Phil Heath talks about proper technique and back workouts

Phil Heath and his main parameters

• Name : Phillip Jerrod Heath
• Nickname : “The Gift”
• Place of birth : 12/18/1979, Seattle, Washington, USA
• Height : 175 cm
• Competition weight : 113 kg
• Off-season weight: 127 kg
• Residence : Arvada, Colorado, USA[1]
• Favorite cheat meal: Italian dishes
• Favorite exercises: biceps curls with a two-handed barbell on a Scott bench, biceps squats, chest press on the machine
• Favorite sport : basketball, football
• Hobbies: reading books, video games
• Favorite music : Rock, Hip-Hop [2]

Vladimir Klichko

The heavyweight and world boxing champion looks strong, but hits even harder.

"Doctor Steel Hammer" holds four of the five major heavyweight boxing titles (the fifth belongs to his brother, Vitali). The boxer owes this achievement, at least in part, to his exceptional strength and physical condition.

As a PhD candidate in physical education and sports, Klitschko has an excellent understanding of the intricacies of training, so his program includes the development of power and strength, as well as bodybuilding, which helps turn the arms into deadly weapons and get an enviable figure.

Vladimir Klitschko program

Practicing punches with dumbbells: 6 rounds of 1 min.

Medicine Ball Throws: Throw a medicine ball at a wall with one hand and catch it with the other for 3 minutes.

Hammer grip dumbbell curls 3

set of
20
repetitions

Alternating dumbbell curls on an incline bench 3

set of
20
repetitions

Punching bag: 5 minutes without weight, 30 minutes with 1 kg weight, 5 minutes without weight

Bench push-ups from behind the back 3

set of
30
reps

Triceps extension with cable handle 3

set of
20
repetitions

Interesting facts about Phil

• He trains at Armbrust Pro Gym in Wheat Ridge, Arvada, Colorado.
• While studying at the University of Denver, he played basketball.
• After playing 66 matches, he quit basketball and began bodybuilding.
• In 2003, he participated in his first bodybuilding competition.
• Received the title Mr. Olympia 7 times in 2011 – 2017
• His first title Mr. Olympia received in 2011 when he defeated Jay Cutler (winner of Mr. Olympia 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010)
• As a bodybuilder, he now eats 6 to 7 times a day, but as a basketball player, his diet was limited. He only ate 3 times a day. [2]

Competitive history

• 2003 Northern Colorado State, Novice, Light-Heavyweight 1st and overall
• 2003 NPC Colorado State, Light-Heavyweight, 1st
• 2004 NPC Colorado State, Heavyweight, 1st and Overall
• 2005 NPC Junior Nationals, HeavyWeight, 1st and Overall
• 2005 NPC USA Championships, HeavyWeight, 1st and Overall
• 2006 Colorado Pro Championships, 1st
• 2006 New York Pro Championship, 1st
• 2007 Arnold Classic, 5th
• 2008 IFBB Iron Man, 1st
• 2008 Arnold Classic, 2nd
• 2008 Mr. Olympia, 3rd
• 2009 Mr. Olympia, 5th
• 2010 Arnold Classic, 2nd
• 2010 Mr. Olympia, 2nd
• 2011 Mr. Olympia, 1st
• 2011 Sheru Classic, 1st
• 2012 Mr. Olympia, 1st
• 2012 Sheru Classic, 1st
• 2013 Mr. Olympia, 1st
• 2013 Arnold Classic Europe, 1st
• 2014 Mr. Olympia, 1st
• 2015 Mr. Olympia, 1st
• 2016 Mr. Olympia, 1st
• 2017 Mr. Olympia, 1st
• 2018 Mr. Olympia, 2nd

Phil Heath and his parameters

Arms : 56cm

Legs : 81cm

Calves : 51cm

Neck : 57cm

Waist : 74cm

Phil Heath has been involved in sports since childhood. At the start of training, he weighed 84 kilograms. During extensive preparation for the first competition, he managed to gain up to 97 kilograms. Finally, his NPC (National Physique Committee) competition weight in 2003 was 87 kilograms . In this competition, he took first place in his weight category and also won the overall title. Nicknamed “The Gift” or “Dar” and thanks to the success of the first competition, he was back on the competition podium just 8 weeks later . He lost by only one point in the overall victory.

However, he realized that he had lost the competition due to his genetic predisposition and began to train smarter. Phil graduated from college with a degree in Information Technology and Business Administration. The decision to take up bodybuilding instead of basketball ended up being very beneficial for him. So let's take a look at his training program and diet plan to see how he was able to build his winning character seven times in a row.[1]

In 2014, Phil Heath became the fourth richest modern bodybuilder . At the time it was valued at approximately $5 million. Since then, his total winnings on Mr. Olympia costs $2,375,000.

Major achievements in life

Phil Heath won many worthy awards in his youth.

• 2005 - absolute champion among juniors and amateurs;
• 2006 - best in New York Pro and Colorado Pro;
• 2008 - second at Arnold Classic, 1st at ArnoldMen Pro;
• 2009 - 5th in Olympia;
• 2010 - second place in Olympia and 2nd in Arnold Classic;
• 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 - six victories in a row at the prestigious Mr. Olympia competition!

