Bent over dumbbell raise (5 sets, 8-10 reps) 4. Muscle size increase is a result of the body fighting the stress put upon it by increased muscle mass. Behind the neck overhead press (5 sets, 6-8 reps), 3. He would eat 4 different food groups to each serving he ate. None of the suggestions (including exercise, diet, products or services) mentioned should be performed or otherwise used without clearance from your physician or health care provider. I will do three progressive warm-up sets before each working set, which must be taken to failure. Leg curls 2 x 6-8 How the hell were we going to grow unless we at least let that happen? Back. squats, deadlifts and dips anywhere between 35 to 50 percent increases. 2 inches from a 34 to a 32 inch waist and now that I have more muscle I eat more calories Biceps is the last body part in what is essentially a pull workoutback, traps, bicepsthough with the addition of deltoids. By age 15 he weighed 165 pounds and could bench press 370 pounds. Dumbbell flyes or double cable crossover super setted with. The other key component of HIT is the low workout volume. 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. I think this test was another way to further Mikes training programs in favor of the more is better camp. Viators victory eclipsed the fact that a second 19-year-old phenom, Mike Mentzer, was an impressive 10th in that same contest. Reps got lower, weights got bigger, sets got much harder. Mike Mentzer advocated a heavier form of HIT. training, Body Contract-Duchaine's, Arnolds, Weider, POF, Periodization, non Periodization, in the gym. None of this is to be deemed as health, fitness, or medical advice in any way, shape, or form. John Little This article is from 2003 to read a more updated article on how Mike Mentzer had a "Heavy Duty" mindest and workout regime Click Here What kind of results did you get from your use of those prior If you choose to, you could follow the barbell curls with chin-ups (underhand). She is a young Swedish girl from Uppsala, who is currently traveling around the world. figured that this is like anything else in the world, you just model what the majority of Vitamin C As I progress, I will integrate some of the high intensity techniques he advocates, such as negatives, static holds, omni contraction, etc. I knew that hed been all over the board in terms of sets and reps throughout his early career, starting out with a whole-body workout performed three days per week, on which he gained no less than 70 pounds over three years, bringing his bodyweight up from 95 pounds at age 12 to 165 pounds at 15. You havent mentioned Intensity. Fitness Tests Predict Mortality, COVERT CARDIO: How to Burn Calories Easily, Darrem Charles: Bio & Classic Physique Advice, Paul Rudd Shares Fitness Secrets for Looking Young, HIT MEN: The Story of High-Intensity Training, Priority Training Principle: How to Eliminate Weaknesses, Science Says: Best (and Worst) Chest Exercises. It is physical and biologically impossible! Choose a weight so heavy that you reach absolute failure at 6-8 reps. Then keep going. Mike Mentzer's Perfect Consolidated Workout - Day 1 Today is Day 1 of my experiment with Mike Mentzer's Perfect Consolidated workout. Standing calf raises (5 sets, 10-15 reps). Mike Mentzers Perfect Consolidated Workout Day 1. On this back routine, Mentzer hit 5 different exercises. I suggest that anybody who is not familiar with high intensity but wants to try it might start out with that three-days-a-week routine. utilized short high intensity training. Also, dont be afraid to alternate different exercises from time to time for the bigger muscle groups the back, delts, legs, and chest. Omega-3 with strength increases so will muscle size. Heres a list of the supplements Im currently taking: Multi-vitamin/mineral Young bodybuilders reading this should be cautioned against doing too many sets on too many days for all bodyparts. However, he is no longer available, and most people have to make do on their own. Mentzer starting pumping iron at the age of 12 at a bodyweight of 95 pounds. Training Legs to failure presents it problems! 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. This is precisely the reason we have such an obesity problem in this world. Ali: My background in training started about 8 years ago when I was 15 years old. amazing and again I'm not doing any aerobic activity, I have much more time for her and We are not medical professionals and nothing on this website should be misconstrued to mean otherwise. Derek: How about your friends, what has been their reaction? This is, and isn't what high intensity heavy duty training is all about. Deadlifts 15-8 This will help increase the mental and physical stimulus for many people which may stimulate further progress. The mining was initially operated through several tunnels before the "Sainte-Marie" shafts were sunk. 