I Trained a Friend on Phil Heath’s Arm Day Routine: Can a Natty Achieve Those Gains?

Phil Heath is one of the most successful bodybuilders in history. Known as “the Gift,” the seven-time Mr. Olympia winner was famed for his incredible muscularity, leanness, and aesthetic shape. His physique had no real weakness, which explains why he was all but unbeatable during the late 2010s.

However, despite the genetic gifts from which he earned his nickname, Phil Heath didn’t shy away from hard work in the gym. In fact, looking at his training, it’s clear that Heath pushed himself more than many of his peers.

Despite retiring from competition in 2020, Heath still keeps himself in superb shape, and he looks like he could make a comeback anytime soon. This is in stark contrast to many other bodybuilders who lose their gains when they stop competing.

Phil Heath was the total bodybuilding package but, of all his body parts, his arms were arguably the most impressive. Huge, defined, and vascular, many bodybuilders would love to have arms like the Gift’s.

This raises an interesting question: Would following Phil Heath’s biceps and triceps routine give you Olympia-winning arms?

I’m a veteran personal trainer and was recently approached by a friend and client called Rob who wanted to up his arm training game. He mentioned that he was a big Phil Heath fan, and wanted to follow in his hero’s footsteps and “train like the Gift.”

In this article, I break down Phil Heath’s arm day routine and reveal what happened when a natural lifter worked out like his bodybuilding idol.

Phil Heath’s Arm Day Routine

Phil Heath’s bodybuilding training evolved constantly. He adjusted his workouts based on what part of his physique he wanted to improve. In addition, like all bodybuilders, he had in-season and off-season workout programs and often varied his training split.

So, long story short, there are lots of different Phil Heath arm routines to choose from. After some searching, and discussions with Rob, this is the routine we settled on:  

Biceps
	Exercise	Sets	Reps
1	Alternating Dumbbell Curl	4	10-12 reps
2	Single-Arm Preacher Curl	4	10-12 reps
3	EZ Bar Curl	4	10-12 reps
4	Machine Preacher Curl	4	10-12 reps
Triceps
5	Reverse Grip Pushdowns	4	10-12 reps
6	Overhand Grip Triceps Pushdowns	4	10-12 reps
7	Overhead Rope Triceps Extensions	4	10-12 reps
8	Machine Triceps Extensions	4	10-12 reps

Note: Recovery between sets = 40-60 seconds to keep the intensity high and maximize the pump.

Phil Heath didn’t usually train his arms on their own, preferring to do things like back and biceps one day, and chest and triceps another. However, Rob likes to dedicate one day a week to his arms, so we combined two Phil Heath workouts to create a monster arm day routine.

We planned to do this program once a week for six weeks and then assess Rob’s progress to determine if a natty lifter can gain muscle on a pro bodybuilder’s arm routine.

How did it go? Check out the next section and find out!

A Natty Lifter Does Phil Heath’s Arm Workout

Phil Heath has enjoyed a long, successful bodybuilding career, and even though he no longer competes, he’s still training hard. This suggests that he’s managed to steer clear of the injuries that can stop a bodybuilder in their tracks. As such, I suspect he never skipped his warm-ups.

As a trainer and coach, part of my job is to keep my clients healthy, so I made sure that Rob started his workout with a thorough warm-up. This involved 10 minutes of easy rowing followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for his arms, shoulders, and lower back.

Related: How to Warm Up for Strength Training

With that out of the way, it was time for Rob to emulate his bodybuilding hero and begin his Phil Heath arm routine.

1. Alternating Dumbbell Curl

4 sets, 10-12 reps

The alternating dumbbell curl is one of my all-time favorite biceps exercises. The movement allows you to focus intently on each arm independently, reinforcing that all-important mind-muscle connection. With those details in mind, it’s not surprising to find it at the top of Phil Heath’s must-do biceps exercise list.

I made Rob do this exercise seated to eliminate any cheating; a lot of lifters use their legs and backs more than their biceps during dumbbell curls. This meant he had to go a little lighter than usual, but given this was the first of four biceps exercises, this was no bad thing.

Anyway, Rob powered through four sets of seated alternating dumbbell curls with no problem, and we finished the last set with a triple down-the-rack drop set just for fun!

2. Single-Arm Preacher Curl

4 sets, 10-12 reps

Preacher curls, also known as Scott curls, were a favorite of inaugural Mr. Olympia winner Larry Scott, although it was probably invented by legendary bodybuilding genius Vince Gironda, who coached Scott to greatness.

This exercise keeps your upper arm stationary so you can fully isolate your biceps. Consequently, it’s almost entirely cheat-proof and doesn’t allow you to lift heavy weights. That said, what the preacher curl does do is load your muscles in a stretched position which, research tells us, can help accelerate muscle growth (1).

After four sets of alternating dumbbell curls, Rob’s biceps were starting to feel fatigued, but he rose to the challenge and blasted through four straight sets. We finished his last set with a couple of self-spotted forced reps, which involved lifting the weight with two hands but lowering it with one.

3. EZ Bar Curl

4 sets, 10-12 reps

EZ bar curls put your wrists and forearms in a very forgiving position, making them an excellent choice for a high-volume arm workout. Performed standing, they also allow you to use a little bit of “body English” to raise the weight as you begin to tire. This was no bad thing because, after two exercises and eight hard sets, Rob was starting to run out of gas!

Complaining of a “wicked pump,” Rob really struggled with this exercise, and in addition to his increasing body English, we also had to reduce the weight to keep in in the prescribed repetition range. The veins on his arms became very prominent and, as Rob himself said, he looked like a hardcore bodybuilder!

