Thomas is an outstanding listener and never interrupts when his guess is speaking. Well done Thomas!!!!

Oh I see why Tom is always hawking products. His wife has horses 😂

The statement about marathon runners is exactly why I took up weightlifting 2 years ago. I did triathlons ran my first marathon then realized I didn’t want to look like those types of athletes.

Love how the conversation took an interesting outlook towards the end. Realizing that 12% body fat the actual number doesn’t even matter…it’s what it represents. It represents dedication, health, sexiness, etc. But I love how he makes a point that WHEN you’re there what if you’re an asshole? No one is gonna care if you have 12% bfat! Very cool to look at my personality and if I’m being an interesting, fun person to be around.

This was a really helpful conversation to listen to. Thank you Thomas. ❤

This is one of the best shows I’ve listened to. Thank you for this!

Oh man I LOVE that book. He did such a great job on it. Loving this interview 🙌🏼

I just rucked a 5K race last week. It's more fun than running. You can actually look at things. And you can have a conversation.

I rucked a marathon 20 years ago, with about 30 lb of weight, in uniform with Army boots. I came from running the 30k we had to do back then for the German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge instead of walking it, it was a sort of given in the Specialized Forces to aim for that. I got up to that shape within a few years in the Army, just daily workout and daily grind. But THE DECIDING FACTOR is your mindset! I myself have shifted the threshold of what I was able to do physically, be it in weight, distance or time, many times. There was doubt in the beginning, and, yes, lots of pain. But the sort of pain you can overcome, not a ruptured tendon or a broken bone. Just your body telling you: I hurt, you are putting me under excessive stress I‘m not used to! And then you work through it. And suffer, huff and puff. And you realize you can do still more. It takes A LONG TIME until you actually collapse if you keep your hydration high. Believe in yourself, observe yourself, know what you do (-> nutrition!) and don’t find excuses. Just the point they made very early: Be dedicated! If sweets are bad for you, screw it, don’t eat sweets. Ever. If alcohol is bad for you, don’t drink it. Ever. Not to not stand out in company, not to numb reality, never. IT‘S ALL IN YOUR HEAD. Get this blob of neurons straight, grab life, and hold on to it. Make it yours, exert control, don’t be or feel controlled. Make the sound choices, and if it takes longer to determine what’s the right way, take that time. Life is not a rat race - it’s a really really long race. And it’s no good having „He always hustled.“ on your tombstone at age 50 after your heart has quit on you. Life long and prosperous.

Such a freeing interview thank you both!!!

What you said about alcohol and drug addiction really made sense and hit home. Thank you for sharing rhat

Great content

Great interview!

Nice to hear this conversation. Like me I’m sick, I have an illness and I see myself striving to workout 🏋🏻‍♀️ three times a week and trying to control what I eat. But it makes me feel good because the days off that I rest. I can feel the pain of my illness. Some times I just wonder how is it possible.

Fantastic conversation! 👍

I was just talking to my wife yesterday about how I’ve never been able to sustain my physique for more than a few months once I reached my goal. It’s very strange. I’m about 25 LB from reaching my goal this time around so I’m going to really make sure I have habits that are sustainable. Thanks for the thought provoking video Thomas :)

that was really fun to listen, thank you. Michael met some wisdom at the edges of life 😉

I love Michael's honesty and clarity of thinking. Good stuff.

This is an excellent interview buddy.

I work for Toyota, it’s the 5 whys that will get you to the root cause. Love your podcast by the way! And Toyota🤘🏽

I love your concept of loading to build muscle and lose weight

I wear a Continuous Glucose Monitor for last 18 months and consume only 15 gm carbs per meal and NO fast carbs such as rice, bread, pasta, and chips. (Keto) This is helping me to reduce weight, and body fat. Im 64 year old diabetic. Once my total knee surg recovers then will resume swimming laps again.

Excellent video in so many ways other than body fat!!!!

A few things wrong with the american food system. The cost of whole foods. Food labels is backwards. It shouldnt read grass fed meat, instead it should say meat with preservatives and grass fed is just meat. You would think we would be eating more organic and 3rd world countries would eat more junk due to resources but its the opposite.

