Michal ‘Krizo’ Krizanek: Slovakian Tremendous Freak!
By Ron Harris
Instantly following the 2017 Olympia Weekend, the IFBB break up into two totally different organizations. One grew to become the IFBB Professional League, headed by NPC President Jim Manion and primarily based in Pittsburgh. The opposite could be often known 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 an enormous younger man from Slovakia emerged as their star: Michal Krizanek from Slovakia, identified 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 really love the game need to see the perfect 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 might 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 last quarter of 2022, he earned his professional card, received his professional debut, and did in truth stand on the Mr. Olympia stage. Although he wasn’t the rapid risk to the Sandow title that many hoped he could be and landed in 12th place, it was clear that his potential was nonetheless largely untapped and that he might very nicely be a power to reckon with on the Arnold Basic and Mr. Olympia. I spoke with him simply earlier than that Mr. Olympia debut.
Michal, whenever you first met your longtime coach, Alex Hlobik, you weren’t keen on 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 photographs or movies of that impressed you whenever you had been youthful?
There have been numerous 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 assume you can look the best way you do now?
I needed to be huge like the fellows I regarded as much as, however I by no means thought I’d be capable to get a lot dimension. I don’t even assume I’m large enough 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 regarded higher than many males who had been competing for years.
WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE TRAINING VIDEO FROM MICHAL “KRIZO” KRIZANEK PRESENTED BY SCITEC NUTRITION
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, equivalent to his chest and hamstrings. We needed to work on these and produce them up earlier than he might begin competing. It didn’t take lengthy, although. He entered and received his first contest that very same 12 months.
Michal, you may have a few of the greatest arms within the sport proper now. Had been they at all times huge?
Genetically they had been at all times huge, which means that from the time I started coaching they at all times grew in a short time. In truth, 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 People on the market, that’s slightly over 24 inches! Let’s speak about your competitors historical past. You began off as a professional within the IFBB Elite League, and I feel you received 13 out of 14 professional exhibits you entered?
I feel it was 14 out of 15. That point I received 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 determine final 12 months to earn your IFBB Professional League professional card and compete there as an alternative?
It was my dream, and I imagine 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 the very 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 received 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 the very best and be often known as the very best at what you do, you must beat the perfect, which is what they symbolize.
Had been you stunned or upset that though you had received over a dozen professional exhibits, you needed to begin yet again as an newbie to win your IFBB Professional League professional card?
No. I by no means anticipated or requested for particular remedy or an exemption. I used to be not a professional in that group, so I needed to earn that standing like everyone else.
Individuals had been important of your situation at each that Beginner Olympia win in Italy and your professional win in Prague as a result of it appeared as in case you had been saving your finest for the Olympia.
Sure, and so they had been appropriate. There was no cause to be 100% 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 100% 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 folks of that caliber?
I used to be very nervous every of these occasions earlier than I’d pose for them. Each time, I saved taking a look at myself within the mirror and I didn’t really feel I regarded good. I used to be off all gear at that time and never trying as full or arduous. 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 additionally wonderful muscle element and maturity, which we don’t see numerous these days. Is there some particular coaching fashion you attribute that high quality to?
I can’t actually say for certain. I do practice very arduous and I squeeze the muscle groups very arduous on all of the reps.
You seem like a really robust man. Do you continue to practice very heavy, or have you ever modified to extra average weights now that you have already got a lot mass?
I did practice very heavy previously as a result of I nonetheless wanted much more dimension. Now I practice with higher approach, and I’m targeted on bettering particular physique elements. I’ve slightly saying, “you must speak to your muscle groups.”
It most likely doesn’t translate that nicely from Slovakian, however we name it a mind-muscle connection. Which areas in your physique do you take into account to be your robust factors and which areas do you continue to really feel want to enhance?
I would like to enhance all the things. 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 at the very least your arms are pretty much as good as they ever must be.
Possibly my arms, sure, I solely practice them as soon as per week.
You had been an enormous information merchandise all through a lot of 2022 in our business. Do you know you had been that fashionable outdoors of Europe?
No. I don’t pay a lot consideration to that kind of factor.
Do you’re feeling numerous 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 symbolize them nicely. Additionally, it was a really lengthy 12 months 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.
When Do We See Krizo subsequent?
Michal hasn’t dedicated to any contests for 2023 as of this writing, however he does have a normal concept. “I must decide good,” he stated. “I wasn’t pleased with my conditioning on the 2022 Mr. Olympia as a result of I do know I can come in additional conditioned than that. I used to be already too drained.” He goes on to provide his followers one thing to sit up for. “I’d love to do the Arnold UK. I’ll undoubtedly do the EVLS Prague Professional, however this time it’s two weeks after the Olympia as an alternative of earlier than it because it was final 12 months. I plan on selecting two or three exhibits to qualify, as a result of there isn’t any assure that I’d win the very first one.”
A part of the ‘New Guard?’
The current Arnold Basic 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 preferrred, and this bodes very nicely for Michal Krizanek. He matches up completely on this group, and I wouldn’t be stunned if solely a short while from now, a lot of the high males on the Mr. Olympia possess that mixture of top, dimension, and pleasing form and construction. Is Krizo a future Mr. Olympia champion? Solely time will inform, however the future appears very vivid 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 Basic Europe – Winner
2018 Elite Professional World Benidorm – Winner
2019 Elite Professional Malta – Winner
2019 Arnold Basic Africa – Winner
2019 Arnold Basic Europe – Winner
2019 World Professional Championships – Fourth Place
2019 Elite Professional Cancun – Winner
2020 Arnold Basic Europe – Winner
2021 Elite Professional Mr. Universe – Winner
2022 Beginner Olympia Italy – Tremendous Heavyweight and Total
2022 EVLS Prague Professional – Winner
2022 Mr. Olympia – twelfth Place
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 possibly can presumably consider. Nice legs; hamstrings, quads, calves, all the things is there. As all of us observed, he’s not tremendous extensive, he doesn’t have that loopy V-taper and desires to enhance the again. A little bit extra width and slightly extra thickness and it will 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 taking place in entrance of your eyes, it’s actually mind-boggling.”
Jamie ‘The Big’ Christian on Krizo
“Michal Krizo joins the checklist of taller bodybuilders that may seemingly do very nicely within the NPC and IFBB Professional League. To call just a few extra; Andrew Jacked, Quinton Eriya, Sergio Oliva Jr. and clearly myself – the Big, Steve Kuclo, and Regan Grimes. There are increasingly bodybuilders within the 6-foot-tall area now, which is improbable for myself – and bodybuilding normally, I feel.”
Ron Harris received his begin within the bodybuilding business in the course of 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 revealed almost 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and health magazines, making him probably the most prolific bodybuilding author ever. Ron has been coaching because the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives along with his spouse and two kids within the Boston space. Fb Instagram
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