At 46, Phil Heath, the 7-time Mr. Olympia, continues to amaze his fans with his class conditioning and physique long after retiring from the professional stage. He often shares his workout routines with his 4.2 million Instagram followers.

On May 26, Heath shared a short clip offering insight into his exercise and fitness mindset, with the caption, “Early mornings, legendary equipment, intense training, and unforgettable meals.”

In the short clip, he was seen doing:

• Machine preacher curl
• Seated alternating dumbbell biceps curl
• Wide grip lat pulldown

Although no full-body workout plan has been shared by the legend this year, based on his Instagram and many interviews, it is clear that Heath mostly follows a structured workout routine and focuses heavily on rest.

According to Dr. Workout fitness, this is a weekly workout routine that Heath mostly follows:

Monday: Legs

• Stiff leg deadlifts
• Seated leg curls
• Lying leg curls
• Seated calf raises
• Standing calf raises
• Leg press
• Leg extension
• Hack squats
• Front squats

Tuesday: Triceps and chest

• Pec-deck
• Dumbbell incline fly
• Dumbbell incline press
• Lying triceps extension
• Hammer strength bench press
• Close-grip bench press

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Biceps and backs

• Wide grip pull-ups
• T-bar rows
• Bent over rows
• Power-grip chin-ups
• Standing EZ-bar curls
• One-arm dumbbell rows.

Friday: Trapezius and shoulders

• Dumbbells lateral raises
• Smith Machine military press
• Barbell shrug
• Upright rows
• Dumbbell shrug.

Saturday: Cardio.

Sunday: Rest.

While the former collegiate basketball player follows a strict workout routine and lifestyle to maintain fitness, Heath also believes in 10 philosophies or training tips that can help other fitness enthusiasts.

Phil Heath's training tips

Heath created a legacy on the Mr. Olympia stage by winning the competition from 2011 to 2017 and has won many other prestigious titles.

However, competing at the biggest stage of bodybuilding over the years with the same consistency and maintaining that same focus after retirement requires proper dedication and a fully proven philosophy. According to the Barbell, 10 philosophies or tips that Heath always follows include:

• Forget impressing people with big weight. According to Heath, “There’s only one Ronnie [Coleman]. He was crazy strong, but he didn’t usually do low-rep sets…. The heavier you lift, the greater the risk factor. I want to always use a weight I can control and manage and focus on my muscles.”
• Do machine chest presses.
• Patience is very vital. Heath said, “I’ll tell you the most important thing to gaining size, as far as my own personal journey goes. It’s patience.”
• Do HIIT cardio. He said, “I like HIIT [high-intensity interval training] cardio. When doing it, you alternate periods of lower intensity cardio with periods of higher intensity cardio. It’s the most effective way of burning fat.”
• One doesn't have to rear squat.
• Use sevens to end the exercise. Heath said, “Sevens are really the key to FST-7, the system developed by my trainer Hany Rambod that I’ve been using for the past four years. There are seven final sets in a row with only 30 seconds of rest between sets. They’re great for upping the intensity on your weakest body parts. I use them for every body part except arms.”
• Don't focus on the pump.
• Curl with Machine. It will help more.
• Practice the form to get quick results.
• Building back muscles is very important. So, do not avoid this.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil