Hugo 'Boss' Schreuder recently won the Mens Classic Physique Overall at iCandy MotherCity. This win means he's now qualified to participate in the Pro qualifier in Decemeber. So what are the chances Hugo beats the odds and goes home with the Card?
Hugo Boss has been on the fitness scene for a while now, I discovered him through Dranged (he's an official athlete) and from then on started following his career.
Hugo is a Men's Classic Bodybuilder.
Now when it comes to competitive bodybuilding you need an edge something that sets you apart and draws attention on stage. Looking at the package Hugo brought to the iCandy stage I'd say posing right now is his biggest asset. He can easily outpose many on the stage come 4 Demember. This routine was one he picked out from Arnold Classic Ohio and Olympia runner up Terrance Ruffin and he did it justice.
The transitions✔, balance✔, poise ✔ weight transfer✔ and the flaire he displayed in this posing routine was impeccable. Well done sanš
I must actually ask him how close he is to hitting the classic weight cap coz all his physique needs right now is some size. Grow denser muscle bellies and try get them to pop out more.
The physique is very well balanced and put together overall. No bodypart particularly lagging or overpowering the rest, maybe a bit more flaire in the lats but overall it's a very well put together physique.
I came across a touching post on the TL by SA BODYBUILDING NETWORK detailng the determination it took for the bodybuilder to compete at the iCandy MotherCity. They also went onto acknowledge the work he and his coach Blayne Abrahams have put in over the years.
The one area I'd mark him down on would be his midsection- the abs. Looking his the abs midsection on the ab & thigh pose (Exhibit A - top left picture) a deep vacuum like that is a very useful weapon to have in classic because it makes every pose look better.
But his abs in the AB and Thigh (Exhibit A top right picture) must get better. You cant have shallow abs in classic. Good abs, deep vacuum and a v-taper are fundamentals which classic physique is built on. At Pro Qualifier level there are guys with insane abs you will be coming up against. Hugo's are a bit on the shallow side and lower abs are non existent. He's gonna need to work on the abs and get them to a level where he can stick his fingers in between them, get them deep.
I'm confident he and his coach will find a solution and work it out in the gym. His career trajectory suggests so.
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| Exhibit A |
Do I think he can turn Pro in December? Well he certainly can there no doubt about that, I just think its a year too soon. He'll be up against guys like Youri (Mr Incredible), Gontse, Ravin and also Mbaku who all have more pedigree and experience than him at the moment. Yeah it's not impossible, it definitley can happen that he takes the card home I'm just saying its unlikey IMO. I'd love for him to show up and prove me wrong. With this being his breakthrough season, I see next season as the season for Hugo to shine and making that step up to being front-runner or even favourite for the card.
I do however expect him to have the best posing routine and better stage presentation than many on that NPC African stage which will definitely move him up in the judge's eyes. My hope is that he wins his class so we can see him battle it out with the top guys for the overall title, those side-by-side comparisons will tell us alot more.
Regardless of how Hugo Schreuder's affairs on the stage go, he will without doubt be a mainstay and a leader in the South African fitness industry for the coming years. I only spoke to him briefly but I can say he is genuinely one of the most humble, down to earth and hardworking upcoming bodybuilders in Mzansi. As media I'd want nothing more than to see him take it all the way to the top.
