.

Have fun, don’t die, Burn the Ships.

As the weather cools, Michael and his dog head into the Mojave desert. We run a network of fantastically named trails: Jenny From the Block, Bob Gnarly, Black Friday, Supply Chain, Flow Job, and on and on.

And it turns out trail running has unique advantages over roads and treadmill running.

Today’s episode covers 7 unique benefits of trail running. You’ll learn:

* The mindset benefits of trail running.

* Why outdoor runners are more likely to stick to exercise.

* The cognitive benefits of trail running.

* The calorie burn differences between running trails and roads/treadmills.

* Strength and power differences between running trails and roads/treadmills.

* Why trail running can lead you to run farther on accident.

* The injury rate differences between running trails and roads.

The good news: These benefits apply any cardio you can do on a trail: Walking (weighted or otherwise), hiking, biking, etc.

The Tarahumara tribe became famous in books, articles, and videos for being a tribe of “superhuman” runners.

But Harvard researchers found that most of the information about the tribe and their running is false.

We’re covering the real reasons how and why the tribe runs.

The information can help you discover new and powerful dimensions in your running.

Today is the second Friday of the month. Which means it’s time for Gear Not Stuff, the internet’s best, most BS-free gear column.

Over the last five years, Michael has been on a trail running shoe saga—one filled with rolled ankles, blisters, discomfort, and wasted money.

He’s gone through perhaps 20 to 25 pairs. But he found four winners.

We’ve separated the picks into three categories and given one to two picks in each category.

* Best overall: These work well for most scenarios and most people most of the time. They strike a balance between comfort, performance, and cushion.

* Best cushioned: For those who like to run with lots of cushioning—the footwear equivalent of Cadillacs with four-wheel drive.

* Best zero-drop: For those who prefer and run better with no drop.

We have selections from four different brands: Arc’Teryx, Solomon, Hoka, and Altra.

Even if you don’t trail run, more hikers and ruckers are using trail runners. Trail runners are lighter and faster than boots but often more supportive, grippy, and protective than road running shoes.

Have fun, don’t die, cover ground no matter what shoes you do it in.

BMI—a measurement that estimates body fat based on your height and weight—has recently come under fire by major media outlets.

And many influencers and athletes say BMI is “worthless” because athletic people can have a BMI that classifies them as “overweight.”

But the truth is much more complicated. BMI is valuable—if we understand its purpose and the surprising facts around BMI. Understanding BMI can help us make smarter health decisions.

This episode will help you better understand BMI so you can live better:

* What BMI is

* Where BMI came from

* Why we use BMI

* What people get wrong about BMI

* Whether there is an “optimal” BMI

* Whether BMI is racist

* If other health metrics might be better

* Why there’s so much pop media controversy around BMI

* How you should use this information

* A final take on BMI

Become a Member of Two Percent.

* Thanks to our partners, who make the best products in their categories.

* Momentous Nutrition: The company that made me feel good about supplements again. My picks: Essential Plant Protein + Multivitamin. Discount code EASTER.

* GORUCK: Maker of the best rucking gear (not stuff). In honor of this month’s Burn the Ships, GORUCK is offering a bigger discount on their sandbags (the best out). EASTERSB gets you 15% off sandbags. EASTER gets you 10% off everything else.

* Maui Nui Venison: Provider of the world’s healthiest meat (the research, linked here, is insane). My picks: 90/10 Organ Blend + Sugar Free Venison Pepper Jerky Sticks. Discount code EASTER.

Strength is linked to living longer and better. But gym culture has taken this idea and ran with it, arguing that it’s optimal to pack on as much muscle as possible.

Today, Michael explains how much muscle you need for health. You’ll learn:

* If it’s healthy to have an overweight BMI if your “extra” weight is from muscle.

* How much strength and muscle humans need for health.

* Where building muscle for the sake of it fits into human history.

* The link between muscle, fat, and a “high” BMI.

* Whether you can be obese by BMI standards but sufficiently lean and muscular.

* How to use this information to make decisions about your muscles and health.

To access the full episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

The Expedition covers the most worthwhile and impactful ideas Michael discovered in the last month.

This month, we’re covering:

* A documentary Michael loved.

* Numbers on:

* Ultraprocessed food and diabetes risk.

* How accurate doctors are with lifespan predictions.

* When to re-fuel after a hard workout.

* Whether a “weekend warrior” approach to fitness works.

* Energy drinks and performance.

* How strength training impacts your metabolism.

* Marijuana.

* Heavy metals in tampons.

