Compare experts › Stacy Sims vs Gary Brecka

Stacy Sims vs Gary Brecka

Stacy Sims (exercise physiologist) and Gary Brecka (wellness entrepreneur (not a doctor)) 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.
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.
Time-restricted eating
Eating all your meals within a set window of the day, for example 8am to 6pm.
Mitochondria
The parts of your cells that turn food and oxygen into energy.
Perimenopause
The years of changing hormones before periods stop for good.
Hormone therapy (HRT, MHT)
Medicine that replaces hormones that fall at menopause. Only a doctor can prescribe it.
MTHFR, methylation
A gene and the chemical process it helps with. The common variants are very frequent, and testing them is not recommended for most people.

At a glance

MeasureStacy SimsGary Brecka
BackgroundExercise physiologistWellness entrepreneur (not a doctor)
Training split60% strength · 10% aerobic · 25% intervals · 5% mobility20% strength · 55% aerobic · 5% intervals · 20% mobility
Signature habitHeavy lifts + sprintsSunlight, breathwork, cold
Protein~2.2 g/kg~30 g soon after waking
Training styleWomen 40+Morning rituals
Overall evidenceStrongMostly weak
FollowingInstagram 1.4M · YouTube 372KInstagram 3M · YouTube 63K

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

The key differences

  • Sims puts more of the week into strength: about 60% against 20%.
  • Brecka puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 55% against 10%.
  • Sims puts more of the week into intervals: about 25% against 5%.
  • Brecka puts more of the week into mobility and stability: about 20% against 5%.
  • In plans in their style, Sims' hard sessions are short sprints; Brecka's are 1-minute intervals.
  • We rate the evidence behind Sims' protocol higher: strong, against mostly weak for Brecka.
  • Supplements that go into a plan: Sims, creatine monohydrate; Brecka, omega-3 fish oil, creatine monohydrate. Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
  • Only Brecka has 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

Stacy Sims

  • Strength training 3–4 times a week, 45–60 minutes, built on compound liftsStrong evidence
  • From perimenopause, lift heavy: about 3–5 sets of 6 reps or fewer, leaving 2–3 reps in reserve, with 2+ minutes restSome evidence
  • Sprint intervals of 30 seconds or less, all-out, with full recovery; 1–2 sessions a weekSome evidence
  • Jump and impact work (e.g. squat jumps, box jumps) for bone; one studied protocol is 10–20 jumps twice a daySome evidence
  • Keep easy cardio (walking, easy rides) as recovery; she plays down long moderate-intensity sessions and zone 2 for midlife body-composition goalsPersonal habit
  • 'Ten-minute rule': if you still feel flat after a 10-minute warm-up, scale the session downPersonal habit

Gary Brecka

  • About 30 minutes of low-intensity movement in the morning (part of the '30-30-30' idea he promotes)Strong evidence
  • Stay mobile and active every dayStrong evidence
  • Exercise while breathing extra oxygen (EWOT)Personal habit
  • Gives few specific strength-training targetsNote

Eating

Stacy Sims

  • Do not train fasted: about 15 g protein before lifting, plus about 30 g carbohydrate before cardio of up to an hourSome evidence
  • After training: 40–60 g protein (perimenopause on) within about 45 minutes, and carbohydrate within 2 hoursSome evidence
  • Daily protein around 2.2 g/kg body weight, the top of the 1.4–2.2 g/kg range in her ISSN position standSome evidence
  • Protein at meals 30–40 g, snacks 15–20 gSome evidence
  • Avoid long fasts, keto and big calorie cuts if active; a small deficit (about 150–200 kcal) in the evening, away from training, if aiming to lose fatPersonal habit

Gary Brecka

  • About 30 g of protein within 30 minutes of wakingSome evidence
  • Avoid processed foods; eat whole foodsStrong evidence
  • Lower-carb or ketogenic plans for weight loss in some clients, guided by blood testsDoctor only

Supplements

Stacy Sims

  • Creatine monohydrate 3–5 g a day (start with 1–2 g if unsure), paired with strength trainingStrong evidence
  • Choose third-party tested products (NSF or Informed Sport)Note
  • Vitamin D3, omega-3, collagen and turmeric mentioned as options; no doses givenPersonal habit
  • Iron only if a blood test shows low ferritinDoctor only

