Back in the gym with a full chest workout, every set, every rep. This one’s all about the Smith Machine – a great way to get in a focused workout without a spotter.

If my goal was to put on quick mass I’d be rocking the free weights mostly. But my goal is a lean, mean 220 lbs, cut and balanced. Incorporating some Smith Machine fits in with this goal, and believe me, it was a full-blown workout fit for a champion.

This is also a good alternative workout for when you don’t have a spotter, or if you’re a beginner and aren’t ready for heavy free weights.

If you’re advanced, still give it a try, bang out this workout and pay careful attention to how you feel and respond.

LEVRONE TIP: Champions know that EVERY workout holds the potential to teach you something new about your body and your form. The more things you try, the more you learn, the more you master your body.

It’s great to be back in action and the best is yet to come. The month of April waits for me like a beast in the night. Soon it’ll be time to slay the beast. Shirt off, shredded to the bone. TSSHBAM.

Luckily, today I had a chance to get more footage than usual, beyond training, to share experiences I hope will have a positive influence on some of you in terms of overall health and nutrition.

Speaking of positive influence, thanks to TruthGear for the awesome T-shirt. Definitely check out what these guys got going on at www.truth-gear.com.

Also, I got some exciting news to share tomorrow.

Peace

Part 1

Part 2

Sunday morning was the kickoff event for the Shape Up America Campaign. Helping people set goals and get in touch with their potential is something I love doing, so it was an honor to be involved, meet the attendees and provide encouragement.

Can bodybuilders help inspire America to shape up? Head of the campaign, Michael Torchia, thinks so, and I agree.  While pro bodybuilding is not a mainstream past-time, I believe it has potential to carry a message of discipline, goal-setting and strength.

If a bodybuilder can inspire someone to pick up a weight for the first time and start on some weight training, that’s most likely going to be a positive thing.

Ronnie Coleman and Gunter Schlierkamp were also at the event, and I had the pleasure of talking briefly with them, to hear what they had to say about giving back, and also about their own possible comebacks. See the videos below.

I also met with Bill Germanakos, winner of “The Biggest Loser,” Season 4, who managed to go from 334 lbs to 170 lbs, losing a total of 164 lbs during the course of the season.

Bill visualized and overcame tremendous obstacles, and is now committed to paying it forward and educating others who battle with obesity. The video of my conversation with Bill is below as well, check it out.

Again, it’s great to be back and see all the activity on the forum, too. I’m back in the gym tomorrow and more workouts are ahead – April is just around the corner and the shirt’s coming off. Time to finish what we started and get to that lean, mean 220 lbs. Nuff standin’ around – IT’S GO TIME.

Video# 1Gunter Schlierkamp

VIDEO# 2 Ronnie Coleman

Video# 3 NBC The Biggest Loser Winner

It’s been a tough week. Traveling, meetings, preparing for a presentation at the Shape Up America Campaign Launch (which was this morning)…and to top it off, a server change that took the blog out of commission for days.

I’m sorry the blog and forum were down for so long. But our community isn’t going anywhere. I’ve taken steps to keep the site more reliable, and if it ever happens again, hang tight and check for updates on the Twitter feed.

Last week I was in New Jersey to check on the manufacturing of the first shipments of the Levrone Formula, to make sure everything went down with the strictest of care.

Then, it was back to LA to help kick off the Shape Up America Campaign launch at Pershing Square Park that took place this morning. I’ll have footage from the event up by tomorrow night.

I’ve been training hard but couldn’t record my workouts. To capture the spirit of what I did, I’m posting a “Best Of Levrone Report,” selection from Transformation #2 (Cutting.)

This was one of the most taxing workouts so far on LevroneReport.com. Blowing it out focused, a whole lotta burn, and NO TALK. Just like this week when the cameras were off.

Leg supersets – mere mortals need not apply. For warriors only. (That means you.) Give it a shot and let me know if you survive.

It’s great to be back. Thanks for hanging in there. I’ll try to put something up every night this week to make up for the absence.

Peace, Kevin

4 sets of superset rotations with 3 minutes rest between each rotation:

Leg Press: 975 lbs x 15 Reps.

Hack Squats: 415 lbs x 10 Reps.

Leg Extensions: 190 lbs x 10 Reps.

Can’t tell you how good it is to be back in the gym with you guys. I hope you’re still training hard and getting ready for April when the shirt comes off.

Meanwhile, I’m keeping my muscles guessing, shocking them and making things happen. Here are some new moves for LevroneReport.com, and some things I haven’t done in a long time.

Part of what makes bodybuilding exciting is changing up the workouts. The great thing about this journey is that we’ll never run out of new approaches.

Once you learn to deeply appreciate that aspect of bodybuilding, try to pass that appreciation on to people in your life who could benefit from weight training.

Weight training is seen by so many as pain and drudgery, but we know that it’s an art form, an adventure, an emotional release, and an act of creation, all rolled into one. Something everyone can benefit from.

Watch this video – I’m giving it all I got, visualizing every rep, pushing the heart rate. Your presence is still bringing out the best in me, so thanks for training with me for what will soon be a year. Amazing.

