Who is Kevin Levrone?
One of the most popular and successful professional bodybuilders of all time is Kevin Levrone (also known as Maryland Muscle Machine). He is a father as well as a singer and actor.
Short Career of Kevin Levrone
Kevin Levrone was a young child, and Kevin faced hardship. His mother passed away from cancer when he was in high school, and he lost both his parents to cancer when he was only 7 years old.
These circumstances made Kevin confront his issues in life and understand that if he wants to avoid his parents’ fate, he needs to start living a healthy life.
Later, after winning over 23 Pro Show championships and returning for Mr. Olympia at the age of 51, which shocked everyone in the fitness industry, he became an inspiration for people all over the world.
Kevin has accomplished greatness, going from a little boy who lost both of his parents to one of the most well-known bodybuilding icons.
“Becoming as strong as you help you grow as big as you can. I entered the gym when I first started lifting with the mentality of “how much can I bench, curl, squat, and deadlift.”
When I realized how quickly my strength might grow, I became insanely motivated to go even stronger.
Body Measurements of Kevin Levrone
| Full Name: | Kevin Levrone |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | 1964 |
| ERA: | 1990, 2000, 2010 |
| PROFESSION: | Bodybuilder, Singer, Actor |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| ALIAS: | Maryland Muscle Machine |
| HEIGHT: | 5’11 ” (180cm) |
| WEIGHT: | 225-235 lbs.(102.1 – 106.6kg) |
| WAIST: | 29″ |
| CHEST: | 57″ |
| ARMS: | 24″ |
| THIGHS | 32″ |
“Champions have the willingness, endurance to go through it and the fortitude to sustain it.”
Accomplishments
Competitions
- 1991 Junior Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd
- 1991 Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st
- 1991 Nationals – NPC, Overall Winner
- 1992 Grand Prix Germany, 1st
- 1992 Grand Prix England, 2nd
- 1992 Chicago Pro Invitational, 3rd
- 1992 Night of Champions, 1st
- 1992 Mr. Olympia, 2nd
- 1993 Grand Prix France, 5th
- 1993 Grand Prix Finland, 2nd
- 1993 Grand Prix Spain, 3rd
- 1993 Grand Prix Germany, 1st
- 1993 Mr. Olympia, 5th
- 1993 Grand Prix England, 3nd[clarification needed]
- 1994 San Jose Pro Invitational, 1st
- 1994 Grand Prix France (2), 1st
- 1994 Grand Prix Italy, 1st
- 1994 Arnold Classic, 1st
- 1994 Mr. Olympia, 3rd
- 1994 Grand Prix Spain, 2nd
- 1994 Grand Prix Germany, 2nd
- 1994 Grand Prix England, 2nd
- 1995 Mr. Olympia, 2nd
- 1995 Grand Prix Spain, 1st
- 1995 Grand Prix Germany, 1st
- 1995 Grand Prix England, 2nd
- 1995 Grand Prix Russia, 1st
- 1996 San Jose Pro Invitational, 1st
- 1996 Arnold Classic, 1st
- 1996 San Francisco Pro Invitational, 1st
- 1996 Mr. Olympia, 3rd
- 1996 Grand Prix Spain, 3rd
- 1996 Grand Prix Germany, 4th
- 1996 Grand Prix England, 4th
- 1996 Grand Prix Czech Republic, 2nd
- 1996 Grand Prix Switzerland, 3rd
- 1996 Grand Prix Russia, 5th
- 1997 Arnold Classic, 8th
- 1997 Mr. Olympia, 4th
- 1997 Grand Prix Hungary, 1st
- 1997 Grand Prix Spain, 1st
- 1997 Grand Prix Germany, 1st
- 1997 Grand Prix England, 1st
- 1997 Grand Prix Czech Republic, 1st
- 1997 Grand Prix Finland, 1st
- 1997 Grand Prix Russia, 2nd
- 1998 San Francisco Pro Invitational, 1st
- 1998 Toronto Pro Invitational, 2nd
- 1998 Night of Champions, 2nd
- 1998 Mr. Olympia, 4th
- 1998 Grand Prix Germany, 2nd
- 1998 Grand Prix Finland, 2nd
- 1999 Arnold Classic, 2nd
- 1999 Mr. Olympia, 4th
- 1999 World Pro Championships, 3rd
- 1999 Grand Prix England, 3rd
- 2000 Arnold Classic, 3rd
- 2000 Mr. Olympia, 2nd
- 2001 Mr. Olympia, 3rd
- 2001 Grand Prix England, 1st
- 2002 Arnold Classic, 5th
- 2002 Grand Prix Australia, 4th
- 2002 Mr. Olympia, 2nd
- 2003 Arnold Classic, 5th
- 2003 Mr. Olympia, 6th
- 2003 Show of Strengths Pro Championship, 3rd
- 2016 Mr. Olympia, 16th
“As long as you never give up, you’ll never lose, no matter how long it takes.”
