Adonis Creed Inspired Workout: Shred Fat like a Contender

Josh England
Written By: Josh England
June 21st, 2018
Updated: June 13th, 2020
814.2K Reads
Adonis Creed Inspired Workout: Shred Fat Like a Contender
Train like Rocky Balboa's protege, Adonis Creed, with this workout program that mixes weight training & cardio for a balanced muscle building approach.
Workout Summary

Workout Description

Back in 1976, Sylvester Stallone began to inspire generations to become fit to fight.

The original Rocky Saga inspired my parents’ generation to train, and then inspired all the 90s babies as our parents busted out the old VHSes (plural?) to show us the greatest fictional boxer in history.

And we’ve relived that source of motivation for decades with every passing “Rocky Weekend” marathon. The only saga that seems to get more airtime is Harry Potter; no complaints from me on either front.

But in 2015, Sly took the next step in inspiring future generations to work hard when he casted Michael B. Jordan in his spinoff saga, Creed.

Michael B. Jordan, who at that time folks might’ve only associated with Friday Night Lights and Fantastic Four (or The Wire for you OG MBJ fans), brought an insane physique to the role that made literally any guy watching the first Creed say to themselves, “I want to look like that! I really need to start working out.”

Since, Michael B Jordan has continued to inspire the fitness community – most recently with his role as Killmonger in Black Panther.

Michael B Jordan returns to theaters as Adonis Creed this Thanksgiving. And his physique will surely be everyone’s 2019 New Year’s Resolution goals.

Let’s be honest, that’s why you're probably here. So, let me be your Rocky as we get you fit with this Creed inspired workout program.

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Introduction to the Creed Inspired Workout

The principles behind this program and the actual training will be centered more so on the fictional character Adonis Creed, as opposed to Michael B Jordan.

We’ve delved deep into the training of Michael B. Jordan fairly recently on Muscle & Strength in the Michael B Jordan inspired workout program. His training is admirable and that article is definitely worth the read if you’re interested in learning more about the actor.

However, for the purposes of this training piece, I want you to envision yourself preparing for the role. I want you to basically become Adonis Creed. It’s a trick a lot of actors use themselves when preparing for movie roles – especially the physical component of it.

The more you can connect to the role, the easier it is to buy into the lifestyle of the character. For Adonis Creed, that’s balancing his boxing career, training/prepping, and his social life.

That’s not to say it’s too far from Michael B Jordan’s lifestyle. If anything, we’ve learned the man is fully committed to the fitness lifestyle and actually enjoys boxing as a form of training himself. That’s probably why his portrayal of the character is so epic.

So, let’s begin by breaking down some of Adonis Creed’s training principles.

Adonis Creed Commits to a Balanced Training Approach

You see a lot of guys in the gym who are scared to look at a treadmill because they might lose a little bit of muscle.

However, if you want to be in prime "boxing" shape – you’re going to want to focus on more than simply weight training. Don’t get me wrong, if you only have time to commit to certain aspects of this program, weight training should be the top priority. That’s why it’s the prime focus of the Creed inspired workout program.

But, to get to the level of conditioning Donny has in the movie, you’ve got to perform some sort of conditioning exercises.

In his training montages, I’m sure you’ll see a mixture of things – calisthenics, jogging, sprinting, shadow boxing, sparring, heavy bag work, jump roping. You get the picture. Balboa’s training protocol for Creed infuses multiple forms of training to help the contender get shredded.

Creed Running for Cardio

Creed Has a Mentor, Coach, and Motivator

Adonis Creed has Rocky Balboa in his corner. Rocky has been through every aspect that it takes to get in the ring. And he helps Creed by mentoring him, coaching him, and giving him the external motivation he needs to push through every training session.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, it might be worth getting a coach or team for your own corner.

Weight lifting is tricky. It can be highly individualized and results will always vary. The program laid out below is a good template, but it never hurts to have a personal trainer help you with your own exercise selection based on your needs and movement patterns.

Same for boxing training. If you want to partake in boxing as your form of conditioning to really buy into the whole Creed role, it’d be worth looking for boxing instructors in your area. It’s a great form of exercise, but likely not one you can fully embrace from watching Youtube videos and reading articles.

And, of course, if you lack motivation – having someone who’s a great motivator helping you along the way will pay off in the long run.

