MIKE MENTZER: THE TRAINING, DIET AND CARDIO METHODS I USED WHEN PREPARING FOR THE MR OLYMPIA CONTEST

[@dongiapo3610]

Mike Mentzner saved my Life from overtraining and skinny fat

[@fender1000100]

I'm 60 and I have guys half my age asking me how I train. When I tell them I train for 30 minutes once every 5 to 7 days. You should see the look on their faces.

[@Enmanuel_V6]

@@fender1000100do you do different body parts each week?

[@fender1000100]

@@Enmanuel_V6 Change out Squats for dealifts everyother week. And machine dips for incline dumbell presses. 4 exercises a week to hit all major muscle groups. The eat rest. And see new PRs on most exercises the next week. Everyother week at worst. No 3 month plateaus. Like I used to get when I was overtrained.

[@sebastianhernandez491]

My guy is literally talking about zone 2 cardio, insanely ahead of his time. Crazy

[@IanSidden]

Right? Blew my mind when I heard him describe it.

[@IanSidden]

@overlordfemto7523 Zone 2 cardio is an intensity where the body utilizes fat as fuel. An intensity zone higher uses glucose. Mentzer describes a conversational cardio pace for fat burning where a person could still talk even if it’s difficult, and this is zone 2. Once you’re huffing and puffing or if you “feel the burn” in the muscles (signifying the buildup of lactic acid), you’ve left zone 2. Peter Attia has written and podcasted about this often. New research suggests this zone confers additional health benefits beyond the fat burning.

[@josephwilson1333]

Yeah look it up. it's basically walking at an incline on a treadmill at 2 or 3mph. They say it burns fat in that zone.@overlordfemto7523

[@Starbreaker2012]

You youngsters make me smile. Peripheral heart action training has been around for a long time.

[@Interesting_Egg]

​@@Starbreaker2012damn right. Zone 2 cardio is just rebranded term of low intensity cardio to sound more cool. Only a few years ago low intensity cardio was deemed useless and people promoted HIIT. Every trend seems to resurface every now and them when new research is published.

[@futureskipper4616]

I went from training 4 days a week (60 mins per session) to 2 times a week (30 mins) a couple of months ago and I'm shocked with the results so far, in a positive way. Also have never felt so good physically and mentally.

[@sarmale1994]

@@fitnesslkwhen you are a beginner 3 is fine. But once you get more advanced, 3 will most likely be too much, especially if you are natural.

[@gregpettis1113]

​@@fitnesslkdo you do full-body.

[@ashishkumaryadav3472]

Can you share your routine and age plz

[@olerain]

Me too I love I was doing like 1:15 , 1:30 in the gym and ran across mentzer and now love it

[@niltomega2978]

I hear ya brother...all those wasted years of over training I did....damn

[@SlingshotMustang]

Mike Mentzer circa 1979-1980 had the greatest physique in bodybuilding history, idc what anyone says. Better than Arnold, and better than all the mass monsters of the last 30 years. Imo he attained the absolute peak of male muscularity that's humanly possible without venturing into the grotesque/inhuman category. Dude was so freakin stacked and had no weak points, and had that look that right where a muscle ends the next one begins. No dead space anywhere. Everything was built to the perfect size, and his forearms were on another level. Fuck the 1980 Mr Olympia, it was a con job and he knew it.

[@nigel7880]

This should be the first result on Google when searching for Mike.

[@niltomega2978]

Is it just me or am I hearing Mike Metzers name more and more on youtube? This man died over 20 years ago and his truth is only now penetrating through the years of over training and misinformation we all were fed and suffered through? Thing is, I knew a guy who WAS listening to Mike back in the 90's. This guy was jacked, Asian, you know how some asians can have fantastic physiques with their unique genes? He was one of them. Anyways he told me how infrequently he worked out and I figured he was just bullshitting me or whatever. I don't know if he listened to Mike Mentzer but he understood the method. I'm 57 and only now getting MUCH better results than I did as a younger man by NOT over training my body! I was just at the gym yesterday and watched a guy do 7 to 10 sets to failure of leg presses. Grunting for all he was worth, and he did not have the physique to justify all that. Its sad how misinformation trumps truth. Makes me wonder about world history, how much of that is BS?

