He mentioned to me after Q: Did Mike Mentzer ever do volume training? New Cognizant jobs added daily. mentioned training systems. ANALYSIS: Another pre-exhaust superset: laterals before presses. Upon hearing that, I quickly realized how much deceit was being practiced in the bodybuilding world, where champions whose arms were obviously far less substantial than Mikes would loudly proclaim measurements of 21 inches or, in some instances that stretched credibility to the breaking point, 22 inches. Leg presses 1 x 6-8 When you The discussion was very good, but you could see a divide between the minimalist versus anti-minimalist crowd. Do 1-3 warmup sets before working sets. She is a young Swedish girl from Uppsala, who is currently traveling around the world. Omega-3 Standing barbell curls 1 x 6-8 document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I am a personal trainer and fitness fanatic. In other words, in the group of older adults, nobody maintained their muscle size after cutting down to one session per week, even though they managed to maintain their strength. Walking dumbbell lunge (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 6. it an honest try and you will get progress immediately work out to work out. Well, Mike replied, it was back in 1979. I just training, Body Contract-Duchaine's, Arnolds, Weider, POF, Periodization, non Periodization, Seated machine press (5 sets, 6-8 reps). the top bodybuilders said to do--ultra marathon routines. At that time, most top-level bodybuilders had long training sessions that included more than 20 sets per body part, 5-6 days a week, and Mike thought they were doing it completely wrong. Your email address will not be published. And, as I stared in disbelief at the massive shoulders and arms he was sporting that day, I had empirical proof of the efficiency of his most productive routine., Editors note: John Little is the co-author with Mike Mentzer of High Intensity Training The Mike Mentzer Way (New York: McGraw Hill; 2002). I train in Goldswhen I do trainand I see this as probably the most pervasive mistake among bodybuilders, including advanced bodybuilders. His triceps, in particular, when viewed from behind, reminded one of two large watermelons hanging out of a T-shirt. How the hell were we going to grow unless we at least let that happen? Straight arm pulldown (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 2. Ali: My background in training started about 8 years ago when I was 15 years old. Dumbbell flyes or double cable crossover super setted with. effort, money, gym membership, supplements and buying every program with nothing in return? The last workout I performed was a light full body workout on July 21, 2008. Mentzer starting pumping iron at the age of 12 at a bodyweight of 95 pounds. The muscles targeted with the isolation exercise work to their maximum and give out first during the compound exercise. Train with less intensity and you will need more volume. Close grip supinated cable pulldown (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 4. These people are not the norm, though. the results. Now I see that was wrong. Short term progress will be evaluated primarily by strength increases. The website's content is not a substitute for direct, personal, professional medical care and diagnosis. In my opinion you can even make better results on Heavy Duty than you can using steroids, Capping off the year by winning the heavyweight division of the Mr. Olympia ( Frank Zane won the overall), he emerged as bodybuilding's heir apparent. Mike Mentzer used the following supplements to help fuel his gains: Whilst we dont know the exact brand of supplements Mike Mentzer uses, we have some recommendations based on what he takes. If you choose to, you could follow the barbell curls with chin-ups (underhand). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Considering the lack of science-based knowledge, supplements and the variety of elaborate training techniques we have today, that win was a huge accomplishment that launched Mikes future career. Height: 60 Utilize pre-exhaust supersets. You would think it would only be half, but apparently, after a certain point, in terms of volume of training, the exhaustive effects grow geometrically as opposed to arithmetically. But carried on for too long, that kind of effort actually causes you to lose muscular mass and strengthyoull always be making inroads into your recovery ability and never allowing yourself to recover, let alone grow, which is secondary. Some people may have better luck with just a few exercises all the time and never need direct work for smaller muscle groups that usually are only able to be stimulated with isolation exercises. guru58 December 6, 2020, 5:17pm 2. like anything if you are not going to see some progress you'll do whatever it takes, More like 5 or more if you really want to be at your strongest. Keep in mind, the goal was mass gains, so I ate at about a 500 calorie surplus daily. Workout 2 Squats 8-15 reps Reverse-grip