Jocko Willink Workout Routine And Diet Plan

Jocko Willink is currently one of the top personalities in training and leadership.

Having served for 20 years in the military at the highest level as a Navy SEAL, Jocko has taken the principles learned in service to his country and shared it with the world.

Preaching principles of discipline and extreme ownership, Willink still gets after it on a daily basis.

But have you ever wondered what type of training it takes to keep an ex-Navy SEAL fit?

Today, let’s go through the Jocko Willink workout routine and diet plan, including his training fundamentals and supplement stack. It may help you strengthen your discipline and build elite military fitness.

Let’s jump in.  

Jocko Willink Current Bio and Stats

John Gretton “Jocko” Willink was born on September 8, 1971 in Torrington, Connecticut to John and Robin Willink.

During Jocko’s youth, he had a rebellious nature which led him to the military.

Following Navy recruitment training, Willink decided to enter Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUDs). This is considered the toughest military training in the world.

It’s a six-month SEAL training course consisting of grueling obstacle courses and more that requires incredible mental fortitude. 

It includes the dreaded “Hell Week”, a five-day, cold, wet, and brutal trial that gave fellow SEAL David Goggins a stress fracture, double pneumonia, and a fractured knee cap. 

Willink passed, entering into elite military company with Navy Enlisted Classification as a combat swimmer and his SEAL insignia. 

He would go on to serve eight years on active duty with stints on SEAL Team One and SEAL Team Two.

During this time, he had deployments in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, serving as a platoon commander. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Meritorious Service Medal.

In October 2010, Jocko retired after 20 years of service.

Since then, he has opened his own leadership firm, Echelon Front, with fellow SEAL Leif Babin. 

The two also co-authored Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win.

This began his rise in popularity, appearing on podcasts with Joe Rogan, Tim Ferris, Sam Harris, and Dr. Andrew Huberman.

The demand led him to write Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual (2017), The Dichotomy of Leadership (2018), Leadership Strategies and Tactics: Field Manual (2020), and The Code. The Evaluation. The Protocols. (2020). 

Willink also created his own podcast alongside Echo Charles, which further grew his platform in the leadership space. 

• Age: 51 Years Old
• Height: 5’11” (180 cm)
• Weight: 230 lbs (104 kg)
• Birthday: September 8, 1971
• Occupation: Podcaster, Entrepreneur, Author, Leadership Mentor
• Retired/Active: Retired (SEAL)

Accolades: 

• Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander
• Silver Star
• Bronze Star Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal

Jocko Willink Workout Fundamentals 

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As you can imagine, Jocko Willink is incredibly disciplined with everything in his life, and training is high on his list of priorities.

Willink wakes up between 4:30-4:45 am and begins each day with a training session.

Being ex-military, he sticks with bodyweight training, lifting, and conditioning to maintain his physique.

He goes through a four-day training split, consisting of pull, push, lift, and squats. 

Each session begins with metabolic conditioning exercises such as sprinting and burpees, followed by “gut” (core), before he hits his main resistance component. 

He also practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu three days per week in the evenings. He has been a devotee of BJJ since the 1990’s as he believes it helps reinforce discipline.

Jocko loves to break a sweat and is a big believer in getting a workout in regardless of the time frame or equipment you have available.

He describes times where he will train in hotel rooms, performing body weight workouts, or smashing out 2000m on the rower when time is tight due to his busy schedule. 

This can go both ways, where he will go out for a surf and the waves will be off for the morning. To replace this activity, he will hit the gym and play around for two to three hours with a variety of different lifts.

Jocko Willink Workout Routine

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The Jocko Willink workout routine is a four-day pull, push, lift, and squat split.

Each of these days he performs a variety of different movements that fit within these banners, with added gut and sprinting for conditioning.

For years, Jocko had never released a complete workout in the form of sets, reps, and rest times, until he published his recent book, Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual.

With this, we will take snippets of the workout structure and training from the book and information online. The combination will produce a Jocko Willink workout routine to help you get closer to a Navy SEAL body.  

We will also provide sets, reps, rest times, and a weekly schedule to give you a better idea of what it is like to train like Jocko Willink.

Jocko Willink Workout Weekly Schedule

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
Pull	Push	Rest	Lifting	Squat	Rest	Rest

Pull

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Sprint	2	400m	2-3 minutes
Sit Ups	1	2 Mins	30-45 secs
Wide-Grip Pull-Ups	2	Max	2-3 mins
Close-Grip Pull-Ups	2	Max	2-3 mins
Reverse-Grip Pull-Ups	2	Max	2-3 mins
Neutral Grip	2	Max	2-3 mins

Push

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Burpees	2 mins	–	30-45 secs
Leg Raises	1	2 Mins	30-45 secs
Push-Ups	2	Max	2-3 mins
Wide Push-Ups	2	Max	2-3 mins
Tricep Push-Ups	2	Max	2-3 mins
Narrow Push-Ups	2	Max	2-3 mins

