On Episode 269 of The Menace Podcast, host Dennis James and regular cohort Jose Raymond wanted to find out more following a recent Instagram reel that shows Milos Sarcev hack pressing with seven plates on each side of the machine.
Milos Sarcev may be 62, but the former Mr. Yugoslavia and Mr. Universe still loves the thrill of the pump. This was evident when ‘The Mind’ took to Instagram on Jan. 20, 2026, to share a video of him lifting seven plates on each side of a hack press. “I was like, ‘oh boy!’” said Dennis “The Menace” James on seeing the clip. “He’s gonna be in bed tonight with those hips screaming.” Instead, Sarcev praised the hack press for it’s comfortable feel, and explained why it works so well for him.
Milos Sarcev Explains the Pros of the Hack Press
With a hip replacement and wear and tear on his knees to deal with, lifting heavy would not be for everyone, but for Milos Sarcev, the thrill of lifting a heavy weight is not an experience that he’s willing to leave behind. Still, during the show, he explained the reason for choosing the hack press, and the differences between this machine and the very similar hack squat in terms of comfort.
While both machines look almost identical, Sarcev says that the movement is not even close between the two. “This is smooth,” noted Sarcev. “My knee is screwed up big time, and then I had a spine issue, (but) I don’t even feel it,” shared the bodybuilder-turned-coach about repping the hack press. “Zero pain.”
Okay, so how can you tell the difference between a hack press and a hack squat at your local gym? The difference concerns how your upper body is supported towards the top of the machine. The hack squat has pads that go over your shoulders, whereas the hack press has pads that support the back. In other words, the pads are lower on the hack press. During the episode, Sarcev pulled up the video of his inspiring session, and took James and Raymond through the process.
“This is the first time I am doing it with seven plates, in a long time,” revealed The Mind, admitting that he was super scared to be under that kind of weight again, but soon found his rhythm. To get a deeper squat, Sarcev took off some plates for subsequent sets, sharing that the machine was super effective for targeting his quads. In the demonstration, Sarcev used the NEWTECH Torture Hack Press. “Super smooth, I’m telling you,” explained the bodybuilding legend. “You can feel the weight.”
To watch the full episode, where the panel also discussed PED regimes, and whether Iain Valliere might be making a comeback, see below.