Running
Regular running, from a short daily loop up to ultramarathon distance
Miles on road or trail, anywhere from a daily few to full ultramarathon training. Most people here treat it as their aerobic base, and it needs nothing beyond shoes and a door. How they describe it varies wildly: a meditative hour for some, a daily fight for others who say they hate every step and go anyway. Injury risk climbs with volume, so mileage tends to be built slowly and paired with strength and mobility work.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- David GogginsDoes it
Retired Navy SEAL · Can't Hurt Me
Still runs daily and says it sucks. Several knee surgeries mean the first 20 minutes of every run are a limp, by his own account, and he keeps going because the body has not yet said he cannot.
Source: Huberman Lab: David Goggins: How to Build Immense Inner Strength - Nick BareDoes it
Hybrid athlete · Bare Performance Nutrition founder
Swore off running when he left the military, then signed up for the 2018 Austin Marathon anyway. On his own training page he traces the line from a first attempt he struggled to bring in under four hours to a 2:48 best, 100-mile races including Leadville, and an Ironman finish.
Source: Nick Bare: Hybrid Athlete Training“When I transitioned out of the military, I vividly remember saying, "I will never run a day in my life again." If you know anything about me, you know that this did not last long.”
Nick Bare: Hybrid Athlete Training (opens in a new tab) - Pavel TsatsoulineRecommends
Strength coach · StrongFirst
Running in his version gets interrupted. Shadow box, then stop every so many phone poles for a pistol squat or a couple of one-arm push-ups, no rest and only a rep or two. He describes this roadwork as adding the high-force component missing from steady cardio, and says plainly that it does not replace dedicated strength training.
Source: StrongFirst: StrongFirst Roadwork
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under fitness, stress or energy.
- Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Swimming
Lap swimming as low-impact cardio and a reset for the head
Backed by 4 of 44 stacks: 4 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily walking
A long walk most days, often without headphones
Backed by 12 of 44 stacks: 8 do it, 4 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
Backed by 37 of 44 stacks: 32 do it, 3 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deliberate cold exposure
Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time
Backed by 23 of 44 stacks: 17 do it, 0 recommend it, 6 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
Backed by 12 of 44 stacks: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
Backed by 7 of 44 stacks: 7 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
Protocol entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.