Who is Steve Kuclo?
Firefighter and IFBB professional bodybuilder from Plano, Texas, Steve “King Snake” Kuclo (USA.)
He gained notoriety by triumphing in professional contests and making four appearances on the Mr. Olympia stage.
Short Career of Steve Kuclo
Growing up, Steve Kuclo had a lifelong enthusiasm for exercise and sports. He excelled at hockey and, in the summer, put in a lot of time in the gym to build as much strength as he could.
After spending so much time at the gym, Steve developed a passion for bodybuilding. He put in a lot of work to prepare for contests, in which he won three NPC events between 2004 and 2011.
He obtained his professional card at the Dallas NPC Nationals in 2011. From that moment on, he competed professionally, winning multiple IFBB contests and participating in four Mr. Olympias between 2013 and 2017.
He decided to leave the fire service and devote all of his time to bodybuilding, pushing himself to the utmost in the gym.
“The competition bar needs to be regularly reset” because the men competing on the Olympia stage are becoming bigger and bigger.
Body Measurements of Steve Kuclo
| Full Name: | Steve Kuclo |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | August 15, 1985 |
| ERA: | 2000, 2010 |
| PROFESSION: | IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Sponsored Athlete, Firefighter |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| ALIAS: | King Snake |
| HEIGHT: | 5’11” (180cm) |
| AGE: | 36 |
Accomplishments
Competitions
- 2004 NPC Capital City Classic, 1st Teen, Overall Men’s 3rd
- 2004 NPC Michigan Bodybuilding State Championships 1st place in the Teen, Teen Overall, 4th Place Men’s
- 2004 NPC Teen Nationals Heavyweight, 1st
- 2005 NPC Collegiate Nationals, 3rd
- 2005 NPC Michigan Championships Teen, 1st
- 2005 NPC Michigan Championships HeavyWeight, 5th
- 2005 Teen Nationals HeavyWeight, 1st
- 2007 North American Championships, 8th
- 2008 NPC Nationals,3rd
- 2009 NPC Nationals, 13th
- 2010 NPC Nationals, 3rd
- 2010 NPC USA Championships, 6th
- 2011 NPC USA, Men’s Overall 1st (pro card)
- 2013 Dallas Europa Super Show Men’s Open, 1st
- 2013 Mr. Olympia, 14th
- 2014 Arnold Classic Brazil, 1st
- 2014 Finland Pro, 2nd
- 2014 San Marino Pro, 7th
- 2014 EVLS Prague Pro, 5th
- 2014 Dubai Open, 4th
- 2014 Mr. Olympia, 9th
- 2015 Wings of Strength Texas Pro, 2nd
- 2015 Mr. Olympia, 16th
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2015 IFBB Europa Phoenix, 6th
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2015 IFBB EVL’s Prague Pro, 10th
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2015 IFBB Arnold Classic Europe, 10th
- 2016 Mr. Olympia, 13th
Biography of Steve Kuclo
Stu’s Childhood
Steve Kuclo had a strong enthusiasm for athletics as a child. At school, he enjoyed playing football, hockey, and baseball.
He was able to excel at hockey as a young athlete, and as a result, he was inducted into the hockey hall of fame. Self-improvement, according to Steve, was always his goal and, as he grew older, it turned into an “addiction.”
How to Start Bodybuilding
Because of his passion for sports-related self-improvement, Steve became interested in strengthening his body and becoming as strong as he could. As a result, he started going to the gym to strengthen his skills on the ice for hockey.
His love for bodybuilding evolved as he spent more and more time in the gym. He decided to give the competition a shot and see where the sport would lead him.
Competing
When Steve made his debut on stage, he was just 18 years old. He succeeded in taking first place in the teen division of the 2004 NPC “Capital City Classic,” finishing third in the Men’s open division.
Steve became utterly enamored with the sport after this victory. He went on to win the 2004 NPC Michigan Bodybuilding State Championships as well as the Teen Nationals Heavyweight in 2004 and 2005.
How To Become A Firefighter
Steve aspired to be a bodybuilder, but he also understood that he would need to work a regular job to support his diet and gym membership.
When he turned 21, he decided to join the fire and rescue department to aid members of his neighborhood.
Even while he found it challenging to balance long (often 24-hour) shifts, he felt that this work and his bodybuilding lifestyle were complementary. His increased strength helped him in his physically demanding job as a firefighter.
