Michal ‘Krizo’ Krizanek: Slovakian Tremendous Freak!
By Ron Harris
Instantly following the 2017 Olympia Weekend, the IFBB cut up into two completely different organizations. One grew to become the IFBB Professional League, headed by NPC President Jim Manion and based mostly in Pittsburgh. The opposite can be referred to as the IFBB Elite League, helmed by Rafael Santonja in Spain. All the highest professional stars remained loyal to Manion, whereas the Elite League needed to uncover new expertise for his or her occasions. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than a large younger man from Slovakia emerged as their star: Michal Krizanek from Slovakia, recognized higher by his nickname of Krizo. At 6-foot-1 and 270 kilos, Krizo had a uncommon mixture of mass, form, and symmetry, with full, spherical muscle bellies and a small midsection. This was a freak with aesthetics, and he would go on to dominate the Elite occasions for 5 years with little actual opposition. These of us who actually love the game wish to see the easiest males on the planet onstage yearly on the Mr. Olympia, and Krizo’s absence was a sore level. How would he examine to Massive Ramy, Brandon Curry, Hadi Choopan and the remainder of the highest males on the O? I feared we’d by no means get to see that showdown, and felt it was a disgrace. However fortunately, Michal himself was the one who in the end determined he wanted to be on the Olympia stage. Within the ultimate quarter of 2022, he earned his professional card, gained his professional debut, and did actually stand on the Mr. Olympia stage. Although he wasn’t the quick menace to the Sandow title that many hoped he can be and landed in 12th place, it was clear that his potential was nonetheless largely untapped and that he might very effectively be a drive to reckon with on the Arnold Traditional and Mr. Olympia. I spoke with him simply earlier than that Mr. Olympia debut.
Michal, while you first met your longtime coach, Alex Hlobik, you weren’t occupied with bodybuilding. You needed to compete in bench press meets, proper?
Sure. That was in 2017. I had been coaching for over 10 years already as a result of I began on the age of 15. It was at all times simply because I loved it. Getting onstage wasn’t one thing that me, however I at all times revered these guys.
Which bodybuilders did you see pictures or movies of that impressed you while you had been youthful?
There have been plenty of the professionals from the ‘90s who impressed me, after which later I actually favored the physiques of Dennis Wolf and Phil Heath.
Once you began coaching, did you ever suppose you might look the way in which you do now?
I needed to be massive like the fellows I appeared as much as, however I by no means thought I’d be capable to get a lot dimension. I don’t even suppose I’m sufficiently big but proper now.
Alex, Michal got here to you eager to be a powerlifter. How do you know bodybuilding was the place he actually belonged?
[Alex] We had solely been working along with me teaching him for one month, and already he had made substantial modifications and enhancements. Michal was already 102kg (224 kilos) with excellent form, and he appeared higher than many males who had been competing for years.
Was his physique mainly a smaller model of what we see now?
[Alex] No, not precisely. There have been just a few muscle teams that weren’t very developed, reminiscent of his chest and hamstrings. We needed to work on these and convey them up earlier than he might begin competing. It didn’t take lengthy, although. He entered and gained his first contest that very same yr.
Michal, you’ve got a few of the largest arms within the sport proper now. Had been they at all times massive?
Genetically they had been at all times massive, that means that from the time I started coaching they at all times grew in a short time. The truth is, once I began lifting, my arms had been actually the one a part of me that grew.
What’s the most important your arms have ever measured?
61 centimeters.
For my fellow Individuals on the market, that’s somewhat over 24 inches! Let’s discuss your competitors historical past. You began off as a professional within the IFBB Elite League, and I believe you gained 13 out of 14 professional exhibits you entered?
I believe it was 14 out of 15. That point I bought fourth place.
You had been so dominant, how the hell did you get fourth place?
I used to be completely exhausted from having competed in just a few exhibits, and to be sincere I had quickly misplaced my motivation. I ought to have skipped that contest.
All of us fantasize about successful, however had been you beginning to really feel prefer it was too straightforward for you within the Elite League since you had been successful on a regular basis with out anybody to actually problem you?