[@druckerman247]

The algorithm don't lie.😂

[@ralphlaurore4294]

Man I just learned about him

[@dongiapo3610]

Alot.

[@MusicLife547]

Mike is the goat

[@AlHenryGarcia-mo6yj]

Man, I was born in Santa Monica🌞 raised in Venice Beach💙. My math teacher in mid-late 70's was Frank Zane🕺 at Mark Twain Jr. High.🥳 I saw ALL those muscle heads!☝ My girlfriend was working at California Doughnuts in Marina Del Rey when one evening in their FIRST wknd in SoCal, the Mentzer brothers walked in wearing HUGE Hawaiian shirts with Bill Grant and a bunch of dudes!🙉 What caught my athletic surfer buddies AND me were the GIANT forearms Mentzer had AND the "ROADMAP VEINS" he exhibited!🤦‍♂️ PHENOMENAL.🤯 RIP Sir.🙏 Fresh outa Venice High School a few friends and I trained folks at the first Marina NAUTILUS club using THESE principles based on ARTHUR JONES methods!; the Celebrities that trained at 5:30 in the morning were too many to mention!🎉

[@elcolonel2900]

Very smart individual indeed a pioneer ahead of his time.

[@user-is4jf8yr4z]

Wow, this was even more concise and informative than some of his later lectures. And he sounded a lot more mellow in his early days ;)

[@OdinasOyb]

@@fitnesslkHe starts with « Hello, I’m Mike Mentzer… » at 0:28

[@bryanstellfox8521]

Unfortunately, a lot of the later taped interviews were recorded while he was under the influence of amphetamine and/or methamphetamine. The difficulty with utilizing amphetamine for performance/mental enhancement is that over a period of time, you stop recognizing the heightened state of stimulation you are in, and the very stimulated state then becomes your baseline, and the addict raises the dose. This is different from others who use stimulants to get high, as a sensation of pleasure is a very specific effect you are trying to attain. Look back into WWII and the use of methamphetamine (brand name pharmaceutical pervitin), and you'll notice a very similar arc to Mike, albeit at an accelerated pace. Speech becomes very pressured and uninterrupted, thoughts become erratic pushing to manic, ideas become convoluted due to obsession of details, etc. Eventually, if the cycle is not broken, a psychotic break is inevitable.

[@robertbechert5380]

MIKE MENTZER HAD ONE THE BEST PHYSIC'S IN 1978 & 1979. HE HAD A PERFECT SCORE IN A BODYBUILDING CONTEST. I THINK HE HAD #1 OF THE BEST PHYSIC'S OF HIS TIME, WHEN HE WAS COMPETEING AS IFBB PRO BODYBUILDER. MIKE MENTZER WAS A GREAT BODYBUILDER OF HIS ERA. ALOHA, BRADA BEC FROM: THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII.

[@phightphan]

Mike Mentzer had a perfect score twice. The contests were the 1978 Mr. Universe and the 1979 Mr. Olympia.

[@huhwhatomg]

I was doing 6 days a week with each body part getting 12-20 sets each. Then I took 2 weeks off and when I went back my strength had increased significantly and that's why I'm here. I'm gonna try following mikes advice

[@jeffrobe405]

Photo @2:09 is god tier. That lat insertion all the way to his pec is to die for. I’ve struggled to thicken that area from the front view. More pulls ups it is

[@orionhuigen]

close grip and palms up I hope!

[@rondesjardins-j1l]

@@orionhuigen and for sure a 4/2/4 cadence

[@AAron-gr3jk]

I went from 4 to 5 days a week gym sessions down to 1.5x a week. Been doing it for 3-4 months. I'm seeing spectacular strength gains. Going up steadily after a year long plateau after 6 years of regular gym. I felt flat and exhausted before. Now I'm brimming with enthusiasm as I know I'm hitting PBs on the regular. I've also grown, I no longer fit my clothes.

[@widisukmono6252]

Mike is legend

[@fahadal-mutawa5142]

He was ahead of his time

[@Neko-uh7cp]

Best advice here

[@americanthaiboxer7224]

This tutorial completely wipes out all of the misinformation the fitness industry would have us believe about changing workout routines & diets.

