Big pecs make a statement on the bodybuilding stage. With under two weeks to go before the commencement of bodybuilding’s biggest competition, the 2022 International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) Mr. Olympia Michal “Krizo” Križánek hit the gym to smash a chest workout to ensure he’s heard loud and clear when he steps out under the lights for the first time.
Krizo showed off his current approach to chest training in a YouTube vlog as part of his “Road to the Olympia” series, on Dec. 8, which contains footage filmed two days prior on Dec. 6.
Check it out to see how the Slovakian-born bodybuilder is approaching his chest day as the Olympia nears ever closer:
[Read More: Best Upper Chest Exercises for Building Muscle]
With a little over a week to go until the fight for the Sandow begins, Krizo is still training in Slovakia at Gou Gym under the watch of his coach Alexander Hlobik.
Krizo’s Mr. Olympia Chest Workout
As one of the larger and more muscular Men’s Open competitors, Krizo has to tackle his chest days with five hard-hitting exercises performed for high reps with somewhat limited rest.
Note that the training vlog did not specify exactly how many sets and reps Krizo performed on each individual exercise.
Exercise 1 — Incline Barbell Bench Press
Krizo kicked off his chest day with a few sets on the incline barbell bench press. Despite his proximity to competition, Krizo continued to push himself to near-failure on each set.
He performed at least three sets, gradually dropping the weight reverse pyramid style to account for mounting fatigue.
Exercise 2 — Dumbbell Bench Press
The monstrous Krizo needed to sit on the bench and collect his breath before beginning his second movement, some very heavy dumbbell bench pressing.
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His contest cutting diet may limit his energy, but Krizo was still able to bang out over 14 repetitions on his first set before resting. Krizo performed at least three sets here before moving on.
Exercise 3 — High-to-Low Cable Flye
Visibly exhausted after two large compound presses, Krizo moved on to some lighter work and opted for a few sets of high-to-low cable flyes. Like many pro physique athletes, Krizo leaned into higher reps, possibly to burn additional calories.
He performed upwards of 11 reps on his first set, focusing intently on contracting his pecs and squeezing hard as he drew his hands together. He put away at least three sets of flyes.
Exercise 4 — Machine Chest Press
Next up was more pressing, but Krizo opted to hit up the seated neutral-grip machine chest press in lieu of going back to the free weights. He was torched after pumping out close to 20 repetitions on his first set alone.
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Again, Krizo knocked out at least three sets before nodding his head in satisfaction.
Exercise 5 — High-to-Low Cable Flye
Krizo’s chest workout took him back to the cable tree once again for his fifth exercise — a twist on his third movement, the high-to-low cable flye.
He made some tactical adjustments to his setup and execution this time, opting for a more upright torso and drawing the handles inward and down toward his waist instead of out in front.
He capped off his chest day with two sets of this exercise before calling it quits.
The Full Workout
Although he didn’t list out his exact set-and-rep notation, here is a broad overview of Krizo’s pre-Olympia chest workout:
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3+ sets of 10-15 reps in a reverse pyramid
- Dumbbell Bench Press: 3+ sets of 12-15 reps
- High-to-Low Cable Flye: 3+ sets of 12-15 reps
- Machine Neutral-Grip Chest Press: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
- High-to-Low Cable Flye: 2 sets of 15-20 reps
A New Era of Bodybuilders
Krizo, despite being a neophyte to the Olympia stage, has a surge of momentum behind his contest prep from industry names like Jay Cutler and Samir Bannout. He qualified for the Olympia on Oct. 29, 2022, after winning the EVLS Prague Pro.
Based on his current size and conditioning, the Krizo prophecies may yet materialize. The 2022 IFBB Mr. Olympia show runs from Dec. 16 to 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Featured Image: KRIZO on YouTube