I’d not say that any of my victories was straightforward.
If that’s the case, why did you lastly resolve final yr to earn your IFBB Professional League professional card and compete there as a substitute?
It was my dream, and I consider the dream of each bodybuilder, to compete within the Mr. Olympia. And again to what you stated, I’d have extra motivation as a competitor within the Professional League as a result of that’s the place one of the best on the planet compete.
I do know that as a fan of the game in addition to a journalist, it bothered me that you simply had been pretty much as good as you might be and we by no means bought to see you stand subsequent to champions like Massive Ramy, Brandon Curry, and Hadi Choopan. Is that what you needed, to have an opportunity to be in comparison with them?
Sure, after all! If you wish to be one of the best and be referred to as one of the best at what you do, it’s a must to beat the easiest, which is what they characterize.
Had been you shocked or upset that although you had gained over a dozen professional exhibits, you needed to begin another time as an beginner to win your IFBB Professional League professional card?
No. I by no means anticipated or requested for particular therapy or an exemption. I used to be not a professional in that group, so I needed to earn that standing like all people else.
Individuals had been crucial of your situation at each that Newbie Olympia win in Italy and your professional win in Prague as a result of it appeared as if you happen to had been saving your greatest for the Olympia.
Sure, and so they had been appropriate. There was no motive to be one hundred pc in Italy as a result of I knew what I wanted to get that win. The plan all alongside was to get higher for Prague, after which peak one hundred pc for the Mr. Olympia.
In your first go to to the USA, you went to New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles and met up with a few of the legends of the game like Steve Weinberger, Jay Cutler, Milos Sarcev, and Flex Lewis to pose for them so they might have a look. All of them rated your potential as sky-high. What was it like listening to reward from individuals of that caliber?
I used to be very nervous every of these instances earlier than I’d pose for them. Each time, I stored myself within the mirror and I didn’t really feel I appeared good. I used to be off all gear at that time and never wanting as full or laborious. However I’m completely satisfied and grateful that all of them took the time and for his or her type phrases.
Milos and Jay each stated that you simply don’t solely have dimension, but in addition glorious muscle element and maturity, which we don’t see plenty of currently. Is there some particular coaching model you attribute that high quality to?
I can’t actually say for positive. I do practice very laborious and I squeeze the muscle groups very laborious on all of the reps.
You appear to be a really robust man. Do you continue to practice very heavy, or have you ever modified to extra reasonable weights now that you have already got a lot mass?
I did practice very heavy prior to now as a result of I nonetheless wanted much more dimension. Now I practice with higher method, and I’m targeted on enhancing particular physique elements. I’ve somewhat saying, “it’s a must to speak to your muscle groups.”
It in all probability doesn’t translate that effectively from Slovakian, however we name it a mind-muscle connection. Which areas in your physique do you contemplate to be your robust factors and which areas do you continue to really feel want to enhance?
I want to enhance every little thing. A real bodybuilder is rarely content material with what he sees within the mirror. He’ll at all times see one thing that may be higher.
I’d argue that a minimum of your arms are pretty much as good as they ever should be.
Possibly my arms, sure, I solely practice them as soon as every week.
You had been an enormous information merchandise all through a lot of 2022 in our business. Do you know you had been that common exterior of Europe?
No. I don’t pay a lot consideration to that kind of factor.
Do you are feeling plenty of stress to win due to all of the expectations on you?
Not from throughout, primarily from my very own nation. They really need me to characterize them effectively. Additionally, it was a really lengthy yr of prepping.
I’m attempting to recollect if there has ever been one other Slovakian athlete within the Mr. Olympia earlier than you.
Sure, Jaroslav Horvath did the Mr. Olympia as soon as and was within the light-weight class thrice within the early years on the Olympia when the burden restrict was 202 kilos, earlier than it grew to become 212. However he did the Mr. Olympia in 2002, so which means I’m the primary Slovakian on that stage in 20 years.
Replace: Krizo Set to Transfer Up!
