MIKE MENTZER: THE “IDEAL (BASELINE) ROUTINE” (UPDATED)

[@BingTheGallant]

Loved this video. Thank you very much, Mr. Little! I don't think I ever would have started working out and taking it seriously without this channel, your dedication, and Mr. Mentzers knowledge.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks for your kind words and support.

[@charlesmullins664]

​@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE hi I have a question in mike mentzer book it mentioned about doing stomach exercises but here it doesn't so I don't know where to fit it in

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@ In the book it indicates doing it after your leg workout.

[@charlesmullins664]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE cheers mate

[@bareflavourreviews4840]

I could listen to him all day

[@RavindraYadav-ev1wx]

Whenever I watch videos on this channel, I feel motivated and focus on mike philosophy. Thank you admin ❤ . Mike is different among all bodybuilder such a legend 🫡🫡

[@HITFreaks]

A great mind with a great body 🛐🔥

[@paulmcreynolds1774]

This is the routine that I use. Been using it since April and have had great results.

[@jcjc5702]

because youre an eternal beginner

[@paulmcreynolds1774]

@jcjc5702 well for your information I'm 72 years old and I've been training for well over 40 years.

[@amine_d]

How long do your workout last?

[@paulmcreynolds1774]

@@amine_d average about 25-35 minutes

[@HITFreaks]

​@@paulmcreynolds1774that's insane 🛐❤️🔥, it is doing wonders for me too, I'm 19

[@kxo97]

Thank you for this video. I just subscribed last night and was trying to figure out how to start as a beginner. Woke up to this. Perfect timing

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@kxo97 Glad it was helpful. Welcome aboard!

[@HragFarraGaming]

Been doing HIT for 4 months and I can tell you I've wasted countless years of my life training with volume. The exercises listed are perfect, and it's scary how fast the strength progression is. Literally every week you'll see strength increases, which include muscle size. However, always add 5lbs total to each week, not 10lbs as your body needs the time to recover and grow. Example, I wasn't able to barbell curl 65lbs, w/proper form for the longest time, and now I can manage 8-9 reps failure with proper form. You test yourself again by adding only 5lbs (2.5lbs each side) to see how many reps you can do. It's also a different mentality of being excited to go the gym for every 4-5 days, rather than everyday and by that time you're exhausted and don't want to go. For those in a plateau, stop volume training, take a week off, and resume training with HIT ONLY. Good luck to all.

[@anproof7937]

Are you following the ideal routine or the consolidation program? Do you reach only positive failure or also negative failure ? In How many second do you perform the positive, negative and static part of the movement?

[@peterlampropoulos3505]

​@mickyd3287 absolutely. But it's the best way to reach your best

[@alvarocastillo4859]

Thank you much for your advice Sir I 'll carry out to the bitter end 🔚

[@mikhailkimbel91]

Do you do chest/back, legs, delts/arms 3 days in a row and then rest or rest between each workout ?

[@amazinggrace313]

Yea I add 5 pound to upper body and 10 for lower body

[@DJCJ999]

Been doing this routine since I first discovered Mike 2 years ago…. I progress every workout!

[@alvarocastillo4859]

Keep it up 👍💪🤜🤛.

[@barrybabbot7481]

what was your last example of progress?

[@DJCJ999]

@@barrybabbot7481 I have been using my notes app lately and tend to make notes week to week and delete them as I go.. for example I might highlight feeling crap or a niggling pain or to up the weight on an exercise the following week.. Then I will make changes or delete the note if it didn't apply to the current routine. But, I am usually gaining reps every workout and then adding weight when I hit 10-12 reps on an exercise... some weeks I might stay at the same weight/rep if I haven't rested well or have ben ill or something.. if I am well rested and I stick then I will concentrate on extra negatives or do a heavier set (

[@jaykay7120]

Thank god for this video I was the guy in the gym everyday for hours sometimes then Iv had a big lay off for health reasons but I’m training again I’m going to try my routine exactly and see what’s what it seems very logical focussing a lot on rest and it really makes sense… wish me luck

[@mateusgsp]

i am so thankfull for mike's teachings

[@preachinoldschool5726]

Be careful...the man lost his effing mind before he died at a young age.

[@sml1983]

Thank you for making new updated video, great pics on video!

[@m.j.5681]

Why did it take me so long to find this?! I've already slowed down and added intensity but I think I'm still overdoing it. Gonna restart here and see how it goes. It makes so much sense.

