MIKE MENTZER’S “IDEAL ROUTINE” - AN IN DEPTH PRESENTATION

[@Adaminski111]

Mike Mentzer’s Ideal Routine Workout Guide Workout Frequency 30:52: Four different workouts with 2 days of rest between each workout, every third day. 24:37: General Warm-Up Principles * Warm-up with minimal exercise required to increase blood flow to target muscles. * No need for extensive stretching or aerobic work. Workout Schedule Workout 1: Chest and Back *1:54: Pec Deck or Dumbbell Flies: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *3:28: Incline Press: 1 set of 1-3 reps to failure *4:46: Close Grip Palms-Up Pulldowns: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *5:50: Deadlifts: 1 set of 5-8 reps to failure Rest for 2 Days Workout 2: Legs and Abs *7:51: Leg Extensions: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *9:41: Leg Press: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *11:01: Standing Calf Raises: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *11:47: Sit-Ups: 1 set of 10-12 reps (use weights if more than 20 reps) Rest for 2 Days Workout 3: Shoulders and Arms *13:06: Standing Lateral Raises: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *16:11: Bent-Over Lateral Raises: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *16:43: Barbell Curls: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *19:19: Triceps Press Downs: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *21:13: Dips: 1 set of 3-5 reps to failure Rest for 2 Days Workout 4: Legs and Abs (Variation) * Leg Extensions: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *22:31: Squats: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure * Standing Calf Raises: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure * Sit-Ups: 1 set of 10-12 reps (use weights if more than 20 reps) Rest for 2 Days You’re Welcome 💪

[@gregory9017]

Thanks 🙏

[@perezosobtc]

Thanks G

[@fernandocabanillas8133]

Gracias homie

[@syed22]

Thanks you!

[@kiffer6802]

THANK YOU BROTHER! 👍

[@dadadadadadadadadadadada]

I fired the transcript of the video into chatgpt and got a distilled program. This video has all the rich detail you're going to need to understand the concepts and philosophy, but this should be a helpful summary of the 'ideal routine' Workout Structure Workout 1: Chest and Back Pec Deck (or Cable Crossovers/Dumbbell Flies): 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Incline Press: 1 set of 1-3 reps to failure. Close Grip Palms Up Pull Downs: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Deadlifts: 1 set of 5-8 reps to failure. Workout 2: Legs and Abdominals Leg Extensions: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure. Leg Press: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure. Standing Calf Raises: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure. Sit-Ups: 1 set of 10-12 reps, increasing weight as necessary. Workout 3: Shoulders and Arms Standing Lateral Raise: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Bent Over Lateral Raise: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Barbell Curl: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Triceps Press Down: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Dips: 1 set of 3-5 reps to failure. Thanks to @VentsislavRachev for reminding me about the supersets. Quoting him below: Pec Deck (or Cable Crossovers/Dumbbell Flies) followed by Incline Press. Leg Extension followed by Leg Press. Skull Crusher followed by Dip. Lateral Raise followed by Reverse Pec Deck. Warm-Up Perform a minimal warm-up to increase blood flow to the muscles being worked. Example: For deadlifts, start with a lighter set (e.g., 115 lbs for 7-10 reps) and progress to a slightly heavier set (e.g., 145 lbs for 2-3 reps) before the working set. Adjustments for Progress If progress slows, take a 2-week break and then resume training with reduced frequency or less demanding exercises. Periodically eliminate an exercise from your routine to prevent overtraining. Training Log Keep a training log to monitor progress in weights and repetitions. Adjust the frequency of workouts based on recovery and adaptation rates.

[@7xleoss705]

i love you man thx

[@dadadadadadadadadadadada]

@@7xleoss705 you're welcome my friend

[@LuciaGTAVI665]

Big thanks

[@thegoodraj]

You are awesome, know that

[@Rawlingm]

thanks for this, basically exactly what I was looking for. I am just getting into lifting now, I am 39 years old, and looking to burn fat and gain muscle. What days of the week should you do these workouts? Like for example, If i do workout 1 on Monday, when should I do workout 2? the next day or no? and when should I do workout 3. This has been my struggle as I dont know when/what days to work out and how long to rest each body parts

[@180sxdeano]

gone from 5/6 days to 2/3 days at the gym, the growth is insane!

[@peterowley2014]

Really that's really motivating fairplay is that per week you've gone down to 2/3 days yeah?

[@cerberus2373]

Just starting bulking and over the last month added 20kg to leg extension, 9kg to leg press. 10lbs to pull over machine and 10kg to pec dec.

[@peterowley2014]

@cerberus2373 that's brilliant mate I'm working out 5/6 days a week and not making progress worried if I go down to 2 or 3 days I'll get weaker do you think it'll help?

