Build Bigger, Stronger Legs: How To Train Quads, Hamstrings, & Glutes for Performance

Muscles don’t want to grow—you have to force them.
Adaptation is painful and uncomfortable, and nowhere is that more true than with leg training. Quads grow with pain. Glutes and hamstrings grow with high tension. Most lifters miss both.

I’m Judd Lienhard—former Army Ranger, college linebacker, and strength & performance coach for 15+ years. In this episode, I break down why most leg workouts fail—and how to actually build bigger, stronger, more athletic legs.

Too many people train legs the wrong way:

• Overloading quads while neglecting hamstrings and glutes
• Relying only on bilateral lifts instead of adding unilateral work like lunges and split squats
• Training legs once a week and wondering why they aren’t growing
• Ignoring side-to-side movements that build complete athletic legs
• Stopping sets when things get uncomfortable instead of pushing for adaptation

If you want legs that look powerful and perform in the real world—sprinting, jumping, and changing direction—you need to train smarter.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why unilateral lifts are the most complete leg exercises
• How to program quad-focused vs. hinge-focused leg days
• The 4 changes I made in my 30s that finally unlocked leg growth
• How to train legs with enough frequency without wrecking recovery
• Why calves rarely grow in the gym—and what athletes do differently
• How to target different quad and hamstring heads for complete development

Stop wasting time on leg workouts that don’t work. Train for size, strength, and performance.

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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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