Phil Heath wasn’t always at the massive beast that he is today.

The current king of the Olympia stage, Phil Heath is a genetically gifted bodybuilder who is the favorite to dominate at the biggest bodybuilding show of the year. But Phil Heath wasn’t always at the top of the heap. Like any other bodybuilder, Phil had to go through the grind of competing in amateur competitions before finally becoming a pro. Since then his career has been a truly unbelievable one.

Now as he’s set to contend for his seventh Olympia title, Phil Heath himself showcases how far his physique has come since his days as an amateur.

13 years ago I won the NPC Mr Colorado and boy has time flown by. I weighed 199lbs on that stage at the Paramount Theatre Denver, Colorado where I shared the stage with some great guys. This was a time when bodybuilding for me wasn’t about anything but fun and high competitiveness. Training in gyms with friends, other competitors watching you while you’re trying your best to harness every ounce of focus. The trash talk was fun as most of us hung out on weekends and talk about our next show or next meal or the next pro show to see in the magazines. This was a time when magazines ruled and the internet was just beginning to take shape. I remember this show having worked 2 jobs and very little income for this hobby of mine and I am thankful to those friends who I trained with and also learned how to eat because I didn’t know much then as I trained without a prep coach. Anyway, I simply wanted to share an old pic in my trophy room for you guys so I hope you see that it’s been a true marathon and not an all out sprint to the top. Life now isn’t as easy, friends come and go, different work and family commitments as I’ve trained solo since 2006. I will say that this pic motivates me as it reminds me how far I’ve come and how much further I’m goin! #PhilHeath #TBT #MrColorado2004 #MrOlympia #BackWhenIateChipotleDuringPrep #NoMoneyJustAmbtionAndHardWork #YoungDreamKiller #AllSmiles

A post shared by Phil Heath (@philheath) on Aug 3, 2017 at 9:18am PDT

What do you make of Phil Heath in his early competitive days?

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