My journey to the 2013 Olympia continues! I am proud to announce that I placed 2nd this weekend at the 2013 IFBB Europa Show of Champions in Orlando, FL. I was very pleased with my placing and physique that I presented on stage along side 23 other competitors! With my 2nd place placing I have earned 4 more points toward my Olympia qualification. Next stop is the 2013 IFBB Pittsburgh show on May 4th. Wish me luck!
Here is FitnessRX’s latest article titled “Sadik Hadzovic: The Man of Steel”
IFBB MPD Pro’s Inspiration Started With Super Heroes
Most young boys find themselves reading comic books. It’s just the natural progression in life; become fascinated with these larger than life characters portrayed in the four-color pages therein and pretend to be like them.
But some of those kids take it up a notch – and make some of those fantasies become a reality.
When Sadik Hadzovic was a youngster, he was not unlike the majority and found himself thumbing through issues of these tales of wonder. Seeing the physiques of the various super heroes stuck in his mind and when he began training at 17, he was able to hone in and use one of his memories to garner success.
No, he wasn’t able to ‘run faster than a speeding bullet’ or become ‘more powerful than a locomotive’ as the fictitious Superman could, but Hadzovic was able to carve out himself a physique that would make the Man of Steel himself jealous. Within a few years, the 5’10.5”, 180-pounder joined Steve Weinberger and Bev Francis’s Powerhouse Gym in Syosset, New York and took it to the next level.
“It wasn’t until I joined the ‘East Coast Mecca’ that I started taking my training seriously,” Hadzovic says. “In that gym, I was quickly bitten by the competitive bug and it was then and there that I decided to become a Men’s Physique Division champion.”
The Westbury, New York native began his career on stage at the 2011 NPC Eastern USAs with a third place finish. A year later, he took the top spot at the NPC Metropolitans and a few months later, earned his IFBB pro card at the Junior Nationals.
Since then, Hadzovic, 25, has had one first (Valenti Gold Pro Cup), two second (Greater Gulf States Pro and Orange County Muscle Classic) and one-fourth place finish (Houston Pro). He has his eyes set on bigger and better things now moving forward – on the stage and off.
“On stage, I would like the opportunity to compete in three legendary shows: the New York Pro, Arnold Classic and Olympia,” says Hadzovic, quietly wishing with that statement that we will see the MPD added to the schedule in Columbus, Ohio. “Off the stage, I want to continue promoting a healthy lifestyle and inspire young adults to start weight training and help them realize the importance of goal setting.”
As far as the new division that he competes in, Hadzovic looks at it from afar and is enjoying the big picture. “One thing that you can’t put a limit on is the growth and popularity of the MPD,” he says. “You can expect to see lots of world class physiques flood the stage in the coming years.”
And a good chance that many of them will be former comic book fans.
FitnessRX for men – Written by Joe Pietaro
www.fitnessrxformen.com/training/674-sadik-hadzovic-the-man-of-steel.html
January 5th 2013 video update. In this video I express my thoughts on goal setting and new year resolutions. I also touch on the top of getting back what you put in.
We can all use a pick me up when we are battling through our work week or an intense exercise. So here are some inspiring and motivational pictures from Sadik Hadzovic to help you keep pushing forward. If you like them please share them.
1. Eat More Frequently To Loss More Weight
Instead of the three big meals (the obvious breakfast, lunch, dinner), try eating 6 smaller meals that are evenly spaced out throughout your day. This will benefit you greatly by allowing you to burn calories while your body breaks down these meals.
70% of your calorie burn comes from your basal metabolism also called your resting metabolism. This is basically the calories you burn just through the normal course of living, for example: breathing, circulating blood, thinking, etc…
Depending on what you eat, 30% of your calorie burn comes from the thermic effect of the digestion process. Remember that protein requires more energy to digest than fats and carbohydrates require.
You can turn your body into the optimal fat burning machine by combining both the thermic effect of a protein rich diet with the calorie burning capabilities of your basal metabolism.
2. Stop Skipping Breakfast
Your breakfast should always be the largest meal of your day. The reasoning behind this is upon waking up after 8-12hrs of sleep our body’s protein and carbohydrate resources are running low. ideally within half an hour of waking you should have a meal consisting of high quality protein (egg whites or sirloin steak) and plenty of slow digesting carbohydrates (whole grains and fruits). Understand that the majority of our daily carbohydrate intake will occur during the first half of our day, thus allowing our body’s plenty of time to burn them. Keep in mind that skipping breakfast can slow your metabolic rate by up to 10%.
