Steven Cao is an American IFBB Pro League Men’s Physique competitor, online coach, and fitness creator from South Jersey. 🏋️
He turned pro in 2017, has won four IFBB Pro League shows, and has stood on the Mr. Olympia stage four times. His story is one of patience: a decade at the top level of Men’s Physique, built on one of the division’s most recognisable looks — a tiny waist, round shoulders, and crisp conditioning.
As of October 2026, Cao is still active. His most recent season saw him finish 5th at the 2026 Republic of Texas Pro and 8th at the 2026 Chicago Pro.
Steven Cao Quick Facts
| Full name | Steven Cao |
| Date of birth | November 21, 1994 |
| Age | 31 (turns 32 in November 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| From | South Jersey, USA |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (reported) |
| Competition weight | Around 90 kg / 198 lb (reported; varies by show) |
| Division | Men’s Physique |
| Turned pro | 2017 (NPC Junior Nationals overall winner) |
| Pro wins | 4 |
| Olympia appearances | 4 (2020, 2022, 2024, 2025) |
| Best Olympia finish | 14th (2020) |
| Best Arnold Classic finish | 3rd, Arnold Classic Ohio (2020) |
| Coaching / online work | Online coach and fitness content creator |
Steven Cao Early Life
Steven Cao was born in the United States on November 21, 1994, and grew up in South Jersey. As a teenager, basketball was his first sport — and lifting weights started as a way to get stronger for it. 🏀
He joined the gym at 16, and the results came fast enough that bodybuilding soon took over from basketball entirely. Like many young lifters, he hit an early plateau before realising his eating, not his training, was holding him back.
Once he started eating enough to grow, his physique changed quickly — and the idea of competing stopped being a daydream. His early preparation was interrupted by an inguinal hernia that needed surgery, a setback he has spoken about openly as part of his start in the sport.
Steven Cao Bodybuilding Career
Cao’s competitive debut came in 2016, when he won the Men’s Physique title at the NPC John Kemper Classic. A year later, everything changed: he won the overall Men’s Physique title at the 2017 NPC Junior Nationals and earned his IFBB Pro card at just 22. 🏆
His professional debut followed weeks later at the 2017 San Jose Pro, where he finished 4th — an immediate signal that he belonged at pro level. The next few seasons were a steady climb through the division’s toughest shows: 2nd at the 2018 Atlantic Coast Pro, 3rd at the 2019 Tampa Pro, and then his first Arnold Classic podium.
That Arnold moment came at the 2020 Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, where he finished 3rd behind Andre Ferguson and Brandon Hendrickson. It remains his best Arnold result, and it announced him as a genuine top-tier Men’s Physique name.
The same year brought his first pro win — the 2020 Chicago Pro — and his Olympia debut, where he placed 14th. A second pro win followed at the 2022 Mile High Pro, which sent him back to the Olympia stage that December.
After a quiet 2023 season by his standards — 2nd at the DC Pro, 5th at the Republic of Texas Pro, 9th at Tampa — Cao rebuilt again in 2024. He opened the year 7th at the Miami Muscle Beach Pro, then won the 2024 DC Pro by a single point over Ismael Dominguez, a victory that booked his return to the Olympia after a two-year gap.
He repeated the trick in 2025, winning the Republic of Texas Pro in Austin on his season debut and qualifying for the Olympia for a fourth time. His 2026 season kept him in the mix at the top of the division, with 5th in Texas and 8th in Chicago — but no Olympia qualification that year.
Through it all, Cao has stayed true to the old-school Men’s Physique ideal he admires: a small waist, wide back, round shoulders, and a sharply conditioned midsection, rather than simply chasing size. 💪
Steven Cao and the Olympia
Cao has competed at the Mr. Olympia four times — in 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. His best finish came on his debut in 2020, when he placed 14th.
His other three Olympia appearances all ended in a tied 16th place, which reflects just how deep the Men’s Physique field has become. He has never finished in the Olympia top 10, and that remains the one big milestone still missing from his record.
He did not qualify for the 2026 Olympia. His two 2026 shows — 5th at the Republic of Texas Pro and 8th at the Chicago Pro — were strong, but only show winners qualified that season.
Steven Cao and the Arnold Classic
All of Cao’s Arnold Classic appearances have been at the flagship event in Columbus, Ohio. He placed 6th there in 2018, 16th in 2019, and a career-best 3rd in 2020.
He has no verified appearance at the Arnold Classic UK in Birmingham — a point worth stating plainly, because the two events are often mixed up in athlete histories. His Arnold record is an Ohio record.
That 2020 Ohio podium, behind Ferguson and Hendrickson, still stands as one of the finest results of his career, alongside his four pro wins.
Steven Cao Training
Cao trains five or six days a week, with long sessions built around high volume and plenty of rest between sets to keep his energy up. His stated goal has always been balance and symmetry over raw mass.
