The Smartest Way to Build Muscle?! (Mike Mentzer's 4-Day Split Routine)

[@wman17dd]

Super smart basics are provided here. Love it.

[@bodybuildbeast]

Glad you think so!

[@huhwhatomg]

Been doin this for a few months and have improved every workout. At first it was 4 days of rest but now it's 7 days of rest. I'm seeing better results at 7 days believe it or not. Shit is scary to try this because you don't wanna waste months of progress but if you just take a leap of faith and try it you'll change your entire paradigm On working out. Gotta at least try it for a month and keep a journal.

[@vikramsinghdutt]

Best of luck..

[@anproof7937]

Did you follow exactly the Ideal routine? How much muscle did you gain and in what timelapse?

[@huhwhatomg]

@ yes I'm following it exactly. I haven't been measuring my weight or fat so I don't know how much I've gained. But I have been keeping track of my numbers in the gym and my dead lift has gone up 90 pounds. I started on September 26

[@anproof7937]

@@huhwhatomg can you tell me how much you have increased all your lifts? After a workout, how many days do you feel the soreness in the muscles? What did you switch directly from training once every 4 days to once every 7 days? Are you increasing faster your lifts training once a week?

[@huhwhatomg]

@ I still get sore every time. After starting 7 days I get even more sore. Not sure if that will ever go away with that kind of gap between workouts. It lasts 3-4 days too. I don't think it matters tho. I started with 4 days for one cycle, then switched to 5 until mid early november, then went up to 7. I think my increases are quicker at 7 days. I've only repeated two workouts so far (since it takes almost a month to do a cycle) but my deadlifts and my leg presses both went up 50 lbs in that cycle alone. Blew my mind. So yea it's very promising. Here are my results for the first two workouts. I'm halfway through a cycle so I don't have very recent numbers for workout 3 and 4. Pec-Deck: Day 1- 180lbs, failed on 7 Now- 220 lbs, failed on 9 (SUPERSET) Incline Bench: Day 1- 125lbs, failed on 5 Now- 165lbs, failed on 5 Palms Up Pull-Downs: Day 1- 120lbs, failed on 12 Now- 168lbs, failed on 9 Deadlifts: Day 1- 185lbs, failed on 6 Now- 275lbs, failed on 9 Leg Extensions: Day 1- 150lbs, failed on 12 Now- 240 lbs, failed on 9 (SUPERSET) Leg Press: Day 1- 527lbs, failed on 10 Now- 667lbs, failed on 12 Standing Calf Raise (smith): Day 1- 165lbs, failed on 15 Now- 255lbs, failed on 14

[@jonmoris9354]

" the number twooo" god i love how mike talks 😅

[@SuperMan-ue8jf]

I just want to say that... it sounds amazing 😅😂

[@_Kev_n]

Just heard it 😂😂 3:28

[@mitsos3789]

Your channel is absolutely great keep up bro

[@bodybuildbeast]

Thanks. i really appreciate your love and support.

[@RandonBrecheisen-m2i]

I know this might be super dumb question but would doing abs hurt the program seeing as not much of the work out as I know effects them much

[@dhruvverma2000]

I see this workout will greatly benefit beginners rather than ppl who already have a good base. I think this workout will build the perfect base that would greatly benefit afterwards when u switch to a normal high vol style. Haven’t been to gym in 2 yrs. I guess i will start with this workout and see how things progress.

[@TiberiusX]

@@dhruvverma2000 actually as someone who's been going to the gym for more than 20 years, it's not just good for beginners, it's great for any *natural* bodybuilder or weightlifter. If you're doing higher volume you're likely not going to failure often enough. And studies show even professional bodybuilders misjudge thier failure point

[@dhruvverma2000]

@@TiberiusX i support you. Been working with this routine for 2 months and the results are amazing.

[@cricketinformation4036]

​@@dhruvverma2000 did you get any result

[@pi286]

@@dhruvverma2000 lets see the results brother :) :) :)

[@jhickox]

So it's 1 set for each number?

[@seanfrost2509]

Is this all doing one set each (or superset as the case may be)?

[@bodybuildbeast]

In the beginning of the video he mentions that there will be no superset unless specified. So the only supersets are the ones mentioned.

[@matthexp2723]

So basically... chest n back on day 1.... then no chest and back until the whole 4 day routine goes back around full circle... so that's no chest and back for 16 days and vice versa for other muscle groups.. that seems entirely way too long to wait for me to get back to chest and back day.. 16 days rest in between no matter the intensity is too long a rest for my liking.. i do however like his full body training training split much better..

[@nataliiateteruk585]

Needs more science to proove this point.