I would love to see you do a video, or bring on a guest to talk about working out, and exercising (The Do's &.Dont's, etc) with a Pacemaker. Especially geared toward Resistance Training, Pull-Ups, Cardio, etc.😀

Excellent

Spent 2 years doing dexa scans, tracking calories, training everyday etc etc getting to 15% was wildly difficult and ultimately antisocial (i had to constantly be planning ahead or avoiding surprise meals with friends). the dexa scan couldve been off but ultimately not every persons body will be able to maintain this. my sports also suffered because i lost a lot of strength as part of this goal (natty). the worst part? by being at such a low body fat just killed libido. the difference in happiness and sustainability between 17% and

Good interview Thomas. You should include this guys name in the title. Didn't realize who it was until I recoginized his voice in his book. The Comfort Crisis was interesting. He should have plugged that.

The 5 Whys, I love it!❣

I’m only 40% of the way through and I feel like he hasn’t mentioned fasting yet, to me that’s one of the best way I would use to get to 12%.

"humans are the only mammal that can carry weight for distance" :horses and elephants stare glaringly:

I love my weighted vest for walking! I use a 15 lb vest and I am a petite woman. It has made such a difference in my posture, leg strength, balance, and cardio fitness. I use it both on a treadmill and for outdoor walking. What incline setting would you recommend to stay in that fat oxidation zone? Also, how many days per week do you wear the vest?

"Child is father to the man". An old observation about traits in your children. Wisdom is everywhere, when you’re paying attention. IMO part of a healthy life. Interesting video, as always.

Now when my 5 year old says carry me I guess I feel more inclined to do so 😂

Finally some sanity to some fitness and health advice.

I think its about having intention. Being Addicted is uncontrolled & Being committed is an active intent.

Is it self proclaimed body fat by own guess/measurement percantage. Often true percentage is higher

12% body fat - tell me your video is for men without telling me your video is for men 😂

I'm at 12% at 49 yo. Personally I think the unhealthy food out there tastes terrible. I don't eat much, but when I do is fruits, vegetables, lean meat, eggs, nuts, oats. I lift once per week, but ride my bike about 220 - 300 miles per week, ftp is around 330 watts. VO2 at 68.

Hey Thomas, I see you had a podcast but stopped in 2020. Any chance you could revive it to put long form interviews like this on there once in a while? For those of us who want to listen while out and about but don't want to pay steaming youtube data, would rather download audio from wifi then head out.

