Zone 2
From our Brad Stanfield profile
Stanfield says the evidence favours harder cardio for fitness and adds Zone 2 only if time allows; Attia and Galpin give easy Zone 2 work a central role.
Compare experts › Andy Galpin vs Brad Stanfield
Andy Galpin vs Brad Stanfield
Andy Galpin (exercise physiologist) and Brad Stanfield (general practitioner (gp)) 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 (12)
- Zone 2
- Steady cardio at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences, but not sing.
- VO2 max
- The most oxygen your body can use in hard exercise. A good measure of fitness; higher is better.
- Intervals
- Short hard efforts with easy recovery in between, such as 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow.
- 4 × 4
- Four rounds of 4 minutes hard with 3 minutes easy in between. Also called Norwegian intervals.
- Hypertrophy
- Muscle growth.
- 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.
- Fibre
- The part of plant foods you don't digest. It feeds healthy gut bacteria and keeps you full.
- ApoB
- A blood test that counts the particles carrying cholesterol. Linked to heart disease risk.
- Rapamycin, metformin
- Prescription drugs that some experts take hoping to slow ageing. Not proven for that, and never part of your plan.
- NAD
- A molecule cells use for energy. Supplements are sold to raise it, but evidence in people is limited.
At a glance
| Measure | Andy Galpin | Brad Stanfield |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Exercise physiologist | General practitioner (GP) |
| Training split | 50% strength · 30% aerobic · 15% intervals · 5% mobility | 40% strength · 30% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility |
| Signature habit | “3–5 rule” lifting | 4 × 4 intervals twice a week |
| Protein | Daily total matters most | ~1.2 g/kg ideal weight |
| Training style | All-rounder | Guideline-first |
| Overall evidence | Strong | Strong |
| Following | Instagram 377K · YouTube 201K | YouTube 364K |
Training splits are our estimates from each expert’s published routine. Following checked October 2026.
The key differences
- Galpin puts more of the week into strength: about 50% against 40%.
- Stanfield puts more of the week into intervals: about 25% against 15%.
- In plans in their style, both use 4-minute intervals (Norwegian 4 × 4) for hard sessions.
- We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as strong.
- Supplements that go into a plan: Galpin, creatine monohydrate, caffeine before training; Stanfield, creatine monohydrate, omega-3, psyllium husk. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
- Neither has a separate mobility routine; plans add 10 minutes a day of basics.
Where they disagree
Protocols side by side
Each line is rated for the evidence behind it. “Doctor only” items never go into a plan.
Training
Andy Galpin
- Strength: the 3–5 rule – 3–5 exercises, 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps, 3–5 minutes' rest, 3–5 days a week, every rep done with full intentStrong evidence
- Muscle growth: at least 10 hard sets per muscle group a week, each within 1–2 reps of failure; 15–20 sets for more experienced liftersStrong evidence
- Add load gradually for strength, roughly 3–5% a week, and keep the same main exercises for about 6–12 weeks before changing themSome evidence
- Moderate, conversational-pace cardio of about 150–200 minutes a week for general healthStrong evidence
- Warm up for about 5–7 minutes, up to 10 if you are stiff or olderPersonal habit
- Run a simple fitness test battery about once a year (for example grip strength, jumps, push-ups and an estimate of VO2 max) and retest weak areas more oftenSome evidence
Brad Stanfield
- Cardio: 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. His template: two interval sessions and three brisk 30-minute walks.Strong evidence
- Intervals: 4 rounds of 4 minutes hard and 3 minutes easy, after a 10-minute warm-up, twice a week and never on consecutive days.Strong evidence
- Strength at least twice a week (4–5 if you can): 2–3 sets of 10–15 reps per exercise, stopping 1–2 reps short of failure, about 2 minutes' rest, with pushing, pulling and compound lifts.Strong evidence
- Add power training as you age: heavier weights moved quickly.Some evidence
- Zone 2 only if you have time beyond your vigorous minutes; he argues the evidence favours harder cardio for fitness.Note
