Mike Mentzer

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Mike Mentzer (b. November 15, 1951) (d.June 10, 2001) was a former IFBB professional bodybuilder, businessman, author and philosopher.

Contents 1 Bodybuilding philosophy 2 Mentzer's training system 3 Competitive history 4 Bodybuilding career 5 Final years and death 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] Bodybuilding philosophy

Mentzer took the bodybuilding concepts developed by Arthur Jones and attempted to perfect them. Through years of study, observation, knowledge of stress physiology and the most up-to-date scientific information available, and careful use of his reasoning abilities, Mentzer devised and successfully implemented the only theory of bodybuilding. Mentzer's theories are intended to help a person achieve their full genetic potential within the shortest amount of time.

Mentzer was an Objectivist, and he insisted that philosophy and bodybuilding are one and the same. He said "Man, is an indivisible entity, an integrated unit of mind and body." Thus, his books contain as much philosophy as they do bodybuilding information.

High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way was Mentzer's final work. In it, he detailed the principles of high intensity weight training. Weight training, he insisted, had to be brief, infrequent, and intense, in order to attain the best results in the shortest amount of time. Heavy Duty II also espouses critical thinking. In this book, Mentzer shows why people need to use their reasoning ability to live happy, mature, adult lives, and he shows readers how to go about doing so.

Mentzer was also known for his adoption of the approach that "a calorie is a calorie", and would often torment bodybuilders who were strictly dieting, by freely eating Danishes and other off-limit foods close to competitions.

[edit] Mentzer's training system

Mentzer was originally an advocate of pre-exhaustion weight training. For example, leg extensions are done before squats, side delt raises before shoulder presses, flyes before bench presses, and stiff-arm pulldowns before standard lat pulldowns. Mentzer was also famous for going "beyond failure" (BFT) with forced reps, negative reps, static holds, and forced negatives. In general, one only used 1-2 sets per movement, with no more than five movements per muscle group. Bodybuilding author Bob Kennedy is credited with developing the pre-ex. technique for the shoulders (Lateral raise/standing press cycle) but Jones used pre-exhaustion as the foundation for his configuration of Nautilus machines. Mentzer's system is highly controversial, as his recommendations are often the exact opposite of what is usually taught in the strength world. (see drdarden.com, and Darden, THE NAUTILUS BOOK, 1980.)

After renewing his training business in the late 1980s, Mentzer became convinced that even the relatively low-volume routines advocated by Arthur Jones and himself were, in fact, too exhausting for average trainees. Mentzer's 1990s routines involved a build-up routine involving two leg workouts, one pec-delt workout, and one lat-biceps workout every 10-14 days. Later, the trainee switches to an advanced system involving a very brief full-body workout, to be followed once every 6-10 days. Some Mentzer pupils report training each muscle group only once every 21 days. For example, one set each of squats, presses, and pulldowns is performed over three weeks. Mentzer's "Athlete's Routine" focuses on dips, chins, deadlifts, and squats: four sets every 14 days. (see mikementzer.com) Jones's routines involved the use of full-body workouts, three days per week, for a total of 30-60 sets per week. Although this system was low-volume in comparative terms, Mentzer and other quickly learned that too much work was involved.

Mentzer and advocates of "high intensity" strength training believe that one must train very hard, using the heaviest weight one can manage in good form and without injury. High intensity trainers eschew the use of Olympic lifts, Olympic lift derivatives, explosive or ballistic lifts of any kind, and plyometric drills. HIT advocates question the standard dogma that athletes in explosive sports (like football or wrestling) should do "explosive" lifts like power cleans. Unlike powerlifting training, HIT systems usually involve short rest periods between sets. A weight workout performed in minimal time can be used to replace a steady-state aerobic routine. Some HIT trainers question the value of explosive lifts for anyone other than Olympic lifters and pro strongmen, while others might concede that although Olympic lifts have some value, they are too dangerous and must be avoided for that reason alone.(Carpinelli, 1999.) Practitioners of football, wrestling, basketball, and soccer are exposed to injury risks in competition, so it follows the strength training for athletes, which is not a sport in itself, should be as safe as possible. (see Ken Mannie, "An Open Letter to Dr. William Kraemer" online and several srticles and books by Matt Bryzyki)

High intensity advocates believe the opinion of Arthur Jones, that while strength can be increased by 400% in an average individual, recovery capacity can only be increased by 50%. Therefore, the stronger one becomes, counterintuitively, the less one must train. This principle has neither been proven nor disproven in controlled tests, although it would be quite susceptible to experimentation. HIT advocates cite this principle as a law of biology, while mainstream volume and periodization trainers ( e.g., Kraemer, Fleck, Bompa, and Hatfield) insist that recovery capacity can be increased indefinitely, or at least at a rate that allows conditioned athletes to thrive on a higher volume of training.

