Every episode of Monday Night Muscle could be considered “must watch” shows for bodybuilding fans. The latest installment certainly filled that bill. The featured guest was former Arnold Classic Champion Kevin Levrone. He along with hosts Bob Cicherillo and Shawn Ray talked about a wide range of topics that will interest bodybuilding fans both past and present.
Competing in the 1990s
“It was an extensive lineup, man. It’s been written in history and everybody talks about constantly comparing that era to the era of today, you know. It’s like Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. You got those moments that come along in the sport, and they just last forever. I do believe that now sitting here looking back, and looking forward as well, that was it. That was the strongest moment in bodybuilding, I believe.”
Which Olympia Kevin Levrone Felt He Should’ve Won
“For me it was 2000. Ronnie [Coleman] had got a little oversized that year, he let his midsection go a little bit. Even though he was big, he was huge, there were certain things on his body that you could see wasn’t the same as the Ronnie from the previous year. The judges always judge us by the last year’s conditioning. That’s what they always remember.”
Training for His 2016 Return to the Mr. Olympia Stage
“I had always wondered what would happen if I came back if I got the opportunity. You look at the guys there today and it just wasn’t there, you know. So I tried to come back to see if I still had it, and unfortunately I [opened] my mouth before going to the gym because I said ‘I’m going to come back. I’m going to do this.’ But I hadn’t stepped foot in the gym in 14 years. When I got back in the gym and I was going through the motions, I was realizing that the body atrophied 50, 60 pounds of muscle, and things weren’t firing and going the way that I was used to them going in that short period of time.”
His Different Interests Outside of Bodybuilding
“There’s life before and after bodybuilding. Some people just get caught up in just walking around. I don’t want to be that guy walking around with a jug of water with the Cardillo weight belt around my waist and the tank top or ripped up shirts. I don’t want to be that guy like those guys that used to be out on Venice Beach.”
The Maryland Muscle Machine also shared his thoughts about judging in the 90s, training in his 50s compared to his younger years in the sport, challenging track star Dwain Chambers in a sprint race, and even did an impression of Ronnie Coleman singing the Star Spangled Banner.
You can see and hear everything the bodybuilding legend had to say by watching this episode in its entirety on the Digital Muscle YouTube channel every Monday at 6 p.m. ET.