Creed Has an End Goal to Strive For

Creed is preparing for fights in the movie. He has to be in shape, or he’ll be completely embarrassed and left bloody on the ground.

You don’t need to get in the ring anytime soon – and unless you have serious goals to box, I wouldn’t recommend it (this program isn’t intended to be used for that reason).

But, it is important to set a goal and strive to reach that goal. What is your goal for performing this program? How will you measure that goal? Is it a realistic goal to achieve during the 8 weeks of this program? What will you do after you’ve accomplished that goal?

Answering those questions honestly may make or break your results with the following program.

Creed Working on Boxing

The Adonis Creed Inspired Workout Program

Below is an 8 week workout program inspired by the fictional character Adonis Creed portrayed by Michael B. Jordan.

It isn’t the actual workout program Michael B. Jordan used to prepare for the role of Creed, nor is it the actual program Rocky put Adonis Creed through during the movies.

It’s simply a fun program created to help you achieve your goals by putting you in the shoes of the fictional character to help keep you motivated during the next 8 weeks.

The program follows a push/pull/legs split (not in that order) with Sunday being your day for rest and recovery. The beginning of the week will focus more on building strength, while the latter half of the week will incorporate more bodyweight movements and accessory work to help you build muscle.

Each workout day should also include some form of cardiovascular training and/or boxing circuit training. The workouts themselves are pretty intense, so if you lack the time to recover properly, these conditioning sessions should be low impact.

Rest periods on the strength based days should be longer and fall within the 3-5 minute range. On accessory exercises following your strength lifts and on muscle building days keep rest shorter limiting yourself to just 30-60 seconds.

Cue the training montage...

Adonis Creed Workout Day 1: Pull Strength Workout

Warm Up: Stretch, SMR, Perform 5-10 Mins of Jump Roping.

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Deadlift 4 3-5
2. Bent Over Row 4 5
3. Weighted Chin Up 3 6
4. Dumbbell Row 3 8
5. Face Pull 3 12
6. Barbell Curl 4 10

Cardio: Perform cardio intervals for 15-45 minutes. If you’re trying to go the true Creed route, do some heavy bag intervals, speed bag intervals, or sparring.

Adonis Creed Workout Day 2: Push Strength Workout

Warm Up: Stretch, SMR, Perform 5-10 Mins of Jump Roping.

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Bench Press 4 3-5
2. Seated Military Press 4 5
3. Weighted Dips 3 6
4. Pec Dec Fly 3 12
5. Lateral Raise 3 12
6. Tricep Rope Extension 4 12

Cardio: Perform cardio intervals for 15-45 minutes. If you’re trying to go the true Creed route, do some heavy bag intervals, speed bag intervals, or sparring.

Adonis Creed Workout Day 3: Legs Strength Workout

Warm Up: Stretch, SMR, Perform 5-10 Mins of Jump Roping.

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Barbell Squat 4 3-5
2. Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift 4 5
3. Leg Press 3 6
4. Hip Thrust 3 8
5. Leg Extension 3 12
6. Standing Calf Raise 4 15

Cardio: Perform cardio intervals for 15-45 minutes. If you’re trying to go the true Creed route, do some heavy bag intervals, speed bag intervals, or sparring.

Adonis Creed Workout Day 4: Push Muscle Building Workout

Warm Up: Stretch, SMR, Jog 1-2 Miles.

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 8
2. Push Ups 4 12
3. Cable Lateral Raise 3 15
4. Dumbbell Incline Bench Press 3 15
5. Triceps Dips 3 15
6. Skullcrushers 3 12

Cardio: Perform cardio intervals for 15-45 minutes. If you’re trying to go the true Creed route, do some heavy bag intervals, speed bag intervals, or sparring.

Adonis Creed Workout Day 5: Legs Muscle Building Workout

Warm Up: Stretch, SMR, Jog 1-2 Miles.

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Front Squat 4 8
2. Trap Bar Deadlift 4 12
3. Dumbbell Lunge 3 12 Each
4. Hyperextensions (Glute) 3 15
5. Leg Curl 3 12
6. Seated Calf Raise 3 20

Cardio: Perform cardio intervals for 15-45 minutes. If you’re trying to go the true Creed route, do some heavy bag intervals, speed bag intervals, or sparring.

