With the 2023 Mr. Olympia rapidly approaching, rising German bodybuilding star Urs Kalecinski is training harder than ever to bring his best package yet to the ultimate stage.
Urs Kalecinski recently linked up with his coach Stefan Kienzl in Vienna for an intense back and hamstring workout focused on building a dense, robust posterior chain.
He provided fans with an inside look into the demanding session via YouTube. Let’s examine Urs Kalecinski’s strategic back and hamstring training as he evolves into a top Olympia threat.
Steady Rise Up the Olympia Ranks
Since earning his pro card in 2019, Urs Kalecinski has made considerable strides in battling bodybuilding’s elite. His breakthrough came at the 2021 Tampa Pro, earning a dominating win and automatic Olympia qualification.
In his rookie Olympia appearance, Urs Kalecinski brought phenomenal conditioning and aesthetics to place 4th. He built on this momentum with a 3rd place finish at the 2022 Olympia, having won the 2022 Boston Pro earlier that season.
Now, Urs Kalecinski is determined to crack the top 2 against reigning Classic Physique Olympia champ Chris Bumstead and runner-up Ramon Rocha Queiroz.
Further refining his back shape and thickness has been a primary focus during this 2023 Olympia prep.
Training Camp With Coach Kienzl
To start his prep, Urs Kalecinski embarked on a focused training camp in Vienna with his coach Stefan Kienzl to assess progress and fine-tune his program.
Kienzl has worked with Urs Kalecinski from the beginning of his pro journey and knows how to manipulate his training to shock the muscles into new growth just in time for Olympia.
Their first gym session targeted back width, rear delt development, and hamstring sweep – two significant priorities for Urs Kalecinski this prep.
He must bring his best posterior chain yet to match Chris Bumstead and Rocha Queiroz. Let’s look at Urs Kalecinski’s strategy for building a complete championship back.
Priming the Hamstrings
Urs Kalecinski began by warming up his hamstrings on the seated leg curl machine. He focused on feeling a deep contraction without significant weight to get blood flowing to his target areas.
Properly warming up the hamstrings reduces injury risk once they start moving heavier loads. It also enhances mind-muscle connection during working sets.
Barbell Romanian Deadlifts
After warming up, Urs Kalecinski moved into a primary mass builder – Romanian deadlifts. RDLs target the entire posterior chain while lengthening the hamstrings to induce growth.
Controlling the weight without letting it touch the floor keeps constant tension on the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors. Kienzl had Urs Kalecinski go heavy on RDLs for lower rep sets to overload the muscles.
Developing a hamstring sweep is crucial for Urs Kalecinski’s flowing Classic Physique lines. RDLs build rugged hamstring size from multiple angles.
Hitting Back Width With One-Arm Rows
The first back exercise Kalecinski tackled was a one-arm seated row. Supporting his torso on the bench removes the core from the movement, allowing a more muscular contraction targeting back width.
Rowing one side at a time provides stabilization challenges that better activate the lats. Urs Kalecinski focused on feeling a deep squeeze and contraction on each rep, especially at the top.
Building back width gives Urs Kalecinski a more dramatic V-taper from the front. Thick, sweeping lats also complement his strengths like shoulder width and tapering waist.
High Rows for Upper Back Thickness
No back workout is complete without horizontal rows. Urs Kalecinski performed chest-supported high rows to carve thickness through his upper back.
The elevated hand position on high rows enables a more extended range of motion to fully stimulate the traps, rhomboids, rear delts, and upper lats.
Urs Kalecinski’s increased upper back thickness visibly widened his structure and enhanced his back double bicep pose. Upper back mass is mandatory at Olympia Heights.
Old School T-Bar Rows
No elite back workout excludes T-bar rows – a favorite of legends like Dorian Yates to construct Titanic backs. Urs Kalecinski finished a few challenging sets for upper and lower back thickness.
The bent position allows ample loading with less stress on the lower back than deadlifts. Urs Kalecinski focused on driving elbows back hard and squeezing his back on each rep.
Increased density through his lats, middle back, and traps brought Urs Kalecinski’s rear poses to the next level. Nothing builds rugged back mass quite like heavy T-bar rows.
Pulldowns to Widen His Frame
Urs Kalecinski complimented his heavy rows with higher rep pulldown variations to fatigue the lats fully. Pulling at different angles hits the lower, upper, and outer lats for complete development.
He performed straight arm pulldowns mimicking the front double biceps pose. This focuses on activating the lats through a limited range of motion. Squeezing and stretching the lats during prep is critical.
Finally, Urs Kalecinski finished with cable pullovers to target the notoriously hard-to-reach lower lats. Their rear delt work earlier also enhanced the mind-muscle connection.
Strategic Isolation Work
Urs Kalecinski demonstrates that heavy compound lifts must be paired with targeted isolation work to maximize development quickly. Isolation lifts force tension directly on the intended muscle.
Whether emphasizing the negative on leg curls, high rowing for upper back thickness, or pullovers to isolate the lats, Urs Kalecinski trains smart by including purposeful isolation. He leaves no stone unturned.
By squaring away all the small details, from warming up correctly to thoroughly exhausting each muscle group, Urs Kalecinski constructs a remarkably complete physique. This strategic approach will elevate him into title contention if he brings his best to Las Vegas.
The Final Steps to Beating the Best
This focused back, and hamstring demolition workout provides just a glimpse into Urs Kalecinski’s hardcore Olympia prep.
Every training split is engineered to improve upon his previous best. Urs Kalecinski has the raw talent and structure to warrant Olympia’s glory.
Refining his back, hamstrings and small details could provide the missing edge against Chris Bumstead and Rocha Queiroz.
If Urs Kalecinski nails his conditioning and displays even the slightest improvements, the reigning champions better be on notice in Vegas.
Urs Kalecinski has all the tools needed to complete his steady rise to the top. The time has come for this young German phenom to etch his name among the bodybuilding greats.