Phil Heath

Phil Heath is a bodybuilding legend, and one of the greatest to ever compete. This is his life story, competition history, training regimen, diet, and more.

(Bodybuilder)

Athlete Statistics

Full Name: Phil Heath
Weight	Height	Age	Date of Birth
240-270lbs(109-125kg)	5’9 (175cm)	40 years	December 18, 1979
Nationality		Era
American		2000, 2010

Early Life

Phil Heath is one of the greatest and most accomplished bodybuilders of all time. “The Gift,” as he is also known as, has won 7 Mr. Olympia titles in his career. However, things were not always easy for this phenomenal athlete, as he had to endure a tough childhood. This experience resulted in giving Heath an undeniable drive for success, which he used in his career.

Phil Heath was born in 1979, in the town of Seattle, Washington. His parents were constantly working to provide for their family, so oftentimes Heath was left alone. So due to this, he was forced to learn at an early age how to take care of himself. He quickly learned how to cook his own food, while maintaining his training for basketball. This hard work is what set him up for a life of success.

It was this interest in basketball that first introduced him to weightlifting. Heath would train at his school gym to increase his jump height and grew to enjoy the other people he would train with. This enjoyment would further develop, as Heath would eventually give up on basketball, not feeling satisfied by it anymore. Subsequently, he would return to the weight room, to find his joy.

While focusing more on weight training, Phil Heath was working multiple jobs. He would use his limited free time to learn as much as he could about bodybuilding, reading through crates of magazines. It was from this, that Heath would learn about effective nutrition and training techniques. He applied this knowledge to gain a ton of mass, in a short span of time, which gave him the inspiration to pursue bodybuilding.

Phil Heath – Early Bodybuilding Career

Phil Heath would take part in his first bodybuilding competition, in 2003 at age 24. He would go on to win The Rocky Mountain Northern Physique Committee championship at 192lbs, earning his nickname of “The Gift.” This propelled Heath’s confidence through the roof, as he would try to repeat his success a second time at the same event. However, he would be unsuccessful in this endeavor, scoring second place instead.

At this point, Heath was looking for more victories, and to clean the taste of second place out of his mouth. Following a renewed effort in the training room, he would attend the NPC Colorado State Show. Here, he would earn the title of Mr. Colorado, and in turn, get sponsorships. This victory is what ultimately led him to turn his attention to earning his pro card.

Phil Heath – Pro Bodybuilding Career

In 2005, Heath was weighing around 215lb and decided to compete for his IFBB Pro-Card. He entered the NPC USA Championships, where he was successful in this endeavor. At this point, Phil started competing at a pro-level, beginning with the Colorado Pro where he again earned first place.

Subsequently, Heath gained the confidence to try his hand at the Arnold Classic. While he was not successful in winning, he earned a very respectable 5th place. This demonstrated to the bodybuilding community that there was new blood in town, and they needed to remember the name, Phil Heath.

Heath would then bounce back from this performance, by winning the IFBB Iron Man competition. After this victory, he would give the Arnold Classic another shot. This attempt would see Heath capture the 2nd place spot, resulting in a burst of motivation, unlike anything he had demonstrated before.

Mr. Olympia Run

In 2008, after his appearance at the Arnold Classic, Phil Heath would turn his focus to the Mr. Olympia competition. He would not be a huge success at first, although he would do very well. His first showing would see him land a surprising 3rd place. However, in the following year, Heath would drop to 5th place.

However, it was in 2010, where Phil would briefly compete at the Arnold Classic, again earning 2nd place. Nevertheless, it was right back to Mr. Olympia where is scored 2nd place. It was at this point, that Phil Heath would begin his reign over the Olympia competition.

At the age of 32, in 2011, Phil Heath would win his first Mr. Olympia championship. This would be his first of a seven-year streak of the defend his title of Mr. Olympia. In between holding his title from 2011-2017, Heath also won the Sheru Classic in 2011 and 2012. Additionally, he would win the Arnold Classic Europe in 2013.

Unfortunately, this amazing run would end in 2018, where Phil Heath lost his title of Mr. Olympia in a surprising upset. He would come in second place in the competition, losing to Shawn Rhoden. This was Heath’s last major bodybuilding appearance, at the date of writing. However, he does maintain an incredibly active lifestyle, and will automatically be able to compete in any future Olympias. so there is hope he will return.

