Phil Heath didn’t always rule the bodybuilding world.
Bodybuilding has a pretty rich history of having healthy rivalries that brings out the best in competitors. The judging for bodybuilding is so subjective that you have to train with the ideology that what you’ve improved upon will undoubtedly outdo the competition. You have to bring your best physique to the table and scrutinize everything from your definition to your overall size and even your posing routine. With the criteria for judging a contest being so specific, it’s up to the athlete to eat right, cut correctly, and bring a form that will wow the judges.
Opinions are the name of the game when it comes to bodybuilding and usually there is a consensus as to who wins a given competition. Except when you’re talking about chief rivals Phil Heath and Kai Greene. Both men have their own fan base and contingents arguing that one or the other possesses the better physique. Yet in recent years the opinions of the only people that matter, the judges, have ruled in favor of Phil Heath. So it may come to a shock, especially to those who are new to the sport, that at one point Kai not only placed higher than Phil, but even took the top spot against his rival at the 2010 Arnold Classic.
Yeah it’s pretty crazy to consider that once upon a time Phil Heath wasn’t atop the bodybuilding world. Kai got the better of Phil at the Arnold Classic, coming to the show with not only a rather large physique, but in some shredded condition as well. It wasn’t the first time that Kai would place higher than Phil. The year before saw Greene taking 4th place over Heath’s 5th place position. But we want to know your opinion on their placing. Check out the videos below and decide for yourself.
Phil Heath 2010 Arnold Classic Prejudging
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Kai Greene 2010 Arnold Classic Prejudging
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Though Phil would go on to take 2nd place at the 2010 Mr. Olympia while Kai came in 7th, it’s still worth mentioning that there was time where it seemed all but certain that Kai would be the top dog. It’s a testament to Heath that he battled through and would go on to eventually win the Mr. Olympia title.
So who do you think deserved to win the 2010 Arnold Classic? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
