The Mike Mentzer high-intensity training style became massively popular in the 80s and 90s and influenced a wide variety of bodybuilders including Dorian Yates.
Dorian credited his (Mike Mentzer) training principles to his training style after winning Mr. Olympia the first time.
“The single most important factor is intensity of effort” – Mike Mentzer
Mike Mentzer was focused on high-intensity, low-volume training, capitalizing on a six to nine-rep range. The three techniques Heavy Duty prescribed most, were forced reps, negative reps, and rest-pause.
Mike believed in training with a partner who can assist when reaching failure. The training partner would assist in forced reps removing enough stress to two to three forced reps.
For negative reps, the training partner would raise the weight so it could be lowered as slowly as possible for an extended negative.
Further, the training partner would act as a spotter for the rest-pause set as the lifter would add “singles” with time in between single rep mini sets.
Contrary to what most people think, Mike Mentzer would warm up his clients with a few lighter-weight sets, using a slow cadence and controlled form with no momentum.
Mike often reminded his trainees:
“Remember, you have three levels of strength, the positive which is the lifting and the weakest, the static or the holding which is stronger than the positive, then the negative which is the lowering and the strongest.”
Cadence was instructed with 4 to 5-second positives, held for 5 seconds, and then 4 to 5-second negatives.
Often using super sets with a slow cadence was a key to the HIT program.
Let’s break down his workout routine.
Mike Mentzer’s HIT Workout Program
Day One – Chest, Back
- Incline Press Warm Up – 3 x 12
- Peck Deck super set with incline press rest pause set – 1 set
- Lat Pull downs Warm Up – 1 set
- Pull overs super set with lat pull downs –1 set
- Deadlift – 4 sets
Day Two – Legs
- Leg Press Warm Up – 3 x 8 to 3
- Leg Extensions SS with Leg Press – 1 set
- Leg Curls SS with Calf Raise – 1 set
Day Three – Delts, Biceps and Triceps
- Delt Flys Warm Up – 2 set
- Delt Lateral Flys – 1 set
- Delt Rear Flys – 1 set
- Barbell Curl Warm Up – 1 set
- Barbell Curl – 1 set
- Triceps Extensions SS with Machine Dips – 1 set
“Viewers don’t make the issue of going to failure complicated, when you can’t do one more positive rep in proper form, then that’s it”
Watch The Mike Mentzer HIT Workout Video Below:
Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty & HIT Wrap Up
- Go to full-rep failure in the six to nine-rep range. Try to grow increasingly stronger in this range.
- Always maintain proper form.
- Push sets past failure with forced reps and negatives.
- Always maintain proper form.
- Push sets past failure with forced reps and negatives.
- Rest-pause is another excellent method of transcending failure.
- Divide your body parts into two workouts and allow 48 hours of rest between workouts.
For example, do workout A on Monday, B on Wednesday, A on Friday, and B on Sunday (or Monday, if you prefer to take weekends off).
This program is perfect for muscle hypertrophy. If you feel like you’re stuck and spinning your wheels, incorporating the 5-5-5 rep cadence, static holds, rest-pause, and supersets will undoubtedly kickstart new muscle growth.
Mike Mentzer: My Most Productive Workout Frequency
High-Intensity Training Summary
If you’re looking to get maximum results in the minimum amount of time, Mike Mentzer’s high-intensity training is the way to go.
This type of training was made popular by Mike Mentzer, who believed that short, high-intensity workouts were more effective than long, drawn-out ones.
High-intensity training has several benefits. First, it is very efficient. A high-intensity workout can be over in 30 minutes, whereas a traditional workout might take an hour or more.
Second, high-intensity workouts are very effective at burning fat. You can burn more fat in a shorter period with high-intensity training than with any other type of exercise.
Finally, high-intensity workouts help to build lean muscle mass. This type of training is the best way to get toned and sculpted arms, legs, and abs!
Write down Mike’s HIT program and start growing your muscles today!
Arthur Jones
Arthur Jones, the creator of Nautilus exercise equipment, developed high-intensity training in the 1970s. Jones was a scientist and believed that working muscles to failure can stimulate muscle growth.
Mentzer, who used the high-intensity training principles, was a champion bodybuilder who used high-intensity training to sculpt his physique making him a feared competitor in the now-famous Mr. Olympia contest.
The idea behind high-intensity training is to work your muscles hard, and then allow them to recover fully before working them again. This type of training is very effective for building muscle and burning fat.
Arthur Jones Full Body HIT with Boyer Coe
This serves as an introduction to the philosophy of heavy-duty training and the strategic manipulation of bodybuilding exercises for competitive bodybuilders.
Brief History of Arthur Jones
Arthur Jones is considered one of the fathers of modern fitness in the bodybuilding community. He was the inventor of the Nautilus machines, and his contributions to the industry have been unmatched.
In this section, we will look at Arthur Jones’ history and examine his impact on the fitness world.
Arthur Jones was born in 1932 in Deland, Florida. He was a gifted athlete and excelled in both football and track and field.
After graduating from high school, Arthur attended the Georgia Institute of Technology on a football scholarship. It was there that he first became interested in weightlifting and strength training.
Arthur’s college career was cut short due to an injury, but his passion for strength training continued. He began experimenting with different methods of heavy-duty training, and his findings soon caught the attention of Joe Weider – one of the most influential figures in the fitness industry.
Arthur began working with Weider, and together they developed what would become known as Nautilus Training – a revolutionary approach to resistance training that is still used today.
Arthur’s work with Nautilus Training helped to change the way people viewed fitness and exercise. His machines were designed to provide a safer and more efficient way to train, and his methods have been used by some of the most famous athletes in the world.
Arthur Jones passed away in 2007, but his legacy continues through the many innovations he made in the fitness industry.
Thanks to Arthur Jones, we can enjoy a healthier and more active lifestyle.
In a world full of non-thinkers it’s refreshing to come across a thinking man’s bodybuilder like Mike Mentzer.
Below are several tape recordings of the late Mike Mentzer.
Enjoy this knowledge Mike left for us.
Mike Mentzer: The Logical Path to Successful Bodybuilding (Tape 1/4)
Mike Mentzer: Fundamentals of Muscular Development (Tape 2/4)
Mike Mentzer: Fundamentals of Muscular Development (Tape 2/4)
Mike Mentzer: Bodybuilding Nutrition De-Mystified (Tape 3/4)
Mike Mentzer: The Man and the Controversy (Tape 4/4)
