MIKE MENTZER: STATIC-NEGATIVE TRAINING

[@stopcensoringmen5044]

Mike could tell me I am drinking water incorrectly, and I would listen to him. That is how much I trust his wisdom.

[@undeniabletruth-HIT]

But I am not understanding why he believes concentrics lead to the greatest inroad into recovery when eccentrics tear the most muscle fibres? We get a lot of carbs from our diets these days so energy loss from concentrics is not a concern is it?

[@NovaPrime5012]

​@undeniableluck3260 do you even lift bro. Cause your sentences are concise, I just hope the details are just as prominent as your training. Just saying.

[@phytopanacea]

@@undeniabletruth-HIT that's exactly the point. you want to cause the most stress for the least amount of time so you have the most gains with as minimal damage as possible

[@AS-gz8oe]

Negatives allow for the greatest amount of weight to be held under load for the longest time

[@Stierenkloot]

You’re a fool for blindly following someone like that. Mike is wrong about plenty of things

[@billybob33366]

Mike causes you to think about and even want to approach body building in a non-conformist way. He's really getting you to come out of that matrix or hive--mind mentality, and it works!

[@mishoivanov2325]

That is exactly why i started training this way❤

[@roberte289]

Focusing on the eccentric and the lengthened portion of the lift is probably the best for growth. The rationale for isometrics in the fully contracted position makes sense but i dont think it seems to be best in practice. Most people probably do still just concentrate on the concentric but this advice isnt really in opposition to the concensus today.

[@billybob33366]

​@@roberte289 while Mike's approach may not work for everyone as he states himself, it's worth giving his teachings a shot and see what happens. Seeing is believing and I think many body builders have since discovered Mike and appreciate his approach to the science!

[@Martin-u2g]

Ive been having pretty good results with his methods

[@geormisontraballo2279]

Do you even lift ✖️ Do you even lower ✅

[@LeeJoRo]

Holy shit. That's good. I'm stealing that

[@TVCarsxn]

😂😂

[@speranza9415]

Do you even hold it in the contracted position? 🗿

[@juanmanuel3168]

More like "do you even hold? "

[@prestow]

Do you seek to Succeed Do you seek Failure

[@longchampe]

Negatives were what got me to being able to do pull-ups. They were unbelievably effective.

[@tylormack]

I get so much of my training inspiration from this man. Great words of wisdom

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Glad to hear it 👍

[@Mrcounterusa]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGEdoes this technique work for standing curl?

[@johnmoreira2061]

I’m 51 years old and I have finally found a program that works without steroids.

[@maxlaurie-zw3vi]

He was way before his time !! Genius pure genius 🤯

[@Mr.HeavyDuty]

John Little,Thank you very much for everything! We're with you! ❤

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thank you 🙏

[@DrDisinfect_TheWorld]

As I listen to this dissertation from Mike, he's right. Since the beginning of human history, people "held" heavy objects in negative portions.

[@americanthaiboxer7224]

I have arms on deck today. I'll be doing this protocol.

[@marcusmorrow3900]

I use to work in a factory where all we did was carry heavy trays of bread and push stacks of bread. Both pushing and carrying being static positions. I was always complimented on my physique.

[@GeorgiyVasiliadi16]

New level of training. Thank you for this John 💪🏼

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

No worries! Thanks for your post.

[@EKTELESTES]

" Phenomenal" is damn right. I'd casually always done that at home with light weights out of common sense as I didn't want to spend more money on heavier weights. I knew it worked out of experience, but when I heard Mike and tried it with much heavier weights the results were indeed phenomenal!

[@GeeeEm61]

Listening to Mike’s approach to Dips, when you can’t even do one dip, has now progressed (so far ) to me doing 3 sets of 7 after 3 months. Without his guidance and simplistic instructions I’d have left them in the “too hard” bin. Basically it is what he’s talking about here. Start by lowering yourself slowly into the lower position. Once you can, fully controlled, lower yourself 5 times in a row you’ll probably be strong enough to start lowering and then lifting yourself. Thank you, Mike. RIP.