Biography
Childhood
Baltimore, Maryland, is where Kevin was born and raised. He was one of six children reared by his Italian-American father and African-American mother, both of whom passed away from an aggressive form of cancer.
Some of his other close relatives passed away from cancer not long after the incident.
Kevin Levrone and his siblings were horrified by the awful incidents, and they needed to figure out how to get past the catastrophe. Bodybuilding offered Kevin a chance to escape “the gloomy hole” he was in by lifting weights.
He was anxious about his health as well as the possibility that he would pass away like his parents.
I thought, ‘Hey, something’s going on here, I need to maintain my health,’ he remarked. That meant that I wanted to grow stronger at the time because I was young and might have needed to defend and ground myself in a dangerous environment. That was how I handled the loss.
Earlier Years
He was motivated to start taking bodybuilding and diet more seriously after seeing the condition and shape in which his relative returned from the military.
Soon after, he began to participate in regional competitions, but his big test came when he was accepted as an IFBB pro.
When Kevin was 27 years old, in 1991, he began his professional career. That year, he also won his first NPC finals. The next year, he was successful in winning Grand Prix Germany, finishing second in Grand Prix England, and winning the Night of Champions.
An accident happened a while after he finished second in Mr. Olympia 1992. The American completely tore both his minor and major pectoralis while bench-pressing 600 pounds.
Injury sequelae
For Levrone to repair both of his pectoralis muscles, emergency surgery was required. Due to the severity of the injuries, two surgeries—one of which lasted more than eight hours—were necessary.
The American’s situation became more challenging when he contracted an infection while recuperating from the initial surgery.
He had to take a significant hiatus from weightlifting, but he still managed to perform remarkably well later that year by finishing second in the Grand Prix Finland and taking first place in the 1993 Grand Prix in Germany.
Future Contests
Following his injury recovery, Levrone went on to win other renowned competitions, including the Grand Prix Spain, Arnold Classic, San Francisco Pro Invitational, and Grand Prix England, among others.
In many of the other contests, he finished in second place, making him the bodybuilder with the most Pro Show medals in the end.
Mr.Olympia
Despite becoming one of the most accomplished bodybuilders in the sport’s history, Kevin had yet to place first in the Mr. Olympia competition.
Despite being unbeatable in his prime, he won 23 awards in his career and even more medals if you consider second and third places. However, bad occurrences like injuries made him yearn for the bodybuilding world championship.
Levrone has competed in as many as 13 Mr. Olympias, and because he has never been named the winner, he has acquired the moniker “The Uncrowned King of Mr. Olympia.”
After the Competition, Life
The final tournament Kevin participated in before declaring that his competitive days were over was the 2003 Show of Strengths Pro Championship.
Levrone explained that he chose to try something else and that he didn’t have the urge to continue competing at the moment, even if he didn’t formally announce his retirement.
Levrone did a lot of acting, singing, and playing different sports, like tennis and golf, during the period after he stopped participating.
The American also introduced his supplement line in 2015, and in March 2016, he unveiled an online training platform.
Olympia Return
On May 7th, 2016, Kevin Levrone formally confirmed his return to the Mr. Olympia competition after 13 years away from the sport. The globe was shocked by his declaration, which also brought a lot of attention to the then-upcoming Mr. Olympia contenders.
Levrone became the most well-liked bodybuilder of 2016 when his comeback was announced thanks to a surge in his popularity on social media.
Regarding the competition itself, Kevin’s physique astounded many spectators. Despite finishing 16th, he was 51 at the time, and many people agreed that he had accomplished something that no one had done before.
