What The Kid They Used To Call Little Hercules Looks Like Now

The ultimate hero Over the years, the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dwayne Johnson, and Lou Ferrigno have all become as close as humanly possible to become the embodiment of Hercules. They have trained for hours on end to transform their body and increase their muscle mass, and for many of them, it has taken decades to reach this goal. Yet, these muscles aren’t always associated with adults. Almost ten years ago, an 8-year-old boy became known as “Little Hercules,” but he disappeared from view shortly after. We now know he went on a whirlwind adventure…

The boy in question However, to truly understand this story, we need to know a little more about Little Hercules himself. The young boy who took this photo was actually born Richard Sandrak in 1992. His Ukrainian parents, Pavel and Lena, were two people who loved exercise and keeping active. His father formerly competed at an international level in martial arts, and his mother was an aerobics professional. Because of this, the young boy was exposed to a healthy and active lifestyle from day one, and it was only natural for him to follow in their footsteps.

Across the pond Although the Sandrak family were born and raised in Ukraine, Richard’s family wanted him to achieve the best in life. So, they decided to pack their bags, travel across the pond, and set up a new life for themselves in Pennsylvania. After they had settled into their new home in the United States, Richard’s father knew that it was time to show off some of his moves. He took his son to the local gym and began teaching him basic moves in the art of Taekwondo.

One step further As soon as Pavel began teaching his son the basic moves, he knew that Richard was a natural. His speed, strength, and agility were improving day by day, and they eventually decided to go one step further as a team. Pavel began to incorporate weight training and more difficult moves and stretches into their exercise routine, and he couldn’t believe just how much his son was progressing. Pavel knew that his son had something special, so he decided to move his family again in search of fame and fortune in California.

Extra training Because Pavel knew that his son had a gift, he wanted to find Sandrak a proper trainer who would be able to take him to the next level. It was then that they came across a man by the name of Frank Giardina. As a bodybuilding expert and gym franchise owner, Giardina had all of the experience, tools, and apparatus necessary to take Richard up a notch. Pavel was ready to do anything to make his son rich and famous, and he was going to stop at nothing to get where he wanted.

Getting to work Thankfully, Frank Giardina was prepared to work for the Pavel family and to train Richard to become the best of the best. They set to work on planning intense exercise regimes that would push his body to the limit and strengthen every aspect of his body. Their plan was to make him one of the youngest professional bodybuilders in the world, and they weren’t going to let his age get in the way. In their eyes, he was an adult and would be trained as such.

Becoming Little Hercules By this point, Richard Sandrak was still only a few years old. As each year passed, his body began to change dramatically, and he looked like no other 6-year-old in the world. This allowed him the chance to take the world by storm and show those around the globe that he was the best. In fact, he was able to introduce himself as the strongest boy in the world, and people soon began to call him by the nickname that would stick by him for the rest of his life: Little Hercules.

All about the weight While we know that Richard was a strong child, how strong was he? Well, by the time he was just six years old, the youngster had trained enough to be able to bench an incredible 180lbs (82kg). For reference, that meant he could lift an adult male kangaroo without any qualms or struggle. This strength just increased over the next two years, and by the time he was eight years old, he could bench a whopping 210lbs (95kg). That’s the equivalent of 30 bricks, and LIttle Hercules could lift them all without any problems.

Pushing him to the limit Of course, becoming Little Hercules was not without its struggle. Every day, Pavel Sandrak would instruct Frank Giardina to push Richard to his limits in the gym, and work even harder than the last session. It didn’t stop there, though. When Richard and Pavel made their way home from the gym, the strict workout routine continued. Pavel stood by as Richard completed an extensive home workout that included 600 sit-ups, 300 squats, and 600 push-ups every day. Because of this, it should come as no surprise to learn that Richard didn’t have a normal childhood.

A healthy lifestyle While it’s always good to lead a healthy lifestyle, Richard lived a healthy lifestyle that eventually took over every aspect of his existence. His parents did not allow him to spend time with anyone his own age, which meant that he didn’t really have any friends. Alongside this, he was also not allowed to play video games or engage in any other activity that did not surround exercise and healthy eating. In fact, Richard’s diet was almost as regimented as his exercise routines, and his father made sure that he stuck to these meal plans.

A normal diet Although most parents make sure their kids are getting their daily intake of fruits and vegetables, it’s no secret that they also chow down on fast food, candy, and other food that is sometimes considered unhealthy, but also delicious. Sadly, Richard did not get the chance to taste these staple childhood foods. Richard always had to eat fruits, vegetables, and lean meat, and would often snack on lettuce heads if he got hungry. He would eat all of this healthy food while his father ate slices of pizza in front of him.

