Classic Physique bodybuilder Urs Kalecinski of Germany has added a lot of muscle mass to his frame during the 2023 off-season. However, his progress might be too effective — he’s got too much muscle and is well over the weight cap allowed for competitors in Classic Physique. To compete on bodybuilding’s biggest stage, he’ll need to drop muscle during his cut.
In a video featuring bodybuilding coach and Guinness World Record Holder Greg Doucette published on Kalecinski’s YouTube channel on June 20, 2023, Kalecinski discusses his plans to drop weight and prepare for the 2023 Classic Physique Olympia, which includes losing approximately 26 pounds of muscle. Check it out below:
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Urs Kalecinski’s Current Weight and Body Fat
According to Doucette, Kalecinski weighs about 275 pounds. However, to compete in Classic Physique, Kalecinski has to get to 220 pounds. As Kalecinski shows off his otherworldly form, Doucette approximates that Kalecinski has about 11 percent body fat — a close guess; after using calipers, Doucette sees Kalecinski’s body fat is 10.3 percent.
Doing simple arithmetic, if Kalecinski shaved off the fat he’s currently carrying, he would still weigh 246 pounds — 26 pounds over the competition division weight. Since it is not possible to achieve zero percent body fat, Kalecinski will have to lose at least 26 pounds of muscle to be eligible for competition.
Doucette offers some harsh truths as a certified bodybuilding judge: Kalecinski is too big. Kalecinski would automatically receive a last-place finish because, even though he looks aesthetically pleasing for the division, his height and weight are not considered Classic Physique within the rules.
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Incredulously, Doucette offers a solution, recommending the German bodybuilder not train until about one month before the 2023 Olympia. The consideration is that Kalecinski could perhaps lose 20-plus pounds of muscle in a six-month gym hiatus.
DOMS
Doucette discussed intensity and volume and how adjusting both are matters of preference and goals. He recommends using soreness as a guide. When his clients experience DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), that’s a signal of potential overtraining, and he’ll scale back their programming accordingly.
“If you train, and you’re not sore at all, but you’re making gains, then do that,” Doucette says. “That’s the minimum amount of work you need to do to make progress.” Training harder is Doucette’s recommendation if an athlete is neither sore nor seeing progress.
Avoid Unilateral Work and Rest Long Between Sets
Doucette avoids unilateral work due to mental fatigue unless it is specifically meant to correct a strength imbalance. Both he and Kalecinski agree to rest as long as necessary between sets to recover. Doing so allows the lifter to use their heaviest load while reaching failure within their target rep range.
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[Related: Derek Lunsford Uses High-Calorie Refeeds to Recover From Leg Training]
Warm Up Sets
Doucette urges using warm-up sets comprised of two or three sets with a load that allows for the lifter to reach about 15 reps. While Kalecinski is training – or maybe not training – for the 2023 Classic Physique Olympia. We’ll see if Kalecinski can drop two dozen pounds of muscle to return to the Olympia stage on Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL.
Featured image: @the.miraclebear on Instagram
