Andy Galpin’s Workout Routine

Long-Duration Endurance Training

Dr. Galpin recommends including long-duration endurance training once or twice a week as a fundamental component of his workout plan. This type of training is crucial for building a strong cardiovascular base and improving overall endurance.

• Activities: Hiking, running, surfing, cycling, swimming, or any continuous aerobic activity.
• Duration: 30 minutes or more, with some sessions extending to 60-90 minutes for advanced athletes.
• Intensity: Low to mid-level exertion (60-80% max heart rate), allowing for sustained effort over time
• Purpose: Improve cardiovascular fitness, enhance mitochondrial function, and increase fat oxidation.
• Frequency: 1-2 times per week, depending on individual goals and overall training volume.
• Progression: Gradually increase duration and/or intensity over time to continue challenging the body.

This type of training helps build a strong aerobic base, supports overall health and fitness, and enhances recovery from more intense workouts. Andy Galpin’s fitness protocol emphasizes the importance of maintaining a conversational pace during these sessions to ensure proper intensity and maximize the aerobic benefits.

High Heart Rate Training

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a key component of Andy Galpin’s workout plan, designed to boost cardiovascular fitness and metabolic health in a time-efficient manner.

• Frequency: Once or twice a week, spaced out from other high-intensity sessions.
• Format: Interval training on bike, rowing machine, or through bodyweight exercises.
• Structure: Alternating high-intensity periods (85-95% max effort) with low-intensity recovery periods.
• Duration: Typically 20-30 minutes total, including warm-up and cool-down.
• Benefits: Improves cardiovascular fitness, metabolic health, and VO2 max.
• Examples: 30 seconds all-out effort followed by 30 seconds rest, repeated for 10-15 rounds.
• Progression: Increase work-to-rest ratio, total rounds, or overall intensity as fitness improves.

These sessions help boost overall fitness, improve anaerobic capacity, and prepare the body for more intense workouts. He stresses the importance of proper form and technique during high-intensity intervals to maximize benefits and minimize injury risk.

Total Body Strength Training

Strength training forms the core of Andy Galpin’s full body workout, focusing on compound movements to build overall strength and muscle mass efficiently.

• Frequency: Two to three times per week, with at least one day of rest between sessions.
• Exercises: Compound movements (squats, deadlifts, lunges, kettlebell swings, overhead presses, pull-ups, rows).
• Duration: 30-45 minutes per session, focusing on quality over quantity.
• Focus: Progressive overload without reaching fatigue, emphasizing proper form and controlled movements.
• Rep ranges: Vary between 3-5 reps for strength, 6-12 for hypertrophy, and 12-15 for muscular endurance.
• Rest periods: 1-3 minutes between sets, depending on the intensity and goals of the workout.
• Periodization: Include different phases focusing on strength, hypertrophy, and muscular endurance throughout the year.

This approach helps build overall strength and muscle mass while minimizing the risk of burnout and overtraining. Dr. Galpin emphasizes the importance of proper technique and controlled phases of each movement to maximize muscle engagement and reduce injury risk.

Speed and Power Workouts

He focuses on the importance of using speed and power training to maintain athleticism and improve overall physical performance.

• Frequency: Once a week, typically following a rest day or light workout.
• Duration: 5-10 minutes of high-intensity exercises, not including warm-up and cool-down.
• Exercises: Medicine ball slams/throws, box jumps, clapping pushups, short sprints (10-30 meters), plyometric exercises
• Goal: Finish feeling like you could do more, focusing on quality of movement rather than exhaustion.
• Volume: Keep total repetitions low (3-5 per set) to maintain maximum power output.
• Rest: Full recovery between sets (1-2 minutes) to ensure maximum effort on each repetition.
• Progression: Increase complexity of movements or height/distance of jumps/throws as power improves.

These workouts help develop explosive power, improve neuromuscular coordination, and maintain athleticism. Dr. Galpin stresses the importance of proper technique and full recovery between efforts to maximize power output and minimize injury risk.

The 3-5 Protocol

For strength and power development, Andy Galpin recommends the 3-5 fitness protocol, a flexible framework that allows for focused strength gains while maintaining adaptability in the routine.

• Exercises: Pick 3-5 compound movements (e.g., squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, row).
• Repetitions: Perform 3-5 reps per exercise, focusing on quality and control of each rep.
• Sets: Complete 3-5 sets per exercise, adjusting based on individual recovery and goals.
• Rest: 3-5 minutes between sets to allow for near-complete recovery and maximum effort on each set.
• Frequency: Train 3-5 times per week, allowing for adequate recovery between sessions.
• Progression: Increase weight when all prescribed reps and sets can be completed with proper form.
• Variation: Rotate exercises or alter rep schemes within the 3-5 range to prevent plateaus.

This protocol allows for focused strength gains while maintaining flexibility in the routine. Dr. Galpin focuses on proper form and controlled eccentric phases to maximize muscle engagement and strength development.

Warm-Up Routine

A proper warm-up is a significant component of the Andy Galpin workout plan, serving as a strategic bridge between rest and high-intensity activity. This carefully crafted sequence primes the body for the challenges ahead, enhancing readiness and reducing injury risk.

• Dynamic stretches: Leg swings, arm circles, hip openers, walking lunges with rotation.
• Light cardio: Jump rope, jogging in place, or light cycling for 3-5 minutes.
• Mobility work: Thoracic spine rotations, hip flexor stretches, ankle mobilizations.
• Activation exercises: Glute bridges, scapular retractions, core engagement drills.
• Movement-specific preparation: Light sets of exercises mimicking the main workout movements.
• Duration: 5-10 minutes total, adjusting based on the intensity of the upcoming workout.
• Progression: Gradually increase complexity and intensity of warm-up exercises as fitness improves.

A thorough warm-up helps prepare the body for the workout, increases blood flow to working muscles, and reduces the risk of injury.

Cool-Down and Recovery

Post-workout recovery is crucial in Galpin’s fitness protocol, showing the importance of proper cool-down and recovery practices to maximize adaptations and prepare for subsequent workouts.

• Static stretching: Focus on major muscle groups worked during the session.
• Foam rolling: Target areas of tension or tightness, spending 30-60 seconds per muscle group.
• Adequate hydration: Replenish fluids lost during exercise, aiming for clear or light-colored urine.
• Proper nutrition: Consume a balanced meal with protein and carbohydrates within 1-2 hours post-workout.
• Sleep: Prioritize 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night for optimal recovery.
• Active recovery: Include light movement on rest days (e.g., walking, yoga) to promote blood flow.
• Stress management: Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation to support overall recovery.

These practices help promote recovery, reduce muscle soreness, and prepare the body for the next workout. For Dr. Galpin, recovery is an essential component of the training process, equally important as the workouts themselves for long-term progress and health.

Andy Galpin Hypertrophy Workout

Andy Galpin’s approach to hypertrophy, or muscle growth, combines scientific principles with practical application. His method focuses on strategic volume and intensity to stimulate muscle development effectively.

• Training frequency: 3-4 times per week, targeting each muscle group 2-3 times.
• Rep range: Primarily 6-12 repetitions per set, with some variation.
• Exercise selection: Emphasis on compound movements, supplemented with isolation exercises.
• Volume: 10-20 sets per muscle group per week, adjusted based on individual response.
• Progressive overload: Gradual increase in weight, reps, or sets over time.
• Time under tension: Controlled eccentric phase, typically 2-3 seconds.
• Rest periods: 60-90 seconds between sets to maintain metabolic stress.

Galpin’s hypertrophy protocol is designed to create optimal muscle tension and metabolic stress, key factors in promoting muscle growth.

Unstructured Workout Routine

Andy Galpin takes a unique approach to workout scheduling, designing his program to accommodate life’s unpredictabilities. This flexible system allows for consistent progress even when faced with irregular training opportunities.

• Cycle-based approach: Uses a sequence of six workouts rather than fixed weekly schedules.
• Flexibility: No designated “leg day” or specific workouts tied to particular days of the week.
• Continuity: Allows for maintaining routine even with sporadic training opportunities.
• Cycle completion: Can take anywhere from 6 days (daily workouts) to 18 days or more, depending on availability.
• Progression: Focuses on completing the full cycle rather than adhering to a rigid weekly schedule.
• Adaptability: Easily adjusts to travel, work commitments, or other life events that may disrupt traditional routines.
• Mental approach: Reduces stress associated with missing scheduled workouts.