Who is Steve Reeves?
One of the most motivating bodybuilders the sport has ever seen, Steve Reeves still holds that title today.
Steve was one of the first in the bodybuilding community to present big muscles on a global stage, having enjoyed success in both his bodybuilding and acting careers.
From Schwarzenegger to Stallone, all the greats of that era credit their tenacity and drive to the example Steve Reeves set all those years ago. It was this deed that inspired a generation.
Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. Universe, and possibly Mr. Olympia, if they existed at the time. Steve Reeves had one of the best bodies of all time, and the following is his tale:
“Something is amiss when your arms are bigger than your head.”
Body Measurements of Steve Reeves
| Full Name: | Steve Reeves |
| HEIGHT: | 6’1″ (185.5cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 215 – 225lbs (93.0 – 102.1kg) |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| PROFESSION: | Bodybuilder, Infantryman, Actor, Philanthropist, Gym Owner, Trainer, Writer, and Author |
| ERA: | 1940, 1950, and 1960 |
“I would pay close attention to the exercise I was performing and the muscle I was working while I worked out. I could see those muscle fibers contracting and growing. When I worked out, I practically fell into a hypnotic state.
Notable Successes
Being A Bodybuilder
- 1946: Mr. Pacific Coast
- 1947: Mr. Pacific Coast
- 1947: Mr. America
- 1948: Mr. USA (2nd place)
- 1948: Mr. World
- 1948: Mr. Universe (2nd place)
- 1949: Mr. USA (3rd place)
- 1950: Mr. Universe
As an actor:
- Athena (1954) Hollywood film directed by Richard Thorpe
- Jail Bait (1954) Hollywood film directed by Ed Wood
- Hercules (1957) (Le fatiche di Ercole / The Labors of Hercules) was released in Italy in 1958, released in the U.S.A. in 1959
- Hercules Unchained (1959) (Ercole e la Regina di Lidia / Hercules and the Queen of Lydia) was released in the USA in 1960
- Goliath and the Barbarians (1959) (Il terrore dei barbari / Terror of the Barbarians)
- The Giant of Marathon (1959) (La battaglia di Maratona / The Battle of Marathon)
- The Last Days of Pompeii (1959) (Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei / The Last Days of Pompeii)
- The White Warrior (1959) (Hadji Murad il Diavolo Bianco / Hadji Murad, The White Devil) directed by Riccardo Freda
- Morgan, the Pirate (1960) (Morgan, il Pirata)
- The Thief of Baghdad (1960) (Il Ladro di Bagdad / The Thief of Baghdad)
- The Trojan Horse (1961) (The Trojan War)
- Duel of the Titans (1961) (Romolo e Remo / Romulus And Remus)
- The Slave (1962) (Il Figlio di Spartaco / Son of Spartacus)
- The Avenger (1962) (La leggenda di Enea / The Legend Of Aeneas) was a sequel to The Trojan Horse (a.k.a. The Last Glory of Troy or War of the Trojans)
- Sandokan the Great (1963) (Sandokan, the Tiger of Mompracem) directed by Umberto Lenzi
- Pirates of Malaysia (1963) a.k.a. Sandokan, the Pirate of Malaysia, a.k.a. Pirates of the Seven Seas; this was a sequel to Sandokan the Great, directed by Umberto Lenzi
- A Long Ride from Hell (1967) (I Live for Your Death!) spaghetti western directed by Camillo Brazzoni, produced and co-written by Steve Reeves
“We should work to develop a balanced body as well as a balanced life.”
Biography
Early Years
In 1926, Steve Reeves was created in Glasgow, Montana. Lester Reeves, Steve’s father, tragically passed away in a farming accident when he was 10 years old, forcing Steve and his mother to start over in Oakland, California.
This was the starting point of Steve’s road to becoming one of the most recognizable bodybuilders in history.
Reeves’ mother noticed that he had poor posture, which contributed to the first stage in the development of his sculpted physique.
When Steve was younger, he had a habit of hunching his shoulders forward, which his mother didn’t want him to continue.
She fixed the issue by giving Steve a shoulder brace so that he wouldn’t be able to repeat the mistake without getting cut by the apparatus. He practiced good posture.
Finding Bodybuilding And World War 2
The second action took place at school. Reeves had engaged in a friendly arm-wrestling match, only to lose to a much smaller child.
Reeves decided to start weightlifting after learning that his opponent had been doing so. He also knew what he should be going for after a friend had shown him pictures of bodybuilders.
Reeves was seeing amazing success in the gym during high school. Ed Yarick, the proprietor of a nearby gym, ultimately came upon him and wanted to work with Reeves to further develop his physique.
Due to World War 2, during which Steve was stationed in the Philippines and then for a brief time in Japan following the war, Reeves’ training was put on hold when he finished high school.
A Competitive Bodybuilder’s Journey
Reeves was prepared to resume training upon his return to California in 1946, which marked the beginning of his successful career as the bodybuilding industry’s undisputed king.
Steve won his first contest in 1946, Mr. Pacific Coast, and was eager for more. In 1947, he came back to win it once more while also taking home the Mr. America title. Steve was crowned Mr. Pacific Coast, Mr. America, Mr. World, and Mr. Universe by 1950.
