Little Hercules Today: He Was The World’s Strongest Kid Back In 1996

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Some children have blown our minds over the years with the things they have achieved. So what about one that could beat you in an arm-wrestling competition? Little Hercules blew our minds when he graced the world. It turns out that he’s done a lot of growing up over the years.

Carving the muscles

There have been plenty of impressive people over the years. It can take hours of dedication in the gym and years of self-control to build up a god-like physique. People such as Lou Ferrigno, Dwayne Johnson, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have come close over the years and will probably be the closest thing to Hercules that many of us will ever see.

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However, there was once a kid that put all of those muscles to shame. “Little Hercules” hit the headlines almost two decades ago when he was just eight years old. Although he appeared to take over the world, it wasn’t long before Little Hercules disappeared – and many wanted to know where he had gone. It turned out that he had been on quite the ride.

In his genes

To learn all about Little Hercules, we need to go back to the beginning. He was born in 1992 and is actually named Richard Sandrak. Richard was born and raised in Ukraine, where he soon got a taste for fitness and exercise. His parents, Lena and Pavel, loved to keep active and would often be spotted putting their muscles to the test.

Facebook/Pavel Sandrak

Lena was an aerobics professional while Pavel once competed in martial arts at an international level. It wasn’t long before Richard’s life was flooded with health and fitness as he grew up watching his parents push their limits. He would often join his parents during their exercise regimes and instantly fell for the active lifestyle. However, things quickly went to a new level.

Learning the moves

Many parents have high hopes for their children. It looked as though Richard’s parents were no exception. Richard was born in Ukraine, but it wasn’t long before the family was on the move as Lena and Pavel decided that they wanted to raise their son across the pond. The family settled in Pennsylvania.

Lifebuzz

As soon as the family settled into their new home, it was back to business. Being so active throughout their lives meant that Lena and Pavel were itching to get back in the gym and work on their regimes. Pavel decided to take his son along for one of his training sessions. Here, he started to teach Richard a handful of moves from Taekwondo. Richard was greeted with a lesson from a master.

An instant success

As soon as the pair started to go through the moves, Pavel could see there was something different about his son. Mastering martial arts takes a special set of skills. You need to be balanced and controlled, have impressive muscle control, and have the mental strength to know when to use your moves.

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However, Richard seemed to be picking things up quicker than Pavel ever expected. Richard was fast, strong, and agile. He wanted to take his son to the next level. Pavel introduced weight training and more technical stretches and moves into their routines to see if Richard could keep up. Amazingly, it still looked as though he was getting better with each training session. Pavel decided to relocate the family once more as they searched for fame and glory in California.

The best of the best

There was only so much that Pavel could do. Sure, he knew all about martial arts and had competed at impressive levels in the sport throughout his career, but he knew that Richard would get the most out of sessions with a professional trainer. Pavel searched high and low for the perfect person for the fit. He eventually settled on trainer Frank Giardina.

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Frank had years of experience under his belt. He owned a franchise gym and was an expert in bodybuilding. As if that wasn’t enough, Frank had access to all the apparatus and tools he needed to take Richard to the next level. Pavel wanted the best for his son – and to see Richard reach stardom. Nothing would get in his way.

Creating a plan

It looked as though Pavel and Frank were on the same page. They both knew that there was something special about Richard, and Frank wanted to see how high he could take the youngster. It wasn’t long before Frank found himself writing up an intense exercise regime that would push Richard further than ever before.

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If Frank’s plan worked, then Richard would strengthen every muscle in his body. Both Frank and Pavel agreed to try and turn Richard into one of the youngest bodybuilders the world had ever seen. They knew the youngster had an incredible set of skills, and they didn’t want to let his young age get in the way of success. They viewed Richard as an adult – and started to train him as one.

Earning his name

By the time Pavel and Frank had finished writing their plan, Richard was just a few years old. He might have been a small child to many, but to this pair, he was the next best bodybuilder of the world. Each year that passed saw new changes to Richard’s body. By the time that he was six years old, Richard didn’t look like any other child in the state – let alone the rest of the world.

The World’s Strongest Boy

Of course, Richard’s unusual look was enough to grab the world’s attention. People couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It’s not every day that you see a kid with muscles that put most adults to shame. It appeared that Pavel’s plan had worked. People quickly started to refer to Richard as Little Hercules.

Proving his strength

The world knew that Richard was an impressively strong child, but just how strong was strong? When Richard was six years old, he was strong enough that he could bench an impressive 180 pounds. To put that into perspective, that is around the same weight as an adult male kangaroo. Most adults would struggle to lift this weight, let alone a child.

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This was just the beginning for Richard. Two years more of training meant that Richard could lift a whopping 210 pounds. The equivalent? 30 bricks. Richard didn’t even struggle to get the weight off the ground, while most adults would only be able to lift a small fraction of the load. The world was in awe of Little Hercules.

