Bodybuilder Urs Kalecinski has arrived in the United States for the 2022 Olympia. The German IFBB Pro bodybuilder has climbed the ladder in a short time and become a top contender in the Classic Physique division. After capping the 2021 competitive season with a respectable fourth-place finish at the 2021 Olympia, Kalecinski carried the momentum into this year. He secured third place at the 2022 Arnold Classic and dominated the competition at the 2022 Boston Pro and the 2022 Kuwait Classic Pro, cementing his place on the 2022 Olympia roster.
The Miracle Bear traveled to the USA during his competition prep to learn from the more experienced bodybuilders. The 24-year-old trained with Nick Walker as well as divisional rivals Terrence Ruffin and Chris Bumstead in the USA. As good as the experience was, Kalecinski returned to Germany to train in a familiar and comfortable setting during the last phase of his prep. Now that the 2022 Olympia is less than two weeks away, the Miracle Bear flew back to the USA. But before that, he went through a demanding leg workout which was also his last training session in Germany for this prep. So without further delay, let’s check out how Urs Kalecinski trained his legs in that session.
Urs Kalecinski goes through a killer leg workout before leaving for the USA
Seated Leg Curls
The Miracle Bear started the legs training session with the seated leg curls for hamstrings isolation and warming up the knee joints. He said:
“If you have patella or knee problems, always start with the leg curls. That definitely takes the tension from quadriceps…”
After doing a few warm-up sets of this exercise, Kalecinski worked his way up to a top set and did a drop set afterward. This was the pattern followed for a majority of the exercises in this workout.
Leg Extensions
This quad isolation movement was the next up in the sequence as Kalecinski cranked out a few solid sets of this exercise. Leg extensions are an effective way to develop quads. However, using extremely heavy weights for this exercise can be detrimental to the knees. Hence it is important to approach this exercise with caution.
Hack Squats
Kalecisnski next took to the hack squats which was the first heavy compound movement of the day. Hack Squats work the lower body muscles to a similar effect as regular barbell squats. However, they significantly reduce spinal compression by taking the load off the back. Hence they are an effective alternative to avoid training injuries and for people with lower back issues. After pushing through heavy sets of hack squats, The Miracle Bear took to another compound movement.
Horizontal Leg Press
Kalecinski next performed the horizontal leg press on the machine to work the legs further. While the quadriceps are primary target muscles in this exercise, the hamstrings, calves, and glutes are secondary target muscles. After performing a few sets on this machine, the 24-year-old took to a few isolation movements to target some neglected muscles.
Hip Adduction Machine
The adductor muscles are a group of muscles in the inner thigh region that adduct (bring together) the legs. Additionally, they aid in balancing when you’re standing on one leg. More often than not, people tend to ignore this muscle group in their training regimen. However, an elite professional bodybuilder like Urs Kalecinski does not have that luxury. The Miracle Bear next took to the hip adduction machine and got a few sets of this exercise under the belt.
Pendulum Squats
This exercise replicates all the benefits of a traditional squat but needs a fraction of the weight to create a high level of resistance. Depending upon foot placement, the pendulum squats can be made more quad, glute or hamstrings focused. The 2022 Boston Pro winner pushed through a few good sets of pendulum squats and took to a bodyweight movement next.
Nordic Hamstring Curls
Kalecinski performed nordic curls to strengthen the hamstrings next. This movement involves careful lowering and raising of the body with feet, lower leg, and knees in a fixed position. Apart from its benefits for hamstrings development, nordic curls increase the mobility in the knee joint and work the knee flexor muscles. This significantly reduces the chances of knee injuries.
Hip Abduction Machine
The abductor muscles include the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae muscles. Collectively, they are responsible for moving the legs away from each other and help rotate the leg at the hip joint. Kalecinski did some sets on the hip abduction machine and jumped into the final exercise of the day.
Walking Lunges
Kalecinski wrapped up the training session with walking lunges. He performed the first few sets with dumbbells and switched to bodyweight walking lunges for the later sets. After adding the final bit of stimulus to his legs with this movement, The Miracle Bear called it a day in the gym.
Overall, the workout included:
- Seated Leg Curls
- Leg Extensions
- Hack Squats
- Horizontal Leg Press
- Hip Adduction Machine
- Pendulum Squats
- Nordic Hamstring Curls
- Hip Abduction Machine
- Walking Lunges
Realizing it was the last workout in Germany before the 2022 Olympia, Kalecinksi said:
“Further videos will be from Las Vegas, Baby!”
Urs Kalecinski trains arms at the Dragon’s Lair gym after arriving in the USA
Urs Kalecinski vowed to keep working till the end and wasted no time after arriving on American soil. Shortly after reaching, The Miracle Bear headed straight to the Dragon’s Lair gym and trained arms with Regan Grimes to get the party started. Grimes is an American professional bodybuilder that competes in the Men’s Open division of the IFBB Pro league. He was expected to compete at the 2022 Olympia. However, he took a step back and decided to take time off to improve his physique rather than risk an unimpressive performance. Kalecinski and Grimes worked under Coach Milos Sarcev’s guidance and the workout included:
- Preacher Curls
- Prone Incline Barbell Curls
- Dumbbell Curls
- Seated EZ Bar Curls
- EZ Bar Curls
Kalecinksi also trained with 4-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler recently and posted the video on his Instagram account.
Urs Kalecinski’s back was admittedly the weakest among the top five finishers at the 2021 Olympia. However, he has made serious improvements in the back under coach Stefan Kienzl’s guidance. As seen in some of his most recent physique updates, Kalecinski’s well-defined back speaks volumes about the hard work he has put into this prep. The aesthetics and proportions of Kalecinski’s physique seem to be enough to give a tough challenge to other top contenders.
You can watch the full-leg workout video here, courtesy of Urs Kalecinski’s personal YouTube channel:
You can watch the arm workout montage here, courtesy of Coach Milos Sarcev’s personal Instagram account:
Find complete coverage of the 2022 Mr. Olympia, including pre-judging, event recaps, analysis, and final results at our Olympia coverage hub: FitnessVolt.com/olympia
