MaryLand Muscle Machine

[illuminati]

Incredible physique in his prime.

Looks awesome in that pic !! Size, shape, symmetry & condition .
An ATG without an Olympia win - so many great physiques in his era.

[Kwon]

Looks awesome in that pic !! Size, shape, symmetry & condition .
An ATG without an Olympia win - so many great physiques in his era.

His physique was actually preferable over many of the O-winners physique

[JackTheRipper]

Looks awesome in that pic !! Size, shape, symmetry & condition .
An ATG without an Olympia win - so many great physiques in his era.

Dude had a great physique    & the strength to match.

[Earl1972]

I don’t know enough to say, just repeating what I’ve always heard.  Why were his legs smaller as his career progressed, do you think he was just lazy?

he started to pursue music in 2000 and would shrink down and stop training

legs don't seem to have muscle memory like the upper body, being close to 40 probably didn't help as that's not exactly prime years, the fact that he didn't squat anymore probably didn't help either

E

 

[Bevo]

he started to pursue music in 2000 and would shrink down and stop training

legs don't seem to have muscle memory like the upper body, being close to 40 probably didn't help as that's not exactly prime years, the fact that he didn't squat anymore probably didn't help either

E

His mistake was not training year round and downsizing way too much, that and especially competing against Ronnie and then Jay coming up

Different eras than the 70’s where you can get away with that but not in the 90’s where guys were much more massive

But then again, that might have prolonged his health, you win some, you lose some

[Matt]

he started to pursue music in 2000 and would shrink down and stop training

legs don't seem to have muscle memory like the upper body, being close to 40 probably didn't help as that's not exactly prime years, the fact that he didn't squat anymore probably didn't help either

E

Kev tore his pic, I believe at some point between the 1993 Mr. Olympia and the 1994 Mr. Olympia.

EDIT: it was between 1992 and 1993:

https://fb.watch/lZVnWT3pGY/

And he even won the 1994 Arnold fresh off that tear...wow:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8b0lhCBnK9/

He was unable to train [or train as fully] during that time, and chose to come off gear too, because of that.

Most likely, he stopped eating as much also.

Then, allegedly only in July of 1993, Kevin started training again, and ended up coming in shape at the 1993 Mr. Olympia contest in September, still in great shape, as if nothing changed.

That's when Kev learned that he could basically take half a year off everything every year. And that's what he started doing thereafter.

He would shrink down to about 200- to 210-lb. In that range.

Then he got more into music too, as you said, Earl.

IMO, that time off gear every year may have greatly extended his life.

Regarding his legs:
A classic Getbigger once told me that Kev was squatting around 585-lb for 8-12 reps, back around 1990 or 1991. But he later stopped that level of legs training / squatting intensity.

Then later, he was closer to 40, as you said. At the 2003 Mr. Olympia for instance.

I didn't know that about muscle memory for legs...although one way or another, legs seem to be the first thing to go for bodybuilders aged 40+...and that is a pretty consistent thing.

[Humble Narcissist]

His physique was actually preferable over many of the O-winners physique

Yes, he was near perfect.

[Matt]

Yes, he was near perfect.

Although Ronnie Coleman has always been the GOAT for bodybuilding to me since 2003, I have to say that Kev's muscle bellies may have been superior. Ronnie just way outsized Kev...even at Kev's biggest.

Compare Kev's biceps bellies to mine. I'm OK with my arms look...but look at that massive 4cm gap where my biceps muscle inserts above the elbow joint.

Complete genetic inferiority. And I trained my chest to a 345-lb bench at barely over 180...and for what? My chest SUCKS.

Yet people like Dave Palumbo constantly drive home the point about hard work. OK, Dave...is "hard work" going to extend the genetic length of my biceps muscle ~4cm? 

Palumbo even said in his tribute video to Gustavo Badell that Badell told him "I WORK HARD!"

GUSTAVO DIED AT 50 FROM PED ABUSE. HE PROBABALY TOOK 30+ YEARS OFF HIS LIFESPAN AND DAVE *STILL* HARPS ON "HARD WORK". 

God...just stay it's genetic shape, and drug response. But nah...Dave has supplements and workout programs to say to masses of naive people.

Just look at this genetic inferiority...I have accepted it now, and as I said, I don't mind my overall arms shape, but in NO WORLD will "hard work" overcome this:

[Matt]

Now look at how Kevin's biceps insert almost immediately above his elbow joint. Even when Kev is SKINNY, you can clearly see this, because muscle shape is GENETIC.

You can tell Kev has a superior genetic template for being muscular, even when he's 185-lb.

[falco]

The “injury” that prevented him to train legs “correctly” was all BS, a few years ago he was squatting 500 pounds

In the ninetees there weren't the medical options of today, regarding spinal injuries. He could have become crippled from surgery.

[Bevo]

Now look at how Kevin's biceps insert almost immediately above his elbow joint. Even when Kev is SKINNY, you can clearly see this, because muscle shape is GENETIC.

You can tell Kev has a superior genetic template for being muscular, even when he's 185-lb.

His biceps were not very good though, flat, no peaks, his triceps and shoulders were world class

Ronnie, flex, now those are top biceps, but Ronnie’s triceps were ok

[ProudVirgin69]

Now look at how Kevin's biceps insert almost immediately above his elbow joint. Even when Kev is SKINNY, you can clearly see this, because muscle shape is GENETIC.