[@Kukumanagement]

Been using Mikes routine for a year now and I’ve grown ALOT and put on 15 pounds of muscle

[@TroyCannon-y8d]

Does this actually work

[@Kukumanagement]

@ yessir but you absolutely have to give it your all when your doing your sets

[@TroyCannon-y8d]

I'm a ten plus year lifter but age is a factor and I'm burning out, I've never heard of this approach, doesn't seem real

[@oceanx22]

@@TroyCannon-y8d you worked out for 10 years and never heard of this style of training? how is that even possible do u live in a hole? this is a classic approach to lifting if u are older than me (29 years old) you 100% should of heard of this style of training by now .. this is what i got taught when i was 13 years old then thought i knew best with high rep etc and did a lot of other styles guess what im back doing this now and im telling u this is the best style if u want real gains natural

[@gregpettis1113]

​@@TroyCannon-y8dArthur Jones was his mentor

[@Tony-ke1ce]

ABSOLUTE LEGEND 💪🏻🏋🏻‍♂️

[@volairen]

I'm glad i was in the infantry where i was forced into muscle failure on a regular basis. I think it prepared me for this.

[@marquemozes]

I feel like the infantry prepares your body to do work, but it won't help you be good at any organized lift movement or even give you a "unit or superhero" look. The fear of failure, pain and danger are minute to us, so we tend to excel at strict disciplinary regimens like this one. Also, Rah Devil (Or Soldier/Ranger).

[@tony9t]

After training for over 20 years. I’ve seen better gains following these principles

[@jodiejodie87]

same here, we've all been lied to haha

[@RobGrundon]

I followed his advice on super sets with chest.... 👌

[@MarkoMilicevic-n3n]

Absolutely, training everyday or everyoother is what alot of influencers say but that's because they're on gear,recover 10x faster.

[@HITFreaks]

Try his superset on tricep pushdown and dips Also try his leg extension and Leg press superset, you'll blow your mind 🔥​@@RobGrundon

[@HITFreaks]

​@@MarkoMilicevic-n3nfor sure

[@christophervillarreal8565]

This man is the truth

[@HITFreaks]

The man was ahead of time

[@svetozarozegovic3684]

I like his system. R.I.P.🙏💪🧠😊

[@drewgrows7765]

A set to failure really takes a lot of discipline

[@matthill8601]

Especially deadlifts or squats

[@HITFreaks]

It's like defeating your own mentality, you gotta increase the menatal toughness and go through the pain, it won't happen on your first workout but it will eventually increase as you keep going.

[@huhwhatomg]

@@drewgrows7765 for real. When I started the ideal routine I failed on going to failure on leg extensions and deadlifts. If the weight isn't heavy enough it's harder because you're doing more reps imo. If u go heavy enough it's easier because it happens quicker and it doesn't burn as much

[@jrod25221]

I'd try training like this for a few weeks buts it's not necessary for non professional

[@drewgrows7765]

@jrod25221 Best i can do is I do my last set of every excersize to near failure lol

[@keimyung8824]

I’ve been working out for yeaaars but I could just never get my arms to grow. I used every bodybuilder program I could find. Took all kinds of weight gainers and protein supplements. But it wasn’t until I started the Big Beyond Belief program by Mike Mentzer that my arms blew up…actually my whole body blew up. I went from working out 6 days a week to 4 days. I even PR 315 on incline bench and I’m 41 years old. Less is more.

[@mastodon781]

I think bbb is by Leo Costa??

[@mastodon781]

Can you tell where to find that program

[@joberodrigues9635]

Great video!

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Thanks!

[@richardderwald8624]

First real info ever on the net that's how I lasted for more than 70 years.

[@sinahafezi425]

Hi John, In book HIT the Mike Menzter Way the straight arm lat pulldown was the first exercise. But its not included in the back workout in this video

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Mike didn’t always do pre-exhaustion for the lats. In a previous video on the ideal routine, I did include that exercise. However, it is one of those exercises that can be omitted after several months of training as one gets stronger and makes a deeper inroad into one’s recovery ability.

[@sinahafezi425]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thank you!

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@sinahafezi425 You're welcome.

