Chest

Well, my last workout was... I guess good. I say that with a little ambiguity because, as I stated on my post Wednesday, I was thinking of changing things around. I do pec deck followed immediately by incline press.

I decided to stay with this 1 more week and see how much I could press on incline. I haven't moved the weight on that because I hit the pec deck so hard. I made great gains on the pec deck, lifting 150lbs 5Xs, but again, no progress on the incline press. I added 20lbs but I could only move the stack halfway. Perhaps it is my ego, but not progressing more on the incline press hurts me a little. I want to push more!

So, I will definitely switch it around next week and do incline press, followed by pec deck. With that said, my chest is looking good so I am happy with my progress.

My workout was good; it just stuck with me a little that I couldn't lift the added weight on the incline. I tried to concentrate and did go through the whole workout feeling good, but damn it... Oh, well.

Today, shoulders and arms.

1980 Mr. Olympia DVD

I ordered the 1980 Mr. Olympia DVD from MikeMentzer.com. I've read that this was one of the biggest fixes in the Mr. O contest history, and this is why Mike Mentzer decided to retire. Mike was obviously very outspoken and thrashed the muscle magazines and supplement makers. He stated that they misled bodybuilders by advocating training methods that where not very effective and would make bodybuilders 'need' supplements just to recover. Was this why Mike was cheated? Was he cheated?

I'll write more once I see the DVD. I can't wait to receive it.

Get the DVD here:
http://www.mikementzer.com/checkout/catalognew.asp

From the site:

The journalistic reports - in every magazine - which followed the contest, indicated that it was fixed. Each stated that Arnold was far from his best shape - while Mike Mentzer had reached a pinnacle! It seemed that the entire world of bodybuilding was in agreement - except the judges! Many concluded that other competitors at the '80 "O" were better than Arnold, too.

Progress - Weight

Progress is coming along nicely. I went from doing leg presses on a machine that yo lie down on to a machine that you're seated in. I was able to do 1 set of 24 repetitions with 355 lbs. I did so many reps because I wasn't sure how much weight I could use. Now that I know, I'll adjust and use more weight. I used 105 lbs for leg extensions and 90 for leg curls; and that was also too light.

As far as my weight, I'm not loosing pounds, but I'm gaining muscle. I weigh the same amount but can see a difference in the way my clothes fit. I'm not following any special diet yet. I should, as I'm sure this would accelerate my weight loss.

I missed a couple of posts, but I'm not going to write something for every single workout. I'll just update as I go along and feel that I've hit a new milestone or have something more interesting to add.

Until then, HIT it hard!

Changing Things Around

Well, I've kept up with my workouts but am changing things around a bit. I can't do Nautilus pullovers correctly because my arms are too short and I end up using my triceps a lot. Last workout, I had really sore triceps and abs, but my lats where not that sore.

I'm still using pec decks followed by incline bench press for chest, but I'm also considering changing that a bit. I'm now using 135lbs for pec decks, but my bench isn't really progressing as much. I know that this may be more for my ego because my chest is killing me! I've really learned to go for it on the pec deck and I'm really hurting by the time I get to the Incline press, so that hinders how much weight I can handle. But I want to see my progress on incline so I'll use that first next week, so that I can handle as much weight as possible, and then follow it up by pec decks. If my progress is substantial, then I'll know that this is really working and I'll go back to pec decks followed by incline. I'll change up every now and then just for variety.

Arms Heavy

Tuesday and my biceps are still sore. I can feel my shoulders and triceps, but not as much as biceps. My arms are really getting filled out now and I have a new peak that feels great. I still need to drop a few lbs, but progress is becoming more apparent now.

I feel good and need to ratchet up the running a bit. Knee pain slowed me down for the last 2-weeks, but I need to start kicking it back in gear. I'll try to run 2 miles today, but since I haven't gone out in 2-weeks, I'm not sure how I'll respond. Slow and steady!

Shoulders & Arms

Good workout today. I felt strong and used a variation of Mentzer's infitronic training, where you do a full max rep, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat for 4 - 5 reps. I did this for lateral raises with 120lbs and 100lbs for preacher curls.

