“Embarrassed to Wear Short-Sleeved Shirts”: Bodybuilding Legend, 63, Recalled Struggling With Body Issues Long Before He Became 8x Mr. Olympia

Lee Haney holds the world record for the most Mr. Olympia titles. But before becoming a bodybuilding sensation, Haney had to fight his personal battles in his childhood. The 63-year-old former bodybuilder revealed that, as a young boy, he had body image issues that significantly influenced his choice of everyday clothes. When interviewed recently, Haney spoke about his transformation story, from a pencil-neck physique to a mass monster, that earned him a place in the most elite group of bodybuilding in the world.

The former Mr. Olympia champ recently spoke to veteran bodybuilder Lee Labrada about his introduction to bodybuilding, his early insecurities about his body, and how he slowly but steadily conquered his fears to be the best in the world.

Lee Haney’s early struggles to make it big in bodybuilding

“You were seeing changes in your body even at that young age, weren’t you?” asked Lee Labrada to Lee Haney. Haney replied, “Yes, even at a young age you know, my arms were so skinny, I was embarrassed to wear short-sleeved shirts.” Haney was virtually present for an interview with Labrada for his YouTube channel ‘The Lee Labrada Show’.

Haney’s first inkling of being a bodybuilder came when he was 9 or 10 years old. Ancient Greek and Israelite figures like Hercules and Samson, respectively, were his earliest inspirations. This led to a young Lee Haney picking up bodybuilding magazines from the grocery store and dreaming about being a bodybuilder. Pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robby Robinson particularly impacted him the most.

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Haney would eventually get his set of weights to train at age 11 as his Christmas gift. And from thereon, there was no looking back; Except that he had to get rid of his inhibitions of thin arms. And Haney did just that.

Lee Haney did everything he could to become Mr. Olympia one day

Smiling ear-to-ear, Haney added, “I started doing my curls and pushups and, you know, all those kinds of things. I saw the body start to change, and about the age of 16 years old, I was ready to jump into my first bodybuilding competition.”

“I didn’t place but I had a great time. I was told by a lot of judges that (I) had great potential,” he added.

But that’s not all he did. Haney also read the Charles Atlas course during his early days of bodybuilding. He soon started gathering more information on the subject by reading magazines on nutrition and carving little plans for himself.

Very soon, these plans would culminate with him standing on the Olympia stage with a medal around his neck. Lee Haney won his first Olympia in 1984. He followed that up with 7 more consecutive title wins. Haney has also shared insights into the current age of bodybuilding, which he believes has lost a bit of the “magic mystique” from the olden days. Today, he has left behind a legacy that is still unmatched besides Ronnie Coleman.

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