Steve Kuclo
(Bodybuilder)
Steve Kuclo is a bodybuilder who competes as an Open competitor. This is his life story, diet, nutrition, training regimen, and more.
Athlete Statistics
| Full Name: Steve Kuclo | |||
| Weight | Height | Age | Date of Birth |
| 270-300lbs(122.5-136.1kgkg) | 5’11 (180cm) | 37 years | August 15, 1985 |
| Nationality | Era | ||
| American | 2000, 2010 | ||
Early Life
Steve Kuclo is an extremely popular IFBB bodybuilder, who was born in August of 1985, in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up as a rather athletic kid, playing various sports. Throughout his youth, he competed in football, baseball, and hockey. In fact, he was quite successful as a hockey player, earning many regional awards.
This athletic background led Kuclo to the weight room. He became obsessed with improving himself, and began to fall in love with lifting. As a result, he started gaining some mass, and decided to try his hand at bodybuilding, as his interests began to shift.
Steve Kuclo – Early Bodybuilding Career
Steve Kuclo took to the bodybuilding stage for the first time at age 18. He competed, at the 2004 NPC Capital City Classic, winning first in the Teen division, and third in the Open. Following that, he got the confidence that pursuing this as a career was the right move. He would compete at two other contests that year, winning both.
Kuclo competed several times over the next few years, with various levels of success. However, he realized in 2007 that he needed to find something else to do as a day job, while chasing this dream. Therefore, Steve chose to become a firefighter/paramedic at 21 years old, a job that he would keep for nearly ten years.
Steve Kuclo would have his final competition as an amateur bodybuilder in 2011, when he took the stage at the NPC USA contest. He had been competing at the NPC Nationals for the past three years prior to this, as a super heavyweight. As a result, he was massive and well prepared for this contest, and was able to win, earning his Pro Card.
Steve Kuclo – Pro Bodybuilding Career
The first time Steve Kuclo would compete as a professional bodybuilder would be at the 2013 Dallas Europa Super Show, He would find success here, earning first place in the Men’s Open division. This earned him his first shot at the Mr. Olympia, in just his second pro contest. Although he would earn 14th place, he established himself as someone to keep an eye on.
2014 was a busy year for Kuclo, competing six times. His best performance was a win at the Arnold Classic Brazil. On top of that, he returned to the Olympia, scoring a much improved 9th place. In 2015 Steve Kuclo started taking bodybuilding more seriously, quitting his job as a first responder, and began working with George Farah. Unfortunately, Steve did not get the results he wanted, not winning a single contest that year.
Subsequently, Kuclo only competed once in 2016, at the Mr. Olympia. However he would be disappointed with his 13th place score. As a result, he chose to take time off, working on his physique.
Kuclo would return to action with a vengeance in 2018. At the Arnold Classic, Steve landed in the fifth place position. Then he would turn around, and win the Indy Pro, before competing at the Mr. Olympia. Here, he earned 10th place, reminding everyone how impressive he can be.
In 2019, things would continue to trend upwards for Kuclo. He completed the same competition circuit as 2018, this time with better results. At the 2019 Arnold Classic, he performed about the same, placing sixth. However, after Steve won the Indy Pro, he had his best showing at the Mr. Olympia yet. This time he walked away with a strong fifth place position, narrowly missing out on the podium.