[@anproof7937]

When you do only negatives, do you reach negative failure or do you stop at a certain amount of reps?

[@skmphdez7965]

😮😮 WOW I DID TGIS 2 WEEKS AGO FOR MY HAMSTRINGS CONTRACTING AND LOWERING SLOWLY AND I WAS SORED FOR 3 DAYS 🤕🤕 he was 10000% right

[@SPS007]

mike sir are phenomenal

[@dropas4136]

Works brilliant especially with the chest.

[@georgeanastasopoulos5865]

Well said; a very good, enlightening lecture, and demonstration; especially for those that are not aware of the High Intensity way of Training! Easily a thumbs up. I'm glad, and fortunate I watched this HIT method on KZbin; because I have forgotten half the method for its approach. I have read, and for a very short time, followed this X rep training in the late 1990s from an article on Iron Man magazine. I'm very glad I found it here; and thank you for posting this method that follows Mike Mentzer's method of training, high intensity, and low volume. A method of training from the experiments, discoveries, and testing that was done by Arthur Jones. It was Arthur Jones who invented, and developed the Nautilus exercise machines from the later 1970s to 1980s. Arthur Jones was a productive genius who has contributed a large amount to the science, and benefits of physical exercise. Then Mike Mentzer followed, and has added important, and valuable training advice, too. Also of significance, Mentzer has explained logical methods that are clear, and give real results.🏋‍♂

[@chantestephens]

Simply mind blown. Simple critical thinking changed my entire outlook and understanding of body building.

[@dantheman9135]

ThankQ

[@timgraysontv]

GENIUS! 💡

[@donmiller4885]

Totally amazing God bless Mike!!

[@Papion.777]

Brilliant

[@mitchellbrock3463]

I’ve always known the power of and done the negatives/holds. My high school football strength and conditioning coach was old school and taught us that. But it never dawned on me to eliminate the positive altogether. I’m going to try this method starting next week.

[@richbrake9910]

It never dawned on me either, even though I've used negatives and static holds for years. Mentzer said thet strength gained from static holds transfers to the positive, even when not doing the positive part of the movement.

[@anproof7937]

Updates?

[@mircha2144]

It worked for me! For bicep curls I was not progressing as much compared to the muscles. I added as a super-set just 3 reps of static- lowering, and after just 2 workout my positive lift went up by 3 reps!

[@anproof7937]

Can you describe your entire routine? How many rest days between workouts?

[@mircha2144]

@anproof7937 when I added static- lowering I was working out 3 days/week, 35 min workout. I always do lagging muscles first. I just do a light warm-up, 50% of working weight, 7 reps followed by 1 min rest and then do the working set of cable curls (for convenience) to failure. I increase the weight by ~25% and hold it for as much as I can and lower it in 4-5 sec. That's it!

[@anproof7937]

​@@mircha2144Did you train full body or split?

[@mircha2144]

@@anproof7937 split. Mike's ideal routine

[@flyzoh]

I don’t take his portion of training few days per week but I do take his philosophical perspective into my own take and I love him for that

[@kam_1027]

Negative weighted chin ups and dips got me great results

[@shawnm4189]

It is interesting that this video posted when it did because I had just revamped my May workout schedule the day prior to incorporate this kind of training in preparation for summer training. After my next leg workout (April 23rd), I have had a two week layoff planned. With my summer workout protocol scheduled to start June 4th, I did not really know what I was going to do for May. I decided on a whim a few nights back to incorporate the following workouts in alternate fashion once a week throughout May until I begin my summer schedule. Workout #1: Chest/Triceps/Ant. Delt: • Incline Machine Press - 1×1-4 (negatives only, trained unilaterally) • Tricep Pushdowns With V Bar - 1×6-10+2 negatives Back/Biceps/Forearms/Pos. Delt: • Close Grip Palms Up Pulldowns - 1×1-4 (negatives only) • Yates Rack Row - 1×1-4+2 negatives Work Sets: 4 Workout #2: Legs: • Leg Extension - 1×1-2 (10-30 sec holds) Superset • Leg Press - 1×20-40 60 second rest, add at least 100 lbs • Toe Presses - 1×20-40 Work Sets: 3 My goal now for May is to work a bit on my lower body stamina and incorporate some negatives only training on my chest and back on some compound movements to vary the training stimulus a bit.

