Tag: Phil Heath
Gunter Schlierkamp: Phil Heath’s Biggest Mistake That Ended His Olympia Reign
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Gunter Schlierkamp recounts the key advice he gave a young Phil Heath and how not following it led to his late stage downfall.
Genetically, some bodybuilders have bigger frames and some have smaller frames. Gunter Schlierkamp was a tall and wide-framed bodybuilder. It’s what allowed him to successfully carry such intense mass monster size. Phil Heath, on the other hand, is a small-framed bodybuilder. He’s shorter and simply doesn’t have the build to put on Ronnie Coleman kind of weight. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Gunter Schlierkamp reflects on advice he once gave Phil Heath about building muscle to fit your frame.
While discussing his picks for the best bodybuilders of all time, Gunter Schlierkamp mentions Phil Heath. He put’s him firmly at number six on his list behind the likes of Ronnie Coleman, Lee Haney, and Jay Cutler. But as Schlierkamp reflects on Phil Heath, he becomes excited and frustrated at the same time.
Gunter Schlierkamp recounts the very first time he ever saw Phil Heath. It was before he went pro and was training to compete and earn his pro card. Schlierkamp saw Heath from afar and was astounded. His jaw dropped. He was looking at a bodybuilder with one of the most impressive physiques he had ever seen. Schlierkamp made a point to meet Phil Heath and see him up close.
Gunter Schlierkamp urged Phil Heath to compete right away. He could win instantly and become a pro bodybuilder. Heath was playing the long game. He wanted to wait another year to really perfect his physique. Ultimately, Phil Heath did earn his pro card and the rest his history.
But Gunter Schlierkamp also remembers a piece of advice he gave Phil Heath during those early years. He told him to always remember to not “overload his frame.” By that, Schlierkamp was talking about how much muscle mass to put on to fit your genetic size. Schlierkamp believes it is all too common in the modern era of bodybuilding for athletes to chase size beyond their frame. At the end of the day, your genetic frame cannot change. It’s no use fighting against it. If you “overload” the frame, you’ll look blocky and less pleasing.
This is the exact mistake that Gunter Schlierkamp saw Phil Heath make later in his career. There’s no denying that Heath had a fantastic run and deserved all seven of his Mr. Olympia titles. That’s no easy feat. He’ll go down in history for that. But Schlierkamp believes there could have been more victories in his future.
Unfortunately, Phil Heath started adding on more size and “overloaded” his frame. He believes that is in part what caused the distended stomach issues in his later career. Schlierkamp can’t help but understand why Phil Heath eventually fell into this trap. Kai Greene rose up in the ranks with a bigger frame and much more muscle mass. He was the direct threat and rival to Heath. This kind of pressure most likely caused Heath to try and up his game and increase size.
Phil Heath is a bodybuilder who had a fantastic run and will certainly be considered a legend etched forever in bodybuilding history. But other bodybuilders who overload their frame might not have that kind of success. That’s why Gunter Schlierkamp wants to share his advice with everyone watching – consider your frame when building muscle mass. Don’t fall into the trap of mass monster obsession.
You can watch Gunter Schlierkamp’s full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Is Kai Greene Challenging Phil Heath In Recent Tweet?
Kai Greene could be interested in a return to competition against a long-time rival.
Kai Greene has been active on social media in recent weeks. If Greene is interested in a return, he could have a plan for an event or perhaps a rematch. He took to Twitter on Wednesday to send out what could be a challenge to longtime rival Phil Heath.
Greene has not been shy about showing off his build — even weighing over 300 pounds. On Monday, Greene gave a physique update on Instagram where he is looking as shredded as ever while weighing 317 pounds. If there was a reason for the recent training and string of action on Instagram, it could have been revealed.
PHIL VS KAI
— Kai Greene (@KaiGreene) June 30, 2021
This would give Greene some extra motivation when training. A competition between the likes of Greene and Heath would certainly bring some excitement. The two rivals are both inactive but this could lure them out of retirement.
Fans have long begged for Kai Greene to return to the stage – though every year is let down with his absence. Phil Heath has also been showing off his latest training and physique in recent videos – which have given fans a reason to speculate that he will be competing soon. Follow that up with Kai Greene’s recent photos and cryptic tweet – and the stars seem to be aligning for a rematch.
Of course, Kai Greene has also teased fans for fun in years past – so this could be no different. Just a fun way to get people excited. At this moment, we have no way of knowing. Could this be the year that Kai Greene returns to the stage?
