On Jan. 12, 2022, bodybuilder Sadik Hadzovic took to his YouTube channel to share his chest and triceps workout with his 336,000 YouTube subscribers. During that workout, Hadzovic announced his return to the competitive bodybuilding stage at the 2022 New York Pro, alluding more specifically to the Men’s Physique division.
The 2022 New York Pro, promoted by Olympia Head Judge Steve Weinberger, is currently scheduled for May 21, 2022, in Teaneck, NJ. Check out Hadzovic’s entire chest and triceps workout and announcement in the video below. He mentions the 2022 New York Pro at the 6:48 mark:
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Hadzovic mentioned that he needs to look at the feedback from his previous Men’s Physique show — a sixth-place finish at the 2019 Arnold Sports Festival (ASF), according to NPC News Online — as his current physique might look too large in board shorts:
Excited to grow into the show. I don’t even know if I should grow anymore, I’m kind of big already.
Hadzovic’s return to the gym came after resting for two weeks to recover from illness. During that time, he dropped seven pounds. However, he packed eight pounds back on after recovering and feeling strong enough to return to training.
The two-time Men’s Physique Olympia runner-up opened his workout with an incline dumbbell bench press. He gradually added a resistance band and worked his way up to 110 pounds in each hand. He followed those up with sets of seated chest press, where he made a conscious effort to retract and depress his shoulder blades, so the tension of the work is placed primarily on his pecs. Sets ranged from 180 pounds up to what appeared to be 240 pounds.
Returning to the dumbbells for triceps work, Hadzovic knocked out several sets of triceps extensions on an upright bench. He positioned his body with a slight backward lean to allow for a more natural angle for the triceps to take the brunt of the weight. Staying too perpendicular on the bench can hinder stability and limit the triceps’ range of motion.
No pain, no gain. That’s the worst advice ever. Discomfort is good. You gotta know the difference between discomfort and pain.
Shifting to the cable machine, Hadzovic repped out triceps pushdowns with a neutral grip. He then swapped the triceps rope for a pair of D-handles for additional triceps pushdowns with a supinated grip at the top and a rotated, fully-extended position at the bottom for a stronger contraction.
Hadzovic closed out the workout with dips focusing on the negative to give his triceps more time under tension.
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Sadik Hadzovic’s Bodybuilding Career
Hadzovic made his competitive bodybuilding debut on May 5, 2012, at the 2012 NPC Junior USA Championships, where he ranked second overall. He competed in five additional shows that year — all in Men’s Physique — to the following results:
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2012 NPC Junior Nationals — First place
- 2012 IFBB Greater Gulf States Pro — Second place
- 2012 IFBB Orange County Muscle Classic Pro — Second place
- 2012 IFBB Valenti Gold Cup — First place
- 2012 IFBB Houston Pro — Fourth place
In 2013, Hadzovic competed in four shows in Men’s Physique, including a big win at the New York Pro. Additionally, he made his Olympia debut:
- 2013 IFBB Europa Show of Champions — Second place
- 2013 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro — Fourth place
- 2013 IFBB New York Pro — First place
- 2013 IFBB Mr. Olympia — Fourth place
In 2014, he returned to the Olympia and improved by two ranks:
- 2014 IFBB New York Pro — Second place
- 2014 IFBB Tampa Pro — First place
- 2014 IFBB Mr. Olympia — Second place
In 2015, he won the inaugural Men’s Physique contest at the ASF and maintained his position at the Olympia:
- 2015 Arnold Sports Festival — First place
- 2015 IFBB Mr Olympia — Second place
2016 saw Hadzovic make his move into the Classic Physique division. He competed in one show that year — the Olympia — where he ranked third overall. He returned to the Classic Physique Olympia in 2017 but fell four ranks from the year prior.
- 2016 IFBB Mr. Olympia — Third place
- 2017 IFBB Mr. Olympia — Seventh place
Hadzovic did not compete in 2018 but returned to the competitive stage in 2019 at the ASF:
- 2019 Arnold Sports Festival — Sixth place
When Hadzovic steps on stage at the 2022 New York Pro in the Men’s Physique contest, it will have been over two years since his previous contest and nine years since he first won that show. We’ll see if his physique can compete with some of the best bodybuilders in the world nearly a decade later to earn his way back to the Olympia.
Featured image: @sadikhadzovic on Instagram
