Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Two Percent with Michael Easter

It’s the first Friday of the month. Which means it’s time to Burn the Ships.

On the first Friday of every month, we publish a new Burn the Ships workout for Members only.

Members of the Two Percent community do the workout every weekend—a bunch of us satellites, all sweating and improving together as one extensive network.

This month we’re getting our body in order for the New Year.

We’re laying a foundation for stronger and more resilient performance all year by leveraging fundamental human movement patterns that help you become stronger, faster, and tougher.

And it starts with your core, which is the foundation that all of your limbs work from. It’s like your body’s control center.

If your core is weak, you’ll be more at risk of back and lower body injuries, and your performance will suffer. There’s also a strong link between core strength and longevity.

Become a Member of Two Percent to get full details and video of the workout. TWOPCT.com

Join our tribe at TWOPCT.com.

Modern humans have engineered the world for comfort and ease.

Most people rarely step outside of their comfort zones these days—we’re living progressively soft, sterile, temperature-controlled, over-fed, under-challenged, safety-netted lives. And it’s slowly limiting the degree to which we experience our, as the poet Mary Oliver put it, “one wild and precious life.”

But a growing body of evidence shows that people are at their best—physically harder, mentally tougher, and spiritually sounder—after doing hard sh*t. We’re talking about pushing back against our world of ease and comfort and actively seeking occasional hardship.

Michael will unpack the science of why doing hard things is so beneficial. He’ll cover:

* What a month in the Arctic taught him about the value of doing hard things.

* The state of modern comfort and how it presents a conundrum.

* Why you’re wired to do hard things.

To send out 2024, Michael is highlighting the 11 bests stories he published on Two Percent (TWOPCT.com).

These stories made us think differently, gave us actionable information, and improved our lives.

He also has a quick thanks for listeners and explains the mission and values of Two Percent. Join our community and discover our tense of living. TWOPCT.com.

Also, don’t go comfortably into 2025: check out our Two Percent New Year Challenge starting January 1st.

Want to actually make some big improvements in your health, fitness, nutrition, and mindset this year? Of course you do.

We’re launching the Two Percent New Year Challenge on January 1st.

It’s a sustainable, science-backed path to help you build health, fitness, nutrition, and mindset habits that will improve your entire year.

In today’s episode, Michael will explain the science, philosophy, and details of The Challenge.

The Challenge will run from January 1st to 31st and is exclusively for Members of Two Percent. Become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

Don’t go comfortably into 2025—join The Challenge. Sign up at TWOPCT.com

**Become a Member of Two Percent at TWOPCT.com**

Today’s episode is about the power of traditions. Michael tells a story about a ridiculous family holiday tradition, what he gained from it, and the lessons he learned after it faded.

Holiday traditions improve our mental and physical health, forge important social bonds and trust, and teach us critical lessons about being human.

But traditions come and go, and when we lose them we lose an important mechanism to be a better person.

Today we’re diving into a brilliant scientific work on traditions—why traditions make us and mend us, and how we can build them. We’ll cover:

* Reasons why traditions are so powerful for human wellbeing.

* Why traditions die (6 reasons).

* Why you should create new traditions when old ones die.

* Three rules you must follow to create a successful new tradition.

To get full access to all our podcast episodes, please become a Member at TWOPCT.com. Members get back far more than the cost of Membership.

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

This month, we’re covering:

* A book I’m rereading that makes me LOL to the point of oxygen deprivation.

* Numbers on:

* How more exercise reduces your risk of death.

* The percentage of people who stay healthy while on vacation.

* Gen Z’s thoughts on social media and smartphones.

* The rise of flip phones.

* The government’s ability to keep our food safe.

* How many gift card dollars go unused.

* Changes in 100-mile run world records.

* Will social media become like dying shopping malls? I doubt it. A response to a viral Substack post.

* How to run a faster race: The scientific prescription.

* The greatest lentil soup recipe of all time (from Tamar Haspel).

* The downsides of optimization: A case study from the NBA that applies to your life, work, and health.

* Do seed oils cause cancer? An astute analysis of the research.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. Members get full access. To hear more, visit TWOPCT.com.

Michael is giving responses to the top 15 comments on Two Percents posts over the last three months.

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.

Michael will highlight some of the best comments and questions and given extra information you can use to live better.

He’ll cover:

* Why asking better questions can improve your health and fitness.

* Why weight language sucks.

* A case study on the benefits of being SUPERMEDIUM.

* A problem with lab-based and home VO2 testing.

* A food to eat that may decrease microplastics in your body.

* A walking prescription.

* My wife the insane walker’s favorite walking gear.

* Ozempic noise.

* The case for joining a wellness cult.

* Exactly how aging people should strength train.

* A sign to look for that shows you have a good doctor.

* How to pull of rucking/walking video meetings.

* A better way to frame and change bad habits.

* The nutritional differences between conventional and organic eggs.

* Wise words about the realities of parenting.

Today we’re talking about the limits of diet and exercise with Dr. Adam Cifu.

Adam is one of our nation’s top thinkers about medicine and how to provide more effective medical care. He recently wrote a post for Sensible Medicine called “Coming Out Against the Healthy Lifestyle.”

It criticizes what he calls “the cult of the healthy lifestyle,” and investigates the limits of diet and exercise. Michael and Adam cover:

* Why Adam wrote the post and the rise of the cult of the healthy lifestyle.

* The benefits, realities, and limits of adopting healthy lifestyle changes.

* How believing that all of health boils down to a better diet and exercise can lead patients to wrongly believe they are responsible for all of their health issues.

* Why criticism of modern medicine is on the rise.

* How “medical reversal” highlights the need for evidence-based medical practices.

* The rise of longevity and why many longevity practices often lack robust evidence.

* Why personalized healthcare is essential for effective treatment.

* Problems with over-medicalization.

* How finding the right doctor can be a challenging process.

* The Sensible Medicine Substack and how it aims to promote thoughtful healthcare discussions.

Today’s episode is the second annual Two Percent Gear Not Stuff holiday gift guide.

It features Gear, Not Stuff you can give to or request from others.

We’re featuring seven categories of gear: health, fitness, travel, nutrition, adventure, pets, and, naturally, requisite Two Percent gear mentions.

The rules:

* Each item’s description must be brief-ish.

* Each item must be something I’ve used or had recommended to me by someone I trust. No filler, all killer type stuff.

* I’ll call out items under $100

* Go to TWOPCT.com for links to all items.

Happy holidays. For full access to the episode, become a Member at TWOPCT.com.

Childhood obesity has more than doubled since the 1990s and 20 percent of kids are now obese. This is why the new administration wants to overhaul school lunches to make them healthier.

This will help—but removing recess and unsupervised play is also a big factor in our kids’ weight and health crisis.

Not to mention, recess and unstructured play are powerful beyond just weight. They influence learning, mental health, social development, and physical health.

Michael explains the power of recess and unsupervised play, debates about exercise and weight loss for kids, and much more.

Today Michael is speaking with Tamar Haspel one of his favorite, no-BS thinkers about food, nutrition, and health.

Tamar is the author of To Boldly Grow (a hilarious, info-packed book I loved) and a food, nutrition, and health columnist for The Washington Post.

Tamar is also a serial killer of food myths and misconceptions—a sharp thinker who understands the science of what we eat and can put it in context of everyday life.

* Tamar and Michael cover:

* The truth about eggs and why expensive, locally-farmed eggs taste the same as cheap, mass-produced ones.

* Understanding obesity and the food environment

* The realities of being overweight (particularly as a woman)

* Why we know less about nutrition than we think, and how that should guide our food choices. Think: Hedge your bets.

* The truth about organic food—myths about it, it’s costs and benefits.

* Diet soda and whether it’s unhealthy.

* How to navigate the modern food environment.

* Whether exercise is good for weight loss.

* Whether government subsidies around corn and soy led to the rise in obesity.

* Food dyes and the new administration’s push to remove them. Will it matter?

* Is red meat good or bad for you?

* Are plant-based meats a viable alternative to real meat? What are their health effects?

* The benefits of lentils and Tamar’s epic recipe to help you eat more lentils (which, she argues, are a food we should all be eating).

* Ozempic and Tamar’s thoughts on it.

* Tamar’s journey growing her own food, and what she learned from it.

* A few quick words on hunting.

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.

