The Gift of Muscles

The epitome of the bodybuilding world and the goal of everyone in the sport, is to be crowned Mr. Olympia. Huge names such as Ronnie Coleman and Arnold Schwarzenegger have paved the way for athletes to become superstars from this competition. And one man who has really made a name and brand for himself as a result of Mr. Olympia is none other than the current Mr. Olympia, “The Gift” Phil Heath. Heath has actually won the Mr. Olympia the last five years (2011-2015) and has his sights set on the record of 8, and many people think he can do it. I will not only go over his bodybuilding career in this article, but also take a look at his past and how he has leverage his bodybuilding success into business and financial success as well.

Heath didn’t always want to be a bodybuilder. In fact, he was a talented basketball player and actually got a full scholarship to attend the University of Denver and play as the teams shooting guard. But, Heath also knew the value of a good education and thus didn’t squander away his college years by only playing ball, he also had a double major and graduated.

(source: twitter.com)

But in 2002, he decided to enter into bodybuilding and quickly began to make a name for himself. He won and placed at a bunch of smaller events before ultimately getting to the big show. In 2008 (in his first Mr. Olympia) he finished third place, which is the highest a novice has placed in over a decade. He was a favorite to win the next year, but a stomach virus caused his weight to be off.

In 2011, Heath improved and was finally named Mr. Olympia, after nearly a decade of hard work and dedication. He has since went on to defend his crown four straight years after and shows no signs of slowing down. In addition to bodybuilding, he is also a successful businessman and leveraged his success in the industry into a clothing line (Gifted Athletics) and a supplement company (Gifted Nutrition), making him the first Mr. Olympia (and first pro bodybuilder period) to head up his own supplement company while still actively competing.