[@remdyxx]

This is so good

[@nonvoilent9130]

Mike was always greater then Arnold

[@karllehel]

than

[@nonvoilent9130]

@karllehel yes angrez ki aulad

[@karllehel]

@@nonvoilent9130 i actually liked his body more, more bulky shoulders and better legs. If he was same height, he would easily beat him

[@AshrafAli-qs6ep]

​@@karllehel you said it on point! Arnold main advantage was height! Mike weighing 225 lbs at 5'7" was a special physique.

[@ROMANMAKEAMOVE.]

Arnold is a snake man.

[@amine_d]

Do you find that the legs session is too short, I finished it in 10 minutes ?

[@HITFreaks]

It doesn't matter how long you train what matters is how hard you train.

[@gregpettis1113]

Mike did warm up sets that he didn't consider sets. Keep that in mind

[@ArunBabu-u9k]

Legend ❤️❤️

[@huhwhatomg]

Started this routine 12 weeks ago. Quickly switched to 5 days off, then 6, and now 7. My strength increases are better at 7 days. Everything has increased. My working set deadlift has increased 90lbs with the same reps

[@rockalan9369]

90 lbs in 12 weeks is great!

[@huhwhatomg]

@ thanks mate.

[@charlesmullins664]

In his book it mentioned about doing stomach exercises but not in the video so iam not sure where to fit it in

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

On leg day, after training your legs.

[@charlesmullins664]

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE that both leg day or one

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@ Both - if wish.

[@Mr.E-gi5rq]

I wish this guy was still alive . I'm pretty sure he'd have come up with a whole new way to lift by now. Given what we know now he'd probably have it down to 4 reps a week total body.

[@mykro2208]

In other words..To sum up this video.. “The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire”

[@RF-cz4ln]

The best

[@AndyMorrisArt]

I'm going to try this for 6 months and not give in to the temptation of doing more sets and more days. I'll keep a journal and I hope I see significant growth. I wonder if it's ok to do some regular "exercise" like playing Tenis, riding my Bike and Jogging as I enjoy these activities but will they interfere with growing lean mass?

[@cosmic.turtle]

Update us in the end please - would love to hear your results and experience

[@whatitdoniqqa17]

same see u in 6 months :D

[@gregpettis1113]

Modify it to fit what lifts work for you.

[@gregpettis1113]

Your rest days are great for walking and playing sports

[@kylejames1071]

My cousin and I are starting this program too. Good luck 👍💪

[@ImmaculateFour]

Can anyone give me a example of their warm up routine? Reps and weight included, so I can get an idea. Thanks.

[@sml1983]

always do second exercise of superset for warm-up. Do three sets of 50%-75% weight you are doing for exercise (take notes every time you lift so you know).

[@gregpettis1113]

There is a video of Mike mentzer training a German bodybuilder. Doing a chest workout. And Mike explains how he ramps up to the working set

[@Thunderboy98100]

Hello Mr. John. Is it a big difference if I do the incline presses using a nautilus machine or on a smith machine? I’ve done it on a nautilus machine before but it seems easier for me on the smith.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Either one would be fine.

[@Justforfun-ek7et]

Does he ever mention how much of a warmup he recommends?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Mike speaks about warming up in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpXHl2iZnLaGjpo

[@Justforfun-ek7et]

@ thanks for all you do.

[@Mordi892]

So help me understand, Workout 1: Chest & Back Workout 2: Legs Workout 3: Arms and delts Workout 4: legs again. Workout 5: Chest & back Why legs again on workout 4? Why not back & chest again (w1) after w3 (arms and delts)? Why do legs have twice the amount of workouts of each "cycle" ? So if i were to train every 96 hours, that means chest and back is only trained about every two weeks? Im having a hard time wrapping my head around this

[@DanBlabbers]

I believe it’s because he said legs are usually underdeveloped. I modified it to have only 2 rest days in between. The very long rest period is only for people very advanced and plateaued.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

His reasoning, for the structuring of these workouts is explained in this video: m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ6rqZpvpdKqqNU

[@maynsho1428]

Originally, Mike structured the program in 3 workouts: 1)Chest and Back, 2) Shoulders and Arms, 3)Legs and then restart the cycle. However, he soon noticed that a lot of his clients were hitting plateaus this way in their upper body. The legs kept progressing. This brought him to the conclusion that training chest and Back and shoulders and arms back to back constituted overlapping and brought to reduced gains. So he put a leg workout in between the 2 to allow enough recovery, and that's how the 4 workout cicle came to be.

