[h=1]The Gift Fulfills His Destiny[/h][h=2]Phil Heath's 1st Mr. Olympia Title[/h]
I was thinking of calling my column 'The O Creator' this month, but I was afraid some people wouldn't get the joke and would assume I was taking all the credit for Phil Heath's Olympia win. I played a role of course, but most of the credit needs to go to Phil himself for all his hard work, focus, and dedication, his parents for passing on some of the best genetics in the history of the human race, and his creator for seeing fit to bless him with the potential to build one of the greatest physiques ever seen. My only regret in working with Phil is that I didn't help him turn pro at the USA Championships in 2005. But we did meet and start working together a couple months later, and we've teamed up for every show Phil has done as a professional. This month, in honor of Phil's Mr. Olympia win, I present a brief timeline of our collaboration.
2006 - Pro debut in the Rocky Mountains
From day one, Phil always had a solid strategy in terms of which shows he chose to enter. I encourage all my athletes to do the same, because this is critical in establishing yourself and building a successful career. At the end of 2005, we looked at the schedule for 2006 and saw that there was a new show called the Colorado Pro being held in his hometown of Denver. A smaller show, right in your backyard - it doesn't get any better than that. We prepared for that show under cover of darkness, and few in the industry even knew we were working together. At the time, MD and the company Phil was and is still with, Weider Publications, had a tense rivalry going and we didn't want to stir up any more controversy. Phil won the show decisively. Just as a bit of trivia, Kai Greene took 14th place. Right after that came the New York Pro, a bigger and somewhat more prestigious show. Phil took first-place honors in a field of 32 that included Kai, Dennis James, Darrem Charles (who was called 'The King of the $10,000 Shows at the time - he had won six and would go on to win two more), and Kevin English, just to name a few. Phil was only about 209-212 on stage, but his condition was 2-3 levels beyond what it had been at his USA win. Knowing he wasn't going to be the biggest guy, we decided to go for crazy condition to go along with his superb shape. These were the qualities Darrem had been employing successfully at so many smaller shows, and it paid off for Phil. This was when I first saw the true potential for spectacular muscle separation Heath had, and that would be far more evident once he added more mass. We did go for a slightly fuller, rounder look in New York, mainly because Phil had been doing photo shoots virtually every day since his win in Denver and holding that insane condition was a struggle. Though both wins qualified Phil for the Mr. Olympia, it made no sense for him to even think about moving up to that level yet. He wasn't ready to do any damage at all yet.
2007 - the first Arnold Classic experience
The next logical step for Phil was the Arnold Classic, so we targeted that show for the spring of 2007. In the end he placed a controversial fifth behind Victor, Dexter, Toney Freeman, and Gustavo Badell, who I happened to be working with at the time also. At the judging, we thought he would be in the mix with Victor and Dexter, since they have similar types of physiques. Beating that in mind, it seemed odd that he took fifth; and it was the greatest disappointment we had known before or since. Phil was now 218-220 pounds and had improved in all the right areas without sacrificing the condition he was now becoming known for, but the scores didn't reflect that. Top five at the Arnold may not have been a letdown for most, but it was for us as we knew he should have been in the top three. We had thought that a shift was taking place and shape and condition were making a comeback as the new ideals, but this sent a clear message that size still mattered. Phil was once again qualified for the Mr. Olympia, but we knew it would be a repeat of what happened in Columbus and after careful consideration Phil decided to bypass the big show. Many fans were upset, but I knew Phil needed to bring up his chest and his back more before he even dreamed of going to the Olympia with hopes of earning a top spot.
2008 - Construction begins on Heath v3.0
Heath took the rest of 2007 off from competition to make the needed quality gains, and as 2008 drew near we looked at the IFBB Pro schedule once more. It occurred to me that the Pro Ironmanwas the perfect show for Phil to start the season off with. It was positioned just before the Arnold Classic, making it an excellent warm-up show. A win there would set up serious momentum going into the Arnold again. And as strange as it may sound to some, the lighting was another key selling point. In the twenty years the Pro Ironman was held, it was always known for its dramatic lighting - which makes sense when you realize that it was coordinated by legendary Ironman photographer Mike Neveaux. I knew that lighting would accentuate Phil's amazing lines and deep muscle separation to the fullest. Phil won, and went on to take second place to Dexter at theArnold Classic. Dexter himself went on to win the Mr. Olympia later that year. Now right around 230 pounds, Phil was ready to take on the Mr. Olympia. He would ultimately take third place at his first Olympia behind Dexter and Jay. Many felt he could have won, since he had a similar physique to Dexter but was actually sharper than The Blade. The important thing was that Phil had served notice that he was knocking on the door of the Mr. Olympia title. After the show, Heath decided to take a full year off and compete only in the O in 2009 with even more improvements to an already great physique. It was a perfect plan, but sometimes the phrase "If you want to make God laugh, have a plan" rings true.
