Optimize Physical Health: Fitness Toolkit & Protocols | Huberman Lab 

Dr. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D. is a Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine. His lab focuses on neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance.

In this special “toolkit” episode of the Huberman Lab podcast, Andrew Huberman breaks down a fitness protocol that maximizes a well-rounded physical fitness program including strength, endurance, and flexibility. Learn the ins and outs of resistance training protocols, including repetitions, sets, rest periods periodization, and much more.

Host: Andrew Huberman (@hubermanlab)

The basic concepts of fitness are few, but the methods are vast

The 9 main concepts of training: skill, speed, power (function of speed and strength), strength, hypertrophy (growing muscle mass), muscular endurance, anaerobic power (ability to produce and sustain work in short bursts), VO2 max (max heart rate), long-endurance (30+ minutes with no break)

There are a handful of things you have to do in order to make all of the main concepts work, but you will not see changes in any domain without progressive overload Progressive overload : adaptation happens as a byproduct of stress – you have to push the system

If you do the same exercises over time, you will plateau – progressive overload could be in the form of adding weights, adding repetitions, increasing frequency, varying complexity of movement

Focus on one aspect of fitness per day Sunday: Endurance – at least 30 minutes or more cardio, ideally 60-75 minutes of zone 2 cardio such as jogging or hiking Tip: use a weight vest for an additional boost in the level of work on shorter bouts

Monday: Legs – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves Why legs on Mondays? Legs are the largest muscle group in the body so training with fresher legs to start the week set off metabolic processes that elevate metabolism & amplify hormonal events Get the hardest workout out of the way and move on

Tuesday: Heat/cold cycling – ideally, hot sauna (20 minutes) + ice bath (5 minutes) x 5 rounds Check out the notes for a reminder about the rationale, benefits, and best practices in heat or cold Sauna once per week increases growth hormone not observed if you do sauna more frequently Ice baths should not be performed immediately after a resistance training session because it will blunt the benefits of the workout

Wednesday: Torso – Push/Pull Working push/pull enhances strength, the integrity of joints enhances hormonal effects Sample exercises: shoulder press, chin-ups Important tip: don’t forget to train your neck! This can help reduce shoulder risk of injury and discomfort and reduce forward jut, but it’s critical to do so safely – check out ATHLEAN-X Neck Training

Thursday: Brief Cardio at 75-80% Effort – 35 minutes of running/rowing/cycling/stairs/jump rope, tapping deeper than zone 2 but not all-out effort

Friday: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – goal is to get heart rate way up and tap into strength & hypertrophy training for legs without touching weights Sample exercise: intervals on bike 20-30 second all-out sprint + 10 seconds rest x 8-12 rounds For most, max heart rate = 220-age Word of caution: only go all out on movements you can do with perfect form

Saturday: Arms, Calves, Neck – Indirect training for torso Sample exercise: triceps dip, chin up, dumbbell curls, incline curls, triceps kickback

Tweak the routine and shift to personalize but keep the broad goals – the specific days of each workout aren’t critical but the exact spacing is Huberman does – a hack squat, leg extensions, seated calf raises, leg curls, glute hamstring raise, etc.

Huberman does not – squat, or deadlift (surprisingly)

Resistance workout template: 10 minutes warmup, 50-60 minutes hard work where the final reps in each set are hard – there can be diminishing returns if exercising beyond 60 minutes Some people need more days of rest between workouts depending on their body’s ability to recover

Train each muscle group twice per week, once directly and once indirectly through a cardio workout or HIIT Exercise selection is important – the most important is that you can perform the exercise safely

For each muscle group, find an exercise that gets you into a weighted stretch position (for example, standing calf raise) + another exercise you get the contraction in the shortened position of the muscle (for example, seated calf raise)

Sample structure 1: if training lower reps and heavier weights, you actually want more volume (counter to what many have been told) For example, 5 sets of 5 at heavier weight; if training higher repetitions, do fewer sets

Huberman’s hypertrophy protocol: 3-4 weeks in 5-8 reps at heavyweight x 3-4 sets per exercise with 2-4 minutes rest; then next month, switch to 8-15 reps at lighter weight x 2-3 sets per exercise with 90-second rest Endurance/zone 2 will feel different depending on which phase you’re in

Mind-muscle connection: certain muscles will grow bigger and get stronger depending on your ability to contract that muscle in the absence of load If you know the bicep is supposed to be doing the work on a curl, the bicep needs to do the work – squeeze it

The level of resting tone (AKA muscularity) in the muscle will improve if you can learn to engage the muscle and connect neurologically When working towards hypertrophy or muscle growth, you need to seek ways to make it uncomfortable

Some places are easier to contract through range forcefully than others – for example, most of us can contract our bicep, but fewer can contract their calf

Hold static stretches 30-60 seconds 3x per week per muscle group Best practices: short, repeated sessions every day, relaxing into the stretch To relax, use long exhales; to generate force, contract core

Poor sleep: consider skipping your workout if you’ve had a poor or terrible night of sleep – it could set you up for getting ill; focus on recovery and slide the workout one day Double up workouts another day if needed to get on track

Training fasted vs fed: controversial topic! Huberman trains fasted but eats soon after Better to train fed than to not train at all

Illness/cold: if it’s light sniffle, workout but be gentle as needed – there are immune-boosting benefits of exercise; if you have a full fever/cold, skip training

L-Tyrosine : 500mg, 30-60 minutes before key workouts. Creatine : 5g daily Alpha-GPC : 300mg, 30-60 minutes Whey Protein : 40g, 30-60 minutes after workout Huberman Lab Hormone and Support Bundle

Articles Mentioned A potent physiological method to magnify and sustain soleus oxidative metabolism improves glucose and lipid regulation ( iScience ) Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy with Concurrent Exercise Training: Contrary Evidence for an Interference Effect ( Sports Medicine )

Books Relax into Stretch: Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension by Pavel Tsatsouline

Additional Tools Dr. Andy Galpin: How to Build Strength, Muscle Size & Endurance Jeff Cavaliere: Optimize Your Exercise Program with Science-Based Tools Dr. Peter Attia: Exercise, Nutrition, Hormones for Vitality & Longevity ATHLEAN-X ATHLEAN-X Neck Training Anna Skips 10-minute Non-Sleep Deep Rest Protocol