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