[@dobrydzieciak2656]

At 6:13 Mike is absolutely on another level than the other guys, no wonder that he got frustrated and resigned from competing in corrupted mr Olympia

[@vseditx8769]

For decreasing body fat peripheral heart action training is the best workout routine to burn fat and maintain muscles

[@fromtheotherside1980]

Amaizing!!

[@aryverse328]

Just wanted to know that can I do cardio on the rest days as i have belly fat and love handles

[@Starbreaker2012]

Combine periods of maintaining metabolism with periods of weight loss. Stick to the fundamentals of stimulating muscle growth, recovery and growth, refuelling the body with 25% carbs, 13% protein and 62% fat (3:2 mufa to sfa) in the proportions of body fat.

[@Vizzini_KungFu]

Mike wasn’t just ripped, he was shredded.

[@christopherniswonger3536]

I’ve followed a high volume workout for 3-5 years with some variety. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen over 173-175lbs. I started Mike’s “Heavy Duty” training and nutrition protocol, now I’m 179lbs, while maintaining 8.7% body fat; he was right. In short, if I make it to my goal weight of 190, I’ll weep with joy lol. Nonetheless, this is the first program I’ve followed which broke my plateau. Cheers 🍻

[@lynogarcia1098]

But when did he do his cardio? The days of the lifts or on rest days?

[@Mehmehsw5ke]

Is it worth doing extremely light skill work on off days to practice form and mind muscle connections? Or am I taxing the neurological system too much overall?

[@footballeater4282]

Just depends on how your body feels. Do so if you like shouldn’t hinder you

[@orionhuigen]

I've read a lot of Mike's work and didn't see anything specifically about this. I would say it's probably okay, just don't go anywhere near failure.

[@Starbreaker2012]

One has to question the purpose of such workouts@@Mehmehsw5ke If the mind muscle connections demonstrate benefit, why not train more frequently with Heavy Duty? Unless one regresses, you cannot be overtraining. Staying the same merely indicates that you left it too long between training the same body part, or you didn't train with sufficient intensity.

[@iscream2232]

Watching another fantastic video from this amazing channel and then a V-Shred ad pops up ooof lol

[@eddy8655]

Well said

[@geekonomic]

Still trying to find his pre and post workout foods.

[@Starbreaker2012]

His Heavy Duty Journal and Heavy Duty Nutrition give examples of how he ate/what to eat, but the underlying principle is to eat a well balanced diet. Eating too close to training can disrupt blood glucose/insulin levels making training less than optimal. Provided your glycogen stores aren't exhausted, it's often better to train in the fasted state. In fact, apart from food can taste nice, you should view it as a means to replenish what your body needs rather than an immediate fuel source. You're far better to utilise your body's reserves of glycogen and fat, eating to prevent those reserves becoming too depleted. When you realise this, you can see that the USDA healthy eating guidance is actually contributing to the ill-health of people. The Sloan-Kettering Memorial cancer research hospital established that overeating carbohydrate presented the highest risk for cancer, with too much fat virtually no risk, and protein about halfway between the two. This is probably because carbohydrate stimulates the most insulin, fat the least, and again protein somewhere between. A balanced diet is actually 12-15% protein, 20-30% carbohydrate, with the balance from natural fat (ingested and body-fat reserves). Unfortunately Mike was too trusting of the nutritional experts in a way he learned not to be of the training experts. In terms of carbohydrate, more is not better; precise is best, and that is the amount needed to replace what is used from glycogen reserves; no more.

[@Starbreaker2012]

Not wanting to mislead, this issue is not with insulin per se, it's the insulin-like growth factors that go along with it. An insulin index has been established by the University of Sydney. Similarly, too much protein can not only be converted to glucose, but also stimulates nutrient sensors that trigger nutrient sensors including mTOR, that in excess risk uncontrolled growth. Stick to stimulating your own controlled growth with training.

[@100koochy100]

Just got Heavy Duty book, excersizes differ slightly to his tapes, thoughts please, thanks. Just begun this after years of spinning my wheels.

[@thecomedian3228]

There's a full video on ytube

[@geekonomic]

​@@thecomedian3228Link pls?

[@TheEliteVideo]

Just wow...