Lift

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Sprint	2	400m	2-3 minutes
V-Ups	1	2 Mins	2-3 minutes
Snatch	4	5-8	60 secs
Clean and Jerk	4	5-8	60 secs
Deadlift	4	6-12	60 secs
Bench Press	4	6-12	60 secs

Squats

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
Air Squat	1	30-60	60 secs
Overhead Squat	1	30-60	60 secs
Back Squat	4	10	60 secs
Front Squat	4	8-12	60 secs
Lunges	3	10	30-45 secs

Jocko Willink Workout Routine pdf

Jocko Willink Dieting and Food Preferences

Jocko Willink’s diet and food preferences are based on a paleo diet, high in protein and fat with reduced carbohydrates. 

He also is a big believer in intermittent fasting, which came from his life as a SEAL. Experience taught him that the body can go days or weeks without food.

Jocko will take this to another level, at times fasting for 24 hours a couple of times each month and up to 72 hours at different stages of the year. 

He says of this, “We have food all around us all the time, and if we haven’t eaten for three hours we think we are starving. You’re not starving. Human beings can go for 30 days without food.” 

He eats large amounts of fruit and vegetables and avoids processed and fast food options. 

His policy says it all, never going for the donuts, pizza, or bagels that coworkers bring in, advising that your best bet is find a healthier option or skip it altogether. 

Like much of Jocko’s routine, there is little information about what he eats precisely each day.

However, with the above principles and his approach to intermittent fasting we will display a paleo diet that Jocko Willink would eat on a daily basis.

This will be based on a 16:8 fasting window, with 16 hours fasted and eight hours eating. The first meal is eaten at 12 pm and the final meal is eaten before 8 pm. 

Meal	Food
Meal 1 (12 pm)	2x Poached  Eggs, Bacon, Baby Spinach, Black Coffee
Meal 2	Jocko Molk (Protein Shake)
Meal 3	Grilled Chicken, Salad, Fruits
Meal 4	Jocko Molk, Fruit, 2x Hard Boiled Eggs
Meal 5 (7 pm)	Grass-Fed Beef, Vegetables, Fruit

Jocko Willink Diet Plan

Now that we have covered Jocko’s diet and food preferences, it’s time to pull these food choices together and develop a diet plan that will help you eat like a Navy SEAL. 

The Jocko Willink diet plan below will be based on an intermittent fasting plan 16:8, starting with an eating window of 12pm to 8 pm. 

Meal 1

• 2 x Egg Chicken and Vegetable Omelet

Meal 2

• 2 x Scoop Protein Shake

Meal 3 

• Grilled Chicken Salad
• Baby Spinach, Tomato, Cucumber, Dressing

Meal 4

• 2x Scoop Protein Shake
• Fruit

Meal 5

• Baked Salmon, Paprika, Lime, Olive Oil
• Roast Vegetables
• Baby Spinach
• Mushrooms

Jocko Willink believes that discipline is the key to freedom as well as health and wellness.

One of the best ways to truly transform your health is to monitor your calorie and macronutrient intake.

This will ensure you are following your paleo diet just like Jocko, getting enough protein to build muscle and recover, eating fat for energy, and monitoring a lower carb intake of 150g-100g.

To find out your exact calorie and macro intake for your paleo diet, use our advanced calorie and macronutrient calculator.  

Simply add your age, gender, height, weight and activity level to get an accurate calorie intake to build the body of a Navy SEAL. 

Jocko Willink Supplement Preferences

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Jocko Willink is a big believer in supplementation for boosting his performance, assisting in recovery, and generally keeping his body in top shape.

So much so that he created his own line of supplements to help him fuel his training and recovery.

Below is a list of Jocko Willink Supplement Preferences to help you build that elite military physique. 

Supplement	Purpose
Jocko Molk Protein	Build Muscle and Improve Recovery
Jocko’s Go (Nootropic)	Improve Cerebral Blood Flow and Focus
Jocko’s Super Krill Oil (Omega-3)	Boost Immune Function and Cardiovascular Health
Jocko Joint Warfare (Joint Support)	Collagen For Joint Support
Jocko Pre-Mission Supplement	Boosts Energy and Performance
Jocko Greens	Improves Digestion and Fill in gaps in nutrition

Final Thoughts

Jocko Willink’s approach to training and life are the result of his hardcore military background.

From his 4:30 am workouts to his strict paleo and intermittent fasting diet, he practices above and beyond what he preaches to maintain his Navy SEAL build and physique. 

If you are thinking of trying the Jocko Willink workout routine and diet plan, take the day head-on, get at your workout, and fuel your body with high-quality, protein-rich foods.

Do this and you will be well on your way to building the body and mind of a SEAL.

So, are you considering trying the Jocko Willink workout routine and diet plan? Which part of his training and philosophy resonates with you most?

Let us know in the comments.

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