Bryan Johnson vs Mike Israetel

Bryan Johnson

• About 150 minutes a week of moderate cardio (Zone 2, a pace where you can still talk)Strong evidence
• About 75 minutes a week of vigorous work such as high-intensity intervalsStrong evidence
• Strength training 3 times a weekStrong evidence
• Balance, flexibility and mobility work included in the daily sessionSome evidence
• 2–3 minutes of light movement every 30 minutes of sitting, plus two 10-minute walks a daySome evidence
• He says even 20 minutes of exercise a day is worthwhile for people starting outNote

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

Bryan Johnson

• About 2,250 kcal a day, which he describes as roughly 10% below his energy needsSome evidence
• About 130 g protein a day, much of it from plant foods, protein powders and collagenPersonal habit
• Lots of vegetables, legumes (black lentils, chickpeas), berries, nuts and extra-virgin olive oil (about 1 tbsp per meal)Strong evidence
• All food eaten between about 5:30 am and noonPersonal habit
• Stops drinking fluids at about 4 pm to avoid waking at nightPersonal habit
• Follows no named diet; he says he avoids labels such as vegan or ketoNote

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

Bryan Johnson

• Creatine, 7.5 g a day in totalSome evidence
• Omega-3 (EPA/DHA), 800 mg a daySome evidence
• Fibre-type prebiotics (inulin, galacto-oligosaccharides, arabinogalactan) in his morning drinkPersonal habit
• Ashwagandha and rhodiolaPersonal habit
• Blueprint's own multi-ingredient capsules and antioxidant softgelsPersonal habit
• Collagen powder; he suggests 20–30 g a day for skin and hairPersonal habit

Mike Israetel

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Bryan Johnson

• Fixed early schedule: in bed about 8:30 pm, up about 4:30 amStrong evidence
• Screens off and a 60-minute wind-down before bedSome evidence
• No caffeine for 8–10 hours before sleepSome evidence
• Bright light soon after waking and dim red or amber light in the eveningSome evidence
• Dry sauna at about 79 °C for 20 minutes dailySome evidence
• Tracks sleep with a wearable and aims for a very low resting heart rate before sleepPersonal habit

Mike Israetel

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Bryan Johnson

• Uses a fixed routine so daily health choices do not depend on willpowerPersonal habit
• Breathwork or reading as part of the evening wind-downSome evidence

Mike Israetel

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.