At just eight years old, Richard Sandrak was dubbed ‘Little Hercules’, but now he looks entirely different.
The son of martial arts world champion Pavel Sandrak and aerobics star Lena Sandra was seemingly destined to forge a successful bodybuilding career when he rose to fame in the year 2000.
However, over two decades on, his life looks very different.
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The Ukrainian-born Sandrak was able to bench-press 95kg at just eight years old and boasted an impressive physique due to him engaging in a strict exercise regime as he 'wanted to join in' with his father's workouts, which were made up of 600 push-ups and sit-ups a day, as well as 300 squats.
He was also not allowed to consume food or sweets, with his diet mostly made up of protein shakes and vegetables.
By his teenage years, ‘Little Hercules’ could lift almost three times his body weight and looked destined to carve out a career in either bodybuilding or karate, which he also took part in.
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At one point, Sandrak had a body fat percentage of just one per cent, which is not advised by health professionals and can lead to several issues, including heart problems - according to Men’s Journal.
When a documentary was released about Sandrak, many viewers expressed how they thought it was unfair and cruel for a child to be put through such a brutal training regime.
But during an interview with the Guardian in 2007, a then 15-year-old Sandrak insisted he was never “forced” to do anything by his parents.
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“I've never been forced to train or do anything against my will,” Sandrak explained.
Although the report suggested that Sandrak was not allowed to mix with other children until he was ten years of age.
“My parents used to train all the time, and I wanted to join in,” he added.
“It was mostly my choice. It's just what I grew up doing. I was never forced. It was never an issue.”
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In 2015, a then-adult Sandrak sat down with Inside Edition when he opened up about his life.
"I don't lift weights anymore," he explained.
"People tried to make seem to be some of freak of nature - there are many kids that have a similar physique."
"I’m very proud of my past,” Sandrak insisted.
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“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."
Now, the former bodybuilder keeps on top of his fitness but prefers cardio and skateboarding to lifting weights.
He also revealed that his ‘dream job’ was to become an engineer for NASA.
Luke Alfred Davies