Biography: Phil Heath

• Name: Phil Heath
• Date of Birth: December 18, 1979
• Age: 42 years old 
• Height: 5 ft 9 inches (180 cm)
• Weight: 240 lb - 270 lb (109 kg - 20 kg)
• Body fat percentage: 3%
• Chest: 54 inches
• Waist: 36 inches
• Championship: 7x Mr. Olympia winner

Biography of Phil Heath

There is no secret to greatness. What separates the good from the great is the very rare trait of not being satisfied with “Good”.

Phil Heath is regarded as one of the world's most muscular men. As one of today's elite-level professional bodybuilders, he travels the world earning a living from his ‘muscles.' Phil's quest to become Mr. Olympia, the ultimate bodybuilding title, includes everything from hard work in the gym to the pressures of competing to maintaining a positive relationship with his family. We get a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world's most fascinating and bizarre sports in Gifted. Will Phil be able to realize his dream of becoming the greatest bodybuilder in the world? The documentary includes behind-the-scenes footage from the Olympia, heart-pounding training, and interviews with Phil's family, friends, and the bodybuilding community. Gifted is a documentary that takes viewers on a journey through one man's attempt to fulfill his destiny, as well as those who know little to nothing about bodybuilding.

Early Life of Phil Heath

Phil Heath is regarded as one of the most talented and accomplished bodybuilders of all time. In his career, "The Gift," as he is also known, has won seven Mr. Olympia titles. However, things were not always easy for this incredible athlete, who had a difficult childhood. This experience gave Heath an undeniable drive for success, which he applied to his career.

Phil Heath was born in Seattle, Washington on December 18, 1979. Heath was frequently left alone because his parents were constantly working to provide for their family. As a result, he was forced to learn how to care for himself at a young age. He quickly learned how to cook his own food while continuing his basketball training. This hard work is what set him up for a successful life.

His interest in basketball was what first drew him to weightlifting. Heath would train at his school gym to improve his jump height and grew to enjoy training with the other students. This enjoyment would grow as Heath eventually gave up on basketball, no longer feeling satisfied by it. He would then return to the weight room to find his joy.

Phil Heath was working multiple jobs while focusing more on weight training. He would spend his limited free time reading through crates of magazines to learn everything he could about bodybuilding. Heath would learn about effective nutrition and training techniques from this. He used this knowledge to gain a tone of mass in a short period of time, which inspired him to pursue bodybuilding.

Early Bodybuilding Career of Phil Heath

At the age of 24, Phil Heath competed in his first bodybuilding competition in 2003. He went on to win the Rocky Mountain Northern Physique Committee championship at 192 pounds, earning him the moniker "The Gift." Heath's confidence skyrocketed as he prepared to try to repeat his success at the same event a second time. However, he would fail in this Endeavour, finishing second instead.

Heath was looking for more victories at this point, hoping to wash the taste of second place from his mouth. He planned to compete in the NPC Colorado State Show after putting in more effort in the gym. He would earn the title of Mr. Colorado and, as a result, sponsorships. This victory prompted him to focus his efforts on obtaining his pro card.

Phil Heath's Professional Bodybuilding Career

Heath weighed around 215 pounds when he decided to compete for his IFBB Pro-Card in 2005. He competed in the NPC USA Championships, where he was successful. Phil began competing at the pro level at this point, beginning with the Colorado Pro, where he again won first place.

As a result, Heath gained the confidence to compete in the Arnold Classic. While he did not win, he finished in a very respectable fifth place. This showed the bodybuilding community that there was new blood in town, and they needed to remember Phil Heath's name.

Heath recovered from this performance by winning the IFBB Iron Man competition. After this victory, he planned to compete in the Arnold Classic again. Heath would finish second in this attempt, resulting in a burst of motivation, unlike anything he had shown before.

Phil Heath 7x Mr. Olympia

Phil Heath would compete in the Mr. Olympia competition in 2008, following his appearance at the Arnold Classic. He would not be a huge success at first, but he would do exceptionally well. His first performance would land him a surprising third place. Heath would fall to fifth place the following year.

However, Phil would return to the Arnold Classic in 2010, finishing second once more. Nonetheless, it was back to Mr. Olympia, where he finished second. Phil Heath's reign over the Olympia competition would begin at this point.

Phil Heath won his first Mr. Olympia title in 2011 at the age of 32. This would be the first defense of his Mr. Olympia title in seven years. Heath won the Sheru Classic in 2011 and 2012 while holding the title from 2011 to 2017. In addition, in 2013, he won the Arnold Classic Europe.

Unfortunately, this incredible run came to an end in 2018, when Phil Heath lost his Mr. Olympia title in a shocking upset. He finished second in the competition, losing to Shawn Rhoden. At the time of writing, this was Heath's last major bodybuilding appearance. He does, however, maintain an extremely active lifestyle and will be able to compete in any future Olympiads. So there is still hope that he will return.

Phil Heath Other Businesses

Phil Heath is the founder of Gifted Athletics, a fitness apparel company named after his nickname, "The Gift." He forms a partnership with Joey Firestone and establishes Gifted Nutrition in July 2014. He is the first professional bodybuilder to run his own sports nutrition business while competing. He also excelled in the world of professional wrestling.

