The Judd Lienhard Podcast

Judd Lienhard breaks down his 10 best strength training exercises for men over 40 to build muscle, improve mobility, develop power, and maintain strength and athleticism as you age.

In this episode of The Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd explains why these movements deserve a place in your training routine and how to adapt them to your body's individual needs.

Getting older doesn't mean you have to stop training hard. It means training smarter. The goal is to build functional strength, maintain muscle mass, support joint health, and stay strong, capable, and athletic for decades to come.

How do you build explosive power, improve speed, and stay athletic after 30? In this Q&A episode, Judd Lienhard explains the best strength training, sprinting, and power training methods for aging athletes.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 - Why Training Intent Matters for Speed and Power
00:00:30 - Why You're Getting Slower After 40 Despite Lifting Weights
00:00:56 - Strength vs. Power: Rate of Force Development Explained
00:03:00 - How Dead-Stop Training and Resistance Bands Improve Power
00:06:30 - Ballistic Training, Medicine Ball Throws, and Athletic Movement
00:10:22 - Why Power Training Matters for Longevity
00:11:17 - Heavy vs. Light We...

Landmine training offers a unique way to develop explosive strength, rotational power, and athleticism, particularly for those looking to maintain their performance as they age.

Alex Kanellis, founder of Landmine University, breaks down what makes landmine training different from traditional barbell lifting and how it can be incorporated into an effective strength training program.

Expect to learn how landmine cleans, jerks, and snatches develop full-body power, why rotational strength is important for athletic performance, how landmine training compares to Olympic lifting, and why it can be a valuable option for athletes dealing with mobility limitations...

How much training volume do you actually need to build muscle and strength? In this Q&A episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd explains junk volume, workout frequency, muscle growth, and the minimum effective dose for strength training.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Introduction: Intensity, Volume, and Training Frequency
00:00:25 - What Is Junk Volume? Are You Doing Too Many Exercises?
00:06:04 - Do You Need Muscle Soreness for an Effective Workout?
00:09:04 - Is Strength Training Twice a Week Enough After 40?
00:12:52 - How Much Zone 2 Cardio Do You Really Need?
00:15:15 - Should You Change Exercises...

What is the best minimalist workout plan for building strength, muscle, endurance, and athleticism without spending hours in the gym? Judd Lienhard explains how to simplify strength training and cardio for maximum results.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 – Why Strength and Conditioning Are the Foundation of Fitness
00:00:21 – Simplifying Your Training for Better Results
00:01:45 – The Physical Capabilities Everyone Should Train
00:03:40 – Why Traditional Bodybuilding Splits Leave Performance Gaps
00:05:15 – The Two Most Important Types of Exercise
00:06:30 – Why Base Strength Training Builds Muscle, Power, and Athleticism
00:08:20 – Base Strength vs. Peak Strength: Sets, Reps, and Intensity
00:11:15 – How Much Strength Training...

How do you know if you actually need a rest day or if you’re simply mentally exhausted and need to work out? Judd Lienhard explains how stress, recovery, motivation, exercise addiction, and life responsibilities should influence your training.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Training Should Leave You Feeling Better
00:00:33 How to Train During an Overwhelming Season of Life
00:00:57 Why Stress Changes How Much Training You Can Handle
00:03:20 Adjusting Volume, Expectations & Body Composition
00:05:03 Staying Motivated Without a Competition or Goal
00:05:50 Creating Small Fitness Goals to Keep Training Interesting
00:08:26 Mentally Exhausted: Work Out or Take a Re...

Want to build a workout program that actually makes you stronger, fitter, and more athletic? Judd Lienhard breaks down how to create an effective strength and conditioning program from the ground up.

Learn how to structure your training week, choose exercises, manage training volume, use periodization, improve recovery, train your nervous system, and build a workout routine around YOUR goals, schedule, and abilities.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 How to Build Your Own Training Program
00:03:30 Why You Need Training Cycles
00:07:30 Step 1: Test Your Current Fitness
00:13:00 Step 2: Choose Your Training Focus
00:18:00 Step 3: Pick Your Targeted Ca...

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How much training do you actually need to build strength, stay lean, improve cardio, and remain healthy as you get older? In this Q&A, Judd Lienhard explains how to get more from less training when work, famil...

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How should kids strength train, sprint, lift weights, and develop athleticism safely? Judd Lienhard breaks down youth strength training, speed development, athletic development, and the biggest mistakes parents and coaches make when training young athletes.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Why coaching kids makes you a better coach
00:04:00 The biggest mistakes parents make with youth training
00:07:00 Building trust and confidence in young athletes
00:11:00 Why every kid needs to leave with a win
00:15:00 Should kids lift weights?

