Judd Lienhard is surprisingly open to questions about mortality. Behind the 250 pounds of muscle is a man unusually willing to confront what that mass means for his long-term health and to plan for its eventual disappearance. “I do not plan to be doing this when I’m 70,” he says flatly. His goal? Drop fifty pounds over the next few decades. Not because he’s slowing down, but because staying that big would probably kill him. 

It’s this fight between performance and preservation, between “anabolic” and “sustainable” that defines Lienhard’s entire approach to longevity. He’s still a maximalist when it comes to supplementation (“if it’s not dangerous, it’s affordable, and there’s any evidence at all that it helps — I’ll consider it”), and speaks with conviction about everything from parasympathetic wind-down routines to the strategic use of sugar. But there’s no messianic tone here, no grand claims. In fact, he’s incredibly humble. “Full disclosure, my life routines right now are not where they need to be,” he admits. “I’m going through a hard point in my life.” 

Which might be the most honest longevity protocol of all: one that acknowledges chaos, forgives imperfection and still tries to do better. Because for all the breathwork, notepads, dimmed lights and glycine capsules, Lienhard’s real advantage might be his ability to see clearly through the noise. When it comes to longevity, “muscle is not always an asset,” he says. “It’s a liability.”

How do you think about supplementation? Are there any supplements you take regularly? 

Probably too many. My thing is: if it’s not dangerous, it’s affordable, and there’s any evidence at all that it helps — I’ll consider it. Right now my focus is more on heart health, brain health, organ health. Because whether you’re on antibiotics or not, if you’re a big dude, your organs are taking a beating — they’re always processing waste products. 

So liver and kidney health are important. Brain health too. Things with research behind them — like ginseng, GABA, alpha-GPC… the list goes on. There’s also a lot of evidence mushrooms can help with brain health and trauma. 

And I tend to stay away from stimulants — anything that affects my heart rate or raises my blood pressure. Supplements, by nature, should be things you’re already getting — you’re just adding a little more. That’s why they’re called supplements. 

Any others you’d specifically suggest or avoid? 

Anything that messes with my hormonal profile — other than the testosterone I’m already on — I’m wary of. But creatine? Creatine gets a bad rap — and it’s extraordinarily beneficial. Not just for muscle, but for brain health and heart health. 

We’re just now finding this out — but it still has such a bad rap. Parents are letting their kids take all these stimulants — basically methamphetamines from GNC — and they’re scared of creatine? Come on. 

So I take creatine — not a lot, just five grams a day. I probably take too many supplements, honestly — but I also take glycine, valerian root for sleep, GABA too… If there’s evidence that something helps, I’ll try it. 

Any other lifestyle practices? How do you wind down? Are there ways you improve parasympathetic drive? 

Let’s go back to that idea — pure things can come from impure vessels, right? I know the optimal way to wind down. But right now, I’m going through a life transition — a hard point in my life — and I’m not handling that the best. 

I’m working full time. Dealing with a custody issue. Instagram. I’m trying to manage it all. But accountability — that’s on me. I’m not going to blame those things. I have to find better ways to handle it. 

So full disclosure — my life routines right now are not where they need to be. But if you’re asking what the ideal would be: 

You start to control screen time. You focus on your breathing. You hydrate earlier in the day, so you’re not chugging water at night. You severely limit alcohol in the evening. 

Start dimming the lights gradually as night comes on. Avoid mental overstimulation. That’s the time to pick a few things you’re grateful for — and focus on those. Big thing: write things down that you have to do tomorrow — to get them off your mind. 

Once that list is written down, you can clear your mind. Keep a notepad next to the bed. If you panic and remember something, get up, write it down — and let it go. Those are basic things we know help with getting quality sleep. 

I take some supplements that help my brain shut down too — but this is really simple stuff. It’s just stuff we all kind of know — we just don’t implement. 

As you said — it’s about consistent implementation. Any tips on practical implementation? 

Just sit there — Wim Hof, or other breathing methods — and do focused breathing for a minute after you lie down in bed. You’ll be shocked how fast you fall asleep. 

It’s not some trick. All you do is breathe the right way, focus on it, count your breaths, and stop thinking about anything else. You’ll finish relaxed — and fall asleep faster than you thought possible. It’s simple stuff, man. There’s nothing revolutionary about it. It’s just stuff we’ve forgotten. 

It’s stuff that’s out there: physiological sighs, non-sleep deep rest, yoga nidra…But like you said — that’s the stuff that really works.

So my thing is — all that stuff’s great — but everything has to be practical and able to be implemented in your current life. A lot of these guys — and I love them for what they’re doing — they have a lifestyle where they can do things the average person just doesn’t have the time or energy for. 

There’s so much out there. But it has to come back to: What’s the most effective thing I can do, with the least disruption to my life, the least money spent, the least discomfort? 

What are the easiest things I can implement right now that will make the most change?And those things are simple: controlling light, watching what you eat and drink before bed, breathing, writing things down. 