Phil Heath Marriage Life

Phil Heath married his girlfriend Jennie Laxson Heath on June 23, 2007, after a long affair with her. The couple had some wonderful times together. Their relationship, however, did not last long. They divorced in 2015. He has no children from his previous relationship.

He is currently dating a lovely woman named Shurie. Shurie, a native of Mile High City, Arizona, is a professional model. They're said to be married.

Phil Heath currently resides in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Injuries

Phil Heath had two painful hernia surgeries

Phil Heath underwent surgery to repair two hernias that he had in his abdomen. There was one above his belly button that was two inches wide where his upper intestines are, and one in his lower intestines that was an umbilical hernia that had torn so badly that it left a three-inch hole with approximately four inches of his intestines hanging out.

Yikes, that must've been extremely painful. The doctors repaired both hernias, and the lower intestinal hernia was apparently life-threatening. What's interesting is Phil had both hernia before he won the Olympia. So that means that he trained hard, and had to stuff down all of the food that's necessary to maintain his body mass all while he had a hernia.

What a lot of people don't realize is that top bodybuilders often train and compete with bad injuries, hernias, and illnesses and still win. Not only do they have to train hard and eat with laser focus, but they can have setbacks and obstacles that can make it even harder to move forward.

That said, it gives you even more proof that this guy will do whatever it takes to be number one. In some cases, that makes sense, but doing whatever it takes in bodybuilding can be deadly. Phil Heath has some serious personal issues that will cost him a lot of money in the future.

Phil Heath also suffers from a mental illness

Phil Heath can't possibly be a normal person, and he isn't. The amount of insecurity required to be Mr. Olympia is insane. Mr. Olympia's competitive drive goes far beyond the healthy competition. Phil Heath is risking his life with his lifestyle, all for the stupid rush of having the biggest muscles on the planet. Most people don't realize how insane you have to be and how many problems you have to have to be a bodybuilder.

The Steroid Cycle of Phil Heath

Some critics believe that Phil Heath did not achieve his current massive and symmetrical physique simply through diet, cardio exercise, and weight training.

Phil Heath may be using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) because his body has continued to grow enormously after years of having a well-defined physique.

According to research, beginner lifters experience rapid muscle mass gains during the first six to twelve months of lifting.

Then, after about a year, those rapid gains will begin to slow.

Furthermore, according to some experts, previously ripped weightlifters are lucky to add 0.25 to 0.5 percent of fat-free muscle to their total body weight each month, making claims of ten pounds of muscle gain per month unrealistic.

Signs That Made People Think Phil Was Using Steroids

Many believe Phil Heath uses bulking steroids for muscle growth because his physique has shown signs of PED use, such as rapid bulking, large upper body muscles, and hair loss.

1.      Vascular Extremism

Phil does not have prominent veins in his upper body, but this does not rule out the possibility that he is not using performance-enhancing drugs.

Extreme vascularity is common in PED-using bodybuilders, but it is also a genetic disorder that some people may or may not inherit.

Bodybuilders like Phil Heath can gain massive muscle mass and even use PEDs without developing highly visible vascularity.

2.      Thick Breast Tissue

Phil's recent social media posts showed off a massive, round, and lean body reminiscent of Jay Cutler and Dexter Jackson.

A study found that long-term use of anabolic steroids, such as exogenous testosterone derivatives, may cause muscle hypertrophy and breast soft tissue enlargement, also known as gynecomastia, in men. Despite having large upper body muscles, Phil showed no signs of gynecomastia.

3.      Quick Bulking Process

Phil Heath started competing in amateur bodybuilding competitions in 2002 and has since undergone extensive bodybuilding training.

According to my research, it only took him three years to obtain an IFBB pro card and turn pro in 2005. Furthermore, under the tutelage of former Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, Phil developed massive muscles.

I also discovered that, between 2002 and 2005, he gained 30 pounds while maintaining a body fat percentage of only 6%. During the Mr. Olympia competition, he increased his mass by 50 pounds over his previous weight, implying possible PED use.

4.      Skin Disorders

According to research, the use of anabolic steroids can result in severe acne, also known as "steroid acne."

The condition is caused by an increase in corticosteroid levels in the blood and usually manifests itself in the chest, though it can also manifest itself in the neck, face, back, and arms.

During my investigation, I thoroughly examined Phil Heath's old photos and videos and found no evidence of acne scarring.

5.      Loss of Hair

I discovered that Phil Heath had hair until the age of 23 while researching his transformation. Photographs of Phil, however, show that he is already bald at the age of 24.

Interestingly, it was during those years that his muscle mass began to grow, develop, and become well-defined. This could indicate that he used steroids to bulk up, which could have caused hair loss.

Conclusion

Turn Your Pain into Power| Phil Heath

Phil Heath is a well-known name in the construction industry. Through his dedication and devotion to his work, he taught many inspiring things to young people.

Phil Heath exemplifies why you should never give up. He had a few setbacks in his life and career, but he persevered to become one of the greatest Olympia competitors of all time. This success story is built from the ground up and demonstrates what the right amount of dedication can help anyone achieve.