A lengthy workout

While the world got to see the impressive side of Little Hercules, Richard was living in the half that no one else got to see. This was the one with all of the grueling workout routines. Richard would have to work out every day at the gym, and his father would tell Frank to push Richard harder than the last session each time. His gym workouts weren’t the end of the tale.

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As soon as Richard and Pavel got home, it was onto the next thing. Pavel would stand over his son as he made him perform 300 squats, 600 push-ups, and 600 sit-ups each evening. All of this exercise means it’s safe to say that Richard had a far from a normal childhood.

Total control

Of course, it’s important that we try and live a healthy lifestyle at all ages. However, one crucial aspect of being healthy is to learn how to balance, and Richard’s intense workout meant that things were pretty unbalanced. His workouts eventually dominated every aspect of his life. Lena and Pavel banned Richard from spending time with children his own age.

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He didn’t have any friends and spent his entire childhood sticking to the regime. Richard also wasn’t allowed to play video games or do anything that didn’t help build his fitness. His parents were so strict about what Richard cold and couldn’t do that they even controlled his meal plans. Pavel carefully thought out every aspect of the day to make sure that Richard was the best that he could be.

Finding the balance

It can be tough to try and find balance in life. We might spend all day eating fresh fruits and vegetables, but that might ll go out the window when someone offers us a candy bar. Thankfully, learning how to balance sweet treats among the rest of your life means that you can still live your healthiest life. Kids often find a way to get a few sweet treats into their diets.

The Sassy Cook

Not Richard. In fact, he never even got to try most of the food that everyone else was enjoying. Instead, his parents made sure that Richard ate nothing but lean meat, fruits, and vegetables. If he was hungry, then Richard was allowed lettuce heads. His father never followed the same rules as Pavel would eat pizza in front of his son.

Questioning their motives

The growing attention around Richard and his muscles meant that it wasn’t long before people started asking questions about his life away from the cameras. Sure, it was impressive to see someone so young with so many muscles, but people began to worry that Richard might not have a say in the regimes and training sessions.

Facebook/Richard Sandrak

They wondered if Pavel was forcing his son to be something that he didn’t want to be. However, Pavel always denied that he was pushing his fun, and he never pushed his son too far. Even Richard spoke about his workouts. The youngster said that it was “mostly my choice” and defended his father’s behavior. He wanted the world to know that he was never forced to do anything he didn’t want to do.

Pushed to the limits

It usually takes a lot of hard work and dedication to try and make it to the top of your career. Being an athlete also means working hard in the gym and making sure that you’re on top of your game at all times. Many athletes have dedicated their entire lives to their sport. It seemed as though Richard was no exception.

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The only difference was that he was so young and appeared to be doing something that no other youngster had done before. Sadly, pushing your body so far can also have adverse effects. Some athletes have permanently damaged themselves as a result. In contrast, others have had to battle mental health issues as a result of their lifestyles. It can be tough to find a balance.

A new lifestyle

Although Richard said that he was always in control of his workouts and eating regimes, not everyone was convinced. His life was changing faster than anyone ever believed. Richard was just ten years old when he hit new levels of fame. It seemed as though people from across the world had heard of Little Hercules. It also appeared that Pavel’s plan was paying off.

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His son had become the famous bodybuilder that he had always dreamed about, and the family was reaping the rewards. They were flooded with riches and got to travel the world so that Richard could compete in all kinds of competitions and pose for photoshoots. Some major companies and brand names also wanted Little Hercules to be their ambassador.

On the big screen

There have been plenty of movies that tell the lives of our favorite stars and how they rose to fame. There have even been a handful of films and documentaries about athletes and their rise to the top. It wasn’t just Richard’s appearance that got the world talking. Many wondered how many hours he had to put in at the gym and how the youngster managed to maintain such an impressive physique.

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Little Hercules was invited to all kinds of talk shows where he explained aspects of his life to the world. Richard even got to meet some of his childhood heroes. However, his major big break came in 2009 when Richard was asked to star in a movie about his life. ‘Little Hercules in 3D.’

A family bond

Being so young meant that many people wanted to learn about Richard’s family life and how his career had affected his time at home. Many people also asked about any input that his family had on his career. Richard always wanted to thank his parents as he felt they had pushed him to be the best bodybuilder he could be. However, he also said that he could walk away from it all at any time – he just didn’t want to.

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Lena, Richard’s mother, also spoke about the subject and agreed with her son. She stated that she never pushed Richard to become a famous bodybuilder. It just seemed to happen all on its own. While it might have left some people scratching their heads, no one had any reason to doubt the family.

