Chasing Excellence The Difference Between Those Who Rarely Miss a Workout & Everyone Else (w/ Jordan Metzl, MD)
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Mar 12, 2026 Jordan Metzl, sports medicine physician and author of Push, shares decades of work turning exercise into preventive medicine. He explores how lowering the cost to act transforms motivation. Short takes cover biases that block movement, the knowledge→belief→emotion pathway, gamification, temptation bundling, curiosity as fuel, and why daily choices shape most of our health.
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From Basement Class To 50,000 Person Community
- Jordan started a free fitness class near his office that grew into a 50,000-person community and over 20,000 annual participants.
- He taught poorly at first but focused on access and fun, making all classes free to prescribe movement as medicine.
Lower Your Cost To Act
- Motivation isn't binary; it's shaped by lowering your cost to act so desired behaviors become the easiest path.
- Jordan cites Wharton's behavioral work and built his program by removing barriers so people 'get in the door.'
Use Environmental Precommitments
- Do pre-commit with environmental fixes to force action rather than relying on willpower.
- Jordan's patient left workout clothes and shoes in a gym day locker with a padlock so he'd lose them if he didn't return after work.
