“Didn’t Worship the Craft” Despite Winning 8 Mr. Olympias, 63-Year-Old Bodybuilding Legend Prioritized Family Over the Sport

Eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney has his name etched among the greatest bodybuilders in bodybuilding history. He began his career by winning Teen Mr. America World and Teen Mr. America Tall. Moreover, Haney was also the Nationals Heavyweight & Overall champion and a two-time runner-up at the Grand Prix championships in England and Sweden. However, despite impeccable success in his bodybuilding career, Haney’s priority was his family over the sport.

Ideally, bodybuilders dedicate their entire life to the bodybuilding sport. But Haney had a different thought process. On 29 March, the 63-year-old appeared in an interview with the founder and CEO of Labrada Nutrition, Lee Labrada. In that interview, Haney revealed how he perceived bodybuilding in his life.

Lee Haney talks about dealing with the pressure of being the best

Lee Haney is the only bodybuilder besides Ronnie Coleman to have won the Mr. Olympia eight times. From 1984 to 1991, the veteran bodybuilder was irreplaceable. Remaining titular for such a long period pressurized Haney. However, in those times, he resorted to the priorities that helped him maintain his calm.

During the interview, Haney revealed that in his peak years, he would constantly ponder about becoming better than his previous performances. Oftentimes, his thoughts would get to him, making him restless. However, Haney revealed that during those times, his wife Shirley helped him protect his peace. He further explained his outlook towards bodybuilding, “ I looked at bodybuilding in such a way that is my job. I didn’t worship the craft, you know, although I wanted to be the best at the craft. I didn’t worship it. It wasn’t the end of the world as the way I looked at it.”

The bodybuilding veteran chose family over bodybuilding. Haney stated that during his competition years, he was both a husband and a father to two children. Prioritizing his family kept him sane. He added, ” it helped me maintain my sanity, got my mind off of how many sets and how many reps, time and time again.”

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Although his family was his top priority, Haney had certain bodybuilding goals which he successfully ticked off his list. Throughout his bodybuilding era, Hany maintained the most impeccable physique. In an interview, he revealed his goal while building his physique for competitions.

Lee Haney was inspired by a few bodybuilders

During an interview with Generation Iron in 2020, Lee Haney talked about the type of physique he wanted to build for the competitions. The legendary bodybuilder stated he did whatever he could to shape a title-worthy physique. He was inspired to create a combination of physiques, similar to Robby Robinson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Roy Callender.

Haney did a commendable job with his physique weighing 265 lbs. He had a great upper body with huge pecks, a well-developed back, and massive shoulders.

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While most bodybuilders forget they have a life outside the gym, Haney reminds many to balance life and work and set priorities accordingly.