FLEX
128 MUSCLE & FITNESS / AUGUST 2019
ABS - hanging leg raises, high pulley cable crunches
and twists with the stick
QUADS – squats, hack squats (feet together),
leg presses (feet apart)
HAMSTRINGS – stiff legged dead lift, laying leg curl,
standing leg curl
CALVES – standing calf raises, donkey calf raises
and seated calf raises“I was a long time Weider athlete and contributing
editor for FLEX magazine. Some of the other editors in
that magazine gave me my nick name ‘The Mind’, due
to my opinions in many aspects of training, nutrition
and supplementation that often completely differed
from the conventional” says Miloš.THE INTERVIEW
FLEX: Can you explain how you first started training
and what was key to you deciding you wanted to
become a competitive bodybuilder?
M.S.: Like every boy from former Yugoslavia, I was always
involved in sports and I learned to kick a ball and shoot a
basketball before I learned to walk. However, it was martial
arts that I found most interesting. I started karate when
I was six and then practiced judo when I was eight and
continued to train until I was seventeen. I was an absolute
Bruce Lee fanatic, I had all his books, videos, movies, etc.
I was first introduced to weightlifting as a part of strength
training for judo. Of course, I immediately fell in love with
the iron and started training up to four hours per day.
Needless to say, I didn’t improve due to overtraining, but
the lack of results didn’t discourage me. Instead it made
me start doing research as to why I wasn’t progressing,
and I tried to learn everything that can be applied in
bodybuilding. I was fortunate to be medically aware as
both of my parents and my older sister were all medical
professionals. My father, who was a doctor in the science
of neuropsychiatry, influenced me the most and made me
think. He gave me many unconventional yet very logical
ideas that I have applied in my training, dieting and
supplementation which made me improve dramatically.
I developed my whole ‘Hyperemia Advantage Theory’
for maximal hypertrophy based on his teachings and
that is something I shared with many successful top
Olympia competitors throughout the years.
As far as pro bodybuilders who inspired me the most,
I certainly would mention Frank Zane, Steve Reeves,
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Serge Nubret and John
Brown, who I was fortunate to watch perform in 1983
in Yugoslavia. I decided to become a competitive
bodybuilder after seeing John’s performance.However, if I would have to single out one person
then it would certainly be Frank Zane.But... I would feel that I am not giving credit where
credit is due if I didn’t mention Bruce Lee, for being
such an exceptional athlete, martial artist, philosopher
and human being. Like him, I also observed everything,
accepted what I found useful, discarded what I found
useless and then created what was essentially my own
training theory, nutritional regimens, supplementation
protocols...etc.Last, but not least, the person who certainly influenced
me the most and made me who I am today is my father,
Andjelko Sarcev, the greatest man I have ever known!FLEX: You have been all over the world, competed at
the highest level, graced the cover of magazines and
won major championships. Purely in terms of competing,
what do you feel was the highest point of your career?
M.S.: Qualifying for Mr. Olympia on my IFBB pro debut
in 1991 San Jose IFBB Pro Invitational. Back in the
day, placing in the top three in any IFBB professional
show meant immediate qualification for Mr. Olympia
and needless to say I never even thought I would be
able to accomplish that task in my first year as a pro,
let alone in my first IFBB Pro competition. Standing
next to legendary Albert Beckles, and one of my idols
John Brown and actually beating them in that contest
was just unreal. Hundreds of pro bodybuilders dream
about stepping on that Olympia stage and to many
that dream never materialises, yet I succeeded in my
very first try. Despite subsequently qualifying for ten
consecutive Mr. Olympia competitions - my first one
was by far the most gratifying.FLEX: Subsequently which was the lowest?
M.S.: The lowest point of my career came the following
year at my second Mr. Olympia competition (1992 in
Helsinki Finland) when I got really sick just a couple of
weeks before the show, lost a tremendous amount of
weight and just looked horrible. Worst thing was that I
had signed up for the European Grand Prix Tour right
after and I had to compete six more times in less than
acceptable condition, which was an absolute nightmare.FLEX: Given you have competed at the highest
levels in this sport, who would you say was your
biggest competition?
M.S.: I was fortunate enough to step on the stage with
one of the all-time greatest bodybuilders- Mr. Lee Haney
at his last contest before his retirement in the 1991 Mr.
Olympia in Orlando, Florida. He was (and still is) just
most unbelievable person I have ever met in this industry.