Michael Easter is a New York Times bestselling author and the voice behind Substack's most popular health newsletter. His new book, “Walk With Weight,” explores why humans are uniquely built to carry weight for distance. We discuss rucking, how GPS affects cognition, optimization culture, and the "super medium" body. READ MORE👉🏼http://bit.ly/richroll969 ✌🏼🌱 – Rich This Episode Is Brought To You By… Airbnb: Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at👉🏼https://www.airbnb.com/host Momentous: High-caliber human performance products for sleep, focus, longevity, and more. For listeners of the show, Momentous is offering up to 35% off your first order👉🏼https://bit.ly/LiveMomentous2025 Caraway Home: Save up to $190 on cookware sets + an additional 10% off with code RICHROLL👉🏼https://bit.ly/Caraway2026 Birch: For 27% off ALL mattresses👉🏼https://bit.ly/birchliving Go Brewing: Use code Rich Roll for 15% OFF👉🏼https://bit.ly/gobrewing2025 Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors👉🏼https://www.richroll.com/sponsors 00:00:00 Start 00:04:38 The Evolution of Bipedalism and Carrying 00:06:10 Rucking vs. Running: Revisiting 'Born to Run' 00:08:16 Hunting in the Arctic: Real-World Carrying 00:09:40 Researching Human Uniqueness in Carrying 00:10:49 Defining Rucking and Its Military Origins 00:12:25 Women, Mothers, and the Invention of Carrying Packs 00:14:00 Health Benefits of Rucking vs. Running 00:16:20 Calorie Burn: Rucking, Running, and Lifting 00:18:17 Cognitive and Brain Health Benefits of Navigating Outdoors 00:22:13 Orienteering and the Mental Challenge of Navigation 00:24:32 Nature, Resilience, and the Limits of Optimization 00:40:00 The 'Super Medium' Body Type and Functional Fitness 00:41:13 How to Achieve Super Medium Fitness 00:48:21 Fat Loss and Unique Benefits of Rucking 00:51:02 Infant Development and Carrying 00:52:43 Show-and-Tell: Gear for Rucking 00:58:38 Backpacks vs. Weight Vests: Posture and Safety 01:03:14 Rucking and Back Health: Safety Considerations 01:07:16 Accessibility: Anyone Can Start Rucking 01:08:44 Alternative Carrying Methods and Functional Strength 01:10:43 Beginner Tips: Weight, Posture, and Gear 01:12:53 Footwear Recommendations for Rucking 01:15:21 The Rise of Rucking’s Popularity 01:19:49 Social and Intergenerational Aspects of Rucking 01:29:17 Recovery, Sobriety, and Daily Non-Negotiables 01:34:08 Balancing Writing, Fitness, and Creativity 01:37:20 Substack Community and Value-Driven Content 01:40:33 Practical Guide: Walk With Weight Book LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/rrpitunes Spotify: http://bit.ly/rrpspotify Google: http://bit.ly/rrpgooglepods Meal Planner: http://meals.richroll.com Voicing Change Book: http://richroll.com/vc Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RichRollPodcastClips Newsletter: http://bit.ly/rollcallemail CONNECT WITH RICH ✩ Website - http://richroll.com​ ✩ Rich Roll Podcast - https://richroll.com/all-episodes/ ✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richroll/ ✩ Twitter - https://twitter.com/richroll ✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/richrollfans ✩ Strava - https://www.strava.com/athletes/14443?oq=rich ✩ Memoir: Finding Ultra - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/finding-ultra/ ✩ Meals - http://meals.richroll.com​ ✩ Cook - The Plantpower Way - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/the-plantpower-way-signed/ ✩ Italian! - The Plantpower Way: Italia - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/the-plantpower-way-italia-signed/ ✩ Support - https://www.patreon.com/richroll Thanks To The Team: Jason Camiolo, Dan Drake, Morgan McRae, Blake Curtis, Desmond Loh * * * * * NEW TO RICH? Hi I'm Rich Roll. I'm a vegan ultra-endurance athlete, author, podcaster, public speaker & wellness evangelist. But mainly I'm a dad of four. If you want to know more, visit my website or check out these two the NY Times articles: http://bit.ly/otillonyt http://bit.ly/vegansglam I LOVE MAIL! SEND IT HERE: 2630 Conejo Spectrum St. Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 #richroll #richrollpodcast