Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth

Episode 2755 – Hit New PRs in Your Squat, Bench, Deadlift & Overhead Press with This Program
Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews, Doug Egge

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Mind Pump crew dives deep into the launch and methodology of their new MAPS 15 Powerlift program. The focus is on helping listeners hit personal records (PRs) in the four foundational compound lifts—bench press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press—using a novel 15-minutes-a-day training format. The hosts challenge common misconceptions around powerlifting, dissect why this approach builds superior strength and physique, and share insider tips about optimizing each lift to boost performance while minimizing injury risk.

This episode is highly useful for beginners and seasoned lifters alike, especially those looking for time-efficient, targeted strength improvements.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Powerlifting for Everyone?

• Foundational Strength & Simplicity

  • Powerlifting focuses on the “big three” (squat, bench, deadlift), with Mind Pump’s addition of the overhead press. This covers all major muscle groups and allows for overall strength, muscle gain, and fat loss.

    “If you get strong at those four lifts, your whole body is getting developed. Well, you're building great muscle, great strength. For people who want fat loss, you're boosting metabolism in big ways. These lifts cover every muscle of the entire body.”
    — Sal Di Stefano [04:30]

  • The 15-minute format is designed for people with limited time, making optimal progress accessible for both new and advanced strength trainees.

• Breaking Myths About Powerlifting Physiques

  • Many believe training like a powerlifter yields only a bulky or less aesthetic physique—but this perception is based on elite, genetically gifted athletes. In reality, average people training powerlifts see balanced development and improved health.

    “At the very, very top, you have genetically gifted people for that sport, plus the training, discipline and structure... For the average person, if you follow powerlifting style training, you're just going to develop a great physique.”
    — Sal Di Stefano [07:20]

Programming Approach — MAPS 15 Powerlift

• Phased, Time-Efficient Training

  • The program is structured in 4 key phases, each hyper-focusing on one major lift for PR performance, while maintaining full-body training for balance and injury prevention.
    • Phase 1: Bench Press
    • Phase 2: Squat
    • Phase 3: Overhead Press
    • Phase 4: Deadlift
      Each phase shifts the emphasis but continues to train the whole body, with special attention to the “stressed” areas unique to each lift.

    “Phase one, the focus is bench press... Phase two, hit a PR in squat. Phase three, hit a PR in overhead press, and then phase four, hit a PR in deadlift... You can expect... to hit PRs in each of those lifts in each of those phases.”
    — Sal Di Stefano [11:04]

• The Importance of Specificity

  • Trying to progress in all lifts simultaneously is a common mistake and leads to subpar results or injury. Focusing on one lift per phase maximizes gains.

    “If you want to get really strong at a particular movement pattern or a lift, that should be the focus. And everything else... is geared towards that one lift. That's how you'll maximize that one lift.”
    — Sal Di Stefano [13:07]

• Built-in Injury Prevention

  • MAPS 15 Powerlift intentionally emphasizes strengthening vulnerable areas—e.g., rotator cuffs for bench, hip and low back support for squats and deadlifts—so PR progress doesn’t come at the expense of joint and tissue health.

    “If you don't pay special attention to those particular areas of risk, like the shoulders, for example, then you can run into some problems. Not just plateau, but potential injury.”
    — Sal Di Stefano [14:05]

Who Is This For?

• Beginners: Provides an easy-to-follow, minimal time commitment entry into strength training.
• Advanced Lifters: Perfect for those who’ve plateaued or want to bring up lagging lifts.
• Anyone Focused on Technique and Longevity: Great for dialing in form and bolstering stabilizer and supporting muscles for sustainable strength gains.

Why 15-Minute Workouts?

• Fits modern busy lifestyles without sacrificing strength results.
• Forces hyper-efficient, high-quality movement and focus.
• Keeps the commitment low while delivering noticeable progress.

  “In the time it took you to listen to this episode, you'd be done with a workout.”
  — Sal Di Stefano [19:01]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Programming Philosophy:

  “This is the program you could probably run back to back if you really wanna push those numbers…this daily short strength training, programming kind of workout style. I predict this to be the next big trend because it works.”
  — Sal Di Stefano [18:05]

• On Mistakes in Chasing PRs:

  “When you're chasing a PR with the rest of your volume and the rest of your training...they tend to focus on all four of those main lifts at the same time and then get a little bit or nothing from all four lifts versus hyper focusing on one.”
  — Adam Schafer [12:41]

• On Injury Prevention:

  “You have a super intelligent central nervous system that will limit your strength based off of its risk of injury assessment. So oftentimes you plateau not because you're not strong enough to lift more, but because your body won't let you lift more because the risk of injury is there.”
  — Sal Di Stefano [17:02]

• On What They Wish They Knew When Starting Out:

  “If I could go back again and tell 17-year-old me that started touching weights, I would push me in a direction like this. Just start here, not a huge commitment of hour-long gym sessions.”
  — Justin Andrews [18:36]

Key Segment Timestamps

• Why Powerlifting Works for Everyone – [03:41–06:08]
• Myths & Genetics in Powerlifting Bodies – [06:08–09:05]
• Program Structure & Phase Breakdown – [09:56–12:41]
• Common Training Mistakes & Specificity – [12:41–14:05]
• Injury Prevention in PR-Driven Training – [14:05–17:02]
• Why Short, Daily Workouts Work – [18:05–19:01]
• Final Thoughts & Promotion – [19:01–19:42]

Conclusion & Takeaways

• MAPS 15 Powerlift offers a novel solution for anyone ready to get stronger in less time, emphasizing world-class programming, laser-focused PR chasing, and robust injury prevention.
• Whether you’re a busy professional, new lifter, or stuck at a plateau, this protocol can maximize your results with minimal daily time investment and smart, phase-specific progression.
• The hosts stress that focusing on one lift at a time, supported by strategic accessory moves, is the key to real performance breakthroughs.
• Their vision: short, daily, intelligently phased training will dominate the next wave of real-world fitness.

To learn more or join MAPS 15 Powerlift, visit 15powerlift.com and use code DECEMBER50 for 50% off.