Trying to Get a Pro Card
Late in the millennium, Steve Kuclo started taking part in full adult competitions. In 2008 and 2010, he won third place in the NPC Nationals.
In Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2011, Steve made a third attempt to win the same contest. He put in a ton of training for the competition, and he comfortably prevailed.
By accomplishing this, he was able to obtain his Pro Card and launch a career that would take him to the very top.
Professional Shows That Win
The 2013 Dallas “Europa Super Show Men’s Open” was his first professional event to enter. He succeeded in winning the competition and taking the championship trophy home.
But after this event, he got more than just this. Additionally, he learned that he had earned a spot in the 2013 Mr. Olympia. Being given the chance to perform on this stage alongside the best in the world fulfilled a dream that Steve had cultivated since he was a young adult.
At the Olympia, he was able to finish in a respectable 14th place. He could now boast that his extensive training had paid off and that he was now among the world’s best bodybuilders.
A few months later in 2014, he demonstrated his talent by winning the “Arnold Classic” in Brazil.
A Second Olympia
Steve is now eligible to compete in the next Mr. Olympia. At this point in the professional competition ladder, he had truly established his footing and saw the 2015 Mr. Olympia as his big break.
This time, he was able to secure a ninth-place finish, earning him a $19000 cheque. But more significantly for him, this position indicated that he was becoming better.
Getting Expert Assistance
Steve began working with George Farah, a qualified coach, in 2015. His body “totally altered” as a result, according to him.
George tried to be as straightforward as he could with Steve. They put a lot of effort into changing Steve’s diet in minor but visible ways, adding new meals and supplements as necessary.
At the renowned “Wings of Strength Texas Pro,” he succeeded in winning the second-place trophy, but he regrettably placed 16th at his third Mr. Olympia a few months later.
Steve viewed this as a chance to regroup and be ready for the upcoming games.
Maintaining Hope for the Olympia
Steve Kuclo entered the 2016 competition hoping to improve on his 16th-place finish from the previous year since he had always wanted to win the Olympia.
This time, he placed 13th, which was an improvement, but it was still far off his 2014 ninth-place finish.
Steve was aware that he would eventually stand on the podium and that it was only a question of time.
He saw these years of training and competing as opportunities for “personal growth,” which was his original driving force for getting into bodybuilding in the first place.
Training of Steve Kuclo
Steve’s Training Approach
Steve has developed a regimen based on years of training and collaboration with industry leaders. He has three key objectives.
- 1) To create a swell: Forcing as much blood into your muscles as possible. To do this, Steve pushes hard in every set until failure.
- 2) To feed the muscles during the routine: Steve believes that you must always drink BCAA liquid and glucose while working out. He mixes creatine, glucose powder, and BCAA liquid into his water bottle and drinks it before, during, and after his gym session.
- 3) To Complete ‘power partials’ and create new limits with triple drop sets: He increases the weight lifted in the last set of each exercise by 30%. By doing this, he can force new muscle growth and overload the muscle. He then includes a triple drop set where he lowers the weight and completes one set without rest, then does the same again.
His Morning Split
“Taking your body to new limits is not a simple or comfortable process,” according to Steves. Each day of his 6-day, the exhausting weekly split is dedicated to a different body part.
- First Day: Quads
- Second Day: Chest
- Third-Day: Back
- Fourth Day: Rest Day
- Fifth Day: Hams/Glutes
- Sixth Day: Arms
- Seventh Day: Shoulders
Exercise Routine
Quads
- Straight Bra Squat: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Leg Press: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Hack Squat: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Led Extension: 9-10 reps
- Machine Squat: 9-10 reps
- Lunge: 9-10 reps for each leg
Chest
- Incline Barbell Press: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Flat Hammer Press: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Incline Dumbbell Fly: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Hammer Incline: 9-10 reps
- Cable Fly: 9-10 reps
- Pec Dec Fly: 9-10 reps
Back
- Barbell Bentover Row: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Lat Pulldown: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Seated Low Cable Row: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
On the 4th Set: Perform Power Partial and Triple Drop Set
- Hammer Strength Row: 9-10 reps
- V Bar Pulldown: 9-10 reps
- Dumbbell Pullover 9-10 reps
Hamstrings And Glutes
- Stiff Leg Barbell Deadlift: 3 sets, 10-12 reps
Triple Drop Set on the 3rd set
- Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets, 10-12 reps
Power partial and Triple Drop Set on the 3rd set
- Standing Single Leg Curl: 3 sets, 10-12 reps for each leg
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on the 3rd set
- Barbell Hip Thrust: 12-15 reps
- Abductor: 12-15 reps
- Abductor: 12-15 reps
Arms
Biceps
- Standing Wide Grip Curl: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on the 4th set
- Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on the 4th set
- Preacher Curl: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on the 4th set
- Dumbbell Hammer Curl: 9-10 reps
- Reverse Curl: 9-10 reps
- Cable Curl: 9-10 reps
Triceps
- Close-Grip Bench Press: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on the 4th set
- Cable Rope Extension: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Overhead Rope Extension: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Dip: 9-10 reps
- Wide Pushdown: 9-10 reps
- Cable Rope Extension: 9-10 reps
Shoulders
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Barbell Military Press: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Machine Shoulder Press: 4 sets, 10-12 reps
Power Partial and Triple Drop Set on 4th set
- Rear Pec Dec Fly: 9-10 reps
- Cable Lateral Raise: 9-10 reps
- Rear Delt Rope Face Pull: 9-10 reps
“I have spent over 12 years learning about the human body and how it reacts to different stimulus. I have worked with some of the best trainers, prep coaches, and training partners in the world and have gained priceless knowledge from them… you quickly learn that every body is different and responds differently to different methods.”