[@cmatt1529]

38 M and active. Started MM training after reading his book 4.5 months ago. Never seen these kind of results with no protein and importantly, no massive drop off if I missed a few days due to work. I can do this type of workout well into my 50’s

[@Percules15]

You don’t eat protein?

[@cmatt1529]

@@Percules15 no supplement protein/creatine or anything. Just not my jam.

[@tektoniks_architects]

I cycle in and out of three types of workouts: workouts where I prioritize positive failure, negative rep failure, and static hold failure. The static hold workouts seem to cause the least muscular soreness days later, because you are only holding the weights to failure in the fully contacted position....with only a single negative reps after static hold failure occurs. In the negatives workout, the weights or cables are assisted to the fully contracted position, and then I perform the negative unassisted. These types of workouts are hugely productive and intense.

[@93krstn]

Im still a begginer in HIT but I started applying the static hold after going to positive failure on a workout, I got the idea first from Dorian Yates on a YT video I saw from him 😅. Results are slightly better, Ill continue to do it and monitor the results.

[@deadmanlyndon]

but this is also going to make you much stronger and lift heavier weight too. best of both worlds i think

[@craigwhitley1529]

Once you try this approach, you'll never go back to volume training unless you're somebody who's going to the gym to socialize... Which is fine if you've got the time for it, but I like to get in, work out, and get out

[@Roya_Vegan]

Isometric+ eccentric = Mike You can do 2 second concentric, 4 second hold. As long as you can the eccentric ❤🎉

[@joeychicago6322]

This is y I always go slow on the con centric and also slow on the ecentric with of course a slight pause at the top. Forgetta bout how heavy cause its all about putting on muscle. In time u will get stronger but remember, were not on steroids so therefore you'll b as strong as u will naturally and of course you will b stronger than the average person. More muscle means stronger however u achieve them and natural means your probably stronger than u look cause all that u c has been earned the hard way.

[@richbrake9910]

John Little, Mike Mentzer, Joanne Sharkey, Ray Mentzer, Dorian Yates, Casey Viator, and of course, the Grand Father, Arthur Jones, are all geniuses....

[@TradingTheSky]

So use lighter weights than you used to lift, and focus on maximum contraction of the motion [static] then easily under control lowering the weight.Do this for 6-10 reps to failure.

[@rabeelsyed9683]

Just came to know about him, he is a genius! Where can I get Mike’s workout plan?

[@TheScamr]

You can get his ideal routine here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmaVo3qOesZorbM This was before he added the static portion to all lifts. I follow the ideal routine but have only recently added Concentrics to my forms. Adding Concentrics just adds one set to my workouts per body part, its very manageable on a time perspective.

[@PrintMini-c2d]

At 4:36 when he talks about the pull down, does someone know how many reps he recommends we should do.

[@raminrouchi202]

Think about how mad he made people. Its not whether his methods work, its the fact he he was an individual critical thinker.

[@Stierenkloot]

The mail that sticks out gets hammered.

[@FINDTHENUMBERSTV]

REBEL💪🏽

[@KCBRYAN_1525]

What I have found out works well for me and I don’t know if it’s any better or worse,results wise! Is that I do one strength set with 6 reps and then another set with a lower weight and higher reps.just two sets per exercise,I find this way better for me because I’m 46 and can’t train with proper intensity like I used to,and I don’t have a spotter either.other than that I stick to the same principles of taking 4days off.that’s because I found my muscles did take exactly 4days to recover from doms

[@mahmadieh7011]

I have been searching for this information for months. Is this everything about this topic on static holds and negatives?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

To my knowledge, this is the only audio of Mike speaking about this. He did write an article on it for Muscular Development magazine, and he also mentioned it in his book Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body.