### **Investigative Journalist Reveals 7 Habits of People Under 12% Body Fat** **Intro (**00:00:00**)** Achieving a 12% body fat target is a widely pursued goal, particularly among men, despite potential negative effects on performance when reaching as low as 10%. This goal requires habits that extend beyond just dietary changes. **Control Over Processed Food Intake (**00:01:41**)** Understanding and managing the consumption of processed foods is crucial. These foods exploit a "scarcity loop"-an ingrained habit cycle fueled by opportunity, unpredictable rewards, and rapid repeatability-promoting excessive intake through appealing attributes like value, variety, and speed. This habit significantly contributes to obesity, a major health risk, and achieving a body fat percentage as low as 12% requires minimizing or eliminating ultra-processed foods in favor of whole, unprocessed alternatives. **Rucking (**00:07:09**)** Rucking, or walking with added weight, is a beneficial practice for fat burning and muscle stimulation. This low-impact exercise maximizes fat oxidation and is accessible to individuals of all fitness levels. Historically, humans evolved to carry loads over long distances, reinforcing rucking as a natural, effective activity for achieving low body fat. **Figure Out How Much You Eat (**00:12:22**)** Tracking food intake through logging reveals eating patterns, allowing for adjustments that support fat loss goals. Observing one's diet and workouts can highlight issues and promote behavior change. Effective fat loss involves consistent weight training with compound movements, focusing on progressive overload, proper form, and incorporating light exercise during rest periods for active recovery. **Find a Form of Training You Enjoy (**00:16:20**)** Long-term success in reducing body fat depends on engaging in enjoyable physical activities. Sustainable fitness habits stem from aligning workouts with personal preferences rather than striving for an unrealistic appearance. Modern lifestyle conveniences often diminish natural fitness, making it essential to cultivate habits that delay gratification and address underlying motivations behind exercise and eating behaviors. **Short-Term Choices That Have Long-Term Effects (**00:30:51**)** Addiction and short-term choices, such as steroid use for rapid results, can jeopardize long-term health. The focus should shift from hitting specific body fat percentages to fostering sustainable, healthy practices that yield long-term well-being. **Make Maintaining Body Composition Rewarding (**00:35:12**)** Incorporating enjoyment and rewards into maintaining a healthy body composition can enhance the process, making it more sustainable. This approach emphasizes the importance of finding intrinsic motivation and making workouts rewarding rather than fixating on specific body fat metrics. **Find Out What Getting to 12% Body Fat Means to You (**00:36:03**)** Setting specific goals, such as achieving 12% body fat, can help maintain focus. However, an overemphasis on numbers can lead to unhealthy obsessions, detracting from overall well-being. It's essential to balance numerical goals with broader measures of health like true satiety and energy levels, understanding hunger cues, and avoiding rigid calorie counting. **Conclusion** Achieving and maintaining a body fat percentage of 12% involves a multifaceted approach beyond simple dietary changes. Critical habits include managing processed food intake, engaging in effective and enjoyable physical activities, understanding and tracking eating behaviors, and focusing on long-term health rather than short-term numerical goals. Ultimately, creating rewarding and sustainable health practices will lead to better overall fitness and well-being.

You asked if someone working at a junk food company has a disconnect. I worked for a company for years that makes the machines that make junk foods for many companies. Lots of junk food comes from machines I helped to build. I knew I was making a product that hurts people, but I didn't care, still don't. So I can promise you, it's not hard to make the stuff. I didn't eat the products, but I believe in freedom, even the freedom for someone to hurt themselves. That's their choice. It's just those people need to stop reproducing so they don't push their stupidity on to future generations.

It's called the Hawthorne theory that people act different when they're being watched

Great video. 👍 I just started monkeying around with rucking. Cutting bf is easy, staying there and building muscle is far more challenging as you need far more discipline and consistency to build muscle, given muscle is formed very minimally over months and years. And once you surpass your “Newbie Gains” and your genetic potential it becomes even more challenging. Also as I have posted before going crazy with overall BF without looking at how your body preferentially stores fat whether subcontinuous or visceral may not be s*xy. However, what it really comes down to is moving your cardiometabolic makers, functional strength/grip strength, V02 Max towards a more healthier range is what matters most for long term “health span” and avoidance of sarcopenia, not to mention other cardiometabolic issues when you are elderly, more vulnerable due to the aging process, and when you can least afford it. Trying to get to a ridiculously low bf% just to resemble a jacked up shredded body builder will likely bot get you there. Remember brains over brawn. Train “smarter” not “harder”

Military... They beat bf percentage into our heads and tell us we're not fit unless we're coming in at a certain percentage. They will even kick you out if you don't maintain that number. Now, the newest body composition test measures your waist and weight. It's crazy, I dropped 25lbs and still measure the same bf percentage as I did before.

I have 8% to 10% year round, I’m in my 50’s, 95kg at 178cm so not skinny, don’t count calories, answer is carnivore diet, been doing mainly carnivore for 25 years, only really come off when on holiday

Nothing wrong at all with having goals, but some people don't use a number like 10 or 12% body fat as a bench mark to shoot for. Much like pro bodybuilders, who definitely push their goals into unhealthy practices, this kind of a goal can do the same. Much better to make your first goal your health, and not looking like a skinned rabbitt. Develop a physical exercise regimen and eating discipline that you can maintain and live with. If you look good in the mirror, your clothes fit, and have normal range health markers you are good to go. To quote one of the greatest body builders of all time, Frank Zane..."You can't live at the top of the mountain all the time".

Liquid Death?? Do you know about the research done by a Japanese scientist who studied the effects of sounds and WORDS on water? I appreciate you Thomas!