[@jackhodges1030]

Just like Mike said lifting weights takes more out of you than what you realize you have to let your body recompensate for what you spent then you start growing. And when you go to the gym every 4 days with this workout program you hit it and hit it hard hit with everything you got and then rest 4 days and then do the next set you will see results.

[@cerberus2373]

@@peterowley2014 cheers, that progress was achieved working out once a week, one set to failure. trust me it works.

[@nitai154]

Switched from doing high volume training 5 days a week to Heavy Duty. 2-3 days a week 20 to 25 minutes. In just one month my gains are substantial. I do VERY slow negatives and also static holds also. Weighted negatives also.. stuff wipes you out quickly. You can train hard or you can train long … but you can’t do both

[@x933Deadboy]

Can you explain for me your training with boring details please!?

[@Hamromerochannel]

Yes me too same question please

[@mpdebruin]

Same question here

[@jlmckenna10]

​@x933Deadboy go to failure on most of your exercises, use enough weight , or work on body weight pulls and pushes

[@bDub3891]

I go 3-4x max and gains are way more intense from 30-40mins sessions max

[@bhavishmohonee]

next month gonna be a year I've trained like Mike did and I've never been more grateful. my progress speaks for itself. he's a legend. i got to fuse this routine with a lot of stuff and created the perfect balance in life. Really thankful for his knowledge!

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Congratulations on your progress.

[@LCTherapy]

Just completed 1 year on this program too. I’ve never been stronger or bigger!

[@gchibli]

Would you recommend this for a beginner?

[@gchibli]

Would you recommend this to a beginner?

[@stevemann1299]

​@@gchibli Absolutely. Best to start with the best. And not waste years going down the wrong path.

[@kaytate7533]

John Little your doing a great job presenting this material.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks very much.

[@MichaelLynchMusic]

What a great breakdown 🙌 Mike was spot on back then...and still spot on to this day.

[@stevemann1299]

Yup just a shame over 95% of people who train still cant see it. Some neverwill...

[@Captain_MacTavish]

I started this style of training today and I swear I have never sweated like this in my entire life. really great

[@megumiishitani4027]

what are the results compared to traditional training?

[@Captain_MacTavish]

@@megumiishitani4027 literally Works ( for me ). You can try this and find out if it Works ( for you ).

[@judithmcginley6772]

I started this programme on January this year. Noticed results after three weeks in strength. This really does work and is hard. 😊

[@noneed6472]

Started this back up in April after Shoulder Surgery and it is BEYOND effective. Seeing immediate growth, strength and the density of the muscle grown is phenomenal. Still trying to prefect the sequence, reps, etc... but this man knew exactly what he was talking about. RIP Mike and Ray

[@STK10VA]

The quality of these videos is insane

[@SouthPaw909]

So glad to see this broken down …. Thnx for the work and attention to detail Mike would be proud

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

You're welcome. Thanks for your post.

[@chandanjha3205]

John, you will be remembered along with Mike for decades.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Ha ha. I don’t know about that, but thank you for the kind words.

[@letbright8182]

Day 1 Chest&Back Chest 1.Flat Dumbel Flys 6-10 Reps 1 Set Superset 2.Incline Press 1-3 Reps (Use Close Grip) Back 1.Close Grip (Palms-Up) Pulldowns 6-10 Reps 1 Set 2.Shrugs 6-10 Reps 1 Set (Smith Machine) 4-7 Day Rest Day 2 Legs 1.Leg Extentions 8-15 Reps 1 Set Superset 2.Leg Presss 8-15 Reps 1 Set (Natilus) 3.Calf Raises 12-20 Reps 1 Set 4-7 Day Rest Day 3 Delts&Arms Delts 1.Dumbel Laterals 6-10 Reps 1 Set 2.Bent Over Dumbel Laterals 6-10 Reps 1 Set Arms 1.Barbel Curls 6-10 Reps 1 Set 2.Triceps Pressdowns 6-10 Reps 1 Set Superset 3.Dips 3-5 Reps 1 Set

[@photo80sjeff84]

Thank you, special place in Heaven for people who do this for others. 😂👍

[@letbright8182]

@@photo80sjeff84 ❤️

[@nickknight8065]

Just chiming in on my own experience with this routine. In short, I am lifting the heaviest I've ever lifted and have increased weight for every single exercise week after week. I couldn't be more happy. Disclaimer: I have not consistently trained in years passed and would consider myself as an intermediate in weight training.

[@rodstylz2044]

Mike Is The GOAT in routine and proper form

[@josiahlikestodance]

His guide for how to do deadlift is a wonderfully detailed explanation.

[@therockiscooking4119]

"Deep knee bend with your back perfectly flat and your head up" works every time

[@Nedelcioaia.]

John, you and Mike are such humble people. Some persons on this internet would say buy my book for information while you give it away for free. I've read your and Mike's book but still got a lot of answers from this video alone. Thanks man for such a marvelous video

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks for the kind words and for your post!

