Paul Dillett Full Interview | Thoughts On Kai Greene, Men’s Physique, & More

April 30, 2021

Paul Dillett is a former pro bodybuilder who has gone down in history for being one of the most impressive mass monsters in the history of the sport. His physique was so massive he was even dubbed “Freakenstein.” Retired in 2012, Dillett has been relatively quiet in recent years which is why we decided to catch up with him in a video sit down interview.

Listen to the full Paul Dillett interview here:

Bodybuilders That Most Impressed Dillett In The 90s

We asked Paul Dillett which athletes impressed him the most during his time competing through the 90s. But his answer tracks back first to what inspired him to be a bodybuilder in the first place. Dillett describes his love for wrestling and how it helped him transition into discovering weight training and eventually bodybuilding. He wanted to be a superhero – and he now found an outlet to become one.

But his admiration doesn’t stop there. Once he earned his pro card in 1992, Paul Dillett entered a truly elite era of bodybuilding in the IFBB. He quickly became impressed by Flex Wheeler – a bodybuilder that inspired him to no end. Dillett’s hunger to be like Wheeler pushed him through the ranks and helped him become the “Freakenstein” we know today.

Beyond Flex Wheeler, the bodybuilders who most impressed him during this era were Kevin Levrone and Shawn Ray. Specifically, Dillett makes it clear that there was no bodybuilder competing in the 90s that wasn’t in awe of Shawn Ray. Dillett describes how behind the scenes every pro bodybuilder was impressed by Ray and were driven to try and defeat him by any means necessary.

Paul Dillett considers himself one of those men and believes if it wasn’t for the likes of Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, or Kevin Levrone – he wouldn’t have become the quality of bodybuilder as he’s known today. Often times, the quality of an era of bodybuilders is largely based on the athlete leading the pack. Dillett further confirms this point as he explains in detail the respect between top competitors of that era. They all pushed each other, wanted to beat each other, but respected each other all the same.

Watch our full GI Exclusive interview with Paul Dillett above!

Dillett Calls Men’s Physique Competing At The Olympia “Laughable”

Has the Olympia competition lost its luster over the years? For Dillett there’s no question – he 100% believes that the Olympia no longer means what it used to mean. His main reasoning? Dillett thinks that the inclusion of other divisions has watered down the quality of what it means to be Mr. Olympia – especially the Men’s Physique division.

“I don’t think the Olympia means what it used to mean. No chance,” Paul Dillett says in our interview. He continues:

“YOU LOOK AT THE OLYMPIA BEFORE AND LOOK AT THE OLYMPIA NOW. IT’S NOT THE SAME THING. IT’S NOT. IT’S JUST NOT THE SAME THING, YOU KNOW? I FEEL LIKE IT’S BEEN WATERED DOWN. THERE WAS ONE MR. OLYMPIA. THAT’S IT… WE DIDN’T NEED EXPOS, WE DIDN’T NEED BIKINI GIRLS, WE DIDN’T NEED GUYS COMING OUT WITH SHORTS DOWN TO THEIR KNEES. I’M SORRY. THAT’S LAUGHABLE TO ME… I CAN’T CALL YOU MR. OLYMPIA WHEN YOU COME OUT WITH SHORTS DOWN TO YOUR KNEES.”

Dillett Opens Up About The Moment His Heart Stopped After Collapsing On Stage

Paul Dillett had to go through a few painful experiences before learning which gurus to trust. He details how his bodybuilding career was almost derailed by listening to a coach that pumped him full of drugs that did more harm than good.

He also described another guru that provided a plan that almost lead to Paul Dillett losing his life. The moment in question you might be familiar with. It was the Arnold Classic where Dillett collapsed on stage. At the time, it was downplayed. Perhaps it was just due to dehydration. But in our conversation, Dillett opens up about the reality behind that harrowing moment.

Paul Dillett details that it was a chemical imbalance that lead to his collapse. He literally seized up from the neck down. This of course included his heart. He had to be rushed to the hospital where he later found out that his heart stopped for one minute. He was legally dead during that time before recovering.

Paul Dillett doesn’t go into details as to why he had the imbalance that led to his collapse. He also refused to drop the name of the coach that put him onto that program. This is because ultimately he takes full responsibility. He was a “grown ass man” that made his own decisions to listen to these gurus. He made a wrong call on who to trust and it nearly ended his life.

Paul Dillett also described a somewhat spiritual or outer body experience during the one minute that his heart was stopped. It was an experience that he still vividly remembers to this day. He also stated that his perception changed after that moment. He never looked at his health, bodybuilding, or life the same way again.

Wrap Up

Our interview with Paul Dillett, which runs over an hour long, covers many more topics than what we can dive into with this article. It’s a fascinating look into a bodybuilding legend who rarely does interviews in this day and age. His thoughts on today’s bodybuilders, the sport as a whole, and his experiences throughout his career are truly insightful for any bodybuilding fan.

You can watch Paul Dillett’s full GI Exclusive interview above.