THE GLORIOUS STEVE LAUREUS | AIMING FOR THE 2020 ARNOLD WIN!
The Glorious Steve Laureus
Aiming for the 2020 Arnold Win!
By Ron Harris
Steve Laureus has been taking time to make the necessary improvements that will take him to the next level. With the guidance of coach Neil “Yoda” Hill, Steve is well on his way as we speak to closing in on the competitive weight of 215 pounds, the limit for his height of 5 foot 10 for a pro in Classic Physique. We spoke recently about working with Neil and the strategy they have put in place to make sure the Steve Laureus we see next time will be truly glorious to behold.
The last time we spoke was right after the 2019 Arnold Classic, where you lost to George Peterson by one point. You weren’t sure if that qualified you for the Olympia. How did you find out the answer, and how did that change any plans you had for the rest of the season?
I looked into it and taking second at the Arnold Classic gives you 10 points. I needed to do at least one more show to either win it or get more points to qualify. My coach Neil Hill didn’t think it was best for me to do any more shows last year, not even the Olympia. The Arnold was my sixth contest in 18 months. Remember, in 2017 I did the New Jersey, my first NPC show, then the North American, and in 2018 I did Pittsburgh, the New York Pro, and the Olympia. He wanted my body to get some rest to prepare for 2020. Neil’s concern was that if we pushed on and did the Olympia, my body wouldn’t respond well simply because it was tired from all that prep.
In that brief time, you were thinking about doing another contest to get the points. Which ones were you looking at?
I had two options, either Pittsburgh or Tampa. Tampa is six weeks out from the Olympia, so that way I would already be in shape and just work on refining things for the Olympia. Neil thought that if I polished the look I had at the Arnold and came in a little heavier and leaner, I could be top five at the Olympia or maybe even top three. Placing in the top five might be good for my career because it’s up from seventh last year, but we’re not chasing a top five showing, or even the win, exactly. We’re chasing a look. Neil said let’s take 10 months to work on your physique and come back bigger and harder at the 2020 Arnold. That look would be very hard to beat. That’s all I needed to hear. I’ve never been so focused and regimented before. Taking a couple of months after the Arnold to live life and relax put me in a perfect place to work hard from now until the Arnold.
We already figured out “Mr. Propah” wasn’t the best nickname. Now Neil Hill and Aaron Singerman have given you two more. What are they, and which one do you like better?
I never liked that Mr. Propah nickname either, as I’ve said before. So now Neil and my friends at the gym call me “The Specimen,” as in, you’re not human! I was in the elevator with Neil Hill at the Arnold and he looks over and says, “Mate, you’re a fucking specimen!” Aaron Singerman is the one who came up with “Glorious Steve Laureus.” It doesn’t matter to me, I’m just here to work hard and get better. Call me whatever.
How has your training changed since you started working with Neil Hill? What are you doing now that you weren’t doing a year ago?
First, I want to say that here in New York, I’ve started training with Dr. Mike Camp, a physical therapist, and Sadik Hadzovic. Normally I go down to Florida to train with Neil for anywhere from a week to a couple of weeks. Neil’s training is very, very different from what I was doing in the past. When I’m with Neil, it’s almost like a camp, the way they describe Kuwait. I get up in the morning and have my breakfast, and everything is on time. Neil times everything. We train at a certain time, I eat my meals at specific times, and I go to bed at a certain time. Just that schedule makes such a difference in the way I look, even if I’m only down there a week. I come back to New York and people are like dude, what the hell happened? You look way better! Neil really pushes me. There are some sets I’ve done with him that I don’t know how I got through them. There’s no way I could push myself to that level of intensity. That’s how he trains Flex Lewis too. Neil believes that when you go beyond what you’ve done before, you target and fire certain muscle fibers that you never tapped into before. That makes a big difference onstage when you’re hitting a rear double biceps or an abdominal and thighs shot, because you’re standing next to guys who stopped at 12 reps when you did 20.
What about things like your form and mind-muscle connection?
Neil is always all about focusing on good form and controlling the weight. That’s one technique he instilled in me. I had a video last year where I was training with Flex and Neil. You can hear Flex in the background, yelling at me during every set I did, “Control! Control! Control!” Flex was determined to see me master that aspect of the reps. I learned to visualize the muscles working and being totally isolated. We also use intensity techniques like rest-past to go past our normal limits.
We all tend to get stuck doing the same thing in the gym for years at a time. Was that your situation before you started working with Neil?
Yes, because I was following Ronnie Coleman’s workout routine for years. Not the same weights, but almost identical to the workouts he did for over 20 years. My body responded and grew very well, so I never thought too much about changing up things like the exercises or the rep ranges I was doing. Obviously keeping things the same worked perfectly for Ronnie. But it’s not so much what you do in the gym as much as how you do it that makes the difference. Two people can follow the same routine, but their training could be very different based on who focuses more and works harder. Neil has me resting less between sets than I ever did before. We use a variety of rep ranges. There is no talking unless it’s directly about the workout, and we don’t have our phones on the gym floor. Neil is big on amino acids before and after the workout, something I’d never done consistently before. The main difference is just working the muscles harder than I ever thought possible. There have been times when I got frustrated with Neil because he pushed me so far that I really thought my muscles would tear apart. The pain was that severe. One thing people might find surprising is that we won’t always do a lot of different exercises in one workout. There might be an arm workout where I only do two exercises, but we do 10-12 sets of them. There was one shoulder workout we did that was only three different exercises, but I couldn’t move my arms at all when we were done, not even to wipe the sweat out of my eyes. I almost felt like I was going through an exorcism. The pain and the pump were that extreme.
