SIZE SECRET #6: TRAIN EACH MUSCLE GROUP TWICE A WEEK
PHIL HEATH: “For me, legs were always a body part that I felt could be better. I found that training them twice a week, every three or four days, worked out best for adding size and detail. Many guys tend to think you only need to train a specific area once per week, feeling it leads to more growth. I disagree, as when it comes to bringing up lagging areas, training them twice per week will not only yield gains in size but also in detail, especially during contest prep. Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman trained everything twice a week for the majority of his career, so it’s kind of hard to debate against someone who carries his muscle mass.”
PHIL HEATH’S QUAD WORKOUTS
WORKOUT A
Leg Extensions| SETS: 7 | REPS: 10*
Front Squats| SETS: 3 | REPS: 15*
Vertical Leg Presses| SETS: 3 | REPS: 15
Hack Squats| SETS: 3 | REPS: 12-15
Walking Lunges| SETS: 1 | REPS: 50-100 yards
WORKOUT B
Plate-Loaded Squats| SETS: 3 | REPS: 12-15
Unilateral Leg Presses| SETS: 3 | REPS: 12-15
Leg Extensions| SETS: 3 | REPS: 12-15
Hack Squats| SETS: 7 | REPS: 12-15*
*Following Hany Rambod’s FST-7 technique, resting approximately 40 seconds between each set.
Training Tip #1: Heath refers to this as “FST-7 front loading” (a.k.a. preloading) in which the FST-7 exercise comes first, not last, in the workout. He feels this provides a good warm-up for the quads and gives him “the pump I need to get after other exercises.”
Training Tip #2: Doing single-leg presses allows Heath to isolate each leg and also increase the range of motion, as he is able to go deeper at the bottom of the movement.