* How to (maybe) not die in a plane crash.

* How obese your state is.

* Whether getting a DXA/DEXA scan to learn your body fat percentage is worth it.

* My go-to hotel room exercise.

* An awesome quote about performance from a genius.

* An important parting question about books (weigh in in the comments).

To get full access to the show, become a Member of Two Percent.

Today Michael is covering how to bulletproof your ankles.

Ankle sprains are one of the most common, debilitating, and uniquely human injuries.

They can put you in danger outdoors and hurt your ability to exercise over the long haul.

We worked with the wise and powerful Kyler Brown of WellSport and 10Squared to give you three exercises that will bulletproof your ankles.

Watch the video at TWOPCT.com to see the exercises and get instructions on sets/reps.

VO₂ max, a measurement of your fitness, is linked to athletic performance and longevity. Increasing your VO₂ seems to be one of the best things you can do for longevity.

This is why many people are going to labs to get a VO₂ max test. But that might be unnecessary …

… the research around VO₂ max and longevity and VO2 testing is often misunderstood and there are much simpler methods than a lab-based VO₂ test.

We’ll explain some issues with VO₂ max and a simple, free way to get your VO₂ max.

Full access to this episode is for Members of Two Percent. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com to get full access.

It’s the fourth Friday of the month—so it’s time for our AMA, where Michael answers your most pressing questions.

We’re answering the following questions from Two Percent readers:

* Can you give me a definitive answer on plant versus animal protein? Is there a practical difference between the two, and how much of each should I get?

* I loved the VO2 test you wrote about on Wednesday, but don’t want to run. Are there any simple ways to test my VO2 that don’t involve running?

* I quit drinking caffeine but work out in the morning and need a boost. How influential is caffeine for performance? Could I use a pre-workout instead?

Why each question matters

* The plant vs. animal protein question.

* Whether plant or animal protein is “better” is a debate that has going on for years. And it’s more important now than ever, with more and more plant protein options on the market.

* But, recently, protein researchers have settled in on how you should approach plant and animal protein for ideal health and performance.

* We’ll also cover an ideal amount of protein for people who want to simplify but stay healthy, and for those who want to optimize for fitness.

* The caffeine question.

* Caffeine is one of the most potent legal performance enhancers.

* But most people use it in a way that takes away its benefits and can even cause.

* We’ll explain how to use caffeine around your workouts to get it’s performance enhancing benefits.

* The VO2 test question.

* Having a way to regularly measure and test your fitness can help you know where you stand, which can guide your exercise decisions in a way that helps you live better and longer.

* We’ll give you five different tests that you can use to estimate your VO2 and how your fitness compares to other people your age.

Become a Member of Two Percent at TWOPCT.com to get full access to the episode as well as resources, links, and citations for each answer.

We’re covering six topics you need to know about microplastics and your health.

Earlier this year, the New England Journal of Medicine dropped a bomb of a study that made the world take notice of microplastics and what they’re doing to our health.

It discovered that 58 percent of people having their heart operated on had microplastics in their heart plaque. Importantly, the presence of microplastics in the heart was linked to a 4.5 fold increase of death, heart attack, or stroke.

Microplastics are literally everywhere in our environment—in our food, water, air, and earth.

And new research is showing they’re linked to increase risk of heart disease, brain diseases, liver issues, and more.

Today, we’re diving into microplastics and answering:

* How pervasive they are.

* Where they come from.

* How they enter our bodies.

* How they impact our health.

* Whether you can totally avoid microplastics.

* What we do and don’t know (Two Percent Sanity Sauce).

Become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

On Monday, Michael covered microplastics. These tiny plastic particles are like air: All around us and within us. And they’re seemingly no good.

Growing and troubling research suggests they’re linked to health issues like heart and brain disease and much more.

But here’s some good news: There are simple ways to lessen the amount of microplastics you take in.

We can seriously reduce the amount we and our families ingest. Perhaps even better news is that we don’t have to upend our lives and live like some back-to-the-land Earthers to lessen our load.

In this episode, we’ll cover 10 high-impact, low effort ways to reduce your exposure to the next big health threat.

It’s the first Friday of the month. Which means it’s time for Burn the Ships, the internet’s best monthly group workout tradition.

A couple of weeks ago, Two Percent featured two posts covering VO2 and how to determine your VO2 score at home for free (no lab-based, expensive testing involved).

October’s Burn the Ships is inspired by what I learned reporting on VO2.

* The workout will help you figure out where your endurance stands.

* We’ve included a calculator so you can calculate how your performance in the workout equates to a VO2 score. This is good information for longevity.

* You can return to this Burn the Ships to determine how your endurance grows or shrinks over time.

To Burn the Ships with us, become a Member of Two Percent.

The recovery phase after your workout is when you build back better and improve your health and fitness.

But the rise of the “recovery” industry has led to recovery practices that take longer than the workout itself. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

How you recover from a hard workout doesn’t have to be as labor intensive as the workout itself. This episode covers:

* The two most important recovery practices.

* Three other no-effort recovery practices that’ll help you recover quicker.

The result: You’ll be able to recover from your workouts better and in less time.

Walking might be the best act to for recovery between workouts, building a foundation of health, and strengthening your mindset.

Today’s episode is a quick primer on the power of walking—which you should do. Ideally outside. Daily.

We’ll tell some wild stories and cover the impressive science around the power of walking. You’ll learn:

* Why humans are built to walk.

* The body benefits of walking.

* The brain benefits of walking.

* How I program walking into my overall health and fitness routine (it’s a cornerstone).

Today is the second Friday of the month—which means it’s time for Gear Not Stuff, the internet’s best gear column. We feature only gear, never stuff.

This episode follows up on two recent episodes that covered microplastics:

* This episode explained the basics of microplastics and how they harm your health (six things you must know).

* This episode revealed 10 ways you can avoid microplastics.

Today’s episode reveals 8 pieces of essential gear that will help you and your family take in fewer microplastics—reducing your long term health risks.

Michael’s wife, Leah, got a treadmill desk earlier this year.

Now she steps far more than Michael. And probably you. And, the studies suggest, even more than the most active people on Earth.

It’s wild, it’s crazy—it’s the Two Percent mindset at its finest: Finding ways to make something you’re already doing just a bit harder to get more. Embracing short-term discomfort for a massive long-term benefit.

But we need to be finding ways to step more. And a treadmill desk is a good solution. This episode will cover:

* How many steps the human body needs for health.

* Lessons Leah learned during her nine-month (and counting!) walkathon.

* Tactics to get the most from using a treadmill desk.

Steps are critical for your health—step more, die later.

But until now, some popular activity tracking companies like WHOOP have resisted steps and proudly proclaimed they don’t count steps.

Yet WHOOP recently caved and started counting steps.

Today Michael will cover why steps are uniquely valuable and different from exercise, and why knowing your step counts can be like gasoline for:

* Overall health, wellness, metabolic health, and calorie burn.

* Avoiding weight loss plateaus.

* Building killer endurance and avoiding a strange and troubling problem that is uniquely American.

He’ll also cover early data WHOOP’s step count accuracy, and the step accuracy of six other tracking brands.

The Expedition covers the most worthwhile and impactful ideas Michael discovered in the last month.

This month, we’re covering:

* Numbers on:

* How many minutes of TikTok gets kids hooked.

* A new marathon world record.

* The amount of money pharma companies paid to influence studies.

* Your odds of dying if you regularly ride a motorcycle

* How mental health issues impact longevity.

* How much your genes influence your body fat.

* An explosion in farming yields.

* The percentage of people who reveal their true political opinions.

* How ice baths impact muscle repair.

* Miles a lost cat trekked to get back home.

* Fact check: Did America really start losing weight?

* Las Vegas blowing s**t up in fabulous Las Vegas fashion.

* A fascinating take on the real reason fit people criticize those who lose weight using Ozempic.

* My thoughts on Ozempic and other GLP1s.

* The research on how many people are toxic online.

* A killer core exercise (I love this one)

* A parting quote.

* A critical parting question.

To read the full post and find links, watch videos, and more, go to TWOPCT.com.

Become a Member of Two Percent at TWOPTC.com.

The places where people gather and connect are changing—and that’s impacting our health and society.

There’s a good case for going down to the bar, or church, or volunteer club, or (insert any place where you gather with others).

Today on Two Percent, we’re speaking with Gwendolyn (Wendy) Bounds, author of the Not Too Late Substack and a book called Little Chapel on the River that dives deeply into this topics. Wendy and Michael covered:

* What Wendy learned about community, connection, and resilience while working at in a hole-in-the-wall pub in Garrison, New York.

* How local gathering spaces have changed over the last 40 years and how that impacts resilience and health.

* The importance of “third places” outside of home and work.

* How technology has altered human interactions and why finding a positive online community is so important.

* How political conversations have shifted over the last 20 years.

* The differences in the resilience that came after 9/11 versus after the COVID-19 pandemic.