A Brief Look Back at the Kai Greene Vs Phil Heath Rivalry
The rivalry between Greene and Heath was one of the most intriguing storylines over the last decade. It was first documented during the film ‘Generation Iron’ back in 2013 and continued to be the highlight of man Mr. Olympias that followed. While Greene is one of the best bodybuilders of his generation, he has always had difficulty beating out Heath.
Greene has not competed since 2016 after winning the Arnold Classic. This was his third victory at this event in his career. Greene was given a special invitation to compete in the 2017 Mr. Olympia but declined. This is a competition that Greene placed second in three times from 2012-2014. Who did Greene lose to? None other than Heath.
Heath put together a string of seven-straight Mr. Olympia victories from 2011-2017. He entered bodybuilding in 2002 and got his first big break in 2005 when he won the overall title at the National Physique Committee. This allowed him to compete as an IFBB professional and he went onto win the first two events of in the following year.
In 2007, Heath qualified for the Mr. Olympia after finishing fifth at the Arnold Classic. He declined the invitation but there were big things ahead for Heath. Over the next three Mr. Olympia competitions, Heath finished third in 2008, fifth in 2009, and second in 2010 before rattling off seven wins in a row. Heath would see his streak end in 2018 when he finished second to Shaun Roden.
Heath is one of the best of all-time. During his prime, Heath was difficult to knock off the pedestal. Finishing second at Mr. Olympia three times has to be something that weighs on the mind of Greene. It is unknown if anything is in the works but Greene might have just showed his hand in regards to a competition. Heath has not responded but this is a storyline to keep a close eye on moving forward.
Is this a competition that you would want to see? For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
George Farah’s Honest Opinion On Phil Heath’s Olympia 2020 Comeback
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George Farah: “They put Phil Heath exactly where he belonged.”
Not too long ago, Phil Heath was the dominant champion with seven Mr. Olympia titles under his belt. He seemed unstoppable and many believed he would match, if not surpass, the 8x Olympia record set by both Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney. In the end, this didn’t happen. Heath was dethroned in 2018 by Shaun Rhoden. He then took a year off. Many thought he may never return.
But with a sudden burst of excitement, Phil Heath announced he would make his comeback just one year later in 2020. He seemed more confident than ever and was laser focused on matching Ronnie Coleman’s and Lee Haney’s eight title wins. The drama was set. It seemed to be the ultimate comeback story. Except it wasn’t. Instead, Phil Heath seemed plagued by the same problems he held in 2018. He ultimately placed third at the Olympia 2020. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, we turn to legendary trainer George Farah for his honest opinion on Phil Heath’s comeback physique.
George Farah has been behind some of the most legendary pro bodybuilders in history. His name is known for a reason. He is noted as one of the most legendary bodybuilding coaches in the history of the sport. A bodybuilding coach that had the magic touch. That’s why we asked him for his honest analysis of Phil Heath’s physique during the 2020 Mr. Olympia. Was he better than his 2018 performance and simply outmatched by young blood? Or was he missing the mark in terms of expectations?
George Farah felt a little disappointed by the physique we ultimately saw on Phil Heath. this was largely due to the perceived rejuvenated energy of Phil Heath leading into the show. He seemed rested after a year off and ready to bring a physique more matched to his prime years. Perhaps it was just the narrative that drummed up excitement – but Farah truly believed we would see Phil Heath back in pitch perfect form.
George Farah didn’t see that on stage. Instead, he believes that Phil Heath still had the same problems he suffered from in 2018. Not only that, but his stomach, in Farah’s opinion, looked worse than ever before.
“It’s a little disappointing. Honestly, I can say I’m a little disappointed because… the way he talked I was like, ‘Oh my god this is going to be his show.’ He really made us all believe he is right on the money. And Phil never said anything like that and he didn’t deliver, you know? But then as soon as he came out I was like, ‘Oh my god his stomach is worse.’ He didn’t even not fix it. It looked worse.”
Farah made a point to mention that Heath is still one of the greatest of modern bodybuilding. In fact, his physique was still impressive compared to most on stage. That’s why ultimately, George Farah 100% agrees with the final score given to Heath.
“And I love Phil as a person. I’m just saying as a bodybuilder, they placed him exactly where he belonged. That’s why I feel… because he deserves some respect. Because he still ahs one of the best double biceps, glutes were in, striated hamstring, everything. But that stomach man. It just took a lot off his brilliance.”
It’s commonly known at this point that Phil Heath was dealing with a few surgeries over the years that was affecting his ability to bring in his stomach. Some fans even noticed a difference in the symmetry of his abs due to the surgery. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Phil’s prime was behind him. That is, unless he can bring out something shocking the next time he competes – if he decided to return again.
You can watch George Farah’s full comments on Phil Heath’s Olympia 2020 physique in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
After Posting Cryptic Tweet, Is Phil Heath Prepping For a Show?