Humans are not the only animals that can carry weight for distances horses donkeys oxen all can carry weights for long distances

In the case of junk, they can market to us like crazy, and it's all good, free market, let people decide. But when it comes to something that would actually be healthy, things are regulated out of existence "for our safety".

Around the 36-minute mark, a conversation was about being "captured by numbers." From a religious perspective, certainty can be like an idol, one that we worship. As we seek improved health, is the number the thing we seek, which may be unhealthy, or do we seek health with the numbers helping to achieve our goal?

so what are the 7 habbits?

you know why i gave up? because i dont have a device that tells me my accurate bf%. when i eat junk, i have zero idea how that truly impacts my body. when i fast or exercise, i also have no clue what is going on. im just tired of constant guess work. part of me just goes whats the point. i suppose thats down to perfectionism.

Damn. I used to walk around at 12% body fat and thought I was overweight.

Who cares about the %? Do you love the number or how you look in the mirror? Just eat healthy diet, animal based and will look beautiful

3:17 this guy is a journalist and he said “foods that lead you to eat more faster “ ??? I thought “more faster” was a grammatical error, correct me if I’m wrong, English is not my first language 😂

Great video as usual but liquid death man... what a scam.

Well I was a mail carrier. I rucked a lot. lol I never lost weight, but I had a lot of muscle. Now I have two hip replacements.

Use a large backpack; to add weight, load your favorites like donuts, cakes, cookies, pizza. Remember, the heavier the load, the more fat burned. 😂

1) He said humans are the only “mammal”… That eliminates insects, reptiles and birds. 2) Context counts. He was speaking in terms of what is “naturally occurring.” Not what a larger mammal such as a horse, camel or elephant can be trained to do. 3) Lastly, he said for “distance”. That is the most vague term but lets assume he means at least 5 - 10 miles. I think this is the defining factor. There are plenty of mammals that can carry more weight, but they don’t carry it as far as humans do.

This kind of discussion is always interesting and helpful but I think there is some wisdom in the blue zone study that shows that the healthiest societies engage in all of this good dietary and exercise behavior in a broader social, cultural and practical context. So rather than carrying around a dumbbell in a backpack, just walk to the store and carry your groceries home?

32:15 Addicted = emotional slavery Committed = emotional freedom to choose ??????

Great point about our being too large today, the socially constructed “look” people are after and many of the artificial means by which we attain it. This has resulted in the scarcity of beauty. People are simply too big, too heavy and lack symmetry and balance in their aesthetics as a consequence.

Also good at throwing stuff... Just saying

I couldn’t listen thru 40mins of podcast to sift out the 7 habits lol

5:55 the problem with that thought process is, that those food like substances (that's NOT food) are manufactured in a way as to influence your brain to want more. When it comes to willpower against brain chemistry, phisiology will always win in the end in one way or another. So no, wrong message.

What fat percentage for a male Keeps them looking lean But not really defined abs. Is that 15-18% body fat ? Is that percentage fairly easy to maintain once you are at those Percentages?

Who is the journalist?

Two school mates are shredded like **** and they are not gym rats - not even close. So my q is - why was genetics not discussed / mentioned or was it?

Fit and healthy is the way to be. The message of folks being "shredded" is toxic as hell. Most will never be in a body building competition.

Found it an interesting conversation. Especially this modern obsession of being buff. Its not actually helpful to humans in general. Fitness is a better guide

12% I'd have 2 lean out to *136 lbs.*

Somebody loves Doritos

Did you know you can get paid to go rucking? Talk to your nearest Army recruiter.

"Humans are the only mammal that can carry weight for distance." Okay... what about horses and donkeys? How do you think we traveled before the invention of the automobile?

I hate to go to a gym. But I'll put all that effort and more in chores; push-mow the lawn, pick up all the brush in my yard from trees after a storm, carrying big stuff to and from my car (groceries). Just hitting a gym is a colossal waste of time but I'll load up a backpack and go walking, I can walk to get something from a store, that's all good. I'm going to act like my forebearers, not get a gym membership. Just saying.