[@SteveMatthews-ln4un]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE John, while I love the fact that you're trying to keep the Mentzer legacy alive, this stuff does nothing to break new ground. This is just a rehashing of Mike's work. Why not relate some of your OWN studies and research, such as your work with getting a better understanding of frequency with your Bod-Pod experiments. Even more so, how about your studies with Power Factor Training and the use of partial strongest-range reps......Would love to hear YOUR insights and ideas.....Respectfully, Steve Matthews

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@SteveMatthews-ln4un Simply because this channel is not about me or my thoughts on training, but on trying to keep Mike's legacy and teachings available for those that care about it. I'm not interested in using this channel or Mike to promote what I've done, but in giving credit where credit is due. The Chinese have a great phrase "when you drink the water, remember the source." Mike was a friend and, as a friend, I'm just doing what I can to ensure he still has a voice in the fitness world. I've written extensively about my views (and some have interviewed me about them), but much of what I've discovered (the Bod Pod studies you cite indicate this), simply further validate what Mike indicated. Not sure that there is a lot of "new ground" to break, to be honest. Human physiology hasn't changed in several hundred thousand years and thus our response to exercise hasn't shifted either. There are no shortage of other channels on KZbin that are run by people who will be happy to tell you how they have advanced Mike's teachings, or how he was in error, and how they cracked the nut on stimulating maximum hypertrophy. Not my thing.

[@oscardinogetti3824]

You're a good friend, sir. True to the core for Mike. Respect.

[@ashtonfrett2536]

I started his program last year. I must say this program works. I wish I learned this earlier. Thank you for you work

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

You're very welcome!

[@liamhuse6597]

Can you describe your muscle gains? Would love to know more about the results!

[@SuperBryanfury]

The video personal trainers don't want you to see so you can keep believing the BS they continue selling. Respect to Mike!!

[@papaspaulding]

🤣🤣🤣

[@RobertMajor-jq2ke]

Mike was a smart man and wanted to teach the young old beginner intermediate in other words even no he was a pro he wanted to teach us all to be a better version of ourselves I think he should have won in MR O in 1980 against Arnold just my opinion anyway this man had great advice take it or leave it RIP Mike

[@Theo-ul8qm]

Thank you John for bringing this to us! I think this is probably the only program that is made by an elite Mr. Olympia competitor and available for free online. I think you've helped many people with this! To share my personal experience, I have used this routine in my training and saw steady progress. My strength definitely increased visibly on the exercises I was performing. However, in the short term (6-10 weeks, let's say) higher volume routines have produced more muscle growth for me. The thing with higher volume training, is that it must be periodized in order to not create overtraining. The main strength of Mike's routine is that it basically throws periodization out the window - it just adds rest as strength increases - so it's very easy to program for people who are not working with a coach. The most valuable leasson I learned from Mike is to focus on intensity and never let your training volume blow up so much that it becomes endurance work. That is a principle that I think anyone who is interested in bodybuilding will be served well by.

[@MySiamesedreams]

This makes so much sense. Been training since high school where I was extremely strong. Now in my forties. I’m still weirdly stronger than my peers and I’m def going to adopt this regimen. I have stories

[@adwaitahari]

I will review this video many times, excellent

[@ronmexico79]

THIS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!! THANK YOU!!

[@imwalt3439]

I love this routine. I have all the recommended equipment in my home gym so I can do it as suggested. Now, here's the key for me; I tried this several times over the last couple years but always stagnated after a couple months. Just recently I decided to try more rest and I am quickly progressing once again. I am hitting new recent PR's every WO in every exercise. I say recent PR's because I am 66 and I'm not as strong as I was when I was 26. I'm resting 5-7 days between each WO, so I am going between 20-24 days between each WO, 1,2,3 and 4. I never thought I would need this much rest but it is absolutely working for me. I just did the shoulders/ arm WO and my upper body was trashed. I have to laugh when I read someone say they do 10 sets "to failure" for each exercise. There's no way I can do 1 more good set after I am done. If you are not gaining regularly, try resting more.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks for your post!

[@parminder379]

I have training from4-5 years with the usual 5-6 days a week routine. Since I started doing heavt duty by allowing 3-4 days rest between workouts my strength increase has been tremendous. My body is not afraid of heavy weights anymore, every week i go up on weights. I am South Asian so I got the worst genetics for muscle building plus i am endomorph. I urge people to give it a shot , have more rest days, and eat more carbs than protein. Thanks mike

[@daltonrose2827]

So much love towards you man! Keep doing what you are doing! I have been subbed on my other account since you had like 4k subs and now you have almost 150K! LETS GO! People are resonating with mikes message because he is the only advocate for logic and the natural body builder. I cannot thank you enough for the work and effort you put into these videos and on this channel. Truly, thank you.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks for your support and kind words.

