A guide to training like Mike Mentzer: Work Smarter not Harder.

[Gigatyrone69]

If you want to dig deeper into how Mike Mentzer trained:

Thread legends:
White = Unnecessary
Orange = half necessary/unnecessary
Red = vital knowledge
(Yap): An Introduction to Mike Mentzer:​

Mike Mentzer (November 15, 1951 – June 10, 2001) was an American IFBB professional, businessman and author.
Mike Mentzer was born on November 15, 1951, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and was of German descent. In grammar school and Ephrata High School, he received "all A's." He credits his 12th grade teacher, Elizabeth Schaub, for his "love of language, thought, and writing." In 1975, he started attending the University of Maryland as a pre-med student where his hours away from the gym were spent in the study of "genetics, physical chemistry, and organic chemistry." After three years of study at the University of Maryland he dropped out. He said his ultimate goal during that period was to become a psychiatrist.
Mentzer started bodybuilding when he was 11 years old at a body weight of 95 lb (43 kg) after seeing the men on the covers of several muscle magazines. His father had bought him a set of weights and an instruction booklet. The booklet suggested that he train no more than three days a week, so Mike did just that. He attended the first Mr. Olympia and later said: “The 1965 Mr. Olympia contest was almost a religious experience for me."[10] By age 15, his body weight had reached 165 lb (75 kg), at which Mike could bench press 370 lb (170 kg)[citation needed]. Mike's goal at the time was to look like his bodybuilding hero, Bill Pearl. After graduating high school, Mentzer served four years in the United States Air Force. It was during this time he started working out over three hours a day, six days a week.[6]

Mentzer started competing in local physique contests when he was 18 years old and attended his first contest in 1969. In 1971, Mentzer entered and won the Mr. Lancaster contest. In 1971 he suffered his worst defeat, placing 10th at the AAU Mr. America, which was won by Casey Viator. Mentzer considered his presence at this contest important later on, as he met Viator, who gave Mentzer the contact information for his trainer Arthur Jones. Due to a severe shoulder injury, he was forced to quit training from 1971 to 1974. In early 1975, however, he resumed training and returned to competition in 1975 at the Mr. America contest, placing third behind Robby Robinson and Roger Callard. Mentzer went on to win the competition the following year in 1976. He won the 1977 North America championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and competed a week later at the 1977 Mr. Universe in Nîmes, France, placing second to Kal Szkalak. In 1978, Mentzer won the Mr. Universe in Acapulco, Mexico with the first and only perfect 300 score. He became a professional bodybuilder after that 1978 Universe win.

Mike Mentzer's Training and routine:​

Mike Mentzer's training and routine have been no stranger in the world of bodybuilding and fitness. Many gym bros often use Mike Mentzer's routine since they believe it brings the most optimal result for gains, and they're true about it.

The key difference from Mike Mentzer's training as compared to other types of training in the gym, (Arnold's split ,PPL, and bro splits), is that all the other workouts I just mentioned rather tend to waste 2 - 3 fucking hours of time when it comes to workout out certain parts of the upper and lower body, and sell that method as a workout when in reality you just decrease your intensity in your workouts every time you switch from one muscle to another.
Mike Mentzer at the time knew it was bullshit to be working out for that long of a time, which is why in his workout he opted for only 1 set at a time, and a training time that shouldn't really last over the 30 minute mark.
Once you crossed the 30 minute mark, you shouldn't be seeing a single fucking gym in the next 96 hours, because Mike Mentzer understood the Importance of rest, for how it affected the metabolism in your body, and how fast your muscles could recover from each workout.
This would mean that the more days and time you progressed with Mike Mentzer's split, it would mean that the more intensity that you would gradually incline as you gained more muscle mass, which also means that more rest days you would have to take. This can range from 5 days up until 7 days, with the 30 minute primarily being your own choice as if you want to increase/decrease the time.
Okay, now it's time for the actual important part about his workout, his splits:
DAY 1: CHEST AND BACK:
1. PEC DECK: 6 - 10 REPS / 2 SETS
2. INCLINE PRESS: 6 - 10 REPS: / 1 SET
3. CLOSE GRIP PULL DOWNS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
4. DEADLIFTS: 5-8 REPS / 1 SET
DAY 2: LEGS:
1. LEG EXTENSIONS: 8 - 15 REPS / 2 SETS
2. LEG PRESS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
3. STANDING CALF RAISES: 12 - 20 REPS / 1 SET
DAY 3: ARMS:
1. BARBELL/BICEP CURLS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
2. TRICEPS PRESS DOWNS: 6 - 10 REPS / 2 SETS
3. DIPS: 3 - 5 REPS / 1 SET
DAY 4: LEGS:
1. LEG EXTENSIONS: 8 - 15 REPS / 2 SETS
2. LEG PRESS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
3. STANDING CALF RAISES: 12 - 20 REPS / 1 SET
Remember to rest for 4 days after each workout.