Since this interview was performed, Michal went on to position a good twelfth place at his first Mr. Olympia. Admittedly, his physique was drained from being in prep for the higher a part of a yr, and it wasn’t his greatest look. This summer season, we noticed Krizo return to the stage in Spain to win the Empro Traditional and earn his berth on the 2023 Mr. Olympia. On the 2022 exhibits, it had been identified that his posterior chain, particularly his again, glutes, and hamstrings, all wanted a bit extra improvement to match up together with his improbable shoulders, chest, arms, and quads. All these areas had been noticeably improved on the contest in Spain, and updates main as much as the 2023 Mr. Olympia point out that we’ll see a special and deadlier model of the Slovakian Tremendous Freak this time round.
A part of the ‘New Guard?’
The current Arnold Traditional confirmed {that a} new breed of professional bodybuilding is rising to the highest of the heap: tall males with loads of dimension but additionally with form, symmetry, and proportion. Each Samson Dauda and Andrew Jacked exemplify this new very best, and this bodes very effectively for Michal Krizanek. He matches up completely on this group, and I wouldn’t be shocked if solely a short while from now, many of the high males on the Mr. Olympia possess that mixture of peak, dimension, and pleasing form and construction. Is Krizo a future Mr. Olympia champion? Solely time will inform, however the future appears very vibrant for this new addition to the IFBB Professional League.
Instagram @ifbb_pro_michalkrizokrizanek
//www.youtube.com/@krizoyoutube“>YouTube: KRIZO
Contest Historical past
Word: Skilled competitions previous to 2022 had been with the IFBB Elite League, and all professional appearances thereafter are with IFBB Professional League.
2018 Elite Professional Spain
Winner
2018 Elite Professional Czechia
Winner
2018 Elite Professional Austria
Winner
2018 Arnold Traditional Europe
Winner
2018 Elite Professional World Benidorm
Winner
2019 Elite Professional Malta
Winner
2019 Arnold Traditional Africa
Winner
2019 Arnold Traditional Europe
Winner
2019 World Professional Championships
Fourth Place
2019 Elite Professional Cancun
Winner
2020 Arnold Traditional Europe
Winner
2021 Elite Professional Mr. Universe
Winner
2022 Newbie Olympia Italy
Tremendous Heavyweight and General
2022 EVLS Prague Professional
Winner
2022 Mr. Olympia
twelfth Place
2023 Empro Traditional Spain
Winner
Milos Sarcev Charges Krizo
“I’ve been on this enterprise for 40-something years, and expertise like this doesn’t present up fairly often. He’s 186cm, actually, actually thickly muscled, pleasing, spherical muscle bellies, prime quality – and as Jay Cutler stated to his coach, “He has striations upon striations of high-quality muscle.” Structurally he’s not the widest, however neither was Phil Heath, proper? He’s truly wider than Phil Heath, these spherical shoulders and the craziest arms you may presumably consider. Nice legs; hamstrings, quads, calves, every little thing is there. As all of us seen, he’s not tremendous vast, he doesn’t have that loopy V-taper and desires to enhance the again. A little bit extra width and somewhat extra thickness and it might instantly make him a high contender for the Mr. Olympia title. His arms are like I’ve by no means seen earlier than. His entrance double biceps pose is like Photoshop occurring in entrance of your eyes, it’s actually mind-boggling.”
Jamie ‘The Large’ Christian on Krizo
“Michal Krizo joins the listing of taller bodybuilders that may seemingly do very effectively within the NPC and IFBB Professional League. To call just a few extra; Andrew Jacked, Quinton Eriya, Sergio Oliva Jr. and clearly myself – the Large, Steve Kuclo, and Regan Grimes. There are an increasing number of bodybuilders within the 6-foot-tall area now, which is improbable for myself – and bodybuilding usually, I believe.”
Ron Harris bought his begin within the bodybuilding business through the eight years he labored in Los Angeles as Affiliate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Journal” present within the Nineties. Since 1992 he has printed almost 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and health magazines, making him essentially the most prolific bodybuilding author ever. Ron has been coaching because the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives together with his spouse and two kids within the Boston space. Fb Instagram
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