Who is David Henry?
Tucson, Arizona-based professional bodybuilder David Henry is a sponsored athlete (USA.)
He became well-known by participating in multiple Mr. Olympia events and triumphing in several IFBB tournaments.
Short Career of David Henry
David Henry was an active sportsman from a young age. When he was in high school, he competed in track and field. After discovering Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book, he developed an interest in bodybuilding.
While employed by the Air Force, he started participating, immediately seeing success and podium finishes.
Today, David is a well-known athlete who has won nine IFBB competitions. His career speaks for itself. David has also made five Mr. Olympia Weekend appearances, solidifying his status as a world champion.
Body Measurements of David Henry
| Full Name: | David Henry |
| WEIGHT: | 205 – 215lbs (88.5 – 93.0kg) |
| ERA: | 2000, 2010 |
| PROFESSION: | IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Sponsored Athlete |
| NATIONALITY: | American |
| HEIGHT : | 5’5″ (165cm) |
Accomplishments
Competitions
- 1998 South Korea- Mr. Osan, Middleweight, 1st
- 2000 Southwest USA/ North TexasLightweight, 1st
- 2000 Southwest NaturalLightweight, 1st
- 2000 Lackland Classic Middleweight & Overall, 1st
- 2001 LoneStar Classic Middleweight & Overall, 1st
- 2001 AETC Muscle ManiaOverall, 1st
- 2001 Capital of Texas, Guest Poser
- 2001 NPC Nationals Middleweight, 11th
- 2002 NPC USA Championships Middleweight, 2nd
- 2002 NPC Nationals MiddleWeight, 1st (pro card)
- 2004 IFBB Florida Pro Xtreme Challenge, 10th
- 2004 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational 6th
- 2004 IFBB San Francisco Pro Invitational 8th
- 2005 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational 7th
- 2005 IFBB Arnold Classic, 12th
- 2005 IFBB Europa Supershow, 4th
- 2005 IFBB San Francisco Pro Invitational, 7th
- 2005 IFBB Toronto Pro Invitational, 7th
- 2005 IFBB Olympia Wildcard Showdown, Winner
- 2005 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 14th
- 2006 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational,2nd
- 2006 IFBB New York Pro Championships, 4th
- 2006 IFBB Mr. Olympia Did not place
- 2007 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational, 6th
- 2007 IFBB Arnold Classic, 14th
- 2007 IFBB Atlantic City Pro, 3rd
- 2007 IFBB Colorado Pro Championships, 5th
- 2007 IFBB Mr. Olympia, 10th
- 2008 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational, 12th
- 2008 IFBB Arnold Classic, 12th
- 2008 IFBB New York Pro Championships LightWeight, 2nd / Open, 4th
- 2008 IFBB Mr. Olympia LightWeight, 1st / Open, 15th
- 2008 IFBB Tampa Bay Pro LightWeight, 1st / Open, 3rd
- 2009 IFBB New York Pro Championships LightWeight, 3rd
- 2009 IFBB Tampa Bay Pro LightWeight, 1st
- 2009 IFBB Mr. Olympia 202 division LightWeight, 2nd
- 2010 IFBB Battle of Champions LightWeight, 2nd
- 2010 IFBB Jacksonville ProLightWeight, 1st
- 2012 Daplacellas Super Show, 1st
- 2012 Sheru Classic 212 1st
- 2013 Sheru Classic 212 1st
- 2013 Mr. Olympia 212, 2nd
- 2014 Arnold Classic 212, 2nd
Biography of David Henry
Youth Sports
Denver, Colorado, is where David was raised (USA.) During his high school years, he competed in track and field, where he “become exceptionally thin and muscular.”
David claims that at the age of 16, he entered a bodybuilding competition before ever picking up a weight.
He was utterly shocked to finish third in the novice division of this competition. When the tournament was over, the judges told him that he had “quite an excellent potential.”