Post a video, I want to see what you got – especially on the dumbell rows. I pulled 150 lbs dumbells on this video, son. Let’s see how full-blown YOU can get with those. I’m dying to find out.

Some of you guys who own the comment board, why not finally put your money where your mouth is.  :) (If you can’t post a video, write it below.)

Peace, Kevin

Congratulations to Kai Greene. You can read the Men’s Finals Review here. Thanks for submitting your guesses – I don’t think any of us guessed correctly but it was a worthwhile thread, nonetheless. –  Kevin

The Arnold Sports Festival 2010 is finally here. It brings back great memories of winning in 1994 and 1996, pictured left.

There are a lot of great competitors this year. My feeling is Phil Heath will win, followed by Dexter Jackson, Branch Warren, Kai Greene, Melvin Anthony, in that order. Let me know what your predictions are below.

In addition to hosting an incredible variety of sports competitions for both men and women competitors, the Arnold Sports Festival provides benefits to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which is a great thing.

It’s a unique event and you might want to check out the free webcast on Bodybuilding.com.

I have a good, solid back workout that will hopefully be posted tonight, so stay tuned. Don’t forget to get your top five predictions in, below.

– Kevin

PS: First taste of Levrone Formula will be available on the blog as early as next week.

Here’s a move for building explosive strength with heavy weight when you don’t have a spotter. Give it a shot, it’s a different kind of feeling and it definitely shocked my chest.

Sometimes we feel like moving heavy weights. It provides a sense of accomplishment, a milestone, a concrete goal, clear evidence of your pecking order in the gym. And there’s no question that heavy weights are needed to gain mass.

But it’s important to remember that your muscle is oblivious to pecking order, it doesn’t care what number is engraved on the dumbells. Champions know that training hard is not always a story that can be told in numbers.

It’s all about how your muscle feels, and I can tell you, when it comes to the 25lb progressive load dumbell presses I do in this video – I’m feeling it.

Use the band and you can go with much heavier weight without a spotter, build explosive strength and shock the muscle in a new way, which is what this week is all about.

I’ll have a more complete workout posted up next.

Kevin

This weekend I was honored to go to the Santee High School Community Resource Fair to meet up with my friend Michael Torchia, founder and president of Shape Up America Campaign,  and Miriam Long, Deputy Mayor at The City Of Los Angeles.

It was a great event that offered free health services and activities. We had an obstacle course, boot-camp-style  workouts, pushups, running, jumping rope. It gave the kids a chance to not only learn some exercises, but have a good time doing it.

I had a chance to speak with Michael about his Shape Up America Campaign 30-city tour that’s kicking off in downtown Los Angeles on March 14th.

I’m looking forward to speaking at the March 14th event, so it was great to catch up with Michael and give him a chance to explain to us the inspiration behind the program.

Michael gave props to the bodybuilders when it comes to battling the obesity epidemic and inspiring kids to get active and stay healthy.

If you spend a lot of time in the gym chances are you’ve inspired kids to work out simply by the way you look. That adds a meaningful dimension to being a bodybuilder.

As a member of the Levrone Report community, please always be on the lookout for new opportunities to make a difference and influence kids in a positive direction.

It was also a big honor to talk with the Deputy Mayor about change, making a difference, and what it means to be a role model. It’s always a message worth spreading so the footage is below.

Back in the gym tomorrow.

Peace.

This week we’re shocking the muscles so hang on tight. I need to shake things up if I’m going to reach my goal by April, so it’s time for some shock treatment to get my muscles to respond differently after doing the same workouts for months.

In life, just like in training, change and growth can come from sudden, bold ACTION in a new direction. Something to upset the balance of those same old moves and get us on the path to new growth.

Do it right and you’ll feel your body on high alert, your heart rate will be higher than usual. You’ll reach new levels of focus and intensity as you battle to control the foreign moves, and the novelty of the new challenges will add exhilaration to your routine.

That’s what’s needed right now. More effort, more challenge, more exhilaration and drive. Because come April, the shirt comes off. That’s our target month to see what’s up with me AND with you.

Shock treatment is always part of the process in the life of a champion on an endless transformation. Change it up with me this week, and let me know how it’s going for you. We’re a team, so let’s keep communicating and sharing the wisdom.

Kevin

Here’s my conversation with Rishi below. I can tell he has the intensity to get the job done, all he needs is some guidance. Does that sound like you, too?

The Rishi Transformation can be your transformation. I’m connecting to Rishi directly, but I’m sharing the tips and advice with you all the way.

Watch this video and focus, visualize what it feels like to be in on the conversation, live through Rishi’s experience and get the same jolt of urgency you need to get the same benefits.

I’m not on the phone with all of you, but I know you’re out there. You are part of this. This is your moment, too. Step up and make this transformation your own. I will do my part to guide you, please do yours. All levels welcome.

My own transformation is still on, full blown. I’m rapidly moving toward my goal of a lean & mean 220 lbs. I decided at the beginning of this year that I have to get ripped to the bone and very balanced. Failure is not an option.

I’m closing in on my goal. When I get there, you’ll be the first to know.

Thanks Rishi for stepping up to the plate, putting yourself on the line. Get ready to work, bro. The eyes of the community are on you and they are waiting to follow your example. Let’s do this.

– Kevin