In this Q&A episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd breaks down why calories in vs. calories out isn't always the best place to START when your goal is weight loss and what he believes you should focus on first.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Why Nutrition and Fat Loss Are So Confusing
00:01:23 Do You Need a Calorie Deficit to Lose Weight?
00:02:30 Why Cutting Calories Immediately Can Backfire
00:04:15 What to Focus on Before Calories
00:05:31 Food Quality, Protein, Fiber & Micronutrients
00:06:15 Signs of Poor Nutrient Partitioning
00:07:00 Gut Health, Inflammation & Metabolic Health
00:09:00 Blood Sugar, Insulin Se...

How should a beginner start working out? In this episode, Judd breaks down the 5 training principles every beginner should understand before worrying about complicated workout programs, extreme intensity, or burning more calories.

From walking and strength training to building muscle, improving movement, metabolic flexibility, and workout consistency, these fundamentals create the foundation for long-term fitness progress.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 The Perfect Workout for Beginners
00:00:18 5 Universal Training Principles
00:01:35 Principle #1: Build the Exercise Habit
00:04:10 Why Motivation and Discipline Aren’t Enough
00:06:15 Make Exercise Fit Your Life
00:08:05 Safety, Consistency & the “Perfect” Workout
00:09:50 Principle #2: Improve...

Should you cold plunge after lifting weights? Do you actually need carbs before a workout? And should your pre-workout nutrition change depending on whether you’re strength training, bodybuilding, running, or doing conditioning?

In this Q&A episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd breaks down cold plunge timing, sauna benefits, pre-workout carbs, glycogen, fat loss, fasted training, workout nutrition, and what to eat when nighttime hunger hits.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Cold Plunge After Training: Does It Hurt Your Gains?
00:02:43 Infrared Sauna vs. Traditional Dry Sauna
00:04:53 Should You Use a Sauna After a Workout?
...

Should men and women train differently? Judd breaks down the differences between male and female strength training, exercise selection, recovery, hormones, training volume, cardio, mobility, and performance.

Learn how biological differences between men and women can affect strength training, muscle growth, endurance, recovery, range of motion, exercise selection, and how close you should train to failure.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 - Should Men and Women Train Differently?
00:01:45 - Hormonal Differences & the Menstrual Cycle
00:05:05 - How Women Can Adjust Training Throughout the Month
00:10:25 - Strength, Power & Neurological Differences
00:11:20 - Why Women Can Handle More Tr...

How much strength training do you actually need, and can too much cardio hurt your muscle gains? In this Q&A episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd breaks down training volume, cardio, muscle growth, HIIT, sprinting, strength training for runners, fat loss, recovery, and more.

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⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 – Why HIIT Is the "Jack of All Trades"
00:00:29 – How Much Training Volume Do You Need for Strength & Power?
00:04:02 – Strength vs. Hypertrophy Training Volume
00:04:24 – How to Maintain Strength Without Losing Progress
00:05:18 – How Much Cardio Should Y...

“Functional training” has become one of the most overused and misunderstood terms in fitness. Some people associate it with kettlebells, unstable surfaces, unilateral exercises, carries, sandbags and multiplanar movement. Others hear the term and immediately dismiss the entire concept.

In this episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd argues that both sides are missing the point.

Functional training is not a specific style of exercise. By definition, training is functional when it improves the function or performance that matters to the individual doing it. That means the same exercise can be functional for one athlete, non...

In this Q&A episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd answers questions about transitioning from bodybuilding to athletic training, balancing fitness with a busy life, strength training for combat sports, training while practicing a sport, military fitness, rucking, leg training frequency, Bulgarian split squats, walking lunges, and the optimal dose of plyometrics.

⏱TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 How Much Time Do You Really Need to Train?
00:00:25 How to Transition From Bodybuilding to Athletic Training
00:04:08 How to Balance Training With a Busy Schedule
00:06:37 You Have More Time to Work Out Than You Think
00:07:18 How to Divide St...

Full body workouts can build strength, muscle, power, and athleticism without requiring six days a week in the gym. In this episode, Judd explains why total body training may be one of the best workout splits for men over 40, busy adults, and anyone struggling with recovery.

If your current bodybuilding split leaves you constantly sore, run down, or unable to train consistently, switching to a full body workout routine could help you train more efficiently while maintaining muscle, strength, power, mobility, and athletic performance.

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Should you cold plunge after training? Judd Lienhard breaks down cold plunge timing, sauna for recovery, and why stacking recovery protocols on top of hard training can work against you.

This week's Q&A covers CNS fatigue and how to gauge readiness to train, whether heavy sets or moderate set...