[@Stroboski]

When hitting chest and back you’re still working your shoulders and arms. And when hitting shoulders and arms you’re still working your chest and back. They’re both full upper body routines which just focus more on certain muscle groups. So really it’s an upper/lower body split every 4-7 days.

[@DanBlabbers]

@@StroboskiThat’s a great point. The palms up pulldown really works the biceps

[@gurnblanston5000]

MM is Tony Stark of bodybuilding/weightmoving men. Arnold is Thor, Coleman is Colossus, Haney is the Vision, Yates is Captain Australia, Ferrigno is Hulk, Franco is the Beast.

[@sleepyq1779]

Yes bro

[@dalethomas360]

​@@sleepyq1779 why is Yates, Captain Australia? I would have him down as Brian Braddock in this lineup 👍

[@wittvonwitt4403]

Im assuming the long time between workouts is for total recovery? Just seems like a very long time. However i must quickly say im not a advanced lifter so maybe im missing something

[@brianmcg321]

Someone that isn’t advanced don’t need as much time for recovery. You are lifting a lot less weight and not as much muscle needs to recover. You should read more of Mentzers stuff. You’ll understand it, and human performance better.

[@josesanchez3266]

Not only the muscle you're working out needs rest but your whole nervous system is shocked and other parts of inside your body. You're lifting heavier weights. Heavy Duty is no joke. Keep track write down everything you do. See how long it takes for you to recover total. Then do it again💪

[@wittvonwitt4403]

@@brianmcg321 as a novice (2 years training) should I rest 2 days?

[@BobFahrer-jb2kr]

even as a beginner you will need several days to recover. A beginner also has the energy of a beginner. Your systemic energy and your muscles need to adapt. I even know some beginners who had to start way slower (1 week of rest and using Mike's Consolidation Program) for a while until their system was capable of handling his regular routine every 4 days.

[@sorinelpugna7371]

❤❤❤

[@madhavmishra5076]

Do you know why are abs not included in the routine?just curious

[@HITFreaks]

@@madhavmishra5076 mike said abs are done after the leg workout on day 2 and day 4 but he recommended if you're in the beginning phase then don't focus on abs just follow the ideal principle routine and when you're on a cut then you can go in a calorie deficit and after gaining some muscle you can add abs to the routine too

[@mannyvasquez3733]

Greetings where cna i get this 4 day workout in writing so i cam save it

[@kuriosites]

It's in his last book, "Heavy Duty Training the Mike Mentzer Way" co-authored with John Little.

[@lolp3191]

True

[@taylormckittrick4958]

How long should these workouts last approx? Seem Short.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

It will vary depending upon the conditioning of the individual trainee. Typically that will be somewhere between 12 and 20 minutes per workout.

[@erminioripani1909]

3 allenamenti divisi ogni 4 giorni vanno bene

[@Ahmed_helmy81]

Can anyone suggest what to do instead if I can't do dips at the moment due to an injury?

[@nn-dj2nu]

what kind of injury? Pushups would be the next best thing.

[@Ahmed_helmy81]

@nn-dj2nu wrist injury that also hurts to do pushups, unless with a fist, it is okay now but I don't want to push it hard so I gave up any exercises that hurt.

[@nn-dj2nu]

@@Ahmed_helmy81 yeah thats a tough one. I recommend swimming then :)

[@Ahmed_helmy81]

@nn-dj2nu will do, thanks. But why specifically swimming if I may ask?

[@nn-dj2nu]

@@Ahmed_helmy81 swimming is low impact, wont hurt your joints, it works all of the muscle in your body, especially upper body, its great for rehab, it gives people a nice body, not bodybuilder type of shape, but aesthetically pleasing to most.

[@kevinbilis8464]

I workout at planet fitness can you do deadlifts on a smith machine and they only have 60lb barbells for the bicep.

[@gregpettis1113]

Do you mean dumbells

[@stevemurzin2274]

Where are the warm-up sets? Is he saying that we just do these exercise exercises without any warm-up upsets?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Mike's principle for warming up prior to the workout is in this video: kzbin.infoW90KVoMrjuc?si=-YXx4vO5hbxa-lTP

[@elonnelson5024]

❤️‍🔥✨️💫⚡️

[@lesgibbs326]

Thanks John So many testimonials on how training to failure with intensity using Mike's theory are living proof it convinced me long ago through results . What is concerning is reading an article in men's health with 2 exercise ph'd claiming progressive volume overload is optimal for hypertrophy...yes insert big word for size. Further on they say that adding strength has very little to do with building larger muscles that we progressively need to add volume. Like Mike says what are we supposed to do get weaker?