Adonis Creed Workout Day 6: Pull Muscle Building Workout

Warm Up: Stretch, SMR, Jog 1-2 Miles.

Exercise Sets Reps
1. Pull Ups 3 12
2. Inverted Rows 3 15
3. Seated Cable Row 3 12
4. Lat Pull Down 3 12
5. Dumbbell Curl 3 15
6. Preacher Curl 3 12

Cardio: Perform cardio intervals for 15-45 minutes. If you’re trying to go the true Creed route, do some heavy bag intervals, speed bag intervals, or sparring.

Adonis Creed Workout Day 7: Rest and Recovery Day

Take this day off from the gym and training. If you feel like working out, perform some very low intensity cardio or perform the Creed ab workout routine.

Rest and recovery is very important to building muscle and getting lean. Take this day to regroup. Prepare your meals for the following week. And spend some time with your friends and family.

Creed Ab Workout Routine

Perform the following ab circuit every other day while performing the Creed inspired workout program. It can be done separate from the workout or immediately after your workout or cardio session.

Exercise Sets Reps
Plank 4 30 Secs
Ab Crunch 4 15
Scissor Kicks 4 12 Each
Bicycle 4 15 Each
Lying Leg Raise 4 12
Sit Up 4 15

Final Notes on the Creed Inspired Workout Program

The 8 week program listed above was inspired by the fictional character Adonis Creed who is portrayed by Michael B. Jordan.

If your goal is to get shredded like Adonis will be in his fight against Drago, it’s a solid template to work off of.

What you do with your diet and sleep outside of the gym will make or break your progress with this routine. Make sure you are getting enough calories and carbs to fuel your workouts. And make sure you’re getting enough protein and carbs to recover from your workouts.

If you need help finding a starting point for the amount of calories you should be consuming, use our bmr calculator.

Eat that amount of calories for your first 4 weeks of this workout and monitor your results. If your goal is to achieve fat loss and get shredded, and you haven’t noticed a difference at the 4 week mark, you may benefit from dropping your calories by subtracting 250-500 calories from your intake.

If your goal is to put on weight and you haven’t noticed a difference after 4 weeks, bump up your calories by adding 250-500 calories to your intake.

If you want to take it a step further and calculate your macros read this article on how to calculate the perfect macros for your fitness goals.

Lastly, you need to sleep to put on muscle mass and burn fat. Make sure you’re getting around 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. This will help your muscles repair and improve your performance inside and outside of the gym.

Be sure to check out the fight against Adonis Creed and Viktor Drago in Creed 2 on November 21st, 2018.

If you have any questions regarding the Creed inspired workout routine, please feel free to drop a comment in the comments section below!

163 Comments
Jarobi
Posted on: Thu, 05/04/2023 - 03:48

When I began using this workout regime, I was 275. At my lowest recently I weighed 205. I NEVER MOVED PAST DAY 1 , this workout regime definitely works .

Zach
Posted on: Sun, 03/12/2023 - 21:55

Hello, is it okay for any age group to do this workout.

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Roger
Posted on: Thu, 03/23/2023 - 19:40

Kids high school and below would be best to work with a coach or trainer while doing this, but they can. If we're talking about a kid below middle school, it would not be recommended.

Tristan H
Posted on: Thu, 02/16/2023 - 19:11

Hello, so I’ve done this program a long time ago, but ended up plateauing, gained mass flipping around trying new programs. New Creed movie coming soon so I wanted to try this out again to lose my belly fat and shed some pounds. I’d say I’m intermediate but I can handle this routine. Do you think this would be more beneficial, or if I actually got a personalized program from MBJs trainer, Corey Calliet? He has a personalized program I can use for myself based off my own stats, height/weight but I thought I could use some extra work so I’m struggling on deciding. If you could offer some advice or an opinion.

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Roger
Posted on: Sat, 02/25/2023 - 22:59

If that is an option for you, then go for it. Ultimately, something personalized for your body type, experience, and goals will better serve you.

That said, we do have plenty of great options here on M&S should you ever want to focus on different goals.

Matheus
Posted on: Fri, 12/16/2022 - 15:09

Olá, nos dia de treino de força, eu posso aumentar o número de repetições?

