2874: The Best Variations to Explode Your Squat, Deadlift and Bench Press
Release Date: 06/06/2026
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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