The former World’s Strongest Boy, Richard Sandrak, who was dubbed “Little Hercules”, lives a very different life, 22 years on from his bodybuilding success. He now looks nothing like his younger self, after he gave up lifting weights altogether.
Who Is Richard Sandrak?
Back in 2000, Little Hercules was an eight-year-old boy with a stunning physique. We are talking about eight-pack abs and impressive definition in his legs and arms. At a young age, he was able to lift three times his body weight while using his body flexibility to become a karate master. At just 11 years old, Richard was named the World’s Strongest Boy.” However, it wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. It was reported that the young weight lifter possessed just 1% body fat, which is so low that it’s dangerous for his health.
Little Hercules Received a Lot of Criticism
According to an online men’s journal, such low body fat can easily result in serious health issues, including heart problems, muscles becoming weaker, and getting sick a lot. After a documentary about young Richard was released, there was a lot of criticism of his parents. Many were saying that his training sessions were cruel and unethical. At the time, some medical experts said that a child this young wouldn’t be capable of producing enough hormones to get that size naturally.
Where Is He Now?
Now that Richard is a fully grown man, he admits he’s no longer interested in bodybuilding. He said that he’s proud of his past and it’s not something that he didn’t want people to know about, it’s just that he’s not going to be stuck living in it.
Richard’s career has changed a bit since his bodybuilding days. As of 2015, he was working as a stuntman at Universal Studios Hollywood Waterworld show. The former bodybuilder admits that he does occasional cardio sessions to stay in shape.