The Legendary Mr. Olympia Runner-Up
Kevin Levrone stands out as one of the most notable bodybuilders in history. Acknowledged for his incredibly hulking build and superior conditioning, Kevin Levrone has been famously perceived as an “undisputed” Mr. Olympia champion.
Here is a detailed overview of Kevin Levrone’s profile, statistics, biography, training patterns and diet routines.
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Full Name: Kevin Levrone (Men’s Open Bodybuilder) |
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| Weight | Height | Birthdate |
| 240 lbs | 5’11” | 7/16/1964 |
| Category | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Open Bodybuilding | 1990s, 2000s | American |
Kevin Levrone’s Journey
Standing 5’11” tall and weighing about 240lbs during competitions, Kevin Levrone is a professional bodybuilder certified by the IFBB, hailing from Baltimore, Maryland. With 23 first-place victories, he holds the second highest number of IFBB titles, trailing only behind Ronnie Coleman. Although he enjoyed a highly successful bodybuilding career spanning nearly twenty years, he never clinched the Mr. Olympia title, earning the moniker “The Uncrowned King” among his fans.
In his early life, Kevin Levrone lost both his parents to cancer, which led him to develop an interest in bodybuilding at a young age. Motivated by an older cousin serving in the military, he began to pursue fitness and strength training. He secured his professional status in 1991 at the NPC Finals, marking the start of his illustrious career.
Levrone launched his professional IFBB career in 1991 with a victory at the NPC Finals and subsequently secured second place at the 1992 Mr. Olympia contest in his debut effort. Unfortunately, February 1993 saw him suffer a severe injury: he completely tore his major and minor pectoral muscles while bench-pressing 600 pounds, necessitating surgery to repair the damage. He underwent two surgeries, the first lasting eight hours to reattach the pectorals. While recuperating, he developed an infection that required another surgery. Many thought this would end Levrone’s career, but he persevered and pushed himself even harder.
Astonishingly, he was in competitive shape for the 1994 Mr. Olympia just eight weeks later and secured 3rd place, a remarkable feat given his recent surgery. Kevin finished as the runner-up at Mr. Olympia four times, in 1992 and 1995, closely following 6-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, and then repeatedly challenged 8-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman in 2000 and 2002.
Levrone never formally retired from bodybuilding; rather, he slowly distanced himself from the sport. His most recent appearance was at the Mr. Olympia 2016, where he accepted a special invitation to compete, returning as if he had never left.
Competitive Track Record
Let’s delve into Kevin Levrone’s extensive competitive history:
- 1991 Junior Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 2nd place
- 1991 Nationals – NPC, HeavyWeight, 1st place
- 1991 Nationals – NPC, Overall Winner
- 1992 Grand Prix Germany, 1st place
- 1992 Grand Prix England, 2nd place
- 1992 Chicago Pro Invitational, 3rd place
- 1992 Night of Champions, 1st place
- 1992 Mr. Olympia, 2nd place
- 1993 Grand Prix France, 5th place
- 1993 Grand Prix Finland, 2nd place
- 1993 Grand Prix Spain, 3rd place
- 1993 Grand Prix Germany, 1st place
- 1993 Mr. Olympia, 5th place
- 1993 Grand Prix England, 3rd place
- 1994 San Jose Pro Invitational, 1st place
- 1994 Grand Prix France (2), 1st place
- 1994 Grand Prix Italy, 1st place
- 1994 Arnold Classic, 1st place
- 1994 Mr. Olympia, 3rd place
- 1994 Grand Prix Spain, 2nd place
- 1994 Grand Prix Germany, 2nd place
- 1994 Grand Prix England, 2nd place
- 1995 Mr. Olympia, 2nd place
- 1995 Grand Prix Spain, 1st place
- 1995 Grand Prix Germany, 1st place
- 1995 Grand Prix England, 2nd place
- 1995 Grand Prix Russia, 1st place
- 1996 San Jose Pro Invitational, 1st place
- 1996 Arnold Classic, 1st place
- 1996 San Francisco Pro Invitational, 1st place
- 1996 Mr. Olympia, 3rd place
- 1996 Grand Prix Spain, 3rd place
- 1996 Grand Prix Germany, 4th place
- 1996 Grand Prix England, 4th place
- 1996 Grand Prix Czech Republic, 2nd place
- 1996 Grand Prix Switzerland, 3rd place
- 1996 Grand Prix Russia, 5th place
- 1997 Arnold Classic, 8th place
- 1997 Mr. Olympia, 4th place
- 1997 Grand Prix Hungary, 1st place
- 1997 Grand Prix Spain, 1st place
- 1997 Grand Prix Germany, 1st place
- 1997 Grand Prix England, 1st place
- 1997 Grand Prix Czech Republic, 1st place
- 1997 Grand Prix Finland, 1st place
- 1997 Grand Prix Russia, 2nd place
- 1998 San Francisco Pro Invitational, 1st place
- 1998 Toronto Pro Invitational, 2nd place
- 1998 Night of Champions, 2nd place
- 1998 Mr. Olympia, 4th place
- 1998 Grand Prix Germany, 2nd place
- 1998 Grand Prix Finland, 2nd place
- 1999 Arnold Classic, 2nd place
- 1999 Mr. Olympia, 4th place
- 1999 World Pro Championships, 3rd place
- 1999 Grand Prix England, 3rd place
- 2000 Arnold Classic, 3rd place
- 2000 Mr. Olympia, 2nd place
- 2001 Mr. Olympia, 3rd place
- 2001 Grand Prix England, 1st place
- 2002 Arnold Classic, 5th place
- 2002 Grand Prix Australia, 4th place
- 2002 Mr. Olympia, 2nd place
- 2003 Arnold Classic, 5th place
- 2003 Mr. Olympia, 6th place
- 2003 Show of Strengths Pro Championship, 3rd place
- 2016 Mr. Olympia, 16th place
As reflected, Kevin Levrone is a highly experienced competitor in bodybuilding, accumulating numerous accolades throughout his journey.
