2888: The 6 Best Lifts for Athletic Fitness (That Actually Transfer to Real Life)
Jun 26, 2026
In this episode the guys break down the six best lifts for athletic fitness — the movements that translate directly to real world performance, sport and everyday life. They cover lunges and sled work, the standing overhead press, trap bar deadlift, one arm rows with rotation and pull ups, hanging leg raises done correctly, and band and cable chops for rotational power. They also reminisce about their worst business failures — Sal’s second studio location that cost him 75K to break the lease, Adam’s mobile car detailing hustle, Justin’s app build, and Doug’s story of losing his entire Japan savings to a fraudulent investment group that got raided by the IRS mid-call. Then they answer questions from Instagram on Bulgarian split squat imbalances, swapping exercises in MAPS 15 Powerlift, which program fixes imbalances and unlocks squat depth, and how to pair sprint intervals with strength training.
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SPONSORS
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LINKS
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Instagram: @mindpumpmedia
0:00 – Intro
2:28 – 6 best lifts for athletic fitness
3:25 – Lunges and sled work — triple extension, split stance and why sled is the most accessible power exercise
8:09 – Standing overhead press — the squat of the upper body and how it reveals your whole body strength
10:22 – Trap bar deadlift — why athletic coaches prefer it over conventional for most sports
14:38 – One arm rows with rotation and pull ups — pulling strength and the rotational component most programs miss
16:31 – Hanging leg raises — how to do them correctly and why they matter for every athletic movement
18:25 – Band and cable chops — rotational and anti-rotational power for sport
21:15 – Worst business failures — studios, apps, car detailing and Doug’s IRS raid story
50:13 – Rho liposomal creatine solving the bloating problem for women
51:43 – Justin’s Yellowstone trip and the bear world grizzly feeding park
59:25 – Paleo Valley fermentation process and the Truckee cabin bear break-in story
1:01:22 – Q&A: Bulgarian split squat imbalances — how to even out a weaker leg
1:04:41 – Q&A: Swapping exercises in MAPS 15 Powerlift with weaker lift variations
1:05:47 – Q&A: Best MAPS program for fixing imbalances and unlocking squat depth
1:07:40 – Q&A: How to pair sprint intervals with strength training correctly
