Kevin English

Full name: Kevin Jasonn English

Date of birth: November 28, 1972

Height: 5’4”

Off-season weight: 245 to 270—staying closer to 245 now

Contest weight: 202

Current residence: Dix Hills, New York

Years training: 20

Occupation: IFBB professional bodybuilder, owner of Hard Roc Kev Personal Training, soon to be co-owner of physical-therapy business

Marital status: Married to Erika

Children: None, but we have two dogs and two cats.

Hobbies: Going out to eat, relaxing at home

How did you get into bodybuilding? My dad, James Bradley, was nicknamed Superman because he had very muscular back, shoulders and arms. I used to watch him lifting weights out in our garage when I was a kid and wanted to be like him. I got into weights through wrestling, which I did from fourth to 12th grades. I started picking up bodybuilding magazines, and after high school I joined Bev Francis and Steve Weinberger’s Powerhouse Gym in Syosett, New York. I was actually Bev’s training partner for a few years. They kept telling me how good my potential for bodybuilding was, but I wasn’t interested in getting onstage in little trunks. After they harassed me long enough, I went and won my first show, and from then on I was hooked.

Who were your role models when you were starting out? The guys from my early years who really inspired me were Lee Haney, Flex Wheeler, Shawn Ray, Aaron Baker and Kevin Levrone.

Top titles: ’98 NPC National Middleweight champion, ’08 and ’09 IFBB New York Pro 202-and-Under champion, ’09 IFBB Olympia 202 Showdown champion

Favorite ­bodypart to train: When I was younger, I would say chest and arms, like every other guy. But once I started competing, I learned that it could hurt you to have favorite body­parts because they tend to get overdeveloped, and you slack on your weaker areas, which really need more work. Now I put the same effort into everything and enjoy them all.

Favorite exercise: Close-grip bench presses for triceps. I can use 405 anytime, and when I’m feeling stronger I will slide on another quarter for 455. In my opinion, it’s the best mass movement for the triceps.

Least favorite exercise: Deadlifts. They’ve always felt awkward to me.

Best bodypart: Arms and legs

Most challenging bodypart: Back

Obstacles overcome: I think I turned pro too soon, at only my fourth contest, and I wasn’t really ready for it. At my first pro show I got smoked, and my confidence that I could do well in the sport was shaken badly. I didn’t compete again for six years because I kept thinking I wasn’t big enough to match up with the other pros. I didn’t really believe in myself until 10 years after I turned pro, and that’s when I came back and finally started doing well.

Do you try to live by a philosophy? There are a couple of axioms I like. One is to treat others as you would like to be treated. Another is to never stop dreaming and know that with faith, desire and hard work you can make your dreams come true. Too many people let their dreams fade away and settle for much less than what they should in life.

How do you stay motivated? Having others who believe in me helps, and so does the fact that I know I have at most seven or eight good years left to make a real impact in the sport and leave a legacy behind.

How would you describe your training style? My training partner, Dr. Michael Camp, developed the system we use now over a year ago. It’s called C.A.M.P, which stands for Cycling Activates Muscle Production. We do four-week cycles with different rep ranges: week 1: three to five reps; week 2: 15 to 25 reps; week 3: six to eight reps; week 4: supersets and drop sets

Training split: Sunday: chest and shoulders; Monday: off; Tuesday: back; Wednesday: arms; Thursday: off; Friday: legs; Saturday: off

Favorite clean meal: None!

Favorite cheat meal: Anything from Crumbs Bakery—if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried the stuff they make at that place.

What is your favorite supplement, and why? I love Cytonox before training. It gives me tons of energy and strength, even when I’m dieting, and to get down to 202, I have to take my calories very low. It also helps me keep getting great pumps, even when my carb intake is down. When you train as heavy as I do, a product like Cytonox is a blessing.

Goals in the sport: I want to make my mark as one of the best smaller-framed bodybuilders in the history of the sport. I recently won the 202 Showdown in Las Vegas at the Mr. Olympia, and I want to hold on to that title for a few more years. IM