I think one of the reasons that Rob was struggling was the short rests favored by Phil Heath. After all, 40-60 seconds isn’t enough time to recover fully between sets. However, that’s what “the Gift” said to use, so that’s what we stuck to.

4. Machine Preacher Curl

4 sets, 10-12 reps

Rob’s final exercise was also technically the easiest – machine preacher curls. The machine provides support and guidance, leaving you free to focus on cranking out the reps.

Phil Heath does this exercise “constant tension” style, meaning he does not fully bend or extend his arms. This limits blood flow and also keeps the target muscles constantly contracted, producing a skin-splitting pump and deep burn.

Rob raised his game for this final biceps exercise and pushed himself to the limit, completing all the prescribed sets and reps. As it was his last exercise, we made the final set a drop set, working down just the machine handles at the end.

After that, it was time for a short rest, a quick protein shake, and a shot of pre-workout before starting the triceps portion of the workout…

5. Reverse Grip Pushdowns

4 sets, 10-12 reps

Most triceps workouts feature pushdowns, but Phil Heath starts his with the less popular reverse grip, which emphasizes the medial triceps head. This suggests that this is an area that Heath was keen to improve, which is why it was at the top of his must-do triceps exercise list.

Rob hadn’t done this exercise before and was surprised at how much weaker he was with his palms facing up. However, this concern soon vanished when he realized just how intense the triceps contraction was when he straightened his arms.

I pushed Rob through four sets of reverse grip triceps extensions, making sure he paused with his arms straight and triceps fully contracted each rep. We ended with a triple-drop set plus a few forced reps, pushing Rob to his limit.

6. Overhand Grip Triceps Pushdowns

4 sets, 10-12 reps

The second exercise was more pushdowns but, this time, using the conventional overhand grip. Initially, this grip felt easier, so Rob increased his weight. Unfortunately, that feeling didn’t last long, and he soon started to suffer.

The last two sets were a real struggle, and I had to keep reminding him to maintain perfect form. We did a few forced reps at the end of each set but skipped the drop sets. After all, there is no point flogging a dead horse!

Speaking of form, Phil Heath is a stickler for doing each and every exercise correctly. Unlike many lifters, he’s not concerned with how much weight he uses. Instead, he wants to stimulate maximal muscle growth. Invariably, that means using submaximal loads but doing each exercise smoothly and with control.

This is a good lesson for natural and enhanced bodybuilders alike: More weight does not always mean a more effective workout. Sometimes less weight is better for hypertrophy as it allows you to focus on your form and the muscles you want to train.

 

7. Overhead Rope Triceps Extensions

4 sets, 10-12 reps

Rob’s penultimate triceps exercise was also the hardest – overhead triceps extensions. This exercise places your triceps in a stretched position which, research suggests, means it’s one of the best triceps long head exercises around (2).

Lack of adequate shoulder mobility meant that Rob found this exercise very uncomfortable. Consequently, we went light and focused on good technique rather than overloading his muscles.

But, despite this accommodation, Rob still felt this exercise in his triceps and promised to work on his mobility so he could do the exercise better in future workouts. We did four straight sets of overhead triceps extensions, with no drop sets of forced reps.

8. Machine Triceps Extensions

4 sets, 10-12 reps

Heath’s last triceps exercise is a no-brainer, meaning you’re free to focus 100% on pushing your muscles to their limit. Not all gyms have a triceps extension machine but, if yours does, it’s the perfect way to end an arm workout.

As this was our last exercise, we pulled out all the stops and did forced reps, drop sets, and lengthened partials to hammer Rob’s triceps into submission. By the end, his triceps were so pumped that he could hardly bend his arms to drink from his water bottle!

Results and Closing Thoughts

Phil Heath’s arm workout was probably too much for a natty like Rob. 16 sets of biceps and 16 sets of triceps took just over 90 minutes, which is a huge amount of time and volume for what are actually pretty small muscle groups. 

That said, Rob is a man of his word, and he said he’d do this workout once a week for six weeks, so that’s what he did.

Did his arms grow? Yes, but not as much as he hoped.

Six weeks of training arms like Phil Heath added just over half an inch to Rob’s arms. That’s very little progress for such a big investment of time, energy, and pain. Additionally, the post-workout DOMS and fatigue were so severe that his chest, back, and shoulder workouts suffered, so he actually lost muscle from the rest of his upper body.

Pros like Phil Heath use a variety of performance-enhancing drugs, most of which enhance recovery so they can train longer and harder than the average natty. Consequently, natural bodybuilders like Rob will probably become overtrained if they train like a pro.

So, while it’s okay to be inspired by pro bodybuilders, it’s a mistake for most nattys to copy their workouts. You’ll get much better results by following a program written specifically for drug-free lifters.

Have you tried a pro’s routine? How did it go for you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Related: Phil Heath Crushes ‘Time Under Tension’ Leg Workout, Offers ‘Key Tips’ to Maximize Results

References:

1. Pedrosa GF, Lima FV, Schoenfeld BJ, Lacerda LT, Simões MG, Pereira MR, Diniz RCR, Chagas MH. Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022 Aug;22(8):1250-1260. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199. Epub 2021 May 23. PMID: 33977835.
2. Maeo S, Wu Y, Huang M, Sakurai H, Kusagawa Y, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H, Isaka T. Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position. Eur J Sport Sci. 2023 Jul;23(7):1240-1250. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2100279. Epub 2022 Aug 11. PMID: 35819335.

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