This month, we’re combining some of my favorite exercises into a total-body thresher to end the year on a high, sweaty note.

This workout is particularly great at building fitness you can—um—actually use. It’ll help you move, breathe, look, and live better.

The workout is adaptable no matter your fitness level or schedule. You’ll select the number of rounds of the workout you’d like to do. This way anyone and everyone can burn the ships.

Like last month’s workout, you can do this workout nearly anywhere. It also requires little equipment.

Become a Member of Two Percent to get full details and video of the workout. TWOPCT.com

Michael’s first job was acting as Fitness Editor for Men’s Health magazine.

In that role, he spoke to the world’s top athletes to its greatest health scientists and athletic trainers.

When these experts sent an exercise or workout, Michael had to test it to ensure it would work for Men’s Health readers. He vetted hundreds and hundreds of exercises.

And he’s kept all the best exercises in a file ever since.

Two Percent is running a new monthly series that goes into the file and releases Michael’s favorite exercises of all time.

We’ll feature one exercise that works wonders for anyone who has a body and uses it. That is to say, you.

Friday was the biggest Black Friday of all time, and Americans bought more stuff than ever. We spend $1.2 trillion each year on stuff we don’t need.

When we own too much, we’re often guided into “minimalism.” But minimalism comes with its own set of problems.

We’re dropping some unreleased material from my book Scarcity Brain that explains:

* The three types of buyers (which are you?).

* Why people really buy in excess.

* Why minimalism can be an opposite expression of the same problem as buying way too much.

* The underlying reason people hoard or minimize.

* A 4-question purchasing framework that will help you buy items you actually need—items that improve your life—and forgo those you don’t need.

Asking these deeper questions about why we buy or get rid of things leads to the best outcomes. It leads to larger shifts in our happiness and finances, and allow us to accomplish much more with our resources, time, and this ride we call life.

The holidays are the make-or-break season for long-term health.

The average person gains 1 to 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s—but they typically don’t lose it.

Research shows that this holiday weight accumulates year over year and accounts for why people tend to gain weight as they age.

Hence, avoiding holiday weight gain is critical for staying healthy over your lifespan.

Michael will cover seven research and practice-backed strategies to do just that.

They’ll help you avoid holiday weight gain, leverage it for better fitness, develop healthy habits that last all year, and more.

The humble potato is the original superfood.

Eat potatoes on Thanksgiving and many more days after and you’ll be healthier.

Michael will explain why potatoes:

* Are shockingly healthy.

* Helped build civilizations.

* Are one of the best weight control foods.

* Are one of the most cost-effective health foods.

* Can fuel your workouts and build your fitness.

Become a Member to get full access to all three weekly Two Percent podcasts and posts. TWOPCT.com.

A Misogi is an epic challenge with a 50/50 shot at failure. We do it each year to explore and expand our edges.

I wrote about the concept of Misogi in The Comfort Crisis, and a Two Percent reader recently had a useful question about Misogi. Their question:

* What’s a beginner Misogi?

It’s a great question because Misogi is a practice everyone and anyone can and should do.

In the video above, I answer the question and explain why Misogi is such an important practice to expand human potential, the historical precedence for Misogi, and more.

Today Michael is covering the power of rucking meetings.

Taking meetings while walking with a weighted pack is one of the best ways to sneak in activity and improve your health, fitness, and mindset.

\Walking and rucking meetings can decrease your risk of all-cause mortality by 40 percent and increase your work productivity by 8 to 60 percent.

You’ll get powerful zone 1 and 2 exercise when you otherwise would have been sitting—and walking meetings don’t require you to take time out of your busy schedule for a traditional workout.

But doing them right requires the right strategies and tactics.

Michael will explain the six key strategies you must know to make rucking and walking meetings successful.

He developed them over the last five years of regularly taking meetings while walking with weight.

For full access to the episode, become a Member of Two Percent at TWOPCT.com.

New companies allow us to go around doctors and get blood work that checks for 100+ biomarkers or a full-body MRI to scan for cancer when we don’t have symptoms.

The idea of taking your health into your own hands and preventing disease with a direct-to-consumer test sounds perfect in theory.

But there are some downsides to consider if you test yourself, and knowing those downsides can help you get better health outcomes from the test.

