Here's another brutal way to use the bands for maximum benefit, courtesy of Coach Dan. This will grind up your abs into hamburger. It'll also elevate your heart rate big time. Enjoy. It's all part of the plan to reach that lean & mean 220 lbs in late April. This whole week I'm cleansing with a water/honey/cayenne drink and nothing else. I'm not saying to try that at home, but I'm just telling you, that's what I'm doing. Always be careful when you attempt a fast, and do your homework first. The thinking is, I want to clear out my body and mind with a detox and really get ready for the final stretch, which will be about losing as much fat as possible while maintaining a superb level of conditioning. It may not be as hardcore as going for a 500 lbs squat or a 405 bench, but in some ways, it's a much harder goal to achieve. The abs and serratus muscles have to be there, POW, when the shirt comes off. But at the same time, I have to have some of that size and power we've worked so hard to build this past year. It's no easy task, and the pressure's on. But when we support each other, there's nothing we can't do. 220 lbs and ripped, baby. COUNT ON IT. Peace [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46BcmLoitp8&feature=player_embedded]

Flex Magazine's May print issue features a piece all about band training. If you recall, Coach Dan introduced that to us on the Levrone Report in our SHOCK WEEK Progressive Load Training post a few weeks ago. I knew Coach was on to something. That's what's up Coach. The May FLEX issue is called "The New Way To Get Big." Check it out to see the bands in actions for a variety of mass building exercises. The FLEX article, by Deputy Editor Dave Lee and Science Editor Jim Stoppani, PhD, covers a full workout, where the band is used to add progressive resistance to dead lifts, squats and bench. The FLEX workout is demonstrated by heavyweight bodybuilder Anthoneil Champagne. Is this dude hardcore enough for you, Norweigian? Maybe it's time to give the stretchy bands another look! :) On a side note, remember that day I did the Smith Machine Workout and I stopped at the doctor's for a checkup? Good news, the results are in and I got a clean bill of health. Make sure to see your doctor every now and then for a full physical and lab tests. Protect your health. That's the way of the champion.

Turning it up a notch on the conditioning and cardio, and we got none other than Coach Dan giving us a new way to push the limits. Check it out, I'm really moving here. This is the kind of thing that can bring a bodybuilder to his knees if he doesn't have the proper conditioning to be a well-rounded athlete. Give it a try, and please stop if you can't catch your breath. The goal is not just to be cut, but to have power and strength, the whole package. There's no easy way to get to a lean and mean 220 lbs, and this is one of the movements I'm going to use going into the home stretch. The shirt comes off in late April. Peace [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX3gRChnh_Y&feature=player_embedded]

Not a day goes by where I'm not thinking about the Levrone Report, about our goals, about our community. About how WE ALL have changed since this started, and how much that means. Not a moment passes where I don't think about and visualize how my physique HAS GOT to look come late April, no excuses. I know this feeling well, the feeling where failure is not an option...half my life has been driven by this feeling. I walked off the stage years ago, but I can't EVER get away from that do-or-die feeling. I seem to keep putting myself up to new challenges. It's been a busy week. I want to get the Formula squared away so you can start using it, too. A lot goes on behind the scenes when a product comes out, and it's ME moving the ball forward every day. It has to be the best, that's my nature. No shortcuts, no compromises, no path of least resistance. It's a ton of work, but it's the good kind. Doing something in a world full of competition...claiming you're better and actually BEING better – it's not easy. If you're surviving in this economy or making your way through school, you know damn well the sacrifices that go with creating value in a competitive world, and how hard it is to have integrity while doing it. How challenging it is to be more than just talk. Embrace every second of that challenge. It is within such challenges that we discover the way of the champion. Now, as I was saying...CUT BY APRIL, BABY. TSSSHBAM! Peace

Busy week, but I had time to grab this quick footage. Pullups are a great back exercise. It's not every day you see a relatively big guy cranking out pullups, and one of YOUR videos inspired me to give it a shot. Just goes to show that this is a two-way street, my videos give you an extra push in the gym, and your videos have the same effect on me. I spoke to Andrew from UK today and he reports a three-pound gain of pure muscle. We'll have pictures up later this week. Peace [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V3zWTlsqIQ]

It's an exciting time because you guys have been asking about the formula for a while, and now it's finally here. It took some time to get it done the right way, but it was worth the wait. It's a statement of what I believe in. There's nothing fake about it. No artificial flavors or colors, no "secretive proprietary blend," or fillers. I'm proud to be able to say that. It's pro-grade, extremely powerful and it helped me through some pretty insane transformations this past year. I look forward to sharing it with you, and I want to hear your input. Check out the video, I want to share this moment with the community first, before it gets released to the public next week. I'm giving away free cans, too, so watch the video. I'm back in the gym tomorrow, see you guys this weekend. Peace [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtxvrB8vlKg] Michel R.'s 110 dumbell rows. If you can do this, post a video. Check out Rick's pullups, too. That's what's up, big guy. Wow. Keep posting your videos at www.youtube.com/group/thefirethatinspires – Kevin

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 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AkzTOTgWDM] Part 2 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT2wfszibPI]

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 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJk6OGhfPvM] 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 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3QQC4xKQ6I]