Extra things that are worth mentioning:
Meth: Although Mike mentzer didn't actually properly use meth throughout his bodybuilding career, he did use amphetamines such as adderall or ritalin to increase focus in the gym.
Roids: Mike Mentzer wasn't keen on listing more common use of roids like test and tren, but he did admit back in a year 2000 interview, that he used Durabolin every 10 - 14 days, and that he would take no more than five dianabol a day.
Perks?: Training for lower volume and higher intensity tends to add more muscle given the low amount of time and sets, which makes it not only great for the gym, but for normies who have to wage their 9 - 5 jobs, as they only have to work out once every 96 hours/4 days.
TLDR:
Mike's workout is good since it's time effective, builds more muscle and strength then arnold's split, PPL, bro splits, etc, and encourages Meth use which is good and healthy for the body.
EXTRA: some before and after images of the workout:

Mirin?​

 

[PROMETHEUS]

Gay greycel trying to larp high iq

You can’t just copy & paste an article for rep farming

Also shit formatting

@Gengar lock thread

 

[cytoplasm]

Just train a muscle group every other week theory

 

[CarrotMaxxer]

ngl this thread is pretty shit but its better than 99% of all other threads here so I respect it

 

[alien]

As a gymcel, I am disappointed in you for having bought into the snake oil that is Mike Mentzer's HIT (High Intensity Training).

If you want to look like you lift, ideally you need to be training at least 3 days a week. I do a 4-day upper/lower split. 6-day ppl (push/pull/legs) is in these days. But I really don't feel like driving to the gym 6 days a week. lmfao. I try to fit in as much push and pull as I can on my upper body days.

In order to grow optimally, ideally, you want to be doing light weight, high rep, high volume training (a lot of idiots really go overboard with volume though. Even though they're just dudes trying to look like Chad and not tryna get a IFBB Pro Card) with proper range of motion and slow eccentric, time under tension, controlling the weight, mind-muscle connection. If you are in a rush to add weight to the bar, your range of motion and form is more likely to be compromised. You're more likely to use momentum and surrounding muscles other than the target muscle to lift the weight. You're more likely to rush the eccentric. Which kills most of your muscle gains.

Also hitting chest, back and arms only once every 16 days is a fucking joke. lmfao. Ideally you need to train each muscle twice a week or more. Due to time constraints and being unable to live in the gym, most people are only going to have time to train each muscle twice a week. For 3-day full body and 4-day upper/lower programs, where you don't have much time, its common to only have time to hit some muscles only once a week. But once every 16 days is silly. At least Mentzer has you doing legs once every 8 days.

 

[Gaygymmaxx]

If you want to dig deeper into how Mike Mentzer trained:

Thread legends:
White = Unnecessary
Orange = half necessary/unnecessary
Red = vital knowledge
(Yap): An Introduction to Mike Mentzer:​

Mike Mentzer (November 15, 1951 – June 10, 2001) was an American IFBB professional, businessman and author.
Mike Mentzer was born on November 15, 1951, in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and was of German descent. In grammar school and Ephrata High School, he received "all A's." He credits his 12th grade teacher, Elizabeth Schaub, for his "love of language, thought, and writing." In 1975, he started attending the University of Maryland as a pre-med student where his hours away from the gym were spent in the study of "genetics, physical chemistry, and organic chemistry." After three years of study at the University of Maryland he dropped out. He said his ultimate goal during that period was to become a psychiatrist.
Mentzer started bodybuilding when he was 11 years old at a body weight of 95 lb (43 kg) after seeing the men on the covers of several muscle magazines. His father had bought him a set of weights and an instruction booklet. The booklet suggested that he train no more than three days a week, so Mike did just that. He attended the first Mr. Olympia and later said: “The 1965 Mr. Olympia contest was almost a religious experience for me."[10] By age 15, his body weight had reached 165 lb (75 kg), at which Mike could bench press 370 lb (170 kg)[citation needed]. Mike's goal at the time was to look like his bodybuilding hero, Bill Pearl. After graduating high school, Mentzer served four years in the United States Air Force. It was during this time he started working out over three hours a day, six days a week.[6]