[@bodybuildbeast]

Yes rest periods are longer than the most routines we see today, but he does explain his reasoning when it comes to rest. Will be posting more about that in the following days. Stay tuned.

[@TravisMcGee151]

@@bodybuildbeastHIT is a quick way to get weaker and smaller. Mike never used HIT when he was competing.

[@amhawk8742]

Most studies show hitting each muscle group 2 days a week is optimal but you can do 1/3 of that volume and still maintain muscle and strength (one workout per muscle group every 10 days). Any longer between workouts and I doubt you can maintain strength and muscle let alone gain it effectively.

[@bodybuildbeast]

yes he was training 3 to 4 times a week and he never denied it. he did clarify that Heavy Duty Training system was tailor made for a non steroid user athlete.

[@ConfortinDEADHORSE]

Excellent! Never seen this narration before... the content, yes, but on this version he goes through detailed explanation. Thank you!!!

[@bodybuildbeast]

You are very welcome. Thanks for your love and support.

[@TiberiusX]

I started this last fall and saw really good results, I did a month on the consolidated to test it out, then went back to the ideal routine. A lot of science says go three sets and twice a week each muscle, so I tested it by going once every 3 days, but keeping intensity. I haven't seen as much gains, and my exercise weights didn’t go up as steadily. But Inwas is still only doing one set. This month, I'm going every 4 days and doing 2 sets. I'm reaching failure on my first set and almost always reach failure at 50% reps on my second set. I will continue to test with an open mind. As a natural weightlifter who is over 35 and had a hernia before, I am doing this methodically to understand my best regiment.

[@TiberiusX]

I can confirm, the ideal routine from Mentzer is *the* best routine I've been able to do. I constantly improve every week (so "leaving one or two in the tank is nonsensical as I don't know my max until I reach it) I tried going every three days and I saw little improvement. I found myself sore sometimes even on day 4 when I was doing 2 sets, and barely saw improvement. Likewise with rest pause I reach the same reps usually as 2 sets, but more are pushed into near failure. It just works

[@anproof7937]

How Is It going?

[@TiberiusX]

@anproof7937 I'm seeing constant increase in reps or weight with almost every exercise. I feel fully recovered when I'm in the gym, and I can actually look back and see my best progress is always on ideal routine. I have added a few exercises mostly involving my back, it's the weak point in my deadlifts, so I added in a lat pulldown on delt and arm day (I really wish my gym had a pullover machine) In the end I've tested it, and I've experimented, but for a natural, I think Mike was spot on. Not just in working every 4 days, but the exercises he chose, the reps for each. He knew weightlifting.

[@TiberiusX]

@anproof7937 been beating all of my records I made in April, the last time I was faithfully following the ideal routine. Literally can't find one that works better for me!

[@anproof7937]

@@TiberiusX how much bodyweight did you gained with the Ideal routine? In what time frame? How many rest days between workouts?

[@nataliiateteruk585]

The importance of resting is mostly underrested and or totally ignored when have this shining expensive year ticket to the gym.

[@elyeskacem4809]

I think i will add spider curls to biceps thats the only change id make its simply the best excercice for biceps the rest is perfect tho

[@TiberiusX]

Totally, rotate specific exercises for specific muscles, just be sure to take it to failure.

[@RandonBrecheisen-m2i]

And does cardio affect this process to

[@eldrheyprivado1931]

Can someone please explain to me about the "warm up on the second exercise" ???

[@mattarndt4452]

How does one stay “conditioned” if resting so much? Also I just love to train. I do 4 days per week.

[@sirhandsoap7652]

Just do extra cardio or other activities. This split is really good to free up time for other activities or sports while also building muscle, but is by no means the greatest for muscle growth, just very time efficient.

[@omarinheiropopeye]

Maintain carbs low And keep your body moving even in the rest days

[@mattarndt4452]

@@omarinheiropopeye Low carbs doesn’t provide sufficient energy for intense workouts. I’m about 150 to 200 per day. Even that is fairly low.

