Bodybuilding legend and 7-time Mr. Olympia winner Phil Heath contracted the Covid-19 virus a couple of months back and had to be hospitalized for treatment. Thankfully, the bodybuilding legend won the battle against the virus. However, Heath has lost a considerable amount of weight as a result and he is currently focused on gaining his mass back in the gym.
In a recent video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Phil Heath shared a detailed account of his battle with the Covid-19 virus and gave an update on his ongoing recovery process. Competing in the open division of Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath’s off-season weight is in the 270lbs range. However, his it has dropped down to 225lbs due to the infection.
“Getting myself back into gym after about with Covid pneumonia couple months back, where I was actually hospitalized for a week. Man! my weight went down all the way to 225lbs. I haven’t been 225lbs… I wanna say (since) 2007 and 2008. So, it was definitely something different to deal with,” Phil Heath said.
As commoners, we generally believe that bodybuilders and athletes across all sports must be immune to the virus due to greater fitness levels. However, it seems that the virus has taken a serious toll on many athletes’ health in recent times. Retired bodybuilder Flex Wheeler and 2017 Arnold Classic winner Cedric McMillan are other notable figures from the bodybuilding world that had extreme cases of Covid-19 infection.
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Cedric McMillan, who has been on the sidelines due to lingering health issues, attributed a part of his health issues to the lingering effects of the Covid-19 infection he contracted in March 2020. McMillan claimed that the virus can affect heart health adversely. However, there is no scientific data or extensive research at this moment to back McMillan’s claims.
Phil Heath is working towards rebuilding himself
The nefarious infection has definitely taken a serious toll on Phil Heath’s body but his spirit is unbreakable. In the video, Phil Heath stated that he has fully recovered from Covid-19 infection and now the goal is to get his body back into competitive shape.
In an effort to do so, the 41-year-old bodybuilding legend is being extra careful with diet and training. Phil Heath has returned to the gym already. However, Heath stated that he is taking things easy to build the rhythm back rather than going too hard in the gym.
“I am essentially going to gym to get my weight up. Obviously, I am not 20. Trying to getting my rhythm and flow back. Right now feeling a lot better, begin about 4 to 5 meals a day, couple shakes. I am back at it, going to do some biceps, triceps, maybe little calves, core. My routine has definitely changed. Doing cardio in the morning, nothing too wild,” Phil Heath said.
Since posting the video, Phil Heath has shared glimpses of his recovery process through Instagram posts. Before returning to the gym, Phil Heath underwent chiropractic treatment to get rid of muscle stiffness. Following this, the 7x Mr. Olympia winner posted a gym photo and later the photo of his thanksgiving dinner to give updates regarding his health. Phil Heath seems to be doing everything in his power to achieve a full recovery and Fitness Volt wishes a speedy recovery and great health to the bodybuilding legend.
Courtesy of Phil Heath’s YouTube channel, you can watch the full video here:
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