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Roger
Posted on: Mon, 12/26/2022 - 10:35

Você pode, mas se precisar aumentar as repetições em duas ou mais, adicione peso.

Translation: Hello, on strength training days, can I increase the number of repetitions?

You can, but if you have to increase the reps by two or more, add weight instead.

Lorenzo
Posted on: Thu, 03/24/2022 - 16:35

It's usefull to do this program while bulking?

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Roger
Posted on: Tue, 03/29/2022 - 20:07

This may not be the best one if your goal is to add size, Lorenzo. Try this one if bulking is your objective.

https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/4-day-maximum-mass-workout

Ian P.
Posted on: Wed, 02/02/2022 - 16:49

Hi John,

Thanks for this program. Can you explain the cardio intervals? When should they be put into the workout? Can you disperse the cardio between other sets, or is it best after the sets?

Also, can you say a word about "accessory exercises"? What are those in the specifically in the workout above?

Thanks!

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Roger
Posted on: Thu, 02/03/2022 - 20:48

Hello, Ian. The cardio workouts can be done after the weight training. Examples of intervals you can do is 1 minute of activity followed by 2 minutes of rest. Repeat for the desired number of rounds.

The accessory exercises are the exercises after the first one in the workout. They're meant to help you improve your strength on the first exercise as well as improve overall fitness. Hope this helps!

Lorenzo
Posted on: Sat, 01/08/2022 - 10:39

Thank you for this, is okay if i do this workout in the morning and then in the evening i do my boxe workout in the gym where I train? thanks

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Roger
Posted on: Thu, 01/13/2022 - 16:29

Go for it, Lorenzo!

Sandy
Posted on: Sun, 08/08/2021 - 07:55

How much rest between the sets!

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Marina
Posted on: Mon, 08/09/2021 - 09:59

Rest periods on the strength based days should be longer and fall within the 3-5 minute range. On accessory exercises following your strength lifts and on muscle building days keep rest shorter limiting yourself to just 30-60 seconds.

Enrique
Posted on: Tue, 05/04/2021 - 04:32

how many weeks is this program?

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Abigail
Posted on: Wed, 05/05/2021 - 11:44

Hey Enrique - this is a 6 week program.

Armando
Posted on: Sat, 03/28/2020 - 02:23

Isn’t cardio killing the gains right after resistance workout?

23bull
Posted on: Fri, 08/20/2021 - 10:45

I’ve done cardio after my workouts for the longest and haven’t seen any signs of muscle loss because of it but everyone’s body is different. It’s also how you train and what you eat after training.

Chintan
Posted on: Thu, 03/12/2020 - 03:55

Hi Josh...
Is it ok if I skip cardio because of lack of time? I want build muscle and strength at the same time. It is good program for me?

Thanks in advance

Bod
Posted on: Sat, 02/08/2020 - 04:55

Would you recommend sprints (like full on grass training rather than intervals)? And if so, how intense and on what days?

Amandeep Singh
Posted on: Sat, 01/18/2020 - 10:45

Hi Josh. Thanks for the workout.
I've been experimenting with differemnt workouts over the past few months. My goal a few months ago was losing 10 kgs. As of now, I've lost 5 and have hit a plateau.
My question is that whether I should follow this program for the next 2 months on a deficit of around 500-1000 calories ? Will I be overtraining, given my already prolonged deficit state ?

Nina
Posted on: Sun, 12/01/2019 - 20:41

Hello. So do these workouts for 8 weeks at the same # of reps? No increase? Or increase to more challenging weights as you go?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Mon, 12/02/2019 - 15:11

Hi Nina,

Increase the weight used when capable of doing so.

Samook
Posted on: Thu, 11/07/2019 - 10:51

Hi Josh,
Can you please tell me that is this workout help me to build lean muscle mass and get a physique like creed.

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Thu, 11/07/2019 - 11:07

Hi Samook,

It can help. But it depends on so much more.

If you're new to weight lifting, I wouldn't recommend starting off with this program. Give on of these beginner workouts a try; https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/beginner

Zoe
Posted on: Mon, 08/26/2019 - 21:03

I know it says the target gender is men but woman can do this without changing anything too right?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Tue, 09/03/2019 - 13:28

Hi Zoe,

Women can do this workout for sure. That being said, like all programs on our site, it's simply a template and may need to be altered to align with your individual goals.

