Legendary bodybuilder, Phil Heath has been the buzz of the bodybuilding world since his latest documentary, ‘Breaking Olympia’ released. It quickly became popular among fitness enthusiasts and those who aspire to be like Heath. Recently, Piers Morgan posted an interview with the bodybuilder on his YouTube channel. The British broadcaster recognized Heath’s accomplishments, and they discussed various factors of his life.
Diving deeper into the conversation, Morgan inquires about Heath’s sacrifices during his Olympia period. Bodybuilding has always been about body aesthetics. Heath had dethroned four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler to win his first title, thanks to his outstanding physique in his prime. However, ‘the champion factor’ of Heath did not end there; he won six more times in a row, annihilating his opponents.
Morgan is aware of Heath’s peak figure and admires the bodybuilder. But, the Brit was also curious about the American bodybuilder’s sacrifices, since every athlete, including him, goes through them at some point in their career. Heath remembers several occasions that he avoided to keep his body in check, as he mentions:
“I sacrificed a little bit over 10 summers.”
Giving up all of the junk food and enjoyable activities is quite difficult for the average person. However, a determined Phil Heath had to make significant sacrifices throughout ten summers. Mr. Olympia takes place around September every year. During this period, the bodybuilder didn’t have much time to prepare, forcing him to make the right choices.
During the interview, he recalls having to attend the wedding of a high school friend. The bodybuilder’s companion was none other than former NBA athlete Jamal Crawford. Heath received his wedding invitation, but the wedding was just four weeks away from Olympia. Heath didn’t want to disrupt his Olympia routine, and at the same time, he couldn’t decline Crawford’s invitation, being one of his closest friends. Falling victim to this tricky situation, he recalls:
“I was literally going back to the car park, eating a meal, going back, because I can’t eat the meals that they provided.”
Heath adds that he did his best to become social throughout his golden years. He doesn’t regret his sacrifices, because they all led to his success and made him the bodybuilding legend he is today. In the same interview, Morgan asked Heath about his mental state throughout his reign.
The champion mentality of bodybuilding icon Phil Heath
The host of the show, who was already impressed with the bodybuilder’s abilities, mentioned that several notable sportsmen were battling against Heath, and he was the one who defeated them all. Piers Morgan asked Heath: “What made you the best?” To this, Phil Heath gave a direct explanation. The bodybuilder’s desire to be perfect, and his willingness to push himself to the maximum, earned him several titles.
Heath never compared himself to his peers, preferring to focus on himself. Furthermore, to have a better statistical perspective of his physique, he also describes how he used to print out his photographs. He marked up parts of his body that he could get better with. He used these printed pictures, as a guide to his workouts at the gym.
Lastly, Phil Heath urges his fans to follow in his footsteps to become an amazing bodybuilder and a better person, since self-evaluation has helped him become the person he is today.