Phil Heath hints at making a return to action.
The internet is just chock full of surprises. One day you think a respected bodybuilding champion is retired, the next he Tweets something that turns your expectations upside down. Phil Heath dropped a Tweet that now has many speculating on a return to action for the seven-time Olympia champ.
After taking third place at the 2020 Olympia, Phil Heath has been pretty quiet. There has been little in the way of training footage of the seven-time Olympia champ. After all, Heath was never one to put too much of his training online. But it would seem that with the Tweet he made and some subsequent training footage being featured on his Instagram, something is clearly in the works.
Making a Return?
The speculation was sparked after a recent Tweet Phil Heath made last week. In the Tweet, Heath hints at making a return of some kind in eight weeks time.
Had to take it there for this chest workout!!!! Let’s go!!! #8wksOut pic.twitter.com/byP3cLto7H
— PHIL HEATH (@PHILHEATH) June 2, 2021
While this could mean just about anything from a guest posing to an appearance, some have speculated that the former Olympia champ is aiming to compete at the Tampa Pro. The show does indeed line up with the timeline that Heath mentions.
Phil Heath has also been hard at work in the gym. If a competition or a guest posing is in his future it would make sense that Heath would be building his body. Here we can see Phil Heath hitting arms with gusto.
22’s or better! ?????
Good Morning! I’m here at @armbrustprogym finishing up my 1am training?? thought why not come on here and shout out to my brother @armbrustdylan for always bringing in new equipment. If these walls could talk, as there has been MANY crazy training sessions here lol I’m always thankful to call @armbrustprogym my second home. Wishing you all a great day!
While nothing has been confirmed, Phil Heath is certainly getting pumped up about something. We’ll have to wait and see what that something is.
What do you think of Phil Heath potentially making a return to the stage?
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.
Victor Martinez Answers: Why Do People Criticize Phil Heath So Much?
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Victor Martinez reflects on the love/hate relationship many fans had with Phil Heath during his Olympia reign.
Phil Heath is one of the most winningest Olympia champions in the history of the sport. With seven Sandow trophies he ties Arnold Schwarzenegger and falls one victory behind Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney. Yet despite this, Phil Heath often received a lot of public criticism. Towards the end of his Olympia streak, that criticism was aimed at his physique – particularly his stomach. But bodybuilding fans also seemed to love to hate on Phil overall as a champion. Many wanted to see him defeated. But why? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Victor Martinez explains why so many fans criticize Phil Heath.
We are still too close to Phil Heath’s reign as Mr. Olympia to know for sure how he will be seen in history. Certainly, he must be placed in the pantheon of greatest Olympia champions of all time at the very least. But what we do know is throughout his career, he faced a large amount of criticism from fans. He in many was was painted as a villain. The longer he continued to win Olympia, the stronger fans wanted to see him taken down.
But why is this? Was Ronnie Coleman seen as a villain during his eight year run as Mr. Olympia? Was Lee Haney? The reaction seems different. Perhaps that is partly because of social media elevating different kind of voices. Perhaps it’s because of Phil Heath’s being seen as a villain compared to Kai Greene in the original Generation Iron.
During our conversation with Victor Martinez, we had these thoughts on our mind, so we decided to ask him why he thought Phil Heath faced so much criticism. Martinez was a fellow competitor in the same era as Phil. He was also in Generation Iron alongside Phil. So perhaps he has a more direct insight into the public reaction to Phil.
Victor Martinez boils it down to one thing – Phil Heath’s major confidence. That confidence borderlines on cocky – which is an easy thing to villainize. Floyd Mayweather also received a lot of criticism despite being one of the greatest boxers of all time. This is likely due to his confident and cocky attitude.
Victor Martinez finds this unfortunate, as he believes that strong confidence is an important factor in a top tier athlete. Whether they telegraph it publicly or not – all great athletes believe deep down that they are the best in the world. Without the belief, they would hold themselves back. This would cause them to never become great. So that near delusional feeling of greatness needs to exist. It eventually makes it a self fulfilling prophecy – at least for a select few.
On top of this, Victor Martinez thinks that a cocky and confident personality helps make bodybuilding more exciting. He points towards the Olympia press conferences. They would be extremely boring, and sometimes are, if there was no drama. The Phil Heath vs Kai Greene rivalry made for some of the most entertaining press conferences in bodybuilding history. It’s good for the sport.
Ultimately, this kind of confidence and drama leads to fans being swept up in the excitement. The fans pick sides and, for some, they start to engage in the drama as well. Social media allows that to happen much more immediately and publicly. The fans who criticize Phil Heath – whether it’s due to his personality or the flaws in his physique – are swept up in the drama. They get emotional. They’re passionate about the sport and take it personal.
