Michael covers the new science of resilience.

Psychologists used to think people weren’t inherently resilient, then new research began to suggest a brighter picture.

But now, cultural forces may be shifting us in the direction of less resilience.

We’ll cover the science and how you can become more resilient.

Note: This audio read was generated with AI.

This episode is the deepest dive into how muscle impacts women’s health.

Michael will cover the shocking state of women and muscle. You’ll learn how muscle:

* Protects your heart.

* Helps survival rates if you get cancer.

* Improves your metabolism.

* Helps you sleep better.

* Helps against pain and illness.

* Protects you from death.

* Adds years to your life …

* … And life to your years.

* Protects your brain.

The lessons apply to men, too.

Note: I’m out in the wilderness, so this episode was generated with AI.

Michael covers the infamous time audit.

It’s one of the most effective ways to discover the time you need to exercise (or do anything else you feel you don’t have time for).

The time audit is simple and brutal—and the numbers don’t lie.

Read more about why it works here.

For Mother’s Day this Sunday, I’m sharing a story I wrote about my mom.

We can all learn a lot from her: About hard work and persistence. But also about how quitting can paradoxically get us ahead. And how this ride we call life isn’t about us—a realization that allows us to ride it better.

The story, however, isn’t just about my mom. It’s the story of so many moms who work hard with their heads down every day to make our lives better.

Thanks for listening.

The world of sleep is tainted with misinformation, and it’s driving up sleep anxiety.

Michael dove deeply into the research on sleep and discovered the surprising truth about six common sleep myths.

Michael will cover each myth, why it’s wrong, and better ways to think about sleep.

Why it matters: Evolution programmed us to all sleep differently (it was a survival mechanism) and understanding the nuances of sleep can help you figure out what’s good and bad about your sleep habits.

The result: you’ll rest easier.

Today, Michael covers belonging and how to find it.

Belonging is linked to greater happiness and better health outcomes—yet belonging is dwindling today.

Here’s an easy way to belong: Become a fan of something or join a group.

You’ll learn a strange way I found belonging through fandom, and four research-backed ways to find belonging in an increasingly fragmented, isolated world.

Note: I’m in the wilderness for a couple months, so this episode’s audio was generate by AI.

Post Summary

* We’re covering the gear I’m using on my 850-mile hike.

* The video above covers the gear I’ll be using along the way and my philosophy on outdoor gear.

* Below, I’ve also listed each item, a quick sentence or two on why I’m taking it, and linked to it.

Housekeeping

* Full access to this post and video is for Members of Two Percent.

* Members get access to all our Gear Not Stuff posts and videos and everything else Two Percent offers. Become a Member here:

* Thanks to our partners:

* Momentous Nutrition: The company that made me feel good about supplements again. They’re researched back and tested for purity because Momentous has contracts with most pro sports leagues and the US Military. My picks: Essential Plant Protein + Daily Multivitamin. Use discount code EASTER for 15% off.

* Maui Nui Venison harvests the healthiest meat on planet Earth. 100% wild, ethically-harvested, and delicious. Maui Nui is offering Two Percent readers a limited collection of my favorite cuts and products, like the Sugar-Free Peppered meat stick. Supply is limited because axis deer are wild. Head to mauinuivenison.com/EASTER to secure access.

* GOREWEAR. I’m using the hell out of GOREWEAR gear on the trail. Especially the Concurve LE3 Jacket. It’s light, weatherproof, and has a bunch of features that make it ideal for all outdoor runs, hikes, rides, and more. Check it out. EASTER gets you 30% off your first GOREWEAR purchase.

The post

Today is the second Friday of the month, which means it’s time for Gear Not Stuff.

Read more about the idea behind Gear Not Stuff here.

* In short: Gear Not Stuff is a framework that helps us make smarter purchasing decisions. Gear has a clear purpose of helping us achieve a higher purpose—a tool we can use to have better experiences.

Today’s Gear Not Stuff covers 12 pieces of essential gear I’ll be using on my hike.

Watch the video above to learn:

* My philosophy on gear for the hike (balancing gear that’s light but not “stupid light”). This is useful for anyone who spends time outdoors.

* A deep dive into each item.

* An explanation of why I’m using the item.

Below, I’ve also listed each item and a sentence or two about why I’m bringing it.