[@joeimbesi99]

The one and Only Mike Mentzer

[@pablomendoza1294]

Man you just break this training routine down like we are toddlers, and we love it THANK YOU!

[@paravirallinen]

This has been my routine now for 1 month, gonna update my progress after a month already promising progress!

[@paravirallinen]

I totally forgot to give my update! -Overall strength increased -I look much better than before, more muscles -Saves my time a lot -I progress so much faster -I can lift bigger weights than before -Recovery time is amazing and don't feel sore for more than a day -Bigger weights I'd rate this program 10/10!

[@koolstool]

I’m about to start this program this upcoming week after taking about a week to decompensate from my normal workout routine of 4 days a week. Excited to see how it goes

[@letbright8182]

Best Workout routine in the world

[@treznorNSFW]

I agree. when im done with the workouts, it drains you so much, i just want to go to sleep LoL

[@letbright8182]

​@@treznorNSFWI'll leave it to you man, I did leg training on the second day of the week on Tuesday and I couldn't do any other training, I had to take 6 days of rest LOL

[@gchibli]

Would you recommend this for a beginner?

[@matalostodos]

An absolute beginner should use light weights and build up to medium weights first. There’s a process of adaptation to find comfortable posture, pace and stretch to go through that shouldnt be skipped. Just keep to every third day and it will change your body anyway, and switch to more fatiguing protocols like this one when you have adapted a bit more. Do not go two days in a row, even if using a split. Beat wishes

[@Insaniya.humanity]

Thank you very much for this video sir

[@yugimuto9763]

35:30 the example I needed. A cross cou try runner is thin with excellent endurance. A sprinter has massive quads

[@limitlesspotential9599]

I’m turning 46 in Jan. Doing this I’ve lost 75 pounds, no longer pre diabetic, no more high bp. 6 pack is back. I feel absolutely great Thank you for this

[@rickpantoja9752]

That's awesome. I'm turning 46 in January too. I've always been slim so I want to focus on leg and shoulder growth. We got this!

[@limitlesspotential9599]

@@rickpantoja9752 15th for me I’ll be 46 It’s crazy looking back at my old pics. I was fat! 5’9 235 Def can and will be done !

[@Justforfun-ek7et]

Bought the book and have not read it yet, I’m currently only lifting 3 to 4 days out of the week. Have been not going to failure though. I have just been doing upper body and lower body splits and hitting the upper/ lower every 4th day and just doing light cardio every other day and doing some neck training on cardio days. I’m interested to see what differences this will have for growth for me. I really am happy and appreciative that Mikes legacy lives on.

[@ketolcob]

Incredibly helpful breakdown. Thanks for putting this together.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lukaswallander1867]

Nowadays doing lateral raises with cables are a great way as you can get that deep stretch and let the negative pull your hand and arm way across the body

[@RajaCAthletic]

Mike the GOAT

[@chevyvega6622]

i was one of the lucky ones that was able to train with mike in the mid 90's, met joan sharky and the group that ran his web page store.......hard to believe when he left before 50...

[@The1andOnly1no]

Thanks for the Video

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

You're welcome. Thanks for your post.

[@ivanbetance7642]

Good job on video i am so much stronger 6 months it works for me perfectly because of my age the holds are awesome for people. They are older. I’m 45 and look stronger than most young men try it out it works. I did compound all kinds of different exercise football wrestling. This one fits me the most after 45 years I wish I would’ve known

[@shadman95]

Very nice detailed video thanks

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Glad it was helpful!

[@terrencetankastringer6256]

This is amazing content, ill definitely be following this program😤💪🏾

[@HDT805]

iam extremely lucky to find this being 15..

[@ThePatriots010304]

Everyone thinks they workout hard with maximum effort until they do Mike's routine. Just doing 5-6 sets per workout twice a week kicks my ass more than the 15-20 sets 4 times a week I used to do.

[@jakeythecrow9969]

I actually agree, when I do one set of everything I feel so much more fatigued afterwards than when I was doing high volume

[@simba-_-222]

im confused about the weight. how much weight are we using? something that we can only do for the reps mentioned or?

[@JayanthiPrasannan-xw8ex]

5-6 sets or Reps

[@KCBRYAN_1525]

@@simba-_-222untill you hit failure on the last rep.this is very similar to how Dorian Yates used to work out

[@bieateofanalexandru]

5-6 sets a week is still to low for volume. It's enough for at first, but you will increase it in time.

[@hasanrahal7279]

It’s been a month since I started heavy duty 2 and Im so happy and pleased with the progress. But I am following what mike said to only train every 4 days but here ur saying to train every 3 days plz can u explain. Note that I was training high volume for the past 2.5 years but now I’ve never been happier. Thanks mike we will always love you ❤️❤️

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

This video was geared to walk someone from beginner through to advanced. Beginners aren’t lifting as heavy weights for as many reps, consequently they don’t need the same recovery days off as those who are. As mentioned near the end of the video, you will need to begin inserting additional rest days as you grow stronger. Mike indicated a wide range exist within individuals with regards to recovery ability, with some recovering quite quickly and others not so quickly. As long as you do the workouts and make sure to keep an accurate progress chart, you will know when to insert additional rest days. If you are more advanced, then take four days off in between workouts and progress from there.

