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by Christian Duque<\/em><\/p>\n Let me just say that Phil Heath is looking absolutely awesome. He seems to be training with real intensity and loving his time in the gym. Before delving into his physique or his level of training, I think it\u2019s very important to note that he\u2019s having fun. Whenever you talk about a living legend in bodybuilding, I think where they are, mentally, is huge. A lot of times these guys are burnt out on competing. They\u2019ve done it for so long that returning to the stage is the last thing on their minds. A lot of guys don\u2019t just stop competing, they don\u2019t stop training. They might be bodybuilders at heart, but they\u2019re so over preps and rumors, that they literally change body types to eliminate even suspicions they might secretly be eying a return. Those who still train but are deep in retirement, might still pump iron and keep their size, but they make a point to avoid social media.<\/p>\n Guys who are happily retired don\u2019t post physique updates because doing so feeds into the fans\u2019 and media\u2019s obsession with asking about hypotheticals, where if the stars aligned, they would be back in trunks, posing down for the biggest titles in the sport. This is, especially, the case now, because we\u2019re at a point in time where it seems Big Ramy is invincible. I mean, you all know where I stand with regards to Brandon, and where I stand with regards to 2020 and 2021. I think a case can be made for Curry having retained the title in \u201820 and I most definitely think he won the show in \u201821; however, what I believe and what reality is, is totally different. The reality is, the judges don\u2019t seem to think Brandon, William, or even younger guns like Nick or Hunter can unseat the 2x champ. Phil, on the other hand, totally recovered and rested, maybe could. A very big reason there\u2019s so much interest in The Gift is because people think he could potentially unseat Ramy. And it\u2019s not because people dislike The Egyptian Phenom, rather, it\u2019s because the fans dislike multi-year runs. By Phil\u2019s 2nd or 3rd title, people wanted someone, anyone, to knock him out. <\/p>\n It\u2019s interesting to see Phil, a 7x champ, in the challenger\u2019s spot. After 2020, I feel, he earned a lot of his critics\u2019 respect. He certainly earned mine. He came back from defeat and while he was unable to win his title back from the guy who put the brakes on his run, he still took the contest very seriously. He looked incredible, battled hard with Brandon, and won some poses. Taking 3rd and being a good sport about it in 2020, made for some really good PR opportunities. I think his critics started to look at him in a different way. I think the fact he sat out 2021 also added a dimension to the idea he could come back in 2022, 2023, or maybe even beyond that.<\/p>\n Phil\u2019s 2020 look and placing was key. Taking Top 3, being bested only by Mr. Olympias was further interesting. If you stop to think about it, he managed to beat everyone else, so if he was to get on stage in 2022, his chief competition would be the same as it was in 2020 \u2013 Ramy and Brandon. The only question is, has he improved dramatically over the course of the last two years? <\/p>\n I think it\u2019s very noteworthy that Phil has partnered up with a TRT clinic, as opposed to a supplement company, moving forward. From a marketing perspective, I think it\u2019s a lot more believable for a top bodybuilder to promote exogenous synthetic hormones and peptides than, say, protein powders, creatine, and pump agents. Heath is essentially selling two things with a clinic. He\u2019s selling the service and he\u2019s selling the product line. He\u2019s also promoting products that directly assist him in overcoming post-op procedures to correct injuries, working against the aging process, and helping with muscle growth and recovery. There\u2019s far less of a bullshit-factor when it comes to working with this type of sponsor.<\/p>\n If Phil talks about testosterone therapy, for example, he can choose how transparent he wants to be. Right now, I think he\u2019s keeping it pretty vague. For example, he\u2019s clinging to the fact he\u2019s on TRT and using peptides, but he\u2019s not specifying dosages and\/or what peptides he\u2019s taking. This disclosure, alone, has many outlets weighing in. In fact, many big names in the industry have raised concerns about just how effective peptides are, as opposed to stronger anabolic\/androgenic compounds. The fact Phil is openly citing them as key to his look, may draw a second look to these treatments.<\/p>\n Guys like Dave Palumbo, for example, are openly dismissive insofar as peptides effectiveness for elite level professional bodybuilders. Not only do they fail to subscribe to the science behind them, they don\u2019t understand why anyone would dabble with experimental drugs, when there are tried and true options which have worked for decades. Proponents of peptides have argued they can be less stressful on the body and even healthier. While these arguments could be persuasive ones, they don\u2019t fare favorably for the top 5% of bodybuilders \u2013 guys wanting to win the top titles in the world. In reality, there\u2019s nothing super healthy about contest prep, to begin with. Even fully natural preps involve caloric manipulation, varying hydration and sodium levels, and drying out periods. For the enhanced athletes, throw in anabolics, insulin, hgh and diuretics. To mix and match with peptides could prove cumbersome at best \u2013 or \u2013 chaotic, at worst. There\u2019s so much on the line, that most competitors simply won\u2019t leave anything to chance. <\/p>\n With Phil\u2019s case, it\u2019s got a twist. Are Phil\u2019s updates nothing more than a top guy flirting with the notion for a comeback to promote a clinic or is he coming back? Is he really all that surprised with how his body is responding \u2013 or \u2013 is his physique the vehicle to promote customer service, patient care, doctor expertise and pharmaceutical grade therapies? Also, are his physique updates just an opportunity to get the word out that he\u2019s part of this clinic?<\/p>\n The choice of words in Phil\u2019s posts is key. Typically an athlete refers to sponsors as \u201cthey,\u201d but Phil talks about the clinic as \u201cwe.\u201d That\u2019s definitely noteworthy because it automatically means that Phil is sponsored, but could also mean he\u2019s a part-owner \u2013 or \u2013 the main owner! Fans and potential clients might take the social media posts to mean, if they needed a consult or therapies, that they might get to talk to Phil. They might also take it to mean that Phil might have a hand in their care. They could also potentially take it to mean that they could get therapies much like Phil gets. In reality, Phil nor the clinic have any control over how people react or what they think, but a reaction will be made. That as much, they can rest assured of. <\/p>\n The content Phil is putting out is impressive. He\u2019s in tight shirts and even tank tops. It\u2019s perfectly clear that he\u2019s grown and that the shape of his muscle is very much in line with the best looks he\u2019s brought to the stage. Plus, seeing him happy, and giving it his all in the gym, most definitely is enough to get the nostalgia effect going. That\u2019s the vibe that keeps message boards and Facebook groups buzzing.<\/p>\n Unlike other sports, bodybuilding is a sport that\u2019s driven by memories. Fans still watch Pumping Iron as if it were a new release; they also watch it because they know it, inside and out. We are as much fans of the past, as we are of the present and the future. Guys will spend hours arguing over the 1997 or 2001 Mr. Olympias. They may have read the same points over and over again over the course of 20yrs, but that won\u2019t stop them from having the debate one more time. They\u2019ll reach for the same comparison photos, they\u2019ll create memes, and they might even launch polls. The magazines are no different. How many times can you recycle a story? Your guess is as good as mine. It never gets old \u2013 at least not in bodybuilding. <\/p>\n
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