Phil Heath

Phil Heath
— Bodybuilder —
Heath in October 2012
Personal info
Nickname	The Gift The Next Big Thing
Born	(1979-12-18) December 18, 1979 (age 37) Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Professional career
Pro-debut	2006 Colorado Pro Championships,
Best win	Mr. Olympia 2011–2016,
Predecessor	Jay Cutler
Active	Yes

Phillip "Phil" Heath (born December 18, 1979) is an American IFBB professional bodybuilder and the current Mr. Olympia. He is a six-time Mr. Olympia winner, having placed 1st in the competition every year from 2011 to 2016. His 2016 Mr. Olympia win tied him with Dorian Yates for the fourth all-time number of wins behind Lee Haney (8), Ronnie Coleman (8), and Arnold Schwarzenegger (7).

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.

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 five times since then. In 2014, Heath secured the title of Mr. Olympia by defeating Kai Greene and Dexter Jackson, respectively. In 2016, he won his 6th Mr. Olympia title, tying him with Dorian Yates for fourth all-time behind Lee Haney (8), Ronnie Coleman (8), and Arnold Schwarzenegger (7).