[@ThirdoptionJCSU]

Presious information, thanks for sharing Mikes' routine.

[@GeorgiyVasiliadi16]

John your videos are simply amazing. Thanks for your hard work!

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks, glad you like them.

[@judithmcginley6772]

I will be needing this programme again after my holiday. Can't wait 😄

[@alen7648]

I started with the first day today !

[@BobFahrer-jb2kr]

Very nice presentation !!! I read 4 books from Mike Mentzer and can confirm that he says exactly that. I must substitude some of his exercises, because I don't have acess to those machines, but there are good alternatives. Maybe you can do a video about those one day. He's talking about some in his last book. I guess that some viewers would appreciate that.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks for the suggestion. I may do that.

[@BobFahrer-jb2kr]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thank you!!! If you need someone to create a Mike Mentzer "AI" Voice, I am happy to help you

[@Wendel_Kos]

nice video, thanks

[@StarforceHH]

I do this exact plan less the second leg day.. works incredible

[@mixalisxenofontos2679]

Thank you for this video!!Please explain between this split routine and ppl split routine and upper-lower for naturals men after 40s which one is more suitable?

[@NikolaKremanac]

Thanks bro...

[@elraes1387]

Gracias por este documento. Un trozo de historia del bb 💪 Definitivamente funciona el hd concept, no lo duden.

[@mewe1023]

I have been searching this ideal mike workout for a long time. Finally i feel like, i stopped in the right video. Thanks mate.❤

[@metalcowboy-my5xy]

Arnold's enemy...

[@GreenKnight1294]

Amazing video, John! A breakdown on different exercises is just what I needed. I've had people asking me about trying out different exercises and routines a lot lately, and I've had to do a lot of research outside of the exercices recommended in the Heavy Duty Ideal Routine. I have a quick question for you: I've seen many of the golden era bodybuilders performing Klokov Presses or Behind-the-Neck Shoulder Presses on pictures (Doryan Yates, Tom Platz, etc.) and I've heard that this exercise is good to stimulate all 3 heads of the shoulders at once (in lieu of not having a shoulder Nautilus machine in my case). I've been trying it out myself and I find it a lot simpler than raises and can be done without having to jerk the weights upwards, with the only downside that it tires out my triceps more. Do you happen to have some insight on this exercise? I would appreciate your feedback a lot!

[@hettyhetty2500]

Thank you

[@TheSpritz0]

JOHN- LONG time subscriber here... I just saw you on "High Intensity Business" channel discussing MIKE and you mentioned that you were at the Toronto 1980 "Breakfast Seminar"!! Can you ever do a video of your best recollections from that, I read about it in the MUSCLEMAG Annual back in the day- THAT would be truly FASCINATING!!!!!

[@alen7648]

I somehow can't believe this. But I started one week ago and Now I am heading to my fourth training.

[@christiant.133]

In chest back workout shouldnt you do pull overs on the machine as a pre exhaustion movement?

[@ChampangeSuperNovaz]

Wow this saves time

[@augustusclaudiusvenorius6292]

I knew Mike. Great guy! However, one thing I never quite had the opportunity to talk to him about was this "ideal routine.". When I became one of his clients, he had me move from his '92 HD book routine, which I'd used with great success for over a year, straight into his first version of the consolidation routine. That's a discussion for another time. Right now, I was going to zero in on his pec routine as outlined here and in HD2:M&B -- notably, the extremely low rep count on the incline press. Given the pre exhausted/superset nature of the routine, I can see a lower rep count on the press, but what's the rationalization for but 1-3 reps? I might understand 5-8 reps, but one to three?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

I’m pretty sure I touched on this in the video. It was simply that if you use a weight that you could perform five, six, or 10 reps with, you are simply recycling a lot of the same fibres you already activated/stimulated in the isolation exercise. The idea, as I understand it at least, is to simply squeeze one to three more contractions out of the pectoral muscles that otherwise would’ve been impossible without using the compound exercise and the fresh strength of the triceps and anterior deltoids. For this purpose, one to three reps is sufficient. This is not to say that the world will stop revolving or your progress dramatically fall off if you went with 3 to 5 repetitions, just that this was Mike’s reasoning behind the lower reps for the incline press.

[@TheSavageChimiChanga]

I started doing high intensity training and my working set weight increased about 40 lbs in a month.

[@iglopez63D]

Ok, finally going to try this workout. I've done some workouts like this before in all my years of training. But never stuck to the program. I'll see how it goes at age 61.

