Phil Heath and William Bonac are often talked about in the same breath, but they are not rivals from a single night. 🏆
Heath ruled the Mr. Olympia stage for seven straight years, while Bonac built one of the longest careers in the modern Open division.
The old version of this article got one big thing wrong, and this refresh starts by fixing it. It claimed the two men faced off in 2018 and 2019, pose by pose.
Only the first half of that claim is true. They did share the Olympia stage in 2018, but Heath did not compete at the 2019 Olympia at all.
What follows is a fairer comparison: the years they really did meet, the poses that show their differences best, and the very different legacies they left. No winner is declared here, because a single scorecard cannot settle two careers this different.
The Shared Olympia Years, 2014–2018
Bonac made his Mr. Olympia debut in 2014, finishing 15th, while Heath was in the middle of his title run.
That overlap lasted five Olympia contests, from 2014 through 2018. In that window, Heath was the champion or the defending champion, and Bonac was the climber.
Bonac moved up steadily: 8th in 2015, 5th in 2016, and 3rd in 2017, behind Heath, who won his seventh straight title that year.
Their last shared Olympia came in 2018. Shawn Rhoden won that contest, Heath finished 2nd, and Bonac finished 4th.
Heath then skipped the 2019 Olympia, and Bonac finished 2nd that year, behind Brandon Curry. That was Bonac’s best Olympia result, and it came without Heath on stage.
Read Heath’s full story in our Phil Heath biography, and Bonac’s in our William Bonac biography.
Front Poses: Arms, Chest and Lats
The front double biceps pose is where Heath’s reputation was built. His arms looked round and full, with a flow from shoulder to forearm that judges rewarded year after year. 💪
Bonac’s front poses showed a different strength: dense, compact muscle, packed onto a shorter frame. His arms and chest looked thick and powerful, even if his shape was less flowing than Heath’s.
In the front lat spread, both men showed relatively narrow structures for Open champions. Neither man won titles on width alone.
What separated them here was chest fullness and overall balance. Heath’s chest, in his title years, looked complete and deeply separated, while Bonac’s front poses depended more on sheer density.
Neither man’s front poses tell the whole story alone. They are a starting point, not a verdict, and the side and back poses change the picture.
Side Poses: Chest and Triceps
Side poses test thickness: chest, shoulders, arms and legs, all seen from the side at once.
Heath’s side chest was one of his signature looks. His chest stayed round and full from the side, and his arms carried that same roundness.
Bonac’s side poses showed his trademark density too. His arms, in particular, looked full and separated, and his chest held its shape well.
The side triceps pose is another useful contrast. Heath’s triceps were widely rated among the best of his era, with a shape that stood out even in a strong field.
Bonac was never weak here either, but his side poses were more about compact power than the long, flowing lines Heath showed. That difference in shape, more than any single muscle, is what fans notice first.
For another honest head-to-head from this series, read our Derek Lunsford vs Phil Heath comparison, which also declares no winner.
From Behind: Back Double Biceps
Turn both men around, and the comparison sharpens. The rear double biceps pose shows back width, back detail, and arm shape all at once.
Heath’s back in his title years paired width with deep detail. His lats spread wide, and his back muscles showed clear separation under stage lights.
Bonac’s back was also a strength, with a dense, detailed look that photographed well from behind. His rear poses often looked better than his front poses suggested they would.
If there is one pose where the gap between them narrows most, it is here. Both men could hold their own from behind, against the best of their own eras.
That is worth saying plainly, because the old article gave almost every pose to Heath. The record, and the photos, do not support a sweep.
Midsection, Most Muscular and the Poses in Between
The abdominals and thighs pose was a problem area for both men, for different reasons. Heath’s midsection became a talking point late in his reign, and Bonac’s waist was often described as blocky.
Neither man won his biggest titles on midsection aesthetics alone. Both won on overall size, density and completeness, despite that shared weakness.
The most muscular pose, struck last, is where both men looked their most imposing. Heath’s traps and shoulders gave his most muscular a towering quality, while Bonac’s version showed his compact density at full flex.
Put together, the eight mandatory poses reward completeness, not one great pose. Heath’s completeness, in his seven title years, was the standard of his era.
Bonac’s completeness lasted longer, across more seasons and more rivals, even if it never carried him to the Sandow trophy. Both facts can be true at once.
Two Different Legacies, and No Winner Declared
Outside the Olympia, their records point in opposite directions. Heath never won the Arnold Classic in Columbus, Ohio, finishing 2nd there in 2008 and 2010, though he did win the Arnold Classic Europe in 2013.
Bonac, by contrast, made the Arnold Classic his own stage. He won in Columbus in 2018 and again in 2020, finished 2nd there in 2019 and 2022, and won the Arnold Classic Australia in 2019.
Heath has not competed since his final Olympia appearance in 2020, when he finished 3rd. He has since ruled out a competitive comeback in his own public remarks.
Bonac kept going. After a break in 2023, he returned, won twice in 2026, and competed at his final Mr. Olympia in 2026, finishing tied 16th.
His farewell is planned, not yet completed: he intends to close his career at the 2027 Arnold Classic in Ohio and the Arnold Classic UK. No 2027 result is claimed here, because those shows have not happened yet.
So who wins, Heath or Bonac? This article will not pretend to answer that. Heath owns the longer Olympia reign; Bonac owns two Arnold Classic titles, a longer elite run, and a runner-up finish Heath’s rivals never gave him the chance to match. 🏅
That contrast is the story. One man dominated an era, and the other outlasted almost everyone in his. Fans can argue the rest, and they probably will, for years.
For the Arnold Classic side of Bonac’s story, see our complete list of Arnold Classic winners, and for his individual journey, our William Bonac feature and Phil Heath feature.
Frequently asked questions
Did Phil Heath and William Bonac ever compete against each other?
Yes, at the Mr. Olympia from 2014 through 2018. Bonac’s best result in that shared window was 3rd in 2017, when Heath won his seventh title. They did not share the 2019 Olympia stage, because Heath skipped that contest.
How many Mr. Olympia titles did each man win?
Heath won seven, every year from 2011 to 2017. Bonac never won the Mr. Olympia; his best finish was 2nd in 2019, behind Brandon Curry.
Who won more Arnold Classic titles?
Bonac won two, in Columbus, Ohio, in 2018 and 2020. Heath never won the Arnold Classic in Ohio, though he won the Arnold Classic Europe in 2013.
Why was the old version of this article rewritten?
It described 2018 and 2019 face-offs and handed almost every pose to Heath, as if a single contest had settled the comparison. The 2019 face-off never happened, and no scorecard is declared in this refresh.
Is Bonac retired?
Not quite yet. His final Mr. Olympia was in 2026, but he plans to end his career at the 2027 Arnold Classic and Arnold Classic UK. Those farewell shows have not taken place yet.