Over 20 Years of Experience in Bodybuilding Coaching

Stefan Kienzl is now one of the top coaches in international bodybuilding.
He has been training athletes all over the world for over two decades and has established himself as one of the most respected experts in the scene that produced numerous bodybuilder pro successes.

Achievements of Stefan Kienzl (as of December 31, 2024)

• 47 IFBB Pro Wins

• 3 x Arnold Classic Titles

• 4 x Mr. Olympia top 3 placements

Coaching Well-Known Athletes in Strength Sports

The Austrian, born in 1971, looks after some of the most famous athletes in the IFBB and NPC. These include:

• Urs Kalecinski (Classic Physique)

• Wesley Vissers (Classic Physique)

• Martin Fitzwater

• William Bonac

• Brett Wilkin (Open Bodybuilding)

• Shaun Clarida (212)

• Diogo Montenegro (Men's Physique)

• Sherry Priami (Women's Bodybuilding)

His athletes regularly dominate competitions and are internationally successful – from competition preparation to podium placements at Mr. Olympia.

From the Beginnings in the Gym to a Globally Recognized Coach

Kienzl discovered his passion for weight training at an early age. The legendary Top Gym – once the “Mecca of bodybuilding” in Vienna – became his second home.

He began his coaching career in 2007 as a hobby, without any pay at the time. He gained his expertise in the sport through his medical studies and by participating in various bodybuilding competitions.

Bodybuilding Career and Transition to Coaching

Kienzl started with the IFBB association in 2005 and 2006 and with the NABBA association in 2013.

Due to severe back problems and muscle tears, he ended his competitive career in 2011 and focused entirely on coaching, applying a strict bodybuilder fitness plan and program bodybuilding principles.

Training Philosophy – HIT Training for Maximum Success

Kienzl is an advocate of HIT training (high-intensity training) and often emphasizes this in his podcasts. The training units are particularly short, with only 2 sets, but are intense.

In numerous podcasts, including those with Tim Gabel and Fouad Abiad, Kienzl regularly talks about bodybuilding, strength training, and gives useful tips for anyone who wants to make it into the IFBB Pro League.

Emotional Bond with his Athletes – Urs Kalecinski as a Success Story

The IFBB Pro League thinks highly of Kienzl, because probably no other coach is as emotionally attached to his athletes and their successes/defeats as Kienzl.

Since 2020, he has also been coaching Urs Kalecinski and has been at his side since the beginning of his IFBB Pro League career. However, it was not Kienzl himself who discovered the young talent, but his daughter Helena. She was thrilled by Urs Kalecinski at the Iceland Pro Show 2019, where the first sporadic contact between the two arose. Half a year later, the duo are united as a coaching team and have been inseparable ever since.