Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Kiel DiGiovanni, Co-founder
FACT CHECKED
Phil Heath, aka "The Gift," is a monumental figure in the world of bodybuilding, both physically and mentally. Standing at 5'9" and walking the stage at 240lbs, Phil has won Mr. Olympia an insane 7 times! This gives him the honor of having the third most Mr. Olympia wins in history, only being beaten by Lee Haney and Ronnie Coleman. This has led him to be one of the top bodybuilders of all time, leaving a trail of kicking ass on stage while leaving a plethora of motivation.
Winning Mr. Olympia 7x is no easy feat (hell, just walking on stage is hard enough!), so we will dig into his training and see what Phil Heath's workout routine looks like.
Who Is Phil Heath?
Phil Heath is an American bodybuilder who was active in bodybuilding during the early 2000s. He earned his pro card in 2005 after winning the overall title at the NPC (National Physique Committee) USA Championships. He then won his first pro show at the Colorado Pro Championships in 2006, where he competed against the formidable Kai Greene. This competition would set the stage for the birth of one of the biggest rivalries in bodybuilding history! Here's a video of their infamous fight at Mr. Olympia 2014!
Over the next couple of years, he debuted at Mr. Olympia in 2008. While he didn't win, he placed third, making him the first rookie to place in the top three at Mr. Olympia since Flex Wheeler in 1993. From this point forward, everyone knew he was a force to be reckoned with. 2009 he placed 5th, followed by a second-place finish in 2010.
Phil Heath's dedication to his training is truly inspiring. He honed in over the next year and put 100% effort into his training. Finally, in 2011, all his work paid off, and he won his first Mr. Olympia win. He would then return the next year to defend his crown. He'd do the same the next year and then again and again – Phil Heath went on to win a total of 7 consecutive Mr. Olympia wins!
He absolutely dominated this period and wasn't replaced until 2018, when Shawn Rhoden knocked him off to second place. He'd only competed for another couple of years, with his last competition being Mr. Olympia in 2020, where he placed 3rd and ended his reign in bodybuilding.
Related: The Complete List Of Every Mr. Olympia Winner
Phil Heath's Workout Routine
Phil Heath would usually utilize a 5-day body-part split training a muscle group once a week. As a 7x Mr. Olympia champ, his workout plans usually contain a ton of volume, so they're not for beginners. Here's what it would look like:
Session 1: Legs
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Stiff-Legged Deadlifts | 4 | 8-10 |
| Seated Leg Curls | 4 | 15-20 |
| Lying Leg Curls | 7 | 10-12 |
| Front Squats | 3 | 12 |
| Hack Squats | 3 | 12 |
| Leg Extensions | 4 | 10-12 |
| Leg Press | 7 | 7 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 4 | 10-12 |
| Standing Calf Raises | 7 | 10-12 |
| Leg Press Calf Raises | 7 | 10-12 |
Session 2: Chest and Triceps
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Dumbbell Incline Press | 4 | 10-12 |
| Standing Cable Incline Fly | 4 | 10-12 |
| Hammer Strength Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Pec Decks | 7 | 10-12 |
| Dips | 3 | 10-12 |
| Close Grip Bench Press | 3 | 10-12 |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 10-12 |
| Lying Triceps Extension | 7 | 10-12 |
Session 3: Rest Day
On this day, Phil Heath would engage in various forms of recovery, such as saunas and massage. He's also known to use various chiropractic methods, such as spinal decompression as well as acupuncture.