Doing it wrong Despite the fact that Richard was growing stronger every day, he was still extremely young and inexperienced. This meant that he would often struggle with certain exercises, and even get some of them wrong. If this were to happen, Pavel would make sure to punish his son to show him that failure was not acceptable. Every time he did an exercise wrong, he would be forced to repeat it time and time again until he finally perfected it. There was no room for failure when Pavel was around, as Richard was going to be the best.

Being pushed As Richard’s life became more and more public, many people started to wonder whether Richard was being pushed into a world of bodybuilding. They questioned whether Pavel was forcing his son to take part in these intense exercise routines and maintain this strict diet. However, Richard’s son always denied the concept that he was pushing his son too far. Even Richard spoke up on the matter. He confessed that his young career was “mostly my choice,” and that he agreed with many of his father’s decisions over the years.

Going too hard Of course, if you want to make your way to the top of the sporting ladder, you need to dedicate your life to training and perfecting your craft. This has been the case for countless famous athletes and sports stars over the years. Yet, it seems as though pushing your body to the limit and going too hard can also damage your body. Many professionals have suffered from mental illnesses over the years, others have found that their desire to do the best has caused them to do unspeakable things, and there are even some who have permanently damaged their bodies.

Becoming a celebrity While many people were still not convinced that Richard was making his own choices about his career, his life had begun to change drastically. By the time he was just 10 years old, everyone knew his name, and they all wanted a piece of him. He had become rich and famous, and he was reaping the rewards of this. Yes, he was traveling the world and taking part in competitions across the globe, he was posing for photo shoots, and he was even asked to endorse brands and products by major companies.

His own movie From the moment his name made its way into the worldwide media, everyone wanted a piece of him. His story was one that shocked and impressed fans, and they wanted to know more about his life, his career, and his training regime. He was asked to appear on various high-profile and famous talk shows, and he even got to meet some of his own bodybuilding heroes. However, his true claim to fame came in 2009 when he was asked to appear in his very own movie entitled Little Hercules in 3D.

Thanking his family Since making his way into the limelight, Richard has been asked numerous times about his family and their input into his career. He has always maintained that he loves his whole family and that he wants to thank his parents for pushing him to be the best, while also leaving him with a choice in the matter. His mother has also spoken out on the matter and suggested that they never forced Richard into becoming famous, but that it simply happened on its own. It was a natural progression.

A martial artist Although Richard Sandrak was largely famous for his bodybuilding career, he was also famous for being a martial artist as a youngster. Thanks to the expertise and the commitment of his father, he was able to learn from the best and incorporate these training regimes and workout moves into his bodybuilding progression. He learned to be more centered, more focused, and even more disciplined, which were all skills that helped him succeed in the world of fame and fortune. He was a true force to be reckoned with, and everyone knew it.

Forging his own path However, with success always comes criticism, and Richard just couldn’t shy away from those who couldn’t understand his family life and his career. They were upset to see that such a young boy was being thrust into the celebrity lifestyle and pushed to his limits in terms of his body, and they believed that his father was to blame for this. They thought that Pavel was pushing his son too hard and that he was not allowing his son to forge his own path in life. Instead, they noted that Richard was living Pavel’s dream.

Fame at a young age Of course, Richard isn’t the only child who has ever competed at such a young. Across the world, children take part in various activities that require them to train and put on a show for judges. They may take part in sports activities, or they may even take part in pageants. Either way, the parents always have a say when it comes to their children. They encourage them to dress a certain way, they encourage them to practice until perfect, and they even encourage them to outshine the competition.

The value of hard work While many people see the negatives when it comes to childhood competitions, there are others who see the positives. After all, these competitions show kids just how much hard work can pay off in the end, and that being disciplined and motivated can help you succeed in life. As if that wasn’t enough, those who reach the top-tier of fame can also earn themselves their own personal cash flow that will help them out when they are older in terms of their career or their college fund.

Utilizing every aspect For Richard, he was utilizing every aspect of his young bodybuilding career. Most of all, he was embracing the fame and fortune that came with being Little Hercules. He was able to make a name for himself, and prove that his hard work in the gym was all worth it. Alongside this, however, he was also able to reap the benefits of the fact that everyone wanted a piece of him. He was endorsed to promote certain products, and he was even given his own movie. These were things he wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

Dwindling fame Unfortunately, as with all intriguing celebrities, the buzz around Little Hercules started to dwindle after a while. It was at this moment that everything began to crumble around Richard. He was no longer enjoying bodybuilding as much as he could, Frank Giardina decided to stop training him because he felt uncomfortable around Pavel Sandrak, and people began to lose interest in his quirks. Things also went from bad to worse when Pavel was arrested and convicted of domestic violence against his wife. Richard’s father soon made his way to jail.