Scientific studies into volume and frequency have had mixed results, and the argument about recovery capacity can only be solved by objective studies involving no commercial motives or QUID PRO QUO expectations relative to the possible results. A 1990s study showed that the forearm muscles take six weeks to fully recover from a superheavy, negative-only weight workout; since the forearms are a resilient muscle group, this would indirectly confirm the experience of some trainers, that it is theoretically possible to train the major muscle groups with extremely heavy weights only once every twelve weeks (Iron Man Magazine, 4/1995). This is uncomfirmable by the present state of the science, given the fact that the exercise physiology establishment is, for the most part, dominated by proponents of Olympic lifting, plyometrics, and high-volume bodybuilding (consult the NSCA position paper on explosive lifts, 2005.). Mentzer offered to pay $5,000 of his own money to fund an objective study, and a Florida lab offered to conduct the study, but proponents of rival systems ignored Mentzer's public challenge. (see ANMD magazine, summer 1998- fall 1999.)

Mike Mentzer popularized the little-known method of rest pause training. Mentzer credited Mr. America and physical therapist Bob Gajda for teaching him the technique. The details of his contest preparation are found in the 1979 booklet "Heavy Duty Journal" which is being prepared for re-issue. Rest pause training involves the use of maximum singles followed by brief "pauses," just long enough for the muscle to temporarily recover its strength. Mentzer achieved his lifetime best condition using the rest pause method, during which time he was consuming only 50-60 grams of protein per day. Mentzer believed that athletes have no unique biology justifying their consumption of enormous quantities of protein, and Jones was famous for telling athletes to eat plenty of fortified white bread. The current "DC" method of training uses a version of rest-pause with greater volume, frequency, and protein intake than Mentzer would have endorsed. (See Mentzer,Heavy Duty 1, 1978.)

Sample Mentzer Rest Pause: (see HEAVY DUTY JOURNAL 1979.) Rest-pause protocol: 1st rep/ 10 second pause, 2nd rep/10 second pause, 3rd rep (reduce wt. 20%)/15 seconds, 4th rep.

Monday: pec deck fly, one side at a time;

incline machine press;

side lateral (machine);

omnibicep machine curl, usu. one arm at a time, supersetted with negative chins.

straight bar pushdowns/ supersetted with negative dips.

Thursday:

curl grip pulldown;

machine pullover;

deadlift, 2 sets normal fashion

Universal shrug (unclear as to exact method), stand with back to machine;

barbell row- standard 1-2 sets;

sometimes finish traps with power cleans.

(Mentzer would also use the Nautilus behind-neck torso machine, depending upon the location of his training.)

Sunday:

leg extension, rest-pause, followed by leg press with whole stack (510 lbs.) for reps.;

leg curl;

2 sets normal squats,

one-legged calf raise with slow negatives.

(Start again on Wednesday.)

Comment: Mike and Ray Mentzer were also known to advocate heavy negative-only dips and undergrip chins on the Nautlius multi-exercise machine. Mike called dips "the upper body squat." He advised powerlifters to use dips to supplement the bench press, as many legendary strongmen from Jack LaLanne to Pat Casey used dips extensively; international-level gymnasts often have extremely muscular upper bodies developed exclusively with bodyweight exercises.

Mentzer later developed two new methods using rest pause:

1. infitronic reps--- involving a maximum forced negative, and

2. omni-contraction reps---involving failure on all three levels of contraction (positive, static, and negative.) Peter Sisco and John Little expanded on the static/negative rep concept in the 1998 book STATIC CONTRACTION TRAINING.

Mentzer also recommended an older Jones technique called "negative accentuated" reps: raise the weight bilaterally, but lower the weight unilaterally, switching sides from rep to rep. This has become somewhat impractical as many modern weight machines have a pulley system that cuts the weight in half as the trainee switches to one arm or one leg. One must find a machine that does not cut the poundage, like Universal or older Nautilus machines. This method can be used with leg extensions, leg curls, incline presses, and bicep curls, for example.