Processed food manufacturers need to hear from consumers that less ADDED chemicals, sugar, oil and salt is wanted in their food products. Why is there so much ADDED sugar in everything, even bread. That's just crazy Email, text, tweet or phone your favorite producer of poison and let them know consumers want less salt, oils and sugars in their products. Let their customer service department know that all the extra added salt, oil and sugar is not necessary or desired and is causing health issues. Reduce or eliminate highly processed food from your diet if you can.

The thing to remember is that excess hoarding of money is the economic equivalent of obesity. It causes an inefficient allocation of resources and reduced performance across society and is born from the same scarcity loop that causes people to overeat. As above, so below.

A food diary is extremely helpful. When anyone starts a diet, they already know their current food intake is resulting in their being overweight or they are consuming unhealthy options. Writing down what you eat and drink, calories consumed, portion size, how often you eat, and when you eat for a week is eye opening. Advance meal prep really helps in controlling portion size and avoiding processed foods and snacks. Clean out your pantry and refrigerator of those food items you want to eliminate. Eliminates temptation. Try to eat the least processed foods - fresh fruit, vegetables, lean meats. Develop an exercise routine. Start walking,ride a bike, get into the pool. At least 3 days a week. Allow your body to rest on the off days.

Rucking builds muscle 😂😂😂 Ask any guy who has been through RASP, SFAS, Ranger School, BRC, etc

According to amazing scale that measures body fat. When I was in amazing shape I looked way leaner than him and I was at 17% , so said my scale.

Horses can carry weight for distances

The only mammal that can carry weight for distance? He heard of a Horse? Perhaps a Camel?

I've never seen someone lose a ton of weight rucking. Maybe it works for some, but I've never known anyone sustainably do it.

Thomas selling out has a guy on who’s talking about rucking for fat loss 😂😂😂trying to find any content

Theres no point calling a video 12% if the suggestions are the same as the 20%. 12% vs 20% is total commitment and no cheating. Btw, horses carry weight.

You have no idea what addiction is about. I smoked for 30 years and tried to quit for 20. I remember countless times driving to the store to buy a pack of smokes, and not wanting to but doing it anyway. Even though smoking a cigarette feels good doesn't mean you do it because it feels good. Being addicted means being unable to stop, even though you want to. The same is true for food, alcohol, or whatever else it may be. The way to beat addiction, is realizing that the longer that you go without the addictive thing, the easier it is to say NO to the internal voice that is telling you yes.

lol, no one in the US is starving... uhhhh

I am 12% body fat. I finished running 100 mile a week and watching this video I can say it’s complete trash and unreliable to a person who is 12% body fat like me.

5:32 ‚i don‘t wanna live in a world without dorittos.‘ Did that guy loose his marbles? I can‘t trust somebody that stupid.

Just go OMAD guys, it's much easier than all this other crap

Junk gotta have value? Nope. $4.8 a bag here for a 170G pack and $6 for a 170g block of chocolate. People still buy it.

What about a person who is already carrying a LOT of extra weight. Wouldn’t that do the same thing?

Very hard to overeat whole foods

7:20 😂 No! What about horses, donkeys, camels, mules, elephants, etc

8:20 wrong message Nr. 2. You can NOT outexercise a terrible diet. You can ruck all you want, your bodycomposition will still be a desaster. Maybe leaner, so then a lean desaster, which is actually even worse....

Very interesting, but the comment about humans being the only mammals that can carry weight for distance is really weird. What about horses, mules, camels, etc?

Is wearing my fanny pak with stuff in it and pushing a stroller with 15 lbs in it rucking?

15% bf is easily maintainable for most and the best balance

3:00 I am just here to debunk the “controlling calories” nonsense. From 2000-2020 calories rose a tiny 50. Obesity rates went up more than 100%. Carbs went down during this time. It’s not the calories. It’s not the carbs. So what went up? Seed oil consumption. For people who still think it’s the carbs explain why obesity was near zero until after the 1970’s. Look at the carb consumption rates. Then look at seed oil consumption rates and obesity rates. Correlation is necessary for causation.