“Sign Up to Get S**t On”: Phil Heath Confesses a Dark Truth About Bodybuilding as a Sport

Phil Heath has been a household name ever since he won seven Mr. Olympia titles in a row. Heath has been open about his journey in various interviews and podcasts since retirement. Recently, he admitted a dark side of bodybuilding on Bradley Martyn’s Raw podcast.

He discussed various criteria bodybuilding judges used to declare their decisions. Back when he was competing, he realized they did not utilize social media to their advantage. These days, the medium provides a channel for fans to voice their opinions, and they’re often not too kind.

Bodybuilding is a sport of aesthetics. Athletes are expected to present their best, visually pleasing physical form for the judges and audience to choose and eliminate. Hence, it can often skew the athlete’s perception of themselves and their body image. Heath voiced his bold opinion on how this characteristic made bodybuilding a negative sport.

“I was talking to somebody about this over the Arnold Classic weekend. It’s like bodybuilding is like seriously one of the most negative sports of all time.”

Social media and many other online forums pave the way for thousands to judge every muscle on an athlete’s body. And if that wasn’t nerve-wracking enough, fans are often unabashed about their views. They commonly resort to nitpicking and criticizing the athlete.

The catch, however, is that the athlete is aware of and willing to go through the ordeal. Heath sadly admits that the fallacy of the sport is how athletes sign up for it, knowing that they will receive unkind comments and critiques from all over the world.

“It’s the only sport where you’ll literally sign up to get s**t on.”

Despite this, the beauty of the sport is that many bodybuilders are known for their stories. People get inspired by their journeys and hardships, and bodybuilders hold the power and determination to transform their physique into something unbelievable. Hence, Heath recently put his story together in the form of a documentary to showcase his struggles.

Phil Heath receives congratulatory messages from the bodybuilding world for his silver-screen appearance

Heath’s journey through seven Mr. Olympia titles and the trial for the eighth one has been dramatic, and he recently announced his documentary about this story. While the main release will happen on March 25th, he organized a recent premiere for bodybuilding celebrities.

Apart from a star-studded turnout, Heath received many congratulatory messages on Instagram from proud friends and family members. From Joseph Baena to Jay Cutler, many fitness icons attended the premiere to support the veteran and celebrate his achievement. His wife, Shurie Cremona, wrapped up the celebration with a heartfelt note for him on social media.