Bodybuilding veteran Kevin Levrone believes the sport is headed in a new direction. On August 6, 2025, he joined Ron Harris to discuss whether there’s an oversaturation of pro cards before giving career advice to aspiring bodybuilders.
Levrone came remarkably close to winning a Mr. Olympia title, having secured runner-up on the prestigious stage four times. During his career, he won the Arnold Classic twice, once in 1994 and again in 1996. Though he’s settled into retirement, Levrone’s passion for bodybuilding is evident. He transformed his physique at 61, with a renewed focus on fasted cardio and functional training.
Over the past few months, bodybuilding veterans have debated whether there are too many pro cards rampant in the IFBB Pro League. Some believe it’s led to less impressive physiques onstage, while others are unsure how it’s affected the sport’s landscape.
Kevin Levrone Gives Advice to Bodybuilders, Discusses If Too Many Pro Cards Have Watered Down the Sport
In the video, Levrone was asked if there are too many pro cards awarded in bodybuilding today. He believes there are more pros, but there’s also more divisions, which have helped the sport become more mainstream.
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“I think about the industry as a whole. We had maybe 60 people, maybe 100 at the Nationals, 200-something total, think about if the industry has grown or not. It’s a business.
First and foremost, the sport has become very, very mainstream. Every category that’s been added has also taken us in a mainstream direction. It’s not just hardcore bodybuilding anymore. It’s just fitness. It’s wellness. It’s Men’s Physique, it’s everything.”
Levrone believes more pro cards don’t negatively impact the sport because the cream of the crop will still rise to the top:
“The year that I won the Nationals, the Nationals was the most prestigious amateur show that you could do to turn pro. Everyone knew that. Whoever won the Nationals was going to stand a great chance of going to the Night of Champions and win.”
“The best is going to rise to the top. That’s all I’m saying. Point-blank-period right there. Give out 300-400 pro cards. The cream is still going to rise to the top wherever the cream is,” he shared. “Who cares how many pro cards they give out? Let’s focus on the quality of athletes that are winning shows and that are at that higher level of a Mr. Olympia or whatever. Let’s focus on what’s going onstage and pick the cream of the crop out of who’s on the stage.”
Regardless of how many pro cards exist, Levrone stressed that only one athlete can win the Mr. Olympia.
“Give out 1,000 pro cards, I don’t care. As long as I got one, that means 999 people okay, they must not be no where near where I’m at since they are jsut giving them out everywhere.
Okay cool, that’s good with me as a competitor. Who cares? I wouldn’t care,” he adds. “Only one person can win the Olympia.”
In Levrone’s opinion, being a bodybuilding pro means you’ve perfected your craft and boast a physique with little to no weaknesses.
“It means that you’ve perfected your craft. That’s what it means to me, meaning that when you get a pro card, there’s no weaknesses. You have complete, excellent balance. You have complete symmetry. You know how to pose. You know the best poses for your body. Nobody knows your body better than you because you are a pro.”
As for advice to aspiring talents, he said to never complain about your placings and to treat the sport like a business:
“Respect everybody who you meet. You never know where they will end up or where you’re going to end up to where that could benefit you both. Never complain about your placing onstage because that’s not going to help at all. I never complained about any of my placings.
Don’t take it personal. If you are in shape, all the IFBB guys do your photo shoots, do your guest posings, market yourself while you’re in shape. Make as most money as you can. This is a business. Conduct yourself as a professional. Don’t waste your time on negativity,” he shared.
Levrone continues to serve as a top ambassador for the sport, showing that longevity and lasting health are possible post-bodybuilding. At the end of the day, he believes the flood of pro cards has helped the sport’s visibility.
Watch the full video from the Ron Harris Muscle YouTube channel below:
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