When you first see Steve Laureus’ physique, you’re instantly struck by his incredible X-frame, his wide upper body and well-developed thighs subtly connected by an impossibly small waist.
It’s why Laureus—nicknamed “Mr. Propahhh”—quickly made his mark in the classic physique ranks with a win at his very first pro show, the 2018 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro. Still, the 32-year-old admits he’s not quite satisfied and has work to do in balancing out his upper body with sturdy legs forged through years of intensive soccer in his youth.
What’s never been an issue for him, however, are his biceps. Those progressed quickly as he trained with his father in their makeshift garage gym through high school. “My dad, who had great arms, always told me I needed to work on my biceps, my triceps, my chest. He sang that same song all the time,” Laureus recalls. “From early on, my biceps grew.” Here’s the intensive, four-move workout he’s relied on for years to perfect his peaks.
After winning his pro debut in the classic physique division at the 2018 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro on May 5, Steve Laureus made an interesting decision—he entered the New York Pro 212 two weeks later. “My coach at that time said, ‘You’re already lean and within the weight limit, and you just won a show—why not try it?’ ” he recalls.
However, the switch didn’t go as planned, as his peak faded and he ended up finishing 14th in a crowded field of 23 competitors. “I’m not blaming my coach 100% for it,” Laureus says. “I had a lot of stress going into that show. I was living in my car, my body was tired, I was retaining water—it was just bad.”
What the experience did prove was that Laureus’ initial instinct was right. “Classic is what my physique represents, and that’s what I’m sticking to in 2019, starting with the Arnold Classic,” he says. Now with a roof over his head and a new sponsorship deal inked with A&Z Pharmaceutical, Laureus has a chance to build on his promising classic debut.
Birth Date: Feb. 24, 1986
Height: 5’11”
Contest Weight: 210 lbs
Residence: Amityville, NY
Career Highlights: 2017 NPC New Jersey Championships, Classic B and overall; 2018 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Classic, 1st; 2018 Classic Olympia, 7th
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Barbell Curl 21s
Starting a biceps session with 21s may seem brutal, but Laureus is undeterred. “I’ve done this workout for years,” he says. “People who have trained with me get done with the 21s and can’t move their arms—and we still have three more exercises to go.”
How to: Grip a bar with a shoulder-width grip and then do seven half-reps, moving from the elbows-extended position to bring the bar to a point where your arms are parallel to the floor. Next, do seven reps in only the top half of the range of motion, from the point where your elbows are 90 degrees to full flexion with the bar at upper-chest level. Finally, perform seven full reps.
Laureus’ Tip: “I really try to control the motion. Think of it like three seconds up, three seconds down—it should be that slow to make sure your biceps are the primary mover and not being helped by secondary muscles.”
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
“I go really heavy with these, up to 80-pound dumbbells,” Laureus says. “They help complete the arm by developing the brachialis muscle [that runs underneath the biceps and helps add girth to the upper arm] and the brachioradialis [the tie-in muscle atop your forearm at the elbow].”
“Do them one side at a time, doing all reps within a set for one side and then the other. That really builds up the tension in each arm.”
How to: Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip. Curl one dumbbell up, lower it, and then curl the other. As for how far to curl, Laureus stops once his elbow just breaks 90 degrees. “That way, you keep tension on the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles instead of losing the contraction when the dumbbell reaches your chest,” he says.
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Edgar Artiga
One-Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
“I like the longer range of motion I get on these,” Laureus says. “You can engage a lot more fibers from the origin to the insertion point of the biceps when you fully elongate the muscle against resistance.”
How to: Rest your arm on a preacher bench with a dumbbell in one hand. Use your biceps and raise the dumbbell upward until your muscle is fully contracted. After giving the muscle a tight squeeze at the top, lower the weight, stretching out fully with a straight elbow at the bottom.
Laureus’ Tip: “At about the halfway point of the rep, try twisting your pinkie inward, so your palm is pointing slightly outward at the top. You’ll feel a stronger contraction in the peak of your biceps.”
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Edgar Artiga / M+F Magazine
High-Cable Curl
The finisher of Laureus’ biceps routine is a two-minute, all-out effort at the cable station. “You can sit on a bench or stand for this one,” he says. “Just set the timer and then go as hard as you can, getting as many reps as possible. Whatever you do, don’t stop in the middle to change the weight or rest. If you do, then you have to start over.”
“Since I’m doing as many reps as possible for time, I don’t pause at the top of the rep. I get into a rhythm, going fast while maintaining control.”
How to: Set two pulleys at a cable station to their highest setting and attach a handle to each. Grab a handle in each hand and walk to the middle of the cable station so there’s tension on both cables. Brace your core and bring the handles to your ears, keeping your elbows up and out.