[@LordValdomerol]

Would it be okay to do Day 1 to 3 in a single session as a full body workout?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Depends on the individual. If you're curious, try it and keep track of your weights and reps in your progress chart. If your reps and weights are going up, then you're good. If they go down, then you're not. Mike recommended the split routine indicated in this video as it worked best for the majority of his personal training clients.

[@gregpettis1113]

Arthur Jones advocated for full-body training. He is the founder of HIT

[@stephankrautheimer4702]

From wich year was this first audio tape?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

1996.

[@stephankrautheimer4702]

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Merci 👍

[@aspecty9413]

Am i supposed to do these same excercises for an year straight or when should i change these movements and what will be the things i should look for ?

[@ghostaccountlmao]

When you can do more than 10 reps of an exercise, go up in weight.

[@aspecty9413]

I'm asking should I change the excercise

[@gaitrinh]

@@aspecty9413Mike Mentzer also a had consolidation routine for intermediate to advanced trainers. Maybe you should check that out

[@aspecty9413]

@gaitrinh thanks

[@aspecty9413]

@diocletian607 I used to train 6 days a week for straight 8 months without any extra day off 😂 so working hard won't be a problem for me

[@andrewd5135]

At what point do you increase the weight? Every week?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Increase the weight whenever you hit the upper number in the guideline of reps indicated.

[@nano927]

Does this actually work? 4 sets once every so long? It's enough to stimulate the muscles to a necessary degree?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

There are many videos on this channel explaining why it works, in addition to thousands of comments indicating the same.

[@nano927]

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thank you for your reply I'll dive deeper It seems mike was juicing will that not offset results in his favor even with such low volume(by today's standard)?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Mike certainly took steroids during his competitive years (as did every professional bodybuilder), but this program was created after Mike had long since retired from competitive bodybuilding and was no longer using steroids. It was created after reviewing the data he had culled from his personal training clients who were natural.

[@nano927]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE many thanks for this interesting clarification

[@joeschmo8115]

Can you do cardio w this routine? Will it affect the outcome negatively?

[@craignelson9095]

Yes u can...do some light cardio in between that won't in road recovery.

[@gregpettis1113]

Light cardio speeds up recovery

[@streamvision145]

Am a total beginner, does this apply for me too? Is it aimed only at bodybuilders/ heavy lifters, or for everyone? The rest days seemed a lot for me as a beginner. Also, When do you train Abs? How do you train forearms? I'm new to this, anyone's response is appreciated.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

This was Mike’s recommended baseline program which, from 1996 on, he started his trainees with. It’s quite possible that you won’t require quite so much recovery, particularly if you are not very strong to start. But, again, for the majority of his clients, this is the program he would start them on , including beginners. It might help not to think about it as training different bodyparts on different days, but as unique metabolic experiences. That is, that every four days you’re going to subject your body to a powerful metabolic experience that will cause it to adopt by growing bigger and stronger. That way you don’t get caught up in the bodybuilding gym lore that becomes ritualistic in having to train certain body parts so many times a week. You are subjecting not only your muscles, but your overall physical system to a very intense metabolic experience. So intense, in fact, that it shouldn’t occur very frequently. Don’t worry about your abs at this point. Your abdominal muscles will receive a lot of indirect stimulation from exercises such as pulldowns.

[@guec2102]

Leg extension hit lower abs and squats hit obliques

[@streamvision145]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thanks for the great response, man. You a real one.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

No worries 😉

[@scottrc5391]

His logic is sound but the major counterpoint is that most of the greats, Schwarzeneggar included, did high volume WITH intensity. Were they stupid or did HIT just not work for them? My favorite, Serge Nubret, was known to do extremely high volume with light weights. Yates in later years also said he wished he had just gone this route instead of heavy weights, because they took a big toll on his joints. In any case, studies I've been reading are indicating that going to muscular failure is the critical factor, be it through high volume or high intensity or a combination. Interestingly, this still leaves open the possibility of doing only one set, even with high volume (I read recently of a bodybuilder advocating 50 to 100 reps in one set but I forgot who).