2009 - "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry"
We were feeling very confident about Phil's chances at the '09 Mr. Olympia. The day before judging, he was 235 pounds and looking awesome. But as fate would have it, he came down with something we are fairly sure was food poisoning. After several hours of throwing up and nearly going to the emergency room, Phil wound up missing more meals than I care to even remember. By the time he hit the stage Friday night, he was down about eight pounds and noticeably flat. Even so, Kai only managed to beat him by one point. He was fuller by Saturday, but it was too little, too late. The fifth place Heath ultimately received was not even close to what we had been aiming for, and it served to light a fire under Phil. Had he done better, he probably would have only done the Olympia again in 2010. But now he wanted to get back up there and show the bodybuilding world the improvements he had made that the freak illness at the last minute had prevents him from displaying.
2010 - runner-up at the Big Two
Phil Heath nearly beat Kai at the 2010 Arnold Classic. In fact, after judging he was ahead on the score sheets. Somehow Kai managed to make up points at the finals and get ahead, though it was a highly controversial win. Some claimed Kai had tightened up by evening, while others insisted he looked exactly the same. But what was done was done, and instead of crying about it; we moved right on to target the Mr. Olympia. Jay had looked phenomenal in recapturing his title the year before, and I was working with him again. Unfortunately for Jay, he stayed home the final day while Phil was right with me at the hotel, and that allowed me to see Phil constantly in the critical 24 hours leading up to judging. Jay didn't eat enough, and was flat. Heath was right on the money: full, crisp, and dry. He pushed Jay hard for the win, and Jay made it a real battle by coming back much fuller Saturday night. Right until the results were announced no one knew which way it would go. Jay did hold on to the title, but there would have been very little argument if it had gone to Phil instead. There was a lot of talk after this show as to how it was only a matter of time until Phil got so good that Jay would no longer be able to hold him off.
2011 - The torch is passed at last
Phil took his physique to a higher level in 2011. At 244 pounds, he had added mass in all the right places and kept his waist small and his condition untouchable. The stage was set for him to dominate. Jay had a very unfortunate injury less than two weeks before the show, which we'll talk about in depth next month, that resulted in one of his biceps being badly bruised. Phil's strength has always been his limbs, so that was an unseen extra factor in his favor. Jay had always been considerably wider than Phil, but now with added shoulder size and fullness, Heath had closed the gap. I compare the match-ups between them with a car analogy. Jay is like a Hummer: huge, wide, and roomy. It trumps a Corvette any day. But what if that Hummer has to go up against a Ferrari? Phil had transformed into that Ferrari, and this time it was too much to handle. Because of Phil's tremendous shape and smaller joints, he now even appeared to be just as big as Jay, but with better aesthetics. We had worked hard all year on building up his shoulder width and his lats so they dropped lower in the front relaxed pose; as well as making his legs fuller and rounder, and the results were apparent. Phil now had that ultimate '3-D' look we had been striving for with his physique.
When Phil walked out Friday night under that stage lighting, the first things I was looking for was whether or not his improvements were apparent. I didn't breathe a sigh of relief until I was certain they were. Everything was popping, and his condition was spot on. Dorian Yates looked over at me and just shook his head in disbelief. Knowing how picky he is about condition and how he rarely gives compliments due to his extremely high standards for condition, that was reassuring.
Happy for Phil, but sad to see Jay step down
When Phil beat Jay and became the 2011 Mr. Olympia champion, I had mixed emotions. Obviously I was very happy for Phil, but I couldn't feel totally happy because Jay had lost. The only fact that made it easier to deal with was that Jay had already been the winner a few times, and it was Heath's first win. But the whole situation with Jay's biceps injury made it difficult. It was just terrible luck. You can't help but become emotionally attached to your guys when you work so closely together and are in constant communication with them. Both Jay and Phil are very good friends. So it's tough to be happy for one at the expense of another. But thankfully, Jay and Phil are also close friends, and Jay himself was happy for Phil's success. Jay was the one who discovered Phil eight years ago at a local show and encouraged him to pursue the sport at the very highest level. Next month I want to focus on Jay and the experiences we've had working together for the last three Mr. Olympia shows and what a great champion he has been. This is Phil's moment, but I want to close by congratulating both of them. Jay and Phil both worked so hard this year to be their best at the biggest contest in our sport, and they are to be commended on a job well done. The only sad part is that at the end of the night, only one of them could be the winner.