You can tell Kev has a superior genetic template for being muscular, even when he's 185-lb.

I think that’s just skilled posing.  His wrist isn’t fully supinated, it’s about halfway there, making his biceps look longer.  Try it for yourself, flex your biceps with your wrist supinated, and then pronate your wrist .. the gap will disappear.

Obviously Kevin has insane muscle shape but his triceps are superior to his biceps, he was just skilled enough at posing to hide his flaws. 

[Bevo]

Flex wheeler at his best was better imo, round muscle bellies win

Cocks are a toss up

[Royalty]

His biceps were not very good though, flat, no peaks, his triceps and shoulders were world class

Ronnie, flex, now those are top biceps, but Ronnie’s triceps were ok

I met Levrone about 2 months after the 1994 Arnold Classic. I believe that he was 28 at the time. His biceps were pretty damn peaked in my opinion. But that was in person. In pictures, the peaks might not be impressive. But standing next to him in person was a much different story.

One of the other things that stood out seeing him in person was that his hair had a lot of red in it. Standing under the bright lights, the red stood out. I thought that was surprising at the time.

[Royalty]

Flex wheeler at his best was better imo, round muscle bellies win

Cocks are a toss up

Levrone supposedly stuffed a sock in his posing trunks at the 2003 Mr Olympia

[Bevo]

I met Levrone about 2 months after the 1994 Arnold Classic. I believe that he was 28 at the time. His biceps were pretty damn peaked in my opinion. But that was in person. In pictures, the peaks might not be impressive. But standing next to him in person was a much different story.

One of the other things that stood out seeing him in person was that his hair had a lot of red in it. Standing under the bright lights, the red stood out. I thought that was surprising at the time.

True, I agree his biceps weren’t bad, but in comparison to some of the top competition it was “lacking” a bit, by no means it was a weakness on his physique

Who was the most impressive in your opinion in person?

I’ve seen most of the 90’s guys, flex and Cormier at golds, and Ronnie training for the O in 2003 at metroflex, I’ll give flex the nod in terms of overall physique, the muscle bellies, the cartoon look, best I’ve seen, Ronnie, however, was just a monster, huge beyond belief

[Bevo]

Levrone supposedly stuffed a sock in his posing trunks at the 2003 Mr Olympia

I think Levrone even pulled out an American flag out of his thong in 1995 I believe 

[Royalty]

True, I agree his biceps weren’t bad, but in comparison to some of the top competition it was “lacking” a bit, by no means it was a weakness on his physique

Who was the most impressive in your opinion in person?

I’ve seen most of the 90’s guys, flex and Cormier at golds, and Ronnie training for the O in 2003 at metroflex, I’ll give flex the nod in terms of overall physique, the muscle bellies, the cartoon look, best I’ve seen, Ronnie, however, was just a monster, huge beyond belief

I was at the 1996 NOC. Ronnie’s peaks were great. But I remember thinking that Don Long’s biceps were better than Wheeler’s

I also thought that Coleman should have won.

The placings
1) Wheeler
2) Coleman
3) Long

[Taffin]

Levrone supposedly stuffed a sock in his posing trunks at the 2003 Mr Olympia

Oh go on then... repost... 

[oldtimer1]

Sometimes I feel bodybuilding is just a bull shit activity. It's a sport based on drug use. No drugs and the sport disappears. I know fans of bodybuilding drugs will say all sports use. It isn't true but it makes guys feel good about sticking needles in their ass to look good to the clueless. Amazing how so many pros look amazing the day of the contest then 5 months later look like absolute crap.

[ProudVirgin69]

Sometimes I feel bodybuilding is just a bull shit activity.

“Sometimes”? You’ve been beating this drum for as long as I can remember

Anyways, bodybuilding is a fucked up niche hobby filled with freaks and scumbags ….. and that’s why we love it 

[Bevo]

“Sometimes”? You’ve been beating this drum for as long as I can remember

Anyways, bodybuilding is a fucked up niche hobby filled with freaks and scumbags ….. and that’s why we love it 

Don’t forget criminals, lazy bums, drug addicts, questionable character issues, G4P, and sleazy snake oil salesman’s

[Humble Narcissist]

Sometimes I feel bodybuilding is just a bull shit activity. It's a sport based on drug use. No drugs and the sport disappears. I know fans of bodybuilding drugs will say all sports use. It isn't true but it makes guys feel good about sticking needles in their ass to look good to the clueless. Amazing how so many pros look amazing the day of the contest then 5 months later look like absolute crap.

Drug free bodybuilding is mostly muscle free bodybuilding.

[Pet shop boys]

Dude was Hardcore !

Levroneeeeeeeeeeeeee Baby

You can tell by looking at this clip He was so cocky and full of himself ...

Should have been MrO the second time he placed second to Dorian


WoooSHHHHHHHHHHHHH  the results are in ! and guess who has the knees of a 22 year old and is making a third and final comeback for Netflix

[Pet shop boys]

Flex wheeler at his best was better imo, round muscle bellies win

Cocks are a toss up

Flex had better arms but kevin had better torso

WoooSHHHHHHHHHH