The 7x Mr. Olympia Phil Heath worked his way toward success in the bodybuilding arena with dedication. His efforts rewarded him with seven Sandow trophies, and he tied with the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger in glory. However, his journey wasn’t smooth. The Gift once detailed how his hernia surgery turned into a disaster.

Another bodybuilding icon, Victor Martinez, agrees to Heath’s suffering from hernia and Palumbonism after witnessing him on stage. He opened about his thoughts on a fitness podcast.

Victor Martinez talks about Phil Heath’s Palumboism

The past decade has been dominated by Heath’s presence on the bodybuilding scene, with him working out strenuously at the gym to make it big in the sport. Despite winning his Pro card in 2007, the icon had to wait till 2011 to lift his first Sandow trophy. Ever since he won six more Mr. Olympia titles before retiring from the professional space.

The 2007 Arnold Classic champion, Victor Martinez, churned out a video for the YouTube channel, Generation Iron Fitness& Bodybuilding Network. While discussing Palumboism and the ways to prevent it, Martinez touched upon various bodybuilders who show the condition. The question, “Well, Phil Heath got a lot of flak for that,” was raised during the podcast.

Victor Martinez agreed that he indeed had Palumboism and said, “It did happen.” However, he also brought hernia into the picture for Heath’s Palumboism or roid gut. “But remember, he had the hernia. The hernia will extend your stomach slightly, and it’s hard to control,” he explained. The 7x Mr. Olympia once spoke about his traumatic experience getting a hernia surgery.

The Gift’s tragedy in 2017

Bodybuilders are not new to injuries, however, the 7x Mr. Olympia simple health issue turned into a big mess once. Phil Heath survived a near-death experience while getting a hernia surgery. The 38-year-old didn’t know that he would be threatened for life when he agreed to surgery. “I thought I just had a hernia until I went in for surgery…,” he once confessed.

But the incident turned into a nightmarish event when Heath experienced an Intestinal strangulation. Explaining the scenario, Heath said, “It cuts off the blood supply and later on can lead to emergency surgery leading into possible death.” However, the life-threatening event didn’t stop him from competing in the 2017 Mr. Olympia and winning it like a Pro.

Read More: “Too Much Pain for Only One Person”: Lou Ferrigno, Phil Heath Join Disheartened Bodybuilding World in Supporting Flex Wheeler After Latest Surgery News 

Many bodybuilders experience a roid gut or Palumboism, as per Martinez. However, in the case of Heath, he suggested hernia could be a possible reason as well. What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments below!

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