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Foundational Fitness
Protocol

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In Episode #94, I outline what I call a “foundational fitness protocol” that focuses
on one key aspect of physical fitness critical for health and longevity and
aesthetic balance each day of the week. It is designed to be modified to meet
your individual needs, while still adhering to what the best science tells us we
should all do for immediate and long-term health.

I acknowledge there is a range of best practices regarding exercise and optimal

training (e.g., listen to Dr. Andy Galpin describe the nine physical adaptations
from exercise). I designed this protocol to address all major fitness goals,
including strength, hypertrophy, endurance, and cardiovascular training. Below, I
describe the protocol, include specific exercise suggestions (modifiable
examples), and explain ways to modify this core schedule, should you choose. I
also provide tips for integrating a consistent fitness regimen into your week, but
with flexibility.

Resistance Training
Two key principles for resistance training will help you get the most out of the
foundational protocol: 

Use alternative training schedules (“periodization”) to optimize your strength

and muscle hypertrophy. Alternate between Schedule A and B monthly:
Schedule A: ~4-8 repetitions (heavier weights) and 3-4 sets per exercise
with 2-4 minutes rest between sets 
Schedule B: ~8-15 repetitions (moderate-lighter weights) and 2-3 sets per
exercise with ~90 seconds rest between sets
Choose two exercises per muscle group. Exercise #1 should focus on bringing
the muscle into a shortened or maximally contracted position at the end of
the range of motion(e.g., leg curl, seated calf raise, bicep preacher curl, leg

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extension, chest cable crossover). Exercise #2 should focus on resistance
occurring for the muscle group when it is in a lengthened position (e.g.,
standing calf raises, incline dumbbell curls, deep squats, glute-hamstring
raises or straight legged deadlifts, incline press, etc.).

*Keep weight workouts to 50-60 minutes of hard work after a warmup, 75

minutes maximum. This assists effectiveness and recovery. The 75 minutes does
include rest between sets and does require not getting stuck waiting for
equipment too long, avoiding texting between sets, etc. Warm up, then get it
done.

Foundational Fitness Protocol

I have created the following routine to encompass training for all major physical
fitness goals over the course of a week. This protocol was also designed to
target muscle groups twice per week: one day directly and one other day
indirectly.

I start with Day 1 on Sunday and end with Day 7 on Saturday; however, modify the
start day to make sense for your schedule.

View Fitness Protocol PDF

Protocol Modifications & Notes

While I have included exercise suggestions in the PDF, choose the exercise that
you can perform correctly, through a full range of motion and with the proper
form. The best exercise you can do for a body part is one that you can perform
safely. Also, adjust according to your strengths and weaknesses. I confess I
never train my chest, but I do get enough chest training from dips. That’s me. You
should train for your needs as they relate to aesthetic and safety needs.

Adjust the above exercise suggestions based on your fitness level or personal
goals, while keeping the range of physical goals throughout the week. While the
specific days you perform each workout are unimportant, spacing between the
days helps to ensure proper recovery. Also, if you miss a day, you can double up
on some workouts later in the week. I sometimes swap day 4 and 5 if I need to.

If you decide to adjust workout days, note that many studies have found that
cold submersion (i.e., ice baths) will blunt some strength/hypertrophy
improvements from that day’s training session. Therefore, refrain from ice
baths immediately after resistance training. (It is likely that cold showers do not
have this same effect.) If you do ice baths on weight training days, wait 6-8 hours,
or do them before training.

Breathing
During resistance training, lower your heart rate between sets
using physiological sighs: take two full inhales through the nose followed by one
full exhale through the mouth – trying to release all the air in your lungs.

After a training session, use 3-5 minutes of deliberate slow breathing to

“downshift” the nervous system, relax the mind and body and aid muscle
recovery.

Flexibility 
Holding static stretches is the best way to improve your overall flexibility. Hold
each major muscle group in a static stretch for 30-60 seconds and repeat
between 3x/week and daily. I do this at night before sleep or while waiting for
dinner to cook or (confession!) while on work calls. While holding the stretch, long
exhales will further relax muscles and deepen the stretch.

Training Fast vs. Fed

This is up to your personal preference. I like to train fasted and before noon but
after drinking caffeine, water and electrolytes, because I don’t feel sluggish
during workouts, but if you just ate a meal and time is limited, it’s more important
to get in the workout than not to train. Some people prefer to train after eating.
It’s very individual. I don’t weight train at night because it keeps me awake. Cardio
does not seem to have the same effect on me.

Training Obstacles
While consistent training is the goal, there are likely real-world obstacles you will
face:

Illness/Cold: Sometimes, with mild cold symptoms, a short, lighter training

(decreasing duration and/or intensity of the workout by 50% or more) will help
you feel better. However, skipping training and allowing yourself time to
recover, if you are truly sick, is better. Once recovered, slowly ramp back up to
your training program over 3-7 days.
Poor Sleep/Stressful Events: Consider skipping your workout if you are under
chronic stress unless you think it can help you reset. Focus on getting a good
night’s sleep or relaxing, and double up on workouts later in the week.
Also, try 10-30 minutes of Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) to feel more
refreshed. Afterward, you might feel up for the scheduled workout.
For additional tools for stress, see this episode.

Hopefully, this foundational fitness protocol will provide you with a framework
for physical goals that you can modify based on your schedule, fitness level and
personal goals.

Supplements 
While supplements are not necessary, many people—including myself—derive
tremendous benefits from them. Here are some to keep in mind, given their
effects on physical performance and muscle recovery. 

Alpha-GPC: 300mg, 30-60 minutes before key workouts. Alpha-GPC

promotes the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory,
attention and skeletal muscle contraction. It has been shown to increase
power output in athletes.
L-Tyrosine: 500mg, 30-60 minutes before key workouts. L-Tyrosine is an
amino acid that can increase the production of dopamine and related
neurotransmitters that positively impact energy, motivation and mood. Thus,
L-Tyrosine is a powerful tool for enhancing exercise performance.
Creatine: 5g daily. Creatine is a molecule that stores high-energy phosphate
groups that ultimately lead to the regeneration of ATP, the primary energy
carrier in the body. In thousands of studies, creatine has been shown to
effectively increase exercise performance.
Whey Protein: 40g, 30-60 minutes after workout. Whey protein is a well-
absorbed source of protein that is useful for post-workout fueling. Research
shows that consuming whey protein benefits muscle gain and fat loss,
particularly post workout.

Stay Connected
New episodes of the Huberman Lab podcast are out each Monday
on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all major podcast
platforms. New, short, actionable clips from the Huberman Lab podcast are
available on our YouTube Clips Channel. I post additional science and science-
based tools on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok.

Thank you for your interest in science!

Best wishes,
Andrew

Disclaimer: The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes

only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other
professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no
doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or
materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this
podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice,
diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical
advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance
of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

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Published November 2, 2022

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