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PSYCHOLOGY

What Happened To ‘Little Hercules’ Richard Sandrak And How Does The Child Bodybuilder Look Now?

Date December 3, 2018

Author By Deanna Walker

At the age of 2, Ukrainian-born Richard Sandrak and his family moved to the United States, where his parents started to instill a love for martial arts in him. The boy attended gym a little earlier than he began walking.

For many years, Richard's father, who had trained in taekwondo, along with trainers and managers, tried to make him the new Schwarzenegger. The boy used to exercise with lightweight dumbbells at least an hour a day.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Johann Du Plessis (@jdp_divergent) on

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Soon Sandrak began taking part in America’s most famous bodybuilding shows under the nickname "Little Hercules." At the age of 8, Richard was claimed to be the strongest kid in the world – he maxed out at 180 pounds on bench-press, which was three times his own weight.

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When the boy turned 11, his father was jailed for domestic abuse after breaking his wife’s nose and wrist. After graduation, the young man abandoned training.

How does ‘the world’s strongest boy’ look today?

Richard Sandrack is now 26 years old. He has not practiced bodybuilding for a long time and keeps in shape through skateboarding and jogging.

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The Ukrainian is employed as a stuntman at Waterworld, a show at Universal Studios in Los Angeles.

People try to make me seem like some sort of freak of nature, but there were many kids that had a very similar physique.

– Richard commented on his childhood successes.

The story of Sandrak triggered heated discussions on the internet. Many web users have slammed the young man’s parents for making a choice that wasn’t theirs to make.

This is called narcissistic parenting. When parents want to fulfill their dreams through the child.

It is so often that parents, in most cases losers themselves, ruin their children’s lives.

Absolutely right decision [to quit bodybuilding- ed. note]. You need to have a decent profession, not only muscles.

And what do you think about the obsession of the boy's parents to make their little son a bodybuilding star? Share your opinion in the comments!

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