lat pulldown 6-10 reps . I Met-rx meal replacement drink Reps got lower, weights got bigger, sets got much harder. The study was suppose to be training one day a week not 3. Go to full-rep failure in the 6-8 rep range. One set may gas you out. These are the top picks from each category, featured on our ranked supplement lists: Mike Mentzer had his first competition in 1969 and a few years later he returned for another contest. enhances recovery ability. Id complete two cycles of those two exercises and then move on to two sets of bent-over barbell rows to finish up my lat work. Warmup each exercise as necessary, and push these working sets to full-rep failure at 6-8 reps and then beyond failure via forced reps, negatives, and/or rest-pause for 1-3 additional reps. Whey protein If they find its too exhausting, try the four-day. Finally, I asked Mike to summarize his experience for the benefit of all those bodybuilders looking to build mass. For much more about the incredible history of Jones, Viator, Mentzer, and others, check out: HIT MEN: The Story of High-Intensity Training. Whether or not the body fat calculation is accurate, at least Im getting consistent readings and have a point of reference by which I can monitor my progress. It is also hard for some trainees to summon the intensity necessary to make the workout successful in only a single set. I saw this question on the web recently followed by some interesting answers in the comments section. Derek: What kind of advice would you give to others that are in the position you 4 sets of flat bench, 3 sets of inclines, 3 sets of flyes and 2-3 sets of cable crossovers. Mike, however, broke with Jones program as a result of personal experience. Weight: 200.8 pounds Extend sets beyond failure with forced reps, negatives, and rest-pause. The gym opens in 45 minutes. While genetic characteristics were important, Mike believed that they had been overemphasized. The techniques Heavy Duty prescribed foremost were forced reps, negative reps, rest-pause, and pre-exhaust, especially pre-exhaust supersets. The basics will cover most of the muscle groups of the body. The Role of Genetics Then Id work calves, typically two sets of standing calf raises on a machine, followed by one set of toe presses on a leg press machine to failure. Barbell upright row (5 sets, 6-8 reps). Increasing the volume also increases the amount of recovery time need to make the gains needed. Garlic Mike Mentzers workout philosophy was adopted by Dorian Yates, who won six Mr. Olympia titles in the 1990s. The mining was initially operated through several tunnels before the "Sainte-Marie" shafts were sunk. Single leg hamstring Curl: 5 sets 8-10 reps. Barbell squats: 5 sets 6-8 reps. Huge Whey - Whey Protein Powder (30 Servings). I'm saying before you even look to anabolic steroids or to the As Mike pointed out Recovery always precedes growth, and growth was our ultimate goal. Your email address will not be published. Nautilus laterals 2 x 6-8 He was a close friend of Mikes and is and has been great writer for many years on productive bodybuilding. After he retired, Mentzer prescribed increasingly lower volumeeventually as little as only one or two all-out sets per body part every two weeks! Mentzers high-intensity has influenced other training programs, like Doggcrapp and Max-OT. Copyright © 2001-2020 BodybuildingFanatic.com. Jacked Gorilla was founded in 2013, and began publishing bodybuilding supplement reviews, and famous workout routines. He won the 76 Mr. America contest at a bodyweight of 205 pounds while training on such a program, but he didnt stay with it, switching eventually to a split routine performed four days per week. Today is Day 1 of my experiment with Mike Mentzers Perfect Consolidated workout. 1 set with a heavy weight followed immediately by incline press. And Mike was the physical proof that High Intensity Training also called HIT does work well enough to create the best physique. believe it or not overtraining. It wasn't acquired by Wealthy Gorilla Limited until 2019, and since then both our range of content and our audience have grown significantly. Dips 2 x 6-8, Triceps I think long term, doing 1 exercise per muscle group 1-2 times per week will yield greater results then doing just 3-6 exercises that hit the whole body. And the added effort is not that much more than the hyper-minimalist routines. We knew that happened relatively quickly after a workout. However, because there are only two workouts, Mentzer modified this to include legs on push day and shoulders on pull day. This is fine, however, an additional row targeting the lower lat area in addition to this movement would be useful so that the entire lat is hit. Then it would be on to shoulders, for which I would do two superset cycles of Nautilus lateral raises followed by Nautilus behind-the-neck presses and two sets of either rear-delt rowsperformed by sitting backward in a pec deck machine and squeezing your elbows as far back as they can goor two sets of bent-over dumbbell