Kevin Levrone’s Training Regimen
Given Kevin Levrone’s professional status and his many years as a top contender at Mr. Olympia, his training was notably intense and fairly distinctive. For instance, Kevin Levrone trained following a push/pull/legs split, with lower repetitions, often maintaining a 6-8 rep range in his working sets. He also trained with extreme set volume.
Here is a glimpse of his training schedule:
Monday and Friday: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps (Push Day)
- Flat barbell bench press- 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Incline barbell bench press- 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Machine press- 4 sets of 12-15 reps
- Cable crossovers- 4 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell press- 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Lateral raises- 4 sets of 12-15 reps
- Shrugs– 4 sets of 12-15 reps
- Close grip bench press- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Skull crushers- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Tuesday and Saturday: Legs and Abs
- Hack squats- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Leg curls- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Leg press- 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
- Standing calf raises- 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
- Seated calf raises- 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
- Cable crunches- 4 sets of 25 repetitions
- Leg raises- 4 sets of 15 repetitions
Wednesday and Sunday: Back and Biceps (Pull day)
- Straight-arm cable pulldowns- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- T-bar rows- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Bent-over dumbbell rows- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Seated cable rows- 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
- Machine rows- 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
- Incline dumbbell curls- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Dumbbell curls- 4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
- Preacher curls- 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
- Cable curls- 4 sets of 12-15 repetitions
Kevin often pushed to failure on his final working set, with only 1-2 minutes of rest between sets. His routine comprised many fundamental exercises.
When Kevin was asked about his favorite and most preferred exercises, his answer was straightforward and uncomplicated. Among his top exercises, he mentioned significant compound movements, including bench press, bent-over rows, and squats; exercises that were prevalent in the Golden Era when legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger dominated the stage.
Though Kevin’s preferred exercises might seem basic, that’s precisely his point. Levrone is a firm believer in the power of fundamental exercises for achieving both strength and hypertrophy gains.
Diet
While training regimens certainly are crucial for developing a massive and chiseled physique similar to Levrone’s, diet is equally important for making progress.
As expected, Kevin follows a very strict diet without any cheat meals. This strict approach is why he always appeared extremely conditioned and ready for each competition. He is well-known for his “growing into a show” technique, which he employed when preparing for contests. This technique, not widely used in the bodybuilding community, involves reducing body fat while increasing muscle mass, and is quite challenging to execute. Instead of the typical year-long bulking and cutting routine, Kevin bulked up in the months leading to the show but also cut down simultaneously.
Here’s a typical daily diet for Kevin during show prep:
- Meal 1 – 10 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1/2 cup of oatmeal
- Meal 2 – 1 cup of cooked rice, 12 oz of fish
- Meal 3 – 1 cup of cooked rice, 12 oz of chicken breast
- Meal 4 – 1 cup of cooked rice, 12 oz of fish
- Meal 5 – 1 cup of cooked rice, 12 oz of fish
- Meal 6 – 12 egg whites (occasionally steak)
As you can see, there is a good amount of protein and a moderate amount of carbs and fat, contributing to his ripped and massive appearance at every show.
Life Outside of Bodybuilding
Since retiring from competitive bodybuilding, Levrone enjoys playing other sports like tennis and golf. He has also acted in several movies and pursued music. In early 2016, he launched an online training platform called TeamLevrone.com. Additionally, in 2015, he introduced a line of supplements known as the “Kevin Levrone Signature Series.”
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