Though he’s retired from bodybuilding, Phil Heath’s chest days aren’t just for show. In late August 2025, “The Gift” broke down how he leverages rep tempo and mind-muscle connection to sculpt a symmetrical chest.
Heath’s chest training comprises dumbbell flyes, incline chest presses, cable crossovers, and decline chest presses. His focus throughout training is on muscle fiber stimulus to ensure maximum activation. Here’s a breakdown of how Heath builds a champion’s chest:
Dumbbell Flyes & Incline Chest Presses
Heath’s setup is intentional and strategic. He starts the workout with dumbbell flyes on a flat bench, biasing the mid-pec fibers with a deep stretch, rather than hitting the upper pecs at an incline.
Beyond hypertrophy benefits from the stretch, mid-pec development enhances chest symmetry, leading to stronger side chest, side triceps, and front double biceps poses.
Rep tempo sets the groundwork for more intensity, but Heath warned about how breathing impacts performance.
People rush when it gets tough. I prefer to keep a good tempo and focus on breathing.
—Phil Heath
Research supports the power of rep tempo, showing that slower eccentrics combined with faster concentrics lead to greater hypertrophy and strength gains than consistently fast or slow reps. (1)
Heath’s focused breathing to generate intra-abdominal pressure helps spinal support during heavy lifts. (2)(3) With shorter resting periods, he maintains intensity and elevates metabolic demand. (4)
I keep rest periods under 90 seconds to keep the intensity.
—Phil Heath
Cable Crossovers
Heath’s low-to-high pulley crossovers offer well-rounded chest development. Studies show that they can boost pectoral activation thanks to a greater range of motion than selectorized machines with fixed paths. (5)
Decline Machine Presses
Warm-up sets aren’t just for getting used to the equipment; they keep Heath lifting safely. (6) Priming the low-pec fibers with lighter weights prepares him for more challenging, intense work. Once the movement pattern is locked in, Heath can reap maximum benefits from progressive overload with a lower injury risk.
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References
- Wilk M, Zajac A, Tufano JJ. The Influence of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy Responses: A Review. Sports Med. 2021 Aug;51(8):1629-1650. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01465-2. Epub 2021 May 27. PMID: 34043184; PMCID: PMC8310485. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8310485/
- Narloch JA, Brandstater ME. Influence of breathing technique on arterial blood pressure during heavy weight lifting. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1995 May;76(5):457-62. doi: 10.1016/s0003-9993(95)80578-8. PMID: 7741618. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7741618/
- Daggfeldt K, Thorstensson A. The role of intra-abdominal pressure in spinal unloading. J Biomech. 1997 Nov-Dec;30(11-12):1149-55. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9290(97)00096-1. PMID: 9456383. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9456383/
- Farinatti PT, Castinheiras Neto AG. The effect of between-set rest intervals on the oxygen uptake during and after resistance exercise sessions performed with large- and small-muscle mass. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Nov;25(11):3181-90. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318212e415. PMID: 21993043. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21993043/
- Signorile JF, Rendos NK, Heredia Vargas HH, Alipio TC, Regis RC, Eltoukhy MM, Nargund RS, Romero MA. Differences in Muscle Activation and Kinematics Between Cable-Based and Selectorized Weight Training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017 Feb;31(2):313-322. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001493. PMID: 28129277. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28129277/
- Ding L, Luo J, Smith DM, Mackey M, Fu H, Davis M, Hu Y. Effectiveness of Warm-Up Intervention Programs to Prevent Sports Injuries among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 23;19(10):6336. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106336. PMID: 35627873; PMCID: PMC9140806. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35627873/
Featured image @philheath on Instagram