laterals. Yes Robert you are right on the money. We had to recover first. Considering the lack of science-based knowledge, supplements and the variety of elaborate training techniques we have today, that win was a huge accomplishment that launched Mike's future career. Ali: Strength increases have been phenomenal, going up on major multi-joint exercises like Mike Mentzer's leg workout plan consisted of five sets of 10 reps, but if you can do more, it's recommended to increase the number of reps to gain maximum benefits from this workout routine. for 7 years which was very minimal or miniscule to say the very least and I thought I was going to Less volume in reps and sets and more effort. (Heavy Duty) before but it didn't really start to click in until I read Mike Mentzer's book Who was Mike Mentzer? Then, prior to his Mr. Olympia appearances in 1979 and 80where he tipped the scales at a rock-solid 215 poundshe spread out his routine even further, training only once every two to four days. The routine I followed was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts, he began. Rest-Pause After reaching failure, rest for approximately 15 seconds and perform anther rep. Repeat for 2-3 reps. Mentzer had another way of doing a rest-pause set: 4-6 max single reps with a rest of 10-15 seconds between each rep and a 20% reduction of weight near the end in order to get that last rep or two. The one upside for the consolidated training is that it did work for at least a few of Mikes direct clients. All rights Reserved. I wouldn't believe it or I didn't want to believe it. As men and even women for that matter age our hormone levels drop as we age making it harder and harder to do the things we once did say in our 20s as compared to my age now which is 64. When Mentzer won the 1976 Mr. America, he was celebrated as much for his training philosophy as his physique. Dam, it took 16 weeks for you to figure that one out. Mike Mentzer's Consolidated Routine. This kind of research is the kind of mindless dribble that has lead to the confusion still common in body building today! I had originally thought of doing bench presses instead of dips, but I will follow the program to the letter as outlined in Mentzers Underground Seminar video. He himself typically trained three times a week and his 30-minute workouts incorporated no more than 5 sets per body part. couldn't tell the difference between me and someone who did not lift weights. I just Leg curls 2 x 6-8 Pyramid system, 5 x 10, 3 x 10 . need I go on? Lying Triceps Extension 2 sets x 68 reps. I always selected weights for my exercises that allowed me to get at least six good positive repetitions and then continue with forced and negative reps. With any preexhaust set, such as leg extensions to leg presses or pec deck to incline presses, I would take no rest at all between exercises, but I would rest long enough to catch my breath, and Id only do the negatives once a week on each exercise. Enjoy! come close to the results I have achieved. With all the other demands I had in my life at that time, I was really forced to do something about it. Then they hit arms, LOL. When you look the same from year in to year out and you're putting this much time in it's The conclusion was that age does make a difference. Force yourself to go beyond failure using forced reps and negatives. On this back routine, Mentzer hit 5 different exercises. Please, In fact, apart from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Id argue that hes probably made the largest impact on the bodybuilding community to date, followed by several other successors and his predecessor Arthur Jones. Back. Finally, there is the research (National Strength & Conditioning Association) which shows that multiple sets are better for producing muscle gains than are single sets, which were found to be good for maintaining but not as hot for gaining. So he started a methodical reduction in volume and frequency while keeping records on his clients' progress. Machine Pullover or Dumbbell and Cable Pullovers Together. Disclaimer: This website is an educational service that provides general health information. If youre one of these people whos whole physique develops proportionally from just the basic 4 or 5 compounds, then by all means, dont waste your time with the isolation stuff. One team of researchers tried to examine how muscle mass and strength were influenced by reducing the number of training sessions per week to one. That three-days-a-week program left me so exhausted that when I did another full-body program on Monday, I was so shot afterward that all I could do was go home and sleep for a while.. Jones used to say that you dont rest each bodypart on different days, so why would you train them on different days? Front barbell raise (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 5. Dumbbell side lateral raise (5 sets, 8-10 reps) 2. ANALYSIS: Note that Mike Mentzer, who was noted for his tremendous trapezius development, did more sets for traps (4) than biceps (3) and the same amount as for triceps (4). Within this article, well discuss Mike Mentzers workout routine, diet, and supplements: Mike Mentzers training would mix from HIT, a High-Intensity workout that was founded by Arthur Jones in the 1970s. Glutamine Mike thought for a moment and raised his ham of an arm to scratch an itch on his opposite shoulder. Little is now available for phone consultations regarding Mentzers revolutionary Heavy Duty Training System. The legacy he left to those in the Iron Game is his controversial workout program, Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty. But if youre looking to maximize your physique potential, you need to use exercises that directly target each muscle groupat least some of the time throughout a training year. During the next two decades, Mike Mentzer created a lot of fuss with the unconventional training philosophy he wrote about in his Heavy Duty articles and which emphasized brief, intensive and infrequent workouts. When his bodybuilding career began he would move to the between 4-7 rest in between workouts. They can also be produced synthetically or Home Gym Essentials: How to Create a Home Gym, Foam Rollers: Learn The Benefits and Risks, Why Grip Strength is Important to Your Health, Post-Workout Meal Ideas: 5Foods To Eat After a Pump, How To Properly Count Your Macros For Weight Loss, The Importance of Stretching Before Working Out, Top 10 Best Partner Workout Exercises for Valentines Day. Vitamin C I recently did one of Mike Mentzers consolidation programs (the variation with 2 days per week, 3 exercises each day) combined with the recommended 4-2-4 tempo and gained 10 lbs in 8 weeks. That right there is over training. Being 41-years-old, I am not the ideal candidate for building a lot of new muscle, so this will be an interesting experiment. Front barbell raise (5 sets, 8-10 reps) 5. At the very least not only all the results you get using Mentzer began training 3 times a week when he was 15 years old and he could bench press 170 kg back then. Standing dumbbell shrug (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 5. Assist each other in going beyond failure. Thats why he advocated only one day per week. Here is a "classic" Mike Mentzer HIT routine from his early training. Mike Mentzers once a week training philosophy was so unconventional that, to this very day, different bodybuilders hold radically different views on his approach. It was just too much all at once. But you cant take that principle and blindly apply it to exercise and expect to get anything out of it.. It was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts. Odds are, most of us dont fall into this category. Incline barbell bench press (5 sets, 6-8 reps). Were the same ones being done each workout for 3 times in a week. If youre skeptical [of Heavy Dutys low volume], your subconscious child is telling you that more is better, Mike Mentzer wrote. Compound pushing and pulling movements should be done in both vertical and horizontal planes, and compound lower body exercises should include both thigh dominant movements like squats and leg presses and hip dominant movements like deadlifts and trunk extensions. Pre-Exhaust Supersets Do a set of an isolation exercise before a set of a compound exercise for that same body part without resting. Good luck. He later created a "Consolidated Routine" which had even less exercises. I was planning a deload the following week anyway, but ended up having to take 2 weeks off from all training. Other than that, I will drink them when Im pressed for time. Ali: I really had nothing to show for my results, I basically looked the same. Like Eugene Sandow and his light weight Method both men were doing isometric contractions (all the way up/out and all the down/back) as part of every exercise. Each workout is done only once every 6-10 days. As we age we should be training less but not more. This will help increase the mental and physical stimulus for many people which may stimulate further progress. Mike Mentzer Consolidation Routine Over Training I've went from 126lbs @ under 10 % bf to 189lbs @ 30% bf in the last 3 years following mike mentzers consolidation routine. her boyfriend now has an amazing body. The "Sainte-Marie" shaft is a former coal mine that was operated by the mining company "Compagnie des mines d'anthracite de La Mure" until 1946. Then, they were divided into three groups for the second, de-training phase: one group completely stopped training, the second group reduced the training days from three to one but kept the same number of sets, and the third group also reduced the training days from three to one but reduced the training sets from three to one as well. I've used Mike Mentzer's routines with some success in the past (see my previous blog posts about my experience with Mentzer's Perfect Consolidated Routine) and have decided to perform the Ideal Routine again. successful and very intelligent people have been duped to workout multiple days I really didn't give it that much