I did 3 reps with 100lbs for preacher curls, so I probably could have used 110lbs. However, since I didn't have a training partner, I did not properly gauge my max weight properly and just went with what I started with. After 3 reps (I did attempt a 4th but hit failure), I then paused for 10 seconds, stripped the weight to 90 pounds, and did it again. I did this for 5 reps, barely moving the weight towards the end and really squeezing my biceps and slowly lowering the weight on my last rep. My biceps where BURNING!

Triceps and shoulders also felt good. Again, good workout.

Total time = under 20 minutes.

Getting Weaker?

I lost 50lbs on my incline bench and 35lbs on my rope pull downs in 1-week. Could this be possible?

I expected a drop of weight in my incline due to me putting this exercise second after pec decks. But that still seemed like a lot of weight for me to drop in a week. I have to attribute the additional loss of power to different machines. I pressed 250 easily on the Hammer Strength, but I only did 200 on another machine that had cables. So the weight on these machines isn't quite accurate. Also, I did feel a difference in the angle, so I'm sure that also had a lot to do with my power outage.

I then did rope pull downs 1-week with 135lbs for 8 reps, then could only manage 100lbs the next week on another machine. Again, I could not believe that I lost that much strength so I went back to the first machine and could easily lift 135lbs for a few reps.

So, machines make a difference, both in weight and in angles. However, I would have never imagined this big of a difference and am a bit disappointed. I mainly use machines because for the most part, I don't have a training partner so I cannot safely hit failure. I guess, for the sake of tracking, I need to use the same machine every time I workout. Otherwise, the weight discrepancy will not allow me to properly track my progress.

I don't care about how much weight I use, I just want to be able to track my progress. The difference in each machine just makes this task more difficult, so I'll have to wait if someone is using the machine that I'm tracking my progress on.

Chest & Back 2

I had a spotter today so I was able to go for it, weight wise. I was happy with my workout. I did the same routine for chest (Pec Deck, Incline), although I am considering altering my back workout.

My arms aren't long enough to do the Nautilus Pullover properly, at least on the machine that is available to me, so I will abandon this exercise and perform Cable Rows. My triceps and abs got a harder workout from the Nautilus Pullover than my lats.

I was able to use bigger weight in all movements, so progress is being made. Looking forward to my next workout, shoulders and arms.

Legs

I had a good leg workout yesterday.

Legs are worked out in this manner:
Warm-up - Leg Press. Do 2 relatively light sets, then 1 with a fairly decent load.
Leg Extensions - 1 set to failure, 12 - 14 reps.
Leg Press - 1 set to failure, 12 - 14 reps.
Leg Curls - 1 set to failure, 12 - 14 reps. You would normally not do these, but I'm not doing Dead Lifts, which work the hams, so I'm incorporating this into my routine.
Standing Calve Raises - 1 set to failure, 12 - 14 reps.

I did Leg Presses for 10 reps and 2 negatives with 220lbs. Kind of weak, but I've neglected my legs for a long time so I was OK with this. Gives me a base and something to really work on. I then used 110lbs for leg extensions, with my wife helping me crank out 4 negatives at the end. I used 80lbs for leg curls, with again my wife helping me on negatives. Leg curls hurt, man! I've never really concentrated on this movement and I was a bit uncomfortable. I then did calve raises with 140lbs until failure. This exercise is unique in that it creates a burning sensation towards the end. The pain is brief but intense.

I'm not as strong as I should be on legs, but I felt that I used a high level of intensity in my workout. I'm sitting here a bit sore the next morning, mainly in my hams and calves. Looking forward to my next routine!

Tough Ride

My knee felt a little sore after my run on Tuesday, so I decided against a run and went out for a bike ride instead. I completed 20 miles in a little over an hour.

I wasn't really sore from the ride, but I haven't ridden in a while so the saddle was killing me! I kept standing and shifting positions, but I obviously need to do a little more riding before I can go for a ride of considerable distance.

Overall, a decent ride. The first half went smoothly and I was averaging a bit over 17 MPH. However, the return trip was horrible! I was in constant discomfort from the saddle and even my feet where suffering a bit. I also had to battle a tough headwind that made me feel like I was crawling my way back!

I will postpone Sunday's leg workout and hit them on Monday.

