Cold after training
From our Gary Brecka profile
Brecka promotes daily cold as broadly beneficial; Andrew Huberman advises leaving several hours between strength training and cold immersion because it may blunt muscle gains.
Compare experts › Andrew Huberman vs Gary Brecka
Andrew Huberman vs Gary Brecka
Andrew Huberman (neuroscientist) and Gary Brecka (wellness entrepreneur (not a doctor)) side by side: how they train, eat, supplement and sleep, how strong the evidence is, and how to build a plan from either or both.
Words explained (9)
- Zone 2
- Steady cardio at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences, but not sing.
- Intervals
- Short hard efforts with easy recovery in between, such as 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow.
- Loaded carry
- Walking while holding something heavy, like shopping bags or dumbbells.
- Mobility
- Moving your joints freely through their full range.
- Creatine
- A well-studied supplement that supports strength and muscle.
- Omega-3 (EPA, DHA)
- Healthy fats found mostly in oily fish such as salmon, herring and sardines.
- Time-restricted eating
- Eating all your meals within a set window of the day, for example 8am to 6pm.
- Mitochondria
- The parts of your cells that turn food and oxygen into energy.
- MTHFR, methylation
- A gene and the chemical process it helps with. The common variants are very frequent, and testing them is not recommended for most people.
At a glance
| Measure | Andrew Huberman | Gary Brecka |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Neuroscientist | Wellness entrepreneur (not a doctor) |
| Training split | 45% strength · 40% aerobic · 15% intervals · 0% mobility | 20% strength · 55% aerobic · 5% intervals · 20% mobility |
| Signature habit | Morning light | Sunlight, breathwork, cold |
| Protein | No fixed target | ~30 g soon after waking |
| Training style | Balanced | Morning rituals |
| Overall evidence | Mixed | Mostly weak |
| Following | Instagram 8.1M · YouTube 7.9M | Instagram 3M · YouTube 63K |
Training splits are our estimates from each expert’s published routine. Following checked October 2026.
The key differences
- Huberman puts more of the week into strength: about 45% against 20%.
- Brecka puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 55% against 40%.
- Huberman puts more of the week into intervals: about 15% against 5%.
- Brecka puts more of the week into mobility and stability: about 20% against 0%.
- In plans in their style, Huberman's hard sessions are short sprints; Brecka's are 1-minute intervals.
- We rate the evidence behind Huberman's protocol higher: mixed, against mostly weak for Brecka.
- Supplements that go into a plan: Huberman, omega-3; Brecka, omega-3 fish oil, creatine monohydrate. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
- Only Brecka has a mobility or movement routine of their own.
Where they disagree
Morning light
From our Gary Brecka profile
Here Brecka and Huberman broadly agree: get outside for daylight soon after waking.
Protocols side by side
Each line is rated for the evidence behind it. “Doctor only” items never go into a plan.
Training
Andrew Huberman
- Three resistance days a week (legs; chest, shoulders and back; arms and neck), about 50–60 minutes eachStrong evidence
- Build toward 180–200 minutes of Zone 2 cardio a week, including one long 60–75 min sessionStrong evidence
- One moderate cardio session of about 35 minutes at 75–80% effortSome evidence
- One interval session: 20–30 s hard, 10 s rest, 8–12 rounds, at about 95% effortSome evidence
- Alternate months of heavier (4–8 reps) and moderate (8–12 reps) liftingPersonal habit
- Avoid cold-water immersion within about 4 hours after training if building muscle is the goalSome evidence
Gary Brecka
- About 30 minutes of low-intensity movement in the morning (part of the '30-30-30' idea he promotes)Strong evidence
- Stay mobile and active every dayStrong evidence
- Exercise while breathing extra oxygen (EWOT)Personal habit
- Gives few specific strength-training targetsNote
Eating
Andrew Huberman
- Has described eating his first meal around 11 am–noon (2021)Personal habit
- Protein and fats at lunch. Carbohydrates mainly on training days and at dinnerPersonal habit
- Gives no protein target of his own. His guests suggest about 1.6 g per kg a dayNote
Gary Brecka
- About 30 g of protein within 30 minutes of wakingSome evidence
- Avoid processed foods; eat whole foodsStrong evidence
- Lower-carb or ketogenic plans for weight loss in some clients, guided by blood testsDoctor only
Supplements
Andrew Huberman
- Omega-3: 1–3 g of EPA a daySome evidence
- Sleep stack 30–60 min before bed: magnesium threonate 145 mg or bisglycinate 200 mg, apigenin 50 mg, theanine 100–400 mg. Add one at a timePersonal habit
- Has taken the greens powder AG1 since 2012. AG1 is a long-time podcast sponsorPersonal habit
- Alpha-GPC 300 mg before mental work or training (personal use)Personal habit
- Herbal hormone products such as tongkat ali (200–600 mg) or Fadogia agrestis (about 600 mg) only with blood tests before and after, and taken in cyclesDoctor only
- Not a fan of melatonin except occasionally for jet lagNote
Gary Brecka
