The Judd Lienhard Podcast

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 Metabolic Flexibility
00:12:35 Why Beginners Should Prioritize Low-Intensity Exercise
00:15:00 Why Walking Works So Well
00:17:10 Principle #3: Build Muscle First
00:19:30 Why Hypertrophy Helps Almost Every Fitness Goal
00:22:10 Principle #4: Move Better Before Moving More
00:24:40 Movement Quality, Mobility & Range of Motion
00:26:30 Principle #5: Hard vs. Intense Training
00:29:20 Why Hard Workouts Don’t Always Build Speed or Strength
00:32:05 Easy vs. Hard vs. Intense Training
00:35:00 Why Easy Training Should Make Up Most of Your Work
00:37:15 The 5 Principles Every Beginner Needs

💪 Judd's resistance bands:
https://www.juddlienhard.com/product/resistance-bands-4-band-multi-pack

Follow Judd Lienhard:
📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juddlienhard/
📺 YouTube:  @JuddLienhard  
📖 Substack: https://substack.com/@juddlienhard
🌐 Website: https://www.juddlienhard.com/
This episode is brought to you by David Protein
David Protein has the highest protein-to-calorie ratio of any leading bar in the market. David Protein Gold label has: 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar. And equally as important, this bar tastes delicious. Each bar features an indulgent, doughy texture, studded with satisfying chunks and airy crisps. Other bars are hard to choke down, but I often eat 2 David Protein bars in a sitting, they are that good. Try them for yourself.
Order here for free shipping on your first order: davidprotein.com/judd
This episode is brought to you by LMNT
Optimal hydration doesn’t just mean more fluids, it means getting the right electrolyte balance. Make your purchase through my link to receive a free LMNT Sample Pack featuring the most popular flavors: drinklmnt.com/judd
Enjoyed this conversation? Consider sharing it with a friend. Subscribe, Rate, & Review to help us bring you more epic conversations. ⭐️🎧🔥

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?
00:06:06 Do You Need Carbs Before Training?
00:08:00 Glycogen, Exercise Intensity & the Talk Test
00:11:23 Should You Eat Carbs Before Training for Fat Loss?
00:15:22 Pre-Workout Nutrition for Lifting vs. Cardio
00:18:28 Judd’s David Protein Bar Record
00:18:51 How to Stop Nighttime Hunger & Cravings
00:22:03 Protein Before Bed, Anabolism & the Final Debate

💪 Judd's resistance bands:
https://www.juddlienhard.com/product/resistance-bands-4-band-multi-pack

Follow Judd Lienhard:
📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juddlienhard/
📺 YouTube:  @JuddLienhard  
📖 Substack: https://substack.com/@juddlienhard
🌐 Website: https://www.juddlienhard.com/
This episode is brought to you by David Protein
David Protein has the highest protein-to-calorie ratio of any leading bar in the market. David Protein Gold label has: 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar. And equally as important, this bar tastes delicious. Each bar features an indulgent, doughy texture, studded with satisfying chunks and airy crisps. Other bars are hard to choke down, but I often eat 2 David Protein bars in a sitting, they are that good. Try them for yourself.
Order here for free shipping on your first order: davidprotein.com/judd
This episode is brought to you by LMNT
Optimal hydration doesn’t just mean more fluids, it means getting the right electrolyte balance. Make your purchase through my link to receive a free LMNT Sample Pack featuring the most popular flavors: drinklmnt.com/judd
Enjoyed this conversation? Consider sharing it with a friend. Subscribe, Rate, & Review to help us bring you more epic conversations. ⭐️🎧🔥

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 Training Volume
00:14:15 - Why Men Need More Cardio & Mobility
00:15:30 - Why Women Should Lift Heavier & Train for Power
00:18:45 - Training to Failure: Men vs. Women
00:22:40 - Anatomy, Range of Motion & Exercise Selection
00:33:00 - How Men and Women Should Actually Train

💪 Judd's resistance bands:
https://www.juddlienhard.com/product/resistance-bands-4-band-multi-pack

Follow Judd Lienhard:
📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juddlienhard/
📺 YouTube:  @JuddLienhard  
📖 Substack: https://substack.com/@juddlienhard
🌐 Website: https://www.juddlienhard.com/
This episode is brought to you by David Protein
David Protein has the highest protein-to-calorie ratio of any leading bar in the market. David Protein Gold label has: 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar. And equally as important, this bar tastes delicious. Each bar features an indulgent, doughy texture, studded with satisfying chunks and airy crisps. Other bars are hard to choke down, but I often eat 2 David Protein bars in a sitting, they are that good. Try them for yourself.
Order here for free shipping on your first order: davidprotein.com/judd
This episode is brought to you by LMNT
Optimal hydration doesn’t just mean more fluids, it means getting the right electrolyte balance. Make your purchase through my link to receive a free LMNT Sample Pack featuring the most popular flavors: drinklmnt.com/judd
Enjoyed this conversation? Consider sharing it with a friend. Subscribe, Rate, & Review to help us bring you more epic conversations. ⭐️🎧🔥

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.