Session 4: Back and Biceps
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Wide Grip Pull-ups | 3 | 10-12 |
| Power Grip Chin-ups | 3 | 10-12 |
| T-Bar Rows | 4 | 10-12 |
| Bent Over Rows | 4 | 10-12 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Rows | 3 | 10-12 |
| Straight Arm Pulldowns | 7 | 10-12 |
| Standing EZ Bar Curls | 3 | 12 |
| Hammer Curls | 3 | 12 |
| Concentration Curls | 3 | 12 |
| Hammer Strength Preacher Curls | 7 | 8-10 |
Related: Phil Heath's Bicep Workout
Session 5: Shoulder and Traps
| EXERCISE | SETS | REPS |
| Smith Machine Military Press | 4 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 4 | 10-12 |
| Upright Rows | 4 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 7 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Shrugs | 4 | 12 |
| Barbell Shrugs | 4 | 12 |
Session 6: Cardio Exercises
For cardio, Phil Heath generally kept his sessions to about 30 minutes or so and would either involve HIIT or steady-state, depending on his needs as well as the time of year. One piece of equipment he loved was the stair climber, so get in on that and climb some flights if you want to train like Phil Heath!
Session 7: Rest
Sundays are reserved for complete rest, allowing Phil Heath's body to recover and recharge for the upcoming week of intense training.
Progressing On Phil Heath's Workout Routine
Progression on Phil Heath's workout routine is similar to any other effective training plan; you must use progressive overload. The main difference with Phil Heath is his insistence on using proper form. Phil was not impressed by moving heavy weight with crap form.
At the same time, Phil Heath was known to use things like tempo training and time under tension. He would slow down reps and really concentrate on working the muscle.
5 Phil Heath Workout Training Principles
Phil Heath competed professionally for around 15 years, learning a lot from his own experience and from rubbing elbows with other greats. One of the biggest influences in his bodybuilding career was his coach, Hany Rambod. Here are some of the most important guidelines of Phil Heath's training.
1. Emphasis On Safety
In stark contrast to Ronnie Coleman's emphasis on pushing heavy weight, Phil Heath kept his ego at the door and did not worry about how much weight he was moving.
However, this concern for safety went further and even affected his exercise selection. Perhaps the most famous example is Phil Heath's decision to stop performing the barbell bench press. In fact, in 2009, he had a scare with a possible pec tear using the Smith machine bench press and stopped that, too. He now favors using a chest press machine but is also known to use dumbbells.
He also mentioned he likes doing bodyweight lunges and concentrating on a deep stretch. The bottom line is that Phil Heath lifted smart and didn't worry about people while in the gym; he let his results speak for themselves. This is probably what allowed him to compete professionally for 15 years!
This is in stark contrast to the way many old-school bodybuilders lifted. Back during the Golden Era, many bodybuilders would utilize strength training in their normal routine. In fact, the greats Lou Ferrigano and Franco Columbu even competed in the first installment of World's Strongest Man!
This doesn't mean the Golden Era bodybuilders were careless at all; it's just interesting to see how the methodologies have evolved over the years.
2. FST-7
FST-7, a training method specifically created by his coach, Hany Rambod, stands for 'fascia stretch training seven.' FST-7 is when you perform 7 sets of 8-12 reps with 30 seconds of rest on the last exercise of a muscle group, a technique that Phil Heath has credited for his muscle fullness and pump during competitions.
For example, let's say you're training the chest. You first do your workout routine. Then, on the last chest exercise of the session (which is usually an isolation exercise like the cable fly), you perform 7 sets of 8-12 reps with 30 seconds of rest.
Now, let's say you are training your chest and shoulders. You would then use FST-7 for the cable fly (chest) and the last exercise for the shoulders, such as the lateral raise.
This is a video of Hany Rambod training both Phil Heath and Jay Cutler using the FST-7 method to train chest.
3. Smart Exercise Selection
As seen above with the chest press, Phil Heath prioritized exercise selection. He believed that you should do what works for you and choose another exercise if something doesn't suit you.
For example, it's well-known that Phil Heath didn't like performing squats. He preferred to train his legs with things like the leg press and hack squat. Now, he didn't think that squats were bad; he just felt they didn't suit him, and the risk-reward ratio wasn't worth it.
