Milos Sarcev — Complete Profile, Workout and Diet Program

Miloš Šarčev is a retired former IFBB professional bodybuilder and coach from Serbia. His most notable achievement was winning the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition in 1989. This is his complete profile, biography, training regime, diet plan, and more.

Milos Sarcev 

(Bodybuilder, coach, entrepreneur)

Full name: Milos Sarcev  “The Mind”
Weight	Height	Age
240-260 lbs (109-118 kg)	5’10” (177 cm)	61 years
Date of birth	Era	Nationality
January 17, 1964	1980, 1990, 2000	Serbian
Arms	Waist	Chest
21″ (53 cm)	31″ (79 cm)	55″ (140 cm)

Early Life

Miloš Šarčev was born on January 17, 1964. He is a IFBB Pro bodybuilder from Bečej, Serbia.

Humble beginnings

During his childhood, the economy was suffering and times were tough. Milos’ father enrolled him in karate at a young age, however, he quit because it was not an Olympic sport and he could not represent his country. 

So he tried Judo and trained for eight years which involved some weight lifting. During this time, he saw a magazine with the iconic 7x Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger, and was instantly in awe. He didn’t know the human body could look so impressive. But then he mentioned also seeing the likes of Serge Nubret and Frank Zane on the subsequent pages of the publication, and from that point on he knew he wanted to look like these legends. 

One problem standing in his way though, was a lack of training facilities. So to remedy this, he’d make concrete plates and place a board on some bricks for a makeshift bench. 

Coming to US with $428.10 in his pocket

Milos Sarcev was competing in Europe in federations such as WPF and AAU, and during the European Championships in Italy, he was given an invitation to participate in the Mr. Universe show that took place in the United States. He ended up getting a visa to go to the US, however, he had to figure out how he was going to afford the trip.

Milos gathered enough funds from guest posing and appearances which earned him just enough for the plane ticket. So he came to America with just $428.10 and also didn’t speak any English either. After staying at a hotel for two nights, his money was half that. His plan while there was to try and make a living in the United States but that dream was quickly seeming more and more impossible. 

But as fate would have it, a prior encounter would end up being the miracle he needed to eventually make a life for himself in the United States. During his boat ride from European Championships in Italy to Serbia, Milos offered help to two seasick women from the US, and they ended up helping him immensely when he arrived in America.

First job in US

Milos landed his first job at a gym in San Diego but the problem was, he was not legally able to work yet. So he used the social security number of one of the women who took him in and was able to start. However, the newly crowned Mr. Universe champion ran into another issue; he had to wait two weeks for his first paycheck. But at this point, he’d run out of money. 

Sarcev has talked about being so broke that he would scarf down muffins in the grocery store and not pay for them. 

His paycheck was very little but he was offered a personal training position. So he’d wake up at 5 a.m., train himself, train clients for a few hours, work from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., do more training for himself and called it a day.  

Career and Competition

Milos Sarcev is a true veteran and legend in the sport of bodybuilding with an extensive competitive resume. He’s competed in over 100 competitions, including 72 as an IFBB Pro. 

His biggest bodybuilding achievements include winning the Mr. Universe title in 1989 and taking first place twice in the Mr. Yugoslavia contest. 

He said in an interview that other than Shawn Ray, he was the only bodybuilder to have qualified for every Olympia in the 90s. He chose not to compete at the 1995 and 1996 Olympias because he felt at the time judges favored the mass monsters who he could not compete against. It was more worth it for him to go to Europe and make more money as a guest poser. 

