Perhaps during the early 1970s, when he was training so many bodybuilders, it was simply easier to drive home intensity, than be so concerned with form. Viator more than doubled Hudlows rate of growth. In early 1971, because of business and travel commitments, Jones stopped personally training Viator. Best arms: three-way tie among Casey Viator, Sergio Oliva, and Boyer Coe Best chest: Arnold Schwarzenegger Best shoulders: Scott Wilson Best back: Dorian Yates Best thighs: Tom Platz Best calves: Chris Dickerson Best forearms: Casey Viator Best abdominals: Frank Zane Most muscular: Sergio Oliva Best overall first impression: Boyer Coe at the 1965 Mr. Texas contest Strongest during multiple workouts: Ray Mentzer Best consistent workout form: Robert Berg, a bodybuilder and a medical doctor from Stuart, Florida. Answer: To paraphrase Arthur Jones, Rather than the best, Ill tell you the one that I like the least, which will be the routine that I need the most.. But soon after Ray called it a day on his bodybuilding career, he developed kidney issues. If you have any questions about Mike Mentzer or High Intensity Training email us and we'll get back to you with an answer as quick as we can. Leg Curls . But Ken often strength trained with the team and was significantly stronger than the top players. Of all the champions Ive known and trained with I probably get the most questions about Mike Mentzer and his brother Ray. Here we can see Mike mentoring Markus Reinhardt on the heavy duty stuff. The last of the three exercises: extremely slow leg presses, 4 repetitions in 120 seconds, will rock your world but good. Durning his interview with John Little, Mentzer opened up in great detail about the routine that earned him the famous physique we know today. One workout every 96 to 120 hours, depending on how my . HIT workouts for days afterwards. Because organized properly, you get better results. Stay focused and keep the tension and the movement smooth and slow. Stage Reps - Here you have a way in which to work around both the sticking points in an exercise and the lockout. Login. Not only was Dr. Darden kind enough to do an interview for this site, he also lent me a recent draft of The New High Intensity Training, which Ive read three times already. Press Behind NeckStage reps What happened? Ellington Darden: The last Mr. Olympia contest that I attended was in 1995 in Atlanta. Incline dumbbell fly (5 sets, 8 reps) 2. Today, I live approximately 25 miles from Ken. Height: 5'9" The sad story does not end here. In 1990, I worked with Keith Whitley, a bodybuilder from Dallas, Texas, who added 29 pounds of muscle in six weeks 11-1/4 pounds of it occurred during the first two-week period. One of the most intense training regimes out there for bodybuilding is known as the "Heavy Duty" method. Rest 2 to 3 minutes But his well-documented progress is nonetheless directly attributable to his well-organized increase in intensity and the attendant diminishing of exercise volume. Pullover Wed effectively double team Cooper and help him understand exercise, generally and specifically, and then share with him the advantages of strength training on Nautilus equipment. Mentzer starting pumping iron at the age of 12 at a bodyweight of 95 pounds. Being 32, super busy, getting little sleep and working so much did not help. HIT training w/deads can be brutal, squats are equally brutal. In Pennsylvania, the United States, Ray Menzer was born in August 1953. Besides training Viator over the next year, Jones would make sure he entered all the national bodybuilding contests. Shrug As a general rule I dont recommend stopping an exercise short of momentary muscular failure and instead recommend allowing extra days for recovery or doing a workout just focused on smaller muscle groups which wont affect recovery as much. Joe Mullen, a former Nautilus club owner, recently told me that he saw Ray go through a HIT workout in 1999. He passed away in 2001 at 49-years-old due to a heart attack. Furthermore, the chart and routines extend for longer than a year. We both tried at least a half-dozen times each, to wedge a comment into Coopers dissertation. That fourth repetition will be a bear, but you should be able to finish it which will build your confidence for your next workout. We are not medical professionals and nothing on this website should be misconstrued to mean otherwise. 