Nutrition of Steve Kuclo
Off-Season Objectives
Steve seeks to gain weight and muscle mass during the off-season by consuming more calories. By the end of the procedure, he anticipates having some extra body fat, although he is not overly concerned about this.
to help with muscle growth, and raise body weight/mass by consuming more calories than is necessary for upkeep. Although we’ll concentrate on preventing body fat accumulation, don’t be frightened if you do.
The following is a sample menu for a day during his off-season:
First Meal
- 6 oz of lean steak
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/2 cup of egg whites
- 1-cup spinach
- 1.5 cups oats
Second Meal
- 7 oz. of chicken, or lean ground turkey
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1 banana
Third Meal
- 7 oz. chicken or lean ground turkey
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1 apple
Fourth Meal
- 7 oz. chicken or lean ground turkey (cooked)
- 2 cups of rice (cooked)
- 1 cup pineapple
Fifth Meal
- 8 oz. salmon (cooked)
- 10 oz. sweet potato (cooked)
- Vegetable of choice
Sixth Meal
- 2 scoops
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 hand full of mixed nuts
- ½ cup low-fat natural Greek yogurt
Cheat Meals
- 2-3 cheat meals per week including a variety of food from fast food burgers to pizza
Exercise Diet
While Steve decides to include three cheat meals each week during the off-season, he fully eliminates them during the competition season.
His diet during competitions consists mostly of lean protein sources and vitamins. He consumes nutritious carbohydrates since he wants to lose extra body fat and they help him work out more effectively.
First Meal
- 1.5 cups egg whites
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 cups oats, slices of Ezekiel bread
Second Meal
- 10-ounce fillet
- 12-ounce sweet potato
Third Meal
- 10-ounce chicken breast
- 2 cups rice
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Fourth Meal
- 10-ounce chicken
- 2 cups rice
Fifth Meal
- 2 scoops of whey protein isolate
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1.5 cups oats all in a shake
Supplements
There is no denying the importance of supplements in improving workout performance and giving the body the building blocks it needs to convert intense training into substantial muscle growth when it comes to reaching bodybuilding perfection.
Supplementing your diet with nutrients is a crucial component of Steve’s strategy. Before ending his firefighter career at the end of 2015 to concentrate on bodybuilding, he was exercising following 24-hour shifts.
Steve would take pre-workout beverages to accomplish this. He regularly utilizes these drinks, which have progressively grown to play a significant role in his routine.
Steve takes whey protein smoothies, BCAA drinks, vitamin drinks, and green tea in addition to these supplements.
Influences and Idols
Amanda Kuclo, Steve’s wife, is a significant influence on his life. She has a very similar life to Steve and is an IFBB Bikini Pro.
They support one another in all facets of their fitness lifestyles. They share meals and have a child together, which they hope will also lead a healthy life.
What Steve Kuclo can teach us?
Steve’s pursuit of bodybuilding all began with the straightforward notion of self-improvement. Steve Kuclo was a great hockey player when he was younger, but when he first started lifting weights, the “gym bug” bit him.
He was able to turn this love into a very lucrative business by constantly emphasizing slow, steady progress.
In your quest for fitness, it could be helpful to put more emphasis on your ongoing development than just the final result.