Written by Peter McGough
02 May 2014

 The Double Life of Steve Kuclo

IFBB PRO & Paramedic/Firefighter

 

 

 (EDITOR'S NOTE: Steve Kuclo’s heroic efforts to save the life of a fellow passenger as he flew back to the US following his victory at the Arnold Classic Brazil is now the stuff of legend. The episode highlighted Steve’s full time job as a firefighter/paramedic with the Dallas Fire Department. Click on the following link to hear the story on PBW Radio: http://www.musculardevelopment.com/news/bodybuilding-news/13049-pbw-radio-steve-kuclo-discusses-his-win-arnold-classic-brazil-2014-muscular-development.html#.U2PiAVfLJh4)

(The following is an exerpt from the September 2012 issue of MD Magazine)

A FIREFIGHTER’S LIFE: The Worst of Times

“The child’s dead,” Steve Kuclo whispered to his fellow paramedic. The scene was a Dallas bedroom, last December, a few days before Christmas. He and his partner had been summoned by a call from a four-year-old girl’s parents who couldn’t wake her. As Steve told them the worst thing any parent could hear they became hysterical. “Basically they were in denial,” recalls Kuclo, “They didn’t want to believe their little girl was dead. And they demanded we did something. It’s not unusual -- we sometimes become the bad guys by telling people a truth they didn’t want to hear.” Knowing it was a lost cause Kuclo and his partner went through the motions of CPR before, after a couple of minutes, finally telling the parents nothing could be done.

 Kuclo admits, “It was one of the saddest episodes I’ve ever witnessed in my job. It was tragic, but when you leave the scene you have to immediately press the re-set button because you’ll be dealing with another emergency pretty soon.”

 A BODYBUILDER’S LIFE: Early Days

kudouble-1Steve Kuclo was born in St. Clair Shores, just outside Detroit, Michigan, on August 15, 1985. He was an only child with loving parents whom he is still devoted to. “My Dad is a chef and one of my dreams is to get him his own restaurant.”

 Born in the same locale some 28 years earlier was Mark Wells who played on the “Miracle on Ice” US Ice Hockey team who won the 1980 Olympic gold medal. For a time it seemed young Steve would follow in Wells’ skate tracks as he was an outstanding hockey player. Indeed at 14, he played on the Michigan Jaguars who won the prestigious International Silver Stick tournament, which meant the team’s name was engraved on a Champions Plaque on display at The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Some of his teammates made it to the NHL, but soon afterward the promising hockey player interest turned from thin ice to thin skin as bodybuilding became his passion. “I played defensive end in high school and my coach insisted we lift weights. Right off the bat I fell in love with working out. I put on muscle quickly.”

 Attending some local bodybuilding contests he was amazed by the physiques on view. But he really hadn’t seen anything yet. At age 17, some friends drove him the three hours to Columbus Ohio, to see the 2003 Arnold Classic. He becomes animated in recalling the experience. “I was in awe of the bodybuilders and the atmosphere. I was knocked out by Jay [Cutler] who won and Markus Ruhl who was third. It was like sensory overload. I wanted to get onstage and be of those big monster guys. At the time I thought they were superhuman; now I realize it just takes hard work and dedication to get there. That whole weekend sparked a passion that has never gone away – I just felt at home.”

 Fresh from his Damascus moment in Ohio, the aspiring mass monster put even more energy into his gym activity. Justin Harris, a local heavyweight of note, mentored Steve through his first contest, the 2004 Capital City Classic in which the 212-pound newcomer won the teenage division and was third in the men’s heavyweight class. He was 18 years old. That same year he won the heavyweight division at the NPC Teen Nationals, losing the overall to light heavyweight Jason Huh. At the same time he was studying at the University of Michigan pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with a view to entering the local automotive industry. But he could see the writing on the wall for Detroit’s auto fortunes, and decided a change of career ambition was necessary. “A close friend was a captain at the local fire department and it was a career I always thought I might enter. I told my parents and starting in August 2005 put myself through school for two years to be trained as a firefighter/paramedic.”

 A FIREFIGHTER’S LIFE: Not Bodybuilding Friendly

It’s unusual for a pro bodybuilder to hold down another job that isn’t gym or bodybuilding oriented but its even more unusual for one to have a career that seems so contrary to accepted bodybuilding requirements such as proper recuperation, adequate sleep, and training bodyparts on certain days of a week as part of a seven day cycle. That’s not possible for our subject. He works 24-hour shifts on a one-day on and two days off rota. A typical week would be as follows:

Monday: 24-hour shift

Tuesday, Wednesday: non-work days

Thursday: 24-hour shift

Friday, Saturday: non-work days

Sunday: 24-hour shift

Monday, Tuesday: non-work days

Such a rolling timetable throws off sleep patterns, isn’t the best basis for muscle recuperation, and results in “Leg Day” not always being the same day of the week. Each shift starts at 7.00am, although he has to be there 30 minutes earlier to check in with the outgoing group. In alternating fashion for one shift he is part of a four-man crew riding a fire truck, and then the next shift he is part of a twosome manning an ambulance.