10 Top 1980s Bodybuilders - Then and Now - Tiger Fitness Incline Flye Mike Mentzer - Wikipedia Im not sure why he permitted it because he certainly understood what proper form was. All rights Reserved. And it can still be accomplished without drugs today. I think that a little articulateness goes a long way here; the standard is way above that of the average muscle-mag and the result is a more penetrating Q&A that the reader can draw useful conclusions from Darden expresses himself well. I suspect that due to something about the nerve-function some muscles are really reluctant to give 100% voluntarily. It had been a while since he had written a book on bodybuilding, and other than the late Mike Mentzers last book there hasnt been any books on the subject worth reading for quite a while that Im aware of. RAY MENTZER - Dave Draper As examples, you have a routine for thighs, calves, chest, arms, and waist. Ray thought that by using these techniques to extend his time under tension, he would improve his muscle growth. Our double-team plan had failed. Day One Although systemic recovery is still affected by each workout more time is allowed for local recovery. Ellington Darden: Actually, I understated the time period. Important, you must have a clock or a watch with a second hand that you can place in plain sight. Since they were a few of the forerunners of High Intensity Training, one question I get about them is: How intense was their training? Mike Mentzer Photo Album. Ray Mentzer Workout How To Increase Muscle Density After multiple visits, Hutchins was hired in 1977 by our sports-medicine orthopedist to be his assistant. Sitting beside me as we watched the movie clips was a 69-year-old lifter from Kansas (yes, there were a few out-of-staters who attended). Home BLOG Products Online Courses Videos About Support Search. That question will go down in history with Who really killed JFK? Wrist roller, Day Three Sitting about 30 yards away was a man who was also examining slides and arranging them in a carousel. At a powerful 5'4", Franco was able to deadlift 750 pounds, bench press 525 pounds, and squat 655 pounds. Drew Baye: Do you have an interesting story about Ken Hutchins that you could share? Pullover He developed Bergers illness. Is the science of microtrauma and its alleged role in hypertrophy well understood? . Mike Mentzer | Profile | Bio | Stats - Generation Iron Was Arthur Jones the first person to introduce negative work to bodybuilding? Ive experimented with all styles of leg presses and this one is the hardest of all. Flat dumbbell fly (5 sets, 8 reps) 5. Olivas arms were round like a couple of bowling balls and Viators were massive and rock hard. So long as full effort can be engendered, 100% of strength and endurance capabilities can be exhausted with isometric exercise. Terms of Use - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy. McCutcheon believes in simple, get-as-strong-as-you-can, basic exercises. Mike Mentzer "Mr. Heavy Duty" - Fitness Volt I apply many of the techniques in my workouts each week. Ive heard Hutchins blast Coopers philosophy, but I never knew he had an influence on the Aerobics Center in Dallas purchasing Nautilus. Of course, the lower back is also stimulated because it is involved in the move. At that time, Cooper was the #1 running guru, as a result of a couple of best-selling books on aerobics. For your next workout, I want you to increase the resistance by 25 percent (which is 75 percent of your normal resistance for 10 repetitions). By age 15 he weighed 165 pounds and could bench press 370 pounds. 1-2 Sets of 6-8 Reps. Close Grip or Neutral Grip Pulldown. Chest & Back. With each contest, his proportions swelled, and fans stated at every "heavy duty" photograph they could find in the magazines. Ive seen visitors at close range, suddenly back off, as if they thought his gradually contracting biceps was going to explode. However, Ray used a variety of techniques to up the ante on his training. He consumed more than 60% of his daily calories as carbohydrates. Ray Mentzer had a different viewpoint. . Regarding what he learned from Ayn Rand, Mentzer said in an interview:. While many people know the basics of Heavy Duty training, the advanced techniques are known by only a few. As a result, I gave him some articles by Arthur Jones to ponder. MIKE MENTZER - The Untold Story - Muscular Development You can build up to it. As a result, Hutchins and I improvised a plan. At any rate, Ray was actually a really big, strong dude in his peak years, sometimes weighing in at a massive 270 pounds or more. What do you think of his not to fail sets? When an intermediate or advanced bodybuilder finds himself on a plateau, he is wise to consider cutting back on workout volume, while reasserting his commitment to a high intensity of effort. Ray had become a full-time competitor by the age of 23. Workout Systems: Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty - Poliquin Group The Mentzer brothers were fairly candid about the steroids they used, especially Ray if I remember correctly. But he had recently signed off on the purchase of two lines of Nautilus machines for his Aerobics Center in Dallas, primarily because of two hospitable Nautilus guys hed talked with one stormy night in the Atlanta Airport. My name is Val and I am Mike's close friend, pupil and protg. And Whitley achieved that