[@mahmadieh7011]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE How do abs fit into the ideal workout? Are they indirectly worked on? I've been doing it for a year since I found your channel. But the abs...not so much because it isn't discussed. Thanks.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@mahmadieh7011 I’ll be posting a comprehensive presentation of the “Ideal Routine” (including abs) on Sunday.

[@williamdahl3318]

Yielding isometrics?

[@duderinofitness]

How many negatives per set or is 1 negative= 1set? And how many sets per body part

[@Chris-ui1nh]

Yeah it's 1 negative after going to static failure, like on a pulldown once your static strength fails you then lower the weight slowly, you could try it again for a second hold but I prefer to do another exercise, like a machine row neutral grip same style. Use a timer and try and beat that number each workout if you can. Hope this helps a bit, I've been a personal trainer for over 10 years but obviously can't give you an answer as good as mike could have. 💪

[@mjp-bi3re]

Amazing. Why do people in the bodybuilding community seek ti discredit Mike Mentzer?

[@richbrake9910]

First, Mentzer's routines and analysis are completely different than what most people do, including professional body builders. People want to do what they see in the mainstream. It's similar to clothing styles. If most people are wearing straight leg jeans, very few are going to want to wear bell bottoms or flares. Another thing is most trainers want to keep people in the gym for long periods of time because they think it justifies the $50 an hour they charge. Trainers do not want people switching over to Mentzer style workouts because it may threaten their business. I've also noticed some people resent me spending a third of the time in the gym as they do, while still being able to build like they do. This really gets to them..

[@Ephesians64blogspot]

​@@richbrake9910 100% correct

[@Stierenkloot]

His ideas threaten their identities. That sums it up.

[@Jatt__jaspreet]

0:47 I disagree as in the positive part of a rep the max muscular forces are produced as forces are against the weight are are greater than weight so it is not least productive it is most . The isometric and negative are most ignored so focus on them give result . this does not mean that positive is useless (Correct me if I am wrong)

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

The positive portion of the rep is productive, no question. However, I think what Mike was trying to say is that it is also the weakest of your three strength levels and so if you do not pay attention to the other two, you are only taxing 1/3 of your potential strength levels. You have to remember that this interview was done during a phone call and Mike was speaking extemporaneously. I think Mike simply misspoke.

[@alexdigaia]

Mr John, Can static hold help to pass a sticking point? I can't perfect close the chin-up, since I can't touch the bar with my cest Can static hold help to pass a sticking point? I can't perfect close the chin-up, since I can't touch the bar with my cest

[@prestow]

I feel great because I want to fail, to go negative, to lower slowly, and find resistance.

[@Lonewolf__666]

How the hell does the positive portion of the rep cause the most inroad into recovery ability? The Negative portion makes the most inroad into recovery ability. Mike got that wrong, or miss spoke. How I see it is the more inroad, the more strength increases.. but also the more recovery you need.. and for a lot negatives are like getting a sun burn! It is to much inroad. Mike did say in the video with Markus, that positive failure was enough. So I do think he came to the conclusion that static and negatives can be to much for naturals. And only people on steroids or very advanced need static/ negative training

[@jaminbaer2301]

Hey mate, I don't think he misspoke. I'm hearing that by removing the least productive parts of an exercise is a removal of wasted energy expenditure. Therefore the intensity increases and the duration of time/energy of the least productive portion decreases. This way you can achieve the same time under tension without the concentric portion. Will this create a need for more recovery? YES. If the goal is to spend more time lifting weights then Static Holds and negative lowering is counterproductive. If getting stronger and stimulating hypertrophy is the goal...well then, we have more time for other meaningful endeavours.

