German Classic Physique bodybuilder Urs Kalecinski placed fourth at his Olympia debut in 2021 and won a bronze medal in 2022. Kalecinski is extremely active on social media and travels around the world to train with other elite bodybuilders.
In his latest excursion, Kalecinski traveled to Romania to attend the 2023 Masters Olympia. On Sept. 6, 2023, Kalecinski published a video on his YouTube channel wherein he trained chest with the four-time Mr. Olympia champion Jay Cutler at the Best Gym Society Club in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 10 weeks out from the 2023 Olympia on Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL. Check it out below:
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Urs Kalecinski 2023 Olympia Chest Workout
Here is a summary of Cutler and Kalecinski’s machine-only chest workout:
- Machine Chest Press
- Incline Machine Chest Press
- Incline Cable Flyes
- Machine Chest Press
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Machine Chest Press
Kalecinski and Cutler opened their training session on the machine chest press. Although Kalecinski is in the cutting phase, he is holding onto his strength. He had four 45-pound weight plates on each side for the first set.
Kalecinski did a double drop set for his final set, beginning with 10 total plates. He kept his chest proud and scapula depressed to keep all the tension on his chest rather than allowing his shoulders to burden any of the load.
Incline Machine Chest Press
The duo moved to the incline machine chest press to bias the upper pecs for their second exercise. Kalecinski performed slow eccentrics and paused at the top to increase his time under tension. Even with fewer calories in his system, the German bodybuilder still trains as though his goal is hypertrophy when in a caloric deficit, though the training is likely to maintain the muscle tissue he’s already packed on rather than add more.
After three sets with an overhand grip, Kalecinski and Cutler switched to a neutral hand placement for the final two sets.
Incline Cable Flyes & Machine Chest Press
Cutler favors incline cable flyes to build upper chest density and definition, as it keeps constant tension on the target muscles throughout his full range of motion. He set the incline bench at 45 degrees, maintained a slight bend in his elbows, and kept his chest up.
The duo returned to the machine chest press to hit the mid-pec for the final exercise. Kalecinski continued his slow-rep tempo to maintain a conscious mind-muscle connection. On the final set, after reaching mechanical failure (when form begins to break down), Kalecinski did partial reps to complete failure (unable to lift the weight). (1)
Road To 2023 Olympia
Kalecinski’s bronze medal at the 2022 Olympia earned him a direct qualification for the 2023 Olympia. In June 2023, Kalecinski revealed he needed to lose 26 pounds of muscle to make weight for the 2023 Olympia.
However, in August 2023, the IFBB Pro League increased the weight cap for each height class of the Classic Physique division, allowing Kalecinski to hold onto the muscle mass he gained in the off-season. Kalecinski will bring a bigger physique to the grandest bodybuilding stage to challenge four-time reigning champion Chris Bumstead for the Olympia throne.
References
- Goto M, Maeda C, Hirayama T, Terada S, Nirengi S, Kurosawa Y, Nagano A, Hamaoka T. Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 May;33(5):1286-1294. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002051. PMID: 31034463.
Featured image: @the.miraclebear on Instagram
