Patience, Angles & Aggression: The 3-Part Playbook for Training and Life | Judd Lienhard Q&A

Jan 1, 2026

Explore the life lessons from football: patience, angles, and aggression. Discover why consistency outshines random exercise routines and learn effective adaptations for shoulder injuries. Get insights on maintaining conditioning with stress fractures, and the importance of hydration and nutrition over stimulants. Delve into practical strategies for knee-friendly strength training in older athletes and understand the essentials of explosive power through cleans and high pulls. Plus, gain tips on optimizing sprinting and loaded carries for real-world performance.

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INSIGHT

Patience, Angles, Aggression Framework

Football taught Judd a three-step framework: patience, angles, and aggression.
Use patience to let things develop, take the right angle, then finish with relentless execution.

ADVICE

Periodize Instead Of Random Exercise Hopping

Use periodization: pick one focus and work it consistently for weeks or months.
Do an exercise at least once a week until you see improvement, then rotate focus.

ADVICE

Protect A Herniated Disc With Distraction

With a herniated disc, identify which side the disc material is affecting and avoid spinal compression.
Use gentle distraction and favor extension or flexion-based exercises opposite the symptomatic side.

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In this rapid-fire Q&A episode, Judd Lienhard shares the best lesson he took from football—a simple framework that applies to lifting, rehab, performance, and life: Patience. Angles. Aggression. Be patient and let the play develop, take the right angle with a smart plan, then finish with relentless execution.

From there, Judd and Mia rip through listener questions on periodization (why consistency beats random exercise hopping), shoulder injuries and training modifications, herniated discs and spine-friendly strategies, stress fractures and maintaining conditioning without impact, and the best ways to improve ankle mobility without wrecking your squat pattern.

They also hit Bulgarian split squat loading (contralateral vs ipsilateral), fueling vs “fasted” training (and why glycogen matters), what actually makes a pre-workout work (hint: hydration + salt + carbs), sprint progressions for adults, hack squats that blow up your back (and the fix), peptides like BPC-157/TB-500, IT band flare-ups, knee-friendly lower body strength for older lifters, and how Judd programs loaded carries for real-world performance.

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Topics covered:

Patience, angles, aggression: Judd’s football-to-life framework
Periodization: why focusing for weeks/months beats random rotation
Shoulder pain: range, force profile, stability demands, grip changes
Herniated discs: compression vs distraction + extension/flexion considerations
Stress fractures/shin pain: keep fitness with non-impact conditioning
Ankle mobility fixes + when to use lifting shoes/heel elevation
Pre-workout fundamentals: salt, hydration, carbs > stimulants
Sprint programming: progressions before full-speed efforts
Hack squat back pain: bracing + rib position + pad contact
Knee arthritis: slow/light full ROM + heavy partials + sled work
Loaded carries: offsets, rack, overhead, cradle/Zercher

This episode is brought to you by LMNT.

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The Judd Lienhard Podcast delivers unfiltered conversations with elite athletes, military leaders, and top coaches, exploring performance, mindset, and resilience. From NFL vets to Special Forces operators, each episode is packed with real-world lessons on training, leadership, and pushing limits.

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