[@CaptainAthleticism]

You know what. I'm not saying his entire video are alinged with what the taste of working out I would have. But at around 27min he does actually make some great sense switching out deadlift for shrugs occasionally in my opinion, I might just do that.

[@supragame1991]

Appreciate you continuing to put out these videos John. I plan on buying the course in the future. Hopefully it will answer all the questions I may have.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks very much for your support and for your post.

[@Keppie6]

What cadence do you recommend? I know Menzter used a normal cadence while he was competing. Then he used a 4/2 cadence during the first part of his personal training career before transitioning to a 4/2/4 cadence towards the end. What cadence do you think works best overall?

[@DaltonRosee]

I’d recommend a 4/2/4 That way you completely remove momentum and get the maximum amount of effort out of each rep Also the negative part of the movement is the most productive part and also takes the least amount on energy to perform Best of luck!

[@skibby1fhd]

I have a question if you should train every 4 days to properly allow the muscle to recover then wouldn't it be beneficial to just train everyday so that you are hitting the same muscle every 4 days, or is it too much because its hard to resupply all of the biochemicals needed everyday for a workout

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

The latter.

[@91barba]

thank you so much for “IDEAL ROUTINE” 😭🙌🙌🙌

[@jacobm92]

Great video John, I've been using this routine for a few weeks now, and most of my questions and doubts were answered in this video. I do have one question though regarding the chest/back workout. Why is there no isolation movement for the lats, such as a pullover?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Good question. I had debated about putting in the straight-arm pulldown (an isolation exercise for the lats that Mike advocated if one didn't have access to a Nautilus pullover machine). He actually recommended this in his final book and in his first Heavy Duty training booklet for Chest & Back in the late 1970s. I didn't include it because he dropped it from his program from 1993 on. However, like the ab workout, I should have included it as an option for people. As exercises are discarded as one gets stronger, the best time to use the pre-exhaust combination of straight-arm pulldown and close-grip, palms up pulldown would be in the beginner or beginning of intermediate training and it would be one of the exercises later to be discarded as superfluous as you progressed. Now that you brought it up, I'm mad at myself for not having included it in the video. Apologies. Bad call on my part.

[@jacobm92]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thanks for the quick and thorough reply, I was kind of imagining that the pre-exhaust combo of pullovers into the pulldowns would make sense given the other workouts in the routine. I think that I will do that for now, until the weight starts to increase.

[@m1noladea]

i did buy the book, and another one too, years ago, and i got 0 regrets! mike was really such an incredible person and when u read the book, u get out of the endoctrination and u see the workout as a logic thing instead of those 'do this and do that'

[@gchibli]

Would you recommend this to a beginner bro?

[@m1noladea]

@gchibli before u go at your maximum u need to feel accustomed to the moves and the weight, to have tje right form. If u got ur basics then absolutely. But it goes for all kind of training. Just strict form. This is actually the safest way to train, coz it's not jerking the weights etc, it's controlled and if u can't lift it with good form, the weight won't move and u won't hurt yourself. As a beginner, I believe you will be able to train more often and do progress coz you won't go that heavy so your central neuro system will be able to recover quicker, but ofc, that varies on every individual

[@NeoGhk]

I'm 52 years old. I've been training for 8 years the wrong way. I have shoulders, pecks, bi and tri but no upper chest no matter what I do. I've noticed the narrow grip, bar to neck bench press. I've been benching using the widest grip on the bar. Will this program do good for me.

[@saliwonezyk]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:13 *Principios universales de entrenamiento de alta intensidad según Mike Mentzer, enfocados en la brevedad y la infrecuencia de los entrenamientos para maximizar la productividad.* 01:46 *Rutina de entrenamiento de pecho y espalda de Mike Mentzer: incluye ejercicios como pec deck, press inclinado y dominadas con enfoque en la intensidad y el fallo muscular.* 05:52 *Importancia y técnica del peso muerto según Mike Mentzer, destacando su capacidad para trabajar numerosos músculos del cuerpo.* 07:57 *Rutina de piernas de Mike Mentzer: leg extensions, leg presses y calf raises para un desarrollo completo y seguro de los músculos de las piernas.* 13:20 *Entrenamiento de hombros y brazos según Mike Mentzer, con énfasis en el desarrollo equilibrado de los deltoides y los bíceps/tríceps.* 25:34 *Comienza con ejercicios de calentamiento adecuados para evitar lesiones y maximizar el rendimiento.* 26:14 *A medida que te haces más fuerte, ajusta tu entrenamiento para evitar el sobreentrenamiento, reduciendo la frecuencia y el volumen cuando sea necesario.* 27:34 *La tolerancia al estrés del ejercicio varía genéticamente; ajusta tu entrenamiento según tu capacidad individual para optimizar el progreso.* 29:00 *Realizar solo un set por ejercicio puede ser suficiente para estimular el crecimiento muscular sin necesidad de más.* 31:18 *A medida que ganas fuerza, aumenta los días de descanso entre sesiones para permitir una recuperación adecuada y evitar agotar tus reservas de energía.* 33:07 *Entrenar con alta intensidad está específicamente orientado al crecimiento muscular, mientras que el entrenamiento de baja intensidad y alta repetición es más adecuado para la resistencia cardiovascular.* Made with HARPA AI

[@Jnsbrar]

Here it says 2 days rest and workout on the 3rd day, Mike in his last videos said he felt resting 3 days and working out on the 4th was better and prescribed 3 days as his minimum rest. Which should we follow??