2nd Workout, Shoulders & Arms

The 2nd and 4th workouts in Mentzer's book are legs, but I'm running so I'll only perform legs on the 3rd workout before beginning the cycle all over.

So, for my 2nd workout, I did shoulders and arms last night. This workout went a lot better than my first. 2 possible reasons:
1. I was a lot more familiar with the exercises.
2. Smaller muscle groups than chest and back.

Shoulders
I didn't do shoulders with dumbbells. I used the lateral and rear lateral Nautilus machines and was pleasantly surprised with the weight I could handle. I used 105 lbs for both movements to failure.

Arms
I also deviated from the barbell curls in favor of preacher curls. I've had good results and this is a movement that Mentzer has an an alternative (there's a whole section on alternative movements to the ideal workout). I used 90 lbs and proceeded to alternating curls with 40 lbs to failure. Both of these exercises are isolation movements, so the order didn't matter much to me.

I then proceeded to do triceps with rope pull-downs, using 130 lbs. I used another machine that isolates the triceps but I don't know what it's called. There where no labels so I'll try to describe the machine. It looks similar to a preacher curl, but the grip is above the small bench near your forehead. You grip it and then push down, working the triceps. I used 60 lbs for each arm.

I already feel the effects of this workout and felt drained last night as I made my way home. I was pleased at my effort and intensity.

Total workout time: a little over 20 minutes.

Shoulders & Arms

Shoulders are worked in this manner:
Warm-up - Lateral Raises. Do 2 relatively light sets, then 1 with a fairly decent load.
Lateral Raises - 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps.
Bent Over Raises - 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps.

Biceps are worked out in this manner:
Warm-up - Curls - Do 1 or 2 relatively light set(s), then 1 with a fairly decent load.
Barbell Curls - 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps.
As an alternate, do 1 set of Reverse Grip Pull-Downs with a close grip, 6 - 8 reps. Mentzer felt that this exercise was actually better for the biceps than barbell curls.

Triceps are worked out in this manner:
Warm-up - Rope pull-downs - Do 1 or 2 relatively light set(s), then 1 with a fairly decent load.
Rope Pull-Downs - 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps.
Dips - 1 set to failure.

Running Is Hard!

I ran on Monday night and let me tell you, running is hard! As I've stated before, I am NOT a runner. I took 2 weeks off from running due to my schedule and some other distractions, but I tried to get back into the grove and had a hard time. I did run 2 miles as planned, and even my time was decent at an 11'32 pace, considering that I included a hill in my route (I read that an 11 - 12 min / mile pace is good for a first time marathoner). Here's my Nike+ tracker:

I live near some hills so I sloooooooooowed way down when I tried to hit one. I ran the first mile on a flat, but as you can see by the chart, I struggled once I hit the hill. I had to walk a bit and that's what killed me. But I again sped up once I hit the down slope and flat, so I guess it wasn't that bad. If I don't run hills, I can keep a 10'30 pace.

I've read so much conflicting info, but one training tip that I liked is to walk 1 minute for every mile run. So you run a mile, walk a minute, until you don't have to walk. I've tried not to walk and have run 4 miles straight before slowing down. However, the hills are a different animal and I need more work.

Hey, I have until March to establish a good base so I'm not worried. I should be in good enough shape to tackle the 18-week schedule presented in the latest issue of Runner's World. If all goes according to plan, I'll start that in November. I should be able to run comfortably for 4 miles straight by then. I can run 4 miles now, but NOT comfortably! Last time I ran 4 straight and walked 1 at the beach, but I was hurting once I started to walk.

Marathon Training Schedule

The August issue of Runner's World has a good article for the first time marathoner (me!). It provides an 18-week schedule with strength training and diet tips. Also included is an article that helps runners cope with and be aware of the dangers of running in hot weather.

Check it out.

Pre-exhaust - Isolation & Compound

It may seem strange that Mentzer would have one perform an isolation movement first. The reason for this is that performing an isolation movement first, like pec deck or Nautilus pullover, hits only the muscle being trained. The next movement follows immediately and this exercise will employ other muscles to further fatigue the muscle being worked.

