Dr. Andy Galpin holds a PhD in Human Bioenergetics and serves as Executive Director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
He has spent over two decades studying muscle physiology, published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, and personally coached Olympic gold medalists, UFC champions, and All-Star athletes across the NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA.
His training approach is not built from opinion. It is built from direct laboratory research, field-tested with the highest-performing athletes on the planet, and refined through his Perform podcast and his landmark guest series on the Huberman Lab.
This article covers his full personal workout plan, his weekly training structure, the science behind his signature protocols, his supplement stack, and every principle that makes the system work.
Top 5 Andy Galpin Workout Products
- Transparent Labs Bulk Pre-Workout. A clinically dosed pre-workout formula built to fuel high-intensity strength and power sessions without the crash that follows cheap stimulant blends.
- Transparent Labs Creatine HMB. Creatine monohydrate plus HMB in a single formula, matching the creatine-first supplementation protocol Galpin recommends above all others.
- Momentous Whey Protein. NSF Certified for Sport whey protein built to hit Galpin's recommended post-workout protein targets for muscle protein synthesis and recovery.
- Momentous Omega-3. High-dose fish oil to manage systemic inflammation across heavy strength and endurance training blocks, a consistent Galpin priority.
- Momentous Recovery. A purpose-built recovery formula for athletes training at high weekly volumes who need accelerated readiness between sessions.
Training Philosophy
"The goal is not to be good at exercise. The goal is to be good at life.
Exercise is the tool."
Galpin frames fitness around nine distinct physiological adaptations: strength, power, speed, hypertrophy, muscular endurance, anaerobic capacity, aerobic efficiency, flexibility, and skill. Most people only train two or three of these and wonder why their performance plateaus.
His core philosophy is that volume drives hypertrophy and intensity drives strength and power. These are not the same stimulus and they cannot be chased simultaneously at full capacity.
He structures training into defined blocks of six to twelve weeks, each with a specific adaptation target. Jumping between goals without completing a block is one of the most common mistakes he sees, both in recreational athletes and in elite performers who should know better.
Galpin is direct about consistency being more powerful than any individual protocol. Showing up with adequate quality beats sporadic heroic efforts every time the data is run, and his own training reflects this principle.
"Intentionality in exercise matters. You're better off cutting your workout short and hitting a focused 30 minutes than going through the motions for 60."
Weekly Training Plan
| Day | Session | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Strength Training (3-5 Protocol) | 45-60 min |
| Tuesday | Zone 2 Cardio (Aerobic Base) | 45-60 min |
| Wednesday | Power and Speed Training | 30-45 min |
| Thursday | Strength Training (3-5 Protocol) | 45-60 min |
| Friday | High-Intensity Interval Training (VO2 Max) | 20-30 min |
| Saturday | Long Endurance or Muscular Endurance Work | 60-90 min |
| Sunday | Active Recovery / Mobility | 20-30 min |
Galpin programs strength two to three times per week, endurance one to two times at low intensity, and one high-intensity interval session per week to push VO2 max. Speed and power work lands once per week, ideally after a full rest day or light session, when the nervous system is fully recovered.
Strength Training
Galpin's strength sessions are built around the 3-5 Protocol: three to five exercises per session, three to five reps per set, three to five sets per exercise, and three to five minutes of rest between sets. Sessions run 45 to 60 minutes and prioritize compound movements performed at high load.
For strength goals, load sits at 85 percent or more of one-rep max. The long rest periods between sets are non-negotiable because strength is a neurological adaptation that requires full recovery of the phosphocreatine system before each working set.
Core strength movements in his protocol include:
- Barbell squat or trap bar deadlift. Primary lower body strength driver
- Bench press or weighted push-up variation. Horizontal push pattern
- Barbell or dumbbell row. Horizontal pull and upper back strength
- Overhead press. Shoulder and tricep strength, pressing mechanics
- Pull-up or lat pulldown. Vertical pull, lat and bicep development
He programs six-week strength blocks, increasing load progressively, then inserts a deload week before beginning the next block at a slightly higher baseline.
Endurance Training
Galpin recommends two types of endurance work: long slow distance at low intensity (Zone 2) and one weekly VO2 max session at maximum effort. These are not interchangeable and they produce entirely different physiological adaptations.
Zone 2 training builds mitochondrial density, fat oxidation efficiency, and aerobic base capacity. He recommends 45 to 60 minutes at 60 to 70 percent of max heart rate, two to three times per week, using any modality the athlete will actually sustain: running, cycling, rowing, or incline walking.
The VO2 max session is brief and brutal. Four to eight intervals of three to eight minutes at 85 to 95 percent of maximum effort, with equal or slightly longer rest between efforts.
Galpin notes that reaching true max heart rate once per week challenges every physiological system simultaneously and produces adaptation across multiple fitness categories at once.
Power and Speed Training
Power is trained at 40 to 70 percent of one-rep max, with the emphasis placed entirely on bar speed rather than load. The goal is rate of force development, not maximum force production.
Galpin treats this as a separate adaptation from strength and programs it on its own day.
Exercises he uses for power development include:
- Jump squats. Lower body explosive power and ground contact mechanics
- Medicine ball throws. Rotational and vertical power output
- Trap bar deadlift jumps. Hip extension power under load
- Broad jumps and box jumps. Horizontal and vertical force expression
- Kettlebell swings. Ballistic hip hinge pattern at speed
Speed work is performed for low rep counts, two to five reps per set, with complete rest between sets. Accumulating fatigue during power sessions defeats the purpose because speed degrades immediately when the nervous system is taxed.
