Longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan has caught the eye of the exercise scientist, Dr. Mike Israetel with his fitness routine. Known for his bold takes on his podcast and his experience with Mixed Martial Arts, Rogan has had a fixed approach towards health and exercise that the scientist was curious about.
Right off the bat, Rogan’s workouts were a series of hits and misses that Dr. Israetel went through in great detail. In a YouTube video named Exercise Scientist Critiques Joe Rogan’s Training, Diet, and Drug Use, Rogan mentioned working with kettlebells for weights and training for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu. While it did serve him as a functional means of training, the scientist had some bold opinions on it.
According to Dr. Israetel, weight training is an intelligent and functional way of training, particularly if catered towards any sport. In Rogan’s case, working with kettlebells was a technique he wasn’t opposed to, although he mentioned how working with barbells or dumbbells would’ve been more efficient.
On the other hand, Rogan’s weekly routine of inculcating Turkish get-ups, an exercise that is meant to focus on the core and balance, caught some ire. The scientist firmly believed that the exercise couldn’t achieve the goals it was meant to fulfill and that there were better alternatives to it.
“The Turkish get-up is like a parlor trick of lifting. It’s not very clear to exercise and sports scientists what exactly…is the limiting factor…it’s probably your lateral delt strength and it’s not even a good way to build lateral delt strength.”
Moving on, he immediately got to Rogan’s TRT usage and had some significant views on it. These opinions, admittedly, might not be as orthodox to many. The UFC personality has been quite open about his TRT usage and doesn’t shy away from talking about it. He mentioned the specialized circumstances one must undergo to get access to it.
However, while Dr. Israetel wasn’t against it, he believed that one could make major changes in their lifestyle and seek several other solutions before resorting to TRT as a magic healing potion.
“TRT is not a bandage for an open gaping wound. It is an enhancement if you need it. But a lot of times, the bad stuff in people’s lives isn’t because they have low testosterone. It is because they’re awful at living the rest of their lives.”
Apart from this, Rogan has also talked about following a carnivorous diet which Dr. Israetel further discussed in the video.
Dr. Mike Israetel scrutinizes Joe Rogan’s eating habits
For someone with a high-performance athletic experience, it looks like the UFC commentator has been through several nutritional plans before finally settling on one. He follows a carnivore diet consisting of lots of animal products distributed across the day. Along with that, he was against sugar, processed foods, and seed oils.
What Dr. Israetel wanted to highlight was the importance of carbohydrates in those who pursue sports. While a carnivorous diet would keep a consistent flow of energy, carbs would help in maximizing its output. Every element of a balanced diet was crucial for better nourishment, provided one consumed it in moderation. Even sugar, which Rogan seemed to villainize through his podcast, did not cause as much harm as one would imagine. It was only when one consumed these nutrients in excess that it might cause problems.
