Foundational Fitness Protocol (Weekly Template)
A 7-day foundational fitness template Huberman has personally used for ~30 years, covering endurance, strength/hypertrophy, recovery, and high-intensity work across the week, beginning Sunday.
Assembled by Cited from Andrew Huberman's recorded recommendations across multiple sources. It is not an ordered program and was not created or endorsed by them — it's our grouping of what they've said on the record.
Components
12-
In a protocol
Get a long endurance zone 2 session (jog, hike, row, cycle, swim) of 60–75 minutes once per week as the foundation of weekly cardiovascular training.
“60 to 75 minutes of jogging... so-called zone two cardio
HL▶ 20:00Dosage60–75 min once/week (Sunday); aim for 180–200 min/week total zone 2 across week; pace where you can still talk but not push harderCaveatsBeginners should start shorter and flatterCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementSunday: long zone 2 endurance, 60–75 min jog/hike/row/cycle/swim -
In a protocol Alternative
Wear a 10–50 lb weight vest (or weighted backpack) during walks or hikes to increase the work of endurance sessions when time or pace is limited.
“throw on the weight vest and I'll head out for a walk
HL▶ 23:00Dosage10–50 lbs; weighted backpack as substituteCertaintypersonal onlypersonal useSunday alternative/augmentation: weighted vest hike instead of/in addition to jog -
In a protocol
Train legs (quads, hamstrings, calves) hard once per week early in the week to set systemic hormonal/metabolic effects for the week.
“make leg day your first day of strength and hypertrophy training
HL▶ 33:00Dosage~10 min warmup + 50–60 min work; 2 exercises per muscle group (one peak-contraction, one stretched); month of 4–8 reps heavy / month of 8–15 reps moderateCaveatsChoose exercises you can perform safely; Huberman avoids back squats and deadlifts personallyCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementMonday: leg resistance training (quads, hamstrings, calves) -
In a protocol
Do a weekly heat-cold contrast session with hot sauna for ~20 minutes alternating with cold exposure for several rounds to drive recovery, growth hormone, and cardiovascular benefits.
“three to five rounds of heat for about 20 minutes
HL▶ 47:50Dosage~20 min sauna × 3–5 rounds, alternated with ~5 min cold; once per weekCaveatsBuild heat tolerance first; risk of overheatingCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementTuesday: sauna portion of heat-cold contrast recovery day -
In a protocol
Cold plunge (~45–50°F) for ~5 minutes per round, alternated with sauna, to amplify cardiovascular and recovery benefits; do NOT do immediately after strength/hypertrophy/endurance training.
“ice bath... about 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit
HL▶ 48:20Dosage~5 min per round at 45–50°F; cold enough you want to get out but safeCaveatsAvoid within ~4–8 hours after resistance or endurance workout because it can blunt hypertrophy/strength/endurance adaptations; not while in shock-inducingly cold waterCertaintyexplicitrecommendationTuesday: cold plunge portion of heat-cold contrast; deliberately scheduled away from resistance/endurance to avoid blunting adaptations -
In a protocol
Train chest, back, and shoulders together in a push-pull workout once weekly with 2 exercises per muscle group: one peak-contraction, one stretched.
“Wednesday, you train torso
HL▶ 56:00Dosage50–60 min after warmup; 2 exercises per muscle group; same heavy/moderate monthly periodizationCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementWednesday: torso (chest/back/shoulders) push-pull training + neck -
In a protocol
Train the neck with light to moderate weights (e.g., plate wrapped in towel, moving head front/back/side) multiple times per week for safety, posture, and injury resistance.
“definitely want to make sure that you use some light weights
HL▶ 1:02:00DosageLight to moderate weighted plate movements front/back/sides; multiple times per weekCaveatsAvoid neck bridges — disc damage risk that occurs suddenlyCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementWednesday (and Saturday): neck training included with torso/arm days -
In a protocol
Once weekly, do a ~35-minute run (or row/bike) at ~75–80% of all-out effort, breathing hard but not sprinting, to tap multiple endurance systems.
“30 to 35 minutes at about 75 or 80% of that all out
HL▶ 1:06:00Dosage5–10 min warmup + 30–35 min at ~75–80% max effortCertaintyexplicitrecommendationThursday: ~35 min moderate-intensity cardio at 75–80% effort -
In a protocol
Do weekly HIIT (e.g., assault/airdyne bike, rower, or sprint/jog intervals): 20–30 sec near-max effort, 10 sec rest, 8–12 rounds to elevate heart rate near max once a week.
“20 to 30 second all out sprint... 10 seconds rest
HL▶ 1:15:00Dosage8–12 rounds of 20–30 sec near-max + 10 sec restCaveatsAvoid true 100% sprints if form can't be maintained — risk of sciatica/pelvic floor painCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementFriday: HIIT — get heart rate to max once weekly; also indirect leg stimulus -
In a protocol
Once weekly, train arms (biceps/triceps), calves, and neck, including dips and chin-ups to indirectly stimulate torso muscles.
“train arms, calves, and neck
HL▶ 1:19:20Dosage~50–60 min; 2–3 exercises per muscle group; include dips and chin-upsCertaintyexplicitrecommendationSaturday: arms, calves, neck (with dips/chin-ups for indirect torso stimulus) -
In a protocol
Alternate roughly monthly between heavier low-rep (4–8) higher-volume training and moderate-rep (8–15) lower-volume training across all resistance workouts.
“one month heavier, the next month slightly lighter
HL▶ 43:00DosageMonth 1: 3–4 sets, 4–8 reps, 2–4 min rest; Month 2: 2–3 sets, 8–15 reps, 60–150 sec restCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementMonthly periodization applied across all resistance days -
In a protocol
After every training session, do 3–5 minutes of deliberately slowed breathing to downshift the nervous system and accelerate recovery.
“three to five minutes of deliberately slow breathing
HL▶ 1:55:00Dosage3–5 minutes of slowed breathing post-workoutCertaintyexplicitstrong endorsementEnd every training session with 3–5 min of deliberately slowed breathing
How this protocol has evolved
Workouts may slide ±1 day to accommodate travel, illness, or schedule; if sleep-deprived, skip and slide forward (or use NSDR and still train).