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Short answer: whichever frequency works for you. While the recommended frequency changed depending on the client, Mike’s advice regarding the fact that there is a wide variation amongst individuals with regard to recovery ability that extends across a broad continuum is consistent. Some people are fully recovered and adapted in two days. For others it is three, four, or more. That is why it is important to keep a progress chart; that way, you will know if you are getting stronger or not with the frequency you are using. Keep in mind that the frequency will have to change as you do grow stronger, which means you will have to begin inserting more rest days irrespective of where you happen to fall on the spectrum.

[@Jnsbrar]

​@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thankyou very much.

[@bradfordmcdermott2063]

Thank you John! I would switch from dead lift to rack pulls to take ñegs out of movment stress all on back that is if goal is to isolate then do rack puols on a squat rack. Now assuming reps were done at 1 to 2 seconds contentric. 1 seconded squeez at top then 3 to 4 seconds eccentric

[@jasonkidd9559]

U can not even spell consistently. Why...would I, or anyone else take ANY of your "advice" over Mike Mentzer's? 🤡👟👟

[@attri2292]

100% gem

[@FiLipiNoJezus]

I go to work 8-10 hr days, 4 days in a row as an Amazon driver. Its a lot of cardio everyday. I'm assuming this will interfere with my recovery and I'll have to take more rest days? I want to try this method so bad because I hate spending too much time at the gym.

[@junaidjamshed6082]

Just suggesting , divide your routine as 1st day: Chest & tri 2nd day: Back & Bi 3rd day: leg & shoulder Do these at your free days. You can do you abdominal on your working day whenever you feel .

[@icetray2727]

I substitute the deadlifts with shrugs

[@LiftOffLife]

I substitute deadlifts with Farmers walks.

[@treznorNSFW]

you might consider doing dead lifts at least once a month. it is the best compound lift, not only because of all the muscles that get worked and the mass you gain, but it also does the little things like drain your cns, and it boosts your testosterone and ur natural growth hormones. it's way too good not to do at least once in a while.

[@actilent9276]

Nah bro dont replace it it's a foundation in heavy duty

[@icetray2727]

The reason why I substitute shrugs for deadlifts is because the amount of lower back injuries I heard from people doing deadlifts and I’m trying to immitigate the risk.

[@eerreennee]

@@icetray2727 Don't go as heavy then,, focus more on form & control; 2 seconds up, hold & contract, 2 seconds down ... rinse & repeat until failure.

[@ryd3v]

I’m going to try this and see how it goes

[@ryd3v]

I took a full 7 days off, then started this plan, and man! Let me tell you, this is the way to do it. My first workout was so intense, that after I was vibrating my whole body, never had I felt this level of nevous system shock. Today I finished my second session following 2 days off, and I almost throw up, and can bearly walk to the car, and back home, my legs were jacked. Thank you Mike!

[@andrewmorton1728]

Been doing this for forty years

[@LM_28035]

Does this work good for back? Because I don’t see how palms up pull-down and deadlift will work as good, I’m going to try it anyway and hopefully prove myself wrong

[@jondavid1071]

Id add either Nautilus Pullovers or some type of row time to time. Also on weeks you perform the row perhaps drop the Deadlift and perform a shrug or if available a machine back extension.

[@jondavid1071]

Btw. Yes it does work if you train hard with good form and train progressively.

[@a111oveWrldWde]

Thank You! 💪💪💪 🌏🌍🌎

[@clipnclap4256]

Damn it I definitely overtrain! Because I just enjoy it, but recently my growth has dropped significantly. I’m going the MM route immediately

[@gp2755]

This was amazing. Can you do a similar video on the "Consolidation Routine" please?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZzFnHqbhtCVjtE

[@gp2755]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thank you!

[@Nadim9222]

I liked this program. Can you use heavy jump rope for the short period of time as warm up before i use this weight lifting program? And during the rest days can you do cardio exercises or maybe using heavy jump rope only for the short period of time?

[@adamhadfield5831]

Is no warm up needed ? I feel if I jumped straight into heavy weight for one set id fail earlier than if I’d have done a few build up sets

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

The warm-up prescription appears near the end of the video.

[@strengthmuscle5529]

RMJ11 approved!! RMJ11 loves John Little and Mike Mentzer!!!