- Vitamin D3, ideally guided by a blood testDoctor only
- Omega-3 fish oil in the morningSome evidence
- Methylfolate and methylated B vitamins based on a methylation gene testPersonal habit
- Hydrogen water tabletsPersonal habit
- Creatine (sold under his brand)Some evidence
- Peptides such as BPC-157 and TB-500 (he is a fan)Doctor only
Sleep & recovery
Andrew Huberman
- Outdoors within 30–60 min of waking: about 10 min of light if sunny, 20 if cloudy, 30–60 if very overcastSome evidence
- No caffeine in the last 8–10 hours before bedStrong evidence
- Delay the first caffeine 90–120 minutes after waking (his own practice)Personal habit
- Keep regular sleep and wake times, and a cool, dark bedroomStrong evidence
- Avoid bright overhead light from about 10 pm to 4 amSome evidence
- Keep naps under 90 minutes, or use a 10–20 minute rest practice (NSDR or yoga nidra) insteadPersonal habit
Gary Brecka
- Morning daylight to set the body clockStrong evidence
- Short daily cold water exposureSome evidence
- Red light therapy bed, about 20 minutesPersonal habit
- Hyperbaric oxygen and cryotherapy at homePersonal habit
Stress & mind
Andrew Huberman
- Cyclic sighing, a breathing practice with long exhales, for about 5 minutes a daySome evidence
- Deliberate cold: about 11 minutes a week in total, split into 2–4 sessions of 1–5 minutes, early in the daySome evidence
- Weekly heat and cold session: 3–5 rounds of about 20 min sauna and about 5 min cold bath (7–10 °C)Personal habit
- Morning walk outdoors, which he says helps calm the stress responsePersonal habit
Gary Brecka
- Wim Hof-style breathing: 3 rounds of 5–30 breaths, then a breath hold, always seatedSome evidence
- Same routine at the same time each dayPersonal habit
- Barefoot grounding outdoorsPersonal habit
Brain health
Andrew Huberman
- Focused work in 90-minute blocks with distractions removedPersonal habit
- Takes omega-3 EPA for brain health, mood and focusSome evidence
- Caffeine at 1–3 mg per kg about 30 minutes before a mental task, not after about 2 pmSome evidence
Gary Brecka
No specific guidance in what we reviewed.
Weak spots to know
Andrew Huberman
- Supplements: Jonathan Jarry of McGill University's Office for Science and Society (2023) argued that he promotes supplements most people do not need. He said herbal products such as tongkat ali, Fadogia agrestis and shilajit are poorly studied, and that the evidence for some claims, such as myo-inositol for sleep and anxiety, is weaker than presented.
- Sponsorships: the podcast is funded by sponsors that include supplement, testing and wellness companies. He became AG1's paid scientific advisor in 2022, and past sponsors named by critics include InsideTracker, Thorne and Momentous. Critics say this creates a financial incentive. Neuroscientist David Berson has praised the podcast but said some researchers disapprove of certain sponsorships and supplement promotion.
- Certainty and extrapolation: scientists including cancer biologist Joseph Zundell and immunologist Andrea Love (Slate, 2024) say he sometimes applies animal or small human studies to everyday advice and speaks outside his field. New York Magazine (2024) said he presents certainty where the science is unclear. For example, the widely quoted dopamine rise from cold comes from a small 2000 study of an hour in 14 °C water, far longer than the short dips he suggests.
Gary Brecka
- He is not a medical doctor or a research scientist; McGill University's Office for Science and Society (Jonathan Jarry, 2025) called his expertise questionable and said the health interventions he points customers to run from unproven to pseudoscientific.
- His MTHFR claims run against medical genetics guidance: the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics has advised against routine MTHFR variant testing since 2013 (updated 2020).
- Hydrogen water, grounding and red light are presented with more certainty than the research supports; the McGill review described hydrogen research as small and early, and grounding as pseudoscience.
Build a plan from Huberman, Brecka or both
Your free plan shows a week of gym sessions, cardio, a day of eating, supplements and mobility, fitted to your age, time and health.
Questions
What is the main difference between Andrew Huberman and Gary Brecka?
Their training split differs most in strength: Huberman about 45%, Brecka about 20% (our estimate from their published routines). Huberman's signature habit is Morning light; Brecka's is Sunlight, breathwork, cold.
How much protein do Huberman and Brecka recommend?
Huberman: No fixed target. Brecka: ~30 g soon after waking.
Whose advice has stronger evidence?
We rate the evidence behind Huberman's protocol higher: mixed, against mostly weak for Brecka.
Do Huberman and Brecka disagree?
Yes, on cold after training, morning light. See "Where they disagree" on this page.
Can I combine Huberman and Brecka?
Yes. In Build my mix you choose one expert per area, for example one for strength and another for eating. Your free plan shows the result straight away.
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Full sources are on each profile: Andrew Huberman · Gary Brecka. Reviewed October 2026.