without the help of creatine. Photography: To illustrate the history, I also have more than a hundred photographs from the 1970s that are placed throughout the text. Not-to-failure (NTF) workouts: Several chapters and a detailed chart illustrate precisely how to integrate NTF workouts into your standard HIT routines for best-possible results. Drew Baye: Why didnt Jones train his legs during the Colorado Experiment? Jones had driven from his home in Lake Helen, Florida, to Los Angeles and on the way back he stopped by Red Lerilles gym in Lafayette, Louisiana, and reassembled some of his initial Nautilus machines that he had displayed in California a week earlier. And what a training session it was. He was frequently up for a hard workout. While Mike showed little desire to train intensely in Lake Helen, Ray was just the opposite. Studies since then have confirmed much of what Jones believed concerning negative work. All rights reserved. Mike and Ray Mentzer Heavy Duty Training - Bodybuilding On June 12th, in York, Pennsylvania, at the 1971 Mr. America, Casey weighed 218 pounds and displayed his dominance by winning the main title and five of the six subdivisions . Did he ever do any amusing things around Nautilus? Ray, his brother, who is also suffering from illnesses, found him. And when you actually train with high-intensity, you don't need a lot of volume," Arthur Jones said. Ray frequently rested completely for 34 days after his rigorous training sessions. . The Tight Tan Slacks of Dezso Ban: Bill Pearl Interview - Dennis Weis Bodybuilding was a lot healthier then. The exact physiological processes aren't completely clear, but what happens on a muscle-training level is clear. Mike Mentzer's Real Workout Routine & Diet Plan Rest 2 to 3 minutes Maybe it was Martinas tone of voice, or maybe she forgot to say please, whatever it was, it didnt set right with Jones. (Delicious, Fresh, and Simple to make), Who is Michael Deluise? Mike Mentzer died in 2001 at 49. I think that the duration and intensity of effort are the main factors, not the range of motion. The video, available on Youtube, shows Mike and his brother Ray, train Markus Reinhardt at the Angel City Fitness gym in Los Angeles. In his first bodybuilding contest, he met the winner, Casey Viator. Wrist Curl, Day Two Mentzer's heavy-duty training system. Mike and his girlfriend, Julie McNew, came over to my home several times for dinner and we had some far-reaching conversations, none of which had much at all to do with bodybuilding. Spillane was younger, 21, lighter, 132 pounds, and had less genetic potential than did Hudlow. Drew Baye: When Nautilus hired you, did Ken visit you in Florida? According to Ray, he got more attention at the airport than Martina did, the dirty car turned her off, and the ride back to Lake Helen was hot, both in temperature and in conversation. Hutchins wanted to respond, but didnt. Mike Mentzer 3 day workout routine - Bodybuilding.com Forums I dont believe Casey ever got his muscular, competitive body weight above 220. 290 pounds on the Nautilus leg extension machine, I believe Ive done that much., Having cleared his throat, Mullen continued . Casey Viators training history at Nautilus provides an interesting example. During one of my stopovers in 1970, I introduced Hutchins to several Nautilus-styled HIT routines and I could tell he was impressed. Conroes head football coach, W. T. Stapler, who had been there for 10 years, told me that Hutchins bench-pressed 50 pounds more and dealifted 100 pounds more than the strongest guys on the team. No other HIT books covers NTF training. This would enable him to repair the muscular tissue that had been damaged by using really heavy weights and working through set failure. Overall, Im very pleased with whats happening with the book. Ray Mentzer Diet Plan, Workout Routine, Exercise, Body Measurements This would require a weight that would take you to failure in between 6 and 9 reps. Then, once you hit failure, keep going. Do Your Hormones Affect Weight Gain and Loss. Jones began immediately training Viator on a three-times-per-week schedule, and true to his expectations, Viator started growing. Thats an average of 2.85 pounds of muscle a day for 14 days. And he did so 41 times in 1970-71. Viator trained himself and slowly lost muscle and gained fat. Drew Baye: If you place those potential HIT users on the far left side a normal, bell-shaped curve, what would you label those on the far right side high-volume trainees? Out of curiosity, which one do you like the best? Compared to full-range exercise, Id have to say that full-range exercise given that youre dealing with healthy trainees would supply many more benefits. Leg curl - 1 x 16 reps Ellington Darden: Yes thats precisely what we were thinking. Don't let'em food you. We read the sarcastic and bitter attacks of strength coaches and naturally gifted weightmen