[@GalaxyLoOP_98]

Hello, any idea where i can buy Heavy Duty 2 ebook?

[@Starbreaker2012]

The primary thing missing from this is the effect of what you eat on the master energy storage hormone, insulin. Carbohydrate stimulates most energy storage, fat the least, with protein almost half way between.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@Starbreaker2012 it may surprise some to learn that the scientific research has also indicated that some people produce more insulin in response to proteins and fats than carbs, which suggests that insulin production is more individualized than first believed. (See the online article “Protein and fat can trigger insulin production even more than carbs” at newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/proteins-fats-insulin-production/#:~:text=Some%20people%20produce%20more%20insulin,conditions%20through%20a%20tailored%20diet - which cites the study found at www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(24)00226-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1550413124002262%3Fshowall%3Dtrue) A recently published study by Rietman et al, concluded: “Dietary proteins have an insulinotropic effect and thus promote insulin secretion, which indeed leads to enhanced glucose clearance from the blood. In the long term, however, a high dietary protein intake is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), a prominent group of amino acids, were recently identified to be associated with diabetes.” (“High dietary protein intake, reducing or eliciting insulin resistance?” by Rietman et al., at www.researchgate.net/publication/263672738_High_dietary_protein_intake_reducing_or_eliciting_insulin_resistance) Even whey protein, for example, has been shown to be more insulinogenic than white bread (Study: “The insulinogenic effect of whey protein is partially mediated by a direct effect of amino acids and GIP on β-cells” by Sale et al. at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22647249/) And beef has been shown to stimulate just as much of an insulin release as brown rice. (“An insulin index of foods: the insulin demand generated by 1000-kJ portions of common foods” by Holt et al., at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9356547/) Moreover, the insulin response to protein is not more moderate and prolonged. Indeed, protein has been shown to cause a rapid spike in insulin followed by a rapid descent - just like carbohydrates. (“The acute effects of four protein meals on insulin, glucose, appetite and energy intake in lean men” by Pal, et al., at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20456814/) There is even evidence that a high protein meal can cause more immediate fat storage than a high-carbohydrate meal owing to the fact that dietary fat (that most protein sources are contained in) is stored very efficiently as body fat (Study: “Fat and carbohydrate overfeeding in humans: different effects on energy storage” by Horton, et al., at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7598063/). The big factor in fat storage doesn’t appear to be the macronutrient, but rather overconsumption of energy sources (food) generally, as the more energy within the food, the easier it is to ingest more of it than your body requires for maintenance and repair purposes, which can lead to fat storage.

[@Starbreaker2012]

Type 1 diabetes is lack of insulin @HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE There are loads of scientific studies skewed by vested interests. The art is to discern the truth by extremes and disease that occur without corruption.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

I'm glad you are the one to have cracked the nut on this.

[@Starbreaker2012]

Why's it so difficult to accept that WHO nutritional advice, funded by USDA, is as flawed as mainstream exercise advice @HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE ? Suppose you were losing 2lb of fat per week, and gaining muscle. To shift to maintenance, would it be logical to eat more carbs because the experts say, or eat more fat, because you no longer want to take that from your body's reserves. Merry Christmas.

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

No one is suggesting that one eat more of any macro nutrient. Nor was type 1 diabetes the initial topic being discussed. I know that when we did a fat loss study at our facility, we used the same ratio of macro nutrients that Mike recommended. All subjects lost fat, and all subjects gained strength and muscle mass. We even had one type 1 diabetic on the program and his doctor reduced his nightly insulin by 70%. And I also know the study wasn’t funded by the WHO or USDA.

[@CobraTate647]

Which plan is better for 1 year old training experience should I follow DayA DayB split 3 days a week or Day1,2,3,4 once every 4 day

[@Starbreaker2012]

I am literally unable to gain strength if workouts for a muscle group are longer than 4 and 3/4 days. The issue to avoid a plateau is not one of recovery; it's intensity. Adding a brief rest pause of 1-3 seconds towards the end of a set solves the problem, which then enables you to continue to train frequently, which is also important since the more times you are able to stimulate growth, recover and grow stronger, the greater will be the rate of muscle growth.