Combining the passions

Little Hercules hit the headlines as a bodybuilder. However, that wasn’t how he got his start in his career. His dad had always trained Richard in martial arts, and it wasn’t long before Richard returned to his roots. Pavel would go through every move with his son to make sure it was all perfect and would incorporate martial arts training into his bodybuilding workouts to make sure that his son never forgot about his roots.

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All of this training meant that Richard was more disciplined. Focused, and centered than most others in the world. All of these skills at such a young age was an impressive accomplishment and quickly earned Richard plenty of fame and fortune. He might have been young, but Little Hercules was a force to be reckoned with.

Plenty of negativity

Many people at the top have learned that success also brings a lot of criticism and negativity. Richard might have been dominating the world with his strength, but some people were less than impressed. Not everyone was happy at how far Richard had pushed his body. Many of these people blamed his parents for pushing Richard into the world of bodybuilding and fame.

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They were worried that his father had caused his son to push his body too far at a young age. People came forward to talk about the long-term impacts that all of that weight lifting could have had on Richard’s body. Some of these people thought that Richard needed to carve his own path in the world and not live out Pavel’s dream instead.

Reaching the top

Richard wasn’t the only youngster to reach new heights of fame – and earn a lot of criticism as a result. There are plenty of ways that parents have pushed their children to be the greatest person they can be. Some of these competitions take a lot of skill and determination. Some take place in sporting events while others use their poise and grace in new ways, such as competing in child pageants.

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Most parents just want to see the best for their children, even if it means pushing them into a competition. It takes a lot of work to make sure their child is ready to dominate the competition, which could involve hours of work. Some people have questioned whether this could all be worth it.

Looking on the bright side

A lot of people only focus on the negatives when it comes to children entering competitions and training for a big event. Thankfully, there are also many people that see the positive things that come out from these competitions. It takes a lot of hard work to reach the top and walk away with a trophy.

acebook/Tori Hensley

Kids also need to be motivated to keep going even when they don’t get first place and have the discipline to stick to their training schedule. These can be great skills to take into adulthood. To top it off, children that take their skills one step further and reach new levels of fame can even start to earn their own paycheck. The extra money can then be used for things in later life, such as a college fund.

Living the high life

It looked as though Richard knew what he wanted and was happy to take advantage of every aspect of his bodybuilding career. The best bit? Little Hercules had learned how to live with all the fame and fortune that came his way as a result of his hard work. Richard was able to do something that many adults never achieve – he had hit legendary levels of fame.

Facebook/Richard Sandrak

All of that work in the gym and at training sessions appeared to have paid off. People from across the world all wanted Little Hercules on their show or to endorse their brand. There wasn’t enough of the young bodybuilder to go around. Richard knew that without his dedication in the gym, he would never have lived that lifestyle.

Falling from fame

Although many people have risen to the top of fame over the years, only a few have been able to hold onto it for years. People were keen to learn all about Little Hercules as he rose to the top, but it soon started to dwindle. It looked as though the world that he had built for himself was all started to crumble around him.

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Everything that had once brought Richard so much fame was beginning to take a turn. Richard no longer wanted to head to the gym, and Frank stopped training the youngster as he said that he felt uncomfortable being around Pavel. This all meant that people started to get tired of Richard. To make matters worse, Pavel was arrested for violence in the home.

Worried professionals

Pavel was behind bars, meaning that Lena was left to raise her son on her own. Although she still encouraged Richard to keep up with his bodybuilding, it seemed that Lena was a lot less strict when it came to keeping on top of the regimes. No matter how hard the pair tried, they couldn’t avoid the questions that kept coming their way.

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Health experts from across the nation attempted to contact Richard and his mother as they were worried about the effects all of that training could have on the youngster’s health. It turned out that he had just 1% body fat. This meant that Richard was at risk of having some major health complications. They also wanted to talk about Richard’s transformation into Little Hercules.

Starting rumors

Young boys start to produce more testosterone as they grow older. This is used for all kinds of things in the body, including building muscles. This is why experts were so worried about why Richard had so many muscles. His muscular physique was unlike anything they had ever seen. Richard was just eight years old when he first hit the headlines, and the health professionals worried about how he had been able to build all of those muscles at such a young age.

Instagram/@richardsandrak

Some started to question if Richard had been using illegal substances to help bulk up. Richard was adamant that he didn’t use anything of the sort, but it was tough to shake the rumors. Eventually, it took a massive toll on his confidence.

Balancing his life

He was losing interest in the gym and was worried about what the world thought of his physique. It wasn’t long before Richard opted to spend his life relaxing at home with his mother rather than spending hours lifting weights and training. Suddenly, it was like he had opened the door to a normal life. Richard started doing things that other teenagers were all doing, like hanging out with friends and trying foods that had always been banned from the menu.

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Although life seemed to be settling down for Richard, he never entirely cut the cord with the gym. He always made sure that he balanced his new lifestyle with a workout every now and then. The lack of Pavel’s control just meant that Richard could enjoy other things at the same time.