Finding Your Bodybuilding Passion
The judges recognized something in David, but he wasn’t interested in developing a strong physique until he came across his brother’s book, “Arnold’s Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding.”
He claims that the book’s illustrations were so striking that he decided to start building an Arnold Schwarzenegger-like physique that very day.
In addition to reading books on bodybuilding nutrition, he started working out as hard as he could in the gym.
Joining The Air Force
David decided to pursue a very busy profession after high school. He enlisted in the Air Force to serve as a “Weapons Expediter,” mounting weapons on aircraft and preparing them for combat.
David had to fit in his gym visit as best he could because of his new work. He began working early in the day, so he frequently trained right after work.
He claims that he would occasionally need to “grab some sleep after work and go [to the gym] later than intended” since he was so exhausted.
Inaugural Competition
David’s preparation paid off. On the air base in South Korea where he was stationed, David Henry participated in his first significant bodybuilding competition.
David was ready for the 1998 “Mr. Osan” contest, which was a tough competition for the air force troops stationed at the base.
He managed to win the middleweight division easily after putting in a few months of preparation to get ready for the big day. He considered this to be the beginning of his fitness quest.
Success Streak
David wanted to compete again after this one since he felt more confident. He competed in the Southwest USA/North Texas tournament in 2000, winning first place.
He then added two more first-place trophies to his collection that year in the Southwest Natural and the Lackland Classic.
This streak persisted up until 2001 when David decided to start taking part in top-tier “National Physique Committee” (NPC) events. Unfortunately, David’s first NPC contest served as a learning experience as he finished 11th.
He competed at the NPC USA Championships in the middleweight division the next year and won, earning his pro card in the process.
After learning from his errors in 2001, he trained extremely hard to develop a more proportionate physique.
Competing at the Highest Level Possible
After the victory in 2002, David’s professional career started right away. In his first professional competition, the IFBB Florida Pro Xtreme Challenge, he only managed to finish in 10th place, but he was still upbeat about his upcoming performances.
Between 2004 and 2005, he accomplished a string of top 10 placings. In 2005, he entered the IFBB Olympia Wildcard Showdown to win a spot at the world’s most prestigious competition.
At Mr. Olympia 2005, he was competing alongside Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler after winning the show and the overall.
Even though he only finished the competition in 14th place, he had a blast. Additionally, he was content to accept the $2000 he was paid for this placement.
Developing Into An Expert
After winning his first Mr. Olympia, David started to participate in as many high-profile competitions as he could.
After failing to place in the 2006 IFBB Mr. Olympia, he finished second at the 2006 IFBB Ironman Pro Invitational and third at the 2007 IFBB Atlantic City Pro.
David began to do well in succeeding events in 2008. He finished second at the 2008 IFBB New York Pro Championships, first at the 202 competition over the weekend of Mr. Olympia, and subsequently, he won four further first-place finishes.
These triumphs were significant successes for David. Before collecting another second-place finish at the 212 Mr. Olympia Weekend competition, he won the Tampa Bay Pro, Jacksonville Pro, Daplacellas Super Show, and Sheru Classic.
Training of David Henry
Training Approach
David Henry has an unconventional approach to exercising, and he feels that it has helped him acquire strength and muscle.
According to him, the fundamental goal of his program is to lift more weight and resist more resistance while doing short, high-rep sets of heavy weights.
David also tries to cut down on the amount of time between sets. He attempts to give himself a 10-second respite before moving on to the next activity.
He can exercise his muscles to the maximum extent and speed up his heart rate in this manner.
A larger muscle is stronger.
David’s Breakup
- Monday: Base/Volume
- Tuesday: Base/Volume
- Wednesday: Off
- Thursday: Muscle Rounds
- Friday: Off
- Saturday: Muscle Rounds
- Sunday: Off
David exercises for 90 minutes each day, four days a week. His “base and volume days” are Monday and Tuesday.