[@Starbreaker2012]

That should of course read 4and 3/4 days between (workouts). The rate of recovery actually centres on your body clock, which for most people has a circadian rhythm of less than 24 and 1/4 hours.

[@BLS1976PACHAPTER]

It's simple. It's never how much but how you train and recover

[@sagaduse]

john please help me with this.... im on a fat loss journey.. ive just started HIT style training. i dont have an active lifestyle outside the gym. barely reaching 2.5k steps per day. would it be too much if i use the stationary cycle machine on the off days for 30 mins? please advice. thank you

[@p.nandakrishna5241]

John, my current split is, day 1 back and biceps, day 2 neck, traps and shoulders, day 3 chest and triceps. 72 hours rest between workouts and i do low intensity cardio during the rest days. I'm an intermediate lifter. My question being is this split ok for building muscle?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Given that genetic tolerance for exercise will determine what is optimal for you in terms of volume and frequency, I really can’t say. If you keep a training journal, which you should, and your repetitions and/or weights are going up, then you’re fine.

[@Starbreaker2012]

If you can do a set of 6 to 8 reps to positive failure, rest two seconds and do a further rep, rest three seconds and do a final rep, you are likely to stimulate growth. Then, as John says, you will gain measurable strength at each workout, but most people have a circadian recovery time of about 24.2 hours, so to gain as rapidly as dictated by your genetics you may be able to train every 24.5 hours for instance. The more times you are able to stimulate the growth response, recover and overcompensate, the faster will be the rate of progress. Then, to avoid plateauing, increase intensity gradually, for instance by adding (brief) rest-pauses between reps as outlined above.

[@Starbreaker2012]

On the subject of split routines, the issue of 'systemic recovery' should not be of major concern as stimulating growth in the muscles locally will not tend to 'exhaust' the body's system sufficiently to require the system to grow, so recovery should be achieved rapidly; well within the circadian period mentioned above. What you will need to look out for of course is to allow for 'overlapping', where exercises affect the recovery of the same muscle.

[@fredo.videography]

@@Starbreaker2012But doesn’t Mentzer state that training 2 days in a row is a mistake?

[@ElionG7]

@@fredo.videographyI’m pretty sure he’s saying to train once every other day which still isn’t great because the entire body functions as a unit. If you’re following the program that Mentzer gave to his clients, overlapping between workouts will be inevitable, so just train once every 4-7 days

[@elchivoperdido]

What's the song name of the intro?

[@Avianthro]

Superb advice from the master! I believe we should ad one caveat on the dieting though: Make sure you keep your protein levels up where they normally would be when you are not dieting...Cut back on the carbs and fats a little but keep your protein levels up where they need to be for maintaining muscle mass and recovery from training.

[@usernwn7qe]

I personally found these figures 2b correct since i´ve had several times proteinuria. I know the consensus is up to a 200g of Protein/day, but that´s soo individual.

[@Avianthro]

@dave0351 Thanks, and thanks for the info on gluconeogenesis!

[@Starbreaker2012]

@dave0351 I think it's wise to recognise Mike's further point that too much protein is not healthy either. Metabolising protein results in side-products such as ammonia, that then stress the body necessitating neutralising. Also, too much protein stimulates mTOR, increasing the risk of cancer for instance. If you want to question something, question the macro-nutrient ratios set by the USDA, that overemphasise both carbohydrate and protein intake. For maintenance, the actual ratio the body requires is 15% protein, 25% carbohydrate, and 60% fat. The body actually works best in the fasted state, provided we don't deplete glycogen reserves too much. To safeguard that, try intermittent fasting, having sufficient maintenance days.