💪 Judd's resistance bands:
https://www.juddlienhard.com/product/resistance-bands-4-band-multi-pack

⏱ 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 You Do for Weight Loss?
00:08:33 – Does Cardio Kill Your Muscle Gains?
00:11:36 – How Ultra Runners Should Strength Train
00:15:32 – HIIT & Agility vs. Traditional Cardio
00:17:51 – Are Battle Ropes Actually Useful?
00:23:27 – Should You Sprint to Get Lean and Muscular?
00:26:51 – Strength Training Tips for Women
00:30:45 – How to Submit a Question for the Podcast
This episode is brought to you by David Protein
David Protein has the highest protein-to-calorie ratio of any leading bar in the market. David Protein Gold label has: 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar. And equally as important, this bar tastes delicious. Each bar features an indulgent, doughy texture, studded with satisfying chunks and airy crisps. Other bars are hard to choke down, but I often eat 2 David Protein bars in a sitting, they are that good. Try them for yourself.
Order here for free shipping on your first order: davidprotein.com/judd
This episode is brought to you by LMNT
Optimal hydration doesn’t just mean more fluids, it means getting the right electrolyte balance. Make your purchase through my link to receive a free LMNT Sample Pack featuring the most popular flavors: drinklmnt.com/judd
Enjoyed this conversation? Consider sharing it with a friend. Subscribe, Rate, & Review to help us bring you more epic conversations. ⭐️🎧🔥

“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-functional for another and potentially dysfunctional for someone else.
⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 What Functional Training Actually Means
00:00:15 The Problem With “Functional” vs. “Non-Functional” Training
00:00:43 Defining Functional, Non-Functional & Dysfunctional Exercise
00:02:30 Why Strength Training Is Usually Functional
00:05:10 Can Bodybuilding Make You Less Athletic?
00:08:00 Why Compound Lifts Improve Athletic Performance
00:10:45 The Real Reason Bodybuilders Can Look Unathletic
00:14:05 Why Machines & Bodybuilding Can Still Be Functional
00:17:20 Why Strong Athletes Need Different Training
00:19:55 The Case for Isolation Exercises
00:23:45 Why Leg Extensions & Biceps Curls Aren’t “Useless”
00:27:05 Compound vs. Isolation Training Explained
00:29:15 Why Machines Can Be MORE Functional Than Free Weights
00:32:55 When an Exercise Becomes Non-Functional
00:35:20 Strength Training for Boxers & Athletes
00:38:25 Why the Same Exercise Works Differently for Every Sport
00:40:15 The Case for “Functional” Training
00:42:30 Special Strength & Bridging the Gap to Athletic Performance
00:45:20 The Problem With Functional Training Dogma
00:47:45 The Problem With Barbell-Only Training
00:49:55 How to Choose Exercises Based on YOUR Needs
00:52:20 How Judd Structures His Own Training
00:55:00 Finding the Right Balance of Strength, Power & Isolation Work
00:56:40 Stop Asking Whether an Exercise Is “Functional”
Follow Judd Lienhard:
📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juddlienhard/
📺 YouTube:  @JuddLienhard  
📖 Substack: https://substack.com/@juddlienhard
🌐 Website: https://www.juddlienhard.com/
This episode is brought to you by David Protein
David Protein has the highest protein-to-calorie ratio of any leading bar in the market. David Protein Gold label has: 28g of protein, 150 calories, and 0g of sugar. And equally as important, this bar tastes delicious. Each bar features an indulgent, doughy texture, studded with satisfying chunks and airy crisps. Other bars are hard to choke down, but I often eat 2 David Protein bars in a sitting, they are that good. Try them for yourself.
Order here for free shipping on your first order: davidprotein.com/judd
This episode is brought to you by LMNT
Optimal hydration doesn’t just mean more fluids, it means getting the right electrolyte balance. Make your purchase through my link to receive a free LMNT Sample Pack featuring the most popular flavors: drinklmnt.com/judd
Enjoyed this conversation? Consider sharing it with a friend. Subscribe, Rate, & Review to help us bring you more epic conversations. ⭐️🎧🔥