Bodybuilding legend Phil Heath may not be hitting the stage anytime soon, but his dedication to training hasn’t fallen off. In a recent YouTube video shared on June 24, 2025, he walked fans through an intense upper-body training session in Spain.
Phil Heath cemented himself as one of the best athletes in the IFBB Pro League. He held the Mr. Olympia title for seven consecutive years, denying top-tier athletes a chance to touch the coveted Sandow trophy. He’s best known for his back-and-forth rivalry with Kai ‘The Predator’ Greene.
He remains entrenched in the bodybuilding community, regularly sharing his opinions of the Men’s Open and offering training tips. While overseas, Heath gave fans an inside perspective on how he’s building his physique at 45 years old.
Phil Heath Opens Up on Smarter Upper Body Training While Focusing on Elbow Control, Muscle Balance, and Pump Efficiency
Find his exercise selections below, featured in his latest YouTube video:
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- Lat Pulldown
- Triceps Pushdown
- Seated Cable Row
- Alternating Dumbbell Curl
- Standing Lateral Raise Machine
- Vertical Chest Press Machine
Lat Pulldown
For Heath, paying close attention to the clock helps him move through training faster, allowing him to monitor resting periods so he can increase volume.
“One of the things I like to do, especially when I’m training is to make sure I can find where the clock is. I don’t wear a watch and I don’t have my phone on me. I like to look at how much time I have in between sets so typically it’s around 60 seconds, that way I can get more volume in.”
Triceps Pushdown
On his second exercise, he underlined the importance of proper hydration, which he said can help lifters avoid injuries.
“The other big thing we always have to be mindful of is water. Can’t stress this enough. Not staying hydrated, soft tissue injuries are going to happen. A lot of the time, most of us have those little micro tears, it’s because we’re not hydrated.”
Seated Cable Row
All body types differ, so Heath believes it’s crucial to test machine handles and varying weights for the best results.
“I notice as I’m pulling, I’m kind of pulling like this [raising the traps], I want to keep it low. So, even though I want to do something like that, the handle may not allow me to. That’s why it’s always good to play around with the weight, see what you can manage and play around with these different handles. We’re all different guys,” he said.
Alternating Dumbbell Curl
He emphasized that the squeeze during the contraction is the ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to performing alternating dumbbell curls.
“That’s that good squeeze that you want. If you’re doing curls, even as you’re doing that, supinating the wrist, you know where that sweet spot is. I’ve said it a million times, weight training is all about finding that sweet spot where you can find the contraction.”
Standing Lateral Raise Machine
During reps on the standing lateral raise machine, Heath discussed why he likes to keep his body fat percentage low:
“Have an intentional focus with what you’re doing, making sure you’re keeping your body fat fairly low. When I say fairly low, I’m probably at like 10%. I carry the majority of my body fat in my ass and water inflammation in the face and stomach.”
Vertical Chest Press Machine
As a finisher, Heath pushed the pace with sets on the vertical chest press machine to top off his pump.
‘The Gift’ is keen on remaining in tremendous shape, and the same can be said about Jay Cutler. After 10 years, the two reunited for a brutal workout where they built bigger triceps and chests, all the while offering insight to fans on their historic careers.
Despite not competing for years, Heath still attacks training sessions with intensity. He believes squeezing on the contraction and paying close attention to resting periods help drive gains inside the gym.
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