[@rondesjardins-j1l]

In using this approach, we must keep 2 things in mind..1g of protein =4 cal....1g of crabs = 4 cal..1g of fat = 8 cal.. So if you are planning on upping your protein intake by x amount of grams and knowing, the above numbers..then in order not to go over your planned daily caloric intake, you must reduce either your carbs or your fat intake,by the same number of grams to cal ratio. For example,let.s say your current diet is about 2,000 cal a day to induce weight loss and you decide to add 50 more grams of protein.which is 50 x 4 =200cal, then you must reduce one of you other macro nutrient by 200 cal as to maintain your current 2000 cal a day. see how that works? Also keep in mind that your body can only digest x amount of protein per feeding, which means any surplus wil simply turn to fat..Like Mike said.."A calorie is a calorie"

[@Avianthro]

@@rondesjardins-j1l You are correct, and this is why you should have a spreadsheet or some kind of app to track all of your nutrient intake for all the foods you consume each day. Remember too that protein intake, according to the latest FDA RDIs, is based on activity level...10% of total energy-breakeven intake. If you want to lose weight by only by reducing your daily kcal intake, and yet keep your activity level the same, then make sure you keep eating the same amount of protein you were eating before you reduced kcal intake...cut the kcal by cutting back on the fats and carbs, i.e. the foods that are low in protein content, and/or eat leaner protein sources. If, however, your weight loss strategy is to do some kind of athletic or even mental activity that increases your daily kcal expenditure, you would also want to increase your protein to keep it at 10% (or a little more) of your total energy intake, while dropping some fat and/or carbs. Going along your line of thought, this means you'd probably want to use a food with a very high percentage of protein compared to its fat or carb content in order to keep you protein where it needs to be for your activity level...things like spirulina and protein powders. Oh, and FYI, the latest research has debunked the idea that the body can only digest x amount of protein per feeding...turns out it can keep some "on standby" for when it's needed.

[@chrisb0ringlife]

just a question, what is a good alternative for deadlifts from his ideal program? Because due to a condition a lot of trouble performing the deadlift or the squat for example with proper form

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Mike did recommend substituting shrugs for deadlifts on occasion.

[@MRDD-nq6qz]

I have started mentzer hevay duty today but i have a confusion a video a month back of heavy duty session has different leg exercises and back exercises and the video 5-6 month ago on same heavy duty have one less exercise both for back and leg there was no ham curls and he says train once every 4 days and video of a month back says train every 2 days i am pretty confused someone please elaborate

[@Starbreaker2012]

Mike was a champion of independent thought. He would encourage you to take his understanding and use it to compile you're own training. A balance has to be drawn between training as much muscle as is practical, and recovery. If in doubt, start with the least amount. It's always better to underdo it then do more next time if appropriate, rather than overdo it and set yourself back with injury for instance.

[@phightphan]

Mike changed his recommendations over the years as he observed the progress of his training clients. His latest suggestions are to be found in High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way, written by Mike and John.

[@Starbreaker2012]

@@phightphan His earlier works, HD System and HD Journal, were superior IMHO.

[@Starbreaker2012]

As with high-intensity exercise, too much carbohydrate and protein are as bad as too little

[@realseanyrox]

When you're training no more than 4 times a week with 4-6 sets per body part. Is this the same heavy duty program but with less rest? Or do you mix up the workouts?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Here is what was written in the video description: "In this presentation, recorded in 1980, Mike Mentzer reveals the weight training, cardio and dietary methods he used when preparing to enter the Mr. Olympia contest. The information will prove helpful, both for the aspiring bodybuilder, and for those looking to lose fat for personal reasons. Topics Mike covers in this video are are how to determine body composition, what type of aerobic and anaerobic exercise to perform, how training to retain muscle and lose fat differs from training to build muscle, and a solid dietary strategy. It is important to keep in mind that while Mike’s dietary advice remained constant from his competitive days in the 1970s through until the late 1990s, his training advice did not. Like all professional bodybuilders, Mike had a tremendous genetic advantage over most of the population, and also utilized anabolic steroids to retain muscle mass while dieting away bodyfat. When training personal clients, most of who were natural, Mike quickly discovered that utilizing 4-6 sets per body part and training on a four day per week split routine resulted in overtraining for these clients almost immediately. Consequently, he reduced the volume of the exercise they performed and the frequency of their training to something that was recoverable for people with average (perhaps normal would be a better term) genetics. If a natural trainee is looking to implement this information, reduce your training frequency to no more than once every two-to-three days and your sets per muscle group to no more than two. The diet information is valid, but be careful not to overdo it on the aerobics as it can compete for your recovery resources. Use your training journal (as always) to discover if you are recovering and adapting properly in between workouts."