The Galpin Equation
The Galpin Equation is a simple formula for in-workout hydration: take your body weight in pounds, divide by 30, and drink that many ounces of fluid every 15 minutes of exercise. For metric users, the equivalent is 2 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per 15-minute interval.
Galpin created this formula in response to a consistent finding in his research: even mild dehydration of two percent of body weight produces measurable drops in strength output, power, and cognitive function. Most athletes hydrate reactively, drinking when thirsty, which already represents a deficit large enough to impair performance.
Beyond hydration, Galpin has developed clear intensity prescriptions for each adaptation type. Strength work sits above 85 percent of one-rep max.
Hypertrophy lives between 65 and 85 percent. Power training uses 40 to 70 percent with maximal speed intent.
Muscular endurance drops below 65 percent at higher rep ranges. Each range targets a different cellular mechanism, and conflating them produces diluted results across all categories.
Pre-Workout Protocol
Galpin takes collagen peptides 30 to 60 minutes before training sessions, specifically to support connective tissue health by ensuring the relevant amino acids circulate in the bloodstream during the training stimulus. This pre-workout collagen window is one of the most actionable findings from his own research.
He prioritizes hydration before training begins, applying the Galpin Equation backward to estimate how much fluid to consume in the 60 minutes before a session. He avoids beginning any training session in a deficit.
For caffeine, Galpin acknowledges it as one of the most evidence-supported ergogenic aids in sports science. He recommends using it strategically rather than habitually, reserving higher doses for priority sessions where peak output matters most.
Post-Workout Recovery
Galpin identifies light movement as the most effective and accessible recovery tool available. Active recovery on rest days, short walks, or easy cycling flushes metabolic byproducts and maintains blood flow without adding additional training stress.
He recommends protein intake within the post-workout window, targeting 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per meal across four meals per day. Total daily protein is the primary variable, but timing matters for athletes training multiple sessions per week or in close proximity.
Thermal therapies are a consistent part of his recovery recommendations. Warm water immersion improves circulation and reduces muscle soreness, while cold exposure in the form of cold showers or ice baths accelerates recovery from high-intensity sessions.
He notes the timing matters: cold exposure immediately post-training may blunt hypertrophy adaptations, so he recommends separating it by several hours from strength work.
Sleep is the non-negotiable foundation. Galpin consistently states that no supplement, protocol, or technique compensates for inadequate sleep, and that seven to nine hours per night is the single highest-leverage recovery intervention available to any athlete.
Andy Galpin's Workout Supplements
| Supplement | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Workout | Energy, focus, and performance output for strength and power sessions | Transparent Labs Bulk |
| Creatine HMB | Strength, power output, and muscle retention across training blocks | Transparent Labs Creatine HMB |
| Whey Protein | Post-workout muscle protein synthesis and daily protein target support | Momentous Whey |
| BCAA + Glutamine | Intra-workout muscle preservation and post-workout recovery support | Transparent Labs BCAA |
| Omega-3 | Systemic inflammation management across high-volume training weeks | Momentous Omega-3 |
| Recovery | Accelerated post-workout recovery for athletes training five or more days per week | Momentous Recovery |
Galpin places creatine at the top of every supplement discussion he has. He calls it the most studied performance supplement in existence and supports a dose of three to five grams per day for most athletes, adjusted up for larger athletes or those in heavy training blocks.
Omega-3 fatty acids are his second-tier priority, with two grams of EPA and DHA per day supporting both inflammation management and cognitive function. He takes these with a fat-containing meal to maximize absorption.
Protein powder fills the gap when whole food intake falls short of daily targets. He uses whey post-training for its rapid digestion rate and complete amino acid profile, and recommends NSF-certified products for athletes in tested sports.
The System
Galpin's training system works because it separates adaptations rather than chasing them all at once. Each training block has a clear primary goal, a defined duration, and a logical structure that reflects how the body actually responds to different stimuli at the cellular level.
The 3-5 Protocol removes the guesswork from strength sessions. Three to five exercises, three to five reps, three to five sets, three to five minutes of rest.
This structure is flexible enough to accommodate any schedule and rigid enough to prevent the random volume accumulation that leads most programs to stall.
The endurance framework separates Zone 2 base work from the weekly VO2 max push. These are trained differently, on different days, using different heart rate zones, because the cellular machinery they develop is distinct.
Combining them into single "cardio" sessions produces neither adaptation fully.
The Galpin Equation handles hydration systematically, removing a performance variable that most athletes manage poorly. Proper hydration during training is not a minor detail.
Galpin's research consistently shows it is one of the highest-impact controllable variables available during a session.
Recovery is built into the structure, not bolted on as an afterthought. Active rest days, sleep as a non-negotiable minimum, protein timing around training, and strategic use of thermal recovery tools combine into a system that sustains high training frequency without accumulating the fatigue debt that derails most programs.
"Food first. Sleep always.
Train smart. Then, and only then, add supplements to fill the gaps."
Explore Similar Routines
- Andy Galpin's Supplement List. Every supplement Galpin recommends in 2026, with dosages, timing, and the science behind each choice.
- Andrew Huberman's Daily Routine. The full daily structure of Galpin's frequent collaborator, from morning light exposure to evening wind-down.
- Longevity Workout Routine. A science-backed training framework built for performance and health across decades, not just seasons.
- Rhonda Patrick's Daily Routine. The research-driven daily routine of one of the most cited scientists in longevity and performance nutrition.