Mentzer started competing in local physique contests when he was 18 years old and attended his first contest in 1969. In 1971, Mentzer entered and won the Mr. Lancaster contest. In 1971 he suffered his worst defeat, placing 10th at the AAU Mr. America, which was won by Casey Viator. Mentzer considered his presence at this contest important later on, as he met Viator, who gave Mentzer the contact information for his trainer Arthur Jones. Due to a severe shoulder injury, he was forced to quit training from 1971 to 1974. In early 1975, however, he resumed training and returned to competition in 1975 at the Mr. America contest, placing third behind Robby Robinson and Roger Callard. Mentzer went on to win the competition the following year in 1976. He won the 1977 North America championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and competed a week later at the 1977 Mr. Universe in Nîmes, France, placing second to Kal Szkalak. In 1978, Mentzer won the Mr. Universe in Acapulco, Mexico with the first and only perfect 300 score. He became a professional bodybuilder after that 1978 Universe win.

Mike Mentzer's Training and routine:​

Mike Mentzer's training and routine have been no stranger in the world of bodybuilding and fitness. Many gym bros often use Mike Mentzer's routine since they believe it brings the most optimal result for gains, and they're true about it.

The key difference from Mike Mentzer's training as compared to other types of training in the gym, (Arnold's split ,PPL, and bro splits), is that all the other workouts I just mentioned rather tend to waste 2 - 3 fucking hours of time when it comes to workout out certain parts of the upper and lower body, and sell that method as a workout when in reality you just decrease your intensity in your workouts every time you switch from one muscle to another.
Mike Mentzer at the time knew it was bullshit to be working out for that long of a time, which is why in his workout he opted for only 1 set at a time, and a training time that shouldn't really last over the 30 minute mark.
Once you crossed the 30 minute mark, you shouldn't be seeing a single fucking gym in the next 96 hours, because Mike Mentzer understood the Importance of rest, for how it affected the metabolism in your body, and how fast your muscles could recover from each workout.
This would mean that the more days and time you progressed with Mike Mentzer's split, it would mean that the more intensity that you would gradually incline as you gained more muscle mass, which also means that more rest days you would have to take. This can range from 5 days up until 7 days, with the 30 minute primarily being your own choice as if you want to increase/decrease the time.
Okay, now it's time for the actual important part about his workout, his splits:
DAY 1: CHEST AND BACK:
1. PEC DECK: 6 - 10 REPS / 2 SETS
2. INCLINE PRESS: 6 - 10 REPS: / 1 SET
3. CLOSE GRIP PULL DOWNS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
4. DEADLIFTS: 5-8 REPS / 1 SET
DAY 2: LEGS:
1. LEG EXTENSIONS: 8 - 15 REPS / 2 SETS
2. LEG PRESS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
3. STANDING CALF RAISES: 12 - 20 REPS / 1 SET
DAY 3: ARMS:
1. BARBELL/BICEP CURLS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
2. TRICEPS PRESS DOWNS: 6 - 10 REPS / 2 SETS
3. DIPS: 3 - 5 REPS / 1 SET
DAY 4: LEGS:
1. LEG EXTENSIONS: 8 - 15 REPS / 2 SETS
2. LEG PRESS: 6 - 10 REPS / 1 SET
3. STANDING CALF RAISES: 12 - 20 REPS / 1 SET
Remember to rest for 4 days after each workout.

Extra things that are worth mentioning:
Meth: Although Mike mentzer didn't actually properly use meth throughout his bodybuilding career, he did use amphetamines such as adderall or ritalin to increase focus in the gym.
Roids: Mike Mentzer wasn't keen on listing more common use of roids like test and tren, but he did admit back in a year 2000 interview, that he used Durabolin every 10 - 14 days, and that he would take no more than five dianabol a day.
Perks?: Training for lower volume and higher intensity tends to add more muscle given the low amount of time and sets, which makes it not only great for the gym, but for normies who have to wage their 9 - 5 jobs, as they only have to work out once every 96 hours/4 days.
TLDR:
Mike's workout is good since it's time effective, builds more muscle and strength then arnold's split, PPL, bro splits, etc, and encourages Meth use which is good and healthy for the body.
EXTRA: some before and after images of the workout:
View attachment 2800537

View attachment 2800540View attachment 2800548View attachment 2800542

Mirin?​

Mr mentzer and his genius scheme to derail the competition with awful advice

Jfl if you actually are hitting the gym less than twice a week. "Make sure to rest for 4 days after training "

Maybe rest that muscle for 4 days. But that's ridiculous

 

[coispet]

Mentzer told everyone he trained low volume high intensity to decrease competition

He was a dirty rat

 

[Azonin]

no one cares

 

[chadcel;]

You need to take meth like Mentzer for his routines to work tho