Urs Kalecinski made the move for multiple reasons and explained what led to his decision.
Classic Physique bodybuilder Urs Kalecinski will officially make the switch to the biggest division in the world.
Kalecinski has been one of the three best bodybuilders in the world during his time in Classic. On Wednesday, he announced that he will officially switch to Men’s Open moving forward.
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“I have decided to switch to open class bodybuilding and I want to inform you about my thought process behind this decision.”
Kalecinski earned his Pro Card at 21 years old. He began weightlifting at 13 and this eventually sparked an interest in bodybuilding. Before earning his Pro Card, Kalecinski won the 2018 German Nationals naturally. He began using different gear during his 12-week prep leading up to becoming a pro but felt that winning naturally was necessary first.
Urs Kalecinski Switches to Men’s Open
Kalecinski discussed different reasons he has decided to make the move to Open. It begins with the difficulty to cut weight and how it has hindered his progress in bringing the best to the stage.
“The struggle to cut weight for classic has become increasingly difficult to a point where I either had to sacrifice my health tremendously or my best possible physique attainable…I now know, I had underestimated the consequences of such a big cut. My body has been put under continuous stress and my mental health has been afflicted with this problem constantly.”
In 2021, Urs Kalecinski competed and won the Tampa Pro, which led to his first Olympian appearance. He was the underdog, competing against veterans like Chris Bumstead, Terrence Ruffin, and Breon Ansley. Surprisingly, Urs Kalecinski secured fourth place in the competition. He followed this with a third-place finish at the Arnold Classic in 2022 behind runner-up Ramon Rocha Queiroz and 2022 winner Terrence Ruffin. He burst into the top three in 2023 and remained there in 2024.
Kalecinski has made great progress in Classic and took time to acknowledge those who have helped him along the way. He doubled down on the fact that building the best physique is the main goal.
“My body keeps telling me to release all brakes and strive for my personal best physique possible. Sadly, this isn’t possible in classic physique anymore.”
Urs Kalecinski announced that he will abandon his qualification for this year’s Olympia and begin pursuing it in Men’s Open. He will make his Open debut on Sept. 7 during the Promuscle Italy Pro. Kalecinski shared that he is currently 17kg above the weight cap for Classic and to be stage ready, he would have to cut down significantly.
Kalecinski understands the change he is making and is ready to build the best physique possible.
“I’m also aware of the fact that my chances to compete with the best of the best in Open Bodybuilding right now aren’t as good as in Classic Physique, but I don’t want this fact to keep me from the chance to fall in love with this sport again and strive for a new and mature version of my physique.”
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