Sadik Hadzovic Workout And Diet

Bodybuilder

Born: 1987

Sadik Hadzovic grew up in New York City. He is the son of Yugoslavian refugees. Starting out as a skinny kid, he trained with laser focus and took 3rd at his first bodybuilding competition in 2011. Hadzovic won 1st place the following year at 3 competitions, including the NPC Metropolitan and the 2012 NPC Junior Nationals. He earned his pro card at age 25. Hadzovic took 2nd at the IFBB Greater Gulf States Pro, and went on to win 3 IFBB competitions in subsequent years. He offers online training and also collaborated with Chef Physique to create the healthy protein Golden Bar. Hadzovic married fitness blogger Chelsey Pethick in 2019 and they have two children. He has millions of followers on social media. Hadzovic is 5 feet, 11 inches tall. He weighs about 185-195 lbs.

Jump To:

Diet
Workout
Supplements
Lifestyle
Products

Sadik Hadzovic’s Diet

Diet Summary

When it comes to bodybuilding, diet is as essential as working out, and Hadzovic learned this the hard way. After forcefeeding himself large amounts of food and seeing zero results, he started to educate himself on the bodybuilder’s diet. He switched to small, frequent meals and counted macros, and started to see results. Hadzovic eats every few hours, adding up to 6-7 meals per day. His staples are lots of egg whites, meat in all forms, fish, veggies, rice, oatmeal, nuts and protein shakes. One thing he mostly avoids is dairy. He carries around a gallon jug of water with him everywhere, and adds BCAAs to it because he likes the flavor and because it helps with performance and recovery.

Estimated Macros

High Protein

Medium Fat

Low-Medium Carb

Diet Details

Eat Often

Hadzovic says he only began to notice gains when he started eating more frequently throughout the day. His calorie count didn’t necessarily go up, he just changed the timing of the intake.

Eat Clean

Hadzovic says that if you’re serious about getting buff, clean eating is a must. It’s not just calories that count, where they come from matters too.

Count Your Macros

Another thing that really helped Hadzovic make gains was counting his macros. He eats protein to carbs at a ratio of 2:1. He eats all types of protein including egg whites, red meat, poultry, fish, and whey protein.

Contest Prep

Hadzovic jacks up his protein before a contest. He also raises his fats, and slightly lowers his carbs so he has long-lasting energy and his muscles don’t go flat.

Cheats Are Okay

Hadzovic’s diet isn’t all chicken and rice. Once a week, he’ll hit the Five Guys for a burger, but he sticks to a small fries.

What to Eat

Egg whites
Whole eggs
Poultry
Beef
Fish
Vegetables
Oatmeal
Rice
Potatoes
Almonds
Protein shakes
BCAAs
Creatine
Coffee
Water

What to Avoid

Dairy
Fast food
Processed foods
Junk food
Additives
Chemicals

Hadzovic on eating right

I didn’t start seeing mass gains till I realized the importance of eating clean and frequently.

Hadzovic’s advice on drinking water

Hydrate all day long.

Hadzovic on his #1 essential supplement

If there’s one supplement that you must have, it is creatine. It’s been proven for so many years to improve performance and strength and so on. Five grams is all it takes.

Hadzovic on cheat meals

You can’t have a cheat meal every day. That’s not how it works.

Hadzovic on cutting

I’m never truly starving although I’m dieting.

Sadik Hadzovic’s Workout Routine

Workout Routine

Early Inspiration

A skinny kid, Hadzovic dreamed of looking like the action heroes he saw in comic books.

It’s a Long Road

Although Hadzovic had the will to get ripped, he didn’t know much about the science of it, and it took him a long time to learn the ropes.

Classic Split

Hadzovic takes the classic approach and focuses on one body part per day. Wednesdays, he does his cardio.

PT Tune Up

Hadzovic does physical therapy once a week to stay ahead of any problems.

Building Muscle Builds Confidence

Hadzovic discovered early on that working out made him feel more confident, which in turn led to longer sessions at the gym.

Daily Dose

Hadzovic has a one-track mind when it comes to training. He works out hard every day and rarely takes a day off.

HIIT It

Hadzovic noticed that steady-state cardio made him look flat, so he switched to high-intensity. He does a 1 minute sprint alternating with 1 minute of recovery for 30 minutes.