 He works out of Fire Station 10 in Dallas and with big city life being what it is there isn’t really a quiet day. “A not so busy day we could be called out on maybe six runs, on the other hand there are days where we maybe make over 20 runs in a 24 hour period where you don’t stop all day or have much of a chance to sit down or sleep. Busy periods are holiday weekends and Friday and Saturday nights because more people are out drinking and getting into scrapes.” He laughs, “Maybe people think it’s a superstition but full moons are busy for us – sure brings out the crazies.”

 A BODYBUILDER’S LIFE: Road To The Pros

kudouble-2In 2005 he entered the NPC Nationals and at 215 pounds again took the heavyweight division but lost out on the overall to light heavy Gerald Williams. In his first foray at the national open level he finished eighth in the Super-Heavyweights at the 2007 North American Championships. He was 22 and carried 246 pounds on his 5’11” frame. “That was just a case of testing the national waters,” he says.

 That same month, September 2007, he finished school as a qualified firefighter/paramedic. He was hired by the Dallas Fire Department and soon thereafter moved to Plano near Dallas. He had also started a relationship with figure pro Amy Peters and the couple eventually tied the knot in August 2009. Unfortunately the marriage didn’t last and they are now divorced.

 At the 2008 NPC Nationals the newly transplanted Texan stormed to third place in the Super Heavyweight division. His physique, compounded by his age, 23, caused a major stir, generated gallons of ink, and put him in the bracket for “Next Big Thing” status. Against that background he was a favorite going into the 2009 Nationals, but instead of the “Next Big Thing” he was reduced to the “Nixed Big Thing” when he discovered what Steve Blechman has been telling bodybuilders for years: Ketogenic (extremely low carb) diets aren’t the best nutrition approach for bodybuilders. The Steve called Kuclo reflects, “I look back on that as a trial and error experiment. When the losing bodyweight ball started rolling downhill I just couldn’t stop it. I was shredded but had dropped to 242 pounds; 18 pounds of muscle lighter than I had planned. It was a learning experience and that diet was then definitely off the list.”

 In 2010 Dallas’s most muscular firefighter resurrected himself somewhat with a sixth place finish at the USAs followed by third at the Nationals, in which he received input from Plano based pro Art Atwood. Shortly afterward he teamed up with contest prep expert Hany Rambod, who works with Jay Cutler and Phil Heath. Their first contest was the 2011 USAs and in his fifth attempt at gaining an IFBB pro card the 262-pounder pulled it ff by winning the Super-Heavyweight and overall titles. One month shy of his 26th birthday he was a pro.

 He’ll tell you, “Winning the pro card has been my biggest thrill so far in bodybuilding. My downfall previously was not being able to master water manipulation and sodium levels during the last two weeks in order to dial in. Hany got me to be where I needed to be. Failing in four attempts at winning a pro card can be discouraging, but when a true champ gets knocked down he gets right back up and fights all the harder.”

 LIFE AS A FIREFIGHTER: Anything and Everything

Asked about the range of duties he’s asked to perform in his day job this month’s MD cover man replies, “Anything and everything. When bad stuff happens people call the fire dept. Emergencies can range from full blown apartment building fires, treating gun shot wounds, using the jaws of life to extricate someone trapped in a car to performing full CPR on someone in cardiac arrest. You go into each shift not knowing what’s going to occur, but knowing you have at all times to be prepared to deal with the worst case scenarios.”

 We all have an immense regard for those in uniform who protect us, and a lot of that is because they go places and rush toward situations that we would hightail it away from. Listen to this public servant. “One of the hairiest experiences was fighting a multi-story apartment fire. I was on the third floor when a whole half of the building collapsed. I was one room away from being in that half – if I had been it would have been over. Another time my paramedic partner and I arrived at the scene where it had been reported a guy had had a seizure. It was caused by a drug overdose and the guy went into cardiac arrest just as we got there. There were about 20 people milling around him, who probably had been taking drugs, and as we started getting the guy into the ambulance they went crazy. They banged on the windows, breaking them, shaking the ambulance from side to side. I thought we were going to be lynched, but eventually we were able to drive away and save the guy. Even a routine call can turn bad. You always have to be alert and aware of your surroundings and the different options that could happen.”