In this episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd lays out six training methods and technologies he believes have enormous untapped potential. Some already exist in gyms today. Others are becoming increasingly accessible as fitness technology improves. Together, they represent a different way of thinking about strength, power, conditioning, recovery, and long-term physical performance.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:00 6 Fitness Trends That Could Change How We Train
00:06:47 Why Concentric-Only Training Could Become More Popular
00:14:48 Flywheel Training and Safer Eccentric Overload
00:18:21 Isometric Training for Strength and Longevity
00:23:45 Bar Speed, Velocity Based Training and Power Output

In this episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd and Mia answer listener questions covering everything from alternatives to sprinting with bad knees to getting back into strength training at 50, recovering from a pec tear, training in a calorie deficit, kettlebell exercises, foot strength, nutrition while traveling, and whether five reps per set can really build muscle.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:22 Best sprint alternatives for bad knees
00:03:24 How to start working out again at 50
00:05:44 Single vs. double kettlebell snatches
00:06:31 Kettlebell windmills and functional strength
00:06:47 Top healthy aging habits after 40
00:08:36 How to maintain mu...

Most people have heard the phrase, "You can't outwork a bad diet." While that's absolutely true, it has also led many people to underestimate just how important exercise is for achieving and maintaining a lean, healthy body.

In this solo episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd breaks down one of the most misunderstood topics in health and fitness: why exercise is critical for fat loss even though it doesn't burn as many calories as most people think.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:12 Why most people misunderstand exercise and fat loss
00:04:20 Calories burned vs. long-term we...

In this Q&A episode, Judd answers listener questions covering everything from early morning workouts and hydration to sprint mechanics, programming strength training, athletic development, and why chasing every new fitness trend often distracts people from what actually matters.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:21 Early Morning Workout Tips
00:02:08 Hydration Before Morning Training
00:02:42 Warm-Up Strategies That Work
00:04:17 Preparing for a Downhill Marathon
00:06:03 Thoughts on the GOATA Movement System
00:11:00 Using Landmine Exercises in Your Program
00:13:12 How Often Should You Rotate Exercises?
00:15:26 Preventing Muscle Knots and Improving Shoulder Mechanics
00:18:23 Podcast Name Discussion
00:19:21 Fa...

For years, Judd trained like someone chasing maximum performance: heavy lifting, sprinting, jumping, high training volume, and pushing through everything. Eventually, his body stopped cooperating.

After years of intense training, combined with lifestyle factors, inflammation, injuries, and the realities of aging, Judd reached a point where training harder was no longer making him healthier. Instead of giving up strength, he completely rethought the way he trains.

In this episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd shares the personal story behind that transformation and introduces the Two Pattern Protocol: a straightforward training system designed for people...

In this Q&A episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd answers listener questions covering some of the biggest topics in strength training, recovery, exercise programming, healthy aging, conditioning, and fitness efficiency.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Why smarter training beats recovery hacks
00:00:34 The one exercise that reveals long-term health
00:02:02 Why the Turkish get-up is so valuable
00:03:09 Best workouts when you only have 10–15 minutes
00:05:49 CrossFit, efficiency, and training trade-offs
00:07:40 Weighted vest vs backpack for rucking
00:09:16 Recovery myths and the minimal effective dose
00:12:34 Sauna, health, and recovery
00:13:40 How to properly structure deload weeks
...

In this episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd shares the five principles he uses with beginners and athletes returning after long layoffs. Rather than chasing exhaustion or trying to make up for lost time, these rules focus on building a foundation that allows you to stay consistent, recover properly, and make steady progress.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00:00 Introduction & Why Most People Return to Training the Wrong Way
00:02:15 Rule #1: Slow Eccentrics, Pause Reps & Isometrics
00:08:20 Rule #2: Leave Every Workout Feeling Better Than You Started
00:15:35 Why Beginners Don't Need High Volume Training
00:19:45 Rule #3: Frequency Beats Intensity<...

In this Q&A episode, Judd answers another round of listener questions covering everything from fixing the "skinny fat" physique to learning a new sport later in life, how to structure sprint training, whether you should train while sore, and why carbohydrates may be one of the most underrated tools for building muscle.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:27 How to Fix Being Skinny Fat
00:05:04 Should You Learn a New Sport After 40?
00:08:12 Should You Lift When You're Sore?
00:11:30 How to Maintain Muscle Without Getting Bigger
00:13:29 Do You Need Carbs to Build Muscle?
00:15:49 Why Do Yo...

In this episode, Judd answers one of the biggest questions in fitness:

If your goal is simply to become as fit, athletic, healthy, and capable as possible, what should your week actually look like?

Rather than chasing trends or specializing in one physical quality, Judd lays out a practical blueprint that balances strength, hypertrophy, power, metabolic conditioning, aerobic fitness, mobility, and recovery into one sustainable weekly program. The goal isn't to maximize one attribute while sacrificing everything else, it's to build a body that performs well across the board while fitting into a realistic lifestyle.<...