[@MikeMentzerHD]

hey john. can i do my own split ? Chest/Shoulders/Triceps / Legs, Calves, Abs / Back, Traps, Biceps \ ? thanks! with those exercises and same sets? and can i train once every 48 hours? every musclce once a week

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

You can certainly do your own split. Mike believed that the principles are high intensity training had universal application, but also believed that the practical application; that is, the workouts, were something that the individual had to work out for him or herself. What Mike offered were suggested routines, a starting point. However, as long as you are keeping a progress chart, you will know whether or not your sequencing of muscle groups, the number of sets you perform, and the number of days you train are conducive to progress or are moving you in the opposite direction. The individual trainee, in other words, has to do his own homework on this one.

[@alfredomartens4639]

If you start day 1 Monday.. It means my 2nd training will be Wednesday. Is that correct 48hrs of rest..

[@ivanbetance7642]

Yes or longer

[@dmantbo]

Is there a typo n the leg workout- Mike recommends half the amount of of reps, especially in a superset for legs… @John Little?

[@HumbleShallot]

Oh nice this just popped up I wanted this!

[@christianschwindt8886]

Hello John, in the book The Mike Mentzer Way the ideal routine is described a little differently, why? Wasn't Mike's current idea to adapt it for back training, for example? There is also a difference in bicep training? Greetings from Germany

[@Famous_Athlete_Hashimoto]

I think Ron Simmons may have followed this fitness routine. There's countless anecdotes about him entering the gym with other wrestlers, doing 3 bench presses with a crazy amount of weight on the bar and a few other exercises with similarly high intensity but low reps, and after roughly twenty minutes shouting "I'll wait for you in the car" while the other wrestlers worked out for 2-3 hours lol. This guy was known for his insane "country boy strength", but maybe he had just figured out the secret to getting that strong

[@FullFatMooJuice]

Hi, could I get some advice regarding this style of training? I would like try this routine but I'm concerned about compromising my pressing strength (both overhead and flat bench). My concern is derived by the absence of any overhead movements in this routine and the only pressing is part of a pre-exhausted superset. Is there anyway to follow the principles outlined in the video and integrate some overhead pressing without compromising recovery? Thanks.

[@josephfranco919]

I would think you could incorporate a superset of overhead press after side delts.

[@Jonathan-ms1rr]

This feel like a How it's made episode except for bodybuilding

[@just_nate_8694]

Exactly

[@stancodimitri3998]

If I understood good: 1st day training chest and back, 2nd day training leg and ab, 3rd day training delt and arm and than AGAIN LEG DAY? Thank you guys for your help

[@benvb8457]

Ho john. Thanks for the video. Your channel has come a long way. I dont know if u remember me ? I used to comment at the very beginning of this channel. Hope youre doing well ❤❤❤

[@alexhassan4802]

Any explanation about performing the wide grip for the Deadlift?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Not from Mike, as he didn't advocate a wide grip on deadlifts to my knowledge.

[@alexhassan4802]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Actually mike said, it's the most important part to use a wide grip without arching your back for sure, which makes the exercise uncomfortable using heavy weights.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@alexhassan4802 I'm familiar with his saying use a "slightly wider than shoulder width hand grip," but not a wide grip, per se.

[@alexhassan4802]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE yeah that's what I meant ! Still a wide grip by the way if you notice watching the video right ?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@alexhassan4802 More a regular grip (in my opinion) as it wouldn't be much different than the grip used in a barbell curl (slightly wider than shoulder width - key word being "slightly"). The explanation, then, which you requested, is in the narrative and the accompanying visuals for the exercise provided in the video. Or you could listen to what Mike says about performing the exercise in these two videos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5vCd32XmtySmac and kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGHGYqufaKt5lZI

[@kwokanson5744]

Sir, in the book there is a Pullover or Straught arm pulldown before the Underhand pulldown isnt it?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

The short answer is that this video isn’t simply a repeat of that particular chapter in the book but more of an overview of Mike’s consolidated program (including the common denominators from his various iterations of the program), taking into account beginners coming to the program for the first time. I had debated about putting in the straight-arm pulldown (an isolation exercise for the lats that Mike advocated if one didn't have access to a Nautilus pullover machine). He actually recommended this in his final book and in his first Heavy Duty training booklet for Chest & Back in the late 1970s. I didn't include it because he dropped it from his program from 1993 on. However, like the ab workout, I should have included it as an option for people. As exercises are discarded as one gets stronger, the best time to use the pre-exhaust combination of straight-arm pulldown and close-grip, palms up pulldown would be in the beginner or beginning of intermediate training and it would be one of the exercises later to be discarded as superfluous as you progressed.

[@kwokanson5744]

I want to ask can Bent row or one rowing movement add into the routine

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@kwokanson5744 Yes, you can substitute barbell rows for pulldowns.