Omar
Posted on: Sat, 08/17/2019 - 07:26

Can you suggest me a workout to burn belly and hips fats. My height is 172cm and my weight’s 92kg. So my whole body does’t contain such an obvious fats except my belly. Help please. Thank you in advance

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Mon, 08/19/2019 - 10:02

Hi Omar,

A calorie deficit and consistency over time. You can't select where on your body you lose body fat from. It's largely based on genetics and how lean you get.

Omar
Posted on: Mon, 08/19/2019 - 18:59

Yes, but i was thin and had body formation before and by aging and neglecting many days of gym. I used to be 70kgs and now i’m 92 in no time i swear. I have been protecting my shape for a long time until i reached that weight it’s very hard to get back knowing that i hit gym everyday and on diet as well.

Diego
Posted on: Wed, 07/10/2019 - 19:22

Hi, With this sets and reps can I see results? Or I should do 4 sets of 12 reps with all the exercises?

Ahmed Gad
Posted on: Sat, 07/06/2019 - 20:00

Hi Josh,
I started doing this program last week and it is amazing.

The resting periods you listed above, are they between sets or within the same sit, because I try to decrease the resting time to 30 seconds within the same set.

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Mon, 07/08/2019 - 16:08

Hi Ahmed,

Glad you are enjoying it! It is inbetween sets and exercises. Everyone is different though, and you can manipulate rest periods however you see fit.

Samook
Posted on: Wed, 06/12/2019 - 11:57

Hi josh,
Can you suggest me a workout which helps me to build bigger arms

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Wed, 06/12/2019 - 15:03
Subham
Posted on: Wed, 06/12/2019 - 11:51

Hi josh,
Can I add arms workout once a week to build bigger arms.

Samook
Posted on: Wed, 06/05/2019 - 14:15

Hi Josh,
Can this workout help me to get bigger arms
Or I should add arms workout once in a week.

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Thu, 06/06/2019 - 09:46

Hi Samook,

This program, as written, should have plenty of direct and indirect volume to help you build your arms.

Samook
Posted on: Wed, 06/05/2019 - 06:03

Hi josh,
Can this workout help me to build muscle and get bigger Arms, and lose fat.

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Wed, 06/05/2019 - 10:01

Hi Samook,

Yes, this program will help someone with those goals.

John Davenport
Posted on: Tue, 06/04/2019 - 22:38

Can I just do hypertrophy training and not strength for this program? For example uping the reps in every exercise for each day? Or could I do the 1st two sets in strength and end the last two with hypertrophy?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Wed, 06/05/2019 - 09:59

Hi John,

You could do that, sure. However, strength training can be beneficial for gains long-term. So, definitely add some strength into your programming at some point.

Jonas
Posted on: Tue, 05/07/2019 - 11:52

Hi josh.
I’m at about 16% fat and can only see my to upper abs a bit and need to build some muscle and shred that fat, would this workout be ideal for me? And btw my training level is intermediate?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Wed, 05/08/2019 - 12:20

Hi Jonas,

This program is more of an advanced program. I'd suggest something like this workout: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/body-fat-blaster-8-week-workout

Hope this helps!

Jonas
Posted on: Tue, 05/07/2019 - 10:36

I’m at about 16% fat and can only see my to upper abs a bit and need to build some muscle and shred that fat, would this workout be ideal for me?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Tue, 05/07/2019 - 10:39

Hi Jonas,

Could be depending on your experience level in the gym.

Vlado
Posted on: Sun, 04/28/2019 - 10:23

Hey Josh,

Im training Kickbox 3 times a week, and do cycling - for leg once per week (saturday), Can i do 2 days per week your workout (one week pull & push strength, and the other week pull & push Muscle Building, and change like that). I have enough traing only with kickboxing, and cycling but I want also look good with your workout.
Thank you in advance.

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Tue, 04/30/2019 - 16:40

Hi Vlado,

Yes, you can do that for aesthetic purposes - it probably wont help with your kickboxing performance.

Personally, though, I'd suggest 2 full body weight training workouts instead of the push/pull set up.

Phil
Posted on: Sun, 04/21/2019 - 14:20

Regarding the daily cardio element of the workout. Is this best done directly following the weight training session or later in the day allowing for a period of recovery (I train in the mornings)?