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@scottrc5391 I think what you’re referring to is that I posted a video of an article that Mike wrote in which he was explaining some research conducted by Arthur Jones at Nautilus in which higher repetitions for the legs were tested. Mike was impressed by Jones‘s data, and wrote about it. However, in later years, Mike recognized that the key was simply going to failure rather than performing a very high number of repetitions. That is, that growth was stimulated quite well with anything between eight and 20 repetitions. There was no need to go any higher. With regard to if Mike thought bodybuilders like Arnold or Nubret were stupid, I can find no evidence of this. The only thing he said in this regard was that those who used higher volume and spent more days per week training could have reached the level that they were at sooner had they allowed for more recovery time or could have perhaps gone a little farther in their development (as Dorian Yates did, once he followed Mike’s advice and cut the volume of his workouts down considerably) if they trained more intensely and rested sufficiently in between workout sessions. He further acknowledged that there is a huge genetic component to exercise tolerance, with some that are able to tolerate exercise better than others, which clearly, these bodybuilding champions possessed. Having said that, however, and as your reference to the study indicating training to failure supports, even those who perform a higher volume would’ve triggered the same growth mechanism into motion had they trained with less volume, and simply taken their sets to a point of positive failure, which evidently is the trigger for growth.

[@scottrc5391]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Yes, that's the one, but unfortunately it brings us back to square one, which is that workouts have to be tailored to the individual for maximum efficiency. I posted in the Jones video my theory that perhaps the number of repetitions should be varied based on the muscle being worked. If the legs for instance contain proportionately more slow twitch fiber than the upper body, would they consequently be stimulated more efficiently by endurance-type (high rep) sets? Might the upper body, being proportionately more fast twitch, be stimulated better by higher intensity (low rep) sets? Yet most people are doing the opposite - low reps on squats and especially deadlifts, and extreme volume on upper body. Personally I think conventional wisdom is correct - that you need a combination of intensity and volume, with 8 reps being the sweet spot. The other problem with Mike's argument is that he allegedly did not even follow it himself - competing bodybuilders (consider the source, I know) who did volume routines stated he was in the gym longer than even they were.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@scottrc5391 What you’re stating is in fact what Arthur Jones concluded in the early 1980s. He did some in-depth testing on various muscles and found that the fibre type determined the optimal repetition range. I think you can find this online. This is accounted for in Mike’s program, as the number of repetitions he recommends for the lower body is considerably higher than the repetitions he indicates for the upper body (somewhere between eight and 20 repetitions for the lower, and anywhere from three to 10 for the upper). But then as he said, and as the study you cited supports, going to failure is the key. The conventional wisdom you cite is anything but wise. Indeed, it’s all over the board and thus not a basis for estimating volume requirements. A haphazard observation of bodybuilders in the gym performing various repetitions for different muscle groups is simply a chaos of data that doesn’t point to any meaningful conclusion. As far as hearsay evidence from other bodybuilders claiming that Mike trained more like they did with higher volume, when these same people often are selling competing training systems is specious. I witnessed Mike training prior to the 1980 Mr. Olympia contest, and have spoken with many others who saw him train during his competition years, and while his volume was a little bit higher (typically two sets per exercise as opposed to the one set he later recommended to his clients), and his frequency was once every 2 to 3 days (as opposed to the once every 3 to 7 days he counselled for his clients), it was very much in line with what he later advised. The fact that during his competitive years Mike was using steroids (like all professional bodybuilders did and do) must also be taken into account. When he began training personal clients who were not using steroids, he quickly discovered that they could not tolerate even the lower volume and frequency training programs that he employed when he was competing, and so he reduced the volume and frequency of their workouts until they were in line with his clients’ (normal) physiology’s ability to recover from it. Again, post facto testimony - particularly from bodybuilders who were his rivals in the training course market - is to be questioned. Mike’s approach to training was very transparent; you can trace it from when he first arrived on the scene in 1975 right up until his passing in 2001. By contrast, I find most other bodybuilders constantly spoke out of both sides of their mouths; some, such as Frank Zane, claimed that Mike’s advice held him, helping him put additional size on his calves. Arnold, for example, wrote (or allowed articles written under his name to appear in Joe Weider‘s magazine) articles openly condemning the use of machines for bodybuilding purposes. And yet, presently, his workouts are almost entirely machines. Moreover, the person (Bill Dobbins) who wrote “Arnold’s Encyclopedia” with Arnold recently issued the following statement: “So it is apparent that the gradual shift to this more effective and efficient kind of training, with shorter sessions of more intense training, fewer exercises, set and reps and more time spent recuperating between workouts has played a large part in allowing modern bodybuilders to develop physiques that are bigger, thicker, denser and more muscular.” (billdobbinsonexercisehealthdiet.wordpress.com/2016/05/25/why-bodybuilders-are-so-much-bigger/) Dobbins further indicated in the article that this was why Arnold’s “Encyclopedia” had to be rewritten. So, after advocating for the opposite training approach for decades, Arnold’s advice presently, if Dobbins is to be believed, is to train more like Mike Mentzer advocated.