[@realseanyrox]

Thanks for the reply. I'm still a little confused. At 15min into the video he says 4-6 sets per body part which I thought was what was supposed to be avoided because it's classed as overtraining. The way I understood this is that I will continue with heavy duty style training. Currently I'm doing: Day 1 - chest and back Day 2 - legs Day 3 - arms and shoulders Day 4 - legs I'm waiting 4 days between sessions currently but the bit on trying to work out is if I would use this to just having a day or two off instead of four days off. I keep the worktops the same or have I got to add additional sets?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@realseanyrox you are following Mike’s program from the mid-1990s, which is fine. The video that you commented on was presented primarily for historical purposes as it details Mike’s beliefs regarding training circa 1979. If you are not a competitive bodybuilder, and do not take anabolic steroids, then Mike’s programs from 1990 on are best.

[@Starbreaker2012]

@@realseanyrox You have to take it all in context. One of Mike's key axiom's is 'precise is best', i.e. do the amount necessary and no more. That is dependent on how much intensity a person is able to exert in a set (a primary factor being the ischaemia/waste product build-up affected by how intense a muscle's contractions are). Certainly there is little point in having extensive recovery periods between sets to 'go at' a muscle group again. It's better to go to complete failure on each set with negatives, forced reps, and/or rest pauses (which I personally think are underrated, with one or two brief additional rest pause reps at the end of a set often being enough to cross over the threshold of growth stimulation) even on pre-exhaust.

[@marcknight8927]

He made me realize how trash my old workout routine was. 😅

[@arthur_stve]

Dear Sir, i have a question. is it okay to still use Consolidation Routine when dieting for fat loss, or i have to use another like ideal routine, to create definition, Thank You

[@rondesjardins-j1l]

keep doing the program//key here is to maintain as much muscle mass as possible during your cutting phase..definition comes from fat lost thru cardio . not weight training itself.

[@Scndzr6]

Hey John which Programm u would recommend if someone have bad health and can’t do much intensity workout cuz of neck ,jaw and back pain ?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

I have provided a link below to the program I would follow if I were you. However, make sure you get clearance from your physician first. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKHYYWhvgLSsma8

[@Scndzr6]

Why would u recommend this one ? I thought like the consultation Programm would be good cuz there u do less exercises then in every other Programm? Fewer exercises less stress or not ?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@Scndzr6 The onsolidation program are all big exercises; multi joint exercises. The stress is potentially greater when you do those back to back.

[@keshavanandjha3667]

I agree with everything mike says and I have gotten really good results with training less but there is one problem that i am really sensitive to carbs and I have a tendency to put on a lot of weight when I eat carbs constantly and i became really obese and then i read the Book " Good calories Bad calories" which advocates eating low carb and i followed it and became really fit and healthy. So I am really confused now because mike mentzer advocates 60 percent carbohydrates even when on a low caloric diet and he said that even if you have to body fat then also you should consume 60 percent carbohydrate and excercise more. Please answer my doubt John

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Calories are what cause weight gain and weight loss; consume more calories than your body needs, and you will gain fat. Consume less calories than your body requires, and you will lose fat. It is important to keep a food diary as Mike counsels in this video. That way you will know what your maintenance need of calories is.

[@damndaniel333]

The thing is you actually need a well balanced diet, carbs are valuable just watch the video John made about Mike speaking about the value of carbs, explains it better than I could

[@keshavanandjha3667]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thank you for the quick response and I will start keeping a food diary as well. The thing is that if I reduce carbs to 50 to 100 grams a day and replace it with fats and protein then my body fat reduces very easily irrespective of the amount of calories i consume.

[@SteveMatthews-ln4un]

@@keshavanandjha3667 I agree with most of what Mike has to say. Been a follower of his since 1977....His flaw with diet is "that a calorie is just a a calorie"...is totally wrong....Carbs cause insulin release which stores body fat....And recent studies have shown, overeating protein does not cause body fast increase. It just increases thermogenesis.....Yes, reduce calories, but replace carbs with low-fat protein sources....Carbs are best eaten in the AM and a day or two before a show to increase glycogen, which will increase water in the muscle and make the muscle full and round....