• 1988 AAU Mr. Universe, Light-Heavyweight, 3rd
• 1989 WPF Mr. Universe, Light-Heavyweight, 1st
• 1991 Grand Prix Denmark, 5th
• 1991 Grand Prix England, 9th
• 1991 Grand Prix Finland, 4th
• 1991 Grand Prix Italy, 7th
• 1991 Grand Prix Spain, 7th
• 1991 Grand Prix Switzerland, 6th
• 1991 Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, 4th
• 1991 Night of Champions, 11th
• 1991 Mr. Olympia, 16th
• 1991 San Jose Pro Invitational, 3rd
• 1992 Arnold Classic, 8th
• 1992 Chicago Pro Invitational, 5th
• 1992 Grand Prix England, 8th
• 1992 Grand Prix Germany, 10th
• 1992 Grand Prix Holland, 12th
• 1992 Grand Prix Italy, 10th
• 1992 Ironman Pro Invitational, 6th
• 1992 Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, 4th
• 1992 Night of Champions, 5th
• 1992 Mr. Olympia, 16th
• 1992 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational, 4th
• 1993 Chicago Pro Invitational, 3rd
• 1993 Grand Prix England, 5th
• 1993 Grand Prix Finland, 3rd
• 1993 Grand Prix France (2), 3rd
• 1993 Grand Prix Germany (2), 5th
• 1993 Grand Prix Spain, 4th
• 1993 Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, 3rd
• 1993 Night of Champions, 5th
• 1993 Mr. Olympia, 11th
• 1993 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational, 3rd
• 1994 Grand Prix England, 8th
• 1994 Grand Prix France (2), 6th
• 1994 Grand Prix Germany, 4th
• 1994 Grand Prix Italy, 4th
• 1994 Grand Prix Spain, 4th
• 1994 Mr. Olympia, 13th
• 1995 Canada Pro Cup, 3rd
• 1995 Houston Pro Invitational, 5th
• 1995 Niagara Falls Pro Invitational, 4th
• 1995 Night of Champions, 6th
• 1996 Canada Pro Cup, 3rd
• 1996 Florida Pro Invitational, 3rd
• 1996 Night of Champions, 4th
• 1997 Canada Pro Cup, 1st
• 1997 Grand Prix Czech Republic, 8th
• 1997 Grand Prix England, 8th
• 1997 Grand Prix Finland, 8th
• 1997 Grand Prix Germany, 7th
• 1997 Grand Prix Hungary, 7th
• 1997 Grand Prix Russia, 7th
• 1997 Grand Prix Spain, 9th
• 1997 Night of Champions, 2nd
• 1997 Mr. Olympia, 10th
• 1997 Toronto Pro Invitational, 1st
• 1998 Grand Prix Finland, 5th
• 1998 Grand Prix Germany, 5th
• 1998 Night of Champions, 11th
• 1998 Mr. Olympia, 11th
• 1998 San Francisco Pro Invitational, 5th
• 1998 Toronto Pro Invitational, 7th
• 1999 Arnold Classic, 5th
• 1999 Grand Prix England, 5th
• 1999 Ironman Pro Invitational, 2nd
• 1999 Night of Champions, 5th
• 1999 Mr. Olympia, 10th
• 1999 Toronto Pro Invitational, 2nd
• 1999 World Pro Championships, 5th
• 2001 Night of Champions, 10th
• 2001 Toronto Pro Invitational, 7th
• 2003 Grand Prix Hungary, 6th
• 2003 Night of Champions, 9th

Coaching

Aside from competing, Milos has coached many legends such as Flex Wheeler, Dennis Wolf, and Ben Pakulski, and he currently helped IFBB Pro Open competitor Regan Grimes prepare for the 2022 Arnold Classic, the second biggest show behind the Olympia. 

2022 Arnold Classic Results For All Divisions – Winners & Prizes

Additionally, the famous trainer has made many appearances as a speaker and is one of the most knowledgeable and respected in his field. 

Training Regime

Milos Sarcev is a big proponent of using a training method known as giant sets – a circuit of 4 or more exercises performed back to back a single body part. In fact, he uses this technique for his clients that are top level bodybuilders.

An example of giant sets is doing an exercise like the bench press followed by flyes, push-ups, dips, and you get the idea. There’s very little rest in between transitioning to the next exercise. 

Milos really believed in this workout method and so much that he would sometimes do 10 exercises for one body part!

It’s grueling and anyone who’s tried it knows but if it’s worked well for a bodybuilding legend and his trainees then there must be something to it. 

The idea is to prolong the time under tension (TUT) which may be a key factor in creating a growth stimulus. Milos also uses a strategy when selecting the exercises for giant sets because the goal should be to hit the muscle from different angles. Otherwise, you may not be getting much benefit from picking the same exact type of movement for many sets.