who try to tell us that everyone knows that one-set-to-failure is an exercise philosophy that never really worked. Or a training partner with a watch can talk your through each phase. Again, he was judged an easy winner. He built a super, heavy duty hydraulic with a control that a training partner could operate. Known for his feats at the 1978 IFBB Mr. USA and 1979's, Ray was a sight to be seen during his prime. I trained him multiple times. Remember, this was on an advanced bodybuilder, the hardest specimen to realize real muscle growth because of being so close to his genetic potential. Drew Baye: That 18-1/2 pounds of muscle built by David Hudlow in two weeks seems almost too good to be true. "Many bodybuilders sell themselves short. Then release it for another positive. Leg Extension They say you can theoretically develop a great physique - even in you're not a genetic freak - in just five years if you apply their method of high intensity training. The man seemed to project a mesmerizing spell on us and we soon found our heads nodding to concepts that were directly against what we believed. After some small talk, he was going to ask him bluntly to define exercise. Leg Curl Breakdown (one drop in weight) Coe had more flat, oval-shaped, peaked upper arms than did either Viator or Oliva. It involves a very unique way to vary the repetition number, as well as the slowness of each repetition. Mike believed in training with a partner who can assist when reaching failure. Seriously, I know that most people will have great difficulty even locating a knowledgeable trainer, much less ever getting a personal training session from Arthur Jones. Squat Hutchins was mostly involved in the physical therapy side of Nautilus, which finally led to his supervisory position in a Nautilus-sponsored osteoporosis research project at the University of Florida Medical School in 1982. When Joe Cirulli, Jim Flanagan, Joe Mullen, and I visited Arthur Jones on July 29, 2004, some thought-provoking discussion took place concerning a new HIT concept. It was portable so they used it from station to station on a Marcy Multi-unit (similar to a Universal Machine). A few years later, a significantly more muscular Mentzer emerged in the IFBB and began an incredible career, climbing the ladder of national and international physique titles, growing gigantic in the process. Chest & Back. DORIAN YATES THEN AND NOW - Dave Draper It wasnt unusual for Jones to discuss various deals with well-known athletes, or their agents. So, Jones refocused on his personal training, cracked the whip as only he could, and Casey responded. As you can see, my book is distinct from the others. bussard_collector 1 yr. ago. Ray Mentzer's Mr. America Pec Routine - RX Muscle Forums That being the case, then I must go with chapter 16: shocking your hips and thighs. That reinforced to me that Ray Mentzer was the strongest man Ive ever trained, and Ive been training people for more than 40 years. Mentzer wrote several books about weight training. Jones was briefly introduced to Viator at the 1970 Mr. America contest in Los Angeles, where Casey placed third. Squats 1 Set x 6-8 Reps. iii. Mike Mentzer split What was the Mike Mentzer's training split? Published in the October 1971 Ironman, Viator's routine hit the bodybuilding world like a tsunami: three whole-body workouts per week, 20 all-out reps per set, sometimes only one set of an exercise and always very few working sets per bodypart. That year he also took part in AAU Mr. America and placed at 10th. Drew Baye: In your book, you also mention Mikes younger brother Ray. High-intensity training - Wikipedia 1-2 Sets of 6-8 Reps. Yates Barbell Row or One Arm Cable Row. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. His triceps, in particular, when viewed from behind, reminded one of two . Staying off stages for most of the rest of the decade, Viator worked for Jones at Nautilus until 1978. He also has several bars and 400 pounds of free weights. If isometrics are doing something to foster the creation of cross-bridges, I wonder if theres a performance-price to be paid elsewhere? Here is Mike Mentzer's chest routine: 1. In a relative sense, the so-called easiest stage will not seem at all easy. Drew Baye: When Jones trained someone, was he a stickler for form? Squats - 1 x 16 reps (Cooper was speaking at a hospitals grand opening the next morning.) Jones applied this concept frequently in the early 1970s, but seldom mentioned it in his writings and lectures. A careful look will reveal that your arms are actually worked hard on all three days, even though it's not always direct isolation. Bench press - 1 x 8 reps My first response is to say that intensity is more important when youre younger (from 15 to 40 years of age), and form is more important when your older (over 40). The only possible mechanism I can see working against isometrics