Bodybuilding legend Phil Heath has maintained a muscle-bound physique since stepping away from the stage in 2020. In a recent Instagram reel, Heath shared that his training frequency increased and his medication intake has put him in ‘the best position to win’ moving forward.
“Optimizing your health goes a long way. The goal is to leave life changing and lifelong lasting effects.” Phil Heath shared.
Heath commanded the biggest stages in the sport with authority, having claimed a total of seven consecutive Mr. Olympia titles (2011-2017). At that time, ‘The Gift’ proved to be an incredible force in the Men’s Open class, where he regularly pushed contenders like his arch-rival Kai Greene, the late Shawn Rhoden, and German standout Dennis Wolf.
Late last year, the 2023 Masters Olympia contest was revived and again added to the IFBB Pro League bodybuilding schedule. After an 11-year absence, the show will return August 25-27 in Cluj Napoca, Romania. While fans had hoped for Heath or Jay Cutler’s return, they have both publicly shot down the idea.
In a Voice of Bodybuilding appearance with Bob Cicherillo, Heath underlined that $1 million cash would incentivize his comeback. Considering Heath’s age and record of accomplishments, he believes fans would have called him out if he decided to compete at 2023 Masters Olympia. Nevertheless, Heath’s focus is on health and longevity while he’s away from the stage.
Phil Heath ‘Feeling Fresh,’ Talks Achieving ‘Peak Performance with Recovery & Medications
Even though he no longer trains seven days a week, Heath has retained adequate muscle mass thanks to ‘right types of medications.’
“Even without me training seven days a week, I’ve been able to maintain good muscle mass and that’s because I’ve done things the right way throughout my career. But I’ve made sure I was able to apply the right type of medications for my goals and I am in the gym a little bit more now and I will be more in the upcoming weeks and my body feels really really fresh.”
In addition, Heath stressed that recovery, modalities, and medications are keys to optimizing peak performance and health.
“I know that with Transcend they’re putting me in the best position to win. That’s what I always preached my entire career, you have to train smart, you have to train hard, you have to have fun, but you have to have the recovery, modalities, and the medications to help you stay at your peak performance,” said Phil Heath.
RELATED: Best Speed Up Recovery After Training
Phil’s predecessor, Jay Cutler, has teased a Heath comeback on a number of occasions. According to Jay, Heath could ‘do some damage’ at this year’s Mr. Olympia show. Assuming Heath entered this contest, he would face off against two of his teammates – Derek Lunsford and champion Hadi Choopan, who are both led by the legend’s former coach Hany Rambod.
One of the last time fans heard from Heath, he offered a definitive answer on whether he would make a play at the upcoming 2023 Olympia competition. While he continues to make improvements to his build at 255 pounds, Heath ruled out the possibility of competing later this year in a previous Instagram post.
Phil Heath’s continued dedication to health and fitness puts him in the best position possible to compete at a high level, whether he returns to bodybuilding or not.
RELATED: ‘It’s a 3-Headed Monster’: Phil Heath Reveals His Top Picks for 2023 Mr. Olympia