Learn the exercises and nutrition of IFBB Pro Michal Krizo.
Rising International Federation of BodyBuilding and Fitness (IFBB) Pro bodybuilder Michal Krizo burst through the bodybuilding scene in 2022 and captivated many eyeballs and attention from fans. But, of course, this was due to his early success in the league, which can be attributed to his diet and workout program. This article will overview how Michal Krizo trains and eats to build the physique of a top-ranked bodybuilder.
Michal Krizo’s Background
Michal Krizo is a Slovakian pro bodybuilder who started lifting weights as a teenager. Krizo competed in his first bodybuilding competition in 2017. After that, he turned pro in the IFBB Pro Elite League, which is more prominent in Europe. After running through the competition, he wanted to up the level of competition. So, he turned to the IFBB Pro League — known to have the most talented bodybuilders in the world — and he started calling out top competitors, such as Iain Valliere, Nick Walker, and Blessing Awodibu.
Bodybuilding legends Jay Cutler, Milos Sarcev, and Samir Bannout have praised Krizo’s physique and see him as a high-profile contender. Since becoming an IFBB Pro, he’s won 13 out of 14 of the contests he’s entered, including the World Fitness Federation (WFF ) Pro Mr. Universe.
To qualify for the 2022 Olympia, Krizo switched from the IFBB Elite Pro to the National Physique Committee (NPC). He earned his pro card during the Amateur Olympia Italy, then subsequently won the EVLS Prague Pro, qualifying for the biggest competition in bodybuilding. Krizo walked away with a 12th-place finish at Olympia to conclude his 2022 bodybuilding season — a performance he was unhappy with and hopes to improve upon. Krizo said he’ll be choosing the shows he attends this year wisely. Krizo stated:
“I will have to pick smart. I’ll be looking for the least contested shows. I wasn’t happy with my conditioning at the Olympia because I know I can come in more conditioned than that. I was already too tired.”
Now, Michal Krizo looks to prepare for the 2023 Arnold Classic. But first, let’s see the workout and diet this Slovan bodybuilding titan does to sculpt his physique.
| Full Name: Michal Križánek (Michal Krizo) | ||
| Weight | Height | Nationality |
| 290 pounds | 6’1” | Slovak |
| Year of Birth | Profession | Era |
| 1990 | Bodybuilder | 2010, 2020 |
Michal Krizo’s Training Split
Michal does a six-day training split during the season:
- Monday: Chest
- Tuesday: Back
- Wednesday: Shoulders
- Thursday: Arms
- Friday: Quads
- Saturday: Hamstrings, Calves, and Abs
Michal Krizo does high-volume workouts that consist of 10 reps plus for each exercise — he strays away from the too heavy weight that will have him lifting five reps or less. The benefit to this is that it will focus on making his muscles look bigger — which is much more important than being strong as a bodybuilder.
Strength training is most effective when performing lower reps and heavier weights. However, it’s not the best for muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth). Hypertrophy is best received when doing more volume — more reps, sets, exercises, and workout frequency.
Michal Krizo’s Workout
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Here are Michal Krizo’s exercises for each day of his training split.
Chest Workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 3 | 10-15 |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 12-15 |
| High-to-Low Cable Cly | 3 | 12-15 |
| Machine Neutral Grip Chest press | 3 | 15-20 |
| High-to-Low Cable Fly | 2 | 15-20 |
Back Workout
| Exercises |
| Pull-up |
| Close-Grip Lat Pulldown |
| Close-Grip Seated Cable Row |
| Prone Incline Cable Lat Pulldown |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Row |
| Dumbbell Pullover |
Shoulders Workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Smith Machine Shoulder Press | 4 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise | 4 | 12-15 |
| Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly | 4 | 12-15 |
| Barbell Upright Row | 4 | 12-15 |
Arms Workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Cable Rope Triceps Pushdown | 4 | 12-15 |
| Close-Grip Bench Press | 4 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell Skull Crusher | 4 | 12-15 |
| Single-Arm Rope Cable Pushdown | 4 | 12-15 |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl | 4 | 12-15 |
| EZ Bar Cable Curl | 4 | 12-15 |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 4 | 12-15 |
Quads Workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Leg Extensions | 3 | 10-15 |
| Smith Machine Squat | 3 | 10-15 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10-15 |
| Machine Hack Squat | 3 | 10-15 |
| Lunge | 3 | 10-15 |
Hamstrings, Calves, and Abs Workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| Standing Leg Curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| Machine Crunch | 3 | 15-20 |
Off-Season
During the offseason, the Slovak bodybuilder transitions to a five-day training split and takes the weekend off to give him more recovery. When he’s bulking, he’ll do two workouts on the same day and doesn’t train his abs. Krizo said:
“I train more often as it gets closer to a contest. I train six days a week instead of just five. I do one or two more exercises per body part…I also start training abs before a contest. I don’t train abs in the off-season. Only in the contest prep when there’s not so much food.”
Here’s the training split Michal Krizo adheres to during the off-season:
- Monday: Quads
- Tuesday: Chest and Triceps
- Wednesday: Hamstring and Calves
- Thursday: Back
- Friday: Chest and Shoulders
According to Krizo, he spends his rest days “on a couch.”
Michal Krizo’s Diet
Michal Krizo eats six meals daily while prepping for a show. And since Krizo stands 6’1” and weighs 290 pounds, his six meals are no small quantity.
Meal 1
- 120g rice porridge
- 75g protein powder
Meal 2
- 10 whole eggs
- 50g ham
Meal 3
- 300g cod
- 120g rice porridge
- 30g protein powder
Meal 4
- 300g cod
- 120g rice porridge
- 30g protein powder
Meal 5
- 300g cod
- 120g buckwheat porridge
- 30g protein powder
Meal 6
- Low-fat curd cheese
- 40g peanut butter/flavored protein meal replacement
The Slovian’s meals are frequent and contains much protein and complex carbohydrates. Of course, protein is an absolute for building muscle, and complex carbohydrates are beneficial for muscle building. Some dieticians say eating smaller, more frequent meals is best for your metabolism, muscle growth, and recovery.
And for cheat meals, Krizo says that he only eats them occasionally under his coach’s orders. And he claims he doesn’t crave cheat meals. Instead, he plans them ahead of time if he’s told to.
Supplements
Although nutrition and training make the bulk of any competitive athlete’s training plan, supplements are a must since it gives competitors an edge and helps fill in gaps and wholes in their nutrition regimen. Michal Krizo takes whey protein (builds muscle), BCAAs (blocked chain-amino acids to help with muscle growth and recovery), dextrose (helps with workout recovery), multivitamins (for optimal health), ashwagandha (can boost testosterone and workout performance), and creatine (during the off-season to help build muscle mass).
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