Kevin Levrone: "My muscles were made of pain." Why does he refuse to return to his 'dark self' anymore?

The legendary Kevin Levrone, a bodybuilding icon of the 90s, looked back on his career in a recent interview. He spoke candidly about the pain that drove him forward, his use of steroids as a form of "survival" and why he had to enter "dark places" in his training that he doesn't want to return to today.

For bodybuilding fans, Kevin Levrone is one of the biggest names in history, often referred to as the "uncrowned king of Mr. Olympia". Although he never won a Sandow statue, his physique was the benchmark for muscle development in the 90s. But what was going on in his head as he stood on stage alongside giants like Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman?

In a new video on the First Things THRST channel, Levrone admits that his career was largely built on pain.

A career born out of pain

In the interview, Levrone recalls losing both of his parents to cancer when he was young. It was this grief and internal struggle that became the fuel for his brutal training sessions.

"Every set, every rep, every competition, I thought about my parents," Levrone confided. "I had to go to a very dark place to create that character - that bodybuilder that people saw. He was made from the pain and everything I went through."

Steroids as a survival mode

The topic of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) is still a hot topic in bodybuilding, but Levrone has tackled it head-on. For him, it wasn't just about muscles, but a way to handle pressure and life situations.

"When I jumped on the steroid cycle... I was in survival mode," Levrone explains.

He sees it in retrospect as a necessary part of the "therapy" at the time that allowed him to perform at the absolute top and face the competition of the time. He wasn't alone in this - Jay Cutler has spoken similarly in the past about the mental isolation and "dark places" required to retain a title.

"I'm not that guy anymore"

Today, long after his professional career has ended, Levrone has a very different approach to training. He admits that he can't (and won't) train like he used to because it requires a mentality he's already abandoned.

"I felt that deep, dark side of me. (...) When I walk into the gym today, I can't train to my full potential unless I'm 100% the guy. And I'm not that guy anymore," says Kevin.

His current training is radically different from the days when he lifted extreme weights on the bench-press. Today, he focuses on functionality, fitness and movement.

"I'm not doing 16 sets per set, I'm not squatting heavy weights. Today, for me, it's about running, conditioning and being an athlete. There's no reason to go back to the dark side. Back then it was survival, today it's not," concludes the legend.

Kevin Levrone thus gives a clear message: What we see on the Mr. Olympia stage is often redeemed by extreme mental and physical sacrifice that only makes sense in the context of fighting for a title, but is unsustainable for everyday life and health.