From elk meat to Turkish get-ups, you could say Joe Rogan’s wellness approach is fairly unconventional. However, whatever your preconceptions on the podcast host’s regime, at 57 years old, it seems to be working for him. But how does it all stack up under scientific scrutiny?
Exercise scientist Dr Mike Israetel sheds some light on its efficacy as he reviews Rogan’s diet and training.
Joe Rogan’s Training
Rogan has long sung the praises of kettlebells and functional training, claiming it builds total-body strength that translates to everyday movements. While Dr Israetel agrees kettlebells can be useful, he’s quick to add, ‘Almost everything kettlebells do well, barbells and dumbbells do better.’
Machines, bodyweight moves, and compound exercises all contribute to functional strength when programmed intelligently. In fact, he notes that the term ‘functional’ is so broadly used in the fitness world that, scientifically, it’s almost meaningless. The real key, Dr Israetel argues, is progressive overload, full range of motion, and sport-specific practice.
When it comes to moves like the Turkish get-up (one of Rogan’s favourites), Dr Israetel jokes, ‘Looks like a waiter fell down and is still trying to make sure he doesn’t spill the rice all over the place.’
From a sport science perspective, the move lacks a clear limiting factor, and its carryover to real-world strength is debatable. Instead, Dr Israetel recommends prioritising classic heavy lifts. ‘If you tell me my competitor can do a Turkish get-up with 80 lbs, I’m like, that’s dope, if you tell me my next competitor can deadlift 600 lbs for reps, I’m running away.’
Joe Rogan’s Diet
Rogan swears by his meat-centric menu, claiming it boosts his energy and mental clarity. Dr Israetel acknowledges that low-carb diets can deliver stable energy levels, but warns they may leave athletes underfuelled. ‘Carbohydrates are the undisputed forever king of performance nutrition,’ he insists.
Dr Israetel recommends for those doing high-intensity training like grappling or heavy lifting, carbs – especially the slow-digesting variety paired with healthy fats and protein – offer better sustained energy, without the energy dips.
Rogan tends to echo the anti-sugar, anti-seed oil crowd – two targets that get routinely thrashed in online wellness circles. But Dr Israetel urges a more evidence-based view. As long as sugar fits into your daily calorie needs and you eat an overall nutrient dense diet, it’s not the villain it’s made out to be.
The same goes for seed oils. Despite the uproar from ‘small niche communities’ as Dr Israetel puts it, science doesn’t support the idea that they are inherently harmful. ‘They’ve kind of studied this more or less into the ground and there’s not a goddamn thing wrong with seed oils. They’re totally fine and totally healthy in most contexts,’ he says.
Dr Israetel’s Final Verdict
He signs off with plenty of praise for Rogan: ‘Huge mega respect to Joe, I could be wrong about everything, I said I’m just sharing my opinion I believe to be true. Joe really gives a shit, he really cares about his diet, he tries really hard in his training.’
Dr Israetel adds, ‘Joe is maybe one of the most open-minded people I have ever come across, he’ll talk to basically anyone and at least try to extract some wisdom from them, give them really good questions and feedback and return.’
The exercise scientist rounds up the diet and training review by saying if you want to try some lower carb diets, give them a go. The same goes for kettlebells: ‘If you want to try some more moderate high-carb protocols, you want to try barbells and dumbbells, they’re also fucking sweet.’ So, do what works for you, and what you enjoy.
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