Mr. Olympia is undeniably the king of all titles when it comes to professional bodybuilding, and Phil Heath has been the King seven times in a row. Phil Heath consecutively won the title of Mr. Olympia from 2011 to 2017, a great feat for any bodybuilder. It is a dream for any bodybuilder to be crowned as Mr. Olympia, nothing else says “you’ve made it” in the world of bodybuilding as this particular title does. This title has been a symbol of excellence and achievement in the world of fitness for almost 6 decades now.

Earlier, the only avenue for fitness fanatics to prove their mettle was Mr. Universe. This was not enough in Joe Weider’s opinion. So he co-founded the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) with his brother Ben Weider and gave birth to the idea of Mr. Olympia. And it turned out to be the most coveted title in the world of bodybuilding. Which is probably why Phil Heath had his eyes set on it and nothing else.

Phil Heath had his Heart set on Mr. Olympia

In Episode 56 of Cutler Cast while in conversation with Jay Cutler and Manager Matt, Heath expressed why the Mr. Olympia title was more important for him than any other, including the Arnold Classic title. He said, “I want to be immortalized in.. in that. So for me, it was all about.. it was all about Mr. Olympia or nothing. I didn’t give a f**k about doing any other shows to be quite honest.”

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For Heath, being Mr. Olympia is the end-all-be-all. While there are other competitions out there in the bodybuilding world, according to Heath, nothing leaves a mark like Mr. Olympia. He said, “Once you win it you solidified yourself as an iconic figure within an industry.” While there are many competitions where people get recognition, Heath, and even Cutler, think that the only real one is when you win Mr. Olympia.

Mr. Olympia is a legacy like none other, and once you achieve that, you’re not invisible anymore. On the contrary, you are unforgettable. This is probably why Phil Heath had his eyes set on the title since he started competing in bodybuilding. According to an article in New York Times, Heath had a nickname, ‘The Gift’. This was because he was blessed with good bodybuilding genes which is probably what helped him get where he wanted to be.

The unlikely Mr. Olympia with ‘The Gift’

Heath grew up playing basketball in Seattle. He even got a scholarship for the same in college. However, he was destined for something else and that was bodybuilding. When college ended, he started training and even won regional competitions.

While he qualified for his first Mr. Olympia in 2007, he only started participating in 2008 after winning the IFBB Ironman Pro and also becoming the runner-up in Arnold Classic. He finally clinched the title in 2011 and never looked back, winning 7 times in a row. While the highest record is 8, Heath has his eyes set on 10 Mr. Olympia titles and considering the beast that he is, he should never say never.

Do you think Phil Heath can still make a comeback and break the record for the most number of Mr. Olympia titles held by one person? Let us know.

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