"pads on all 4?" Do you have 4 wheel discs?
There are many reasons for high pedal effort.
One is brake lining material that is unsuited. Some material stops "cold" but fades badly. This was often used on cheaper cars with smaller brakes and 6 cyl. engines.
Better lining, and better and better, and up into metallic---DOES need higher pedal effort, and often pretty much MUST be boosted, and sometimes stops rather poorly until warmed up. The old "Velvetouch" lining was that way.
Next there is fit. Did you turn the drums/ rotors? If the rotors were somewhat worn, especially unevenly, the pad will only "ride" on top of the high spots and not contact the rotor surface evenly
Drums are the same way, but worse. Drums can be worn uneven, will have a ridge on the outside and inside, and this prevents the new shoes from having decent contact.
Drums also suffer from difference in diameter, due to being turned. In the "old" days, you could have shoes "arced" which ground/ contoured the shoe lining to better fit the oversize drum---the drum that was oversized because you TURNED it.
I believe new (drum) shoes thesedays are "prearced" to allow for some drum oversize, but that's not perfect.
Also (if you have rear drums) some drum setups, you can get the shoes installed side-for side. This means that you can, if not careful, get the primary and secondary shoes reversed---not good for stopping.
We need more details, here
