'Little Hercules' Once Dubbed The World's Strongest Boy Transformed 22 Years Later

By Abdul Rafay in News On 31st December 2021
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He was able to lift three times his body weight as a child and use his flexibility to become a karate master.

Richard was named 'World's Strongest Boy' when he was just 11 years old.

Credit: Inside Edition

The man called 'Little Hercules' has now stepped back from his days of fame and has quitted bodybuilding as a profession.

Richard was only eight when he got this fame and now decades later is living his life far from fame.

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Despite the honor, it was revealed that the young bodybuilder had only one percent body fat, which is dangerously low.

After a documentary about him was aired, his parents received a lot of backlashes, with many people stating it was cruel and unethical of his parents to do such a thing to such a young boy.

Credit: Inside Edition
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Ukrainian-born Richard last spoke to the media in 2015, where he said his life as a ripped individual got "boring".

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Some doctors even said that a child his age wouldn't be able to produce enough testosterone to grow to that size, implying that he was taking steroids, which his mother categorically denied.

Credit: Inside Edition

The waterboard abs are long gone, and Richard appears to have no regrets.

In a 2015 interview with Inside Edition, he said: "No, I don't lift weights.”

Credit: Inside Edition
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"If anything it just got boring.”

"I’m very proud of my past.”

"It’s not something I don’t want people to know, it’s just that I’m not going to be stuck living in it."

Richard though did point out that the choice to tone up was completely his and he was never forced to do it.

In his last interview, Richard explained: "I've never been forced to train or do anything against my will.

"My parents used to train all the time and I wanted to join in. It was mostly my choice. It's just what I grew up doing. I was never forced. It was never an issue."

He was a stuntman for Universal Studios Hollywood's Waterworld show as of 2015.

To stay in shape, the former bodybuilder continues to undertake cardio workouts such as chin-ups, stair climbing, and skateboarding.

Richard mentioned that he now aspires to work for NASA as a quantum scientist.

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In 2004, a documentary titled 'The World's Strongest Boy' was made on him because of his popularity.

Richard was earning thousands of dollars per month, but according to ABC, he later admitted to having an isolated childhood where he was dominated by his abusive father.

During his weightlifting days, Richard was forced by his dad to eat only lettuce while his abusive father used to eat pizza infront of him.

A video explaining the family background claimed Richard "was never allowed to eat the meals that other people did since his parents put him on a tough diet."

That tough diet and the horrid behaviour of his father led to a falling out between Pavel and Richard's trainer and manager, Frank Giardina.

Richard's strict diet not only included forced lettuce diet, but also lots of lean meats and vegetable diet laid out for the at-the-time eight-year-old.

"He was only permitted to eat fruit, veggies and lean meats. He was granted permission to eat a head of lettuce if he became hungry between meals.

"Sadly, Pavel never maintained a consistent diet and frequently consumed pizza in front of his son."

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Pavel was sentenced to prison when he was 11 years old for assaulting Richard's mother at home.

He broke all relations with his father and stopped bodybuilding at that point.

Richard is now six feet tall, and despite not having his former body, he continues to exercise regularly.