Kelly & Juliet Starrett (physical therapist; attorney & ceo) 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.
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 10%.
The Starretts put more of the week into mobility and stability: about 60% against 5%.
In plans in their style, both use 1-minute intervals for hard sessions.
We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as solid.
Supplements that go into a plan: the Starretts, none (food first); Israetel, none (food first). 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
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
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
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
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
Mike Israetel
No specific guidance in what we reviewed.
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
Mike Israetel
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.
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 the Starretts, 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.
What is the main difference between Kelly & Juliet Starrett and Mike Israetel?
Their training split differs most in strength: the Starretts about 10%, Israetel about 65% (our estimate from their published routines). The Starretts' signature habit is 10 tests, 10 practices; Israetel's is 2 × 30 min, close to failure.
How much protein do the Starretts and Israetel recommend?
The Starretts: 1.5–2.2 g per kg. Israetel: No fixed target.
Whose advice has stronger evidence?
We rate the overall evidence behind both protocols as solid.
Do the Starretts 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 10%.
Can I combine the Starretts 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.