Phil Heath’s announcement that he’ll try for his eighth Sandow trophy at this year’s Mr. Olympia shocked the bodybuilding world. Many had the same question: why now? Luckily, Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon was able to catch up with the 7-time Mr. Olympia during an Instagram Live session and get the answer to that and ask some other burning questions.
“Simply because there was fucking unfinished business to take care of,” Phil told Solomon.
Solomon said he’s excited about Phil’s return not just as the person in charge of the Olympia, but as a longtime fan of bodybuilding. “Being a fan of bodybuilding means you want to see the best of the best on that stage,” Solomon says.
And the best of the best will indeed be at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas from Dec. 17-20. Heath will be looking to tie Ronnie Coleman and Lee Haney’s record by defeating reigning Mr. O Brandon Curry, the 2008 winner Dexter “The Blade” Jackson, who is competing in his final show before retiring, and Flex Lewis, the 7-time 212 Mr. Olympia who received a special invite to compete in the Open division.
The can’t miss weekend will also feature the return of the Ms. Olympia, thanks to the work of Wings of Strength and Jake Wood, which will see 2020 Rising Phoenix World Champion Helle Trevino, former Ms. Olympia Yaxeni Oriquen-Garcia, legendary 10-time Ms. Olympia Iris Kyle, and more.
Heath spoke about his plans for the competition, what he learned from his shocking loss in 2018, and more in his interview with Solomon. Scroll down to see the highlights, or watch the full interview below.
Most of the bodybuilding world was taken by surprise when Phil announced his return to the bodybuilding stage — but there was one person who knew ahead of time: reigning Mr. Olympia Brandon Curry. Solomon revealed he called the 15th Mr. O ahead of Phil’s announcement “out of respect” for the champion.
“I was nervous because I wasn’t sure how he was going to respond,” Solomon says. “It’s natural to think he might not have been thrilled about the idea.”
As it turns out, Brandon was ecstatic. “Brandon was so genuinely excited that Phil was coming back, and he knows what it means to the sport. That’s the kind of positivity that surrounds this announcement.”
But there’s one other reason, Solomon says, why Brandon is so excited. “Brandon wants to beat Phil.”
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Phil would not have done 2018 any differently.
Typically, people come away from a loss with an idea of what they’d do differently if they could relive that contest. Phil, on the other hand, says he would’ve trained and prepared the same way for the 2018 Olympia, which he lost to Shawn Rhoden.
“I felt like I trained like I should’ve,” he says. “I went into it with great intention of tying the record. There’s no excuses.”
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He learned a lot from his loss.
The 2018 loss, Heath continues, was integral in him becoming the man he is today.
“It was unfortunate for me but at the same time I looked at it as a challenge,” he says. “I needed to focus more on the man. Winning all those titles for consecutive years, life goes very, very fast. I needed to understand the journey itself. That loss got me here, and that’s something I’m thankful for.”
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His strategy for dealing with haters
Phil is the first Mr. Olympia who’s had to deal with the pressures of social media — and the haters that come along with it. But he chooses to focus on the positive interactions he has with fans instead of the negative ones.
“My real fans know who I am,” he says. “They understand my heart, they understand what I’ve contributed to the sport. You’re going to have trolls.”
“It’s not being liked,” he continues. “It’s about me doing what I want to do in this life. And if I have the privilege to inspire other people, man that’s just icing on the cake. All that matters is how you feel in life. You got to let them do them and you do you.”
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He believes some bodybuolders’ excitement is not genuine.
Although some bodybuilders, like Brandon, may be genuinely excited to see Phil on the stage, the 7-time Mr. O believes some of them aren’t being as real and may be feigning their joy at his announcement.
“I’m not buying these tricks,” Phil says. “They’re using me as their antagonist. Champions do champion shit. We don’t get our motivation from others, we get it from within.”
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He’ll turn 41 on the day of pre-judging
Competing on the Olympia stage is great no matter the day of year, but it’ll be extra-special for Phil as he’ll celebrate his 41st birthday on Dec. 18, the day of pre-judging. “It’s a great opportunity for me,” he says.
Nothing would say happy birthday like an eighth Sandow trophy.
