Featured Athlete: IFBB Elite Pro World Champion Mika Sihvonen

December 6, 2023

Featured Athlete: IFBB Elite Pro World Champion Mika Sihvonen.

Evolutionofbodybuilding.net is back with a new Featured Athlete. We are honored to have IFBB Elite Pro Multiple World Champion, Mika Sihvonen, as our latest Featured Athlete.

Mika is IFBB Elite Pro‘s best bodybuilder, winning back-to-back IFBB Elite Pro World Championships at the Arnold Classic Europe.

2023 was not an easy year for Mika, he had several problems that would have derailed any other athlete, but he kept on fighting until he reached his goal.

The rise of a champion

Mika Sihvonen was born in Imatra, Finland, on 9 July 1983.

The first time that Mika went to a gym was when he was 17. Mika’s friend as him to go to the gym with him, and at first, Mika admitted that he was not interested.

At the time, Mika was more interested in mixed martial arts, and just trained his chest and arms with bench press and bicep curls.

Contrary to the present day, Mika avoided leg workouts, and he believed they were not fun at all.

Mika started to notice some changes to his physique, the more he went to the gym. Mika started to get more interested and wanted to learn more about weightlifting and bodybuilding, to get maximize his results.

The more Mika studied the sport of weightlifting and bodybuilding, he started to get more interested. Mika started to read about the top bodybuilders at the time, and how they trained.

Finally, the bodybuilding bug bit Mika, and all his other hobbies and activities took a back seat, so he could concentrate on his new passion, which was bodybuilding.

Who inspired Mika Sihvonen?

The first bodybuilder that Mika looked up to was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Later on in his life, at the Arnold Classic Europe, Mika met Arnold in 2018 and 2019.

As Mika became more interested in bodybuilding, he started to admire the work of Lee Labrada, and Flex Wheeler. Mika loved their physiques which presented a perfect balance of aesthetics, size, and balance. Plus, Labrada, and Wheeler, were two of the best posers in the history of the sport of bodybuilding.

Mika’s goal was to build a physique, based on Lee Labrada’s and Flex Wheeler’s physiques, muscular but also aesthetic.

Mika explained that everyone’s physique is different, and he wanted to develop an aesthetically pleasing physique, combined with mass, condition, and balance. To achieve this goal, Mika had to concentrate on his weaknesses, to get the right balance.

The first task for Mika was to improve his leg development, a body part that he neglected in the past when he first started training. At the same time, this forced Mika to learn more training techniques, that would help him build a world-class physique.

Contest history and memorable victories

Sihvonen started competing in 2017, at the age of 34, in the under 80kg category.

At the time of publishing this interview, Mika competed in over 20 events. It did not take long for Mika to earn his pro status, as he won it in the first year he competed, in 2017.

Mike dominated the IFBB amateur division in 2017, winning six events, confirming he was one of the best amateur bodybuilders in the world. Mika was also awarded the World Best Amateur Bodybuilder award in 2017 by the IFBB.

The most memorable and significant victory for Mika was at the 2023 Arnold Classic Europe, where Mika defended his title at the 2023 IFBB Elite Pro World Championships.

Mika suffered a serious leg injury in 2022, and in 2023, Mika was diagnosed with tongue cancer and needed immediate surgery.

The last two years have been very difficult for Mika, mentally and physically, but he survived and continued to push forward against all odds, achieving victories, and remaining at the top of his game.

Mika, you have been open about your challenges this year, would you like to explain how you overcame the challenges of injury and cancer?

Mika explained “I think because I’m determined, and I don’t give up easily if I have decided to do something or I want something. You never know what will happen tomorrow, and everything will work out one way or another. If you just have the will and desire you can do and survive almost anything.”

“You just have to keep moving forward, whatever happens, and believe in yourself. Also support and help of loved ones, especially the understanding and support of my partner Mari. Bodybuilding has been a really important and big part of my life for a decade before competing, a way of life.”

“I don’t want to end my career with a bad year, even though this year I was good at the end and good enough for the win, I wasn’t nearly at my best. The next coming year will define a lot of my career in the future, I hope I will stay healthy, injury-free, and feel overall good. My goal is to get a good offseason, and get an overall better physique for the next year in 2024.”

What’s next for Mika?

As Mika mentioned, the next contest prep will define his future and bodybuilding career. Mike hopes the year goes well, and he can defend his World Championship title.

Mika explained he still has not decided what he has planned for the future, as he is just concentrating on his training and the off-season. Everything else is still open, and he will move forward according to his feelings.

Mika also explained that bodybuilding has been a big part of his life, and when he eventually stops competing, he will continue to train. In the future, Mika suggested he would like to focus on coaching, business, and other important things in life.

Training Routines

When asked about his training routines, Mika explained that his off-season and contest prep routines are the same.

• Chest and biceps and abs
• Quads and calves
• Rest
• Shoulder and triceps and abs
• Back
• Hamstring, glutes and calves
• Rest

During his contest prep, Mika allocates more time to posing and includes 30 minutes of cardio twice a week. Mika believes more is not always better, and the most important part of contest prep is the diet.

Mika’s Diet

Mika explains that the only difference between his off-season and contest diet is the calorie intake.

Foods stay almost the same, and cheat meals are eliminated during contest prep.

Hobbies and favorite cheat meal

Bodybuilding and studying more about the sport was Mika’s hobby before he started competing, even though it’s like a job, Mika still considers bodybuilding as a hobby.

At the moment, Mika likes to relax on his off days, take daily naps, watch a good series or movie, and read a good book.

Since bodybuilding takes a big chunk of Mika’s time, he has no time to participate in other sports or activities. Mike explained that when he eventually stops competing in the future, he will have more time to start new hobbies.

Mika’s absolute favorite cheat meal is ice cream. Mika explained that he loves ice cream, as he is always feeling hot and it cools him down.

Mika Sihvonen’s Contest History

IFBB AMATEUR BODYBUILDING

2017 under 80kg
2017 Finnish Open 2nd
2017 Diamond Cup Portugal -80kg 1st
2017 Olympia Amateur -80kg 1st
2017 Arnold Classic Europe -80kg 1st
2017 Finnish Championships + Overall Champion 1st
2017 Ben Weider Cup + Overall 1st
2017 Diamond Cup Rome -80kg 1st
2017 IFBB World Elite Ranking Awards 1st
(World Best Amateur Bodybuilder 2017)

IFBB ELITE PRO BODYBUILDING 2018-2023

Competed Under 90kg 2018-2019
Competed Open 2020-2023

2018 Arnold Classic Europe Pro Open 5th
2018 Nordic Pro (NFE) -90kg + Open Overall 1st
2018 IFBB Elite Pro World Champion -90kg 1st
2019 Arnold Classic Europe Pro Open 2nd
2019 Nordic Pro (NFE) Open 1st
2019 IFBB Elite Pro World Champ Open 3rd
2019 IFBB Elite Pro World Champion -90kg 1st
2020 Arnold Classic Europe Pro Open 2nd
2020 IFBB Elite Pro World Champ Open 2nd
2021 Arnold Classic Europe Pro Open 2nd
2021 IFBB Elite Pro World Champ Open 2nd
2022 Arnold Classic Europe Pro Open Champion 1st
2022 IFBB Elite Pro World Open Champion 1st
2023 Arnold Classic Europe Pro Open Champion 1st
2023 IFBB Elite Pro World Open Champion 1st