What is the right way to interact with fans on social media?

Being a professional athlete is truly a daunting task. You have to train your mind and body to overcome adversity, defeat your fellow competitors, and please the onlookers in order for them to keep interest. In a sport like bodybuilding these ideologies are even more important than basketball or football. Unlike bodybuilding, most other popular American sports are team based and have loyal followings established over decades. A bodybuilder is more like a fighter in that they are an individual in their sport and are responsible for their actions no matter how major or inconsequential.

Champions in any given sport are usually held to a higher standard than any other competitor in the sport. Phil Heath is a five time Olympia winner with the potential to become one of the most dominant champions the bodybuilding world has ever known. He’s held to a higher standard because of his status yet he seems like he’s getting caught in a war of words every other week on social media. Recently Heath shared the below statements with a fan who was scrutinizing the bodybuilding champion.

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Living in the public eye has to have some major drawbacks, ones that no average person can truly understand or appreciate. That said, it doesn’t give Phil Heath the right to go off the handle on social media. For one it’s not winning him respect from the fans, in fact it’s doing the exact opposite. Everyone certainly gets angry, particularly when they’re bombarded by internet trolls whose sole purpose is to cause some kind of strife or discord, but it simply can’t help Heath’s case if he blows up like this in a fit of anger.

At this point in his career Heath should be taking the high road in these situation not feeding into the negative garbage that is tossed his way. It may not be the simplest of things for Heath to do, but it’s better that he ignores the hate and keep doing what he does best; winning competitions. If you don’t get drawn into a fight then no one’s going to end up with a blackeye in the end.

Do you think Phil Heath handles his haters in the wrong way? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.