Working out in this manner is called a superset employing a pre-exhaust technique. The isolation movement is immediately followed by the exercise that employs more muscles. Let's take chest as an example. The pec deck works only the chest. Moving on to the incline press will allow one to truly waste the chest because the shoulders and triceps will help lift the weight, with the chest failing before those other secondary muscles do. This second exercise is called a compound movement.

So, if you want to structure a similar routine while not employing the exact same exercises that Mentzer recommends, perform an isolation movement first, followed immediately by a compound movement. This will ensure that the targeted muscle is fully worked out.

Monday Soreness

As I wrote in my last entry, I was a bit disappointed with my workout on Saturday. I was experimenting with weight/reps and so I didn't feel like I worked out as effectively as I could. However, I do feel sore 2 days later so I guess I did something right. My chest doesn't feel as sore as it normally is when I start with bench or incline, but I guess that's to be expected. I'll push harder next time! My traps are really sore, which is surprising since I felt that my grip gave out before I could fatigue them.

Being that this was a holiday weekend, I had family over and so didn't get to do my long run yesterday. I'm going to run 2 miles or so tonight, with my next lifting session set for Thursday.

Until then, TRAIN HARD!

1st Workout, Chest & Back

Today was my first actual workout using Mentzer's 'ideal' routine as presented in his book. I have employed HIT, but I've always used a different routine.

I was a bit disappointed because I could only handle about 180 lbs on the incline press. However, I usually start with either flat bench press or incline, so I can handle heavier weight.

Chest
I warmed-up with incline presses and then did a set of pec decs to failure. I had never done this movement first, so I had to play around with the weight a little. I ended up doing more than 1 set because the first weight I chose was to light. I used 90 lbs, and finally settled on 105. I did too many reps, though, so next workout will be a bit more precise. I ended up doing about 12 reps with 105 lbs. I figure that this is what killed my incline because I moved immediately to the incline press and, since I didn't have anyone to help me do negatives, I did about 6 reps with 180 lbs, really pushing the last negative.

Back
Back was a similar story. I had never done Nautilus pull-overs, so I had to mess around with the weight. I ended up also doing 2 sets, the second one with about 105 lbs for again, too many reps. I then did a set of Reverse Grip Pull-downs with about 175 lbs, which was also a bit too light. Due to my running, I won't be employing Dead Lifts until I run the LA Marathon in March. The reason for this is that this really taxes my lower back and this hurts me when I run. I literally get a stabbing pain around the 2nd mile, so I'm laying off in order to not hurt my running progress. I therefore did shoulder shrugs, another movement that I had never done. I ended up doing a final set with 70 lbs, with my grip giving out before my traps. I need to therefore do a little bit of grip work to do this properly!

Overall, my workout was a bit disappointing, but that was expected. I had never done some of these exercises or done major lifts/pulls as a second exercise. I know my legs, shoulders, and arms will be a similar story, but I'm determined to stick to this routine. I know I'll eventually get the pounds/reps figured out so until then, expect more experimentation and less than stellar performances.

Total workout time: a little over 20 minutes.

Chest & Back

The first workout in 'High-Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way' is Chest and Back.

Arthur Jones, who Mentzer credits with introducing him to HIT, advocated training larger muscles first. However, Mentzer felt that training this way would fatigue one too much and therefore not allow a full workout of the smaller area (chest in this case).

Chest is worked out in this manner:
Warm-up - Incline Press. Do 2 relatively light sets, then 1 with a fairly decent load.
Flyes or Pec Deck - 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps.
Incline Press - 1 set to failure, 1 - 3 reps.

Back is worked out in this manner:
Warm-up - Reverse Grip Pull-downs. Do 2 relatively light sets, then 1 with a fairly decent load.
Nautilus Pullover or Straight Arm Pullovers - 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps.
Reverse Grip Pull-downs, 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps.
Dead Lifts - 1 set to failure, 6 - 8 reps. Take extra time warming up with this one!
As an alternative to dead lifts, 1 set of Shoulder Shrugs to failure.

