“Didn’t Believe in Myself”: Lack of Confidence Led Flex Wheeler To Be an Imposter on Stage During His Career, He Admitted in 2021
Follow Us
More often than not, there is more to a person’s personality than what meets the eye. So was the case with one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, Flex Wheeler. Wheeler’s enigmatic nature brought a lot of attention to the bodybuilder. However, it wasn’t all positive. While many considered him to be an arrogant person, it was a result of his insecurities.
Though Wheeler wasn’t able to claim the Mr. Olympia title, he has the best IFBB pro debut in history. In the year 1993, Wheeler won the Arnold Classic, Pro Ironman, French Grand Prix, and German Grand Prix, along with the second position at his first Mr. Olympia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Flex Wheeler: The arrogant man
In 2021, Wheeler appeared on the 3rd episode of the podcast “The Menace.” On the show, he not only spoke about his health condition and ambitions but also opened up about his lack of self-confidence and talked about how he dealt with his public image,
Trending
Exercise Scientist Reveals an Unlikely Benefit of Using Creatine: “Many People Did Not See Coming”
May 01, 2024 10:59 AM EDT
“Doctor Has Never Seen This Happen Before”: After 6hr Long Heart Surgery, Joey Swoll Drops Health Update
April 30, 2024 04:00 PM EDT
Fans Believe Kendall Jenner’s Lookalike Bodybuilder Is the “Most Amazing Woman on Earth”
April 27, 2024 01:45 PM EDT
“We Changed History”: Bodybuilder With Down Syndrome Takes a Look Back at First Win, Mesmerizes Fans With “Huge Imprint to the Sport”
April 28, 2024 04:00 PM EDT
Having a PhD in Sports Physiology, Excercise Scientist Unravels the Only “Confirmed Supplements That Work”
January 03, 2024 11:55 AM EST
Get instantly notified of the hottest Bodybuilding stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
Wheeler said, “I would dismiss it and think they were wrong. My analogy was ‘people say bad things about me and if people say good things about me, they just don’t know … Even in times when I went onstage and people considered me very arrogant and full of myself, it was a façade because I didn’t believe in myself. ”
He further spoke about how his lack of self-confidence affected his training and performance. “You know, it’s sad, and it’s embarrassing, but to be honest, I beat myself out of it. I didn’t believe in myself, and I didn’t think I was worthy. So I didn’t train hard. If you competed against me at the Iron Man or if you competed against me at the Arnold Classic, I felt I could beat you. I honestly felt that was my house. Come get it, come try. But when it came to the Olympia, I just didn’t feel like I could be No. 1,” he said.
Wheeler: The Sultan of Symmetry
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Born in August 1965, Kenneth Flex Wheeler is a bodybuilder from Fresno, California. Before training as a bodybuilder, Flex trained as a martial artist from a very young age. He has gone on record to say that he recognizes himself as a “martial artist first, a bodybuilder second.”
Flex Wheeler started his professional career as a bodybuilder in 1983. Over the years, he made tremendous progress as a bodybuilder. However, a fatal car accident in 1994 took him back to the starting point. Later, in 1999, he was diagnosed with kidney disease.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
In 2000, Flex Wheeler announced his retirement from competitive bodybuilding competitions. However, despite all odds, he continued to participate until 2003.
Edited by:
Vineet Nandwana