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)	35 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

2019

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.