Phil Heath Gives An In-Depth Explanation On His Arm Training

Phil Heath gives the fans some quality insight to his training style.

Phil Heath is an incredibly well-rounded bodybuilder, but the best aspect of his physique is likely his arms. In this video from Massive Muscle, Phil answers a fan question about arm training and divulges his method.


The question concerns the grouping of arm exercises.

“Hey champ, when I do arms I alternate biceps and triceps and finish with forearms. I’ve noticed that when you train you do all of one and then the other. Is that a preference or is it more beneficial that way?”


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Phil says that part of the reason for this workout arrangement is pure convenience.

“I think it’s primarily because of the way the gym is usually laid out. If I’m just trying to get all the bicep stuff done first, that’s what I usually o…but I have done it where I do an alternating dumbbell curl and then jump in and do like some French curl presses or kickbacks or overhead tricep extensions using the dumbbells.”

He does say that focusing on one muscle at a time is also preferred for growth, though he does admit that alternating muscles does offer a maximum pump right off the bat, and suspects that’s the reason it might be favored by the fan.

At the end of the day, he says, it works if it works for you. There are a ton of valid ways to train arms, and optimal training will differ from person to person based on a myriad of factors.


Phil re-iterates that the most important aspects of arm training are not necessarily the arrangement of individual sets, but the actual quality of each working rep.

“It’s gonna be about the time under tension, the muscle being contracted, and just your technique.” That’s gonna be your biggest difference.”

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