More here: Benefits of vigorous exercise

• Impacts Diabetes
• Signals the muscles to mobilize GLUT4
• Slow decay of the benefits.

Vigorous exercise is nearly 10x more effective than moderate exercise at preventing type 2 diabetes

High intensities trigger muscle contractions that rapidly lower blood glucose

These intense efforts also boost lactate, which signals muscles to mobilize GLUT4 (special… pic.twitter.com/k2k4Cs8Lri

— FoundMyFitness Clips (@fmfclips) December 11, 2025

The focus is on INTENSITY.

A single minute of vigorous activity provides the all-cause mortality benefit of nearly an hour of gentle walking

For cardiovascular protection, you'd need over 70 minutes of light activity to match 1 vigorous minute

For diabetes prevention, matching a vigorous minute takes… pic.twitter.com/rKenDI9xkn

— FoundMyFitness Clips (@fmfclips) December 9, 2025

Introduction: Overturning Exercise Guidelines

• The Paradigm Shift: Traditional guidelines recommend 150–300 minutes of moderate activity, but new evidence suggests vigorous activity is far more potent [00:06].
• Key Finding: One minute of vigorous activity was found to be roughly equivalent to 53 to 94 minutes of light or moderate activity for certain health outcomes [00:32].
• Mortality Risk: Vigorous exercise is four times more effective at reducing all-cause mortality and even more effective for cardiovascular-related death [00:19].

Defining Exercise Intensity

• Measurement Tools: Unlike most consumer wearables that use heart rate, the study used accelerometers to measure the literal physical intensity and direction of wrist movement [13:05].
• Light Activity: Includes household chores like emptying the dishwasher, sweeping, or vacuuming [15:52].
• Moderate Activity: Examples include a brisk walk, leisurely bike commuting, or taking the stairs [16:02].
• Vigorous Activity: High-intensity movement, often structured as a workout but can also include short, intense bursts like sprinting with a pet or playing hard with children [09:21].

Health Outcomes and Potency

• Cardiovascular Health: Because cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death, the high “potency” of vigorous exercise offers a massive “bang for your buck” in prevention [22:01].
• The 10,000 Step Myth: While 10,000 steps are popular, they often represent light walking. This provides only a 10–15% risk reduction compared to the much higher protections offered by vigorous intensity [02:08:41].
• Metabolic Equivalents (METs): The study challenges the idea that health benefits are purely about the volume of METs, suggesting the intensity itself triggers unique biological benefits [05:27].

Personal Application and Optimization

• Longevity Strategy: For those interested in optimizing lifespan, thinking critically about exercise intensity rather than just duration is key [02:08:02].
• VO2 Max: Dr. Holmer highlights that VO2 max is a critical marker for aging and health, which is most effectively improved through vigorous protocols [02:09:09].
• Journal Club Conclusion: The hosts emphasize that while any movement is good, the efficiency of vigorous exercise makes it a superior tool for those with limited time [02:07:49].

1. The Origin of the “1-to-2 Rule”

• The Status Quo: Current World Health Organization (WHO) and regional guidelines recommend 150–300 minutes of moderate activity OR 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity. This suggests a 1:2 ratio [00:06].
• The Calorie Burn Fallacy: Dr. Patrick notes that this ratio was originally calculated based on energy expenditure (calories burned) rather than clinical health outcomes [03:42].
• A New Perspective: The study suggests that focusing solely on calories misses the unique physiological stressors and subsequent adaptations triggered by higher-intensity movements [05:27].

2. Study Methodology: Accelerometers vs. Self-Reporting

• Precision over Recall: Previous guidelines relied heavily on self-reported data, which is often inaccurate. This study used wrist-worn accelerometers [13:05].
• Motion Tracking: These devices measured the physical intensity and direction of movement throughout the day, bucketing every minute of a participant’s life into light, moderate, or vigorous categories [13:55].
• Heart Rate vs. Movement: Crucially, this study defined intensity by movement speed and force rather than heart rate, which allows for capturing short, high-effort bursts that traditional heart rate monitors might lag on [13:25].

3. Key Findings: The Power of Vigorous Intensity

• Potency Ratio: For all-cause mortality, vigorous exercise was found to be 4 times as potent as moderate activity [00:19].
• Efficiency for Longevity: In terms of specific disease outcomes, 1 minute of vigorous activity was equivalent to 53 to 94 minutes of moderate-to-light activity [00:32].
• Cardiovascular Impact: The benefits were even more pronounced for heart health, with vigorous movement providing a significantly greater reduction in cardiovascular-related mortality [22:01].
• Short Bursts Count: The data captured “short bursts” of activity (like sprinting with a puppy or playing with kids) that aren’t typically tracked in structured gym sessions but still contribute to health [09:21].