Mentzer always held that forced reps and pre-exhaustion were sufficiently intense for most trainees; rest-pause, infitronic reps, and omni-contraction should only be tried by advanced trainees with a heavy development and over three years of regular intense training. Most of Mentzer's personal training clients were advised to train to only positive failure and to use intensity techniques quite sparingly.

Mentzer's strength was noted: he and his brother Ray would sometimes perform incline flyes with 105 lb. dumbells, supersetted with 405 on the barbell incline press. The Mentzers would use 185-205 for preacher curls and the whole stack (240) for the Nautilus 10-degree arm cross machine, for an "impossible" 10 reps. Mike Mentzer had achieved 315 pounds for behind-neck presses and power cleans. Cheat curls were often performed with weights close to 300 pounds. Anywhere from 1100 to 2000 pounds was used for straight sets on the old-fashioned vertical leg press machine (Mentzer believed that the modern 45-degree leg press sled is dangerous for the back and knees; he recommended a Nautilus horizontal quad press or duo squat machine if available.) Mentzer was trained, as a teenager, by an Olympic lifter and a powerlifter. He attributes much of his later success to a solid foundation. He believed that pro bodybuilders gain most of their mass while they are training on sensible routines for their first three years of training, and later they go astray, as he did, by adding sets and workout days. Only the use of chemical substances can allow pro bodybuilders to make progress on long, hard, and heavy routines. Mentzer's tri-set for the legs (another Jones method) involved a 440 leg extension, a 900+ vertical leg press,and a 475-500 squat, each exercise to failure, all performed back-to-back for many reps with no rest. Ray could squat 900 for 2 reps. Mike, Ray, and Casey Viator would perform partial squats with over 1000 pounds. (Mentzer, 2001, and mikementzer.com.)Ray was also able to perform one-leg quadricep extensions with 290 pounds for 10 reps (with either leg) on the Nautilus leg extension machine.

During his personal training career he advised clients to use Nautilus almost exclusively, except for deadlifts and squats. He did not recommend explosive lifts to his clients, although power cleans and olympic jerks were sometimes a part of his late 1970s training. Mentzer's o-lifting technique was excellent.

Below is a sample powerlifting routine inspired by Mentzer principles:

• Workout 1 Bench press- five singles, or one set of 8 to failure

Side raises or overhead presses- one set. (Monday)

• workout 2 Deadlift- five singles or Dumbell shrugs- one set

Pulldowns or chins- one set (Friday)

• Workout 3 Squats- 10-6-4-2 working up to a heavy weight.

Frontal squats or leg presses- one set. (Wednesday)

Begin again on the third Monday.

Note: (based on his latest book) He advises 4 to 7 days (or longer as necessary,in some case up to 21 days or so in rare cases) of rest in between workouts to fully recuperate before proceeding. He states that the body's natural recovery system takes that long for it to fully take into effect, since both healing and muscular growth are desired.

Sample late 1990s/2000s Mentzer routines:

Mentzer initial routine: 1. legs 2. chest/back 3. legs 4. delts/arms. This stage uses pre-exhaustion movements. Alternatively: 1. chest 2. legs. 3. back 4. legs. One set per exercise; 4-7 days between workouts.

Advanced routine: 1. squat or quad press, bench press, negative chin. 2. Deadlift or shrug, machine press or dumbell press, seated calf machine. Train once every 5-12 days.

The advanced routine eliminates all noncompound movements after progress has halted on the build-up routine. The advanced routine uses large muscle movements that each involve several muscle groups at the same time.

Mike Mentzer's system is one of the few training systems to account for the phenomenon of "gaining strength after a lay-off." Mentzer was perhaps the first well-known strength coach to reject the 96-hour decompensation theory. (see Darden, 2006.)

It must be conceded to opponents of Mentzer that there is no scientific proof that HIT is superior to other systems. HIT advocates are perhaps justified in countering that in the absence of soild proof, powerful anecdotal evidence is available to witness to the efficacy of HIT (see Mannie, Open Letter to Kraemer.)