He also used a variety of training methods and does the same with his clients too. 

Diet and Nutrition

Milos Sarcev has eaten the same breakfast every morning for over 40 years.

Breakfast 

Whole eggs or a combination of whole eggs and egg whites

Svapski Sir or German cheese (low fat and high in protein)

Kiselo mleko or Sour milk (yogurt)

Bresaola (beef or horse)

Bread w/ kajmak (butter), stari kajmak (old butter), mladi kajmak (young butter)

Supplements 

Multi-vitamins, multi-minerals, vitamin C, B complex, vitamin E, vitamin D3, N-acetyl cysteine, omega 3, fish oil, arginine

Milos’ Take On Protein Absorption and Muscle Gains

It’s no secret by now that Milos is looked at as one of the greatest minds when it comes to training and nutrition. 

Protein is one of the most talked about topics because, as most are aware, it’s the macronutrient that is responsible for the repairing and building of muscle tissue. 

One of the common beliefs about this essential nutrient is that only so much of it can be absorbed and utilized.

However, Milos Sarcev argues that this is not true and any studies that have concluded this were done using untrained people or non-bodybuilders who are not exposed to intense weight training and breaking down of muscle tissues. 

“You can absorb absolutely every gram you take,” the diet expert explained. “It’s impossible not to.”

He says that some amino acids from protein are used for muscle synthesis while the rest are utilized for other bodily processes. 

The recommended daily allowance for protein is arguably very low for someone who engages in resistance training, and not to mention a high-level bodybuilding competitor or athlete. 

“When I was eating 200-250 grams of protein per day, you know something happened but not much. And I started increasing and increasing and I went as far as 5 grams per kilo so that’s like 2.5 grams per pound.”

So he’d up his protein intake to 450-500 grams per day and according to Milos, it made a big difference. In fact, when he would decrease his protein intake, he’d lose muscle mass. 

The Yugoslavia-born coach is not suggesting everyone eat this much protein but he is a believer in eating more protein than what has been recommended by health organizations. 

“I would give one gram per pound to every human being, I would go two grams per pound for any athlete that is doing weight resistance training and maybe hard gainers or somebody that really wants to push the limits, you can even increase it.”

You can watch the full explanation video here.

Also use our protein calculator to find your recommended daily intake. 

Hyperemia Advantage System Theory

Milos is a big proponent of the Hyperemia Advantage System Theory, an idea he’s claimed is his own.

He’s explained this concept in great detail and in short, the idea is to saturate the muscles with predigested anabolic/anti-catabolic nutrients such as amino acids, creatine, glutamine, beta-alanine, citrulline, and more.

He realized that training is the one time in a day when the most blood flows to the muscles and since blood carries nutrients, this could maximize results. 

By combining these nutrients with carbs, this would allow insulin to help release them into the muscle cells. So Milos would come up with nutrient combinations for pre-, intra (during training) and post workout. 

“My experience right away when I started doing this was mind-boggling pumps during the workout and retention post-workout.”

But Milos explained that this is even more potentiated with this training system that maximizes blood flow to the muscles using various techniques and methods. 

You can watch the video below for more details on the Hyperemia Advantage System Theory. 

Synthol Incident 

The Serbian former bodybuilder has said that the biggest regret of his bodybuilding career was using synthol in his arms. Synthol is a site enhancement oil or temporary implant that is injected into muscles for the purpose of improving the size and appearance of a body part. 

Milos’ clear weak point has always been his arms and it was no secret that he needed to bring them up to be competitive with the best in the world.

“I got my arms to 22 and a half inches,” Sarcev said in an interview. “Like oh! You know I was slow, but it changed the shape of the anatomy.”

However, what seemed so enticing and miraculous at the start eventually almost killed him, after he injected the oil directly into a vein.

Miloš Šarčev Gallery

Additional Information

Milos Sarcev came from very humble beginnings, once having to steal muffins and eat them in the grocery store because he could not afford food. However, he never gave up trying to make his dreams a reality and eventually became one of the most respected bodybuilders and coaches in the sport’s history. 

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