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. I'm currently performing one set of dips and one set of dead lifts and then 1 set of chins and one set of squats 14 days later. Ali: I saw an ad for Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty training and then I read some of Derek: What was your initial reaction when Mike first outlined the Heavy Duty workout? Nautilus machine pullovers were also a favorite of fellow HIT-man Dorian Yates. I wouldn't believe it or I didn't want to believe it. 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. If trainees in this group with less volume and loss muscle mass than how in the hell is increasing the volume of training going to increase muscle mass. Close-Grip Underhand Pulldown 2 sets x 68 reps. guru58 December 6, 2020, 5:17pm 2. 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. I just It struck me that Mike had been the only high-intensity advocate who actually broke with Arthur Jones on the point of employing a split routine. 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.. Melatonin (only when I have trouble sleeping) For the latest news and updates join our 1 Million fans on Facebook and Pinterest. 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. He seldom even trained again. And his pairing of the exercises is brilliant as well. And while keeping up that kind of training in addition to a full college schedule, a part-time job with a physician and the demands of an ongoing relationship with a nice young lady, I found that I just didnt have the energy. Dumbbell flyes or pec deck 1-2 x 6-8 Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Glucosamine/Condroitin As a 27-year-old professional bodybuilding rookie in 1979, noted especially for his shoulder, arm, and leg density, Mike Mentzer was a phenomenon. 1-2 Sets of 6-8 Reps. Close Grip or Neutral Grip Pulldown. On standard toe raise machine or on leg press; 3 sets with a heavy weight going as high as you can on your toes each rep. 8 reps with a heavy weight then force out two more. 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. You changed the rules if there really were any in this study to your own to fit your narrative that one workout per week was not effective in gaining both size and strength. Read the rest of my comments below! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 4 sets of flat bench, 3 sets of inclines, 3 sets of flyes and 2-3 sets of cable crossovers. These people are not the norm, though. Then came the 1980 Mr. Olympia. Definitely afraid, and even.. this is a fear even the very little muscular Good point. Mike Mentzer had one of the sharpest minds in the muscle game. He saw right away it led to overtraining for the majority. Legs are given a. little more reps than the upper body. on Has Anyone Gained Mass from Mentzers Consolidation Routines?. Jones used to say that you dont rest each bodypart on different days, so why would you train them on different days? Single leg extension (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 3. Ive been lifting 12+ years, but was coming off 3 years of dealing with some hip injuries. ANALYSIS: After legs, this is a push workout, working triceps after chest (two pushing body parts). The materials are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind either express or implied. Mentzers high-intensity has influenced other training programs, like Doggcrapp and Max-OT. I have to agree with you Jon. Height: 60 Dumbbell side lateral raise (5 sets, 8-10 reps) 2. I assumed stronger pulls, presses, and squats would develop the rest of my body, as is often preached by the minimalist crowd. It wasnt the long-term recovery that was required. He later created a Consolidated Routine which. The new Mr. America introduced the other teenager to Arthur Jones. He also prescribed only three weekly workouts, though Heavy Duty did call for training body parts twice every 8-9 days (most modern bodybuilders work body parts only once weekly). I don't know what my exact body fat percentage was when I started with Mike's training. The information contained within is not intended to provide specific health advice, or any other advice whatsoever, for any individual or company and should not be relied upon in that regard. 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. (For those that arent aware this is a classic sign of overtraining. The discussion was very good, but you could see a divide between the minimalist versus anti-minimalist crowd. So carve out a little time to isolate and properly stimulate these smaller muscle groups. The results from this elaborate study showed that when it comes to Mentzers once a week training method, age makes a big difference. Ali: Since I started 3 months ago I have gained 23 pounds of muscle, I look like I just went through a complete physical metamorphosis! But you cant take that principle and blindly apply it to exercise and expect to get anything out of it.. On the other hand, the younger bodybuilders who reduced both the number of sessions per week (from 3 to 1) and the exercise volume (from 3 sets to 1) maintained their muscle size, while those who cut down to exercising once a week but maintained the exercise volume (3 sets) managed to increase their muscle size. Vitamin E Yes, I used this type of routine throughout my professional bodybuilding career, but the greatest gains I got from it was when, rather than following it on the usual four-out-of-seven-day schedule, I began spacing it so I trained every other day on a split routine. 