Late bodybuilding legend, Steve Reeves was the icon of the 1950s, transitioning from a bodybuilding great to a Herculean movie star. From featuring in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s top three picks of bodybuilding greats, to being hailed by Frank Zane as his idol, Reeves’s stardom was far-reaching. Even after 23 years of his demise, he is revered by today’s athletes, one of whom is bodybuilding sensation, Mike O’Hearn.

O’Hearn often takes to his YouTube channel to live stream with his fans, taking in random questions from them. In a similar feat yesterday, the athlete stumbled upon a question asking him about the late bodybuilder-turned-actor’s influence on him. Responding to that, O’Hearn admitted that he greatly admired Reeves. Moreover, it was a topic that brought him close to his dad, as a young aspirant. 

Mike O’Hearn cherishes Steve Reeves’ flair in his life

During the Q&A session of his YouTube stream, the 54-year-old star athlete was randomly asked by a fan if Steve Reeves was an “inspiration” to him in bodybuilding. An enthusiastic answer from O’Hearn implied the late athlete’s significance in his life. He instantly recalled having a great dinner with him once, and added that he met Reeves in his older age. 

“Steve! I had a great dinner with Steve back in the day. What a stud! I met him obviously in his older age, he was great,” he shared. Shedding light on how he idolized the man, the American icon revealed that Reeves was an icon for O’Hearn’s father as well. He said, “He was a huge inspiration to my dad so yeah he definitely motivated me because also he was the guy…”

“he went from stud bodybuilder into the movies and he dominated that kind of Hercules stuff,” he continued. He confessed that Reeves was the bonding link between his and his father’s relationship, viewing him as someone they both revered. He stated, “it was also just a cool bond between me and my father as somebody we both really liked.” Unsurprisingly, the entire community once looked up to Reeves for his insane physique and wealth of wisdom. To add to his, Reeves once shared mind-boggling advice that left his fans thinking. 

Steve Reeves’s precious piece of wisdom for athletes on steroids

After one of his old interviews went viral on the internet last year, the community realized that Reeves’s wisdom holds great relevance even in the current times. In the video, the late icon can be heard saying, “During my time, I believe that bodybuilding was a health-oriented sport while now, it is all about unhealthy, chemically induced gains and all.”

Highlighting the integrity of the sport, he claimed that the modern era has urged athletes to simply flaunt artificially enhanced physiques. He believed that bodybuilding was greatly influenced by genetics and dedication. Thus, he discouraged the use of PEDs and asserted, “You should take up other sports like catching butterflies and ping-pong.” 

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A pioneer of the sport, when it was only in its early stage of development, Reeves’s contributions and influence on the bodybuilding arena shall remain eternal. He continues to inspire the upcoming generations of bodybuilders, cementing the true spirit of the field. 

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