is if the load is needed to shock the muscles into contracting more strongly than is possible voluntarily, even where the isometric trainer is very experienced and determined. And laugh all the way to the big-shirt store! He himself typically trained three times a week and his 30-minute workouts incorporated no more than 5 sets per body part. I was impressed. I do this by sharing stories, techniques, and routines the basics of which I experienced from being around Arthur Jones for more than 30 years. Get ready for an incredible pump. Doing low reps with a big weight was one of Rays main training tenets. Mike Mentzer's Final Days - The Truth! - Bodybuilding.com Tricep Extensions- 1 x 10 reps, Wednesday timed static contractions have become popular with some instructors for use with clients who cant perform certain exercises through a full range of motion due to physical problems or injuries. That curveball sent Martina scrambling for a phone. I followed Mentzer's prescribed routine in his Heavy Duty 2 Mind and Body book. Ive never taken Drews writings, comments as disdain for slow rep training. They shared an apartment after moving in together, and during the ensuing months, they became closer. Could someone from Nautilus pick her up at the Orlando International Airport the next day at 11:00 AM? Sure, if you can afford the luxury of having a knowledgeable personal trainer, or can team up with a great workout partner, take advantage of the opportunity. Are you struggling to build muscle or maintain your weight? Ray would subsequently go on to become a legend in the bodybuilding world with his vascular 20+ inch arms and then-unimaginable weight of 275 pounds. A little known fact is that Arthur Jones went through the same training program in Colorado as Casey, with one exception: He did no lower-body exercise. This crazy author thinks I want spaghetti arms! One deals with a follow-up to my 1995 book, Living Longer Stronger, which was written for men between the ages of 40 and 60. For this discussion, though, I'm considering conventional equipment which restricts most large-muscle moves to multijoint exercises. Drew Baye: Dr. Darden, which do you think is more important in getting the best results from HIT, intensity or form? The plain truth is that hundreds of thousands of men throughout the middle of the last century strengthened and built their bodies without drugs. Ray learned that Mike had severe cardiac problems while he was waiting for the kidney transplant, and Mike passed away on June 10th, 2001 as a result. Furthermore, he bench-pressed and deadlifted significantly more weight in 1970 than I did in 1962. GONE. Mike Mentzer's brother, Ray, put three-eights on an inch on his presumably larger upper arm in six weeks, performing no more direct arm work that chins and dips. He was observed performing a two-rep 900-pound squat during one of his evening workouts. He stood only 58u2032 yet packed 215 pounds of rock-solid muscle on his frame. We had been steam-rolled, and worse captivated somehow by what we heard. But first, the medical professionals had to determine whether Mikes kidney was compatible with Rays. Ray Mentzer was even stronger than Mike, right? Surprisingly, he moved them around his body as he talked and listened with an unassuming, childlike glee. Im grateful that Ive spent as much time as I have with both Jones and Hutchins. Gwyneth Paltrow: what is the secret of her great look and feeling at 50? High Intensity Training Mike and Ray Mentzer Style Ellington Darden: When I joined Arthur Jones and Nautilus in 1973, it wasnt long before Hutchins drove to Florida to see for himself what was happening. Generally, Mike Mentzers writings, success in contests, and inspiring photographs influenced bodybuilders everywhere to train harder and briefer. Ellington Darden: Arnold spent a week with Jones in November of 1970 and, unfortunately, I wasnt around then. Much of the credit goes to its nature as a big, three-joint exercise (hips, knees and ankles are all involved). by Greg Merritt. Dip Does recovery-pain have anything to do with microtrauma? But when someone or something emerged, Mike would jump overboard or make himself invisible. If you can accomplish 4 repetitions with this weight in 120 seconds, youll be ready to add the two pre-exhaustion exercises before you do the leg press. That reinforced to me that the weight gain was added muscle and not just water brought about from the creatine loading. He would exert himself to the point of muscle failure because of this. Created by, Ray Mentzer Diet Plan, Workout Routine, Exercise, Body Measurements, - Rate us if you are a Food Lover (Sugarzam.com). The legacy he left to those in the Iron Game is his controversial workout program, Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty. Ray would approach failure after the ninth rep because the weight would be too heavy.