My Favorite Exercises

Volume 5: the best squat exercise

Thanks to all of you who joined the Two Percent New Year Challenge. Let me know your favorite challenge day in the comments. Become a Member to catch up.

Today’s exercise is great for any goal: running, rucking, general athleticism, building strength and muscle, and more.

My first real job was acting as Fitness Director for Men’s Health magazine. I spent about 7 years at that magazine, writing and editing stories on fitness, nutrition, sports performance, health, and more.

In that role, I talked to the world’s greatest athletes and its top health scientists and athletic trainers.

When these experts sent us an exercise or workout, I was the sucker who tested it to ensure it would work for our readers. I vetted hundreds and hundreds of exercises.

Hence, I discovered a lot of truly effective exercises—and I’ve kept all the best ones in a file ever since.

When I think about what makes a good exercise, I consider a few factors:

• It should deliver many benefits in a single movement, improving our health and fitness in less time.

• It should improve our fitness in a way that isn’t just safe, but also makes us safer in the future by making us more resistant to injury.

• It should help us move better—because the better we move, the better we feel and perform.

• It should offset some of the harms of living in the modern world, where we spend most of the day behind screens and steering wheels.

• It should translate to the real world and make us better at the activities we love, whether outdoor sports, pickleball, or chasing down kids.

That’s why I started the My Favorite Exercises series, where we feature just one exercise I love and always go back to.

Why just one exercise in each post? One is actionable.

For example, when I get a list of 10 really great exercises, I’m more likely to pick and choose. I’ll do some and not others—and I’ll miss out on a lot of benefits.

By focusing on one each month, we’ll all slowly try new exercises and find those that work exceedingly well for us. And that’ll make us fitter and healthier so we can do big things.

Today, we have my favorite squat exercise. It’s mildly brutal, but damn does it work.

It’s unique in that it’s the one exercise that’s always in my workouts no matter my goal: endurance, backcountry adventures, putting on muscle, prepping for the zombie apocalypse, etc.

Check out our partners

• 🚨 New partner alert: David Protein Bars have the highest amount of protein per calorie. That makes them a great option for anyone who wants more protein without the excess sugar and fat of most bars. Check them out at DavidProtein.com.

• Momentous made me feel good about supplements again. They’re trusted by pro sports teams, the U.S. military—and Two Percent. My go-to products from Momentous: Plant Protein Powder, Multivitamin, and Creatine.

In the rest of this letter, you’ll learn:

• Why this forgotten lift is actually safer for your spine than the traditional back squat.

• The secret that forces your core to work harder than a max-effort deadlift.

• Videos of my specific approach to sets, reps, and frequency to build durability.

• How to naturally correct your squat form without a coach or expensive equipment.

• The simple, free hack to bypass the only downside of this exercise.