[@scottrc5391]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Interesting that Mike made the volume fit the body part... I didn't know that. The bodybuilder I was referring to was Franco, Arnold's frequent workout partner, and I believe Arnold had already moved on to making the vast majority of his money in movies by then, so I don't see Arnold himself backing Franco on this if it wasn't true (not to say that he did back him). And speaking of Frank Zane, he said the high weight wasn't really worth it in the long run and regretted doing so much, though with any of these guys, one could argue it was necessary to achieve what they did.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

In my opinion, Franco always followed Arnold’s lead. Mike was persona non grata with them, so anything they say about him is seldom positive. Moreover, it’s highly doubtful that either Franco or Arnold saw Mike train after Mike moved to California, as Mike trained at Gold’s while Franco and Arnold trained at World Gym. Neither went to Gold’s during 1978 onwards as Ken Sprague’s (who owned Gold’s Gym at the time) sued Arnold in 1978 over Arnold’s public comments in which he disparaged Gold’s. Consequently, since Arnold and Franco trained at World Gym, their paths didn’t cross for the remainder of Mike’s career.

[@Alley00Cat]

4 days between workouts is pretty wild.

[@arquiJ]

And necessary

[@sml1983]

just two days off basically

[@Alley00Cat]

@@sml1983 isn’t Mentzer saying 4?

[@sml1983]

@@Alley00Cat, he is saying if you work out on Monday, you don’t work again until Thursday. I am on month 3 with this routine and it works.

[@Bodysmorphia]

Based on your recovery abilities, take 1-3 rest days. If you recover fast 1 rest day is enough

[@p.l.diablo9864]

BACK TO BASICS!!!!

[@drubber007]

Is this regardless of age? whether you're 18 of 60?

[@andrewd5135]

Listen to your body, if it's too much try a different program.

[@experiment54]

Standing overhead press.

[@Jon-x4f]

Away ahead of his time

[@RavindraYadav-ev1wx]

I have question four days training mean ,if I train on Monday which mean next time I will tarin on Friday or Saturday? Four days gap after workout or includes workout day in four days gap? Can admin pls explain this?

[@RT-nx7pi]

Literally four days : if u train on monday 6pm then u train on friday 6pm and so on...

[@guec2102]

96 hours 😊

[@gregpettis1113]

Three days off between workouts

[@robertayala6565]

👍🏻🏋️‍♀️

[@grigorispapageorgiou617]

The first program with 2 cycles 4 days split i think is better or not;;;

[@barrybabbot7481]

sam sulek, Mike Israel or whatever his name is all but admit Mike was right.

[@useraiaj234mp]

first time ive heard flare your elbows out, i understand why people say not to, but when talking about stimulation i guess its superior, funny how everything that is dogma is wrong

[@TheOmengod]

Flare your elbows with lightweight but not with heavy free weight loads.

[@howtodoelectrical200]

Who’s speaking ? AI or original audio

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

It’s original audio. Recorded in 1996 and 1998.

[@sonboogie]

What about nutrition?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

You might want to check one of the videos on this channel about nutrition.

[@alia9934]

Mr olympia 1980 Mike mentzer must be first place but all politics by weider Arnold became winner after that year most of bodybuilders left Mr olympia

[@strongerwithstubsstretch3472]

You do know that he came in 5th place in the 1980 Mr Olympia? So....

[@saschamarr495]

Am I missing something here? Does he mean to always just do 1 set of the exercise and move on?

[@drubber007]

Your set should go to failure, so yes one set.

[@saschamarr495]

@@drubber007 Thanks

[@diilain]

I believe you do a couple of warmup sets