2874: The Best Variations to Explode Your Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press
Release Date: 06/06/2026
Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
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...
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Jay Dhaliwal, founder of Super Patch, joins Mind Pump to break down one of the most unconventional technologies in health and wellness — haptic patches that alleviate pain, improve sleep, boost athletic performance, and more with zero compounds or drugs. Sal opens up about being deeply skeptical until reviewing the peer-reviewed studies, and the guys walk Jay through the entire origin story — from a passion project to help his mother with MS, to 17 years of research, $40 million of his own money, and 16 published peer-reviewed studies. They cover the neuroscience of how skin...
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In this episode the guys break down exactly when you should NOT add weight to the bar, including when you've already reached your strength ceiling, when your form isn't perfect, when you feel any pain or discomfort, after a bad night of sleep, and when you're in a calorie deficit. They also get into a study showing exercise variety predicts longevity better than exercise volume, Sal's experience with a new peptide called 5-amino-1MQ through MPHormones, TMG as a creatine-stacking supplement, and the story of Pope John Paul II's assassination attempt and the remarkable forgiveness that...
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MEMORIAL DAY SALE: 40% OFF ALL Programs, Bundles & Guides! https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/maps-fitness-individual-programs/?htrafficsource=youtube-organic&hcategory=MPSHOW&el=2865 In this episode the guys break down how most people can hit new strength PRs by training less, cutting volume and shifting to short daily practice. SPONSORS ZBiotics (pre alcohol probiotic): https://zbiotics.com/mindpump26 Code MINDPUMP26 for 15% off first order MAPS Memorial Day Sale: https://mapsfitnessproducts.com Code MemorialDay40 for 40% off all MAPS programs Timestamps:...
info_outlineIn 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