 On the other hand he adds, “In the past three years I’ve delivered six babies – I’m a good catcher.”

 LIFE AS A BODYBUILDER: The Worst of Times

kudouble-3On September 11, 2011 just a few weeks after Kuclo’s USA win, his good friend and former helper Art Atwood collapsed of a sudden heart attack in the grounds of his apartment block in Dallas. Paramedics rushed to his aid, but he died just after they got him to hospital. He was 37 years old. If the incident had happened a few hours earlier Steve would have certainly been one of the paramedics that sped to Art’s assistance. It’s a scenario that has played out in Steve’s mind. What would it have been like to answer a – for him – routine call and find his friend was the one stricken? Whatever, if Art had to go, Steve would have been honored and prepared to help him however he could through his last moments. Of Art’s passing he says, “He had a heart of gold. He loved helping people and was very knowledgeable about the sport. Art’s death hit me hard -- he was a close friend.”

 There was more heartbreak to come. Four weeks before Steve’s pro debut at the New York Pro last May 19, his best friend Bill Jennison (known as Wild Bill) died from an abdominal bleed. “Bill was 27 years old and came to all my contests. We had been friends from way back in high school. My parents treated him like family, he was like the brother I never had. I was devastated.”

 During that traumatic time he leant heavily on his girlfriend, Allison Frahn, IFBB pro figure competitor. “Allison was an absolute rock to me during that time and really helped me through it. I flew to the funeral in Michigan and then came right back for my New York Pro prep.”

 Of Art and Bill deaths Steve comments. “It’s tragic. I have experienced death in the family with my grandparents, but we’re all programmed to expect grandparents to die when a certain age looms up. We all have a time but Art and Bill’s was way too soon. Even now I think, did it really happen? God bless them both.”

 LIFE AS A FIREFIGHTER: Ordinary Heroes

It’s not often you speak to someone who has saved another human being’s life -- our subject has done it multiple times. “Most of the life or death situations we deal with involve someone having breathing problems, from a seizure or heart attack. Administering CPR and getting someone back from a near fatal heart attack that really gives a you sense of, Wow I helped save this person’s life. Another common procedure is treating a diabetic who’s in insulin shock and doesn’t look like they’re going to make it. But you get an IV in them, increase their blood sugar levels and you get them back from the brink. Saving someone’s life is a rewarding feeling. You’ve impacted not only their life but the lives of their family.”

 But be wary of heaping praise on this uniformed savior as he warns, “Firemen are humble about these things. We just say, It’s my job; it’s what I do. I’m not a hero.’ He laughs, “And there’s nothing heroic about responding to emergencies that turned out to be someone with a stubbed toe or someone with a slight stomachache. We arrived at one address to have a mother say she was having trouble getting her baby to sleep and wondered if we could help. We had one call from an individual who was bleeding profusely. We got there and the person was bleeding from the area where they had just had a sex change, from a man to a woman. I said to myself, Err, don’t look, just treat the bleeding. That one was definitely not in the manual.”

 LIFE AS A BODYBUILDER: First Bite at The Big Apple

kudouble-4In choosing to make his pro debut at the New York Pro last May 19, this rookie had realistic ambitions, “I had the mindset that I was going in at my best with a winning attitude. My low-end goal was to make the top five, anything above that was icing on the cake. People tipping me to win didn’t add any pressure. Their expectations drove me on. If they think I’m good enough to win then my thought was I’m going to do everything to prove them right.”

 Walking out for the first time as a pro was a whole new ball game. “I was really hyped up and after I’d gone out and done my first 60 seconds posing as a pro, I came offstage and my heart was racing. Hany said, ‘Do some push ups and keep your pump going’. I said, ‘Hany if I get down there now I’ll throw up ‘cos I feel like I just sprinted a mile’. In the prejudging we were worked a whole lot harder than we were in the amateurs. Great to hear you’re your name called for the first comparison, it’s like, ‘Okay lets do this’.

 “After the prejudging I thought I had for sure made top five, potentially top three. Hany kept pushing me saying, ‘We gotta see what we can do in the next six hours [before the finals]. Need to dry out a little more, get some more meals inside you’. It worked. At the night show I knew that at 265 pounds, I was a little sharper and better.” The score cards backed that view up, showing he was third at the prejudging while being joint second with Johnnie Jackson at the night show. At the contest’s conclusion, he was announced third, behind Jackson with Cedric McMillan taking top spot.

 Of his first pro show this crowd favorite says, “Overall, I’m pleased, I’m not disappointed. My next show I’m coming to win, but I won’t compete again this year. I’ll be having a busy summer; I’m in the process of buying a house and starting my life over. My girl, Allison, is moving down from New Jersey to be with me.”

