"There’s nowhere else to go but down" - Lee Haney opens up about retirement after winning eight consecutive Olympias

Lee Haney is one of the most decorated bodybuilders of all time. The legendary figure has won the Sandow trophy a record eight times, only equalled by his predecessor Ronnie Coleman. As the most-successful Olympia contestant, Haney has become a respected figure in the sport, often providing fans and athletes with useful insight into bodybuilding.

While many bodybuilders compete until they fall off the top, Haney retired soon after winning his eighth Olympia. In a recent episode of The Lee Labrada Show, Haney opened up about retirement and why he decided to hang up his boots while still on top of the game:

"When we on top there’s nowhere else to go but down ... So, the pressure of how do I stay here? What can I do different to bring a better package? All those things run through your mind and if you don’t keep it together that can really create a lot of stress."

Lee credited his success and his ability to stay sane throughout the process to his wife, who always stayed by his side as a constant source of support:

"One of the things that helped me a lot, maintain my sanity, was the fact my wife Shirley was there with me."

Haney added that he viewed the sport in a professional light. This helped him leave it behind and pursue other things in his life. He said:

"And I looked at bodybuilding in such a way that it’s my job. I didn’t worship the craft although I wanted to be the best at it. It wasn’t the end of the world as the way I looked at it."

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"You gotta do eight" - Lee Haney on how his wife, Shirley, helped him push toward eight Olympia wins

Lee Haney rose to fame fairly quickly in the sport. After finishing third in his Olympia debut, Haney won the title the very next year, beginning his reign as the champion.

Lee added that he planned on retiring at various milestones throughout his career:

"Initially, I’d set out, you know, if I could win the Olympia three times, that’d be great. But three came around so fast. When I got the three, I said maybe I can do five and then fifth came around so fast. The years go by so quick."

According to Lee, he planned on retiring right after his seventh consecutive Olympia win in 1990. However, his wife motivated him to set a new record in the sport by pursuing an eighth Sandow trophy. He said:

"Then when I got to seventh, I thought to myself, seven is a record. Arnold didn’t do seven in a row but he did do overall. I had a conversation with Shirley, and she was like, ‘What are you talking about quit? You gotta do eight. What’s the matter with you?’"

In 1991, Lee accomplished what no other bodybuilder had before him — he won his eighth and final Sandow trophy. He recalled a sigh of relief after accomplishing the incredible feat:

"When I hit the eighth one, I was able to exhale like whew! ... I was looking forward to what else was out there. You can only stay for so long in a particular area ... I never regretted having not competing again, matter of fact, I never gave it another thought."

After Lee's retirement, bodybuilding saw another man rise to the occasion, Ronnie Coleman, who went on to equal Lee's record.