Jocko Willink’s Daily Routine, Workout & Diet

If we were to list Jocko Willink’s achievements, it would be quite a long one! To start with, he has more than 20 years of experience as a US navy seal, has authored several best selling motivational books, and has gained a great name as a coach and teacher. 

Through his weekly podcast and social media pages, Jocko Willink is inspiring others to chase their goals.

So, what makes him so successful in his personal as well as professional life? We would say it’s his discipline and commitment. He is a man who plans everything, completes his work through utmost commitment, and then spends quality time with his family.

So, what does a day in the life of Jocko Willink look like? What does he do in his daily life that makes him different? You will find the answer to all these questions here.

Through this article, we will take you through Jocko Willink’s daily routine; including his exercise routine, diet plan and also, his personal and professional life. 

Read along! 

Jocko Willink’s Daily Routine

Mornings

Waking up early is a part of life for Jocko Willink. He usually gets up by 4:30 AM in the morning, and no later than 4:45. And although he would set up an alarm, he rarely waits for it; and will be up on his own.

Jocko Willink attributes his early waking nature to his navy career; and believes that rising early has a huge role in making him successful in life.

If you visit Jocko Willink’s Instagram profile, you can see him posting his early wake up pics that inspire his followers to do the same.

After waking up and doing his morning chores, Jocko Willink would hit the gym and start working out. He usually follows the Push, Pull, Lift, Leg approach in which he goes for one every day.

In addition to weight training, Jocko Willink also incorporates regular cardio sessions. 

After a usually moderately intense workout session, Jocko Willink would take a bath, and start off his workday; sitting for the podcast, for instance!

He is also the co-owner of Echelon Front; so, a lot of work! 

But what about breakfast? That will be a no; Jocko Willink usually avoids taking any meal in the morning, and would take his first meal other than tea, at around 11 AM. 

After the early lunch, or brunch, Jocko Willink’s schedule for the afternoon starts.

Afternoons

After taking his lunch before 12 noon, Jocko Willink would head to his office where he deals with his business matters; especially emails and other interactions.

Jocko Willink does not have a hectic lifestyle, and his work for the day will be over by 3PM in the afternoon and then, he will head back to his home. 

In the afternoons, Jocko Willink likes spending time with his family; he goes to the beach with his kids. There, he does surfing, a sport that he loves.

If Jocko Willink doesn’t go to the beach and surf, he will take his Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes; he is excellent in the sport, and has a black belt in it! 

Besides surfing and jiu jitsu, Jocko Willink may also visit his victory MMA, which he partly owns. 

Evenings

Jocko Willink will be home by 8 in the evening. After taking a bath, he spends time with his family, also trying some of his hobbies like reading, or playing guitar. 

For dinner, Jocko Willink will have a pretty simple meal; often vegetable salads and steak. 

The day is almost over for Jocko Willink. Before going to bed, he would make a to-do list for the next day. At around 11 PM, Jocko Willink goes to bed. 

Jocko Willink’s Sleep Schedule

A sound sleep is crucial for a better life; Jocko Willink knows it well! On most days, he would go to sleep by 11 at night, and wake up by 4:30 in the morning. 

That is roughly 5½ or 6 hours of sleep at maximum. But Jocko Willink believes that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to sleeping. 

Jocko Willink keeps an alarm for 4:30 or 4:45 in the morning, and gets up as soon as the alarm goes off.

Also, Jocko Willink once mentioned using an apple watch that just pulsates instead of making sound. This helps him wake up without disturbing his wife or kids. 

Jocko Willink’s Work Schedule

Jocko Willink’s day starts earlier than most others. After waking up early, exercising, and (sometimes surfing too) taking a bath, he starts with his work. 

He has a Leadership and management consulting business where he has a number of renowned clients like Citibank and shell. But Jocko Willink is even more famous for his another venture- his weekly podcast program ‘weekly Jocko Podcast’ 

Although Jocko Willink releases just one episode a week for his podcast, he has to put in daily effort to make one. It revolves around thorough research, reading books, etc. 

Although not a part of Jocko Willink’s daily work routine, he is also into writing a new book. Jocko Willink has written a number of best selling books. 

So, that sums up Jocko Willink’s work schedule. And as a matter of fact, Jocko Willink would usually complete all his work for the day by 3 pm. The key to doing so? Of course, he wakes up early and starts earlier than others.