Rain jacket: GOREWEAR Concurve LE3

Super lightweight, weatherproof, and has brilliant features like a hood that snaps in place when you’re not wearing it (so the hood doesn’t whip about slapping you in the face on windy days).

It’s the perfect weatherproof shell for most outdoor excursions and workouts.

Link (code EASTER gets you 30% off.)

Backpack: ZPacks Arc Haul Ultra EPX 60L + Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60

Both packs weigh around two pounds or less. The ZPacks bag is light, durable, waterproof, and comfortable. It doesn’t have many pockets, but that saves weight.

The Mariposa will be my backup bag in case I break the ZPacks bag. (The downside of ultralight gear is that it’s more fragile!).

Link and link

Sleeping “bag”: Enlightened Equipment Revelation 10f quilt + Cumulus Equipment Aerial 330

In May of 2016, Melissa Arnot Reid became the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen.

She has a wonderful new book out called Enough. (I LOVED the book. It’s one of those rare books that pushes you forward from page to page.) Buy it here.

The book is about much more than mountaineering and Everest. It’s about Melissa’s fascinating life journey, what pushes us to do great things, why hardship can help us grow, and more (think part Wild and part Into Thin Air).

Michael spoke about the book and Melissa’s life, work, and the lessons she’s learned from the mountains.

You can watch our conversation at TWOPCT.com or listen here. We covered:

* Why Melissa climbs mountains.

* How Melissa delineates between discomfort and danger. She explains the wild training strategies she’s used to push herself in training to thrive and stay safer in the world’s highest, most dangerous environments.

* Why nature isn’t your competitor, but your best teacher.

* What it was like reaching the summit of Mount Everest without oxygen—and what it was like after.

* The “arrival fallacy.” We think that by reaching a big goal, we’ll “arrive,” and all will finally be well. But life doesn’t work like that—and that can teach us a lot about growth.

* What Melissa learned from her failed attempts on Everest and how they were necessary for her to finally reach the summit without oxygen.

* Why mountaineering is a metaphor for life.

* How Melissa leveraged the hardships of her childhood to find a suitable path in life.

* What Melissa has learned from the Sherpa people of Nepal.

* Melissa’s thoughts on the popularity of Mount Everest, whether it’s overcrowded, and how to put that in context (I found this really fascinating given all the media around overcrowding on Everest).

* How Melissa learned to get out of her own head.

* What her experiences were like mountaineering and guiding, which is a largely male-dominated sport, and advice she’d give women entering male-dominated pursuits.

* What men can do to support women in male-dominated fields.

* How Melissa trained to climb the biggest mountains in the world.

* Melissa’s most indispensable piece of gear not stuff.

* Skills that every outdoor person should have.

We live in a world where its easier than ever to get information (think Google and ChatGPT).

That’s great overall—but easy information is often inaccurate, lacks context, and is easily forgettable.

If you want to learn and understand something deeply, there’s a better framework. Michael uses it in his work and breaks it down here. You’ll learn:

* Just how much information we now consume (the numbers are … wow).

* The upsides and downsides of having so much access to information.

* A framework that’s helped Michael get better information and make better decisions.

Note that I’m on the trail for a couple months and this episode was generated in advance with AI.

We’re speaking with Alex Hutchinson about his new book The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map.

Michael asked Alex 17 questions about exploration—why humans are driven to explore, the benefits of exploration, how exploration is changing, and how we can explore more today.

Michael gained so much insight into my own life from Alex’s book and our exchange below, and I hope you will, too.

You’ll learn:

* Why exploration is critical to being a human.

* Why humans are hardwired to seek the unknown.

* The truth about dopamine and how it factors into exploration.

* Whether humans are unique in our ability to explore.

* Another (surprising) animal that is a badass explorer.

* How a wild occurrence 50,000 years ago allowed humans to conquer the globe.

* Why living well requires pushing yourself into new experiences.

* How exploration is changing, and why that’s not necessarily a good thing.

* The downsides of technology and how it’s altering the rewards we get from exploration.

* Why Alex thinks I should change “Burn The Ships” to “Eat The Camels.”

* How endurance and exploration are related (overlaps between Alex’s books).

* How writing the book changed Alex’s everyday behaviors (and why those changes led his children to complain about his driving).

* How we can explore cities for better experiences.

* How you can explore every single day.