[h=1]Does Phil Heath Train Like a Wuss?[/h]
If you frequent the MD No Bull Forum, or any bodybuilding discussion board really, you have no doubt heard numerous complaints, accusations, and insinuations that the reigning Mr. Olympia Phil Heath 'doesn't train very hard.' That's odd on face value alone. How is it possible to be judged the greatest bodybuilder on the planet for multiple years in a row without putting out some significant effort in the gym? Ah, that's easy, according to his critics. Phil's genetics are so ridiculous, so beyond the comprehension of mortal man, as to be literally god-like. He just looks like that! No doubt, Heath's genetics are among the greatest ever seen on a human being. And in those rare cases, such tremendous gifts inspire ugly jealousy even amongst his rivals, who are themselves endowed with pretty damn great genetics compared to the garden-variety gym rats of the world. To those legions cursed with average DNA for muscle size and shape, someone like Phil would seem to have been unfairly blessed with the genetic equivalent of a $400,000,000 Powerball jackpot, while they are stuck working for minimum wage. It would be virtually impossible for Phil to ever train hard and heavy enough to satisfy their deep-seated sense of bitter injustice. It is those wretched, self-pitying feelings that inspire the discussions about Phil Heath not training hard enough.
There's also another reason some feel Phil falls short, and that's because they compare him to other champion bodybuilders who were and are known as being practically demons of intensity in the gym. Chief among this pantheon is the great eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, known equally for his freaky mutant physique as he was his prodigious power over the iron. Ronnie was a true anomaly, a former powerlifter who carried that exceptional strength over into his bodybuilding workouts. We all know what he did because he put it all on video for his training tapes, deadlifts and squats of 800 pounds for a couple reps, barbell rows and bench presses with 495 for 12 reps, 2,300-pound leg presses, and so on. Ronnie's workouts were punctuated by colorful catchphrases hollered across the gym at top volume: "Yeah, buddy!" "Light weight, baby!" "Nothing but a peanut!" From the same gym, Metroflex, comes another icon of intensity, Branch Warren. Branch pushes and pulls tons of slag iron while grunting and bellowing. Both Branch and Ronnie kept weights as heavy as possible all the way up to show day.
In contrast, Phil Heath's workouts are far less theatrical and more methodical, often studies in quiet endeavor. In analyzing several of them posted online leading up to the 2014 Mr. Olympia contest, I made several observations that speak to the fact that not only does Phil Heath train as hard as he needs to, but that he's very intelligent about it. In other words, Phil trains hard, but he also trains smart.
I watched two shoulder training videos, one at 9 weeks out while visiting Gold's Gym in Venice, another at his regular gym in Denver. His first movement both times was the Hammer Strength behind neck press machine, and he worked up to sets of 12 with four 45's on each side. His reps were smooth, with no lockout at the top. Locking out on overhead presses puts more tension on the elbow joints and triceps, and takes it away from the actual deltoids. Why not use dumbbells or a barbell instead? Those are more hardcore! I suppose so, but they are also harder to balance and thus not the safest tools for heavy training. What many people tend to forget, or in the cases of those who have never competed probably never realized in the first place, is that pre-contest training is not about building muscle. It's all about maintaining your muscle mass while the diet and cardio strip away as much bodyfat as possible. Training with very heavy free weights very close to a contest might impress people as being utterly 'hardcore,' but it's not very smart. As for Phil not being especially strong, don't believe it. In the Venice shoulder workout, he did a set of dumbbell laterals with a pair of 70's with better control and less momentum than just about any other pro bodybuilder I've ever seen handling that weight. Not to disparage anyone else, but throwing weights around with form so loose that the target muscle can't possibly be being activated much isn't a quality to admire. You see it every day in every gym from guys who don't look impressive and never will. Phil could probably get away with using worse form than he does thanks to his aforementioned genetic blessings, but he knows it wouldn't deliver the absolute best results. To consistently beat every other one of the best-built men in the world, Heath leaves nothing to chance and refuses to cut corners.