What’s it like training with Mike Camp and Sadik Hadzovic back home?
They’re great for pushing me too. If I’m ever feeling lazy, just knowing I’ll be training with them changes my attitude instantly. Like tomorrow, we’re training back, and I’m already excited. I can’t wait. I also train with a 212 pro named Vlad Petric. He’s very thick, and he’s a lot stronger than me. That pushes me to work harder. I’m trying to capture all the opportunities I have to learn and better myself in this industry, whether it’s training, or advice, or whatever. I feel like I’m still very new to all this and have so much to learn from others who have been around longer.
Back to the Olympia for a moment. Were you really looking forward to the Olympia last year, or do you feel everything happens for a reason?
I was all set to do it. And I had a few top pros tell me it was a mistake not competing in it last year. Brandon Curry, Dexter, and even Mr. Olympia, Shawn Rhoden all said that to me.
Wait, what was their reason?
They think that usually competitors get better the more shows they do. Some guys take a year off thinking they will come back better, but they don’t. They also believe I need to show more people how good I am and what I’m capable of, and you do that by competing. Every show is a chance to prove yourself to the judges and the fans. But Neil is my coach, and I’m always going to listen to him. He’s steered me right so far. Deep in my heart I know I would have made improvements from the Arnold, but I believe 2020 is my time. Giving your body the proper amount of time to develop makes a difference. If I rushed and put 7 more pounds of muscle on for the Olympia, it wouldn’t look as good as if I take my time and make those gains. I’d rather refine and polish that new mass. I’m not heading into my next show to make top five. I don’t want to compete against anyone this year. I want them to compete against me. That’s my mindset for 2020.
In our last interview, you talked about growing into the open division. Some people were probably happy to hear that, while others who want to see you kill it in Classic for many years weren’t so pleased. What kind of feedback did you get?
A lot of people think it’s a good idea for me to eventually go to the open class. Others want me to stay in Classic. I’m not leaving the division any time soon. I still haven’t even proved myself in it yet. The goal is to win a big show. I believe I can do it. I also believe eventually I can add the mass I need to do well in the open category, but that will take a couple of years for sure. I’m not trying to rush it.
At last year’s Arnold, you shocked a lot of us. In just about every preview I saw, including the one Giles and I did for MD, there were doubts you would be in great condition because you never had been before.
I don’t think anyone except Neil and Flex were expecting the look I had for the Arnold. People thought I couldn’t get lean. Anybody can get in shape. Sometimes it takes time for a coach to really understand someone’s body. Neil did it with me in six months. After the Arnold, he was like, “OK mate, I know your body now and how it works. We’re gonna do some real damage next year.”
I have to say, Neil is the man. I had given up on Jonathan De La Rosa ever getting into the shape I wanted to see. But he looked very good in New York, and then nailed it in Toronto thanks to Neil.
Neil didn’t want Jon to do the New York Pro. He didn’t believe he would be ready in time and actually told him not to do the show. Neil knows exactly how much time it takes for the body to make the changes and look the way he wants it. He told Jon he would place somewhere between fourth and sixth and said go ahead and do it if you really want to, but that’s what will happen. He was right, Jon got fourth. Neil knew his back would be crisp by the time of the Toronto show, and he was right. Neil is always brutally honest. After the Olympia judging last year, he told me I got sixth or seventh, and I did get seventh place.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what you and Neil can do with your physique at this year’s Arnold. I happen to think you’re going to win at least one Classic Physique Olympia title before it’s all said and done.
Thank you so much, and thanks to Mr. Steve Blechman for all the exposure and opportunities. I appreciate it very much.
Training Split
Day 1: Back, delts, biceps
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Chest and triceps
Day 4: Back, delts, biceps
Day 5: Legs
Day 6: Chest and triceps
Day 7: OFF, repeat
Contest History
2015 Musclemania New England
Heavyweight Winner
2015 Musclemania Universe
Heavyweight Winner
2017 NPC New Jersey
Classic Physique B and Overall
2017 IFBB North American
Second, Classic Physique B
2018 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro
Winner, Classic Physique
2018 IFBB New York Pro
14th, 212 Division
2018 IFBB Classic Physique Olympia
Seventh Place
2019 IFBB Arnold Classic
Second Place
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area. Facebook Instagram
DISCUSS ON OUR FORUMS
FOLLOW MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT ON:
FACEBOOK: MuscularDevelopment Magazine
TWITTER: @MuscularDevelop
INSTAGRAM: @MuscularDevelopment
YOUTUBE: http://bit.ly/2fvHgnZ