Mike O’Hearn: Metal of Honor

If you’ve placed a ceiling on what you think is possible for yourself and you want to break through it, build a more powerful, muscular physique—and live life on your own terms—then stay tuned.

I got an excited call from IRON MAN creative director Michael Neveux, and my phone almost blew up in my hands: "David, you have to interview Mike O’Hearn. I just shot him at Dave Fisher’s Powerhouse Gym, and he’s in the best shape of his life." Later that day Fisher posted a few impromptu photos of the shoot on Facebook and said O’Hearn looked incredible.

If you know Neveux or Fisher, you know that they don’t hand out compliments easily. Anyone who gets a thumbs-up from them has truly earned it.  

Walking into Gold’s Gym in Venice, California, I ran into the premier bench press champion, Scott Mendelson, who told me, "Mike is a beast—a flipping beast."

O’Hearn went through a biceps workout with his training partner, Tihomir Dukic, a martial arts instructor for a lot of actors. The interview followed while Mike was on the treadmill—with his rescue dog Stryker on the treadmill next to him. Said O’Hearn, "She’s the best cardio buddy. She’s been doing that since she was eight or nine months old."

DY: In getting in shape this year, you started at 285 and ended at 247. What was the time frame, and what was your motivation this time around?

MO: I think it was 10 weeks. I shut myself off from the world for about two weeks after my mom passed away. I was mourning and feeling sorry for myself. Josh Barnett, one of the best MMA fighters in the world and a good friend, said to me, "Honor the name; show them a better O’Hearn."

I was so motivated by that idea that I stormed into the gym at 4 a.m. the very next day and started deadlifting—working up to 700 pounds, shrugging it, shouting at it and just going ballistic. Ten weeks later I’m sliced to the bone, and I was hired to make a guest appearance and do photo shoots at the Arnold Classic. Lonnie Teper and everyone who saw me said, "You look better than when you won the Mr. California and Mr. Universe.”

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