Follow the Foundational Fitness Protocol, available as a free PDF at hubermanlab.com, to maximize cardiovascular and neuromuscular health with a minimal time commitment, based on current research.
Structure your weekly fitness with three resistance training sessions, three cardiovascular training sessions, and one complete rest day to achieve comprehensive health benefits.
Incorporate periodization into resistance training by cycling through blocks of different repetition ranges: 4-month blocks of 3-5 reps, followed by 3-4 month blocks of 5-8 reps, then 4-month blocks of 8-15 reps.
Implement a sample weekly workout plan: Day 1: Legs (quads, hams, calves, tibialis); Day 2: Rest (optional heat/cold); Day 3: Moderate cardio (20-30 min, faster than Zone 2) or Torso resistance (pushing/pulling); Day 4: Torso or Moderate cardio; Day 5: VO2 Max HIIT (8-15 min); Day 6: Small body parts (biceps, triceps, calves, neck, abs, 45-60 min); Day 7: Long outdoor movement (ruck, hike, with or without weight/socialization).
Build flexibility into your fitness schedule by allowing individual workouts to slide back or forward by one day, and occasionally double up workouts on a single day to ensure weekly targets are met.
Aim to complete 85-95% of your scheduled workouts on average to maintain physical health and commitment to your fitness regimen.
Generally prioritize sleep and overall health over getting workouts in, only occasionally prioritizing a workout if it means compromising sleep.
Make daily workout decisions on a case-by-case basis, considering factors like prior day’s activity, stress levels, sleep, illness exposure, and recent training intensity.
During times like family vacations, prioritize social life and time with family over strictly adhering to your workout schedule, as social connections are super important.
Consistently working out at the same time each day will cause your autonomic nervous system to anticipate it, leading to a peak in energy that you can leverage for your training.
Allow yourself to skip a training day occasionally if you’re run down, it’s late, or you want to avoid caffeine before bed, as it won’t derail your entire fitness program.
If you perform resistance training workouts two days in a row, ensure you take a complete day off on the third day for adequate recovery.
Aim for a complete rest day after an intense leg workout to aid recovery, though this can be flexible based on individual recovery.
If you miss cardiovascular workouts, combine them on a single day, such as doing a 20-30 minute jog followed by VO2 max work, to catch up by week’s end.
Perform VO2 max high-intensity interval training by exerting very hard for 20 seconds, resting 10 seconds, and repeating for about eight cycles, using equipment like an Airdyne bike or rower.
Make your long Sunday cardio flexible by adjusting intensity (e.g., adding weight for slower companions, no weight for faster ones) to allow for socialization and outdoor movement with friends or family.
Incorporating tibialis work (front of the shin) into your leg training sessions is a beneficial practice.
Leave your phone outside the gym during workouts to significantly increase your efficiency and speed through training sessions.
It is acceptable to move workouts from morning to afternoon, as it will not diminish performance and may even be more beneficial for physical output.
If working out in the afternoon, be mindful not to consume too much caffeine beforehand to avoid disrupting your nighttime sleep.
If you experience an afternoon energy crash, experiment with delaying your morning caffeine intake by about 90 minutes after waking, as many find it beneficial.
Occasionally mix up your resistance training by doing a lighter workout if you’ve been training heavy, or a heavy workout if you’ve been training lighter, to avoid rigidity.
Understand that physical fitness, unless you’re a professional athlete, primarily serves to enable you to engage in other aspects of life with greater vigor and energy.