In his late 50s, Joe Rogan boasts an astonishing level of fitness, still appearing as though he could effortlessly enter the Octagon and “ground and pound” even some of the youngest contenders. His remarkable physique is the result of an unwavering lifelong commitment to fitness, working out, and recovery.
Joe Rogan’s primary workout routine includes weightlifting, kettlebell training, bodyweight workouts, Jiu-Jitsu practice, hot yoga sessions, hill running, and the use of cardio machines. Additionally, he participates in extended cross-country bowhunting expeditions and hiking adventures. To aid in recovery, Joe emphasizes mobility work and incorporates a significant amount of stretching into his fitness regimen.
Whether you’re simply curious or eager to begin a fitness routine inspired by Joe Rogan, this article is your comprehensive guide. Let’s delve deeply into his preparation, habits, and fitness regimen, covering his regular activities, his body maintenance practices, and the foundational fitness principles that shape his mindset.
Also see: The Top 15 Joe Rogan Podcasts on Fitness & Working Out
Joe Rogan’s Ultimate Exercises and Workouts
In this section let’s highlight Rogan’s go-to fitness exercises, the ones he always finds time to fit into his busy schedule. Some he has been doing for several decades, like karate, and others he has picked up along the way.
Lift Heavy Weights
Rogan suggests lifting as part of your routine to keep proper bone density, tendon strength, and muscular strength. While he may do cardio on an intermittent fast, without eating, but if he knows he’s going to be lifting weights in the morning he wants to eat the night before.
Also see: The Ultimate Joe Rogan Diet Guide: How to Stay on Top
Rogan avoids pushing himself to the limit or reaching failure, as he no longer believes in that approach. For instance, if he thinks his maximum reps for an exercise are 10, he’ll only do half that amount. This strategy involves fewer repetitions, but performed more frequently, preventing early exhaustion.
Rogan subscribes to the “greasing the groove” concept, which he believes leads to faster strength gains compared to consistently pushing to failure, which can leave your body depleted and unproductive the following day. His recommendation is to first establish a solid foundation with sufficient repetitions before attempting heavy lifting.
Kettlebell Workouts
Rogan incorporates kettlebell exercises significantly into his workouts due to their high effectiveness, really only needing a few tough sets to have done the job. Kettlebells engage the entire body, involving legs, core, hips, and arms in a single fluid motion. In a video produced with Onnit’s Aubrey Marcus, Rogan shows off some of his favorite kettlebell exercises.
One of the things that I love about kettlebells is that it promotes functional strength, it promotes the entire body moving as a unit and that seems to apply very quickly to athletics. It’s one of the reasons Jiu-Jitsu people have adopted kettlebell training almost universally.
-Joe Rogan
Hill Runs
According to Rogan, short but intense workouts like hill sprints can be incredibly effective, with just 30 minutes or less being a potentially grueling session. Hill running holds a special place in Rogan’s routine because it serves as a mental escape, saying he “can’t think about anything else.”
They allow him to focus solely on putting one foot in front of the other. For him, it offers similar benefits to meditation, while also providing a vigorous workout, often accompanied by his golden retriever, Marshall Mae Rogan.
Hot Yoga
Rogan is a massive fan and frequent practitioner of both regular yoga and hot yoga. He likes it because not only is it a brutal workout, but it purges his mind from his busy lifestyle.
Rogan promotes the benefits of yoga, including better breathing, flexibility, mind purging, and injury prevention. On JRE podcast #1155, Rogan told Henry Rollins that he seemed a little stiff and that hot yoga would “fix a lot of that stuff.”
Also see: Unveiling Joe Rogan’s Ice Bath Recovery Strategy
Diversify Your Cardio With Machines
Rogan believes in a heavy dose of cardio in his routine, incorporating various forms like regular running, treadmill workouts, rowing, elliptical training, VersaClimber sessions, and the Echo Bike. He is a big fan of the Rogue machines:
Despite not particularly enjoying cardio, he acknowledges its undeniable benefits. He relies on these cardio exercises when traveling frequently for comedy shows and UFC events, usually partaking in the ones offered at his hotel.
Jiu-Jitsu and Kickboxing
Outside of his regular workouts like yoga, weightlifting, and running, Rogan tries to work in his Mixed Martial Arts training. Often in the form of a two-a-day (two workouts in one day), he will do Jiu-Jitsu in the afternoon, after his cardio or weight session in the morning.
Rogan has been practicing karate since he was a young age and was his first love. He was very successful at it too. Before retiring from injuries and headaches, he won the U.S. Open Taekwondo championships as a teenager and was the Massachusetts state champion 4 years in a row.
Also see: Joe Rogan Has 3 Different Black Belts: A True Master
Body Weight Exercises
Rogan recommends fitting bodyweight exercises into your schedule: chin-ups, push-ups, and air squats. He also recommends changing your grips on your push-ups and chin-ups to create different angles and activate different muscle groups.
“You really don’t need anything else (bodyweight exercises). You can get a ferocious workout in…just those things.”
-Joe Rogan
Rogan recommends a straightforward approach: head to a park and locate a chin-up bar. Not only is this a fantastic workout option, but it also allows you to exercise outdoors in the fresh air, amidst others. As for bodyweight squats, they may appear simple when you’re doing just three, but once you aim for 100 repetitions, the challenge is no laughing matter.
Miscellaneous Workouts
There are various forms of additional exercise that Rogan partakes in on a less often basis that are still considered part of his fitness repertoire.
