Once Maxx Charles only had one thought upon first hearing Phil Heath would return at Olympia 2020 – I want to beat him.
With the Olympia 2020 just over one week away, everyone is sharing their predictions and thoughts about the lineup and what we can expect. After some delays we are finally about to witness the biggest bodybuilding show of the year. That’s why we asked Maxx Charles what his thoughts were going into the competition and the rest of the lineup. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Maxx Charles explains how he’s most excited for Phil Heath’s return… so he can beat him.
Maxx Charles is hungry and he’s ready to bring his best package to the Mr. Olympia stage. While the bodybuilder is admittedly not in the list of predicted top 5 athletes in the Men’s Open division – as an athlete his only focus it to be the best.
That’s what is important for a pro bodybuilder. A future or current champion needs to be a bit ego driven to success. If failure is not an option, a person will push harder to achieve greatness.
This is a topic that Maxx Charles briefly touches upon at the start of the above clip. We asked him if narcissism is necessary to succeed as a pro bodybuilder. While he doesn’t think it’s 100% needed – he certainly thinks it makes being a pro bodybuilder easier.
Perfecting your physique requires focus on one thing – your body and its image. There’s an inherent vanity to that. The more narcissistic a bodybuilder can be, the easier that vanity and physique focus is to achieve.
That might explain the statement that then follows as we continue talking with Maxx Charles. Now qualified for the Olympia 2020, we asked Charles what he thinks of the rest of the lineup. He answered he was most excited for Phil Heath’s return. The reason? So he can beat him.
He admits that this is a long shot and many fans don’t expect him to topple the 7x Olympia champion. Regardless, Maxx Charles can’t stop getting it out of his head. He explains:
“I’m excited for Phil [Heath]. He’s coming back. That’s big. So now imagine if Phil comes back and I actually beat him. That’s even more exciting for me. I know what people think, it’s not going to happen. It doesn’t hurt to dream As soon as I heard he was coming, I was like, ‘Oh, it would be nice to beat him.'”
Somehow, Maxx Charles seems to achieve the impossible. He comes across cocky and humble at the same time. He admits that he is focused on one thing – to beat Phil Heath. But he also talks about it as if it is the ideal dream and something far away.
Perhaps that’s his competitive spirit kicking in as he gets closer to the Olympia 2020. If any bodybuilder entered the Men’s Open contest expecting anything less than to win – they’re just wasting their time. Why put in the work to qualify if you’re settling for second best or lower?
Ultimately, that’s why Maxx Charles is excited for Phil Heath’s return. If he was to ever win the Mr. Olympia, it would be best to win against a 7x Olympia legend. Charles believes that Phil is the only “untouchable” athlete currently competing on the Olympia level. That’s the benchmark. That’s why Maxx Charles and any other athlete should be trying to achieve. That’s why he’s focused on one thing – to beat Phil Heath.
You can watch Maxx Charles’ full comments in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above.
