Leo Ingram

Full name: Leo Ingram Jr. 

Date of birth: October 20, 1969

Height: 5’9 1/2”

Off-season weight: 285–290

Contest weight: 255–260

Current residence: Atlanta, Georgia

Years training: 24

Occupation: Pro bodybuilder; U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer (retired)

Marital status: Married to Lynette

Children: Le’Andre Ingram, 17; Nehemiah Ingram, nine; and Tia Holt, 16

Hobbies: “I’m a tech junkie—I love computers and gadgets. I also like taking my Harley Cruiser out on nice days and just riding to no particular place.”

How did you get into bodybuilding? “Shortly after I enlisted in the Navy, a friend of mine asked me to be his training partner. He did his first competition, and I went to watch. That day I knew it was what I wanted to do, and I knew I could be very good if I worked hard enough.”

Who inspired you when you were starting out? “I was a huge fan of Lee Haney. I used to watch every episode of his TV exercise show, and I’d buy any magazine with an article about him. The stars of the early ’90s were also very inspirational to me, especially Shawn Ray, Paul Dillett and Chris Cormier.” 

Top titles: ’93 Los Angeles Championships, heavyweight and overall champion; ’95 Junior USA, heavyweight and overall champion; ’05 Armed Forces, superheavyweight and overall champion; ’06 IFBB North Americans, superheavyweight and overall champion; ’08 Houston Pro, 3rd

Favorite bodypart to train: Back or legs

Favorite exercise:“Don’t have one.”

Least favorite exercise: “Abs—anything for those.”

Best bodypart: Arms

Most challenging bodypart: Abs and calves

Obstacles overcome: “The toughest thing for most of my bodybuilding career has been balancing it with my job in the Navy and my family life. Altogether, I spent about 15 years of my Navy service on ships, and many times I was forced to stop training for long periods of time. As the ship’s engineer, I often had missions where I was on duty for 48 hours straight without sleep. Given the choice between grabbing a couple of hours of sleep before my next shift or training, I chose to get a bit of rest. I retired last year after 20 years of service.”

Do you have a philosophy you try to live by? “Live every day to the fullest, and live it like it’s your last. You never know when it could be.”

How do you stay motivated? “I have set short- and long-term goals for myself from day one in this sport. I also love bodybuilding and use my workouts as a form of stress relief.”

How would you describe your training style? “I incorporate a lot of variety into my workouts. I use both compound and isolation movements and vary my rep ranges quite a bit. I never get stuck doing the same thing for very long, and I think that’s key to success in this game.”

Training split: Day 1, chest; day 2, back; day 3, arms; day 4, delts; day 5, quads; day 6, hams and calves. Rest days are taken as needed.

Favorite clean meal: A nice steak and a baked potato

Favorite cheat meal: Fried chicken and peanut butter

What’s your favorite supplement, and why? “I can’t really pick just one. There are three different products from Six Star Muscle that I use every day. I take Professional Strength Nitric Oxide Overdrive before every workout so I can be at my best, and I also love the vascularity and pumps. I wouldn’t train without Professional Strength Creatine. It helps me keep my strength up, especially when I’m dieting and low on carbs. Professional Strength Whey Protein helps me increase my lean mass—because I’m up against the really big boys now!”

Goals in the sport: “My goal was to qualify for the Mr. Olympia, and I did that in my second year as a pro. Now my goal is to do better at the Olympia every year.”  IM