It’s not easy being a bodybuilder and staying motivated to pull through some of the most intensive workout plans throughout one’s career. Yet, elites like Phil Heath never fail to surprise fans with their dedication and passion for the sport that no other brought around.
Heath ties with Arnold Schwarzenegger for the number of Mr. Olympia titles he bagged. Dealing with sudden changes in the trajectory of his life that forced him out of his first love for basketball to introduce him to bodybuilding, it’s safe to say that he was meant to be where he landed.
At 44, his idea of retirement from the sport has been quite vague since he loved training and maintaining his gains anyway. And he firmly believed in pushing others in the same direction with hopes of finding a new contender.
In a recent Instagram post, Heath put together a series of video clips of him training at the gym, followed by a powerful message. He wanted to motivate fellow fitness enthusiasts to work a little harder to be great in their lives.
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“Be great nowadays…because most people are weak. Most people don’t want to go the extra mile. Most people don’t want to find that extra, because it sucks. It’s miserable. It’s lonely.”
But going the extra mile wasn’t just for big goals to be the best bodybuilder in the world or to be the greatest. Heath argued that no matter where life took them, people must aim to push and be a step ahead always.
“You have to find that EXTRA MILE regardless of the sacrifices and what it takes..”
Heath’s moniker of ‘The Gift’ is not too far from reality, given his genes and his grit were both gifted at birth. During his prime, he soon became one of the inspiring bodybuilders who gave it their all and some more to make it big. However, being one of the greatest came with a price, which he talked about once.
Phil Heath once recounted the price for being the greatest
Fans call him the GOAT of bodybuilding because he chose to not pause until he won his first-ever Mr. Olympia. Heath’s drive to be the best came with several sacrifices and hurdles that he powered through. The poignant moment of his life was how he had to give up on his initial dreams and look for a separate path.
College and an athletic scholarship had finally given him the window to achieving his dream of making it to the NBA. But circumstances forced him out quite quickly, leading Heath into deep pits of darkness. It wasn’t until he decided to pick himself up and make something good out of his situation that he managed to get back at the obstacles life threw at him. Eventually, bodybuilding called out to him, and he listened, ending up as one of the greatest champions.