Phil Heath and his training plan

Heath's workout includes three to five exercises per muscle and lasts about two hours. He focuses on technical execution of exercises like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman, who were also multiple Mr. winners. Olympia. His workouts vary slightly depending on whether he is preparing for a competition or after a competition.

“My annual goal is to be bigger and better than last year. The competition is increasing, so I feel even more pressure. Nothing could be simpler. If I want to continue winning, I must overcome myself . This constant racing doesn't mean I'm doing anything crazy in the gym. I follow basic bodybuilding exercises. I train each muscle from different angles. I'm trying to improve my weaknesses and my training plan needs to be challenging and help me progress"[4]

How it all began

And if we remember the beginning of the champion’s career, then for the first time a young man weighing 84 kilograms crossed the threshold of the gym, however, he gained 98 quite quickly. His hands had always been Phil's strongest point, thanks to his many hours of training on the basketball team. Remaining in the gym after the main time, Heath spent some time practicing his shots into the basket for accuracy, since he was the team’s shooter.

And I must say, excellent throwers, the team constantly won. His inherent conscientiousness in achieving goals and responsibility, hard work and perseverance in overcoming obstacles contributed to victories in basketball, and they also turned out to be leading in bodybuilding. The rest was a matter of technique and professional tips from friends and trainers, who helped develop an effective nutrition and training regimen. This is how earthly glory comes.

I suggest watching the video of Phil’s training in preparation for the Olympia.

Muscle training

Phil starts every workout with a short cardio session as part of his warm-up. Below you can find the training plan he prepared with. na Mr. Olympia.

Monday: Quads/Hamstrings/Calves

• Romanian deadlift – 4 sets of 8-10 reps
• Lying leg raises – 4 series of 8-10 repetitions
• Seated leg raises - 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Leg press – 4 series of 15-20 reps
• Leg press - 4 series 15-20 reps
• Seated bends – 7 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Leg extensions on the machine - 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Squats with a barbell with two hands in front of the head - 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Leg press – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Haken Drap – 7 series of 7 repetitions

Tuesday: chest/triceps

• One-arm bench press with a positive incline - 4 sets of 10-12 reps
• One-arm fold-out on a positively inclined bench – 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Bench press on the machine – 3 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Pec Deck -7 series after 10-12 reps
• Extension of arms on a block with a reverse grip - 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Bars – 3 series of 10-12 reps
• Bench press with a large barbell with a narrow grip - 3 series of 10-12 repetitions
• French press lying and with a barbell – 7 series of 10-12 repetitions

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: back/biceps

• Bend-overs on the horizontal bar with a wide touch grip – 3 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Bends on the horizontal bar with a narrow grip to touch – 3 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Barbell Rows – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Dumbbell pull-ups with two hands in a forward bend - 4 sets of 12 repetitions
• Incline Dumbbell Raises – 3 sets of 12 reps
• Extension of arms on a block with an even grip – 7 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Barbell Curls – 3 sets of 12 reps
• One-arm dumbbell raises - 3 sets of 12 reps
• Seated dumbbell curls - 3 sets of 12 reps
• Lifting dumbbells for biceps on a Scott bench - 7 series of 8-10 repetitions

Friday: shoulders/traps

• Overhead press on the Smith machine - 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Lifting dumbbells with two hands while standing - 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Barbell rows to the chin - 4 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Lifting dumbbells with one hand while standing - 7 series of 10-12 repetitions
• Dumbbell Shoulder Raises – 4 sets of 12 reps
• Barbell shoulder raises - 4 sets of 12 reps

Saturday: Cardio

Sunday: Rest [5]

Bodybuilding career

Heath entered bodybuilding in 2002. In 2005, he won the overall title at the NPC (National Physique Committee) USA Championships, earning the right to compete as an IFBB Pro. He won't have his first two IFBB professional events the following year: The Colorado Pro Championships and The New York Pro Championship. In 2007, Heath placed fifth at the Arnold Classic. Although he still qualified to compete in the 2007 Mr. Olympia contest, Heath, nevertheless, decided not to enter the contest, stating that he needed additional time to improve his form.

Heath won the 2008 Iron Man show and placed second to Dexter Jackson at the 2008 Arnold Classic. In his 2008 Mr. Olympia debut, Heath finished third to become the first novice to place in the top three since Flex Wheeler in 1993. He claimed the fifth position at the 2009 Mr. Olympia title and second place at the 2010 event. He gained the crown in 2011. Heath defended the title of Mr Olympia

consecutively six times since then until 2022 when he placed second to Shawn Rhoden.

Volume training

Phila is trained by the famous Hana Rambod, who invented a special training program called Fascial Stretch Training (or FST-7). Combining this technique with other proven exercises helps Phil gain a certain amount of muscle mass even while preparing for competitions.

FST-7 means performing 7 sets of one exercise after 6-12 repetitions with a 45 second break . During the break, you can choose between stretching and isometric contractions, which are performed after every other series.