Walking away from bodybuilding

Growing up means that many of us are forced to change our lives and make important decisions. Richard had once lived his entire life around bodybuilding and becoming the top of the world. That was until the day came that Richard had to make a tough choice. He decided that it was time to walk away from the world of bodybuilding.

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By the time he was a teenager, Richard no longer wanted to compete in the sport. This didn’t just mean that he would no longer compete at competitions – it also meant that Richard no longer had to spend every day at the gym pumping iron. It wasn’t long before his body noticed the lack of exercise and started to change once again. It’s been many years since we last saw Little Hercules at his peak.

Exploring the world

It was Richard’s choice to walk away from the world of bodybuilding. However, there was always a part of him that missed pumping iron at the gym every day. It might have been a bit of a shock to the system at first, but all of the free time meant that Richard had a lot of free time to focus on other aspects of his life.

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The world was his oyster, and it looked as though all of those years in the gym had made Richard ready to take it all in. It can be tough to know what you want to do for the rest of your life. Richard knew that he wanted to remain active. He also decided that he wasn’t prepared to go to college or get an office job.

Life on the edge

It didn’t take long for the perfect career to come Richard’s way, and it seemed to be the ideal fit. It is a mixture of strength and bravery that has given him a full-time career at Universal Studios for many years. Here, Richard works as a stuntman at Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular. The job means that Richard is used to wearing fire-resistant suits and hanging around open flames.

Facebook/Pavel Sandrak

He has to jump from burning building to burning building and dodge fireballs as Richard helps to put on quite the show. It takes a lot of bravery and is a long way from the world of bodybuilding, but it appears that Richard is happy with the choices that he’s made in life.

Feeling the burn

Many jobs come with their own set of risks. Of course, working as a stuntman comes with a longer list than many others. It turns out that Richard often worries about his safety at his new job, but it hasn’t been enough to put him off just yet. Back in 2015, Richard gave an interview to Inside Edition, where he talked all about what it was like on the first day of the job.

YouTube/Inside Edition

He said there were plenty of security measures to follow and a long list of rules that needed to be adhered to at every moment. At first, Richard was overwhelmed by it all. However, he was willing to give it a go. Richard read through all the rules before he finally lit himself on fire and plunged into the water.

The foundations for life

It has been tough for Richard to break away from the name Little Hercules. After all, it was the reason that he became so famous all those years ago and helped him to experience things that he never dreamed of before. While he wants to make a new career for himself away from bodybuilding, Richard is still incredibly proud of what he was able to achieve as a youngster.

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He said that no one should be ashamed of the steps that they have taken in life. While he no longer trains at the gym like he used to, the skills that he learned as a youngster have helped Richard in many aspects of his adult life. It’s something that he values to date.

Keeping active

Just because he no longer has to have a physique to beat all the others in a competition, that doesn’t mean that Richard skips exercise altogether. It was a massive part of his life for so long. Plus, Richard still wants to make sure that he’s fit and ready for his job. Being too unfit or unprepared for the role could have serious consequences.

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That means that Richard can still be seen working out across California. He spends most of his free time at the beach where Richard jogs along the sand and runs up and down the flights of stairs. Sometimes, Richard even skateboards along the boardwalk. All of this hard work is then completed with a large set of pull-ups to make sure he keeps strong.

Another target

He was once one of the most famous bodybuilders in the world at a young age. He completed training regimes that many of us could never dream of. He had a movie made about his life. Is there anything that Richard can’t do? It turns out there is still one more goal that Richard wants to meet. While he might have conquered the world of bodybuilding, Richard now wants to make waves in the world of knowledge instead.

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Richard hopes that one day he will be able to work for NASA in one of their space programs and train as a quantum scientist. It might sound out of this world to many, but Richard has already proved that anything is possible when you put your mind to it.

Eyes on the prize

It appears that all of those training regimes and all that work at the gym as a child was enough to give Richard the drive to push for anything he sets his mind to. He is now more determined than ever to make it into NASA. During his time with Inside Edition, Richard explained that he didn’t hope that he would make his dreams come true, he knew that he would.

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Richard believes that all he needs to do is put the same amount of effort into learning a new career that he did all those years ago when he was carving his body. He has already done it once, and many can’t wait to see if Richard will be able to do it again.

Looking to the future

It might not be long before we see Richard in a whole new light. He has come a long way from his days as Little Hercules. It once looked as though he was going to spend the rest of his life performing as a bodybuilder and making appearances around the world. Now, it seems that he has the strength and power to achieve anything that he sets his mind to.

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While he might still have a way to go before he makes it into NASA, Richard is willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams come true. He might have changed a lot since his days as the child bodybuilder, but it seems that Little Hercules will always be a part of Richard.