I was thinking of calling my column 'The O Creator' this month, but I was afraid some people wouldn't get the joke and would assume I was taking all the credit for Phil Heath's Olympia win. I played a role of course, but most of the credit needs to go to Phil himself for all his hard work, focus, and dedication, his parents for passing on some of the best genetics in the history of the human race, and his creator for seeing fit to bless him with the potential to build one of the greatest physiques ever seen. My only regret in working with Phil is that I didn't help him turn pro at the USA Championships in 2005. But we did meet and start working together a couple months later, and we've teamed up for every show Phil has done as a professional. This month, in honor of Phil's Mr. Olympia win, I present a brief timeline of our collaboration.
2006 - Pro debut in the Rocky Mountains
From day one, Phil always had a solid strategy in terms of which shows he chose to enter. I encourage all my athletes to do the same, because this is critical in establishing yourself and building a successful career. At the end of 2005, we looked at the schedule for 2006 and saw that there was a new show called the Colorado Pro being held in his hometown of Denver. A smaller show, right in your backyard - it doesn't get any better than that. We prepared for that show under cover of darkness, and few in the industry even knew we were working together. At the time, MD and the company Phil was and is still with, Weider Publications, had a tense rivalry going and we didn't want to stir up any more controversy. Phil won the show decisively. Just as a bit of trivia, Kai Greene took 14th place. Right after that came the New York Pro, a bigger and somewhat more prestigious show. Phil took first-place honors in a field of 32 that included Kai, Dennis James, Darrem Charles (who was called 'The King of the $10,000 Shows at the time - he had won six and would go on to win two more), and Kevin English, just to name a few. Phil was only about 209-212 on stage, but his condition was 2-3 levels beyond what it had been at his USA win. Knowing he wasn't going to be the biggest guy, we decided to go for crazy condition to go along with his superb shape. These were the qualities Darrem had been employing successfully at so many smaller shows, and it paid off for Phil. This was when I first saw the true potential for spectacular muscle separation Heath had, and that would be far more evident once he added more mass. We did go for a slightly fuller, rounder look in New York, mainly because Phil had been doing photo shoots virtually every day since his win in Denver and holding that insane condition was a struggle. Though both wins qualified Phil for the Mr. Olympia, it made no sense for him to even think about moving up to that level yet. He wasn't ready to do any damage at all yet.
The next logical step for Phil was the Arnold Classic, so we targeted that show for the spring of 2007. In the end he placed a controversial fifth behind Victor, Dexter, Toney Freeman, and Gustavo Badell, who I happened to be working with at the time also. At the judging, we thought he would be in the mix with Victor and Dexter, since they have similar types of physiques. Beating that in mind, it seemed odd that he took fifth; and it was the greatest disappointment we had known before or since. Phil was now 218-220 pounds and had improved in all the right areas without sacrificing the condition he was now becoming known for, but the scores didn't reflect that. Top five at the Arnold may not have been a letdown for most, but it was for us as we knew he should have been in the top three. We had thought that a shift was taking place and shape and condition were making a comeback as the new ideals, but this sent a clear message that size still mattered. Phil was once again qualified for the Mr. Olympia, but we knew it would be a repeat of what happened in Columbus and after careful consideration Phil decided to bypass the big show. Many fans were upset, but I knew Phil needed to bring up his chest and his back more before he even dreamed of going to the Olympia with hopes of earning a top spot.
Heath took the rest of 2007 off from competition to make the needed quality gains, and as 2008 drew near we looked at the IFBB Pro schedule once more. It occurred to me that the Pro Ironmanwas the perfect show for Phil to start the season off with. It was positioned just before the Arnold Classic, making it an excellent warm-up show. A win there would set up serious momentum going into the Arnold again. And as strange as it may sound to some, the lighting was another key selling point. In the twenty years the Pro Ironman was held, it was always known for its dramatic lighting - which makes sense when you realize that it was coordinated by legendary Ironman photographer Mike Neveaux. I knew that lighting would accentuate Phil's amazing lines and deep muscle separation to the fullest. Phil won, and went on to take second place to Dexter at theArnold Classic. Dexter himself went on to win the Mr. Olympia later that year. Now right around 230 pounds, Phil was ready to take on the Mr. Olympia. He would ultimately take third place at his first Olympia behind Dexter and Jay. Many felt he could have won, since he had a similar physique to Dexter but was actually sharper than The Blade. The important thing was that Phil had served notice that he was knocking on the door of the Mr. Olympia title. After the show, Heath decided to take a full year off and compete only in the O in 2009 with even more improvements to an already great physique. It was a perfect plan, but sometimes the phrase "If you want to make God laugh, have a plan" rings true.
