Compare experts › Kelly & Juliet Starrett vs Brad Stanfield

Kelly & Juliet Starrett vs Brad Stanfield

Kelly & Juliet Starrett (physical therapist; attorney & ceo) 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.

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.
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.
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

MeasureKelly & Juliet StarrettBrad Stanfield
BackgroundPhysical therapist; attorney & CEOGeneral practitioner (GP)
Training split10% strength · 30% aerobic · 0% intervals · 60% mobility40% strength · 30% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility
Signature habit10 tests, 10 practices4 × 4 intervals twice a week
Protein1.5–2.2 g per kg~1.2 g/kg ideal weight
Training styleMobilityGuideline-first
Overall evidenceSolidStrong
FollowingYouTube 390KYouTube 364K

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

The key differences

  • Stanfield puts more of the week into strength: about 40% against 10%.
  • Stanfield puts more of the week into intervals: about 25% against 0%.
  • The Starretts put more of the week into mobility and stability: about 60% against 5%.
  • In plans in their style, the Starretts' hard sessions are 1-minute intervals; Stanfield's are 4-minute intervals (Norwegian 4 × 4).
  • We rate the evidence behind Stanfield's protocol higher: strong, against solid for the Starretts.
  • Supplements that go into a plan: the Starretts, none (food first); Stanfield, creatine monohydrate, omega-3, psyllium husk. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
  • Only the Starretts have a mobility or movement routine of their own.

Protocols side by side

Each line is rated for the evidence behind it. “Doctor only” items never go into a plan.

Training

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Walk 8,000–10,000 steps a day, up to 12,000 if you canStrong evidence
  • Sit on the floor for at least 30 minutes a day, changing positions (cross-legged, 90/90, long sitting)Personal habit
  • Practise getting down to and up from the floor; test with the sit-and-rise testSome evidence
  • Daily deep-squat time: hold your deepest squat for five breaths as a test, plus sit-stands from a chairSome evidence
  • Daily balance practice; test standing on one leg with eyes closed (SOLEC) and putting on shoes while standingSome evidence
  • Optional rucking: start with about 2 kg for a mile, three times a week, and build up over about a monthPersonal habit

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

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • About 800 g of fruit and vegetables a day (roughly six cups)Strong evidence
  • Protein about 1.5–2.2 g per kg of body weight; some later talks cite 1.8 g per kgSome evidence
  • Choose affordable protein sources that fit your budget; perfection is not requiredNote

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

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

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

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Aim for at least 7, ideally about 8, hours of actual sleep; track hours asleep for three nightsStrong evidence
  • Keep the same bed and wake times, including weekendsSome evidence
  • Be careful with caffeine and alcohol; keep phones and screens out of the bedroomSome evidence
  • Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and allow more time in bed than you think you needSome 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

Stress & mind

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Breath-hold test as a rough benchmark for tolerance of carbon dioxidePersonal habit
  • Breathe through the nose during the day and in workoutsPersonal habit
  • Optional mouth-taping at night, building up gradually from about 10 minutesPersonal habit
  • Spend about 180 minutes a week outdoorsSome evidence

Brad Stanfield

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Weak spots to know

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Several central tests rest on observational data: the sit-and-rise and one-leg balance studies show that people who do poorly die sooner, not that practising the test makes you live longer. Both studies were also in Brazilian cohorts and could not rule out other explanations.
  • Some tests have no validated scoring for the general public; the Starretts themselves describe the breath-hold test as a rough benchmark rather than a lab-grade measure, and practices such as mouth-taping have little evidence behind them.
  • Built to Move deliberately leaves out cardio and strength training; for adults over 50 those remain important for heart health and muscle, so the plan works best as a base layer rather than a complete programme. Kelly's earlier Supple Leopard was criticised by one reviewer for a trial-and-error approach rather than a systematic method.

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 the Starretts, 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.

Plan in the Starretts' stylePlan in Stanfield's styleMix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Kelly & Juliet Starrett and Brad Stanfield?

Their training split differs most in mobility and stability: the Starretts about 60%, Stanfield about 5% (our estimate from their published routines). The Starretts' signature habit is 10 tests, 10 practices; Stanfield's is 4 × 4 intervals twice a week.

How much protein do the Starretts and Stanfield recommend?

The Starretts: 1.5–2.2 g per kg. Stanfield: ~1.2 g/kg ideal weight.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

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

Do the Starretts and Stanfield disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: stanfield puts more of the week into strength: about 40% against 10%.

Can I combine the Starretts 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: Kelly & Juliet Starrett · Brad Stanfield. Reviewed October 2026.