Phil Heath

Early life

Heath was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He attended Rainier Beach High School, where he played shooting guard on the varsity basketball team. He attended the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado on a full athletic scholarship, double-majoring in information technology and business administration while playing shooting guard for Denver's Division I basketball team.

Bodybuilding career

Heath entered bodybuilding in 2002. In 2005, he won the overall title at the NPC (National Physique Committee) USA Championships, earning the right to compete as an IFBB Pro. He won his first two IFBB professional events the following year: The Colorado Pro Championships and The New York Pro Championship. In 2007, Heath placed fifth at the Arnold Classic. Although he still qualified to compete in the 2007 Mr. Olympia contest, Heath, nevertheless, decided not to enter the contest, stating that he needed additional time to improve his form.

Heath won the 2008 Iron Man show and placed second to Dexter Jackson at the 2008 Arnold Classic. In his 2008 Mr. Olympia debut, Heath finished third to become the first novice to place in the top three since Flex Wheeler in 1993. He was a favorite for the 2009 Mr. Olympia title, but a stomach virus caused him to arrive 6 lbs lighter than planned on the first day, and this resulted in his taking fifth place in the competition. In 2010, he took second place at the Mr. Olympia contest when Jay Cutler won his final title, but after improving his rear lat spread Heath defeated Cutler and became Mr. Olympia for 2011. Heath has defended the title of Mr Olympia consecutively six times since then. In 2014, Heath secured the title of Mr. Olympia by defeating Kai Greene and Dexter Jackson, respectively. In 2017, he won his 7th Mr. Olympia title, tying him with Arnold Schwarzenegger for third all-time behind Lee Haney (8) and Ronnie Coleman (8).

Heath has been featured in many fitness and magazine articles, and has also appeared on the cover of Flex. He has released five bodybuilding DVDs: The Gift, The Gift Unwrapped, Journey to the Olympia, Becoming the Number 13, and Operation Sandow. These were directed by Jonathan McFarlane and released by Bodybranded Films.

Gifted Athletics & Gifted Nutrition

Heath owns a fitness apparel company called Gifted Athletics, a name derived from his nickname, "The Gift". In addition to running this successful apparel venture, in July 2014, Heath partnered with Joey Firestone to create Gifted Nutrition. In creating his own supplement company while holding the Mr. Olympia title, Heath became the first professional bodybuilder to head up his own sports nutrition company while still competing.

Professional wrestling

On October 20, 2013, during the countdown to TNA's Bound for Glory pre-show, Heath accompanied The BroMans (Jessie Godderz and Robbie E) to the ring for their tag team gauntlet match, which they won; later in the night, he accompanied them to their TNA World Tag Team Championship match against Gunner and James Storm. After the match, Heath celebrated their title victory with them in the ring and backstage during an interview.

Personal life

Heath resides in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where he trains at Armbrust Pro Gym. On June 23, 2007, he married Jennie Laxson. They divorced in 2015.

Stats

Competitive history