Does this make Phil Heath deserving of so much criticism perhaps even border lining on online abuse? Yes and no. Victor Martinez admits that this is all part of being a public figure. Sometimes it can go too far. Martinez believes that it’s not something that can be stopped. Instead, he hopes that someone like Phil understands how to personally deal with it and not become personally affected by the insults. Rather than fight back and try to get fans to shut up – it’s more important for someone like Phil to not be affected by the hate.
You can watch Victor Martinez go into more detail about the criticism of Phil Heath in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
Dennis James Full Interview | Bodybuilding Conditioning Issues, Big Ramy, Phil Heath & More
Watch the full uncut GI Exclusive interview with Dennis James.
Dennis James isn’t a man who shies away from sharing his opinions on bodybuilding. In some ways, he’s like an unofficial analyst for the sport. He often gives us his immediate opinions on athlete physiques right after big shows. He also shares predictions on placings and his overall take on the goings on in bodybuilding.
That’s why we sat down for a long form interview to discuss in-depth all things bodybuilding. This interview was conducted before the Mr. Olympia 2020 and Big Ramy’s win. So it’s interested to see his predictions in comparison to what actually occurred.
Over the past few months we’ve released multiple GI Exclusive segments from our interview with Dennis James. Now we’re releasing the full length interview including topics such as the conditioning problem in bodybuilding today, Phil Heath’s legacy, Big Ramy’s future, and more!
Listen To Our Dennis James Interview On The Generation Iron Podcast
Our full length interviews are now also in podcast form! Subscribe to the Generation Iron Podcast for candid, full length interviews with the biggest names in bodybuilding, fitness, combat, and strength sports.
Listen to the full Dennis James interview here:
Dennis On How To Fix Pro Bodybuilding’s Conditioning Problem
Dennis James agrees that physiques have declined over the years. He also thinks there’s a clear cut solution to fix it. The judges need to start changing the way they award bodybuilders. James admits that the judges aren’t entirely at fault. They can only score the kind of physiques that are presented in front of them. But even if they aren’t originally at fault, they can help push for change more easily than simply waiting for the right athlete to turn the tide.
Dennis James believes that if the judges put together an official statement claiming that they would be rewarding conditioning over size – it would kick start athletes to change the way they prepare. Then the judges actually have to follow through and award someone like, let’s say, Dexter Jackson over a bigger sized mass monster. The combination of an official statement and a change in the nuances of judging competitions could lead to major shifts in the kinds of physiques we see on stage.
Dennis James also touches on a few more topics when it comes to the evolution of medicine science and how it effects bodybuilding. He debates with Vlad Yudin about the recent string of young deaths in the sport. James claims that while these deaths are tragic, it’s not due to some underlying drug abuse problem in bodybuilding. People sadly die young all across the world, statistically young bodybuilders would be affected by this for any wide number of reasons. Not just because of steroids or other PEDs.
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Check out our full GI Exclusive interview with Dennis James above!
Dennis Answers: Does Phil Heath Deserve To Be Considered Greatest Of All Time?
Phil Heath is a 7x Mr. Olympia champion. That puts him in the top pantheon of bodybuilders. It ties him with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It places him one behind on Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney (who hold the world record for most Olympia wins). It even puts him above the six Olympia wins of Dorian Yates – a true mass monster legend in the sport. But when discussing the best athletes of all time in bodybuilding, you might find it hard for Phil Heath to be first on the list. Why is this?
Perhaps it’s simply because his victories are too recent. It’s easier to mythologize legends of the past and make them seem larger than life. Or perhaps it’s because Phil Heath was often criticized for his personality and demeanor as a champion. But those things shouldn’t really matter. What matters is his physique and his record.
That’s why when we talked with bodybuilder and guru Dennis James, we were happy to see him quickly place Phil Heath in his list of top five bodybuilders of all time. For James, it’s no question. Not only because of his Olympia wins, but also because of the look of his physique. To James, it’s undeniable that Heath holds a physique hardly any other competitor could match.
And yet, perhaps more than any other athlete, Phil Heath’s Olympia wins are often contested by fans. People often vocalized the many times that they believed Kai Greene should have won. And in Phil Heath’s later years, his stomach was criticized so much that people thought he should have lost way sooner than his seven Olympia wins allowed.
Wrap Up
As we mentioned at the top, Dennis James is always blunt, honest, and in-depth with his opinions on all things bodybuilding. So there are far many more topics than discussed in this article. That’s why you should watch the full GI Exclusive interview above!
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