Levi Markwardt, Trainer

02/10/2026

I'll try not to be annoying with ads 😬 as I never want my Socials to be about sales (consistent training FTW!). But i do have lots of conversation about my diet/nutrition each week so its definitely relevant

As Ive stated ad nauseam, Im a huge believer in real food prepared at home. I buy beef & eggs direct from farmers & am blessed to have friends or members share venison that they've harvested.

My other go to protein sources are cottage cheese & Greek Yogurt. And its my opinion that i need to limit ADDED sugars & artificial sweeteners as much as possible. Am I perfect? Lol, hardly. But Im intentional enough that the results must be desirable at some level 🤷‍♂️

When traveling or need calories while at my gym, I'm a Protein bar guy. I like to eat vs drink. Less mess & more convenient are side bonuses. This is why Im so grateful to have partnered with 💯 Their bars have 9, 10, or 11 real food ingredients like grass-fed beef protein, colostrum & tallow and sweetened with coconut sugar, honey or dates. No seed oils, nothing artificial & they are third party tested. These bars match my overall goals for how I try to eat daily

Obviously things like texture matter. Prime bars are chewy vs crispy or crunchy & taste more like food than a candy bar. Which is another reason I like them. I want my food to fuel me vs entertain me, as Im not a child

I truly enjoy Equip Prime bars

The only powder Ive tried thus far is the cookies & cream. I add it to my Greek Yogurt with some Lily's Dark Choc chips. Again, eating vs drinking. No complaints yet & will slowly work my way thru the powders. They have many flavors & no, nothing tastes like beef 😉

The last pic about the GLP-1s? There are reports that upto 40% of wt loss is muscle 😳 Beef protein can be a great replacement for whey (if sensitive) to be sure you're getting enough protein (WHILE resistance training), especially when using GLPs.

equipfoods.com & LEVISHTKTRAINING at checkout or follow the link in my bio for same discount

01/24/2026

I've recently (intentionally) cut some BW. Not a resolution thing, a response to injury. With moving less load in training sessions Im paying a lot more attention to my amount consumed each day. I like my choices. I just really like consuming those choices! Im learning as I age strength & size is becoming less a priority. Im wanting to focus on my big picture wellness.

leanlens.ai is just a Google search. The results are based on one uploaded pic 🤔 So yeah, accuracy is as good as a guess. Not too different than all these suspect scans people are getting for their "new year new me" gym packages. Except this was free. I need laser eyes

Even though more info can be fun & help keep us engaged, I still stand behind a mirror & a scale being your best bet to track progress in 2026. Throw in a tape measure to track your waist to height ratio & you're set. BF% is often marketing.

If unfamiliar, the WHtR is a calculated by dividing your waist circumference by your height. A healthy ratio is considered to be < 0.5, meaning your waist should be less than half your height.

This measure is generally valued over BMI for predicting conditions like heart disease & type 2 diabetes as it specifically reflects visceral fat accumulation around your organs.

01/18/2026

Friday I mentioned a recent training mishap (with photos) that happened Fri Jan 9. Proximal Long Head rupture. Lots of kind words & well wishes that are appreciated ❤️ In that post I mentioned I was grateful because things could be much worse, concerning injury, because while it's not nothing, its not going to put me on the shelf. I mean that. I have a big competition in May & these damn bells don't lift themselves.

So yesterday i shared a training set honoring Steve Cotter on his B-Day & i got some surprised or confused comments on different SM platforms

I had already consulted a Dr of PT & an Ortho PA before i could be seen in person. The 1st question i asked was, "Can i exercise as tolerated?" They both answered, "yes, the tendon is already ruptured. The Long head can't get worse & short head risk isnt increased. Just be smart."

Some ppl look for reasons to skip the gym. I'll always find ways to continue to train. As i said, i feel blessed the injury is only what it is

I took 1 day off, last Sat. Sun i worked around the injury with exercises that didnt irritate. By Mon I was putting lighter bells OH again (shoutout to cotton gloves for helping me keep load in check). I'll continue this path for awhile, adjusting where needed.