To learn more, Michael chatted with Dr. Bobby Dubois—an M.D., researcher, and Ph.D. in health policy—about how we should think about direct-to-consumer blood tests and disease screenings.

They cover:

* Preventative tests that are currently available to consumers, from blood tests that check 100+ markers to full-body MRIs and blood screenings that detect cancer.

* The upsides of these tests.

* The differences between preventative, direct-to-consumer medical tests and doctor-ordered medical tests.

* Why the results of medical tests and scans aren’t perfect, and how those imperfections can lead to unnecessary stress, costs, procedures, and your ability to get life insurance.

* Understanding the math behind preventative blood testing—why you’re likely to have at least one blood marker out of range and why that can be misleading.

* What to do if you get a direct-to-consumer test and it comes back with abnormalities.

* How abnormalities in your results are like the credit card fraud alerts you get from your bank.

* What the data says about routine screenings compared to preventative full-body MRIs and direct-to-consumer blood tests.

* The three categories of cancer and how full-body MRIs are helpful for only one of them.

* The counterintuitive downsides of catching a certain category of cancer with a full body MRI.

* Questions to ask your doctor if they’d like you to get a medical test like a CAT scan, MRI, or special type of blood work.

* Bobby’s final thoughts on direct-to-consumer preventative medical tests.

Become a Member of Two Percent at TWOPCT.com.

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

This month, we’re covering:

* Numbers on:

* How much caffeine disturbs your sleep (this surprised me!)

* A 16-year-old girl who is as strong as an ox.

* Rising rates of pre-diabetes among kids.

* How exercise impacts the brain for weeks.

* Dipshit fitness influencers.

* Environmental pollution changes.

* Willie Nelson albums.

* How muscle and power change after age 40.

* Mike Tyson fighting Jake Paul.

* GLP-1s and addiction

* The four qualities of resilience (build ‘em and benefit).

* A 30-second fitness longevity challenge.

* The optimal dose and timing of melatonin to sleep better.

* A 29-minute, 33-second podcast encapsulating my health ideas.

* How AI will transform scientific discovery and innovation.

* A good parting quote.

Go to TWOPCT.com to get full access to this episode.

Last episode, Michael explored circadian rhythms and how they influence health. That episode was based on a conversation with Lynne Peeples, author of The Inner Clock.

Today Michael is following up on some important topics we didn’t get to in that episode.

You’ll learn:

* Michael’s perfect day and how he’s used and diverged from the advice of circadian science. This has lessons for self-reliance.

* How to use circadian science for better fitness. For example, to run a faster marathon.

* How to use circadian science to improve your performance at work.

* How to use circadian science to get a better outcome if you had a medical procedure or treatment, or had to take a medication.

Circadian rhythms—the 24-hour cycles humans evolved to live and function under—are a hot topic in health and wellness right now.

But the field of circadian science also contains a lot of junk science and advice.

Michael spoke with Lynne Peeples, author of the new book The Inner Clock, to get the most helpful, high-impact information around circadian rhythms.

You’ll learn:

* Why modern life works against our natural circadian rhythms.

* The link between circadian rhythms and disease, depression, and decreased athletic performance.

* Low-effort, high-impact ways to improve your circadian biology. This advice can help you lose weight, sleep and perform better, and more.

* How Lynne would design an ideal day around circadian rhythms.

* What to do if you ever work late nights (which can be hell for your circadian biology).

* Myths about circadian rhythms (this one was fun).

* Lynne’s insane personal experiment around circadian rhythms.

* The impact of daylight savings time and why we should kill it.

Go to TWOPCT.com to become a Member and get full access to all of our posts and podcasts.

People tend to be less active in winter because of cold temperatures—and that hurts our fitness and metabolic and mental health.

But the problem isn’t the cold. The problem is gear. We often don’t know the right outdoor exercise apparel and how to layer it as a system to stay warm and dry.

This episode covers seven rules of exercising outdoors this winter and teaches you how to build the perfect system to stay warm.

Michael also reveals his seven favorite pieces of cold-weather exercise gear.

The result: You’ll exercise outside more this winter, which will help you stay healthy and fit, avoid winter blues and weight gain, and even sleep better.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.