New Mr. Olympia former basketball player

[dominicrue]

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish...ping-iron-king

Wow now that is a transformation if i've ever heard one.

[WhoDunIt]

Ah, beat me to it Dom, and you're not kidding on the transformation either!

[raven79]

I am happy to see someone else win other than Jay Cutler. The fact that it was Phil Heath is even more incredible. The guy truly is a success story because he did transition from basketball to bodybuilding in a relatively short timeframe. Good for him!

[Mdlftr]

This transformation helps validate the idea that bodybuilding IS a sport. People can argue that competitive bodybuilding, with the contests and judging may be too subjective or vague to be considered a sport because it seems more based on politics and who you know rather than what you accomplish. Most of us do it as a sport because we are competing with ourselves, remembering what we looked like when we started as compared to how we look as we continue bodybuilding.

Good for Phil Heath! Awesome transformation! He is clearly one of the genetically blessed! But he also works at it, as well as having natural gifts.

Mdlftr

[nicebuns]

You're kidding, right? Give anybody a bunch of horse steroids and they can look just as bulky. But have you noticed all the steroid freaks dropping like flies lately?

[Mdlftr]

Originally Posted by nicebuns

You're kidding, right? Give anybody a bunch of horse steroids and they can look just as bulky. But have you noticed all the steroid freaks dropping like flies lately?

You could give Woody Allen all the "horse steroids" in the world, and he's NEVER going to look like Arnold Schwarzenneger. He just doesn't have the basic structure for it. Similarly, Phil Heath has genetic advantages - the ability to build large muscle size in the first place, long muscle bellies which make his arms and legs bulkier when the muscles are developed, wide shoulders in his skeleton and narrower hips, which help him achieve that prized v-taper, and the health and endurance to work out hard enough to build those muscles.

Since we're being frank here, some steroids or supplementation of some sort also enhanced what he built up. He still had to work hard and intelligently, on a structured program, to achieve that look. Similarly, those of us who are recreational bodybuilders, who lift just to look good and improve our general health, and who plan to never compete, and who have no interest in ever taking steroids, also follow a planned program of work outs and eating and rest to achieve our balanced strength, health and look.

As far as "all the steroid freaks dropping like flies lately" it has been no more prevalent or frequent during 2011 than it has ever been. If you took all the movie stars and cover models and regular average joes who take steroids for whatever reason, the number of people "dropping dead" is probably very small, compared to say, the number of people on heart medication who have heart attacks or the number of people taking insulin whose blood sugar still goes out of control.

While I appreciate your off-the-cuff reaction, and I could probably give you the armchair psychiatrist reaction ("oh, he's in lousy shape himself, so he's jealous of everyone who is in shape and has to put them down, rather than exercise himself"), I just wanted to respond to some of your rhetorical questions with legitimate answers.

Bodybuilding is a flashpoint subject for a lot of reasons. The cool thing about this thread is that it allows us a place to talk about it freely. I've had my say.

Mdlftr

[bulkybud]

Originally Posted by nicebuns

You're kidding, right? Give anybody a bunch of horse steroids and they can look just as bulky. But have you noticed all the steroid freaks dropping like flies lately?

That's just the usual misinformed opinion on steriods. Those drugs don't make it EASY to get huge, they just make it faster and to a greater degree.

You have to work your butt off and have the right genetics even with 'roids to compete in the world of high-level bodybuilding.

Bulkybud

[raven79]

The genetics issue is a very big one in bodybuilding. I'm not an expert and even I know that genetics can be the difference in training and competition. Some guys are just lucky while others can be big and bulky and not look right. Phil Heath was blessed with unreal genetics and so he is the top dog right now. (In fact, he may remain at the top for several years!)

To me, Cutler is overrated. He competed at the right time and faced guys that weren't quite up to their genetic peak. (Branch Warren? Victor Martinez? Dexter Jackson? (Yes, I know he won once but he has went downhill ever since.))

[raven79]

Really? These spambots sound like they have the IQ of a cute little baby! Jeez!