Questioning his transformation With his father locked behind bars, it was down to Richard’s mother to take sole care of her son. While she encouraged him to continue bodybuilding, she was much more lenient. However, they couldn’t ignore the questions that were being hurled their way. Many health experts tried to get into contact with the Sandrak family to share their concerns. With just 1% body fat, they believed that Richard was in danger of some major health concerns. Alongside this, they also started to question his transformation.

Using steroids? Young boys produce more and more testosterone as they grow older, which is one of the reasons why experts were unsure about Richard and his muscular physique. He had prominent muscles around his whole body before he was eight years old, which is something many adults struggle to do themselves with high levels of testosterone. Because of this, they couldn’t help but wonder whether Richard had some help through frequent steroid use. Although he denied this, these claims followed him everywhere and drastically affected his reputation and his own confidence.

Becoming more relaxed As his own interest began to wane and he embraced a new, relaxed life with his mother, Richard was able to change his life. He was able to experience what it was really like to be a teenager, which meant that he could hang out with friends, and even try foods he had never eaten before. However, he never fell off the wagon. He continually made his way to the gym and made sure to eat a balanced lifestyle. He also allowed himself to live a little in the process.

Falling out of love Although he tried to continue his bodybuilding career, there came a time when Richard knew he had to say goodbye to the sport that had provided him with so much over the years. He had fallen out of love with the sport, and by his mid-teens, knew that it was best to leave it behind. So, he said goodbye to pumping iron and attending the gym every single day, and his body took a hit because of it. He has since been out of the game for many years, but what is he up to now?

The world is his oyster It was Richard’s choice to leave bodybuilding behind, but there’s always going to be a part of him that misses the feel of pumping iron. Despite this, saying goodbye to the sport forever meant that he could focus on something completely different. The world was his oyster, and he had the opportunity to completely reinvent himself and his career. Instead of making his way to college or finding an office job, Richard knew that he still wanted to remain active. So, he now spends his days being set on fire…

A brand new career Yes, Richard has a brand new career under his belt, and this involves open flames and fire-resistant suits. He is now a professional stuntman and has worked at the Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular attraction in Universal Studios for many years. For this role, he utilizes the strength he has built up over the years to dodge fire, jump from burning building to burning building, and even dive into the water from great heights. It’s a far cry from bodybuilding, but he still uses many of the skills he used during his childhood.

A scary experience Of course, working as a stuntman does not come without its risks, and it’s fair to say that Richard is often worried about his safety and his security on a daily basis. In 2015, Richard took part in an interview with Inside Edition, where he spoke about his first day on the job. With so many security measures and rules to follow, he found himself becoming a little overwhelmed. He ran through all of the procedures in his head before he finally took the plunge and jumped into the water while on fire.

Proud of his achievements Although he has since tried to take himself away from the Little Hercules name, Richard is still incredibly proud of his achievements and his past. While many people try to make him out as a “freak of nature” or somebody who should be ashamed of the steps they took as a youngster, he does not see it that way. He is incredibly proud of how far he came as a child and believes that he wouldn’t have got where he is today with the lessons he learned during this period of his life.

Still active today While Richard no longer takes part in bodybuilding competitions and no longer trains for long hours in the gym, that doesn’t mean that he has stopped exercising altogether. In fact, he is still active today and likes to maintain peak fitness for the sake of his new job. For the most part, he gets his body moving along the beaches of California, where he jogs along the beach, runs up various flights of stairs, and even skateboards along the boardwalk. He also completes a large number of pull-ups to give his muscles a workout.

Another goal Right now, Richard is incredibly happy with his life. He is surrounded by family and friends who love him, he has a job that he loves, and he gets to maintain an active lifestyle. However, he doesn’t believe that he has achieved all of his goals just yet. For much of his life, Richard has surrounded himself with exercise and sport. Now, he wants to surround himself with intelligent thought and knowledge. He would eventually like to make it as a quantum scientist and work for NASA within their space programs.

Full of determination Thanks to his early success and training regimes, Richard is more determined than ever to get where he wants to be in his life. During his interview with Inside Edition, he knew that he would be able to make his dream come true. If he simply works hard and puts the same amount of work he put into his bodybuilding career into his science career, there will be no reason why he wouldn’t eventually be able to work for such a company. He’s ready to put in the effort.