The Routine That Got Me Top 1% Health

Summary

Howon Noh describes a data-driven daily routine that he says helped him reach top-percentile health measurements, including an average HRV of 150 and a VO₂ max of 66. His central theme is to track results, address personal health “bottlenecks,” and build habits gradually rather than copy someone else’s routine wholesale.

Measurement and training

• Weigh himself each morning under consistent conditions. He adjusts his food intake based on weekly average weight changes, not a single reading.
• Review wearable data—including sleep, HRV, resting heart rate, and breathing rate—for trends, rather than reacting to one day’s numbers.
• Generally train even when recovery scores are low, adjusting the plan later. He says he skips training if he seems to be getting sick or during a deliberately planned hard-training block.
• Match training emphasis to the current goal:
  • Muscle-building block: Four strength sessions and two cardio sessions per week.
  • Cardio block: Four cardio sessions and two strength sessions per week.
• Add three to five short accelerations at the end of light cardio sessions.
• Use biomarkers, blood tests, body-composition scans, and nutrient data to identify weak areas and prioritize training. For example, he may emphasize endurance for certain lipid or body-fat concerns, or strength and muscle-building when other measures are low.
• Do dynamic stretches before exercise and save longer static stretching for later.

Morning routine and personal care

• Scrape or brush his tongue before drinking water.
• Drink about 900 ml of water with electrolytes. Pre-workout food varies by training day; examples include a banana, rice bread, and honey before long runs.
• After training, shower and follow a three-step morning skincare routine:
  1. Vitamin C serum
  2. Moisturizer
  3. Sunscreen
• Favor ingredient labels over brand names. He also shares personal preferences about fragrances, parabens, sulfates, and sunscreen ingredients.

Food and supplements

His five diet priorities are:

• Eat enough to support his target body-fat range.
• Get about 95% of food from whole-food sources.
• Address micronutrient needs through meals where possible.
• Include probiotic foods, such as kimchi, natto, and yogurt, as well as fiber-rich foods such as vegetable soup.
• Eat larger meals earlier in the day and reduce portions later.

He says eating more slowly can help with fullness. He sometimes eats while handling administrative tasks, though he also describes having relaxed meals with Toki.

He takes supplements after a meal containing fat. His current list includes vitamin D, methylfolate, B12, and EPA/DHA on days he does not eat salmon. He says his supplement plan is based on his own genetics and blood tests, and that most people may need far fewer supplements.

Salmon is a frequent meal choice in his current routine. He presents it as nutrient-dense and relevant to his personal goals.

Work and productivity

• Distinguish between being busy and doing work that meaningfully advances a goal.
• Alternate between standing or walking at a desk and sitting. He also uses a PEMF mat, which he describes as experimental.
• Use a bright light in winter or on days he does not get outdoors. Monitor indoor CO₂ and open a window when levels rise.
• Improve workstation posture by setting the monitor’s top near eye level, keeping elbows around 90 degrees, and sitting back against the chair.
• Work alongside another person when possible. He and his business partner use virtual or in-person co-working sessions.
• Take a short social break around midday before returning to a second block of focused work.
• For health or performance plateaus, identify and address the most important limiting factor instead of simply adding more effort. Introduce changes progressively.

Evening wind-down and sleep

He divides winding down into three parts:

1. Prepare the environment: Ventilate and cool the room, dim the lights, and use a softer lamp instead of overhead lighting.
2. Reduce next-day decisions: Write a to-do list, prepare water bottles, and handle small household tasks. He also meal-preps and cleans once a week.
3. De-stimulate: Avoid work-related thoughts, short-form media, and stimulating educational content. He suggests reading, talking with family, journaling, meditation, or light stretching—choosing one or two approaches rather than trying everything at once.

His nighttime oral-care routine includes flossing, tongue scraping, gentle brushing, and using a water flosser. He emphasizes not brushing too hard.

He uses tretinoin two or three nights a week and adjusts the rest of his skincare routine around it. He also says he sometimes takes 500 micrograms of melatonin when jet-lagged or awake in the middle of the night.

Overall: The routine’s central message is to measure consistently, use personal data to choose priorities, and make sustainable changes one step at a time. The health, supplement, skincare, and melatonin details are the presenter’s personal practices—not universal medical advice—and may warrant professional guidance.

Presenters and sources mentioned

• Presenter: Howon Noh
• People mentioned: Thomas (business partner); Toki (described in the subtitles as a colleague/director)
• Named references or tools: Brian Johnson; WHOOP; Harvard; Osaka University; a 1993 study on toothbrushing; Moon Gates app.