The eight-time Mr. Olympia opened up about how he brushed off a detractor early in his career and took home the top prize in the Teen Mr. America competition at the age of 19.
Lee Haney, 63, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, shares the record for most Mr. Olympia titles with Ronnie Coleman. He won the competition every year from 1984 to 1991, beating seven-time Mr. Olympiar Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Haney, who is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, has more than 279,000 followers on Instagram, where he reflects on his storied career and offers advice to fans.
In a recent mailhe shared an old newspaper clipping of himself while talking about the importance of believing in yourself.
Lee Haney, 63, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time with eight Mr. Olympia titles.
Former professional bodybuilder shares the record for most Mr. Olympia titles with Ronnie Coleman
In a recent Instagram post, he opened up about how he was put down by a detractor before competing in the Teen Mr. America competition at the age of 19. He ended up winning the Teen Mr. America competition at the age of 19.
Haney explained in the caption that he was working at a grocery store when he was training for Teen Mr. America, emotionally telling a customer that he was headed to Detroit to compete.
“He told me not to get my hopes up because I was from a small town compared to other teenagers who came from big cities like Los Angeles and New York,” he recalled.
Haney noted that the client’s negativity had no effect on him due to the way his mother and father had raised him, and he then took home the jackpot.
‘After I won, I placed the “48” trophy in the grocery store window as proof that no matter where you’re from, faith and determination [make] all the difference
“Never let someone else’s mind set limits how far you can go,” he concluded.
Haney, who retired after winning his eighth Mr. Olympia title, now runs his own personal training organization and supplement line from his home in Atlanta, Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Shirley.
The former professional bodybuilder was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 2014, launching Lee Haney’s Fitness and Physique Games years later.
With just five months to go until the annual competition, he’s been sharing his training tips in a series of Instagram reels.
“Never let someone else’s mindset limit how far you can go,” said the former professional bodybuilder, who retired in 1991 after his eighth consecutive Mr. Olympia victory.
Living in Atlanta, Georgia, Haney now runs her own personal training organization and hosts the Lee Haney Fitness and Fitness Games.
Haney also has more than 279,000 followers on Instagram, where she reflects on her storied career and offers advice to fans.
‘Five [to] six months before a competition is the perfect time to start preparing,” he advised, noting that it’s important to “stay at striking distance” and “keep body fat in check” year-round.
Haney said you should start to slowly decrease fatty foods like ice cream while increasing your aerobic activity to reduce body fat.
“One thing you can’t do is train like a horse and eat like a bird,” he warned.
The bodybuilding legend explained that people often start training too late and have to do “crazy things” to get in shape to fight, leading to a “fatigued looking physique” on stage.
‘Reduce body fat over a long period of time. That way you have become easier to be ready for the competition,” she said.
‘You feel good. You look well. Your physique looks vibrant. The muscles are bursting, and that’s where you want to be.’
