Kevin Levrone is one of the greatest professional bodybuilders of all time. Known for his incredible shape, symmetry, and muscularity, Levrone was able to consistently compete against legends like Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman at the pinnacle of their careers.
So how did Kevin Levrone train to build his phenomenal physique? In this article, we'll break down Levrone's training philosophy and look at sample workouts for each major muscle group that reflect his high-intensity, high-volume style.
Levrone's Training Philosophy
Kevin Levrone followed a very straightforward training philosophy built around a few core principles:
- Train with maximum intensity and focus - Levrone knew that intensity was key to maximum muscle growth. He recommended training each set like it's your last.
- High volume - Levrone was a big fan of high volume training, often performing 15-20 working sets per muscle group. He wasn't afraid to train for 2 hours or more per session.
- Heavy weights - Despite higher volumes, Levrone made sure to lift heavy. He advocated using enough weight to reach muscle failure in the 6-8 rep range.
- Frequent training - Levrone trained each muscle group 2-3 times per week when preparing for competition. He knew more frequency = more growth.
- Cheat reps - Levrone popularized cheat reps, using some body English to pump out extra reps with heavy weights to further fatigue the muscles.
- Muscle confusion - Levrone was one of the early proponents of changing exercises, set/rep schemes, and other training variables to continually "confuse" the muscles.
Now let's look at sample Levrone-style workouts for each major muscle group.
Chest Workout
- Flat Barbell Bench Press: 5 sets of 6-8 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Decline Barbell Bench Press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Dumbbell Flys: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Dumbbell Pullovers: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
For chest, Levrone stuck to the basics - flat, incline, and decline presses to hit the pecs from all angles. He followed up with flyes and pullovers to really isolate the chest muscles. Levrone recommends going slightly lighter on isolation exercises to really feel the chest contract.
Back Workout
- Weighted Wide-grip Pull-ups: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Bent-over Barbell Row: 5 sets of 6-8 reps
- Chest-supported T-bar Row: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Seated Cable Rows: 4 sets of 12 reps
- Straight-arm Pushdown: 3 sets of 15 reps
Levrone's back workout focused on mass and thickness. He recommends heavy rows and pull-ups for overall back size, followed by isolation moves like cable rows to target smaller muscles like lats. The straight-arm pushdown at the end further engages the lats through their full range of motion.
Shoulders Workout
- Seated Barbell Shoulder Press: 5 sets of 6-8 reps
- Standing Lateral Raises: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Bent-over Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Front Raises: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
- Reverse Pec Deck Flys: 3 sets of 15 reps
For full shoulder development, Levrone stuck to heavy compound presses along with isolation raises to hit the shoulders from multiple angles. Lateral raises were a staple to build his famous cannonball delts. Levrone advises using cheat reps and swinging momentum on isolation exercises to maximize intensity.
Arms Workout
- Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 6-8 reps
- Preacher Curls: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 12 reps
- Triceps Pushdowns: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Overhead Triceps Extensions: 4 sets of 12-15 reps
- Kickbacks: 3 sets of 15 reps
No surprise here - Levrone relied on heavy barbell curls to build his trademark 22-inch biceps, followed by isolation moves for full development. For triceps, he recommended a mix of heavy pressing moves along with extensions and kickbacks to hit all three heads. Levrone was a big proponent of emphasizing arms for that complete bodybuilder look.
Legs Workout
- Barbell Squats: 5 sets of 8-10 reps
- Leg Presses: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 15 reps
- Lying Leg Curls: 4 sets of 10-12 reps
- Seated Calf Raises: 5 sets of 15 reps
Levrone may not have had Ronnie Coleman's leg development, but he still trained legs hard twice a week in the offseason. Heavy squats and presses formed the foundation. He then emphasized isolation movements like leg extensions and curls at the end of the workout to carve detail and bring out striations. Calf raises were a high-rep finisher.
Takeaways from Levrone's Training
There are a few key takeaways we can learn from how Kevin Levrone built his massively muscular physique:
- Train with 100% focused intensity on each working set. Levrone treated every set like it could make or break a body part.
- Don't be afraid of volume if you can handle it. 15-20 working sets per body part is a great guideline for enhanced growth.
- Heavy weights build mass. Make sure to train in lower rep ranges with weight that challenges you.
- Isolation exercises bring out detail. Follow your heavy compounds with flyes, raises, and other isolation moves.
- Change it up. Vary your exercises, rep ranges and other variables to get continued results.
While genetics play a big role, we can all learn from Levrone's time-tested approach to sculpting an impressive, well-proportioned physique. Use these tips and sample workouts to take your training intensity to the next level!