[@xxolv2slv849]

What about the sets he mentioned only reps

[@uditbhardwaj8861]

How many sets

[@mooganstooker2419]

One

[@gregfrelingos3329]

There are a plethora of limitations here that cannot be overlooked: 1: A complete lack of direct hamstring work - Based on the prescribed exercises, the mere absence of hamstring work poses as a limitation of this routine. For example, a lifter who has lagging hamstring muscles will not benefit from such a program due to the omission of direct hamstring work (as this betrays the law of specificity; Travis et al. (2020). Furthermore, this poses a potential risk for lifters. Having weak hamstrings exposes them to the susceptibility of injury, especially because the program is designed for high intensity which is correlated with increased risk of injury (Wiese‐Bjornstal & Diane., 2010). 2: There is an apparent 'hesitation' to change exercises in this routine. This betrays the law of variety which is essential for muscle size and strength (Ozaki et al., 2016). Performing the same movements over a period of time that is deemed inappropriate can result in over-use injurys, along with psychological burn-out (Hamil et al., 2012). Similarly, as these movements are performed at high intensity, the susceptibility to overuse injury's due to a hesitancy to adjust the exercise selection in a judicious manner places lifters at an increased and unnecessary risk of biomechanical failure. 3: Super-setting isolation work with compound movements - Compound movements are not exclusively fatiguing in the context of the physical realm, but also challenging psychologically. By performing an isolation movement prior to a compound movement, this will most certainly impede on the lifters ability to conform to Mentzors philosophy of training every set to failure. This also exposes the lifter to long-term issues, such as psychological burn-out and physical injury. You may argue that the rest days accomodate for this fatigue, but short-term decreases in motivation can impede on long-term goals and a desire to perform better. Benefits for compounds are seen through adroitly placing them at the beginning of the workout, whereby physical and psychological refreshment within the training context is most efficiently achieved (Baechle et al., 2019). More limitations can be noted here, and there are a few principles in this philosophy that have been proven to work (mainly, training with high intensity whilst accomodating for volume). However, we must be careful when using an idiographic outliers philosophy and applying it across nomothetic populations.

[@bodybuildbeast]

Firstly, i should say that i highly appreciate your in-depth analysis. At 7:52 he explains the reasons for not adding any hamstring exercises, Also regarding the lack of exercise change at 15:26. I would love to know your opinion on it.

[@gregfrelingos3329]

@@bodybuildbeast I appreciate the kind words! For the hamstrings - I feel that isolation is needed for this particular muscle group. I understand that the hamstrings are perceived to be “overtrained” however I would argue that it is quiet the opposite. In modern day populations, the “showy” muscles tend to be trained more as they are more visible and easier to see. Deadlifts alone would not sufficiently train the deadlift, neither would movements like the leg press where the hamstring becomes the antagonist muscle. Furthermore, I have seen that weak hamstrings and overall posterior chain development is a legitimate concern for modern day lifters who I train. For the exercise change, I do believe there is a line that needs to be drawn. Changing exercises too often will result in poor progress by omitting your body’s ability to become stronger at those exercises, whereby the principle of progress overload is applied. Contrastingly, not changing exercises over a certain duration of time can lead to poor development due to the body’s ability to “predict” the movement and thus, become under-stimulated. Psychologically, training burnout can also occur I think this is an amazing channel my guy! In a generation whereby younger lifters are starting to emerge, the need for quality information is contemporarily essential, and you are providing it in a way that is accessible and easy to understand.

[@bodybuildbeast]

Thanks. Really appreciate it. Recently, I started to realize that Dorian Yates has perfected Mike's theory and created the most balanced workout routine for someone who seeks to bodybuild. what do you think about his training routine?

[@gregfrelingos3329]

@@bodybuildbeast I may be bias here, but I love Dorians routine. As you said, he really perfected it! Maybe next video could be about how he improved upon the original Mentzer style

[@bodybuildbeast]

for sure. that's a great idea. Thanks

[@JanRoos-mi6up]

Can somebody please explain me why day 4 leggs again, why not chestback shoulderarms leggabbs and repeat , i am doing the trwining a while now and leggs progress good except chest i feel like indo chest to little often

[@H-qy2to]

@@JanRoos-mi6up that's because the logic of this program is Upper/Lower

[@edwinsepulveda5550]

Keep in mind that one size doesn’t fit all. I for one listen to all routine advice, and then do what works for me.

[@karlkleinferchner8668]

Hit ala mentzer hat für mich nicht funktioniert. Habe in 6 monaten enorm an muskelmasse verloren.

[@Joa4417]

Rest for long?

[@petersadlier9692]

Been doing Mikes workout. I want to go back to 3-4 days, 6 exercises, 10-12 reps because it is much easier. Not that im going to just letting people know how hard I find his workouts to failure. I'm even intimidated to go to the gym just thinking about what I'm in for. 3 to 4 days a week I was always keen and eager to get to the gym😂😅😊

[@noahsibahi-jackson8757]

That doesn’t sound sustainable at all

[@karlkleinferchner8668]

Mit Hit war ich ständig übertrainiert,obwohl ich nur alle 4 bis 7 Tage trainiert habe. Muskeln nahm ich null zu. Also kehrte ich zu 3 Trainingstagen zurück,ohne Muskelversagen,mit mehr Volumen. Und ich habe enorm an Masse zugenommen. Hit hatte keine Ergebnisse gebracht.

