Punishing Chest With The Sadik Workout

I recently started lifting again after a short 3-week break. However, I noticed again that the workout plan I was currently on was leading me towards the same lifting plateaus I had been struggling with before my break from the gym.

As if by a sign from the aesthetic gods, I saw that Sadik Hadzovic, the 2014 Mr. Olympia runner up and 3x IFBB Physique Champion, had posted his workout routine on Simply Shredded.com.

I’m no physique competitor, nor am I even a competitive lifter, but something about his high-volume workout routine caught my attention. I had recently been on a heavier weight, lower-rep range workout regimen. I copied his workout onto my phone, and I decided to give it a go.

Here’s what his workout looks like. You can also check it out on SimplyShredded.com:

Monday: Back

• Deadlifts 5×11-13
• Lat Pull Downs 4×11-13
• Bent Over Barbell Rows 4×11-13
• Underhand Pull Ups 3×11-13
• Seated Cable Rows 4×11-13
• Overhand Pull Ups 1 set to failure

Tuesday: Chest

• Incline Dumbbell Fly’s 4×11-13
• Incline Barbell Bench Press 5×11-13
• Machine Fly’s 4×11-13
• Bench Press 5×11-13
• Cable Fly’s 3×11-13
• Decline Machine Press 4×11-13
• Push Ups 1 set to failure

Wednesday: Cardio

• Interval Sprints (1 minute rest, 1 minute sprint for 5 sets)

Thursday: Legs

• Leg Press 5×11-13
• Leg Extensions 5×11-13
• Lying Leg Curl 5×11-13
• Donkey Calf Raises 6×11-13
• Squats 4×11-13
• Walking Lunges to failure

Friday: Arms

• Seated Preacher Curls 4×11-13
• French Curls (on decline) 5×11-13
• Standing Hammer Curls 4×11-13
• Tricep Pushdowns 5×11-13
• Heavy Barbell Curl 3×11-13
• Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions 3×11-13

Saturday: Abs

• Cable Crunches 4×11-13
• Arm & Leg Raises With Exercise Ball 4×11-13
• Alternating Leg Ups 4×11-13
• Running Plank 4×11-13
• Torso Twist with Medicine Ball 4×11-13
• Alternating Toe Touches 4×11-13
• Hanging Leg Raises 1 set to failure

Sunday: Shoulders

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 5×11-13
• Seated Dumbbell Side Raises 5×11-13
• Seated Dumbbell Front Raises 3×11-13
• Barbell Shrugs 4×11-13
• Barbell Standing Military Press 4×11-13
• Standing Dumbbell Arnold Presses 3×11-13

My Experience with Sadik’s Workout

Fast forward a couple weeks, I can officially say I am a huge fan of Sadik’s high-volume workout.

Once I switched to this high-volume exercise, I noticed that my muscles had never really known true soreness. Needless to say, my legs are still recovering from last week.

However, before I go any further, I will have you know that I had to tweak a little bit of the exercise protocol because I am not able to work out 7 days a week like the workout schedule calls for.

The first run-through of each workout was more of a trial and error, and by that I mean I had to adjust my weight to fit the amount of reps and sets this new workout requires.

One of the first things I noticed was the incredible pump that I got form doing 11-13 reps per set. I hadn’t felt a good muscle pump like that in a while, and I hadn’t switched pre-workouts, so I knew it was definitely a result of higher repetitions. Let’s just say I felt similar to how Arnold Schwarzenegger explained it, just on a non-Mr. Olympia level.

I noticed the biggest improvement in my lower-body. Before starting Sadik’s workout, I never really looked forward to leg day. I saw it much more as a chore, and that may be due to the fact that my biggest lifting plateau was my squat. I had been squatting the same amount of weight for a while, and the fact that I wasn’t making notable gains overtime was rather depressing.

Leg day now is great. Squats come second to last, which allows me to blast away at quads, hamstrings, and calves doing isolated movements on different machines and then completely fatigue them by the end of the workout.

As a side benefit, I am also a huge fan of Sadik’s workout because I can go through most, if not all, the workout without the need of a spotter due to the fact that it is a “lower” weight. And let’s get serious, it’s not always the easiest to synch up gym schedules with buddies.

Overall, I am really enjoying this workout plan. I will continue on with it for the foreseeable future, especially if I continue to see results.