These types of decisions are throughout his workout routine. The primary takeaway is to do what works for you. Don't get caught up in social media or doing an exercise because so-and-so uses them. Be honest with yourself about what you need and, more importantly, how much you can lift!
4. Perfect Your Technique
As you've seen, Phil Heath prioritizes safety in his training. Part of this is using great technique. He firmly believes that your first goal while training isn't to do more weight or perform more reps but rather perfecting your technique. Once you're good, you can start using progressive overload.
Now, part of this was obviously for safety. In addition, he stressed the need to hit the muscle the way you want.
5. HIIT
Cardio, baby! Phil Heath did his cardio and specifically promoted HIIT for his workout routine. He claims he even increased HIIT during his Mr. Olympia prep.
There are a few factors that cause his preference. The first is he believes it's more interesting than steady state. Altering the intensity keeps him focused and allows him to adhere to his cardio training.
He also claims that HIIT is "better" for fat loss. There's a lot of nuance there, and we wouldn't necessarily 100% agree with the statement about fat loss in general. However, HIIT might be better for fat loss while maintaining muscle mass, especially for those with lower body fat percentages.¹ Phil Heath also won Mr. Olympia 7x, so HIIT obviously works, which it 100% does.
Phil Heath's Diet
With that type of volume, Phil Heath had to eat a lot to maintain his size at 240 lbs. It's estimated he ate around 5,000+ calories a day to achieve this.
His macro breakdown was heavy on protein and carbs. Going a little deeper suggests his protein intake was high, even for bodybuilders. He consumed around 400 grams of protein daily, which puts him at around 3.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which is about 1.75x the normal protein intake for bodybuilders (2.0g/kg).
Phil Heath also didn't shy away from carbs. He admittedly ate a ton of carbs and noted that his body just responded well to them. This is an interesting component, as Phil Heath doesn't suggest that everyone eat as much as he did because everyone's body is different. This take on nutrition is similar to his take on exercise selection, noting that different people have different needs. Smart. Regardless, he reportedly ate around 600 grams per day.
Phil Heath reportedly didn't track his fat consumption specifically. His fat intake naturally came from his diet, such as his love for eggs, red meat, and salmon.
Phil Heath's Workout Routine: Conclusion
Phil Heath's workout is intense. He generally trains a muscle group with around 20 sets during one session. Now, 20 weekly sets per muscle group tends to be the recommended maximum for most people. However, this should be done across two workouts with a single session with only about 10 sets per muscle group as we detail in our post How Many Sets & Exercises Should I Do. This means he's doing about twice as many sets in a single session.
At the same time, it's important to note that Phil Heath admits to using various anabolic steroids, which is what allowed him to hit his muscles so hard on a single day. Therefore, this program is not for beginners. It would help to have a good training foundation with at least a year of experience and higher volumes. Further, this daily volume is likely too much for a natural lifter and is unnecessary.
Now, we are definitely not suggesting anyone go and start using just so they can run Phil Heath's program! Instead, we at SET FOR SET simply believe it's important to be transparent with these things.
That said, all you would need to do to run his program is knock off some sets. For example, instead of running the 7 sets for the finisher, just do 4-5. For exercises with 4 sets, knock a couple down to 3. Easy peasy.
Either way, his training is intense, and when paired with his diet, you're bound to build muscle if you're the right candidate.
Check out our full collection of celebrity & pro athlete workouts!
References
- Gabriel Nasri Marzuca-Nassr, Macarena Artigas-Arias, María Angélica Olea, Yuri SanMartín-Calísto, Nolberto Huard, Fernanda Durán-Vejar, Francisca Beltrán-Fuentes, Aris Muñoz-Fernández, Andrea Alegría-Molina, Jorge Sapunar, Luis A. Salazar, High-intensity interval training on body composition, functional capacity and biochemical markers in healthy young versus older people, Experimental Gerontology, Volume 141, 2020, 111096, ISSN 0531-5565, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2020.111096.
Garett Reid
Author