Steve Kuclo – Championships and Accomplishments
2014 (NPC)
- Capital City Classic – 1st (Teen), 3rd (Overall)
- Michigan Bodybuilding State Championships – 1st (Teen, Teen Overall) 4th Place (Men’s)
- Teen Nationals Heavyweight – 1st
2005 (NPC)
- Collegiate Nationals – 3rd
- Michigan Championships – 1st (Teen), 5th (Overall)
- Teen Nationals – 1st
2007 (NPC)
- North American Championships – 8th
2008 (NPC)
- Nationals – 3rd
2009 (NPC)
- Nationals – 13th
2010 (NPC)
- Nationals – 3rd
- USA Championships – 6th
2011 (NPC)
- USA Championships – 1st
2013
- Dallas Europa Super Show – 1st
- Mr. Olympia – 14th
2014
- San Marino Pro – 7th
- Dubai Open – 4th
- Prague Pro – 5th
- Finland Pro – 2nd
- Mr. Olympia – 9th
- Arnold Classic South America – 1st
2015
- Prague Pro – 10th
- Arnold Classic Europe – 10th
- Mr. Olympia – 16th
- Wings of Strength Texas Pro- 2nd
- Europa Phoenix Pro – 6th
2016
- Mr. Olympia – 13th
2018
- Mr. Olympia – 10th
- Indy Pro – 1st
- Arnold Classic – 5th
2019
- Mr. Olympia – 6th
- Indy Pro – 1st
- Arnold Classic – 6th
2020
2021
- 2021 Arnold Sports Festival – 3rd
- 2021 IFBB Texas Pro – 2nd
2022
- 2022 Arnold Classic – 3rd
Steve Kuclo – Training Regimen
Steve Kuclo takes a very unique approach to his training. He feels that it is important to perform reps until failure, using both supersets and dropsets. On top of that, he likes to focus on a different muscle group for each day of the week he trains.
Training Split
- Monday – Quads
- Tuesday – Chest
- Wednesday – Back
- Thursday – Rest
- Friday- Hamstrings or Glutes
- Saturday – Arms
- Sunday – Shoulders
Quad Workout
- Straight Bra Squats – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Leg Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Hack Squats – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Led Extensions – 9-10 reps
- Machine Squats – 9-10 reps
- Lunges – 9-10 reps (each leg)
Chest Workout
- Incline Barbell Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Flat Hammer Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Flys – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Hammer Inclines – 9-10 reps
- Cable Flys – 9-10 reps
- Pec Dec Flys – 9-10 reps
Back Workout
- Barbell Bentover Rows – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Lat Pulldowns – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Seated Low Cable Rows – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Hammer Strength Rows – 9-10 reps
- V Bar Pulldowns – 9-10 reps
- Dumbbell Pullovers – 9-10 reps
Hamstrings/Glutes Workout
- Stiff Leg Barbell Deadlifts – 3 sets/10-12 reps
- Lying Leg Curls – 3 sets/10-12 reps
- Standing Single Leg Curls – 3 sets/10-12 reps (each leg)
- Barbell Hip Thrusts – 12-15 reps
- Abductors – 12-15 reps
Bicep Workout
- Standing Wide Grip Curls – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Preacher Curls – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls – 9-10 reps
- Reverse Curls – 9-10 reps
- Cable Curls – 9-10 reps
Tricep Workout
- Close-Grip Bench Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Cable Rope Extensions – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Overhead Rope Extensions – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Dips – 9-10 reps
- Wide Pushdowns – 9-10 reps
- Cable Rope Extensions – 9-10 reps
Shoulder Workout
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 4 sets, 10-12 reps
- Barbell Military Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Machine Shoulder Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
- Rear Pec Dec Flys – 9-10 reps
- Cable Lateral Raises – 9-10 reps
- Rear Delt Rope Face Pulls – 9-10 reps
Steve Kuclo – Diet and Nutrition
During the off-season, Steve Kuclo tends to consume a lot of calories. He looks to increase his bodyweight and mass during his downtime, then trim down when competing. When getting ready to hit the stage, he puts a focus on consuming lean proteins, and healthy carbs. This is his in-competition diet:
Meal One
- 1.5 cups egg whites
- Two whole eggs
- 2 cups oats
- Two slices Ezekiel bread
Meal Two
- 10 ounce fillet
- 12 ounce sweet potato
Meal Three
- 10 ounce chicken breast
- 2 cups rice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Meal Four
- 10 ounce chicken
- 2 cups rice
Fifth Meal
- 2 scoops whey protein isolate
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1.5 cups oats all in a shake
As far as supplements are concerned, Kuclo typically consumes them in liquid form. He has a tendency to drink BCAA shakes, pre-workout shakes, whey protein shakes, vitamin drinks, and green teas. In fact, he believes using these beverages during his workout allows him to get the best pump out of each session.
Additional Information
Steve Kuclo has been considered one of the most promising bodybuilders in the world today. It seems that he continues to grow and get better every year. It will be exciting to see his progression moving forward.
