Richard Sandrak isn't upset about his childhood. On the contrary, as he told The Guardian when he was 15 years old, "I've never been forced to train or do anything against my will. My parents used to train all the time and I wanted to join in. It was mostly my choice. It's just what I grew up doing. I was never forced. It was never an issue." His choice or not, he endured a lot to be the bulked up boy who inspired and appalled people in equal measure. On top of the reported hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups a day, restrictions against junk food, and high-intensity interval training as punishment, it'd be understandable if Little Hercules had turned into a moody teenager, in light of the domestic violence incident that saw his father sent to prison.
Despite that, Sandrak said to The Guardian, "I have to say my parents are my heroes because they've helped me develop throughout my life." His manager cut in to say, "His father is no longer in the picture." So Sandrak finishes, "Yeah. I meant my mom."
As a teen, Sandrak resumed training with Frank Giardina, but gone were the days of hours-long sessions. Instead, the teenager followed a more relaxed regimen (though it might still look intense to some).
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