Urs Kalecinski is embracing change in 2025. In a recent YouTube video aired on August 25, he opened up about his move up to the Men’s Open class, confirming he will compete at the ProMuscle Italy Pro show set for September 6-7.
Having taken bronze for the last three years at the Classic Physique Olympia, no one saw Kalecinski switching divisions. Fans were teased last year after Chris Bumstead made a similar move. He won his sixth consecutive Classic Physique Olympia title and opted to test himself in a one-off as a Men’s Open talent.
Bumstead earned runner-up behind Martin Fitzwater on the Prague Pro stage. With that in mind, fans are now curious how “The Miracle Bear” will fare when he stands against the biggest Open bodybuilders in the world.
Urs Kalecinski Says “Everything Clicked” for Men’s Open Debut in Italy, Says He’s Stage-Ready at 261 Lbs
In the Bro Chat Podcast, Kalecinski revealed the thought process behind his move to the Open.
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“227 was my cut-off. My peak off-season was around 285. This year I’m definitely a way better 260 than the years before, but it wasn’t just possible anymore. Iain said it perfectly, we hit a few text messages back and forth, and he said what kind of bodybuilding is it when you’re not able to get better?” shared Kalecinski.
Stage-ready at 261 pounds, Kalecinski explained that cutting weight for Classic would be like driving a Formula 1 car at only 80 miles an hour.
“Imagine sitting in a Formula 1 car but you can only drive 80 miles per hour,” adds Kalecinski. “It’s a different factor, I’m not 225 now, I’m 261, and I’m stage-ready.
He revealed that he didn’t initially plan on moving divisions, but even with extra cardio and fat burners, his body wanted to grow.
“No [this wasn’t the plan all along]. We decided three or four weeks ago because I was 120 kilograms and we bumped up the cardio, we bumped up the fat burners to the max already and we were like fuck, nothing is changing.”
Kalecinski also shared that he reduced his use of steroids, and he’s still happy with his current physique.
“Everything clicked together way better, and I started to grow without magic PED formulas. You know what’s funny? People always think you need to blast a shit-ton of gear, actually, we decreased the gear, to be honest. It still clicks even better.”
In a show of confidence, head judge Steve Weinberger told Kalecinski he’d be dangerous in the Open.
“Steve Weinberger — I don’t want to share this, but he said you’re going to be dangerous. For everybody who knows Steve, he’s like straight up and when you look like shit, he’s like yeah, you look like shit, don’t do it,” shared Kalecinski.
“Hell yeah, Italy Pro baby.”
Kalecinski’s decision to move divisions has the sport talking. Mike Sommerfeld, who took second place at the 2024 Olympia, gave his thoughts on Kalecinski’s sudden switch. He compared him to a ‘baby’ Markus Ruhl:
“Baby Ruhl. Honestly, I believe that he will make great, great, improvements, and he will be an amazing athlete, especially for the Open. Coming from Classic with such a setup, tight waist, great taper, just adding some more muscle here and there will look like magic. I’m really excited to see him,” he shared.
The qualification period for the 2025 Mr. Olympia ends on September 14, meaning Kalecinski will have an extremely small window of time to earn his passage to the event. The 2025 Mr. Olympia is slated for Las Vegas, Nevada, from October 9-12.
RELATED: Urs Kalecinski Reveals Short List of Contenders Who Could Win 2025 Classic Physique Olympia
Watch the full video from the Fouad Abiad Media YouTube channel below:
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