[@Lonewolf__666]

@@jaminbaer2301 I agree removing the positive or concentric part of the lift is the least productive, beacuse it creates THE LEAST INROAD. Where static and negatives create the LARGEST inroad. Mike said concentrics created the MOST inroad, which is incorrect. But I think he meant to say were the least productive. And I also agree, static and negative training will require MORE recovery time. But should result is greater strength increases.

[@Lonewolf__666]

Just listened again and Mike says positives make the deepest inroad into recovery. So if that was the case the static and negative portion would make the least inroad into recovery and so you could recover a lot faster doing static and negatives, and we know that is NOT the case. Even Mike said you have to be very careful with statics and negatives as you can easily overtrain with them. And in the Markus Reinhardt training video basically said go to positive failure, and that’s good enough.

[@omonty2]

I'm a little confused. In another video on this channel I just finished listening to Mike warns against the overuse of negatives because of extended recovery times. Was this an earlier recommendation?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Mike recommended using negatives sparingly in one’s training. He was referring to using them after a set to failure (at the end of, say, a 6-10 rep set). With static training you do perhaps one (or two) reps and lower (the negative) also one or two times. So, it’s the negative portion of the rep performed once or twice versus 6-10 reps plus two or three negatives. As the volume is considerably less with static training, you don’t use up quite so much of your recovery resources so you should be able to use the technique a little more frequently. You’ll have to determine their effect and use by checking your progress chart.

[@DanBlabbers]

I wanna try that for abs

[@sadikfillali8935]

So Mike Mentzer rexommand doing just doing the static and the negatives motion, without doing the positive? Can this method grow muscles?

[@Ian-l7s1r]

Genuine question if the negative is the most productive why did he hold it statically before doing the lowering instead of doing negative reps not hating just curious

[@youngsekator]

lets say im about to do pulldowns, how many times should i repeat the static hold, negative part? i could ask sb at my gym for assistance with positive part

[@1LessThanAverage]

how did Mike know that the positive makes the deepest in -road in the recovery?

[@sadikfillali8935]

So if eliminating the positive movement which causes the deepest inroad in the recovery capability, and doing just the static and the negative movements, how much days should we rest between workouts?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

That’s what your training journal is for, if you are going up in weights then recovery and adaptation are taking place; if those numbers are not going up, then you need more recovery time. Everybody is different in this respect, so you have to go by your own numbers.

[@nickknight8065]

I got no workout partner for this. ☹️

[@NaturalBornWinner-]

You can cheat the weight up and then lower slowly on the negatives, it works great with barbell curls, you can do it with overhead press and chin ups too👍

[@ZdenekZeman433]

Use 2 hands to lift the weight and one to lower it

[@sadikfillali8935]

Which year did Mike Mentzer recorded this audio?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

1994 or 1995 I believe.

[@sadikfillali8935]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE then there is a seminar of Mike Mentzer in 1996 where he was talking about the consolidation modified program. So I want to ask you, which program is more effective in building muscles, is it doing the static and negative movements? or doing the modified consolidation program lifting weights?

[@MarkM-x7z]

Time under tension just means contracting the muscle ur working as long as u can than lower slowly as possible,repeat,when u think or feel like u cant do more,than do rest-pause reps to failure.

[@StalkEr-o1s7q]

So i should just hold the weight? Like if I'm doing bench press in gun i should just have a spotter and push right? For other people obviously it wouldn't sound logical lol

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

That's risky, as the weight you will contracting against in the bench press will be much heavier than you can lift out of your weakest position in the range of motion. Mike only recommended using this technique on a handful of exercises, and the bench press was not one of them.

[@StalkEr-o1s7q]

​@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGEwhat about weighted chin ups, Mike talked about it in the video

[@arthur_stve]

How to applicate this Correctly?, 1 Rep Negative but hold it until failure or 8 reps but negative only (no positive)?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

It would be the first example you gave.

[@arthur_stve]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thank You Very Much

[@nathanherling9836]

Very noice -

[@00TomFoolery00]

Over looked by too many for too long. A brain as muscular as his body.