What everyone sees onstage at the Olympia is the final product. What very few people witness is the work that goes into creating the most muscular, symmetrical, detailed physiques on the planet— the countless hours in the gym, and the strict discipline in following a mass-gaining diet in the off-season and a restrictive leaning-out plan for up to four months before competition. Phil Heath, James “Flex” Lewis, and Mark Anthony Wingson have displayed such dedication for years, and in the following pages, each of these champions offers one gym workout that’s helped him reach the pinnacle of physique competition.
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Bill Comstock
Phil Heath – Back/Traps
With a tetrad of O wins (2011–14) and no sign of letting up, Phil Heath has established his own bodybuilding dynasty, just as Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, and Dorian Yates (among others) did before him. All great champions of the past displayed dominance onstage, and Heath is no exception. To win an Olympia—or even to place in the top six—one needs to have a great back, with superior width, thickness, and detail. Developing this requires smart yet exhaustive training in the gym year after year, which Heath has done ever since turning pro. Here’s a sample back workout he used in his pre-Olympia prep.
Winning an O title in bodybuilding’s 212 division might seem less stringent than going up against the heavyweights, but it could actually be worse. First, the 212 field is loaded with elite athletes. Second, IFBB judges are looking for the same muscle density and freaky body parts as in the open division, so these guys don’t get a break simply because they’re smaller. Flex Lewis defended his Olympia 212 title by displaying a symmetrical physique with no apparent weaknesses and a set of legs that put him over the top. Below is one of Lewis’ typical quad workouts.
The first-ever men’s physique Olympia crown went to an athlete who’s no stranger in the fitness industry. Mark Anthony Wingson will always be known as one of the physique division’s first superstars, a distinction now set in stone with an O title under his belt. Despite having a body that’s not quite as big as a professional bodybuilder’s, Wingson puts just as much time in the gym as guys like Heath and Lewis, and it shows. For the physique competitor, aesthetics are always a top priority, so the chest, arms, and abs need to be virtually flawless to perform at the sport’s highest level. Here’s one of Wingson’s favorite chest routines for building size and enhancing detail.
Mark Anthony Wingson’s Chest Workout
ExerciseSetsRepsDumbbell Pullover415Flat Bench Dumbbell Press*415,15,13,10Incline Smith Machine Press*415,15,13,10Incline Dumbbell Flye315Seated Cable Flye315Hammer Strength Dip Machine415Plyo Pushup710*Perform dropset on last set
What everyone sees onstage at the Olympia is the final product. What very few people witness is the work that goes into creating the most muscular, symmetrical, detailed physiques on the planet— the countless hours in the gym, and the strict discipline in following a mass-gaining diet in the off-season and a restrictive leaning-out plan for up to four months before competition. Phil Heath, James “Flex” Lewis, and Mark Anthony Wingson have displayed such dedication for years, and in the following pages, each of these champions offers one gym workout that’s helped him reach the pinnacle of physique competition.
Phil Heath - Back/Traps
With a tetrad of O wins (2011–14) and no sign of letting up, Phil Heath has established his own bodybuilding dynasty, just as Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, and Dorian Yates (among others) did before him. All great champions of the past displayed dominance onstage, and Heath is no exception. To win an Olympia—or even to place in the top six—one needs to have a great back, with superior width, thickness, and detail. Developing this requires smart yet exhaustive training in the gym year after year, which Heath has done ever since turning pro. Here’s a sample back workout he used in his pre-Olympia prep.
Phil Heath’s Back/Traps Workout
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Front Pulldown
3-4
10-15
Underhand Barbell Row
3-4
10-12
High-Pulley Row
3-4
10-12
T-bar Row
4
12
Seated Cable Row*
7
10-12
Pullover
3
15-20
Shrug
3
15-20
*Perform with 20-30 sec rest
James "Flex" Lewis - Quads
Winning an O title in bodybuilding’s 212 division might seem less stringent than going up against the heavyweights, but it could actually be worse. First, the 212 field is loaded with elite athletes. Second, IFBB judges are looking for the same muscle density and freaky body parts as in the open division, so these guys don’t get a break simply because they’re smaller. Flex Lewis defended his Olympia 212 title by displaying a symmetrical physique with no apparent weaknesses and a set of legs that put him over the top. Below is one of Lewis’ typical quad workouts.
Flex Lewis’ Quad Workout
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Leg Extension*
3-4
15-25
Leg Press
6-7
30-50
Wide-Stance Leg Press
3
15-20
Sissy Squat
3-4
15-20
Bulgarian Split Squat
3
15-20
*Plus 2-3 warmup sets
Mark Anthony Wingson - Chest
The first-ever men’s physique Olympia crown went to an athlete who’s no stranger in the fitness industry. Mark Anthony Wingson will always be known as one of the physique division’s first superstars, a distinction now set in stone with an O title under his belt. Despite having a body that’s not quite as big as a professional bodybuilder’s, Wingson puts just as much time in the gym as guys like Heath and Lewis, and it shows. For the physique competitor, aesthetics are always a top priority, so the chest, arms, and abs need to be virtually flawless to perform at the sport’s highest level. Here’s one of Wingson’s favorite chest routines for building size and enhancing detail.
