The Mr. Olympia champ breaks things down in this interview.

Phil Heath, the four time Mr. Olympia, is pretty polarizing figure. The man has a drive and fire that has pushed him to the top of the mountain. Hard work and dedication has paid off for the champ and it can’t be denied that his natural gifts have put him in the conversation for being the greatest bodybuilder of all time.

Despite his success, there are many people out there that are detractors of the bodybuilder for one reason or another. Whether it’s his “cocky” attitude or just his rivalry with Kai Greene, it seems that some fans just won’t give Phil a break. The man has an unwavering belief in himself and why not? The man has already won four Olympia titles and has dreams of surpassing Lee Haney, Ronnie Coleman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The hard truth is that if you want to be the best then you’re going to need to have that mentality.

For all the negative trash talked hauled his way, it’s easy to forget that Phil is just a average guy. Well, not exactly. No person could compete at the highest level of bodybuilding and be considered average. But the man is as down to earth as anyone in the business.

In a recent episode of the popular Fox Sports podcast The Fighter & The Kid, Phil sat down with the hosts of the show, comedian and actor Bryan Callen and UFC fighter Brendan Schaub, to discuss his life as a bodybuilder, how he got into the sport, prepping for competition, and the mental game that led him to his success. Take a look at the episode below.

What do you think of Phil after this candid episode? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.