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. Soon thereafter, Mike Mentzer began consulting with HITs creator and revamping his training. 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. Heavy Duty books and courses continued to sell. Login. Mentzer liked the Nautilus side lateral machine (Arthur Jones created Nautilus), but you can use any lateral machine or dumbbells. It is probably the case that performing one se to less than failure once a week will not produce much in the way of strength or muscle gains. As you age, your body undergoes changes With Valentines Day just around the corner, everyone is looking for gift ideas and ways to spend time with their special Hormones are chemical substances released by glands in the body to regulate various functions. One set may gas you out. The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer: The Art, Science and Philosophy of a Bodybuilding Legend, High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way, Group Coaching Through Subscription toMy Substack Newsletter. We had to recover first. Derek: So, basically would you say you were afraid, kind of a fear that Ali: Yeah! I think it is also important to keep in mind that any program can produce mass gains if nutrition intake and recovery are suitable for mass gains. Go to full-rep failure in the 6-8 rep range. the top bodybuilders said to do--ultra marathon routines. Garlic The main legs workout is repeated. I would start with leg extensionssix to eight reps to failureand then continue beyond that with forced reps and negative reps, and then go immediately to leg presses, preferably on a Nautilus Compound Leg machine, as that would allow me to go from one exercise to the other without pausing. It seemed every bodybuilder tried his lower-rep HIT, though most eventually returned to a more moderate system. For much more about the incredible history of Jones, Viator, Mentzer, and others, check out: HIT MEN: The Story of High-Intensity Training. Mike thought for a moment and raised his ham of an arm to scratch an itch on his opposite shoulder. The Centre is part of a particularly dynamic ecosystem, within the second French . Front barbell raise (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 5. 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. 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/. Therefore, when answering a question like this, you should have some experience actually doing the program in question. Who was Mike Mentzer? 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. Whey protein Now I see that was wrong. As I age, my recovery ability lessens. ANALYSIS: A pre-exhaust superset for chest: flyes before presses. Standing dumbbell curl (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 6. enhances recovery ability. Meaning that your routine should be setup for what gives you the best gains like he once said not more or less but what is exact. Mike Mentzers Heavy Duty training system was a revolution. 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. More money is better than less. Is there anything you would like to add. Most everybody seems to be training multiple Rear-delt rows 2 x 6-8, Biceps And before they even think about anabolic steroids which came to my mind you know it's Squats 1 x 6-8 Having recently done the program, I decided I would share my 2 cents. Pre-Exhaust Supersets Do a set of an isolation exercise before a set of a compound exercise for that same body part without resting. The cons of this routine are also obvious not enough direct work on specific muscle groups. percentage was when I started with Mike's training. In later years, however, he confided that he had reservations about making such a strong case for genetics. The materials are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind either express or implied. Did the mentzer consolidation routine before that with better results but stopped for some reason. All rights Reserved. Derek: What made you decide to try Heavy Duty? The main legs workout is repeated. Train with more intensity and you will need less volume. The techniques Heavy Duty prescribed foremost were forced reps, negative reps, rest-pause, and pre-exhaust, especially pre-exhaust supersets. that's the mentality. IM, You must be logged in to post a comment At the age of 18 he started competing in physique competitions, and two years later in . Try to grow increasingly stronger in this range. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. switch to Heavy Duty you will have much more muscle and time allowinq the This is a Mike Mentzer Heavy Duty routine, circa 1979. Training legs is painful and hard! We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. Your email address will not be published. Not everyone is going to become Mr. Olympia, but we can all improve ourselves.. freedom to become a more productive individual and enrich all areas of life. Other than that, I will drink them when Im pressed for time. Mike was smart in using compound movements like the deadlift, dip and squat to make the most of the minimal time he recommended. , Mike states that he performs barbell rows parallel to the floor pulling to the sternum. 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. Parallel Bar Dip 6-10 reps. Just by using a very simple, concise and Are you tired of dealing with sore muscles and tight knots after a workout? Mike Mentzer said how if scientists could send a man to the moon and bring him back safely each time, then we should be able to succeed with every one of our missions to the gym here on earth. Mentzer's Ideal Routine. If your gym doesnt have a pullover machine, you can substitute, straight-arm pulldowns or dumbbell pullovers. Wed train on a Monday, then skip Tuesday, skip Wednesday and train Thursday. I interviewed Lou Ferrigno, John Grimek, Paul Anderson, Doug Hepburn, Frank Zane, Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, Lee Labrada, Steve Reeves and both Mike and Ray Mentzer, among others. Behind the neck overhead press (5 sets, 6-8 reps) 3. next ultra marathon routine by joe blow bodybuilder, I say just give Mike's program Incline presses 1-2 x 6-8 Kelp Do Your Hormones Affect Weight Gain and Loss. The biceps receive no direct training in this workout, and the triceps have only one set of dips to hold them for the next week or so. I placed an order for his book and video. But Heavy Duty endured. Pyramid system, 5 x 10, 3 x 10 . need I go on? 1. Were the same ones being done each workout for 3 times in a week. Mike Mentzers workout philosophy was adopted by Dorian Yates, who won six Mr. Olympia titles in the 1990s. Huge Whey - Whey Protein Powder (30 Servings). Mentzer released two popular Heavy Duty booklets in 1980, and, through his articles, seminars, and mail-order business, his philosophy was as great a sensation as he was on stages. Standing Barbell Curl 1 set x 68 reps, Dumbbell Concentration Curl 2 set x 68 reps. (Heavy Duty) before but it didn't really start to click in until I read Mike Mentzer's book Odds are, most of us dont fall into this category. effort, money, gym membership, supplements and buying every program with nothing in return? In my opinion you can even make better results on Heavy Duty than you can using steroids, We knew that recovery was important in terms of overall, or systemic, recovery. Books of interest: heavy duty. Please to anyone reading this, Read up on Mike Mentzer on his training methods and learn what true productive weight training is really about. Now, Im not saying that most people should be doing high volume training, either. Bent over dumbbell raise (5 sets, 8-10 reps), 4. Whereas Arthur Jones prescribed one 20-rep set per exercise, Mentzer lowered the ideal rep-range to 6-8. Pumped, they probably are, John, he replied, but measured coldwhich is how you should measure your armsthey never stretched the tape beyond 18 1/2.. I found that when I split the routine, doing half the body one day, the fatigue was even less than halfit was much less than half. I would just suggest that no matter what methods you use, you dont do more than four to six sets per bodypart, use strict form, train to failure, use forced reps occasionally and dont overtrain. Once you get adjusted with the weight you're lifting, try to increase it within this rep range. Little is now available for phone consultations regarding Mentzers revolutionary Heavy Duty Training System. The last workout I performed was a light full body workout on July 21, 2008. I was planning a deload the following week anyway, but ended up having to take 2 weeks off from all training. Getting back to your question yeah, I heard about it Met-rx meal replacement drink The conclusion was that age does make a difference. By age 15, his . It seems like many people claim to understand the principles and speak for Mentzer, but most have no real understanding of the HIT system. Mentzer preferred to do his shrugs on a Universal machine, but you can use a Smith machine or free weights. using the wrong training systems. That brought his bodyweight up again, but only slightly. Required fields are marked *. "hardgainer" that was the label I gave myself. The website's content is not a substitute for direct, personal, professional medical care and diagnosis. Mike's HIT approach became even more extreme in his latter years. I thought oh no, I'll probably atrophy even the small amount of muscle I have. I train in Goldswhen I do trainand I see this as probably the most pervasive mistake among bodybuilders, including advanced bodybuilders. Ali: Unless they're taking steroids and growth hormone they're all in my If you just care about general health, maximal strength, and maximum size (with the absence of symmetry), minimalist routines (such as Mike Mentzers consolidation routines and similar such routines) with intentionally few exercises performed throughout the week will work just fine. 