Ever done cardio to lose fat? Most people have. Ever done cardio without moving? A bit less common. But I’m about to teach you how with a little thing called Sadiv Sets.
But first, I need to tell you something important about cardio and fat loss…
Efficient movement makes for inefficient fat loss.
Take running, for example. It’s cardio royalty. Regardless of how much you love or hate it, you’ve probably gone running. But here’s the thing—the more you run, the less calories you burn while running. Why? Because your body becomes more efficient at running and it requires less energy. This principle applies to exercises across the board.
Good movement economy (being energy efficient) is a great thing for endurance athletes. But it’s the kiss of death when it comes to your fat loss.
Think of it like a drug addiction. The more an addict uses, the more they need to increase the dose if they want the same high. It’s the same for you. Except the drug is your workout and the high is your fat loss.
If you’re still doing the same cardio workouts you did last year, you need to mix things up. Unless you don’t actually like seeing progress, in which case you can keep on doing the same things.
Or you could do Sadiv Sets.
You’ll mix things up, strip away stubborn fat, and kick your results into high gear.
What’s a Sadiv Set?
They’re the brain child of Rich Sadiv, who’s also known as The Human Crane. I thought it was a strange nickname. But then I saw him deadlift.
A 500 pound deadlift is no joke. He tears that off the ground (for reps), and calls out Stan Dutton while he does it. Talk about making it look easy.
Related: Strength literally changed my life. Click here to see how it can change yours.
Beyond being strong, Rich has been a giant in the strength and conditioning industry for years. At Parisi Speed School, he helps everyone from athletes to average Joes get faster, stronger, and perform better.
He’s one of the best in the business. When one of the best in the business shares a training technique, it pays to listen.
Sadiv Sets are super simple. Set a timer and make heavy things move. But simple doesn’t mean easy.
Sadiv Sets and the Deadlift
Don’t do a deadlift Sadiv Set without a proper warm up. You should go through a thorough warm up that includes soft tissue work, mobility, activation drills, and a few light warm up sets. Never go into it cold. Honestly, if you ever deadlift without warming up, you may want to reconsider your life choices. You’re setting yourself up for injury.
What to do:
– Set a 12-minute timer.
– Using a bar loaded with 60% of your one rep max (1RM), perform a single rep. For example: if your 1RM is 450 pounds, use 270 pounds and do one rep with perfect form.
– Reset, rinse, and repeat. In other words, each “set” is a single rep.
– Focus on speed with every single rep. You want the bar to move as fast as possible with impeccable form. If bar speed is slow or form breaks down, lighten the load.
– Do as many reps as possible before time runs out. Here’s your goal—20 perfect reps.
Remember, bar speed is the key. Ripping the bar off the ground has a few important benefits. For one, you’ll train power and become more explosive. Speed work—like you’ll do here—has been a staple in performance training for years.
On top of improving performance, speed work also leads to a killer cardiovascular response. Your body has to work hard to lift heavy weight off the ground as many times as possible in 12 minutes. In a lot of ways, it’ll feel like cardio. Your heart, lungs, and muscles are working hard. But instead of jogging for miles, you stood in the same exact spot.
Congratulations. You just did cardio without even moving.
Sadiv Sets and the Bench Press
Don’t do a bench press Sadiv Set without a proper warm up either. Again, not doing a warm up is a big deal. Just do your warm up, people. Follow the list I mentioned before.
What to do:
– Set a 10-minute timer.
– Using a bar loaded with 90% of your one rep max (1RM), perform a single rep. For example: if your 1RM is 250 pounds, use 225 pounds and do one rep with perfect form. (With the bench press, I usually recommend rounding down if rounding is necessary.)
– Rack the bar, rinse, and repeat. Each “set” is a single rep.
– Do as many reps as possible before time runs out. Here’s your goal—10 perfect reps.
Because 90% of your 1RM is heavy, don’t worry as much about speed during bench press Sadiv Sets. Hitting 10 total reps with 90% of your max is hard. It’s even harder when you’re on a time crunch.
Don’t go too heavy. When you need it, grab a spotter. Being safe is more important than trying to show off to the cutie on the elliptical.
Get Better Every Day
No matter what you’re doing in the gym or in life, you should do things that make you better. Every. Single. Day. The Japanese even have a word for continual improvement—kaizen. It’s what life’s all about.
Sadiv Sets make tracking—and continuing—your progress easy. Regardless of how many reps you get in your timed set, the goal is to simply do more next time. Did you get hit 20 reps on the deadlift? Awesome. Shoot for 21 reps next time. (Important note: I usually don’t recommend doing Sadiv Sets more than one or two times per month for either lift.)
When you compete against yourself, results will fall into place. If you compete against yourself using Sadiv Sets, those results will be obvious fat loss.
I know what it’s like.
When we find a workout that works well, we cling to it. But when we stick to the same workout for too long, it becomes far less effective.
If you’re still using old workouts and your fat loss has stalled, do yourself a favor and try Sadiv Sets.
Better yet, get a friend involved. Think of someone you know that either wants to lose fat or needs a new workout.
Got someone in mind? Perfect. Now do this:
1. Share this article with them on Facebook.
2. Challenge them to a friendly competition. (Most reps wins.)
3. Have whoever loses buy the post-workout carbs. (I vote froyo.)
4. Snap me photos and videos of the competition—especially the froyo. Search for bentrained.
