Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint Workout: My Experience and Insights

After selling his business Braintree, Bryan Johnson (born August 22, 1977) has dedicated his life to pushing the boundaries of anti-aging and longevity techniques. Known for creating his “Blueprint Protocol”, Johnson has put a focus on crafting a diet, lifestyle, and fitness plan to reverse his genetic age to live a longer, healthier life.

This article is going to focus on his daily workout

(and my personal experience doing it), which you’ll notice doesn’t conform to most standard plans. Johnson even says that this isn’t training for a marathon, triathlon, bodybuilding, or being able to fight a wild animal.

The goal is to get his heart rate into zones 2-4 for four and a half hours and zone 5 for an hour and a half every week.

Without any further preamble, let’s get into it.

Bryan Johnson’s Daily Longevity Workout

Johnson moves through these exercises one after the other without any rest, which will put this workout at around 45-60 minutes from start to finish.

Most of these are pretty straightforward, but if you need clarification on how to perform any of these exercises, we’ll share his video below where he goes through them one-by-one.

1. Backward Sled Pull: 3-5 minutes

• Consider this a warm-up to get your blood pumping and your heart rate up
• Weight should be challenging but not “max effort”

2. Levator Scapula Shrug: 1 x 30 reps

• Johnson uses 20lb dumbbells
• Only do this 2x a week

3. Suboccipital Stretch: 1 x 10 reps

• 30º stretch, DO NOT OVERDO IT
• Do this 2x a week

4. Tricep Kickbacks (He calls them tricep extensions): 1 x 25 reps

• Hold for 1 sec at the top of the rep
• Use lighter weight to keep form

5. Face Pulls: 1 x 15

• Maintain good posture

6. Chest Flys (He calls these butterfly pulls): 1 x 15 reps

• Use resistance bands or a cable machine

7. Band Pull Apart: 1 x 15
8. External Rotation: 1 x 10 each arm
9. Hamstring Stretch: 30-60 sec hold

• If needed, stand on a platform and use a moderate weight to get a deeper stretch

10. Weighted Back Extensions: 1 x 25 reps

• Hold a 25lb or 45lb plate

11. Oblique Extensions: 1 x 25 reps each side
12. Couch Stretch: 30 sec each leg
13. Kneeling Shin Stretch: 30 sec
14. Hip Flexor Stretch: 30 sec each leg
15. Leg Raises: 1 x 50
16. Oblique Touches: 1 x 50
17. Inverted Rows (he calls them reverse pushups): 1 x 25
18. Seated Calf Raises: 3 x 25
19. Poliquin Step Ups: 3 x 10
20. Slant Board Squats: 3 x 10
21. Split Squats: 3 x 10 reps each leg
22. Nordics: 1 x 10
23. Reverse Nordics: 1 x 10
24. Tibialis Raises: 1 x 25
25. Isotib Ankle Rotations: 1 x 25 reps each leg
26. Pull Ups: 1 x 15
27. Chin Ups: 1 x 15
28. Bicep Curls: 1 x 15

additionally...

HIIT Workouts x 3 days a week (M, W, F)

• He will use a bike, elliptical, or rower
• 5-10 minute warm-up - Heart rate in the 130-140 range
• 5-minute HIIT on elliptical after warm-up

My Experience With Bryan Johnson's Workout

I come from a more traditional strength training background, starting with lifting for football and gradually moving to a more bodybuilding-focused training style after my playing days were over. Doing close to thirty different movements for a workout was completely foreign to me. So I figured, why not? Let’s give this a shot for a month and see how it goes.

The first day, I needed to put my ego in check and lighten up on my weights. I had to remind myself a few times that this workout wasn’t about trying to max out on weight but something I was going to be doing for four weeks straight. As Johnson mentions in the video, I was surprised about my flexibility. To be specific, the lack thereof.

I focused on the stretches and contractions of each exercise since I wasn’t moving heavy weights, and I found my mind-muscle connection to be as strong as it has ever been. I did need to make some adjustments on the couch and kneeling shin stretches due to some knee issues I have, but as time went on, I found myself being able to get closer to proper form. Also, as a bigger guy, I did use some assistance for the pull-ups and chin-ups. It may not seem like a lot, but 30 pull-ups and 30 chin-ups daily is pretty brutal.

So, what changes did I see over my month with this program?

My flexibility improved considerably, which has always been somewhat of an afterthought for me. As my flexibility has improved, my knee hasn’t been giving me as much trouble, and my lower back isn’t tight in the morning.

My bench press might not have increased, but my back and arms certainly got a lot stronger. By the end of the month, I was able to do the first set of pull-ups and chin-ups unassisted, which I count as a major win.

Overall, I enjoyed my time giving his workout a try.

Will I continue with it? Probably not. I like my rest days, and I like moving heavy weights. But, I will take elements from it and work them in so they fit with what I’m doing. I’m not planning on waking up with lower back pain anytime soon.

Wrap-Up

Bryan Johnson’s workout routine is a perfect example of his dedication to maintaining peak physical fitness and overall well-being. His methodical approach, combining strength training (albeit not heavy), cardiovascular exercises, and flexibility workouts, highlights the importance of a balanced regimen.

By sticking to a structured routine and continuously challenging himself, Johnson not only achieves his fitness goals but also inspires others to prioritize their health. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just starting your fitness journey, there’s much to learn from Johnson’s disciplined and holistic approach to working out. If you decide to give this a try, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below!

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