[@GregPaxson]

​​@@keshavanandjha3667he only explanation for losing weigh/fat while eating less carbs and increasing fat is that you are eating less overall calories on your low carb diet. Despite fat being more calorie dense than carbohydrates. Anyway you look at it... if you eat less calories than you are burning... you are going to lose fat. Your macronutrient percentages do not have anything to do with that. I lost a tremendous amount of fat over the last 9 months. I've done low carb and low fat with nearly identical results. Be sure to get enough protein and eat in a caloric deficit. How you split up your remaining calories after your ideal protein level is subtracted shouldn't have any impact on your fat loss.

[@amolghuge6228]

Hi John, small doubt would it be fine to include running or cardiovascular exercise in rest days, or how it should be? Thanks

[@orionhuigen]

Obviously, I'm not John, but I know a fair bit about Mike Mentzer and I believe I heard him state that he did 10-15 minutes of cardio every day or most days but I'm not 100% sure. I've read a decent amount of Mike's work and I don't recall reading anything along the lines of refraining from cardio on rest days.

[@amolghuge6228]

​@@orionhuigenthanks bro

[@TysonBigler-jl7qv]

Man If mike had only kept competing

[@Jay42207]

I'm confused, he says here to work out 4x a week but he always says to work out once every few days

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

This audio was recorded in 1980, about 12 years before he began his personal training business. After analyzing the data from what would become 2000 clients, Mike discovered that training four days a week was way too much volume for most people to recover from. That’s when he began adjusting it down over time from four times a week, to three times a week, to two times a week.

[@Jay42207]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE would 1 day every 2 weeks of full body to failure work to maintain or even build strength, or is that too much recovery time? I've been doing 1 full body a week but started trying 2 weeks to save time but go hard

[@Starbreaker2012]

What should guide you is your progress. I don't use performance enhancing substances, and consequently need to train each body part at least every 4 and 3/4 days to progress.

[@gavinmontague7170]

Hello heavy duty college I was wondering regards to diet if you are wanting to build muscle is it a good idea to eat in a calorie surplus or should you eat at maintenance to build muscle thanks.

[@Starbreaker2012]

Maintenance is best, since as we grow our maintenance need increases, taking account of the growth. By far, the most important factor in growth stimulation is intensity of effort.

[@laxis144]

Can you over do cardio?

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

Yes. Even Ken Cooper, the man who introduced the term “aerobics “to North America, indicated in his book, “The Antioxidant Revolution,” that too much cardio could be dangerous.

[@laxis144]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE right now I’m lifting three days a week, and was planning to do cardio every day for 40 minutes? I’m going for weight loss and just keeping muscle from a bulk. Thoughts on the amount of cardio I should do to get toned? I’m just starting HIT this week and so far love it

[@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE]

@@laxis144 if your goal is to lose body fat, I would follow Mike‘s advice in the video that you are commenting on. He talks about his program for that.

[@fostcs338]

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGEhe says no more than 4x a week, does this mean 2 for resistance and 2 for cardio in total of 4, in order to lose weight and mantain or gain muscle mass at the same time?

[@kimjayveelanzuela3751]

Chest/Back Incline Dumbbell Press- 45x5 Pec Deck- 100x5 Close Grip Pulldown- 100x9 Cable Row- 80x9 Barbell Row- 115x8 Shrugs- 45x7 Legs Day Legs Extension- 105x 10 Smith Machine Squat- 140x6 Legs Curl- 70x8 Standing Calf Raises- 140x Shoulder/Arms Shoulder Press- 40x7 Peck Deck- 80x10 Lateral Raises- 20x8 Skull Crusher- 20x9 Dips- 2 Dumbbell Curl- 30x5 Hammer Curl- 25x5 Legs Day Legs Extension- 105x 11 Leg Press- 75kgx15 Legs Curl- 70x8 Standing Calf Raises- 140x All of these have 2 days of rest. Is this okay as natural? However, I already did 4 days to 7 days and did 1 set to failure. The result was I gained more fats, not muscles. And, this is my new program on cutting. With no cardio because I have heard that Mike said cardio was useless when in fat loss. It hinders to recover fast.

[@Starbreaker2012]

Adding one or two further reps to failure negates the need for more than one set per exercise. When that starts to approach a plateau, add (brief) rest-pauses between each rep to up the intensity a little further.