As big as his muscles were, Phil Heath’s mind is what made him the dangerous bodybuilding competitor that garnered seven consecutive Mr. Olympia titles. Grip styles, concentration, and body mechanics were all on the menu for “The Gift” throughout his dynasty.
Heath’s famous three-dimensional muscle volume wasn’t achieved by accident. Mind-muscle connection is the conscious, intentional control of a muscle during exercise. He recently shared the simple movement that helped him sync his body and mind inside the gym.
Phil Heath’s Mind-Muscle Connection Technique Simplified
- Hold a pair of dumbbells with a supinated grip at shoulder height.
- Press one dumbbell overhead and twist the wrist at peak contraction.
- Simultaneously lower the opposite dumbbell to waist level without twisting the wrist.
- Return to the starting position.
Heath performs this movement slowly and deliberately, letting his mind focus on working multiple muscle fibers simultaneously.
Forcing the arms to perform independently of each other allows for focused activation of specific muscles. (1) Minor details like these could make a dramatic difference when aiming to grow a particular area, especially the upper body. (2) It helps wake up the deltoids, shoulder stabilizers, biceps, and wrist muscles before tackling more strenuous lifts.
“Movement quality plus quantity, having great coordination, slowing down, and focusing on the movement mechanics rather than just moving the weight, is ideal,” Heath expressed.
This warm-up drill primes the motor system, potentially boosting muscle tension. (3) Scientific research strongly supports that increased muscular tension during workouts can lead to greater growth and overall progress. (4)
One way to maximize this is through time under tension (TUT). Research has shown that slower rep tempos can lead to significant muscle growth even while using lighter weights. (5)
Heath’s Olympia dynasty from 2011-2017 wasn’t about throwing weight around. It wa calculated consistency that saw him unify grit, science, and iron. At the heart of it all was control, and his ability to command every rep with intent.
References
- Andrushko JW, Lanovaz JL, Björkman KM, Kontulainen SA, Farthing JP. Unilateral strength training leads to muscle-specific sparing effects during opposite homologous limb immobilization. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2018;124(4):866-876. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00971.2017 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29357520/
- McCrary JM, Ackermann BJ, Halaki M. A systematic review of the effects of upper body warm-up on performance and injury. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(14):935-942. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-094228 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25694615/
- Díaz-García J, Rubio-Morales A, Manzano-Rodríguez D, García-Calvo T, Ring C. Cognitive Priming During Warmup Enhances Sport and Exercise Performance: A Goldilocks Effect. Brain Sci. 2025 Feb 23;15(3):235. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15030235. PMID: 40149756; PMCID: PMC11940224. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11940224/
- Martins-Costa HC, Lacerda LT, Diniz RCR, et al. Equalization of Training Protocols by Time Under Tension Determines the Magnitude of Changes in Strength and Muscular Hypertrophy. J Strength Cond Res. 2022;36(7):1770-1780. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000004004 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34932279/
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn DI, Krieger JW. Effect of repetition duration during resistance training on muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2015;45(4):577-585. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0304-0 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25601394/
Featured image: @philheath on Instagram