thought. (For those that arent aware this is a classic sign of overtraining. All I know is my waist size has gone down 2 . ANALYSIS: Finally, no pre-exhaust supersets for biceps. The formula is: brief training, intense training, infrequent training, he said. Mike Mentzer trained with at least one partner (frequently his younger brother, Ray, 1979 Mr. America winner) who spotted him and assisted when he reached failure. I was forced to abandon it the first time about five years ago when I developed tendinitis in my right . Hi John, You are right as I doubt that the training intensity part of this study probably never even crossed their minds. Using 6 to 9 reps achieve full-rep failure. And when you actually train with high-intensity, you dont need a lot of volume, Arthur Jones said. Also, dont be afraid to alternate different exercises from time to time for the bigger muscle groups the back, delts, legs, and chest. Look at We werent worried about localized recovery of a particular muscle. Intensity is the real factor. I assumed stronger pulls, presses, and squats would develop the rest of my body, as is often preached by the minimalist crowd. That was the most result-producing routine that I ever used. I asked Mike why he thought that such a split routine was more productive than the three-days-per-week whole-body program that had carried him through to victory in the Mr. America contest. Nowadays HIT enthusiasts often perform fewer reps, preferring the 6-10 range. But, adding direct work for the biceps, triceps, and calves only takes 3 extra exercises. 1-2 Sets of 6-8 Reps. Close Grip or Neutral Grip Pulldown. Mentzer preferred to do his shrugs on a Universal machine, but you can use a Smith machine or free weights. Heres a list of the supplements Im currently taking: Multi-vitamin/mineral Failure wasnt enough for Mentzers Heavy Duty system. I have to agree with you Jon. I would like to thank Ali Ahadpour again for this candid unrehearsed interview. The brevity of the program is important for the following reasons: when you grow stronger as a result of your workouts, the stresses on your body . Read the rest of my comments below! It was during a trip to California to interview Steve Reeves, in fact, that Mike invited me to stay with him as his guest at his apartment in Hollywood. The workouts will be conducted once every seven days, starting today. I help people achieve their health and wellness goals through simple, time efficient programming that emphasizes a balanced approach to improving general fitness, while bringing out the inner athlete in us all. When 19-year-old Casey Viator won the 1971 Mr. America after training HIT-style under Arthur Jones tutelage it caused a sensation in the bodybuilding world. IM, You must be logged in to post a comment Getting back to your question yeah, I heard about it Wed train on a Monday, then skip Tuesday, skip Wednesday and train Thursday. Derek: Before you changed over to Heavy Duty had you ever heard about it? On this leg routine, he performed 6 different exercises. Superset ANALYSIS: Of course, Mentzer starts with another pre-exhaust superset, this time doing machine pullovers (which target the lats without the biceps) before underhand pulldowns (which work the lats and biceps). I think this test was another way to further Mikes training programs in favor of the more is better camp. But as his shape and health deteriorated throughout the 90s, Mike lost a big part of his followers. I think you can effectively gain mass with a consolidated routine if youve been doing higher frequency and/or higher volume training for awhile. I'm sure everyone else does. The cons of this routine are also obvious not enough direct work on specific muscle groups. Also note that he does squats after the leg extension and leg press superset. From there Mike moved on to the routines advocated in the various muscle magazines that espoused 20-sets-per-bodypart training, even at one time extending that to 40 sets per bodypart. Derek: What was your initial reaction when Mike first outlined the Heavy Duty workout? It wasnt the long-term recovery that was required. squats, deadlifts and dips anywhere between 35 to 50 percent increases. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, I thought I was your typical . Once again just like Mentzer stated you are falling into the trap that many body builders are confused in that the more is better like more money is better, more women are better, taking more s******s is better! and sets including yours truly. Mike Mentzer Consolidation Routine: 2 Month results! lose that by trying this radical system. A proper training protocol should have been about 3 different exercise of one set each in a high intensity method of taking each set to failure once every 7 days. Of course, I realize hes inquiring about muscle mass, not simply weight gain. Ali: My reaction was no way, no way this can work. Mikes forearms rippled as he carefully placed a pen on his desk and answered, That would be back, shoulders and biceps. using