The thighs, hamstrings, and quads are worked in straight sets of one exercise on the base day, with the reps being lowered after each set before moving on to the calves.
David supersets one exercise for the chest, back, shoulders, and abs, followed by the biceps and triceps. This increases the volume of the workout.
He performs 12–15 reps of each exercise per set and only takes a two-minute break if he is completely worn out.
He decides on Thursday and Saturday, which he refers to as “the muscle rounds,” for his following two weekly sessions.
The emphasis these days is on lifting as much weight as you can. He chooses one exercise for each body part and performs five sets of no more than four repetitions for each.
During this time, the seated shoulder overhead dumbbell press is one of his go-to exercises.
He claims that the exercises are unbeatable for gaining mass to the shoulder, especially the front delt. Every time he does the exercise, he needs a spotter because he uses very heavy weights and only completes a few reps.
Favorite Workouts
David adores the Standing Cable Flye as his preferred exercise.
He lowers the wires to the lowest setting for this workout before gradually elevating them to shoulder height. He likes how tight the cables feel against his lower pectorals.
David enjoys a variety of back exercises in addition to this chest workout.
Pull-ups and sitting cable rows are typically the exercises he begins a back workout with. Henry has always included pull-ups in his fitness routine. Everyone should use them, he claims, as they are a “test of strength.”
He changes the grip he uses to finish his pull-ups to strike the muscle at various angles. After a set, he enjoys the burn it gives his arms.
The Least Preferred Exercise
The deadlift is one exercise Davis dislikes doing. He claims that he is not “structurally” equipped to reach for the weight. He has substituted rack deadlifts, which he enjoys doing, for this exercise in his routine.
Nutrition
The Off-Season Diet
David claims that he follows 90% of the standard bodybuilder’s diet during the off-season. He consumes lean foods like turkey and beef, brown rice, and chicken breasts during the week.
He also has a limit on the number of carbohydrates he can consume to prevent overeating.
But David eats anything he wants from Friday afternoon till Sunday night. He consumes a wide variety of things, including sushi, burgers, and steak.
Additionally, he grills his meat in his backyard, where he likes to consume ribs, chicken, and sausages.
David claims that as a result of this diet, his daily caloric intake increases to between 7,000 and 10,000 calories on the weekends.
He enjoys eating these things but claims that the amount of pizza he consumes can cause his sodium levels to soar.
Season of Competition Diet
6 months hence
David’s diet during the competition season is far more structured than his weekend binges during the off-season.
He follows a high-carb diet one day before drastically reducing them the following and then eliminating them since he thinks that switching up his carb intake has been quite helpful for trimming.
To give his body time to acclimate to the new intake, he starts this process six to eight months before a competition.
4 weeks from now
He claims that his carbohydrates vary from day to day. He continues to consume this amount of carbohydrates up to four weeks before a competition while keeping his daily protein intake of 350–400 grams fairly constant.
When he reached the 4-week point after delivery, his protein intake increased significantly.
He consumes a lot more green tea and concentrates more on building muscle in the gym. Along with drinking more water, he completely cuts out carbohydrates.
Favorite Healthy Dish
Ground turkey and jasmine rice are David’s go-to healthy midweek supper. He enjoys how well the two flavors complement one another as well as how simple it is to prepare.
Favorite Indulgent Food
He would choose chicken wings and bratwurst as his one indulgent dinner. He enjoys cooking these meats and enjoying a few drinks in the process.
Influences and Idols of David Henry
David Henry has looked up to Arnold Schwarzenegger since he was a young man. He admires Arnold’s ability to sculpt such a balanced figure.
What can David Henry Teach Us?
David’s career demonstrates how committed bodybuilders must be to winning Mr. Olympia. Before making his Olympia debut as a wildcard, David had to participate in 19 different events.
Along with his gym workouts, he also had to compromise on his nutrition and social life because of his full-time Air Force job.
You must be willing to put in a lot of time and effort if you want to become a professional bodybuilder like David.