Phil Heath from Baller to Bodybuilder

Many people now a day know Phil Heath as Phil “The Gift” Heath, Mr. Olympia 2011. For those of us in the fitness and bodybuilding industry we know where the name “The Gift” came from. From the moment Phil stepped on the stage in 2003 as a bodybuilder he is yet to do a show in which he does not take home a trophy. Phil Heath is the prime example that greatness is not limited to one aspect or goal in our life. Greatness is a combination of certain attributes that can carry you to success no matter what you strive to do.

Prior to Phil’s incredible career as one of only 13 men in history to win the Mr. Olympia title to his name, he was an avid basketball player. A star athlete on his high school basketball team he went on to participated on the University of Denver (Div.1-A) Men’s Basketball team (1998-2002) as a point/shooting guard for the Pioneer’s. It was on the basketball court in college that he realized a professional basketball career may not be in his future but instead learned those many attributes it takes to be successful in any aspect of life.

• -Hard work ethic
• -Self-discipline
• -Respect for others
• -Humility
• -Accountability

After college was over Phil continued training, the difference was his friends he trained with now were bodybuilders and not basketball players. Though never seeing himself as a bodybuilder he decided to give it a try and jumped in head first and we all know it went up hill from there. Immediately the correlation between the two sports would have been obvious to Phil, the hard work, the discipline, everything he had learned from basketball simply rolled over into his new found love.

It didn’t take long to mold himself to the lifestyle. He went from eating 3X a day to 6 or 7 and he began to live, breathe and sweat the gym. The love of the sport only grew as he watched competitions in person and on T.V. mesmerized by the level of athleticism with the muscularity, balance, muscle control and symmetry.

By the end of ’03 he had already won the novice and open overall, plus taken home another 1st place trophy for Men’s Light-Heavyweight. Just 4 shows later he was walking away with not just a 1st place win for the heavyweight and overall champ at the USA’s but he was walking away with a well-deserved Pro card.

Today Phil’s athleticism is considered to be matched with not only the 12 Olympians prior to him but that of Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Mia Hamm, David Beckham and many more. He is a representative of the bodybuilding industry in a way that people can relate to him, and one that mainstream society can have the upmost respect for. He is known as one of the most humble men in bodybuilding history. It is beyond true that Phil “The Gift” Heath is the spitting image of someone who not only wants to be the best but strives to work as hard as he can to do it while taking as many people to the top with him as he can. He is truly a man with admiral traits and is one of few athletes in this country that is truly worth looking up to and wanting to be like. Good luck in the 2012 year Phil and to a long and successful career ahead of you.

http://www.phillipheath.com/about/index.htm