Despite Ex-Basketball Player Turned Bodybuilding Veteran’s Beastly Physique, Fitness World Rages at Doctored Image

Seven-time Mr. Olympia Phil Heath has become a modern bodybuilding icon. No champion has been as dominant as Heath since Ronnie Coleman’s streak snapped in 2006. Athletically and genetically gifted, Heath’s physique stood out even when he played basketball in college. However, once height became a hindrance to his NBA dream, Heath focused on his genetic gift. Over the years, The Gift developed a beastly yet exceptionally balanced physique. However, an Instagram page still decided to photoshop the former champion’s image.

The Instagram bodybuilding page Gymmonsters posted a photoshopped image of the seven-time Mr. Olympia. However, the decision puzzled and enraged fans of the sport. While the page might have tweaked the photo to grab more eyeballs, their strategy seemed to have backfired.

Tampering with a bodybuilding icon’s physique?

Gymmonsters posted an image of Phil Heath hitting the upright variation of the most muscular pose. “GOAT,” read the caption of the post. However, several things looked off with the image. Firstly, the photograph seemed to have been superimposed over a different background. The image also seemed to have been enhanced to make the muscle definition more visible.

While such edits might improve the clarity of the picture, fans didn’t appreciate what they thought was tampering. Eagle-eyed fans spotted how several body parts of the seven-time Mr. Olympia had been boosted. While Phil Heath always had exceptional arms with balanced biceps, triceps, and forearms, the image might have enlarged the arms even further.

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Similarly, the calves, traps, and deltoids looked enhanced as well. One of the giveaways might have been Phil Heath’s chest. While the man who equaled Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s record didn’t have the widest chest, enhancing the arms made it look unnaturally small. Enraged fans only had one question on the bodybuilding page.

Fans of the sport couldn’t understand the motivation behind the edit

One fan couldn’t understand why they enhanced the near-perfect physique of the former Mr. Olympia. “Why Photoshop? One of the best physique of all time!” wrote the fan with a face-palm emoji. Another fan echoed a similar sentiment. “Why they use Photoshop with that great physique?” the Instagram user wrote.

Another eagle-eyed fan spotted the changes and left a two worded comment. “Bad Photoshop,” commented the fan nonchalantly. However, a few people didn’t notice the changes. “The last great Mr. O,” commented one fan. Another likened his physique to the 90 bodybuilding greats. “This man had the physique of the 90s…” the fan wrote.

What did you think about the images? Did you spot the changes? Write your thoughts in the comments.

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