Finally, Phil is smart enough to know when he should and shouldn't train as hard and heavy as possible. Any of you who have attempted to train while traveling know that it's usually not the optimal situation for your best workout. You often haven't eaten all your normal meals, it's not your usual gym and equipment that you're familiar with, you may not be rested enough, and you might have to train at a time drastically different from your usual hour. Many of the videos Phil shoots on the road fit all these categories. In one, he had just driven nearly seven hours to Bev and Steve's Powerhouse Gym in Long Island and was training legs at the only time available - past midnight! Heath also happened to be dieting, 10 weeks out from the Mr. Olympia. He wisely went a little lighter and just aimed for a good pump in his quads and hams rather than try to set any PR's, knowing that forcing his body to attempt to perform at peak capacity under the given circumstances would only have been inviting injury. Unlike many of his rivals, Phil has never torn a muscle or suffered any type of training injury that would have jeopardized his livelihood.
So whether or not you respect Phil Heath because he may not train in a way you perceive as being 'hard' enough to warrant his physique, titles, and accolades, you have to concede that the man does train smart.
If you frequent the MD No Bull Forum, or any bodybuilding discussion board really, you have no doubt heard numerous complaints, accusations, and insinuations that the reigning Mr. Olympia Phil Heath 'doesn't train very hard.' That's odd on face value alone. How is it possible to be judged the greatest bodybuilder on the planet for multiple years in a row without putting out some significant effort in the gym? Ah, that's easy, according to his critics. Phil's genetics are so ridiculous, so beyond the comprehension of mortal man, as to be literally god-like. He just looks like that! No doubt, Heath's genetics are among the greatest ever seen on a human being. And in those rare cases, such tremendous gifts inspire ugly jealousy even amongst his rivals, who are themselves endowed with pretty damn great genetics compared to the garden-variety gym rats of the world. To those legions cursed with average DNA for muscle size and shape, someone like Phil would seem to have been unfairly blessed with the genetic equivalent of a $400,000,000 Powerball jackpot, while they are stuck working for minimum wage. It would be virtually impossible for Phil to ever train hard and heavy enough to satisfy their deep-seated sense of bitter injustice. It is those wretched, self-pitying feelings that inspire the discussions about Phil Heath not training hard enough.
There's also another reason some feel Phil falls short, and that's because they compare him to other champion bodybuilders who were and are known as being practically demons of intensity in the gym. Chief among this pantheon is the great eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, known equally for his freaky mutant physique as he was his prodigious power over the iron. Ronnie was a true anomaly, a former powerlifter who carried that exceptional strength over into his bodybuilding workouts. We all know what he did because he put it all on video for his training tapes, deadlifts and squats of 800 pounds for a couple reps, barbell rows and bench presses with 495 for 12 reps, 2,300-pound leg presses, and so on. Ronnie's workouts were punctuated by colorful catchphrases hollered across the gym at top volume: "Yeah, buddy!" "Light weight, baby!" "Nothing but a peanut!" From the same gym, Metroflex, comes another icon of intensity, Branch Warren. Branch pushes and pulls tons of slag iron while grunting and bellowing. Both Branch and Ronnie kept weights as heavy as possible all the way up to show day.
In contrast, Phil Heath's workouts are far less theatrical and more methodical, often studies in quiet endeavor. In analyzing several of them posted online leading up to the 2014 Mr. Olympia contest, I made several observations that speak to the fact that not only does Phil Heath train as hard as he needs to, but that he's very intelligent about it. In other words, Phil trains hard, but he also trains smart.
Finally, Phil is smart enough to know when he should and shouldn't train as hard and heavy as possible. Any of you who have attempted to train while traveling know that it's usually not the optimal situation for your best workout. You often haven't eaten all your normal meals, it's not your usual gym and equipment that you're familiar with, you may not be rested enough, and you might have to train at a time drastically different from your usual hour. Many of the videos Phil shoots on the road fit all these categories. In one, he had just driven nearly seven hours to Bev and Steve's Powerhouse Gym in Long Island and was training legs at the only time available - past midnight! Heath also happened to be dieting, 10 weeks out from the Mr. Olympia. He wisely went a little lighter and just aimed for a good pump in his quads and hams rather than try to set any PR's, knowing that forcing his body to attempt to perform at peak capacity under the given circumstances would only have been inviting injury. Unlike many of his rivals, Phil has never torn a muscle or suffered any type of training injury that would have jeopardized his livelihood.
So whether or not you respect Phil Heath because he may not train in a way you perceive as being 'hard' enough to warrant his physique, titles, and accolades, you have to concede that the man does train smart.