Bowhunting/Hiking
Surprisingly, hunting the way Rogan does is an extremely physical task. When he hunts elk with a buddy like Steven Rinella, Cameron Hanes, or John Dudley – they trek miles stalking an animal through rough terrain – up mountains and down valleys, often through frigid conditions.
Also see: Who Does Joe Rogan Hunt With?
You can’t be out of shape and hunt the way these guys hunt. “If you’re planning on doing this (hunting), don’t plan on being comfortable,” says Rogan.
Iron Neck
The Iron Neck is a device that straps to your head and strengthens your neck muscles. It’s an exercise that Rogan, after trying it out, has added to his gym routine.
Originally designed to help football players with pain and prevention of CTE, now the Iron Neck has taken the MMA world by storm. “Every grappler should get on of these…I like to start off my workout with it, ” Rogan said.
Stretching
One thing many people don’t know about Rogan is that he is extremely flexible and has been working at it for a long time. He can even do the splits.
Stretching after training, Rogan says, is one of the most overlooked and neglected things people skip. It’s all about forcing yourself to take the time to do it and suffering through the long static stretches.
Joe Rogan’s Key Fitness Principles
Let’s delve into the key mindset principles that Rogan emphasizes regarding fitness and workouts. These principles highlight the significance of having the right mindset in addition to putting in the physical effort.
Plan Ahead – Write It Down!
Rogan likes to plan out his workout schedule on Sundays for the upcoming week. It helps him force himself to be accountable with self-discipline. And it helps him to not think about what he needs to do, it’s already planned and waiting for him.
“Write down all the s*** you’re going to do and then just f***ing do it.”
-Joe Rogan on the importance of writing it down
Don’t just leave things to chance and hope that your self-discipline will show up when you need it. One of my favorite Joe Rogan quotes of all time is: “I owe those things, the only exceptions are injuries and sickness.” (On doing the workouts he has planned)
Quality Over Quantity
Listening to Rogan’s podcast taught me a valuable lesson: quality surpasses quantity. According to Rogan, spending two hours at the gym could be less effective than a focused 30-minute workout. It’s not about the duration, but the quality of the effort you invest.
On JRE MMA Show #32 with Firas Zahabi, they talk about how not to burn out your body with overtraining. Zahabi, who trains legendary UFC fighter George St-Pierre, believes you should never be sore from working out. The quality of the rep matters more than pushing hard.
Prevent Boredom with Variety
Joe Rogan really likes to switch up his workout plans to keep things interesting. He’s always experimenting with something new and testing something out to see what effect it has on his fitness. When Rogan was planning for an upcoming Sober October, this is what he said:
“My plan (for Sober October) is lifting weights, kickboxing, running hills, yoga, and various cardio machines from the VersaClimber, rower, and Echo Bike.”
-Joe Rogan
This quote clearly shows the emphasis that Rogan places on varying his training, filling in the gaps by having a wide variety of exercises that he includes in his schedule.
Work Up to Something – Don’t Overdue It
Rogan advises starting with a simple step to kickstart your weight loss journey: go outside, get moving, and take a walk. Gradually build upon this foundation and enjoy the process.
Referencing a chart mentioned by Firas Zahabi on the JRE podcast, Firas recommends finding your optimal flow channel by avoiding extremes—don’t push too hard or stay in your comfort zone to the point of boredom.
When striving for fitness, Rogan cautions against overexertion in the beginning. Fitness, he believes, is not achieved or lost overnight. Instead, it should be approached as a long-term lifestyle change.
Be A Positive Influence on Your Friends
Rogan has significantly influenced both his close friends and podcast listeners like me. Notably, he’s introduced many of his friends, including Joey Diaz, Bryan Callen, and John Dudley, to Jiu-Jitsu.
The annual Sober October challenge initially aimed to assist Bert Kreischer with weight and drinking issues, and it has greatly benefited Bert Kreischer, Tom Segura, and Ari Shaffir, helping them improve their fitness, adopt healthier eating habits, and shed excess weight.
Also see: The Top 25 Best Friends of Joe Rogan
Multitask with Audio Books & Podcasts
Rogan takes advantage of his NET time, which is a term made popular by Tony Robbins. It stand for “No Extra Time”, the kind of time he makes by multi-tasking.
It’s the time when you feel like you have no extra time, but you could actually be working out and listening to a book at the same time. Rogan frequently puts on headphones during his workouts and hill runs, and then listens to an audio book, podcast, or jams out to some music.
Picking Good Friends = Inspiration
While it may appear that Rogan excels in every endeavor, the reality is that he admires and draws inspiration from other mentors regularly. He firmly believes that being in the company of friends who embody the qualities you aspire to have is a key factor in achieving success and being happy. This practice aids him in overcoming periods of laziness and maintaining motivation.
A few people he really looks up to for inspiration are:
Joe Rogan Uses a WHOOP Device
You can’t argue with data. That’s why Rogan is a big fan of the WHOOP wrist device. It’s a piece of technology that gives him personalized fitness, sleep, and recovery data throughout his day. It tells him whether he needs more workouts or more sleep.
Finding WHOOP super helpful, Rogan and his buddies used it during their Sober October challenges and fell in love with it.
Also see: Joe Rogan Supplement Guide: Exactly What You Need
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THANK YOU for reading this article! I hope this helps you on your journey with living fit and working out.
