Mike O’Hearn Answers: Does Having A Child Change Your Bodybuilding Lifestyle?

Mike O’Hearn talks about having a child and how that affected his rigorous bodybuilding lifestyle and schedule.

In 2019, Mike O’Hearn became a father and introduced the world to his son Titan. O’Hearn is a bodybuilder known for his insanely rigorous schedule. He would wake up to train at 4am every single day and has stayed committed to that schedule for the past few decades. A child is a big commitment – and one that changes a person’s life forever. So how does that affect the demands of bodybuilding? In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Mike O’Hearn details his personal experience on how having a child changed his bodybuilding lifestyle.

There’s no doubt that having a child is a massive commitment. It changes the parents’ lives forever. Especially in the early years, a child is in constant need of supervision, it adds a lot to financial demands, and starts forcing you to think beyond yourself. A bodybuilder lifestyle, on the other hand, is one that requires a certain level of selfish focus. It also requires a great deal of commitment.

Mike O’Hearn is a bodybuilder who exemplifies the ultimate bodybuilding dedication. He has stuck to an extremely rigorous schedule for training and dieting for nearly four decades. Those who know him well claim that he has never stumbled and always stayed on point. So did having a child throw a wrench into his four decade long dedication?

Mike O’Hearn admits that he needed to start changing up his schedule in order to meet the needs of raising a son. But he’s also lucky in that he owns his own gym and has built a successful life that allows for him to be more flexible. Despite now having to dedicate time to loving and raising a child – he still makes sure to stick to his bodybuilding plans. In fact, he claims to have put on even more muscle over the past year.

 

This is in large part due to the pandemic as well. Just a year after Mike O’Hearn’s son was born, COVID-19 shut down the United States and most of the world. This meant that one aspect of O’Hearn’s life was put on pause. There were no more public speaking arrangements or guest posings. This allowed him to have his first ever “off season” in a very long time.

Mike O’Hearn is always dedicated to staying in lean shape for guest posings throughout the year. Between the pandemic and having a son – he’s had more time to focus on recovering and bulking up a bit more. He’s now preparing for his first string of guest posing events in over a year. He’s excited because he in fact thinks his physique has improved.

It’s often a common held believe that having a child means putting your other passions on hold. But Mike O’Hearn seems to buck this trend and prove that notion wrong. It of course requires incredible will power – but since bodybuilding is a passion for him – that dedication is fun. In the same way others might want to play video games or go out for drinks – Mike O’Hearn looks forward to training and focusing on his health.

You can watch Mike O’Hearn go into more detail about having a son and his new bodybuilding lifestyle in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!

Derek Dufour
Derek Dufour has been managing all digital operations on the Generation Iron Network for over six years. He currently manages a team of editors, writers, and designers to provide up-to-date content across the GI Network.