Former Arnold Classic Champ Calls Out Sam Sulek for “Not Using the Muscle” During Heavy Chest Workout

Nearly every fitness enthusiast on the internet is familiar with Sam Sulek. They’re also familiar with the fact that the 21-year-old former diver loves to lift incredible weights. Exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel said he likes to “bully” the weights. However, just like Israetel, former Arnold Classic champion Samson Dauda thinks lifting too heavy might be hurting Sam Sulek’s gains.

Samson Dauda and Sam Sulek teamed up to train in a recent video on HOSTILE’s YouTube channel. During their workout the bodybuilding champion watched Sam Sulek perform a set of inclined dumbbell presses with 160 lbs. While Sulek didn’t have much difficulty moving the weight, The Nigerian Lion pointed out why it was holding back his gains.

“You got to understand you’re not using the muscle you’re supposed to be using,” said the Mr. Olympia bronze medalist. “You’re concerned too much about lifting so heavy, and you’re not actually pushing your chest out,” pointed out Dauda. Although Sam Sulek could move the weight, it was too heavy for him to isolate the chest muscle fibers.

Samson Dauda implied that since the 21-year-old couldn’t control the weight with his pectoral muscle, his delts, and arms were compensating too much. While that’s fine if you’re powerlifting, bodybuilding is about growing each muscle group by targeting them specifically. Samson Dauda explained that he didn’t question the bodybuilding prodigy’s strength.

Yet “it’s one thing to powerlift, it’s another thing to bodybuild,” said the bodybuilding champion. “If you’re trying your idea is ‘I want to build muscle,’ you got to put everything towards that alone,” added the 2023 Arnold Classic champion. He then showed Sam Sulek how to target the pectoral muscles optimally while performing inclined dumbbell presses. Dr. Mike Israetel also said similar things about Sam Sulek’s training when he reviewed it almost seven months ago.

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When an exercise scientist critiqued Sam Sulek

Dr. Mike Israetel has made a name for himself with his technique correction videos on YouTube. The PhD holder in Exercise Physiology often critiques the training technique of famous lifters. However, when reviewing how Sam Sulek trains, he also pointed out the technique improvements the 21-year-old could make.

Israetel said Sulek could control the eccentric in different exercises and utilize the full range of motion in exchange for lifting heavy. While the Rennaissance Periodization founder was also impressed with Sulek’s strength, he thought Sulek was bleeding gains by lifting too heavy. Unfortunately, unlike Samson Dauda, the exercise scientist wasn’t there to coach Sam Sulek.

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Hopefully, with Samson Dauda’s direct intervention, the 21-year-old would realize that perfecting technique is just as important as intensity and volume.