 LIFE AS A FIREFIGHTER: Our House

With danger and drama being their constant companions fire station teams really bond. “Working with a bunch of guys 24 hours at a time in some really stressful situations you become like a band of brothers,” says the most buffed guy in the station, “We share and get counsel from each other on problems and private stuff.”

 Fire station 10 has a fully equipped gym which Steve will use occasionally for cardio and abs, but his main lifting activity takes place at Metroflex Gym and Willow Bend Fitness, both in Plano. He confides, “The two most popular places in the station are the bedroom and the kitchen. The kitchen is like the hanging out area.”

 It’s also the venue where Steve exhibits a skill inherited from his professional chef of a father. “The guys at the fire station love my cooking. My father is of Ukrainian/ Italian origin and I do a mean chicken Parmesan and lasagna dishes.”

 Our newly minted pro says of the support he gets from his fire station colleagues. “I work with a great group of guys. The officers are understanding and helpful in allowing me to swap shifts to fit in with my bodybuilding schedule. I plan most of my vacation time around contests so I can sleep as normally as possible in the run-up to a show. Working 24-hour disrupts your recuperation from training and sleep patterns are erratic. If there's down time in the shift you try and catch some shut-eye, but being woken up three times in a night and then having to jump on an engine can be draining. For the New York Pro my last shift was ten days before the event and my first one after was three days later. I couldn’t follow my bodybuilding path if the guys at the station weren’t so supportive and accommodating.”

 Which prompts the question of, is it becoming more difficult now he’s a pro and has he any thoughts of having to leave the service? “It’s definitely harder now that I’m a pro. Apart from now competing at a higher level, I’m more in demand for guest spots so vacation days are even more of a premium. As for the future, I’ll just have to assess as I go along and see where life takes me.”

 LIFE AS A BODYBUILDER: Future Mr. Olympia?

kudouble-5After any exposure to Steve Kuclo’s thoughts and personality (and talking to those who know him better) one thing you pick up on pretty quickly is his quiet passion for life and his sport. He’s very down to earth, often self-deprecating, and in many ways humble with no boastful posturing. So when you ask him bluntly, is he as many predict bodybuilding’s next big thing? you expect some diplomatic sidestepping worthy of Barry Sanders. Instead he (quietly, but without hesitation) comes right back at you. “I firmly believe I’m the next big thing. I know I have the potential to be Mr. Olympia -- that’s my ultimate, and realistic, goal.”

 Next question, what attributes will take you there? Breaking into laughter he answers, “My great big Colgate smile. Nah, my main strengths are I have a large X-type frame, good symmetry, lines and overall balance. Hany thinks I can still add 10 quality pounds of muscle. That’s on the physique side but mentally I think I’m strong because I’m always listening and trying to learn. Some guys get too big for their britches and think they know it all. Well nobody knows it all, ever. I’m confident I can continue to improve knowing that at 26 [he turned 27 on August 15] I have time on my side as long as I work hard. I have a great support team in Allison, my family, Hany, Steve Blechman and the guys at MD, and Evogen Nutrition. I’ll keep improving and pushing because I want to be as good as I can be and I’m curious to see the finished product. Deep down inside there’s a fire burning.”

 As regards that last sentence, by virtue of his day job, you know that Steve Kuclo knows of what he speaks.


  IS STEVE KUCLO THE NEXT BIG THING?

We asked the above question to a roundtable of industry figures and collected the following verdicts.

 Rich Gaspari: Three-time Mr. Olympia runner-up (1985, ’86, ’87) and CEO of Gaspari Nutrition.

Steve has a Herculean type physique that is massive but he needs more separation and density to take it all the way. If he improves those factors then I think in time – a little like Jay Cutler did – he will become a top Olympia contender and may possibly win it.

 Jay Cutler: Four-time Mr. Olympia champion (2006, ’07, ’09, 2010.)

He’s got great structure and lines. He presents mass with great condition. Patience is necessary -- he just needs more time plus more chest and back thickness. With proper application he can go all the way and be Mr. Olympia for sure. 

 Shawn Ray: Two-time Mr. Olympia runner-up (1994, ’96)

Steve has two advantages on his side: Youth and his X-Frame. His strength is muscle fullness in relation to his height. His weakness at the moment is separation and density. Once he gets a little more back thickness and muscle maturity he will be a better-balanced and more complete bodybuilder who definitely can be dangerous in the future! He has the potential to definitely win some pro titles. However, becoming Mr. Olympia would require 24/7 commitment, which at present he’s not able to do due to his job as a Fireman/Paramedic.