Those are things we all can do — no matter your income. 

Are there any other practices you implement, or ways you think about longevity? 

Well — what I’m about to say, a lot of people aren’t going to like. But it’s the truth. If you want to live longer — as we age, we’re going to have to reduce our muscle mass. We are. 

You need a fundamental amount of muscle and bone density to maintain a healthy life. But if you’re like me — walking around at 260 pounds — you’re not going to live to be 100. Not unless there’s a medical miracle. 

There’s going to come a point, when I’m in my 50s, 55, 60 — where I’m going to have to look in the mirror and say: “Okay. I’ve had muscle long enough. Now I need to change the priority to health. I need to maintain just enough muscle to live a quality life.” 

Bench pressing 450 pounds at 65 years old? If you want to do that — cool. That’s a choice. But just understand — that’s going to come at the cost of longevity. There’s no bodybuilder out there who walked around at 90 years old weighing 300 pounds. 

Every bodybuilder that lives a long life — they drop a lot of weight when they’re done competing. You just eat less food. You eat fewer calories. And you lose muscle mass. 

That’s a huge key to longevity. And I want to be upfront about that. 

If anyone’s listening — I do not plan to be doing this when I’m 70. I’ll still be active, fit, still working on power, strength — all of it. But I’m planning — and hoping I have the discipline — to do it at 170 or 180 pounds. Not 250. 

So you’d drop that much weight? 

Over the course of the next three decades? Yeah, man. I want to be around 200 pounds by the time I’m 70 — at least. 

So I’ve got to drop 50 pounds in 30 years. That sounds like a lot — but if I’m 55 and I’m 220, I’ll be okay with that. That’s ten years. 

Yeah — and especially if you keep the body fat low, right? 

Yeah. That matters too. But just carrying too much muscle — it’s not good for you. There’s a reason humans don’t naturally walk around with a lot of muscle. Muscle is a liability. 

We’ve got to remember — muscle is not always an asset. There’s a reason not every athlete is super muscular. There’s a reason your body tries to lose muscle. It’s metabolically expensive. It drives up inflammation. It taxes your system. 

So yes — stay lean. That’s good. But just having too much muscle — that’s not good either. And I think it’s important that I say that. 

Because people see me and they make an emotional association. But I want them to know — I’m doing this logically. And I know the risks of keeping this much muscle as I get older. 

There’s definitely a base level of muscle you want — but 260 pounds? Yeah, that’s clearly more than necessary.  

It serves no functional purpose after a certain point. 

And even in the military, right? You spent time there. A lot of those guys don’t look that impressive — but they’re incredible operators. 

Exactly. The sweet spot was usually 170 to 190. Big enough and strong enough to carry equipment, but not too big. 

Once you get over 200 pounds — unless you’re a tank driver — that’s not ideal. The big, bodybuilder-looking dudes in the military? They were usually the guys not in a combat MOS. They’d do their job, then hit the gym and bulk up — but they weren’t in the field. 

You didn’t see operators weighing 250. Didn’t happen. They wouldn’t be functional. Even me — when I was in, I was 225. Even then, my kit didn’t fit right. There’s a limit. 

And how tall are you, roughly? 

6’1″. So I’m like 250 right now — that’s my current weight. But I felt my best back when I was doing Austin’s Fittest — that was seven or eight years ago. I was around 218 to 222. Felt great, man. 

I was strong enough — could still deadlift 540, had a solid vertical — but I wasn’t crazy strong. I could walk up stairs without getting gassed. Could run five miles, no big deal. That’s probably when I felt the best, honestly. 

Do you ever do any kind of fasting? Thinking about the longevity stuff — any practices along those lines? 

I don’t — but I recognise that it’s very beneficial, honestly. Especially kind of pseudo-fasting — where you’re not necessarily starving yourself, but you’re staying ketogenic. 

I don’t think ketogenic is necessarily great for weight loss — calorie intake is still the most important part there. But ketogenic diets, in terms of benefits to inflammation, brain health, and heart health — I think they’re really valuable, for periods of time. 

So I don’t think you need to starve yourself — but if you eat in a certain way for a day or two, very low calorie, and really keep insulin levels low — stuff like that helps reset and control inflammation. 

There’s tons of research behind that. It’s not pseudoscience. 

What advice would you give to 25-year-old Judd — or 30-year-old Judd — that you think would’ve made the biggest impact? 

Don’t take yourself too seriously. 

Learn to laugh at yourself — because you’re going to get embarrassed. You’re going to make mistakes. Learn to laugh at yourself. Be easy on other people. Show some grace. Show some understanding. Be patient. 

Patience, man. Learn patience. And accept that there’s a lot you don’t know. Like — accept, right now — you don’t know way more than you know. And just become an avid learner, instead of always trying to show everyone how much you know. I’d say those three things. 

Photography Natali Hordiiuk