Compare experts › Andrew Huberman vs Stacy Sims

Andrew Huberman vs Stacy Sims

Andrew Huberman (neuroscientist) and Stacy Sims (exercise physiologist) 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.

Build a plan from bothSee the protocols
Words explained (8)
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.
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.
Perimenopause
The years of changing hormones before periods stop for good.
Hormone therapy (HRT, MHT)
Medicine that replaces hormones that fall at menopause. Only a doctor can prescribe it.

At a glance

MeasureAndrew HubermanStacy Sims
BackgroundNeuroscientistExercise physiologist
Training split45% strength · 40% aerobic · 15% intervals · 0% mobility60% strength · 10% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility
Signature habitMorning lightHeavy lifts + sprints
ProteinNo fixed target~2.2 g/kg
Training styleBalancedWomen 40+
Overall evidenceMixedStrong
FollowingInstagram 8.1M · YouTube 7.9MInstagram 1.4M · YouTube 372K

Training splits are our estimates from each expert’s published routine. Following checked October 2026.

The key differences

  • Sims puts more of the week into strength: about 60% against 45%.
  • Huberman puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 40% against 10%.
  • Sims puts more of the week into intervals: about 25% against 15%.
  • In plans in their style, both use short sprints for hard sessions.
  • We rate the evidence behind Sims' protocol higher: strong, against mixed for Huberman.
  • Supplements that go into a plan: Huberman, omega-3; Sims, creatine monohydrate. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
  • Neither has a separate mobility routine; plans add 10 minutes a day of basics.

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

Stacy Sims

  • Strength training 3–4 times a week, 45–60 minutes, built on compound liftsStrong evidence
  • From perimenopause, lift heavy: about 3–5 sets of 6 reps or fewer, leaving 2–3 reps in reserve, with 2+ minutes restSome evidence
  • Sprint intervals of 30 seconds or less, all-out, with full recovery; 1–2 sessions a weekSome evidence
  • Jump and impact work (e.g. squat jumps, box jumps) for bone; one studied protocol is 10–20 jumps twice a daySome evidence
  • Keep easy cardio (walking, easy rides) as recovery; she plays down long moderate-intensity sessions and zone 2 for midlife body-composition goalsPersonal habit
  • 'Ten-minute rule': if you still feel flat after a 10-minute warm-up, scale the session downPersonal habit

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

Stacy Sims

  • Do not train fasted: about 15 g protein before lifting, plus about 30 g carbohydrate before cardio of up to an hourSome evidence
  • After training: 40–60 g protein (perimenopause on) within about 45 minutes, and carbohydrate within 2 hoursSome evidence
  • Daily protein around 2.2 g/kg body weight, the top of the 1.4–2.2 g/kg range in her ISSN position standSome evidence
  • Protein at meals 30–40 g, snacks 15–20 gSome evidence
  • Avoid long fasts, keto and big calorie cuts if active; a small deficit (about 150–200 kcal) in the evening, away from training, if aiming to lose fatPersonal habit

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

Stacy Sims

  • Creatine monohydrate 3–5 g a day (start with 1–2 g if unsure), paired with strength trainingStrong evidence
  • Choose third-party tested products (NSF or Informed Sport)Note
  • Vitamin D3, omega-3, collagen and turmeric mentioned as options; no doses givenPersonal habit
  • Iron only if a blood test shows low ferritinDoctor 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

Stacy Sims

  • Traditional (Finnish-style) sauna at about 60–80 °C after training; she prefers heat to cold for womenSome evidence
  • If using cold water, choose cool (about 16 °C) rather than ice-coldPersonal habit
  • Treat easy days as true recovery between hard sessionsPersonal habit
  • Sees hormone therapy as a valid option for hot flushes and bone risk, but not required for every womanDoctor only

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

Stacy Sims

  • Keep hard intervals short; she says longer efforts and very long sessions raise cortisol, already a concern in menopauseSome evidence
  • In perimenopause, have caffeine with food before training if it makes you shaky or light-headedPersonal habit
  • Listen to your own body and track responses rather than following a fixed planPersonal 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

Stacy Sims

  • Creatine for brain fog and mood; she cites a trial where 5 g a day added to an antidepressant helped women with depressionSome evidence
  • Favours truly hard intervals over moderate or zone 2 cardio for midlife cognitive and metabolic benefitsSome evidence

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.

Stacy Sims

  • Some researchers say her sex-specific advice goes beyond the evidence. A 2023 umbrella review co-authored by Stuart Phillips found no clear effect of menstrual-cycle phase on strength or training gains, and Sims publicly debated Lauren Colenso-Semple in 2025 on fasted training and protein timing, framed as mechanisms versus outcomes.
  • Her case against fasted training leans heavily on short-term hormone and appetite responses; critics note that longer studies measuring actual fat loss and muscle gain show little difference when daily calories are adequate.
  • Many of her menopause-specific prescriptions (exact sprint lengths, playing down zone 2, tight post-exercise protein windows) come from extrapolation and her own coaching experience rather than trials in midlife women.

Build a plan from Huberman, Sims 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.

Plan in Huberman's stylePlan in Sims' styleMix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Andrew Huberman and Stacy Sims?

Their training split differs most in aerobic base (zone 2): Huberman about 40%, Sims about 10% (our estimate from their published routines). Huberman's signature habit is Morning light; Sims' is Heavy lifts + sprints.

How much protein do Huberman and Sims recommend?

Huberman: No fixed target. Sims: ~2.2 g/kg.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

We rate the evidence behind Sims' protocol higher: strong, against mixed for Huberman.

Do Huberman and Sims disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: sims puts more of the week into strength: about 60% against 45%.

Can I combine Huberman and Sims?

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 · Stacy Sims. Reviewed October 2026.