Phil says you don't need to invent any new exercises as long as the ones you use work. Another tip from this phenomenal bodybuilder is that you don't have to completely deplete your energy at the gym to build muscle. Especially if your body doesn't recover quickly enough or doesn't respond to training the way you'd like. So, smart exercises are the key to success . Most people will never be able to find a training system that works best for them in their lives. [6]

Features of all championship programs

The peculiarity of all championship programs and this one, including the fact that they are absolutely not suitable for amateurs.

If you are an amateur and do natural training, then your body is simply physically unable to withstand the volume and intensity of the loads that the champions handle. At the same time, there is no point in swinging light dumbbells (working at low intensity), trying to completely repeat the champion's program, but with less weight.

Natural men's muscles grow primarily with strength. Therefore, you need to follow training programs designed for amateurs. Their basis is a reduced volume (fewer exercises, approaches and repetitions) and a focus on increasing strength indicators.

Repost the pinned post on my VKontakte page and receive a book with training programs for naturals.

Phil Heath and his meal plan for Mr. Olympia

After waking up - BCAA drink

1. 230 g chicken breast, 1.5 cups egg white, BCAA drink with L-glutamine

2. 340 g beef, 225 g sweet potatoes

3. 340 g tilapia, steamed asparagus and 1.5 cups white rice

4. 340 g chicken breast, 225 g baked potato, 2 servings BCAA with L-glutamine

5. 340 g tilapia, steamed broccoli and 1 cup white rice

6. Post-workout – 2x Protein drink, BCAA and L-glutamine

7. 340 g beef with steamed spinach

8. 2 cups egg whites, 2 whole eggs and steamed spinach

Before bed - amino acid drink [7]

Performance history

1. [https://www.ambal.ru/man.php?m=360 Phil Heath, photographs, biography, competitions, bodybuilding]. Retrieved March 28, 2013. [https://www.webcitation.org/6FfgAAasO Archived from the original on April 6, 2013].
2. [https://phillipheath.com//about/index.php Phillip “The Gift” Heath :: Bio, Stats]. Retrieved March 28, 2013. [https://www.webcitation.org/6FfgDYor1 Archived from the original on April 6, 2013].

Phil Heath and his diet for increasing volume

The Phil Heath Diet is in a bulk phase, mostly about gaining massive amounts of muscle without excess body fat. In February 2018, a video was released in which Phil explains his diet plan:

In this video, he says he gets up at 5:00–5:30 8–9 weeks before the competition. Immediately after waking up, he has about half an hour of cardio exercise on the fitness steps or treadmill . It uses a heart rate monitor and smart watch to achieve a heart rate of 145-150 pulses per minute . This will ensure effective fat burning. Then he returns home for breakfast. They consist of about 230 grams of minced chicken, 1.5-2 cups of egg whites and about 60 grams of carbohydrates - regular rice in milk or oatmeal. According to Phil, oatmeal contains fiber, which helps digest food. Breakfast supplements multivitamin, fish oil and Vitamin C.

During the day every 2-2.5 hours. Adding up all his meals, we would get a daily caloric value of about 6400 kcal , which decreases slightly towards the end of his preparation. These meals include, for example, 340 grams of cooked chicken, beef, ground turkey or white fish . These are its main sources of protein in addition to egg whites. In total, he takes about 500 grams of protein per day and advises serious bodybuilders to get at least 3 grams per kilogram of their body weight . When it comes to fish, his first choice is tilapia.

He also emphasized that he prefers it because it has low mercury content. Towards the end of competitive preparation, fish becomes almost the only source of protein. And 230-340 grams of meat at the end of cooking is a lot of tilapia.

“You don't want to get mercury poisoning. Never. Many available fish contain higher levels of mercury than they should."

Closer to competition dates, he cuts back on carbs to accentuate his muscles, but still remains visually distinct. Out of 8 meals a day, only 4 will include carbohydrates.

“At the end of the day, this change makes me a living zombie, because carbohydrates are what give us energy .”

As for water, Phil drinks 4 to 7 liters of water per day, but during the last week before the competition only one large bottle of water for several days. However, the amount of meat remains the same.

“This is how we get the defined vascular appearance.” [8] “I drink about 4 liters of water a day in the volume phase. There is no point in pouring liters and liters of water if you are not getting enough carbohydrates. My diet outside of competition is more organized than it was a few years ago. I've made mistakes with food before, but now I'm sticking to the plan. Even a simple change can dramatically change the appearance of my body." [9]

“I'm now 127 kilograms and I've gotten more ripped since I was 125 kilograms in 2008. Eating starchy carbohydrates like potatoes instead of rice has helped me grow and I don't feel bloated.” [9]

Personal life

In his youth, Phil married an African-American girl named Jeni, who was diagnosed with cancer in the 2000s. The athlete was worried about his wife’s well-being, but this did not stop him from pursuing his career.

Phil Heath and his wife Shuri

As it turned out later, in the absence of children together, he did not disdain diversity in his personal life and, having waited for news of a possible cure, he immediately filed for divorce.

In 2015, at a professional tournament in Prague, Heath appeared with a new girlfriend, who, judging by the Instagram comments addressed to her, is currently his wife.