A retired Navy SEAL commander who wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to work out shares his weekly fitness routine

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A retired Navy SEAL commander who wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to work out shares his weekly fitness routine

jocko training

Echelon Front

Jocko Willink, left, is a retired Navy SEAL commander and black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. He trains hard every day.

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  • Jocko Willink developed an intense daily morning workout routine based on exercises that helped him as a Navy SEAL.
  • Willink recommends everyone begin their morning with exercise.
  • He broke down his four-day approach to working out.


Regardless of when you read this, Jocko Willink woke up today before dawn to get in a hard workout.

As a Navy SEAL, Willink learned the extent to which the human body and mind can be pushed. And after he retired in 2010, after commanding the most decorated US special operations unit of the Iraq War, he decided to share with the public some of the lessons he learned about discipline.

His new book, "Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual," is a practical collection of the leadership philosophy he's taught with his former platoon leader Leif Babin through their leadership consulting firm Echelon Front, as well as exercise and diet routines he's discussed on his hit podcast.

The book contains three sets of four-day exercise routines for beginner, intermediate, and advanced skill levels. Willink, who has a decked-out home gym in his garage and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, typically will stick with the advanced exercises, but he'll work in some lighter basics when he's traveling or recovering from a string of heavy workouts.

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Business Insider recently asked Willink about his overall workout philosophy, breaking down his approach into components that could be adapted for any fitness level.