Two Percent with Michael Easter

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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