Should athletes train specifically for their sport—or should they build the physical qualities that make them better athletes? In this Q&A episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd answers that question while diving into testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), wrestling strength training, volleyball programming, tendon health, ACL injuries, knee pain during squats, sandbag training, and much more.

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Judd’s MASS METHOD program combines strength, hypertrophy, conditioning, and recovery into a complete system designed to help you build muscle, stay athletic, and continue performing for decades.

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In...

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In this Q&A episode of The Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd answers your biggest questions on strength training, hypertrophy, athletic performance, nutrition, recovery, speed development, and programming.

How should you warm up before lifting? How much volume do you actually need to build muscle? Is protein intake different when cutting versus bulking? Does speed training hurt strength gains? What rep...

Most lifters are actually training for strength endurance, not absolute strength... and that's why they eventually hit frustrating plateaus.

In this episode, Judd explains one of the biggest misconceptions in modern fitness: lifting weights doesn't automatically make you strong. The way you organize your sets, reps, intensity, fatigue, and recovery determines the adaptation your body develops. If your workouts primarily consist of higher-rep sets, excessive volume, and constant fatigue, your body becomes better at producing moderate force repeatedly, not generating maximum force when it matters most.

Train smarter, move better, perform like an athlete again.<...

In this episode of the Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd answers another round of listener questions covering one of the most misunderstood topics in fitness: how much training is actually enough? While social media has made minimalist workouts incredibly popular, Judd explains why the answer isn't as simple as "less is more."

He breaks down the relationship between training volume, frequency, intensity, and strength gains, explaining why beginners, intermediate lifters, and advanced athletes all require different approaches. While there is absolutely a point of diminishing returns, Judd argues that many people have swung too far in the opposite...

Most people believe progressive overload simply means adding more weight to the bar. While that can work initially, it's also one of the biggest reasons lifters eventually hit plateaus. In this solo episode, Judd explains why true progression involves much more than increasing load and how understanding every variable that makes an exercise difficult can help you continue building strength for years.

Judd breaks down his philosophy of progression, including why movement speed, range of motion, volume, fatigue, complexity, and exercise selection all play a role in long-term strength development. He also shares his preferred stepped progression...

In this Q&A episode, Judd answers listener questions covering recovery, athletic performance, injury prevention, progression, and the practical side of building strength for life.

Judd explains why scheduled deload weeks aren't necessary for everyone, how to recognize the signs of overtraining, and why understanding basic training principles helps you make better decisions than blindly following internet advice. He also shares simple ways to improve athleticism without overhauling your current workout routine and discusses how older lifters or those dealing with knee pain can continue building strength safely.

The conversation also covers Judd's biggest lessons...

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Judd Lienhard sits down with Bert Sorin, CEO of Sorinex, to discuss what actually makes athletes better, why most coaches misunderstand strength training, and how elite performers think differently about training, recovery, and life.

Bert Sorin has spent decades working alongside the world's best strength coaches, collegiate athletic p...

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In this week's Q&A episode, Judd answers some of the most common questions from listeners about fitness, athleticism, strength training, longevity, and how training should evolve after 40.

What separates someone who's simply "fit" from someone who's truly athletic? Are there really bad exercises? How much training volume do y...

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Does training need to look exactly like your sport? In this episode, Judd Lienhard breaks down one of the most misunderstood concepts in fitness, athletic performance, and strength training: specificity. Learn why copying sport movements in the gym is often the wrong approach, how elite strength coaches actually think about performance development, and why improving physical capabilities matters more than making exercises...

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In this week's Q&A episode of The Judd Lienhard Podcast, Judd answers listener questions covering everything from sprinting versus jogging and injury recovery to creatine supplementation, shoulder pain, plantar fasciitis, Jefferson curls, and why most people structure their training completely backwards.

Judd explains why exercises are simply tools—not goals—and why effective trai...

Jon Heck returns to The Judd Lienhard Podcast for an objective discussion about anabolic steroids, TRT, performance-enhancing drugs, nutrition, bodybuilding, athletic performance, and long-term health.

This episode is sponsored by David Protein. David protein bars have the best protein/calorie ratio on the market and they taste delicious. Get free shipping on your first order at: www.davidprotein.com/judd

In a fitness industry full of extremes, Judd and Jon take a balanced approach to one of the most controversial topics in strength training. Rather than glorifying or demonizing performance-enhancing drugs, they break down what...

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Bro splits have become the punching bag of the modern fitness industry.

According to social media, if you're not doing full body workouts, functional fitness, CrossFit, athletic performance training, or some version of high-frequency programming, you're wasting your time.

But is that actually true?

In this solo episode, Judd defends one of the most criticized training methods in fitness: body part split training. While he still...