The long head proximal (shoulder) rupture does not require a reattachment surgery, distal (elbow) does. You can choose that route if you'd like. Young athletes often do. But I'm neither young or an athlete. I'm ok having a deformed bicep. My wife told me she'd still love me

How does it feel? Bicep is point tender, where its balled up. But my shldr is far more uncomfortable, especially receiving bells from OH. The impact is noticeable. And oddly enough, left pec is also sore

01/17/2026

Steve Cotter's family made an announcement asking the KB community to remember Steve on his Bday (today the 17th) with 17 min of dedicated exercise. a small ask for a literal legend

17' of half sn**ch, 17/min pace
14' OTM switch. 1'30" switch last 3'
gloved & 24kg

Rest easy ❤️

01/16/2026

Starting off 2026 strong 🤦‍♂️

Last Fri (Jan 9) I decided preparing for .k.m.f worlds in May wasnt enough by itself

Proximal Long Head detachment enters the chat. I mean, relatively speaking, things could be much worse. I picked a good tendon to blow up

You're up next - no pressure 😉



?🙄

01/10/2026

I’ve found myself in multiple online health conversations the 1st wk of 2026. I supposed it's the newly motivated Resolutioners timed with the updated RDA guidelines. For some reason, I took the bait & engaged 🤦‍♂️. That should be my resolution… stop taking the bait in 2026!

One gentleman aged 40 claimed, “I’m slim, but have a belly. I’m fit & use a 20lb KB”. Another at the age of 41 said, “I’m grossly overweight at 345, but also lean & strong for the weight.” And same guy, “I look like I weigh 270”

Wait, what?? Looks like we’re starting 2026 at delusion.

A male in his 40s with a belly isn’t slim. He’s skinny fat. And if you’re using a 20lb KB as a grownass man, you’re not fit, you’re weak. You’re a skinny fat weak man. Start there. Which is fine. You have to start where you are. Wanting to change is a great new goal and I’m here for it!

At no point in this life does 345lb & “lean” belong in the same sentence. And what does “I look like I weigh 270” even mean? I competed at heavyweight at that weight, no part of me was lean or athletic & I was 20 yrs old (swipe). This guy is comparing himself to other Americans at 345lb to convince himself “at least I’m not THAT fat.” Guess what your heart thinks?

You need to cut the BS & cope if you want change. Results won't follow when you start your “new year new me” from a place of dishonesty. I also used to dress up my weight & health problems with cope & it wasn’t until I could be honest with myself that I could really understand how unhealthy & overfat I was. My original weight loss goal was 240 because I had “such a large frame & so much muscle that any lighter & I’d look small.” Hard LOL Levi 🙄. When I stepped on the scale at 242 I thought, “Hmm, I have a lot of work left to do. I’m way fatter than I thought”

I’m just glad I stopped believing my own BS at 28 & didn’t carry it into my 40s. It’s a lot of intentional training & eating to stay below 210 at 47. But this life is far better than the one I was living nearly 20 years ago. It’s a journey worth taking.

12/25/2025

12/16/2025

Post Workout Reaction

I like it. Improved support was immediately noticeable even walking and it felt solid during the burpees - and you know I love my burpees. Also, the compression on my calf was a nice surprise.

The pain issue is there but it needs repaired so its not fair to expect pain to disappear. I'll add some loading to both single bell and double bell this week and see how the knee feels stability wise. Part of my issue has been the feeling of instability, especially with two heavier bells Overhead (as today was just Danish Interval samples with mod loads 32kg & 34kg)

Im encouraged thus far 💯

https://anacondafightwear.co/?snowball=LEVI43008 - also linked in my linktree in bio

12/13/2025

I woke up today from an email from my mom that said "you look different" & the photo on the left attached.

I believe i was going into my Sr season at (Sept '99?) weighing in around 260-265lb. I ballooned upto about 290lb at my heaviest, as I've shared.

Your size/weight/aesthetic doesn't determine your value or self worth, but it does tell the world how much (or little) you respect yourself.

A little discipline goes a long ways

12/06/2025

Yup, same topic. Why? Cause “you” keep asking...