But Steve was about to transcend the realm of bodybuilding and become an icon.
Career In Acting And Hollywood
After winning Mr. Universe, job offers from Hollywood poured in. Steve took on a large number of roles from 1954 to 1969, participating in a total of 18 films, after receiving rigorous acting training in New York.
One of the first actual bodybuilders to appear as a movie star and demonstrate what a real lifter looks like.
A generation of younger men, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Lou Ferrigno, and Serge Nubret, were inspired by him to take up the sport.
But after suffering a shoulder injury while filming “The Last Days of Pompeii” when a chariot crashed, Reeves’ film career came to an end.
The pain finally proved intolerable for Reeves, which led to the end of both his bodybuilding and filmmaking careers.
“I reject the idea that bodybuilders use steroids. Take up ping pong if a man lacks the male hormones necessary to develop a good, hard, muscular body.
Training
Unlike the majority of bodybuilders, both modern and traditional, Steve thought that training should be kept to a minimum.
Steve had a more laid-back style whereas many of the greats packed the gym practically every day of the week. Reeves would only work out three times per week in total, and he would always perform full-body exercises.
He believed that getting enough rest was essential for developing a fantastic body, thus the fewer gym visits, as long as they were done properly, the better.
To achieve that award-winning physique, Steve would perform a few things differently from ordinary lifters throughout his full-body workout:
1. Delaying the use of legs till the session is over
Steve was aware that the majority of complex upper-body activities, like the standing military press, deadlifts, and even the bench press, rely heavily on the legs; but, if you train your legs first, you’ve tanked all of those exercises.
Leg exercises should be done last because you’ve already partially worked your legs in the preceding lifts and warmed them up. It is quite logical.
Reeves has indicated that this is how his typical day would go:
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Lats
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Lower Back
- Abs
- Neck
You’ll have seen a pattern there too. In that order:
2. Work on opposing muscle groups
Steve loved working out opposing muscle groups simultaneously. If you were working your biceps, for example, you would switch to a tricep exercise after that set, then back to your biceps, and so on until you were done.
This would not only shorten your workout (full-body exercises might last for hours), but it would also give the muscle time to recuperate before the following set.
3. Constantly Set Goals
Steve’s relentless pursuit of achievement was one of the factors that made him one of the biggest bodybuilders of his generation. He disliked being static and continuously pushed himself to get better.
Every time he entered the gym, his main purpose was to accomplish a personal objective. There was room for improvement from his most recent workout.
Reeves constantly made sure that his following workout beat the one before it. This unwavering commitment allowed him to advance incredibly quickly and helped him establish himself as one of the most motivating lifters in history.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Steve was a strong advocate of employing “power walking” as a means of weight loss or weight maintenance. Once he reached the half-mile mark in 8 minutes, the plan was to walk the full mile in 14 minutes, if his fitness levels improved.
Steve suggested power walking be done at least four times a week for a total of 30 minutes.
He advised walking 2-3 kilometers for increased fitness levels and 1-2 miles for upkeep.
Enhanced Fitness
- 2-3 miles in 30 minutes over four days.
Maintenance
- 30 minutes for 1-2 kilometers over 4 days
Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, Steve consumed a lot of whole foods, as did the majority of bodybuilders in his era.
He advocated a 60/20/20 split of carbohydrates, lipids, and protein, which was essentially unheard of at the time but appears to be quite beneficial.
The most intriguing thing about Steve, though, was that he would have a pre-workout day where he would eat particular things the day before training to ensure he made the most of his forthcoming session.
According to how Steve has previously described it, it was one huge carb-loading day where he ate a variety of complex carbohydrates like oats, almonds, bananas, and more.
This links to the fact that he only trained three times per week; you can see from the way he scheduled his schedule around them that every session mattered.
Influences And Idols
One of the most motivating bodybuilders on earth, Steve Reeves will always be remembered.
Just a few of the bodybuilders who have cited Steve as inspiration are listed below:
- Serge Nubret
- George Eiferman
- Lou Ferrigno
- Bill Pearl
- Reg Park
- Larry Scott
- Frank Zane
- Vince Gironda
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Sylvester Stallone
- Mike Mentzer
- Joe Weider
These are just a few of the athletes that have named Steve as one of their greatest inspirations. There are many more. He will be remembered throughout history as the one who had “the body that launched a thousand careers.”
“No gain without brains. No pain, no gain, right? I would exercise in a very rigid, precise manner. No cheating, just slow and flawless form.
What Steve Reeves Can Teach Us?
If Steve is the grandpa of bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger is unquestionably the father. The shining example of everything being possible if you set your mind to it is Steve, who went from losing an arm wrestling match to winning Mr. Universe.
Without Steve, the bodybuilding industry would not be as well-known as it is now. His impact on the sport inspired a whole generation.
Steve’s success shows us that what you give, not how much you give, is what counts. Steve beat all of his competitors and developed one of the best bodies the sport has ever seen with just three devoted training sessions a week.
It serves as a motivational message for individuals who don’t have as much time to work out but still want to have an attractive physique: if you set your mind to it, you can overcome excess via efficiency.