Gary Brecka

  • Vitamin D3, ideally guided by a blood testDoctor only
  • Omega-3 fish oil in the morningSome evidence
  • Methylfolate and methylated B vitamins based on a methylation gene testPersonal habit
  • Hydrogen water tabletsPersonal habit
  • Creatine (sold under his brand)Some evidence
  • Peptides such as BPC-157 and TB-500 (he is a fan)Doctor only

Sleep & recovery

Stacy Sims

  • Traditional (Finnish-style) sauna at about 60–80 °C after training; she prefers heat to cold for womenSome evidence
  • If using cold water, choose cool (about 16 °C) rather than ice-coldPersonal habit
  • Treat easy days as true recovery between hard sessionsPersonal habit
  • Sees hormone therapy as a valid option for hot flushes and bone risk, but not required for every womanDoctor only

Gary Brecka

  • Morning daylight to set the body clockStrong evidence
  • Short daily cold water exposureSome evidence
  • Red light therapy bed, about 20 minutesPersonal habit
  • Hyperbaric oxygen and cryotherapy at homePersonal habit

Stress & mind

Stacy Sims

  • Keep hard intervals short; she says longer efforts and very long sessions raise cortisol, already a concern in menopauseSome evidence
  • In perimenopause, have caffeine with food before training if it makes you shaky or light-headedPersonal habit
  • Listen to your own body and track responses rather than following a fixed planPersonal habit

Gary Brecka

  • Wim Hof-style breathing: 3 rounds of 5–30 breaths, then a breath hold, always seatedSome evidence
  • Same routine at the same time each dayPersonal habit
  • Barefoot grounding outdoorsPersonal habit

Brain health

Stacy Sims

  • Creatine for brain fog and mood; she cites a trial where 5 g a day added to an antidepressant helped women with depressionSome evidence
  • Favours truly hard intervals over moderate or zone 2 cardio for midlife cognitive and metabolic benefitsSome evidence

Gary Brecka

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Weak spots to know

Stacy Sims

  • Some researchers say her sex-specific advice goes beyond the evidence. A 2023 umbrella review co-authored by Stuart Phillips found no clear effect of menstrual-cycle phase on strength or training gains, and Sims publicly debated Lauren Colenso-Semple in 2025 on fasted training and protein timing, framed as mechanisms versus outcomes.
  • Her case against fasted training leans heavily on short-term hormone and appetite responses; critics note that longer studies measuring actual fat loss and muscle gain show little difference when daily calories are adequate.
  • Many of her menopause-specific prescriptions (exact sprint lengths, playing down zone 2, tight post-exercise protein windows) come from extrapolation and her own coaching experience rather than trials in midlife women.

Gary Brecka

  • He is not a medical doctor or a research scientist; McGill University's Office for Science and Society (Jonathan Jarry, 2025) called his expertise questionable and said the health interventions he points customers to run from unproven to pseudoscientific.
  • His MTHFR claims run against medical genetics guidance: the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics has advised against routine MTHFR variant testing since 2013 (updated 2020).
  • Hydrogen water, grounding and red light are presented with more certainty than the research supports; the McGill review described hydrogen research as small and early, and grounding as pseudoscience.

Build a plan from Sims, Brecka 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 Sims' stylePlan in Brecka's styleMix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Stacy Sims and Gary Brecka?

Their training split differs most in aerobic base (zone 2): Sims about 10%, Brecka about 55% (our estimate from their published routines). Sims' signature habit is Heavy lifts + sprints; Brecka's is Sunlight, breathwork, cold.

How much protein do Sims and Brecka recommend?

Sims: ~2.2 g/kg. Brecka: ~30 g soon after waking.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

We rate the evidence behind Sims' protocol higher: strong, against mostly weak for Brecka.

Do Sims and Brecka disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: sims puts more of the week into strength: about 60% against 20%.

Can I combine Sims and Brecka?

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: Stacy Sims · Gary Brecka. Reviewed October 2026.