[edit] Competitive history

• 1971 Mr. America - AAU, 10th
• 1971 Teen Mr America - AAU, 2nd
• 1975 Mr. America - IFBB, Medium, 3rd
• 1975 Mr. USA - ABBA, Medium, 2nd
• 1976 Mr. America - IFBB, Overall Winner
• 1976 Mr. America - IFBB, Medium, 1st
• 1976 Mr. Universe - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 2nd
• 1977 North American Championships - IFBB, Overall Winner
• 1977 North American Championships - IFBB, MiddleWeight, 1st
• 1977 Mr. Universe - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 2nd
• 1978 USA vs the World - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
• 1978 World Amateur Championships - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
• 1979 Canada Pro Cup - IFBB, 2nd
• 1979 Florida Pro Invitational - IFBB, 1st
• 1979 Night of Champions - IFBB, 3rd
• 1979 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, HeavyWeight, 1st
• 1979 Pittsburgh Pro Invitational - IFBB, 2nd
• 1979 Southern Pro Cup - IFBB, 1st
• 1980 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 5th

[edit] Bodybuilding career

Mentzer started competing in local physique contests when he was eighteen. His first contest was in 1969. In 1971 he suffered his worst defeat, placing 10th at the AAU Mr. America, which was won by Casey Viator. Mentzer considered his presence at this contest important later on as it was here that he met Viator who gave Mentzer the contact information for his trainer Arthur Jones. (Mentzer would contact Jones in later years to learn the latter's theories which he would then incorporate into his own training system.) After a layoff of a few years, he returned to competition in 1975 at the Mr. America placing third behind Robby Robinson and Roger Callard. Mentzer went on to win that competition in 1976. He won the 1977 North America championships in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1977 and competed a week later at the 1977 Mr. Universe in Nimes, France placing second to Kal Szkalak.

In 1978, Mentzer won the Mr. Universe in Acapulco, Mexico with the first and (thus far) only perfect score. He became a professional bodybuilder after the 1978 Universe win. In late 1979, Mentzer won the heavyweight class of the Mr. Olympia but lost in the overall to Frank Zane who was awarded the title for a third time that year. Some in the bodybuilding community believe that Mentzer should have won the 1980 Mr. Olympia even though he placed fourth (in a tie with Boyer Coe) behind Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Dickerson and Frank Zane. The title went to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who made a one-off return to competition after a 4 year hiatus from the sport. Many felt Arnold was not in shape for the contest. Mentzer quit competitive bodybuilding after the show at the age of 29. Mentzer maintained that the contest was rigged until the day he died, though he eventually got on good terms with Arnold.

[edit] Final years and death

Following the loss at the 1980 Mr. Olympia, Mentzer reportedly ran into numerous problems. In the late 1970's Mike is was reported to have begun using amphetamines, claiming he only took them as an ergogenic aid to help facilitate a hectic lifestyle. Mentzer left his position at Weider Publications shortly after his loss at the Mr. Olympia contest, and suffered financially as a result. He did land a job in 1985 as editor of the newly launched Workout Magazine, however when that failed and that same year his father died, Mentzer reportedly suffered a mental breakdown. According to Peter McGough, editor-in-chief of FLEX Magazine, stories began to surface of Menzter exhibiting some very erratic behaviour. Stories of him running naked through the streets, directing traffic, telling prophecies about the end of the world, being arrested by the police numerous times and even waiting for aliens to land were all published in magazines at one point or another. Popular bodybuilding writer Dan Duchaine even suggested that Menzter was drinking his own urine at the time. Mike denied this in a 2001 interview with Iron Man magazine. Nonetheless, according to McGough some of these stories are true.^[1] Menzter was also regularly institutionalized between 1985 up until 1990, when he finally kicked his amphetamine habit. Drug free, Mike returned to training bodybuilders and writing for Ironman Magazine, and spent much of the 1990s regaining his stature in the bodybuilding industry.

Mentzer died on June 9, 2001. He was found dead in his apartment by his younger brother and fellow bodybuilder Ray Mentzer due to heart complications. It was thought that his previous drug use was a contributing factor in his death.^{[citation needed]} Two days later, his brother Ray also died in his sleep after complications from his long term battle with Berger's disease.

[edit] See also

List of male professional bodybuilders

[edit] External links

• Official website
• "My Mike Mentzer Training Experience" by Paul Becker
• Mike Mentzer Gallery