Eating
Andy Galpin
- Total daily protein matters more than exact timing around workoutsSome evidence
- Daily fluid baseline of about 30 ml per kg of body weightPersonal habit
- During training: drink about 2 ml per kg of body weight every 15–20 minutes; afterwards replace about 125% of the weight lostSome evidence
- For long or very hard sessions, start at about 60 g of carbohydrate per hourStrong evidence
Brad Stanfield
- Protein about 1.2 g per kg of ideal body weight a day (check with your doctor if you have kidney disease).Some evidence
- Favour plant protein over red meat and dairy.Some evidence
- Salt (sodium) under 1,500 mg a day, water as the main drink, few sugary drinks including juice.Strong evidence
- Two to three cups of coffee at most, early in the day.Personal habit
Supplements
Andy Galpin
- Creatine monohydrate 3–5 g a day; larger people may need moreStrong evidence
- Creatine takes about 3–4 weeks to saturate muscle at normal doses; a loading phase is optionalNote
- Caffeine about 1–3 mg per kg roughly 30 minutes before exercise; performance tends to drop above about 5 mg per kgStrong evidence
Brad Stanfield
- Creatine monohydrate 5 g a day.Strong evidence
- Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) up to about 1 g a day; higher doses are linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation.Some evidence
- Psyllium husk fibre, building up to about 5 g a day.Some evidence
- A low-dose multivitamin and mineral.Some evidence
- Trimethylglycine (TMG), hyaluronic acid, GlyNAC from 45, and a low-dose melatonin formula: on his personal list, with early evidence.Personal habit
Sleep & recovery
Andy Galpin
- After training, lie down for 3–10 minutes with eyes covered and breathe slowly through the nose (for example box breathing) to switch into recovery modeSome evidence
- Cold-water immersion can ease soreness but may blunt muscle growth, so keep it away from strength sessions if muscle is the goalSome evidence
- Hot baths for next-morning stiffnessPersonal habit
- Pair one physical recovery tool (compression, light movement, a swim) with one breathing practice rather than chasing every gadgetPersonal habit
- Watch three markers – performance, physiology (resting heart rate, HRV) and how you feel; five or more days of decline is a sign to back offSome evidence
Brad Stanfield
- 7–9 hours, a regular schedule and about 30 minutes of morning daylight.Some evidence
- Bedroom at about 18–20 °C and dark; no hard exercise in the 2 hours before bed; alcohol stops 4–6 hours before bed, ideally altogether.Personal habit
Weak spots to know
Andy Galpin
- Much of his detailed advice (hydration formulas, carbohydrate per hour, caffeine dosing) is built for athletes and hard training; it needs scaling down for most adults over 50.
- Several recovery tools he discusses, such as compression, cold and heat, have modest or mixed evidence, and he himself notes cold immersion may reduce muscle gains.
- His fitness-test benchmarks are practical rules of thumb rather than age-adjusted clinical norms.
Brad Stanfield
- He sells supplements through his own company, MicroVitamin, alongside his supplement reviews. His site says he discloses this.
- Several items on his personal list (TMG, hyaluronic acid, GlyNAC, a melatonin formula) rest on small or early studies.
- His cholesterol targets are stricter than general guidelines for people without heart disease, and his own page gives slightly different ApoB figures in different places.
Build a plan from Galpin, Stanfield 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 Andy Galpin and Brad Stanfield?
Their training split differs most in strength: Galpin about 50%, Stanfield about 40% (our estimate from their published routines). Galpin's signature habit is “3–5 rule” lifting; Stanfield's is 4 × 4 intervals twice a week.
How much protein do Galpin and Stanfield recommend?
Galpin: Daily total matters most. Stanfield: ~1.2 g/kg ideal weight.
Whose advice has stronger evidence?
We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as strong.
Do Galpin and Stanfield disagree?
Yes, on zone 2. See "Where they disagree" on this page.
Can I combine Galpin and Stanfield?
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: Andy Galpin · Brad Stanfield. Reviewed October 2026.