8-Year-Old teenager Was recognized For His Giant Muscles, But 16 Years Later, He Looks consequently Different

Richard Sandrak was born in April 1992. His father, Pavel, was a champion martial artist, and his mother was an aerobics competitor. You could say the little boy from Ukraine was born into fitness.

In 1994, Pavel packed up his family and moved to Pennsylvania. At just 2 years old, Richard began rigorously training alongside Pavel, who taught his son everything he knew about weightlifting. A few years later, the Sandrak family moved to California to break into show business. There, they met a trainer named Frank Giardina and hired him to mentor Richard.

Since Richard was so incredibly focused on training, he didn’t get to have a “normal” childhood. According to Wikipedia, Richard spent all his time working out with Pavel. Every day, he would do 600 push-ups and sit-ups, along with 300 squats. Pavel strictly prohibited Richard from eating sugary or fatty foods.

By the age of eight, Richard’s massive muscles were making him famous. He even earned the nickname “Little Hercules.”

But Frank ultimately quit working with Richard, claiming that Pavel’s parenting was “criminal.” However, Richard said his father never forced him into bodybuilding and it was something he naturally wanted to do