Compare experts › Brad Stanfield vs Mike Israetel

Brad Stanfield vs Mike Israetel

Brad Stanfield (general practitioner (gp)) and Mike Israetel (sport physiologist (phd)) 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 (11)
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.
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

MeasureBrad StanfieldMike Israetel
BackgroundGeneral practitioner (GP)Sport physiologist (PhD)
Training split40% strength · 30% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility65% strength · 25% aerobic · 5% intervals · 5% mobility
Signature habit4 × 4 intervals twice a week2 × 30 min, close to failure
Protein~1.2 g/kg ideal weightNo fixed target
Training styleGuideline-firstMuscle-building
Overall evidenceStrongSolid
FollowingYouTube 364KYouTube 3.9M

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

The key differences

  • Israetel puts more of the week into strength: about 65% against 40%.
  • Stanfield puts more of the week into intervals: about 25% against 5%.
  • In plans in their style, Stanfield's hard sessions are 4-minute intervals (Norwegian 4 × 4); Israetel's are 1-minute intervals.
  • We rate the evidence behind Stanfield's protocol higher: strong, against solid for Israetel.
  • Supplements that go into a plan: Stanfield, creatine monohydrate, omega-3, psyllium husk; Israetel, none (food first). 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

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

Mike Israetel

  • For the average person, about 30 minutes of training twice a week gives the best return on time.Some evidence
  • After 40: most sets in the 10–20 rep range, some at 20–30, and 5–10 reps only rarely, because heavy low-rep sets raise the risk of injury.Some evidence
  • Train each muscle twice a week, starting with 1–2 hard sets per muscle per session, and add a set the next week if you recovered well.Some evidence
  • Lower the weight slowly and pause for 1–2 seconds at the bottom.Some evidence
  • Warm up more: three warm-up sets (light, medium, heavier) before the first working set, and 1–2 before each later exercise.Personal habit
  • Add weight in small steps: rarely more than about 2.5 kg or one rep per set at a time.Personal habit
  • Choose joint-friendly exercises with a high stimulus, for example a hack squat instead of a heavy back squat.Some evidence
  • Take a planned easy week every 4–6 weeks, and a lower-volume month about every 5 months.Personal habit

Eating

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

Mike Israetel

  • If you want to gain muscle, only gain weight when you are lean: about 0.25 kg a week for 4–8 weeks, then a fat-loss phase.Personal habit
  • Stay under about 20% body fat while gaining, come back to about 15% afterwards, and get blood tests after gaining phases.Personal habit

Supplements

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

Mike Israetel

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Sleep & recovery

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

Mike Israetel

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Weak spots to know

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.

Mike Israetel

  • Most of his content is aimed at bodybuilders and younger lifters; advice for people over 40 is a smaller part of it.
  • Many specific numbers, such as when to take easy weeks or how fast to add sets, are coaching rules of thumb rather than findings from trials.
  • He sells training programmes and diet products through RP, the company he co-founded.

Build a plan from Stanfield, Israetel 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 Stanfield's stylePlan in Israetel's styleMix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Brad Stanfield and Mike Israetel?

Their training split differs most in strength: Stanfield about 40%, Israetel about 65% (our estimate from their published routines). Stanfield's signature habit is 4 × 4 intervals twice a week; Israetel's is 2 × 30 min, close to failure.

How much protein do Stanfield and Israetel recommend?

Stanfield: ~1.2 g/kg ideal weight. Israetel: No fixed target.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

We rate the evidence behind Stanfield's protocol higher: strong, against solid for Israetel.

Do Stanfield and Israetel disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: israetel puts more of the week into strength: about 65% against 40%.

Can I combine Stanfield and Israetel?

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: Brad Stanfield · Mike Israetel. Reviewed October 2026.