PHIL HEATH

This sport has given me so much. It has taught me to be strong emotionally and physically.

I grew up as an only child, so I like being by myself. So I train predominantly - 98 percent of the time - by myself.

I believe you need to take enough rest to lift heavy weights, but if it takes you 5-10 minutes to rest and get psyched up for a big lift, I don't know if that's going to be good.

I want people to realize bodybuilders are athletes. We have a very meticulous philosophy on how we are able to gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously.

I train as smart as I can. I'm not concerned what others think. I do what works for me.

Most people don't do front squats because they're uncomfortable, and there are easier alternatives, but to really add size to the quads, they're a must.

All the normal lifts that bodybuilders do, we didn't do them in basketball.

For me, I've always tried to be a stand-up individual.

Everybody that wants to work out wants to feel good and look better, but I think one of the biggest problems people have is they don't want to work out with a personal trainer, someone like myself, or even a couple of buddies, because they think, 'Gosh, if I work out too hard, I'm not going to be able to get up the next day!'

Prior to stepping on stage, I prefer to continue being myself, whether that is making jokes with others, talking about other non-bodybuilding topics, or just sitting around listening to music.

The body is dynamic. You can eat something and get bloated in minutes.

We have to know how to eat right, train right, and take the right over-the-counter supplements.

Every so often, I'll look at myself in the mirror and go, 'You're a bad mother,' you know? Like, 'You're a bad dude, man, and you're gonna show the world who you are when the time is right.'

It can be 10 people or thousands of people: I want them to see something special. I want them to say, 'I saw the best in the world at something,' and maybe that will inspire them to go do something in their life with the same vigor.

Gifted Nutrition was able to show me that they had FDA-compliant ingredients in their supplements. I thought that was really huge, especially when you are trying to show people that you are a natural athlete.

If you want something you've never had before, you gotta be willing to do something you've never done before.

You can give me credit on a skilled sport - golf, basketball - but when it comes to someone's appearance - how often do guys compliment another man on anything? They find it feminine.

People in Colorado are resilient.

I've actually read that isolation is the enemy, so why do that to myself?

Cup stacking on an ESPN highlight? That's pretty messed up.

I see guys who are in the gym all the time, but their bodies are not a reflection of that. They look the same from year to year, and that has to do with the fact that they're not evaluating the effect of their efforts.

I stick to bread-and-butter bodybuilding. I hit my muscles from various angles, work on bringing up any weaknesses, and design workouts that are always challenging and helping me progress.

There were actually a couple of times I fell asleep at the gym on accident after a workout, but it was still late enough, so I went home and caught some sleep.

I would probably lose my mind if I wasn't busy. There's only so many video games I can play.

As Mr. Olympia, I have to go above and beyond. It's more than just showing muscle.