3. Get Plenty of Greens
Make sure you’re getting enough folate rich greens in your diet. Greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens, and collard greens are loaded with folate. Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that helps reduce fatigue, improve energy levels and help battle depression.
Eating greens will allow you to both consume more vegetables and fewer calories. The fiber content will also slow the speed in which you digest your meal, so eat the greens first!
4. Lots of Protein and Fiber
Consume adequate protein to assure stable blood glucose levels, muscle maintenance, and bone health. I suggest athletes get 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For example I weight 180lbs which means I must reach a daily protein consumption of 270 grams.
Try giving your body a variety of protein sources to choose from. Not only include protein from the usual chicken, fish, steak, and eggs but be sure to utilize the convenience and effectiveness of protein shake supplements. I recommend Hydrowhey from Optimum Nutrition or a similar Hydrolyzed protein powder.
Include more fiber in your diet to shuttle cholesterol out of your body, and slow down digestion which will make you feel fuller longer. Foods like beans/legumes, whole fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be eaten daily.
5. Eliminate Bad Beverages
Replace soda, sweet tea and beer with water, seltzer or other free-calorie drinks. By doing so you will be eliminating fructose, table sugar, and high fructose corn syrup from your body. These ingredients have been known to have damaging effects on our physiques.
Drinking more water will speed up your metabolism, increase concentration, detoxify the body, and even improve energy levels. Trying drinking one gallon of water daily.
Sadik Hadzovic who earned his pro card by winning the Overall at the Junior Nationals, continued his string of impressive outings in the Men’s Physique division with his first Pro win of his career. The NPC Athlete of the Month for the Month of June, Hadzovic now has a win and two second-place finishes in his three pro outings.
I have been named the National Physique Committee athlete of the month! Athlete of the month is chosen by NPC Chairman Jim Manion based on in-person analysis and on the information provided by contest promoters across the country and featured in the NPC News Online Contest Roundups every Monday.
Heres the link to the complete article: http://npcnewsonline.com/sadik-hadzovik/26167/?contest=2012
Contest History/Highlights 2012: IFBB Orange County Muscle Classic, 2nd; IFBB Greater Gulf States, 2nd; Steve Stone NY Metropolitans 1st Tall Class and Overall; Jr. Nationals 1st Class C and Overall; Jr. USA 2nd Class B; 2011: Brooklyn Grand Prix 2nd Class; Eastern USA Championships 3rd Tall Class
SUPER INSPIRATION “Growing up, I was fascinated with comic books and the super human physiques in them. I would sit and draw them for hours upon hours. I think that every kid has a fascination with superpowers and being a hero, but I also wanted to physically look like the characters I was drawing. I started doing hundreds of push ups and curls at home. Later on, I joined the world famous Bev Francis Powerhouse Gym – “The East Coast Mecca”. In that gym I was quickly bitten by the competitive bug and it was then and there that I decided I wanted to be a Mens Physique champion.”
LIFE LESSONS“My family were immigrants from war torn Yugoslavia. I believe my inspiration, drive and work ethic comes from the same work ethic my parents used to provide food on the table. I take that into the gym with me. It serves as a constant reminder of the importance of hard work and sacrifice. I also realize that the struggles in the gym and competition are nothing compared the the struggles of life. Many people speak of how the focus and drive of the gym helps them in life. I think my struggles in life have helped me overcome difficulties in the gym.”
ROLE MODELS “Some of my role models in this sport include Arnold Schwarzenegger for bringing bodybuilding to the mainstream; Jay Cutler for both his presence on and off the stage with his fans; Sergio Oliva for the most insane v-taper I have ever seen; Branch Warren and Dorian Yates for their intensity in the gym. I am also very impressed and inspired by all the talent coming out of the NPC Mens Physique division. It is exciting watching the division grow at such a fast pace.”
CREATE AND COMPETE “The ability to change your physique is a true metaphor about how you can change your life. The stage gives me an opportunity to show what I have created to the world. Bodybuilding is its own reward. We become stronger, healthier and more confident. However, competing allows me to put my physique and hard work up against people who do the exact same thing that I do – bust their ass in the gym and promote a healthy lifestyle.”
Some of the other Athletes of the month include: Anthony Pasquale, LaDawn McDay, Vida Guerra, Mallory Haldeman, Darrian Tissenbaum, Betty Vasquez, and Sadik Hadzovic.