4. Redefining Activity Categories

• Light Activity: Low-level household tasks such as sweeping, vacuuming, or unloading the dishwasher [15:52].
• Moderate Activity: Brisk walking or active commuting, such as a leisurely bike ride to work or walking from a bus stop [16:02].
• Vigorous Activity: Purposeful, high-effort movement. This includes traditional exercise (running, cycling) but also any vigorous non-exercise movement integrated into daily life [16:19].

5. Practical Implications & Takeaways

• Beyond Steps: The host argues that “10,000 steps” can be misleading. Walking 6–7 miles at a light pace for 2 hours only offers a 10–15% risk reduction compared to the far more efficient protection of vigorous effort [02:08:18].
• VO2 Max Connection: Higher intensity activity is the primary driver of VO2 max improvements, which is one of the strongest predictors of longevity [02:09:09].
• Advice for Busy People: If the goal is aging better and saving time, the traditional “150 minutes” can be largely replaced by much shorter, more intense sessions [00:39].
• Individual Goals: While any movement is better than none, those looking to optimize longevity should think critically about intensity rather than just hitting a duration or step-count goal [02:08:02].

It’s called the anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC).

Things that you DONT want to do

Holy fuck. Overcoming challenges, this is important.

THIS IS THE LONGEVITY / WILL TO LIVE

Holy FUCK – do you WANT TO LIVE?

Obese people have LESS or smaller of this

Recent human studies (not mice) show:

• It’s smaller in people with obesity → grows when they successfully diet
• Super-athletes have an unusually large aMCC
• People who live the longest keep this area big their entire life
• It enlarges every single time you force yourself to do something you genuinely do NOT want to do
• It shrinks almost immediately if you stop or if the same task becomes enjoyable

The one brain structure that literally grows when you do things you HATE doing — and shrinks the moment you get comfortable.

Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman dropped what he calls “one of the most important discoveries in the history of neuroscience” in a conversation… pic.twitter.com/F84zPdazPC

— Camus (@newstart_2024) December 10, 2025

Sleeping on a slight incline has profound benefits

– Improves brain detox
– Decompress the lower back
– Improves lymphatic drainage
– Reduces snoring & sleep apnea
– Prevents acid reflux
– Reduces nasal congestion
– Less nighttime urination
– Better thermoregulation
– Deeper… pic.twitter.com/dJ9U6f0IB6

— Scott Wilson (@onescottwilson) November 6, 2025

Sleeping on a 12 degree incline reduced snoring and awakenings during the night while increasing time spent in deep sleep.

Sounds crazy, but it's legit. https://t.co/H2k3234xPo pic.twitter.com/sMt8bEdFCK

— PŪNGAO 🥩🍯🍳🌞 (@realpungao) December 15, 2025

Drink	When	Add-ins	Effect	Replaces
Black Coffee	Morning	—	Sharp alertness	Morning booze urge (none)
Yerba Mate	Late AM / Early PM	L-theanine (200 mg), ginger, lemon peel	Focused, appetite-suppressing	“One more coffee”
Assam / Black Tea	Afternoon	L-theanine (200–400 mg)	Coffee-like edge, smoother	Afternoon slump
Shou (Ripe) Pu-erh	Evening	Ginger, optional beet	Grounded calm, earthy warmth	Whiskey / scotch
Hojicha	Late evening / night	L-theanine (200 mg)	Settled, sleep-safe	Beer wind-down
Hot Ginger + Beet	Night / stress	Lemon peel	Chest warmth, body calm	Alcohol warmth
CBD Tea / Tincture	As needed	—	Mild body calm	Stress drinking
Cigar (rare)	Occasional night	Pu-erh or hojicha	Ritual, intensity	Social drinking

🧠 1. Dopamine Law

• Borrowed dopamine (alcohol, junk food, bar-hopping, “fuck it” nights)
  → feels good now
  → steals tomorrow’s energy, mood, and discipline
• Earned dopamine (lifting, running, writing, showing restraint)
  → feels harder upfront
  → pays compound interest in confidence, calm, and identity
• Rule: If it feels free, it isn’t. If it’s earned, it lasts.