* How Wendy found community in the world of obstacle course racing.

* If you’d rather watch this episode in video form, go to TWOPCT.com.

We often think it’s best to be as strong as possible.

But chasing strength for the sake of it can backfire.

It’s likely better for your time and long-term health and performance to be “strong enough.”

Michael will explain what “strong enough” is and how to reach it safer and in a way that translates to better performance and health.

He’ll also highlight a great leg exercise that gets you “strong enough.” See a video of the exercise at TWOPCT.com.

Today Michael is answering the following questions from Two Percent readers:

* What’s your opinion on the health effects of drinking, and if I’m drinking too much, how do I stop?

* How can I get really fit in one year?

Here’s why these questions matter.

The alcohol question:

* The debate over the health effects of alcohol is hotter than ever.

* Many health influencers now say you should have a zero-tolerance policy with alcohol, meaning any amount of alcohol is bad and not good for your health.

* I disagree.

* I think some amount of alcohol can actually be health-promoting—but the amount of alcohol we drink and context we drink it in is what determines whether it’s health or not.

* We’ll also explain how to think about not drinking if you think you drink too much.

* The current medical literature describes substance abuse as a “brain disease.” But I think that’s wrong. Rather, I think it’s a signal that needs to be unpacked.

The getting fit in a year question.

* I’m going to do you one better: I’ll explain how to get fit in six month.

* This matters because, if you’re currently sedentary, getting fit is one of the best things you can do for health and longevity.

* But people new to fitness often go about it wrong.

* I’ll explain a six month action plan that’ll get you fit. Really fit. I’ve seen it work on many people.

* Below you also find a short template for how to approach this.

To get access to the full episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com

Michael needs your help, questions, and ideas for a big new project on rucking/walking with weight.

He wants to to hear:

* Questions you have about rucking/walking with weight.

* Tips that have helped you do it better.

* Any other thoughts/anecdotes you’d like to share.

* Fill out this quick, three-question form if you’re up for helping.

This episode of Two Percent would be truly parasitic if it were just Michael asking you for a favor.

So as a thanks for filling out the form, we’ll also cover five high-impact tips around walking with weight that have helped many people get started and do it better.

Enjoy.

Last week, Michael covered why more strength isn’t always better and why you should aim to be “strong enough.”

We featured an exercise that tells you when your lower body is strong enough.

You asked for similar “strong enough” exercises for your upper body.

That’s what this episode covers—we’re featuring two upper body exercises that tell you when you’re strong enough in two key movements.

To access the full episode and video of the exercises at Two Percent, become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

It’s the first Friday of the month. This means it’s time for Burn the Ships, Two Percent’s monthly, highly effective workout.

Over the next couple of months, the holidays may throw your routine off the rails with extended time traveling, entertaining, and prepping for the holidays.

So this month’s Burn the Ships workout is an antidote to that.

* You don’t need gear. All it takes is your body weight.

* You can do it anywhere. Anywhere at all.

* A bedroom, a garage, a driveway, a backyard, a living room, a hotel room, a hotel gym, a jail cell … you get the point.

* You don’t need much time—it takes just 35 minutes.

In short: It recognizes that the holidays are busy and meets us where we’re at. But it still allows us to stay in killer shape and fight back against the shortage of movement and excess of food the holidays often bring.

To Burn the Ships with us, become a Member of Two Percent.

Most people will tune into U.S. election coverage this week—often compulsively and to the detriment of their time and sanity.

Election coverage has become just like a slot machine. It can pull us into The Scarcity Loop, the most powerful habit loop for sucking us into behaviors we repeat over and over and later regret.

Michael will explain the architecture of The Scarcity Loop and how it affects our time and attention this U.S. election week.

The result: You’ll learn what you can do to avoid the election Scarcity Loop and stay sane this week.

Or, at least, do something more productive than obsessively monitoring an outcome you can’t change once you’ve voted.

Two Percent recently held the Don’t Die event in the desert outside of Las Vegas.

We covered all sorts skills that are critical for survival in hostile situations at home and abroad. Everything from escaping handcuffs, hotel security, Don’t Die fitness, getting information from others, driving techniques, and staying fit, healthy, and sane in the trenches of daily life.

The course included lessons about mindset. That’s because your mindset determines how you express critical skills, live well, and survive. This could include surviving a natural disaster, a dangerous situation during travel, or even a scary health diagnosis.

Today, Michael is covering three mindset lessons from that event.

They’ll help you stay safe, reach goals, and live longer and better.