My most asked questions: Can you really build muscle just using KBs? What else are you doing with bars & DBs? What’s your stack?

When scrolling SM I generally see snapshots of random KB exercises strung together. Or people using KBs like they’d use a DB. Or maybe the ever popular KB Flow. What I don’t see very much of is actual training. Now, that could be marketing 🤷‍♂️ Maybe they are just showing a few reps of diff movements they use when training? But you, the consumer, only see what I see. And if you copy what I’m seeing, then it's no surprise I get these sorts of questions. Copying randomized routines leads to thinking, “I wonder what else these guys are doing (or taking)?” Because to your untrained eye, you see me using bells & have no idea that I’m NOT doing what you think you’re doing. After all, we don’t know what we don’t know. And I see a lot of bodybuilders using the KB with very basic movements for IG views. These people clearly (to me) did not end up where they are physically lifting a KB like they are

Yes, KBs can certainly be enough for nearly all of the exercising population UNLESS you compete in a strength sport where max speed or load are necessary. Examples that come to mind: Strongman, Powerlifting, Weightlifting, & sports like American FB (OL/DL), etc. Also, variables matter. You need to address your calorie needs with quality foods while intelligently progressing your training. Showing up without a plan & exercising based on feel is not recommended for long term results. Lasting results require an intelligent strategy while taking much commitment & discipline

My plan for this next training week is basically set because I’ve recorded everything I’ve done for yrs. Small tweaks in pace, loading, duration & rest remove the guesswork, keep consistency high & allow me to improve in some aspect

What you do NOT need: Red light therapy/sauna, cold plunges, HRV tracking, any wearable, special training equip, scanners, etc. Can you benefit from these “add-ons”? Sure. Maybe. You're allowed to use them. What can you really benefit from? A legitimate plan, a mirror, tape measure & some discipline

11/25/2025

People just don't know. They have their minds made up before i reply. They dont ask questions, they accuse in the form of a question

Most people use KBs in a specific generic way. The way they use them is fine for them & their goals. But you wont change your body significantly. They dont know that & believe the BS marketing. They think, "i lift kb, levi lifts kb... samsies... i dont look like levi so levi = drugs"

Ive been training 4-6 days/wk & *dieting* 19+ yrs. 5 sessions/wk x 52 wks x 19+ yrs is over 5k sessions by now. Most of these commentors think 3x/wk for 45 days is commitment

Im "too old" to look like this w/o TRT, they say. But if you don't overeat constantly & continue to move, to resistance train, the muscle you've built just doesn't vanish.

They tell me because I make money "with my body" (selling programs) that I'm enhanced 🤣. If i looked like this & was enhanced Id be so pi**ed. Listen, you dont take drugs to look like a 47 y/o man. I'm trying to sell programs, not bodybuilding. Dorks. All of them.

Also, I'm not an influencer

11/22/2025

I've shared this before but every week is like groundhogs day... or week 🤔

"Is kettlebells all you do?"
"What's your split look like off camera?"
"How much you deadlift?"
"What do you do for chest?"
"What's your stack look like?"

Friends, what you see me do is what i do. I wish i had the time, ability & recovery to do more training off camera. As a business owner, elected county official, husband, father (i should've put those first 🤦‍♂️) & aging, aching man, these half hour sessions are more than enough.

What's the difference? My challenge to you is to patiently match the consistency & intention while eating the food necessary to support the goals you have.

What about cold plunge? Red light therapy? Hyperbarics? Body scans? New training equip? Wearables?

I don't know, they arent for me. My KBs are enough. Programming matters. The tool matters but its also how you use it. That new leg press or chest machine isn't going to change your life.

What about supplements? Maybe. But I reccomend you learn to prepare your meals at home first.

What about TRT? Ask your Dr. I'm not against it & will likely start when necessary. I'll let you know when i do. Until then I'll keep doing what I'm doing

Train smart, eat well, be consistent, embrace patience & see what happens 🤷‍♂️ do that for 10+ years and you won't be disappointed.

It's not always about what you can add or all the fancy gadgets, equipment & fitness marketing hacks. There are no shortcuts without consequence.