 Dan Solomon: Founder and host of Pro Bodybuilding Weekly

For Steve, at just 26 years old, his priority is simply establishing a few more years of muscle maturity.  If he continues on his current track, one can only imagine what the 30-year-old version of Steve Kuclo might look like. When we talk about Steve as a future Mr. Olympia, it’s important to consider that Phil Heath’s reign may last until 2016, or longer.  But when Phil collects his final Sandow Trophy, don't be surprised if the guy standing next to him is Steve Kuclo.

 Bob Cicherillo: Masters World Champion (2006)

Steve has great shape, symmetry, proportions and a small waist; plus he has excellent arms and calves. He needs more front to back thickness and more chest density. With muscle maturity – which comes with age and doing the time in the gym – he has the potential to be Mr. Olympia one day. If he makes the improvements he needs to, then in a year or two – with his height and size advantages -- he can be competitive with Phil Heath.

 Peter McGough: St. Hugh’s Junior School Milk Monitor (1955-’58)

Steve has certain attributes that would fit any resume for Olympia success. He’s tall and packs a lot of muscle and has good stage presence. He’s got good shape and proportions, possesses a small waist, and has knockout arms and legs. He’s relatively young so he has the time to progress. He has the muscle groups, but to be competitive for a Sandow he must etch in much more detail and deep hewn condition. Of course, the big factor in predicting Mr. O success over the next few years is if Phil Heath’s continues to maintain and/or improve his level of excellence.

 ON THE ROAD

Turning pro meant I was more in demand for guest spots. I love going to new places and meeting new fans. I was determined to show those that didn’t know me that I’m approachable, not carried away with myself or as dumb as a box of rocks. When somebody thanks me for an autograph I say, “Thank you.” They’ll ask why I’m thanking them and I say, because it’s an honor to be asked for an autograph. I don’t ever want to feel a disconnect with the fans. -- Steve Kuclo

 KEEPING THE FAITH

The third place athlete at the 2012 New York Pro has always fostered religious beliefs but it’s become even more meaningful and important in the past two years. Hear him: “At that time I re-evaluated where I was in my life, and felt something missing, a lack of a direction in certain areas. I embraced The Lord and my church and started to gain an inner peace, with my faith guiding my decisions. It makes me thankful for all I have. Being religious doesn’t automatically mean you’re a perfect person; you just try and move in that direction. I don’t ram my religion down people’s throats but if anyone asks me about it I have the confidence to explain my thoughts, because I truly believe in them.”

 

TRAINING

 THE NO REST PROGRAM

 kudouble-6Planning a training split is harder for Steve Kuclo than for most bodybuilders as his job requires he do 24-hour shifts every third day. For instance on the rotation shown below although Wednesday is shown as an off day it is in fact the day he starts a 24 hour shift as a fireman/paramedic at 7.00am. That’s not many people’s idea of a day off. Then when he finishes that shift at 7.00am Thursday he heads home, showers, has breakfast and starts his day. He doesn’t grab some sleep because he feels that if he did and then got up at noon his day “Will be pretty much gone.” He prefers to work through even though he may be a little tired. “I like to get some meals in me, get some errands done, then I will hit the gym in the afternoon. If I had absolutely no sleep during the just completed 24-hour shift I will take a nap at some point in the day.” He’ll do cardio in the firehouse gym on workdays.

 STEVE KUCLO’S NY PRO TRAINING SPLIT

 Monday: Legs

 Tuesday: Chest, abs, cardio 

 Wednesday: Off day, cardio

 Thursday: Back, cardio

 Friday: Shoulders, calves, cardio 

 Saturday: Off day, cardio

 Sunday: Arms, cardio, abs 

 Monday: Legs

 Tuesday: Off day, Cardio

 REPEAT CYCLE 

  KUCLO’S FIVE RULES FOR PROGRESS

 1.)    I have learned that progress comes from working out smarter not longer or more often. You body needs rest after a brutal workout to go through the recover-repair-grow process, so don’t overtrain.

 2.)    Don't be afraid to eat. Food is your friend!

 3.)    Leave your ego at the door and back away from the “Yeah Buddy: training style. Develop the mind-muscle connection. Concentrate on what the weight is doing, not how heavy it is. 

 4.)    I like to stay on top of eating every two to three hours. But with my crazy work schedule I have learned that if I happen to be a few hours late eating a meal because of being busy at work I’m not going to shrivel up and lose all my muscle. If that were the case the human race would be extinct by now.

       5.)    Follow one person and one person only when it comes to contest prep advice. Trying to combine several different sets of advice will lead to only one thing …. disaster.

 

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