# mike mentzer heavy duty



## stone14 (Mar 24, 2005)

has any1 ever followed mikes mentzers way of training

1 pre exhaust set (isolation exercice) then,

1set per exercise for a max of 3 exercises per body part 6-10 reps,a three way split training 2 days a week, and if that doesnt work he says you should do even less, iv just gettin his books 'Heavy duty i, and Heavy duty ii' just woundering if any1 had tryed it he says it all based on scientific research.


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## fits (Feb 3, 2004)

I have watched Mikes DVD and read one of his books and i was just saying to some one today that this morning i was reading an online interviw with him from a while ago, and his whole system makes so much sense! He backed his training up with science!

The only thing i dont like about it, is that when you start lifting real heavy weight, your joints may suffer. ALso i dont think many people actually go to total failure as mike sees it! it is an extream, brutal work out if done as mike suggests! you also HAVe to have a spotter/training partner!


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## Cookie (Sep 14, 2009)

Its works...if done right..

I used to use it on a couple of guys I was training a few years ago...totally shocked them that they could get bigger and stronger on just 2 workouts a week...lol..

But it has to be done sensibly(sp) and you have to have time off from time to time to let the body rest from the brutality of it..


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## stone14 (Mar 24, 2005)

i dont have a training partner for spooting, do you think i can still do this type of training without 1, i could use machines couldnt i?


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## stone14 (Mar 24, 2005)

i mean spoting not spooting!


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## big (Sep 14, 2004)

Yes, Mentzer's routines are excellent for many trainees. They are low volume, high intensity, with progressive resistance. However, Mentzer never worked in any deloading into his routines, which leaves trainees with excellent gains for 4-6 weeks, and then nowhere to go.

You will need a spotter, as the point of the program is to go to complete positive failure.


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## andy78139 (Oct 11, 2004)

I disagree, Im not totally sure what u mean by "deloading", but Mentzer did state as the intensity increased the need for recovery also increased. Therefore include randomly inserted extra rest days and periodical dropping of a set from a workout.

Mentzer also designed a consolidation workout for those with poor recovery or those at a very advanced level.

Mentzer also suggested the periodical usage of forced reps, static holds, negatives, rest-pause, omni-contraction to increase intensity. Trainees do have somewhere to go after 4-6 weeks!

I use Mentzers methods exclusively- 3-5 sets per workout every 4-5 days.


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## big (Sep 14, 2004)

andy78139 said:


> I disagree, Im not totally sure what u mean by "deloading", but Mentzer did state as the intensity increased the need for recovery also increased. Therefore include randomly inserted extra rest days and periodical dropping of a set from a workout.
> 
> Mentzer also designed a consolidation workout for those with poor recovery or those at a very advanced level.
> 
> ...


Deloading is backing off (lowering intensity for a time and then ramping back up). No routine, not even Mentzer's works forever unless you change the loading parameters significantly at some point. However, in his texts, Mentzer said if a routine doesn't work continually, then it's not a good routine. We know that for 99% of trainees, they will never find a routine that allows them to do this as almost everyone needs downtime and a change.

Towards the end of his life, Mentzer allegedly admitted to some of the clients he was training that it WAS sensible to deload and not train to failure at some points... however, he had invested so much time and money in promoting the "always train to total muscular failure" method that it wasn't possible for him to go back on this publically.

Mentzer's routines will always be one of my favourite routines. Let's face it - they're low volume routines with progressive resistance, so they're bound to work for many people (although are actually TOO intense for many to recover from). However, his routines should be used as part of a bigger macro training cycle in my opinion, not the holy grail of how to train.


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