Dorian Yates Tribute To Mike & Ray Mentzer

I have to admit that I was deeply moved by the writing of Mike Mentzer. Mike didn't just write about bodybuilding, he wrote about character and life. I was not the only one moved by the wisdom of Mike. Please read the tribute that 6 times Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates wrote about Mike and his younger brother Ray. Dorian had the privilege of being trained by Mike in 1992 as he prepared for his 2nd Mr. Olympia contest, one that would catapult him towards the winner's circle for 6 consecutive years.

You can read the tribute as it is posted on Mike's site at:
http://www.mikementzer.com/sportremembers.html

TRIBUTE TO MIKE AND RAY
BY DORIAN YATES

When I became interested in bodybuilding in the early eighties, I devoured everything that I could find in print about the sport. During this time, I became aware of Mike and Ray Mentzer and was obviously impressed with the huge dense musculature that Mike and Ray displayed. More impressive than the physiques though was the radical and logical training approach that Mike was recommending through his regular articles in Muscle and Fitness.

Mike was a great inspiration to me during my early training days. I was lucky enough to meet Mike and Ray during one of my early visits to California, and during this time, we developed a friendship and mutual respect. I had spoken with Mike shortly before his death, so I was deeply shocked to hear of his passing.... and then the tragic news of Ray's death.

I will personally remember Mike and Ray as pioneers in the sport, strong proud men who stood up for what they believed in and didn't worry about going against the grain..... I WILL MISS THEM!

Dorian Yates
Mr. Olympia winner six consecutive years 1992-1997

Run LA

I didn't state it earlier, but I'm also training for the LA Marathon next March 4, 2007. I'm not a runner and had never run more than 1 mile since high school. I just find running a marathon to be one of those seemingly insurmountable tasks that I want to attempt to tackle.

I've been running for a few weeks now and did a 4 mile run last Sunday. That is the longest distance I have EVER run and I have to admit, I felt OK afterwards. During was a different story! I felt my feet going numb and got shin splits for the first time in my life. I slowed down a bit but kept pushing until I saw that targeted little 4 pop up. Man, was I relieved!

I know that Mentzer did not advocate aerobic activity for bodybuilders, as he felt (with proof) that it taxes the body of recuperative powers. However, as I stated in a previous entry, I'm not lifting to be a competitive bodybuilder. As such, I am incorporating a training schedule that has me running twice a week, Thursdays and long runs on Sundays, with weight lifting rounding out the rest. I only lift once or twice a week at most, so I feel that I'll continue to make gains practicing both. If one starts to suffer, I will lay off the weights a bit until after the marathon. I have to finish it!

I'm training using the iPod and Nike+ combo, which can be found here:

http://nikeplus.com/
http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/

This cool melding of tech toys lets runners track distance, time, pace, and calories. I find the combo to be innovative and motivating. It's really neat seeing my numbers slowly (and I mean slowly) inch forward. And for an extra boost, Lance Armstrong even came on my iPod to congratulate me on finishing my longest run yet!

So, although I mainly aim to track weight lifting progress, I'll also throw in a few running posts.

Run LA:

http://www.lamarathon.com/

HIT Videos

Mike Mentzer participated in a video shoot that advocated his approach to HIT (High Intensity Training) literally hours before his untimely death. That video is available here:

http://www.trulyhuge.com/Mike_Mentzer_HIT_Video.htm

Sadly, Mentzer died the same night that the final shooting for this video took place. The video is cool (albeit with some funky music) because it shows his approach to HIT. I find it amusing that he kept adding too much weight, with Markus (the main subject) several times asking Mike to lower it. Mike believed that you should make progress every workout and, as this video shows, he truly believed it! He puts Markus through a grueling leg workout that leaves him telling Mike, "I hate you, Mike!" Good stuff.

Another cool video is one of Dorian Yates working out. Dorian Yates was trained and influenced by Mike Mentzer. Dorian adopted HIT and went on to become a 6 time Mr. Olympia. His video can be found here:

http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/dorianyates-bloodandguts.html
http://homegym.stores.yahoo.net/doryatblooda.html

Here's a cool website that comments on Yates' workout:

http://www.trulyhuge.com/dorian_yates_workout.html

Mentzer would comment that although Dorian did employ HIT, he did so in an unsafe manner. Dorian literally exploded through the positive motion and thereby employed momentum to get the EXTREMELY heavy weights up (check out Dorian doing leg presses!). Dorian also didn't rest as much as Mike recommended. As a result, Dorian did suffer several serious injuries throughout his career. Regardless, if watching Dorian workout doesn't inspire you, nothing will!

