Little Hercules: See how Richard Sandrak has changed

Richard Sandrak already had a very marked six-pack at the age of 6 and was called "Little Hercules". He gained worldwide fame through his appearance in the documentary 'The Strongest Boy in the World.'

He was born in Ukraine in 1992. His family moved to the United States two years later. Sandrak's parents (father Pavel, a bodybuilder, and mother Lena, a competitive aerobics trainer ) trained a lot and began to involve their boy in training and teaching him martial arts sports from an early age.

Training became more and more serious and his father put him on a strict training regimen. Young Richard had to do 600 push-ups a day and 300 squats.

Photo: Pico de Oro / Youtube

At the age of 6, he was already able to lift 81 kg. The downside was that Richard didn't have any friends as he didn't have time to play and enjoy a normal childhood.

Photo: Pico de Oro / Youtube

In 1997 the family moved to Los Angeles, the Mecca of bodybuilding. It was there that Frank Giardina, one of the most well-known coaches in the field, began training and managing Richard.

Photo: Pico de Oro / Youtube

He traveled the country competing, doing magazine photo shoots, and promoting nutritional products. Among other things, he had his own brand with a picture of himself for the dietary supplement 'Sport Formula'.

Photo: Inside Edition / Youtube

His diet was strict and his father forbade him from eating junk food and sweets. He remembers today that his father ate a pizza in front of him while he had to eat a salad.

Photo: Pico de Oro / Youtube

According to Giardina, Sandrak had to repeat intensive exercises as punishment if he did something wrong.

Photo: Inside Edition / Youtube

In 1999 Richard was a real celebrity. He has been a guest on various TV and radio shows.

He made his Hollywood debut in 2009 starring in the film Little Hercules in 3D, opposite Hulk Hogan as Zeus.

However, Giardina ended his activity as a coach and promoter after becoming convinced that Pavel Sandrak's parenting methods were criminal.

Everything changed when his parents divorced and Richard turned his back on his father. Slowly he started trying other foods and not exercising as much. His father went to prison after beating his mother and threatening to kill Frank Giardina. He stopped training: "It just got boring," Richard later told Inside Edition.

Contrary to Giardina's observations, Sandrak claims that his father never forced him into bodybuilding. "It was mostly my choice. It’s just what I grew up doing. I was never forced. It was never an issue," he said that it was just something he saw his parents doing and he wanted to join in.

Today, Richard Sandrak no longer has big muscles. He works as a stuntman at the 'Universal Studios Waterworld Show' in Los Angeles.

Photo: Inside Edition / Youtube

He no longer does extreme sports but still trains to stay fit. He skateboards, runs up and down stairs, and does pull-ups.

Photo: Richard Sandrak / Instagram

Richard Sandrak says in an interview with Inside Edition that he is very proud of his past, but that hard training is no longer for him today. His dream is to one day work as an engineer for NASA.

Photo: Inside Edition / Youtube