Phil plans on going for 10 Mr. Os. He said he plans to retire in 2020

[Howard]

Excellent analysis.

I have a theory that Phil Heath is quietly planning to RETIRE following a WIN at the 2015 Mr. Olympia Contest.  
Let me lay out why I think this is the case:

Company change)
Phil took a nice payday and walked away from a steady contract.  The move shocked many, but would make sense if he only planned to compete for one more year.  The steady check would go away anyway - but locking in a nice % of your own company would be a smart move if you planned on doing that full-time, starting in a year.  

Aging physique)
His body is showing signs of age/expansion in the BBing era now... it's just science, not a knock on Phil.   Midsection growing, arms shrinking a bit.  It happens.  2011 may have been the best Phil we'll see.

Legacy)
Phil is a huge Michael Jordan fan... No doubt, he reveled in the TWO times Jordan went out on top... then came back past his time for dismal Wizards career.  Most huge MJ fans wish he had left on top.   Phil will never go on that stage if he's getting bested by 5 or 6 guys. He'll retire first.  And comparing 2014 to 2011, he has declined, that's not a knock, that's just the effects of BBing lifestyle.  

Health)
Phil's a smart guy.  He knows BBing is a dangerous sport at the top levels, and he's almost 35 and a family man.  He's not a single rock star, willing to ride his body til the wheels fall off.  A decade at the highest level of BBing "supp" use - smart man starts to back off soon.  

They caught him)
Kai's right there.   others are close.   If Phil drops off 2%, he can easily lose on any night now.  Phil isn't unbeatable.  You can ask Iris Kyle if they'll give a retiring multi-champion a parting gift title.  They will.  Phil knows he will win in 2015 if he's off yet retiring on top.  Does anyone here think, after seeing the 2014 show, that Phil is unbeatable in 2 years?

Forward-thinking)
Phil was a computer major in college.  He's been on the right side of everything he's done in Bodybuilding.  He arrived, did the right shows, crashed with Jay to learn the top level ropes, entered and won the right hows every year.  Phil doesn't make mistakes.   Phil doesn't do 'trial and error'.  He's a bright dude, and in a sport as competitive and potentially dangerous as BBing, I think Phil's had his eyes on the Exit door, of what's next, since he entered bodybuilding.  Winning the 5th title, retiring to lead his company to the top, it's the right move.

FIVE sounds right)
Strive for five.   Five-time winner.  Phil's Five Titles.  5X Olympia winner.  Nice round number that puts him in the upper echelon of the sport, but also lets him retire at age 35 and able to keep his health, run a company for a decade or two, and maintain sustained income.  Five time winner just sounds right.  

So anyway, that's my guess.  I have no 'inside information'.  Just as a fan, looking at Phil's situation, legacy, position and trying to predict his mindset... and of course, Ron's sly comment above, seeing as Phil would give insiders like Ron the wink and the nod...

I think Phil Heath goes out on top and retires after winning the 2015 Mr. Olympia contest.

[Coffeed]

The unseen factor here, however, is the fame and ego and general frame of mind that goes with being a world champion.

Nobody here has lived that, but even MJ succumbed to it. Who knows for what reason ultimately. But many champions in many sports have done it; and the trend lately is for bodybuilders to fizzle out than to go out with a bang.

Who is everyone going to hate on next?

[affeman]

Would be a hell of a legacy but to remain injury free for that long at that level just dosen't seem very likely.

Phil has a good chance of remaining injury free, his style of training is waaay smarter in terms of BB than Dorians or Ronnies.

[mesmorph78]

His unecessary comment about Arnold legs, may come back to haunt him this Mr Olympia
Phil needs to remember ... You are never too big for the system...
Celebs 1000 bigger than him (status wise and money wise) have been brought back down to earth

[bradistani]

phil knows just what to say and when to say it to push peoples buttons

[Coffeed]

His unecessary comment about Arnold legs, may come back to haunt him this Mr Olympia
Phil needs to remember ... You are never too big for the system...
Celebs 1000 bigger than him (status wise and money wise) have been brought back down to earth

I think Arnold's influence on modern bodybuilding as a business is questionable.

Despite the recent popularity of Arnold basically slamming the guts of today, he has gone on record maybe 4 to 5 years ago saying the same thing. The pathetic part is nothing changed.

The IFBB seems incredibly oblivious to the fact that they have a true Hollywood heavyweight who would happily endorse them if he believed at all in where the "sport" is at today. But it's shameful even to Arnold, a man who defined bodybuilding for generations.

[Teutonic Knight]

Really? This is news to me dipshit.

Re-read your own text mr.armageddon 

[240 is Back]

You also had a similar theory about DLB

yes.  and i said the arnold 2015 would be her last show, and that she'd retire without announcing it.  I guess we'll see if she does the O in 2015, or skips it.

[mesmorph78]

So the guy who defined bodybuilding 7 time Mr o and has his own show for decades States a true fact bodybuilder nowadays have serious stomach distension fact
And Mr Olympiad answer is to tell Arnold he has no legs.

1. How is that relevant to what Arnold said and the obvious problem in bodybuilding
2. arnold had some of the best wheels of his time From day 1 I have always said Phil is a cocky guy arrogant as hell.

[Parker]

So the guy who defined bodybuilding 7 time Mr o and has his own show for decades States a true fact bodybuilder nowadays have serious stomach distension fact
And Mr Olympiad answer is to tell Arnold he has no legs.

1. How is that relevant to what Arnold said and the obvious problem in bodybuilding
2. arnold had some of the best wheels of his time From day 1 I have always said Phil is a cocky guy arrogant as hell.

I wonder if Phil was contacted about this? And if there was an "apology" and a "what I meant was..."?

[FitnessFrenzy]

I have a theory that Phil Heath is quietly planning to RETIRE following a WIN at the 2015 Mr. Olympia Contest.  

funny, I haven't heard you mention this theory before.

[240 is Back]

funny, I haven't heard you mention this theory before.

It just makes sense for so many reasons for him to go out on top.  Winning ten is funny in interviews... Being 41 years old and still loading up on that much shit is insane. 

[Coffeed]

It just makes sense for so many reasons for him to go out on top.  Winning ten is funny in interviews... Being 41 years old and still loading up on that much shit is insane. 

That's true, but so is loading up for a decade starting before your brain even realizes what real life might even be.

We're not dealing with normal folks when we try to project what a current pro might pursue...

Seems like modern bodybuilders either get out early or wait for a health scare. To be fair, change is typically hard and it seems logical that it's difficult for them to give up their identity. What was that Jay Cutler quote again about retiring at 32?