Jocko Willink’s Workout Routine

Being an ex-navy seal, exercising is a crucial part of life for Jocko Willink. Before going to his workout routine, here is a fact: Jocko Willink is excellent in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and has earned a black belt in the sport.

In addition to doing regular jIu-jitsu and surfing, Jocko Willink would hit the gym four times a week. 

Speaking of Jocko Willink’s training routine, he is not into a complex workout program, but a simple one.

Out of his 4 days in the gym, Jocko Willink dedicates separate days to push, pull, lift and leg workouts. In addition to these exercises, Jocko Willink’s workout routine also has regular cardio exercises.

Given below is how Jocko Willink trains each day:

Pull Day

On the very first day of Jocko Willink’s workout routine, he trains his pull muscles; viz his back, traps, and biceps along with forearms. He would go for a wide range of motions that ensure the overall development of these muscle groups.

After completing his weight training, Jocko Willink goes for certain cardio exercises as well!

Push Day

Following the Pull day, comes the push day in Jocko Willink’s exercise routine. On that day, he trains his chest, triceps, and shoulders!

Lift Day

Jocko Willink dedicates an entire day for lifting exercises. He loves doing various kinds of lifting exercises like deadlifts, clean and jerk, snatch, and other olympic lifts. Staying strong has always been a priority for this ex navy SEAL.

Leg Day

Jocko Willink trains his lower body on the last day of his training routine. He does a wide range of exercises targeting his lower body, but his favorite is squats!

After key workouts in these 4 days, Jocko Willink goes for regular cardio sessions, mostly HIIT sessions. According to him, interval training is highly effective in burning off calories in a smart way.

Jocko Willink’s Diet Plan

Jocko Willink’s diet plan is not only very strict, but also unique! 

In simple words, he follows the paleo diet wherein his meals are made up of meat, fruits, and veggies. 

Although Jocko Willink wakes up as early as 4:30 in the morning and hits the gym after that, he would have his first meal by only around 11 in the morning. He goes for roasted chicken or steak and eats some veggies in the form of salads. 

In the evenings also, Jocko Willink goes for a paleo style salad made of meat, veggies, and fruits. Jocko Willink’s meal plan is basically low in carbs!

Given below are key takeaways from the meal plan followed by Jocko Willink.

Regular fasting

Jocko Willink goes for regular fasting. He does a 24 hour fasting every 2 weeks and even does a 72 hours long fasting once every three months. During the 72 fastings though, he drinks tea to control his hunger.

Jocko Willink believes that fasting regularly does not put you in a bad health but instead, will make you stronger. 

Cheat Meals? A Big No!

This ex-navy seal has always insisted on eating healthy every single day. You may have the temptation to go for that piece of pizza, but for your own good, stay away from them! 

Jocko Willink’s Supplements 

When you follow a very strict diet with limited calorie intake, it is quite natural that your body may need those macros and micronutrients through supplements.

Jocko Willink does take certain supplements that fulfill his nutrition needs as well as give him the motivation to work at his fullest capacity.

Given below are Jocko Willink’s supplements that he takes currently:

• Protein powder
• Joint support
• Omega 3 S
• Pre workout
• Nootropic

If you too would like to follow Jocko Willink’s diet, you can also consider trying out his supplements. However, you should take supplements only after getting approval from a physician. So, keep that in mind! 

Jocko Willink’s Habits 

According to Jocko Willink, habits are what determine one’s success. He does have certain habits, some of which may feel extreme to you. But those habits had a great role in molding him to be a successful man who motivates others around him.

Given below are Jocko Willink’s habits that you too can consider imitating:

• Jocko Willink wakes up early in the morning; waking up early is a great way to push harder
• He follows a paleo diet
• He regularly does fasting
• He works out 4 days per week
• He does regular cardio 
• A big no to cheat meals
• Believes in time management as a key to success
• Spends quality time with his family
• When it comes to sleep, Jocko Willink believes not in quantity, but in quality

We know, trying these habits of Jocko Willink can be a bit challenging. But keep in mind that success comes only when you have discipline in life, and Jocko Willink has it.

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The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line is, making a good plan is important; but what is even more important is sticking with it with discipline.

“With discipline comes freedom” – says Jocko Willink.