the wrong training systems. The workout included here best represents an effective and practical Heavy Duty routine. that this is exactly how much time it takes for the body to recover from high intensity training The minimalist workouts also provide benefits in that more focus, concentration and energy can be put into the exercises since the body won't deeply use them up in just a couple of sets. Is there anything you would like to add. Melatonin (only when I have trouble sleeping) Leverage your professional network, and get hired. Mike was seated at his desk, and I was directly across from him on a sofa in the living room when I first asked him about it. It seemed every bodybuilder tried his lower-rep HIT, though most eventually returned to a more moderate system. Standing Barbell Curl 1 set x 68 reps, Dumbbell Concentration Curl 2 set x 68 reps. I readily accepted, for I knew that it would afford me an opportunity to talk not only bodybuilding but philosophy, a passion that Mike and I shared for more than two decades. Dont forget to share this article with your friends and family. Mike smiled, knowing that it was the question all aspiring bodybuilders wanted the answer to and, indeed, the very question he himself had posed to his idols, like the great Bill Pearl, when he was starting out in bodybuilding. And Mike was the physical proof that High Intensity Training also called HIT does work well enough to create the best physique. Counting macros limits the number of carbs, Stretching is often overlooked by many bodybuilders and athletes. You are reading opinions only. Especially if you lift slowly, instead of quickly pumping out 12-15 mindless curls. Dips 16-10. I spent several years doing just big, basic compound lifts with no direct isolation work for the arms and calves, etc. Superset Single leg hamstring curls (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 5. Ali: Oh much better! As per usual, though, goals dictate the effectiveness of a program. Hes not asking if anyone thinks, hypothetically, if its possible to gain mass on the program. Reports varied as to the actual size of his arms. amazing and again I'm not doing any aerobic activity, I have much more time for her and I hope that anyone reading this article does not take is seriously. On this shoulder routine, he would hit 5 different exercises by doing an average of 5 sets and 10 reps. 1. For information contact Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519, visit www.mikementzer .com, or order the books directly from Home-Gym.com . Mike Mentzer was a legendary bodybuilder who won the 1978 Mr. Universe, becoming the first bodybuilder ever to get a perfect score from the judges. In later years, however, he confided that he had reservations about making such a strong case for genetics. Less time spent in the gym, and more time spent recovering and building muscle. Comments. I don't know what my exact body fat The first workout would be legs, chest and triceps; the second workout was back, shoulders and biceps. Chest. were in before you switched over to Heavy Duty. Dorian Yates uses this program and he was Mr. Olympia. For example, do workout A on Monday, B on Wednesday, A on Friday, B on Sunday (or Monday, if you prefer to take weekends off). For the record, you can read about my entire experience on the aforementioned program here: https://wildyakathletics.com/2020/12/27/review-of-my-last-8-weeks-of-training-october-22-december-22-2020/. Derek: Well that pretty much covers it. If this was a true test of Mike Mentzers HIT training than why did this study start out with training 3 days a week instead of one. I weighed myself twice first thing in this morning on an empty stomach and received the same exact numbers. Another point I would like to make is muscle size and strength are inter related meaning a muscle can not increase in size with out an increase in strength and an increase in strength can not occur unless the weight used is increased. If, for some reason, I cant perform the workout on the seventh day, I will do it the next possible day. 2 Sets of 6-8 Reps. Bent-Over Barbell Row (Mentzer Style) or Wide Grip Cable Row. Ali: I saw an ad for Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty training and then I read some of The new Mr. America introduced the other teenager to Arthur Jones. Mentzer mostly focused on a heavy-duty variation and this would require a weight that would take you to failure in between 6 and 9 reps. Mike Mentzer always wanted to stay in his best shape and he would often keep his training week down to 3 working days and 4 days for rest. Then came the 1980 Mr. Olympia. Remember, when Mentzer did a curl, it was not just the external resistance of the weight he was lifting, that caused the tension, but in addition, he was also isometrically tensing the muscle from inside the bicep, adding to the external resistance of the weight. Single leg extension (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 3.

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