---

🦇 2. The Bat Signal Rule

• When urges hit, don’t solve the whole life
• Just send the signal:
  • “I’m stressed.”
  • “I want to drink.”
  • “I want to disappear.”
• Naming it breaks the spell.
  Awareness > willpower.

---

🧱 3. Identity Before Mood

• You don’t train because you feel motivated
• You train because this is what you do
• Motivation follows action, not the other way around
• You are building a body like a luxury item—not consumable, not replaceable, not bought.

---

🏃 4. Motion Is Medicine

• Running = mental reset
• Lifting = self-respect
• Writing = meaning extraction
• When stuck: move first, think later

---

🍕 5. Controlled Release > Collapse

• Perfection is fragile
• Planned imperfection is strong
• If you release:
  • do it consciously
  • cap it
  • don’t spiral
• One drink ≠ failure
  A spiral is failure.

---

🌆 6. Manhattan Pressure Effect

• The city overstimulates freedom cravings
• After intense days, your brain seeks:
  • control
  • indulgence
  • escape
• Answer with structure, not chaos:
  • hotel lobbies
  • long walks
  • workouts
  • quiet third spaces

---

⏱️ 7. Friction Is the Enemy, Not Effort

• You don’t fail from laziness
• You fail from too many steps
• Remove thinking:
  • same foods
  • same workouts
  • same routines
• Less choice = more execution

---

🧪 8. Alcohol Is a False Warmth

• It mimics:
  • relaxation
  • blood flow
  • relief
• But it lies
• Real warmth comes from:
  • movement
  • heat
  • breath
  • earned calm

---

🧠 9. Hyperfocus Is a Tool—Not a Master

• You don’t lack discipline
• You over-concentrate on inputs
• Shift from:
  • consuming content
    → to
  • producing output
• One rep beats ten videos.

---

🛡️ 10. Self-Trust Is the Real Goal

• Every kept promise = armor
• Every avoided spiral = confidence
• You are not fixing yourself
• You are forging someone reliable

I have been using AI to help me figure shit out. Like mental coaching.

It is identifying some really interesting insights about msyelf

Training, running, writing, discipline — these aren’t chores.
They are how you earn peace.

• Borrowed Dopamine vs. Earned Dopamine
• Food abuse = Stress + Alcohol
• I crave FREEDOM not indulgence
• Environmental pressures
• MASSIVE BLOCKER
  • I consume elite fitness content obsessively
  • But my action lags, which feels productive.
  • I dont need more information, I need execution rituals
• My body is a luxury asset
• I respect SYSTEM over WILLPOWER
• Regulate anxiety through exertion and pain
• Control > Abstinence
• MOTIVATED BY IDENTITY not shame
• You recover faster than you think. Spiral happens due to self judgement

1. Eat a LOT of protein
2. Incline walk
3. Lift weights
4. Sleep 8 hours

I am not doing any of this. And I am not seeing anything. So maybe that explains this.

• Let the mind to let go
• Slow exhale
• Inhale 4 seconds. Exhale 8 seconds. You are safe
• Relax the tongue
• Attention on the feet. Feel the weight.

How to fall asleep fast when your mind doesn't want you to. pic.twitter.com/JsAMoj0Xua

— Mindset Machine  (@Mindset_Machine) November 30, 2025

A man should dedicate a summer – intense focus – to get RIPPED

Eat bodyweight (in lbs) x 10-12 calories daily (more on higher activity days, less on lower)

Eat 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight (if you’re starting more overweight you can aim for goal bodyweight)

10K+ steps daily and progressively more cardio sessions (0 – month 1, 2-3×45 minutes/wk month 2, 5-6×45 minutes month 3)

Lifted 5x/week on a push, pull, legs, rest, upper, lower, rest split with a focus on:

• every set ending near failure
• fighting to get stronger week by week
• managing volume (less volume towards end of the cut for recovery)

1. Limited alcohol to only a few drinks/month
2. Slept 7 hours/night minimum
3. 5g creatine daily
4. Drank around a .75-1 gallon of water + electrolytes daily
5. Refeed days (bodyweight x 15 calorie goal), 1x/wk in month 3

The framework is really this simple to drop body fat.

Adjustments will need to be made based on biofeedback & weight data.

If you aren’t losing at a rate of 0.5-1% bodyweight per week, you must:

and/or decrease your average weekly calorie intake.

increase your average weekly movement (steps or cardio minutes)