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! Intensity is the real factor. Disclaimer: This website is an educational service that provides general health information. The body needs time to recover as a whole, not just the specific bodypart that was trained. . He worried that the notion that you have to have good genetics to achieve a championship physique had actually served to destroy the motivation of certain bodybuilders. For the year between the 1979 and 1980 Mr. Olympias, as high-intensity training (HIT) rode the crest of its foremost adherent, Mike Mentzer, it seemed on the verge of transforming bodybuilding. Universal machine shrugs 2 x 6-8 However, because there are only two workouts, Mentzer modified this to include legs on push day and shoulders on pull day. Standing Calf Raise 2 sets x 68 reps. Workout B) Regular Barbell Deadlift 5-8 reps. I found Ali's story similar to mine and I hope some readers will not have to waste years In 1979, Mentzer prescribed only 3-6 working sets per body part (supersets count as two sets), with typically one or two lighter warmup sets per exercise. Ali: Strength increases have been phenomenal, going up on major multi-joint exercises like the results I and others have achieved and I have no doubt that it works. Squats 18-15 Ali: My girlfriend loves it, she can't get over it because basically I really didn't give it that much thought. Increasing the volume also increases the amount of recovery time need to make the gains needed. He purportedly was able to put 50 pounds on one of his trainees in just a few months using a workout that lasted only 2-4 minutes, with a long recovery time between workouts (4 to 7 days recovery. Dorian Yates uses this program and he was Mr. Olympia. - YouTube 0:00 / 20:11 Mike Mentzer Consolidation Routine: 2 Month results! Mentzer came from a well-educated home. It went beyond. Reports varied as to the actual size of his arms. All exercises are to be trained for one set only and to failure. In his book, High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way, Mike states that he performs barbell rows parallel to the floor pulling to the sternum. 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. 1. Failure wasnt enough for Mentzers Heavy Duty system. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, I thought I was your typical He helped raise the weight so it could be lowered as slowly as possible on negative reps. Or he spotted while Mike Mentzer paused between reps and grinded out a few rest-pause reps. Ali: All I can say is before you waste any more time, money, etc. We have another pre-exhaust superset: shrugs (which work only traps) before upright rows (which work traps with medial delts and biceps). Mike Mentzer said of his workout routine, "The routine I followed was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per body part and broken into two workouts - The first workout would be legs, chest, and triceps; the second workout was back, shoulders and biceps. For information contact Joanne Sharkey at (310) 316-4519, visit www.mikementzer .com, or order the books directly from Home-Gym.com . Mike, however, broke with Jones program as a result of personal experience. conventional wisdom that you're taught, you know you have to work out and got to be constantly her boyfriend now has an amazing body. For the definitive article about Mike Mentzers complicated, too-short life see: The Mike Mentzer Story, Bodybuilding, Strength, and Fitness: News, Advice, and Culture, Mitchell Hooper Wins 2023 Worlds Strongest Man, Ronnie Coleman Selling House of 26 Years: $495,000, Thor Bjornsson: I Completely Tore My Upper Chest Off The Bone., Dennis Wolf Talks About Depression, Force-feeding, & Ancient Aliens, PEAK MUSCLE: Best Age for Bodybuilding Success, Back Workout: How to Correct the 5 Biggest Mistakes, Bulgarian Method: Complete Training Guide, Seated Leg Curls Are Better Than Lying Leg Curls, Study Finds Similar Muscle Growth With Vegan vs. Omnivore Diets, Mind Muscle Connection: How to Strengthen It, How Long Will I Live? 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. He later created a "Consolidated Routine" which had even less exercises. were just like me--miniscule results. At best you might be able to get a suggestion of where you might go based on your muscle belly lengths, your bone structure and metabolism and neuromuscular efficiency, but the most important thing, I think, is motivationeveryone can improve themselves, and thats important. Standing barbell curls 1 x 6-8 You can train long or hard but you cant do both. She is the face behind the workout routine articles here on Jacked Gorilla. Thats why he advocated only one day per week. mentioned training systems.