Phil Heath – Accomplishments and Championships

2003

2003 Northern Colorado State, Novice – Light-Heavyweight 1st, and overall
2003 NPC Colorado State – Light-Heavyweight 1st

2004

2004 NPC Colorado State, Heavyweight – 1st and Overall

2005

2005 NPC Junior Nationals, Heavyweight – 1st and Overall
2005 NPC USA Championships, Heavyweight – 1st and Overall

2006

2006 Colorado Pro Championships – 1st
2006 New York Pro Championship – 1st

2007

2007 Arnold Classic – 5th

2008

2008 IFBB Iron Man – 1st
2008 Arnold Classic – 2nd
2008 Mr. Olympia – 3rd

2009

2009 Mr. Olympia – 5th

2010

2010 Arnold Classic – 2nd
2010 Mr. Olympia – 2nd

2011

2011 Mr. Olympia – 1st
2011 Sheru Classic – 1st

2012

2012 Mr. Olympia – 1st
2012 Sheru Classic – 1st

2013

2013 Mr. Olympia – 1st
2013 Arnold Classic Europe – 1st

2014

2014 Mr. Olympia – 1st

2015

2015 Mr. Olympia – 1st

Phil Heath – Training Regimine

Day One (Legs)

Lying Leg Curls – 4sets/8-10 reps
Stiff-Leg Deadlifts – 4 sets/8-10 reps
Seated Leg Curls – 7 sets/10-12 reps
Standing Calf Raises – 4 sets/15-20 reps
Leg Press Calf Raises – 4 sets/20 reps
Seated Calf Raises – 7 sets/15 reps
Extensions – 4 sets/10-12 reps
Front Squats – 4 sets/10-12 reps
Leg Presses – 3 sets/12 reps
Hack Squats – 7 sets/7 reps

Day Two (Chest and Triceps)

Dumbbell Incline Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
Dumbbell Incline Flyes – 4 sets/10-12 reps
Hammer Strength Bench Presses – 3 sets/10-12 reps
Pec Decks – 7 sets/10-12 reps
Pushdowns of Rope Attachment – 3 sets/10-12 reps
Dips – 3 sets/10-12 reps
Close-Grip Bench Presses – 3 sets/10-12 reps
Lying Triceps Extensions – 7 sets/10-12 reps

Day Three (Rest day)

Day Four (Back and Biceps)

Wide-Grip Pull-Ups – 3 sets/10-12 reps
Power-Grip Chin-Ups – 3 sets/10-12 reps
T-bar Rows – 4 sets/12 reps
Bent-Over Rows – 4 sets/12 reps
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows – 3 sets/12 reps
Straight-Arm Pull Downs of Rope Attachment – 7 sets/10-12 reps
Standing EZ-Bar Curls – 3 sets/12 reps
Hammer Curls 3 sets/12 reps
Concentration Curls – 3 sets/12 reps
Hammer Strength Preacher Curls – 7 sets/8-10 reps

Day Five (Shoulders and Traps)

Smith Machine Military Presses – 4 sets/10-12 reps
Dumbbell Front Raises – 4 sets/10-12 reps
Upright Rows – 4 sets/10-12 reps
Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 7 sets/10-12 reps
Dumbbell Shrugs – 4 sets/12 reps
Barbell Shrugs – 4 sets/12 reps

Phil Heath – Diet and Nutrition

Phil Heath typical consumes eight meals a day, to provide him the energy and calories needed for him to train and compete at the highest level. Additionally, he enjoys two protein shakes, along with a multitude of vitamins and supplements. This is typically what his daily diet consists of.

Off-Competition Diet

First Meal

12 oz. chicken
1 cup of egg whites
1 cup of cream of rice

Second Meal

12 oz. 94% ground beef
2 cups of white rice

Third Meal

12 oz. beef tenderloin
8 oz. whole-wheat pasta

Fourth Meal (Training)

Pre-Workout supplement
Post-Workout protein shake

Fifth Meal

6-8 oz. beef tenderloin
10 oz. white potato

Sixth Meal

12 oz. chicken
1 cup of spinach

Seventh Meal

12 oz. of 94% ground beef
1 cup of broccoli

Eighth Meal

2 tbsp. of almond butter
Whey protein isolate

In-Competition Diet

First Meal

2.5 cups egg whites
1 cup of oatmeal

Second Meal

12 oz. white chicken breast
1 cup of brown rice
Steamed vegetables

Third Meal

12 oz. beef tenderloin
Medium sweet potato

Fourth Meal (Training)

Pre-Workout supplement
Post-Workout protein shake

Fifth Meal

12 oz. beef tenderloin
Medium sweet potato

Sixth Meal

12 oz. white chicken breast
1 cup brown rice

Seventh Meal

12 oz. halibut or tilapia
Steamed broccoli

Eighth Meal

12 oz. halibut or tilapia
Steamed broccoli

Additional Information

Phil Heath draws inspiration from iconic bodybuilders like Flex Lewis. He also maintains close friendships with Jay Cutler and Dorian Yates, where they share ideas and tips with each other. Nevertheless, Heath primarily praises his friends in school for teaching him the basics of lifting and kept pushing him early.

Phil Heath is a prime example of why you should never give up. He faced a few setbacks in his life and career, yet persevered through it all to be one of the best Olympia competitors of all time. This story of success is built completely from the ground up and shows just what the right amount of dedication can help anybody achieve.