His look is built on the classic Men’s Physique priorities: shoulders and back width up top, a tight waist in the middle, and crisp conditioning throughout. It is a style that has aged well as the division has evolved around him.
He has also built a large coaching and content business around that approach, sharing training programmes and prep content with his online audience for over a decade.
Steven Cao Diet
In contest preparation, Cao has shared a structured, high-protein approach built around familiar bodybuilding staples — eggs and oats to start the day, chicken and rice around training, and lean beef with rice later on.
During his 2023 prep, he documented a day of eating totalling around 3,040 calories, with meals planned around his training and cardio. In the off-season, he keeps the same clean foundation but allows himself more flexibility, including the occasional sushi cheat meal. 🍣
As with any elite prep diet, the numbers above describe one documented prep period — not a prescription for anyone else.
Steven Cao Contest History
Every result below is in Men’s Physique unless stated otherwise. Amateur results are listed separately at the end.
| Year | Contest | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Chicago Pro | 8th |
| 2026 | Republic of Texas Pro | 5th |
| 2025 | Mr. Olympia | 16th |
| 2025 | Republic of Texas Pro | 1st 🏆 |
| 2024 | Mr. Olympia | 16th |
| 2024 | DC Pro | 1st 🏆 |
| 2024 | Miami Muscle Beach Pro | 7th |
| 2023 | Tampa Pro | 9th |
| 2023 | Republic of Texas Pro | 5th |
| 2023 | DC Pro | 2nd |
| 2022 | Mr. Olympia | 16th |
| 2022 | Mile High Pro | 1st 🏆 |
| 2022 | Optimum Classic Pro | 6th |
| 2021 | Europa Orlando Pro | 3rd |
| 2020 | Mr. Olympia | 14th |
| 2020 | Chicago Pro | 1st 🏆 |
| 2020 | Border States Pro | 2nd |
| 2020 | Arnold Classic, Ohio | 3rd |
| 2019 | Tampa Pro | 3rd |
| 2019 | Chicago Pro (Wings of Strength) | 14th |
| 2019 | San Jose Championships | 4th |
| 2019 | Arnold Classic, Ohio | 16th |
| 2018 | Pittsburgh Pro | 7th |
| 2018 | Europa Orlando Pro | 6th |
| 2018 | Atlantic Coast Pro | 2nd |
| 2018 | Arnold Classic, Ohio | 6th |
| 2017 | San Jose Pro (pro debut) | 4th |
| 2017 | NPC Junior Nationals — overall (pro card) | 1st 🏆 |
| 2016 | NPC National Championships — class C | 6th |
| 2016 | NPC Universe Championships — class B | 6th |
| 2016 | NPC John Kemper Classic (debut) | 1st 🏆 |
His rivals across that decade tell the story of the division itself. At the 2022 Olympia he shared the stage with eventual champion Erin Banks and former champions Ryan Terry and Brandon Hendrickson, while his 2020 Arnold podium came behind Andre Ferguson — the man who dominated the event in that era.
He has also crossed paths repeatedly with Diogo Montenegro, another long-serving Men’s Physique contender, and with fellow American pro Patrick Moore, whose own comeback story has run alongside Cao’s in recent seasons.
Steven Cao FAQs
How old is Steven Cao?
Steven Cao was born on November 21, 1994, making him 31 years old as of October 2026. He turns 32 in November 2026.
How tall is Steven Cao?
Steven Cao is reported at 5 feet 10 inches tall. His competition weight is reported at around 90 kg (198 lb), though it varies from show to show.
What division does Steven Cao compete in?
Men’s Physique, in the IFBB Pro League. He has never competed as a pro in Men’s Open bodybuilding or Classic Physique — every verified pro result on his record is Men’s Physique.
How many times has Steven Cao competed at the Olympia?
Four times: in 2020 (14th), 2022 (16th), 2024 (16th), and 2025 (16th). He did not qualify for the 2026 Olympia.
Has Steven Cao won a pro show?
Yes — four times. He won the Chicago Pro in 2020, the Mile High Pro in 2022, the DC Pro in 2024, and the Republic of Texas Pro in 2025.
Is Steven Cao still competing?
Yes. He competed twice in 2026, finishing 5th at the Republic of Texas Pro in July and 8th at the Chicago Pro later that month. No retirement announcement has been made.
Steven Cao Bottom Line
Steven Cao’s career is a lesson in longevity. Ten years after turning pro, he is still qualifying for Olympias, still winning pro shows, and still finishing in the top eight at major contests. 🎯
He may never have cracked the Olympia top 10, but four pro wins, four Olympia appearances, and an Arnold Classic podium put him firmly among the most consistent Men’s Physique athletes of his generation — and at 31, his story is not finished yet.