We were feeling very confident about Phil's chances at the '09 Mr. Olympia. The day before judging, he was 235 pounds and looking awesome. But as fate would have it, he came down with something we are fairly sure was food poisoning. After several hours of throwing up and nearly going to the emergency room, Phil wound up missing more meals than I care to even remember. By the time he hit the stage Friday night, he was down about eight pounds and noticeably flat. Even so, Kai only managed to beat him by one point. He was fuller by Saturday, but it was too little, too late. The fifth place Heath ultimately received was not even close to what we had been aiming for, and it served to light a fire under Phil. Had he done better, he probably would have only done the Olympia again in 2010. But now he wanted to get back up there and show the bodybuilding world the improvements he had made that the freak illness at the last minute had prevents him from displaying.
Phil Heath nearly beat Kai at the 2010 Arnold Classic. In fact, after judging he was ahead on the score sheets. Somehow Kai managed to make up points at the finals and get ahead, though it was a highly controversial win. Some claimed Kai had tightened up by evening, while others insisted he looked exactly the same. But what was done was done, and instead of crying about it; we moved right on to target the Mr. Olympia. Jay had looked phenomenal in recapturing his title the year before, and I was working with him again. Unfortunately for Jay, he stayed home the final day while Phil was right with me at the hotel, and that allowed me to see Phil constantly in the critical 24 hours leading up to judging. Jay didn't eat enough, and was flat. Heath was right on the money: full, crisp, and dry. He pushed Jay hard for the win, and Jay made it a real battle by coming back much fuller Saturday night. Right until the results were announced no one knew which way it would go. Jay did hold on to the title, but there would have been very little argument if it had gone to Phil instead. There was a lot of talk after this show as to how it was only a matter of time until Phil got so good that Jay would no longer be able to hold him off.
Phil took his physique to a higher level in 2011. At 244 pounds, he had added mass in all the right places and kept his waist small and his condition untouchable. The stage was set for him to dominate. Jay had a very unfortunate injury less than two weeks before the show, which we'll talk about in depth next month, that resulted in one of his biceps being badly bruised. Phil's strength has always been his limbs, so that was an unseen extra factor in his favor. Jay had always been considerably wider than Phil, but now with added shoulder size and fullness, Heath had closed the gap. I compare the match-ups between them with a car analogy. Jay is like a Hummer: huge, wide, and roomy. It trumps a Corvette any day. But what if that Hummer has to go up against a Ferrari? Phil had transformed into that Ferrari, and this time it was too much to handle. Because of Phil's tremendous shape and smaller joints, he now even appeared to be just as big as Jay, but with better aesthetics. We had worked hard all year on building up his shoulder width and his lats so they dropped lower in the front relaxed pose; as well as making his legs fuller and rounder, and the results were apparent. Phil now had that ultimate '3-D' look we had been striving for with his physique.
When Phil walked out Friday night under that stage lighting, the first things I was looking for was whether or not his improvements were apparent. I didn't breathe a sigh of relief until I was certain they were. Everything was popping, and his condition was spot on. Dorian Yates looked over at me and just shook his head in disbelief. Knowing how picky he is about condition and how he rarely gives compliments due to his extremely high standards for condition, that was reassuring.
When Phil beat Jay and became the 2011 Mr. Olympia champion, I had mixed emotions. Obviously I was very happy for Phil, but I couldn't feel totally happy because Jay had lost. The only fact that made it easier to deal with was that Jay had already been the winner a few times, and it was Heath's first win. But the whole situation with Jay's biceps injury made it difficult. It was just terrible luck. You can't help but become emotionally attached to your guys when you work so closely together and are in constant communication with them. Both Jay and Phil are very good friends. So it's tough to be happy for one at the expense of another. But thankfully, Jay and Phil are also close friends, and Jay himself was happy for Phil's success. Jay was the one who discovered Phil eight years ago at a local show and encouraged him to pursue the sport at the very highest level. Next month I want to focus on Jay and the experiences we've had working together for the last three Mr. Olympia shows and what a great champion he has been. This is Phil's moment, but I want to close by congratulating both of them. Jay and Phil both worked so hard this year to be their best at the biggest contest in our sport, and they are to be commended on a job well done. The only sad part is that at the end of the night, only one of them could be the winner.