On Mike Mentzer

As I stated in my last entry, I'm employing Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty Training as my system for lifting weights. Mike Mentzer won the 1978 Mr. Universe with the first and only perfect score of 300. He received another perfect score at the 1979 Mr. Olympia, winning the heavyweight division. He retired after the 1980 Olympia after placing 5th to Arnold Schwarzenegger, despite looking better than the previous year. Many contend that the Olympia was rigged to favor the popular Schwarzenegger (who entered the day before after retiring in 1976). CBS, amidst the controversy, chose not to air the show. I have not seen the competition, but I do plan to pickup the DVD at Mike Mentzer's website: http://mikementzer.com/

Mike was ostracised by the bodybuilding community for stating that all bodybuilding magazines and supplement makers where defrauding bodybuilders. He stated that the only reason magazines recommended volume training (working out up 6 times a week, 2 hrs per day) was to make bodybuilders need supplements just to recover. Mike's training and research found that 1 set to failure and maximum recovery time where all that was needed. Mike went against the grain and since most major competitions where held or sponsored by magazine publishers (Weider in particular), he saw no purpose in continuing to compete professionally.

Mentzer went on to train and write. His books are mainly aimed at the competitive and aspiring bodybuilders, but that is not my goal. I'm just looking to attain a higher level of fitness and to look better. However, this does not diminish the quality and informative strength of his advice and system. Do yourself a favor and pick up the following 2 books:

The Wisdom Of Mike MentzerHigh Intensity Training The Mike Mentzer Way

Mike Mentzer was a true pioneer in the science of bodybuilding. Yes, you read that right, science of bodybuilding. Mentzer believed that bodybuilding was a science and an offshoot of medical science. Mentzer was a Pre-Med student and studied physiology extensively, so his advice is, in my opinion, sound and grounded in fact.

Mike was an Objectivist and both books are peppered with Objectivist (Objectivism) Philosophy. I myself do not subscribe to any school of philosophy, but it made for interesting reading. I mainly concentrated on the recuperative section as this is perhaps the most eye opening component of Mentzer's system.

I've read both books and have successfully used Mike's approach to lifting. I get into the gym, lift for 20 - 30 minutes TOPS, and don't show up for another week. In the process, I can lift heavier weights every time I step into the gym and don't feel burned out or bored. My last workout consisted of lifting 265 lbs on the incline press 8 times (not including 2 negatives). That is an all time best and comes only after lifting for a little under 3 months. Even in high school and the years after when I was lifting regularly, I could never hit that much weight on the incline press. I haven't maxed out, but I suspect that I'm getting close to benching 300 lbs.

Mike Mentzer was a true genius; read his books and you'll know what I mean. As I stated earlier, he was also a philosopher and an excellent writer. His logical approach to training is what drew me back to the iron game and I can attest to the success of his methods.

Mike and his brother Ray died in 2001, 2 days apart, from natural causes. Mike was only 49 and his brother, also a former Mr. Universe, was 47. There was a history of heart disease in the Mentzer family and it claimed both brothers and their father at about the same age.

Do yourself a favor and check out his website and get his books:

http://mikementzer.com/

Read a little more on Mentzer on his website and in Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Mentzer

Welcome

Welcome to my training blog! I am using this as a motivational tool and training journal. I am my main audience, but if you should happen to find and read this, I welcome your comments and suggestions and hope that in the midst of all my penned ramblings, you find some useful information. I am not an expert, but I do read a little.

I have started to again train with weights after a 10-year layoff. I have now been training for a few months and have made substantial gains. I know part of it is due to the muscle memory phenomenon, but I have also sought out knowledge and think I have found a good system in Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty Training regiment and philosophy. More on that later!

I won't keep extensive set, rep, and weight records here, as that's what my spreadsheets are for. Mainly, I'll comment on my overall progress and any musing that relates to my renewed interests in my physical training activity.

For now, welcome and await my first entry.