Exercise Style

A Sadik Hadzovic Routine

Monday: Back
Deadlifts: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Lat pulldowns: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Bent-over barbell rows: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Underhand pull-ups: 11-13 reps x 3 sets
Seated cable rows: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Overhand pull-ups: 1 set to failure
Tuesday: Chest
Incline dumbbell fly: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Incline barbell bench press: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Machine fly: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Bench press: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Cable fly: 11-13 reps x 3 sets
Decline machine press: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Push-ups: 1 set to failure
Wednesday: Cardio
Interval sprints: 1 min sprint/1 min rest x 30 min
Thursday: Legs
Leg press: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Leg extension: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Lying leg curls: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Donkey calf raise: 11-13 reps x 6 sets
Squats: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Walking lunges: to failure
Friday: Arms
Seated preacher curl: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Decline French curl: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Standing hammer curl: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Triceps pushdown: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Heavy barbell curl: 11-13 reps x 3 sets
Seated overhead extensions: 11-13 reps x 3 sets
Saturday
Cable crunches: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Arm & leg raises w/ exercise ball: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Alternating leg-ups: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Mountain climbers: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Torso twist w/ medicine ball: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Alternating toe touches: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Hanging leg raises: 1 set to failure
Sunday
Dumbbell shoulder press: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Seated dumbbell side raise: 11-13 reps x 5 sets
Seated dumbbell front raise: 11-13 reps x 3 sets
Barbell shrugs: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Barbell standing military press: 11-13 reps x 4 sets
Standing dumbbell Arnold press: 11-13 reps x 3 sets

Hadzovic on why he picked bodybuilding as a sport

I always have been fascinated by the physiques in comic books and action figures.

Hadzovic on getting serious about training

I always envisioned myself with a well-built, superhero-like body, and after looking in the mirror one day, I said, “Now is the time!”

Hadzovic on his training schedule

My biggest weakness is not being able to take a day off. I love the gym too much.

Hadzovic on the idea of an off-season

What is off-season? I take pride in being top condition 365 days a year.

Hadzovic on down time

I am in the gym a minimum of 365 days a year. Not even injuries can keep me from exercising.

Hadzovic on why he never takes a break

Being both a fitness model and men’s physique competitor, it’s important for me to always be ready and in shape.

Sadik Hadzovic’s Supplements

Whey Protein

At least one of Hadzovic’s 7 meals a day is whey protein. To build and maintain muscle, he focuses on protein in all forms, but a protein shake is an easy way to take it with you. He endorses the brand Xtend.

GET IT HERE

BCAAs

Hadzovic mixes up some BCAAs every morning and sips on it throughout his daily workout. Branched-chain amino acids boost endurance, power, and blood flow to muscles, improving gym performance and speeding recovery.

SEE BEST PRODUCTS

Creatine

Another one of Hadzovic’s staples is creatine because it builds and maintains muscle mass. He takes 5 g immediately after working out.

SEE BEST PRODUCTS

Sadik Hadzovic’s Lifestyle

Lucky Push

Hadzovic was intimated to join Bev Francis’ Powerhouse Gym, but his girlfriend bought him a 1-month pass as a birthday present and he never looked back.

Don’t Take No for an Answer

Hadzovic turned down Weinberger and plenty of other people who encouraged him to compete, but when Bev Francis herself told him to do it, he finally decided to try.

Learn as You Go

Hadzovic says that becoming a bodybuilder required a lot of learning. Before his first competition, he cut down to 2 meals a day and drank vodka to try to lose weight. He literally knew nothing about eating, training, or supplementation.

Chance Meeting

Hadzovic says he was never interested in competing, until bodybuilding judge Steve Weinberger spotted him in the gym and suggested he try it.

Stumbling Around

Hadzovic decided on the spur of the moment to document his bodybuilding journey on YouTube, and his popularity immediately caught on.

The Bodybuilding Life

Hadzovic juggles hats as he trains and is a dad to 2 young boys. He says it’s tough watching the kids eat pancakes while he’s stuck with egg whites.

Hadzovic thoughts on going to the iconic Bev’s Gym

I’m too small. I can’t join there…One month there turned into over a decade.

Hadzovic on getting into competing

I never wanted to compete. I’m working out…to look good, to impress girls, to go out.

Hadzovic on his first competition

I didn’t know how to pose. I didn’t know I was supposed to tan…I didn’t know anything.