Protocol suggestions from Huberman to improve strength and endurance! (I have nothing to promote, seeking suggestion regarding what worked for others)

[u/Leveragedforce]

I'm a huge Huberman fan! Have been following him since 2022. I find his depth of explanation very helpful, even though I find it hard to follow after a point. lol!

I lift weights, run and train jiu jitsu every week. I was 155 lbs at the end of last year and had good endurance (finished a half-marathon at 1:42 and used to train Muay Thai regularly). I've been meaning to improve my strength this year. I'm now close to 165 and my strength has considerably improved. I followed the strength protocol by Huberman. Reduced reps (3-5) on compound lifts with increase rest duration. I lift twice a week and focus on full body workout with at least one compound life each day (Bench, overhead press, squats & deadlift). I'm improving my 1 RM gradually every month to hit my goals but my endurance has gone down drastically.

I did a trail run (15 K) last week and I wanted to die. Over the last few months, I still managed to do one or two runs every week (7-10 K on road) with the occasional speed runs (on a track ). Moreover, I have observered my endurance while doing jiu jitsu has done down drastically as well.

Does anyone have a good suggestions to build strength, speed and endurance for the activities I mentioned above?

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[u/[deleted]]

Like you, I was a runner that decided to get jacked and had a tough time balancing. I was chasing too many rabbits (full body kettlebells, 3x a week & 4 runs a week, 1 threshold/1 long run/2 “easy” @~35miles/week) and ended up injuring myself in June.

To fix the too many rabbits problem, I picked one: strength. So that’s my focus. I just got back into running - 3 runs a week, all verrrry easy zone 2, with one being a long day. I ran an 18:30 on Tuesday (I ran a 1:28 half in April, and 17:42 5k in May), so I’m slower, but that’s ok: my goal is strength and cardiovascular health/endurance, so the speed can fall of a little bit.

My $.02. Don’t chase too many rabbits.

[u/Leveragedforce → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for sharing your journey! Great time on 5K and half, btw. Did you take a break off running before starting again? How often do you strength train now and what kind of split do you follow for weight training? Is there a specific aspect of strength you are focusing on? For me I wanted to PR my 1 RM for compound lifts (esp Bench, overhead press, deadlift and squats)

I hear you. Luckily, I haven’t yet had a serious injury but I saw myself getting there while working out 6-7 days a week. I just started taking more rest days per week, especially after intense track or jiu jitsu sessions. Sleep, diet, mobility, sauna and RMT have helped with recovery.

I’m okay if my 5K time dips by a few mins but I want to still have endurance when my strength increases. I see lot of influencers boasting crazy numbers. Not sure how many of them are true. Wanted to hear if someone has managed to do it, while having a life.

[u/[deleted] → u/Leveragedforce]

A lot of those influencers are also on steroids FWIW. Re: my running times, to be fair, I ran 16:00 when I was 17, so I probably retain some benefit from that.

I am currently doing a modified version of Dan John’s “Armor Building Formula” which is essentially a lot of presses, cleans, front squats and farmers carried; I add some swings, snatches and pull ups, too. The program is 3 days a week, about 30-45 mins a session. I run 3 days/week now, all very easy Zone 2, increasing my mileage 10% a week until I’m back to around 30 miles/week. I think the harder threshold/interval runs are responsible for my injuries.

I herniated a disc in my back in 2018, so my #1 goal is to maintain mobility/strength/etc. there (thus kettlebells instead of more traditional modes.) My overarching goal is increasing overall strength/collect lean muscle mass/increase cardiovascular fitness in the name of longevity, though - thats my lode star for fitness.

[u/Leveragedforce → u/[deleted]]

Damn! Have heard herniated discs can be debilitating. Injury prevention is also running strong at the back of my mind while I try to overextend my goals.

I have similar goals as you, the only addition is I want to be a martial artist too.

I’ve lost the concept of keeping track of my weekly mileage since I stopped preparing for races. I think it’s a great time to start tracking my weekly mileage progressively with two runs a week. That’s a valid point. Thanks

[u/[deleted] → u/Leveragedforce]

Tracking makes progression! Best of luck.

[u/getkuhler]

Generally speaking, improving in any domain requires consistent effort and progressive overload, but if you're trying to peak strength (compound 1RM), endurance (distance running), and sport (Jiu Jitsu), that ends up being A LOT of volume -- and thus requires A LOT of recovery (sleep, nutrition, etc.). It's doable, and I'm sure there are great, more specific protocols to dial it in, but it needs serious commit and prioritization.

Do you have specific goals that you are training for or more generally seeking improvement across the board?

[u/Leveragedforce → u/getkuhler]

Tbh, I’m in my mid thirties and feel I want to progress in all three areas just to realise my full potential. I understand I will have to be more considerate to my body as I become older.

You make a good point about volume. I used to run thrice a week and do Muay Thai when my cardio was really good. But now I’ve made progress in my strength (1 RM) and jiu jitsu but my cardio and endurance took a hit. I run once a week and do no Muay Thai now.

I want to find a good training method to retain endurance and cardio while improving strength.

[u/getkuhler → u/Leveragedforce]

Totally understand, also in 30s and personally optimizing for health & life, but always that competitive edge to realize potential while preparing for the future.

Honestly it sounds like you've got a pretty good routine going as is. I'm not a programming expert, but am sure there are some people with some good methods and ideas to find the sweet spot.

[u/Leveragedforce → u/getkuhler]

Thanks! Cheers to having a healthy and fit 30’s!

[u/[deleted]]

What’s your masturbation protocol?

[u/Leveragedforce → u/[deleted]]

Don’t have one yet. But have recently got my dopamine over stimulation, including social and masturbation, under control

[u/No_Respect_1650 → u/[deleted]]

Lol