Although most fitness influencers would recommend that everyone needs to do go the higher reps route, there are some bodybuilding greats who always remind people that they should look out for what works the best for them. Echoing similar thoughts, Kevin Levrone, the 59-year-old IFBB Hall of Famer, had once brought to notice the importance of individual judgment when it comes to a fitness regime.
Claiming that the standardized rep range does not work for him, Levrone revealed how he managed to get thicker muscle fibers. In the process, the bodybuilder also shed light on his off-season rep range which did seem slightly shocking, keeping in mind the massive body he built during his competitive days.
Kevin Levrone talks about how he needed to maximize his strength
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The bodybuilding legend of the 90s explained that high reps would not go hand in hand with the fast metabolism that he had. “I needed to maximize my strength and I had to overload that muscle and I am trying to build those thick muscle fibers,” he explained.
The bodybuilder did not intend to do high reps and get cut. Instead, he said, “The heavier the weight was the more my body would respond and the thicker the muscle I would build.” So he revealed that his usual rep range during off-season would be only 4-6. Levrone also stated, “I will only go 12 reps to 15 reps. When I was about a month away from a show, then I would start doing the high reps stuff, but I wouldn’t do that until the last few sets of my chest workout or leg workout or whatever.”
Even as he engaged in his bodybuilding journey with choices that usually went against the grain, Kevin Levrone also had a rival moulded on similar values. Levrone had once made his thoughts known on six-time Mr. Olympia winner Dorian Yates.
Kevin Levrone thought Yates was unpredictable
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Levrone once revealed how his rival, Dorian Yates, was extremely unpredictable, as he would not be getting any updates on Yates until one month prior to the show, and even then, his body would be humongous. Levrone stated, You look at the picture and you are like, ‘damn! it’s over already.’ You know the guy gained another 12 or 13 or 15 lbs of pure muscles,”
The bodybuilder also explained how he was always motivated because of Yates, as he wished to get the Olympia title, but Yates would get bigger too, which implored Levrone to try harder. “Dorian Yates was that guy that pushed me to the next level to get bigger, trained a little hard because I trained with the vision in mind to beat him,” he explained.
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As Levrone’s thoughts showcase, understanding what one actually needs is more important than just going ahead with fitness tips that are part of the norm. What do you think about the bodybuilder’s suggestions? Let us know in the comments.
