How do you become a pro with a physique worthy of the olympians? Using this rep-for-rep Sadik Hadzovic workout, four-time world physique champion and IFBB Pro, to build your own world-beating body – that’s how. We spoke to Sadik and he revealed all to TRAIN.
Sadik Hadzovic vital stats
Hometown: Westbury, NY
Date of birth: 6/8/1987
Stage weight: 190lb
Height: 6ft
Rules of the Sadik Hadzovic diet
- 6-7 meals per day eaten every 2-3 hours
- 6-7 ounces of protein per meal
- 80-100g carbs per meal
- Greens/veggies in at least 2-3 meals.
- Healthy fats throughout the day using olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 gallon of water per day
Why the Sadik Hadzovic workout works
If you’re devoting your sweat and slog to a routine, you’d better make sure your efforts are well spent. Few workouts are more worth your time than this. It’s a training split focused on hitting only one muscle group per day.
By doing this, you can work the muscle to complete failure and exhaustion, and allow that muscle group to recover for an entire week before it is used again. While training hard in the off season is important, recovery time, and optimal nutrition is crucial for mass building.
The following training split was designed by my prep coach AJ Sims and has been formulated in-order-to further create and define a drastic V-taper.
Adding a day specifically for back width places emphasis on building and maintaining an impressive shoulder-to-waist ratio that’ll win over anyone who sees it.
Workout 1 – Back
Pull-ups wide grip – 3 x 15 reps
Front pulldowns – 4 x 8-12 reps
Tip: Reach up on the stretch as high as possible. Pull to upper chest
with elbows slightly pulled to
the front, squeeze hard.
Reverse grip bent barbell rows – 4 x 8-15 reps
Single arm dumbbell rows with reverse grip twist – 4 x 10 reps
Close grip pulldown – 3 x 10-12 reps
Tip: Lean back into the pad, as you pull down to your chest, separate the handles slightly out, and reach
up high for the stretch.
Hammer strength high row machine 4 x 15-20 reps
Tip: Pull with the elbows, chest up,
and hold each rep for 1-2 seconds.
Workout 2 – Shoulders
Rear pec dec fly 4 x 15 reps
Wide-grip upright rows
SUPERSET – 3 x 12 reps each exercise
Single arm side lateral raises
Tip: With the raises grab the side of a machine with the other arm and lean over to the side to take out and momentum.
Seated dumbbell military press – 5 x 12-15 reps
Tip: Use full range of motion on the bottom portion and fire up but stop ¾ of the way.
Seated dumbbell side laterals – 4 x 10-12 reps
Tip: After 4 sets cut your weight by 65-75% grab a timer and do one timed set non-stop
for 90 seconds.
Workout 3 – Legs
Quadriceps
Leg extensions – (2x 30 warm-up) 5 x 20 reps
Tip: Increase weight after each set and use the rest pause method to reach a full 20 reps.
Smith machine squats – 5 x 25 reps
Tip: Start with a moderate weight but increase weight each set, even if only 10-20lb.
Close stance leg press – 4 x 20, 15, 12, 10 reps
Tip: Use a four second negative with three seconds on the way up. There is absolutely no momentum in this movement. On the last set drop the weight by 50% and rep out 50 reps normal rep pace.
Walking barbell lunges – 3 sets until failure
Sissy squats – 2 x 100 reps
Hamstrings
Seated leg curls – (2x 25 warm-up) 3 x 12 reps
Tip: Squeeze for a second at the top of the move with a four second negative. On the last set do a triple drop set of seven reps each with the same negatives and contraction as your working sets.
Stiff-legged deadlifts – 4 x 15 reps
Single legged curls – 4 x 10 reps
Tip: Add 10 bottom partials at the end of each set. Once complete, stand and lean over a bench slightly and mimic the one legged curl just using your leg curl up the hamstring and squeeze as hard as possible on each side for 10 reps.
Lying leg curls – 3 x 15 reps
Tip: Hold two seconds at the top; squeeze as hard as possible.
Workout 4 – Chest
Cable flyes pre-exhaust – 4 x 10 reps
Tip: Hold contractions for two secs.
Incline smith machine presses – 4 x 8 reps
Incline hammer strength presses – 4 x 8-12 reps
Tip: Sit lightly slouched in the chair and use a two second negative.
Incline dumbbell flyes – 4 x 10 reps
Tip: Use a full range of motion is key with a hard squeeze.
Dips – 3 x failure
Tip: 30-second rest between sets.
Workout 5 – Arms
Biceps
Giant set rotation
(repeat 4 circuits
of 15, 12, 10, 8)
Standing cable curls
Standing dumbbell curls
EZ bar drag curls
Standing dumbbell
hammer curls
Preacher curls
Triceps
Giant set rotation – repeat four circuits of 15, 12, 10, 8.
Rope press downs
Over-head rope extensions
Bench dips
EZ bar incline skullcrushers (with four-second negatives)
Dumbbell skullcrushers (with four-second negatives)
Weak point and frequency workouts
Calves
2-3x a week
Standing calf raises – 5 x 20 reps
Standing bodyweight calf raises – 2 x 100 reps
Seated calves raises – 4 x 15 reps
Abs
5x a week
Leg raises – 5 x 15-25 reps
Decline crunches – 5 x 15-25 reps
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