MindPump exposes the RAW TRUTH about health, fitness, nutrition and more... Hosts Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer & Justin Andrews pull back the curtain on the mythology, snake oil and pseudo-science that pervades the fitness industry and present science-backed solutions that result in increased muscular development and performance while simultaneously emphasizing health. No fitness institution or fitness "truth" is safe from their quick wit and over 40 years of combined experience in the fitness industry. Produced by Doug Egge. Find Mind Pump and the Mind Pump hosts on Instragram @mindpumpmedia, @mindpumpsal, @mindpumpadam, @mindpumpjustin & @mindpumpdoug and at mindpumppodcast.com. Get expertly programmed Mind Pump training protocols at mapsfitnessproducts.com

2874: The Best Variations to Explode Your Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press

June 05, 2026 01:42:40 19.65 MB ( 78.89 MB less) Downloads: 0

In this episode the guys break down the best squat, deadlift and bench press variations and accessories to explode your strength — box squats, belt squats, front squats, split stance squats, trap bar deadlifts, zercher squats, suitcase carries, reverse hypers, dips, incline press, and bands and chains. They also get into a study showing married young adults are significantly happier than their single peers, astaxanthin as an internal sunscreen supplement, the spike in strokes among people in their 20s and 30s, alpha-gal syndrome increasing 3000% in some states, and Justin's family trip to Yellowstone. Then they coach live callers submitted through mplivecaller.com — Aaron from Indiana on body composition after strongman, Derek from California on a slow bulk and rising body fat, Nick from Alberta on low testosterone after multiple concussions, and Kathy from Florida on building muscle and bone density with MS and osteoporosis.

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0:00 - Intro

2:07 - Squat, deadlift and bench press hacks to explode your strength

3:43 - Squat hacks: box squat, belt squat, front squat & split stance squat

17:16 - Deadlift hacks: trap bar deadlift, zercher squat, suitcase carries & reverse hyper

23:28 - Bench press hacks: weighted dips, incline press, bands & chains

27:50 - Astaxanthin as internal sunscreen — Justin's Palm Desert experiment

38:24 - Study: Married 22–35 year olds are dramatically happier than single peers

50:58 - Strokes spiking in people in their 20s and 30s — what's going on?

52:24 - Alpha-gal syndrome up 3,000% in some states — bioterrorism investigation

56:50 - Kion amino acids — why 40% leucine is the trigger for muscle protein synthesis

1:00:36 - Caller: Aaron (Indiana) — strongman background, 29% body fat, bulk vs. cut cycles

1:09:21 - Caller: Derek (California) — slow bulk, rising body fat, strength doubled in 18 months

1:19:33 - Caller: Nick (Alberta) — low testosterone, 5 concussions, hormone questions

1:31:06 - Caller: Kathy (Florida) — MS, osteoporosis, overtraining on Maps Esthetic, gets a coach