His upper body was more developed than his legs, and Kevin said that tendinitis prevented him from squatting and using his legs to their full potential.
Post-Olympic Activities
“With time on my side now, just the sky is the limit,” Levrone remarked following the Olympia. He declared that he has no plans to retire and that he intends to continue competing.
Many fans and professional athletes considered him to be one of the best and “the true champion of 2016,” even though he finished outside the top contenders. Mister Olympia
Training
Training Methodology
Kevin loves to switch up his workout program frequently to keep the body guessing.
Additionally, he added, “It always depends on the particular purpose. But generally speaking, I perform all of my pushing exercises on one day and all of my pulling activities on a different day.
You may believe it to be common sense fundamentals 101, yet I’ve had that question asked more times than I can count. Thus, it is worth reiterating.
When it comes to building up your triceps, Kevin advises: “You should perform full movements because locking out is when your triceps work the most. To hit all three triceps heads on each rep, flex and squeeze during the contraction.
Kevin concluded by highlighting the significance of using large volumes and weights. The best choice, in his opinion, is low reps.
Additionally, he added that it differs from person to person. “Those lower reps always worked for me,” Kevin advises. Others may strive for 10, but I progress by exerting myself heavily.
Favorite Exercises
Levrone’s favorite exercises are:
- Flat bench
- Squats
- Bent Over Rows
“Flat bench works the whole chest. Squats hit every muscle in the body. Bent Over Rows will get every single muscle in your back. Three very powerful, very efficient workhorse exercises.”
Kevin’s Arm Exercises
Although Kevin liked to mix things up in the gym, he tended to stick to the same program for his arms because it was the most effective way for him to build size.
Triceps
- Close-grip bench press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Lying extension: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Rope pushdown: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- One-arm dumbbell extension: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Biceps
- Barbell curl: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Seated dumbbell curl: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Cable curl: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Concentration curl: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
“Stay focused. Good better best never let it rest until your good is better then your best”
Nutrition
Kevin would rather follow a strict diet without any cheat meals. He gained notoriety for his “growing into a show” strategy, which he applied to his competition preparation.
He typically didn’t adhere to the typical bulking and reducing regimen that lasted a full year, instead building up in the months leading up to the performance.
Added the American: “I detest red meat. My diet is high in fish and fowl and low in carbohydrates. The surroundings are spotless.
I’m currently cutting vegetables since I love them. I’ll mix in some sauces and spices when I’m not cutting. But at the moment, it’s just full, unprocessed things that are clean.
Kevin’s Diet
Kevin’s diet looked like this during his competition days:
- Meal 1 – 10 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1/2 oatmeal
- Meal 2 – 1 cup cooked rice, 12 oz fish
- Meal 3 – 1 cup cooked rice, 12 oz chicken breast
- Meal 4 – 1 cup cooked rice, 12 oz fish
- Meal 5 – 1 cup cooked rice, 12 oz fish
- Meal 6 – 12 egg whites (sometimes Steak)
Supplementation
Levrone firmly believes that pre-workout vitamins are essential for athletes who wish to perform at their best in the gym.
“I heartily endorse a NO2 supplement for pre-workout. The equipment is warmed up, and the muscle is supplied with blood. Just be sure you’re not purchasing junk. Be cautious in general, especially when working with high-end professional equipment like mine since you WILL feel it.
Before lifting weights, I’ll most definitely eat something. I eat carbs and protein before I lift. carbohydrates and protein after a workout. I’ll eat more calories when bulking up and fewer calories when reducing.
Although I don’t know what the future holds for me, I want to be prepared when it does.
Influences and Idols
Every bodybuilder, according to Kevin, inspires him since each one has a special tale to tell.
“Every bodybuilder is exceptional and makes a positive contribution to the sport. I find something appealing in each Mr. Olympia. However, some of my favorite bodybuilders are just average guys, people who use wheelchairs, or even women.
“The lazy use the word obsessed to describe the committed.”
What Kevin Levrone Can Teach Us?
Kevin Levrone accomplished things that few others could. His remarkable accomplishments include coming back at the age of 51 to the most prestigious competition in the world and losing both of his parents at a young age before going on to become a bodybuilding icon.
What we can take up from all of this is that practically any challenge we confront can be conquered.
You may achieve greatness just like Kevin did by facing challenges head-on and persevering through difficult times.