[@braytonnewell6807]

idk if this concept heeds the best results

[@bodybuildbeast]

Towards the end of the video he explains about it. Make sure to watch it carefully.

[@formalbusinessonion7265]

I’ve been doing it for 2 weeks and I can say it certainly works, I feel stronger and more energetic, when I hit the gym everyday I was always more fatigued, trust me it works. Just train h a r d, and rest hard. Promise it works it just takes time.

[@mattkubal446]

sorry but 2 weeks of data is nothing to go off of. any number of factors can change how you feel in that time, training is a process over years you can't conclude anything from a fortnight@@formalbusinessonion7265

[@wauhti6358]

​@@formalbusinessonion7265 How has the training been? Have there been any results?

[@SPORT-vh3cl]

.

[@MightyMarven]

A couple of problems with Mentzer's "ideal workout": Muscle loss begins after 10 - 14 days of inactivity, but he recommends 2 weeks between training each muscle, which is too much rest. His exercise choices seem more about personal preference than what’s most effective. EZ bar curls work the biceps well, but so does any exercise that closes the elbow joint under load. Rope extensions aren’t worse than straight bar press-downs, and hack squats are often more productive than leg presses because they target the quads more, while leg presses tend to load the hips. Also, 1 set of pec deck and 1-3 reps on an incline press definitely isn’t a great chest workout.

[@thorinhayward1124]

It's not a bad workout for beginners or people with different goals. But I agree, 1 set of pec deck and 1 to 3 reps of a press is not a good chest workout. Mentzer relies heavily on pre-exhaust to make this and his leg day work, but it’s never been shown to be any more effective. Taking no rest between sets is definitely harder on the cardiovascular system, but that doesn’t mean more muscle growth. And if adding just one set of lying leg curls is too much volume, you might not be in good physical condition.

[@jrplants1]

I assume from your comment you’re an Olympic body builder?

[@wise6469]

😂 ​@@jrplants1

[@nagysamuel2575]

You just took the original uploader's video and basically said two or three words over it, not every groundbreaking is it?

[@krissimon2502]

Im not saying it didn't work for him but lets be real. He had great genetics and loaded on steroids so pretty much any workout plan would work at that point

[@vladimirciric519]

I only train once a year, one set only and the gains are unbelievable. My Olympia prep with be only one rep because there’s no need to overtrain. I’m thinking about writing a book about it

[@bodybuildbeast]

instead of being sarcastic, you can can make your points on why you think his views are incorrect, so we could have a reasonable discussion about it.

[@robertrichard2322]

Just came from another video teaming with this kind of comment, well done on your originality sir

[@chumpvoodoo]

Lol sure you have accomplished way more than Mike and many others… Loser

[@Lucid_Anomaly]

Might be better off doing full body each muscle till failure every 4 days

[@nataliiateteruk585]

Do not write so long. Part them arguments up instead over several videos.

[@bodybuildbeast]

Thanks for your feedback. Will do so. ❤

[@mansanova]

I dont think resting for too long is the ideal way. I train each body part at least twice a week. So i will do chest on monday and wednesday. Waiting for chest day for the next monday wont help you get bigger and stronger. You will lost strength. The best way to build a muscle is to do progressive overload. Love your other videos. I am going to keep watching 💪🏿 fit fam

[@peterowley2014]

You obviously have never done it to say something so stupid you'd be twice the size. You don't understand basic physiology.

[@NBodi]

You are obviously not listening to a single word being said.

[@peterowley2014]

@mansanova That's the most stupid comment ever even if you stopped training for 4 weeks you wouldn't lose any strength.

[@peterowley2014]

After 2 weeks the muscle recovers and is at its strongest provided that you rested and provided the body with the necessary nutrients. The muscle don't even start to atrophy until after 4 week has passed sometimes longer. You really need to stop skipping brain day DUMBA5S

[@peterowley2014]

After 2 weeks the muscle recovers and is at its strongest provided that you rested and provided the body with the necessary nutrients. The muscle don't even start to atrophy until after 4 week has passed sometimes longer. You really need to stop skipping brain day DUMBA5S

[@DavidMonk-t6j]

Training once every 4 days 🤔

[@rudolphbissessar1308]

He died from steroids and killed his brother as well with steroids So credibility is zero

[@joseromo7287]

Don't voice your opinion. State the facts! If you're not informed about a subject, please refrain from making a comment.

[@journeyman0015]

Voicing your guesses as facts is fraudulent. It's you that has zero credibility.

[@adolf4614]

How many sets