Out of curiosity, which one do you like the best? . 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. In mid-February 1971, Jones noted that Casey was down to 205 pounds and was smoother than hes been since he moved to Florida. I would love for it to be wrong, but hey, it might be right. Who is he? Twenty reps, Arthur repeated, after asking us about his progress, hell, he can do 50 with each leg. Over the next three minutes, Viator not only did 50 reps, but 2 more for good measure. Mike & Ray Mentzer - In the Gym. Because organized properly, you get better results. Try this routine and let the detractors claim you do 'roids, sneak in extra sets after the gym closes or you're naturally muscular. Incline press - 1 x 8 reps Ive modified my own workouts and training schedule considerably after reading the book, and am already noticing improvements in my progress. Ellington Darden: Now were talking about a probable world record for muscular growth, but as I point out in chapter 3 of my book, Viator had been in a disabling accident and his muscles had atrophied. Mike Mentzer Photo Album. In the summer of 1979, if you had viewed an upstart, 27-year-old philosopher and former pre-med student with the alliterative name Mike Mentzer as he prepared to make his Olympia debut by trading sets with his youngest brother Ray (who won that year's Mr. America), it would've looked like some sort of madness. 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. 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. 2 Sets of 6-8 Reps. Bent-Over Barbell Row (Mentzer Style) or Wide Grip Cable Row. I once read about Ray Mentzer training legs once a month! I dont believe Casey ever got his muscular, competitive body weight above 220. It was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts. Among these regimens was the well-known Heavy Duty Training.. Joness personal form when he trained himself was impeccable. The real secret to building huge MUSCLE MASS & STRENGTH is HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING! Take the hips and thighs as an example. I believe that after you read The New High Intensity Training, you will be too. Heavy Duty: Mike Mentzer's Most Productive Routine, by John Little. What muscular biceps and full triceps he possessed. He stood only 5'8 yet packed 215 pounds of rock-solid muscle on his . Is that correct? Some people accuse him of writing the same book over and over, with just a different twist to the training method, or geared towards a different audience. Then, he discusses how he merged his experiences into his latest publication, The New High Intensity Training Introduction Wrist roller, Day Three And of course, lets not forget about that middle 68 percent, the wishy-washy majority, who have trouble believing seriously in any training philosophy for very long. McCutcheon trains by himself in his basement. But when someone or something emerged, Mike would jump overboard or make himself invisible. He would exert himself to the point of muscle failure because of this. But trainees have found overall strength and size increases as a result of squatting - even when it is the only exercise performed for long periods. Mentzer preached high-intensity exercise once a week or once every five to seven days and stressed that 20-30 minutes were ideal for achieving maximum muscle stimulation. 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. Olivas arms were round like a couple of bowling balls and Viators were massive and rock hard. Drugs, hormone injections, implants, and who knows what else, have destroyed professional bodybuilding today. For 90 percent of his exercising, he never used an Olympic barbell. Just like his brother he strongly believed in training with a high intensity doing heavy weights with only 6 to 8 reps. Ellington Darden: I certainly think timed static contractions have value. Answer: Mike trained very, very intensely as did Ray. 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. So, be prepared to train alone. Then release it for another positive. He died in 2001 from heart complications. The lobby was even more crowded, so I had to kneel on the floor beside Hutchins. Hutchins lifts, he said, always motivated the players to get stronger, but none ever exceeded Kens poundages. Sadly the whole Menter family seemed to have health problems and all died at a fairly young age, the most shocking was that Mike Mentzer died of heart failure at 49 years old and Ray from kidney failure just a few days later at only 47 years old. Ray had become a full-time competitor by the age of 23. Joe Mullen, a former Nautilus club owner, recently told me that he saw Ray go through a HIT workout in 1999. 1-2 Sets of 6-8 Reps. Close Grip or Neutral Grip Pulldown. The other key component of HIT is the low workout volume. Ray and Mike both visited their mother while she was in the hospital. That year he also took part in AAU Mr. America and placed at 10th. Mike Mentzer Heavy Duty Workout Is One of the Hottest Topic in Bodybuilding. Ray and his teammates would move incredibly heavy objects while taking a lot of pauses. It will be reintroduced under the name of DrDarden.com, and it will include a lot of new and old stuff related to HIT. But now, judging from the photo spreads in the magazines, its ridiculous. And there was Marvin Eder, who never achieved Mr. America, but it was clear from the film that he should have won in the early 1950s. Day One This is where his training progressed. Thats right, Ray Mentzer did single leg extensions in a normal positive-negative manner with 290 pounds, which is equivalent to handling 580 pounds with both legs. As HIT decreased its following from 16 to 8 percent, high-volume training (HVT) increased its numbers from 16 to 24 percent. The sad story does not end here. 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. Ray was forced to wait for a different donor. Arthur Jones frequently said that when he trained Viator, Casey got bigger and leaner, by the day. (Cooper was speaking at a hospitals grand opening the next morning.) By Paul Becker. Ray was the first bodybuilder I ever saw who weighed 250 pounds or more, in fairly lean condition. Make no mistake here. If they had two or three guys they would do negatives and incorporate stutter reps. Rest pause can be incorporated without too much outside assistance or energy expended for training partners if you have the right machines and even with free weights on some exercises like barbell curls, laterals, etc. Jones was briefly introduced to Viator at the 1970 Mr. America contest in Los Angeles, where Casey placed third. Also, my soreness from deadlifts lasted an entire 7 or 8 days! Ray thought that by using these techniques to extend his time under tension, he would improve his muscle growth. He reached a bodyweight of 75kg by age fifteen. "Editing Workout was one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done," Mike claims. Shoulder presses, declines, inclines, pull-downs, curls, etc. The entire movement needs to be fluid and controlled. This is a great way to isolate a muscle that tends to miss it due to less-than-perfect form. But I believe its a reasonable goal to aim for one-tenth of that number during the first year after publication. DW: I was wondering when you talk about training 20 sets for the biceps 3 times a week, what you think about the lower-volume, high-intensity training that Mike and Ray Mentzer use. When Casey trained himself, according to Jones, he gradually lost muscle and got fatter. Known for his feats at the 1978 IFBB Mr. USA and 1979's, Ray was a sight to be seen during his prime. Triceps ExtensionSuper-slow Andy McCutcheon and High Intensity Training. Leg ext - 1 x 16 reps Mike Mentzer's training style developed from HIT, High-Intensity Training that was founded by Arthur Jones in the 70's. Mentzer though, built on this model, opted for a 'Heavy Duty' variation. Press Behind Neck. Bent Over rows Halfway through the photo shoot, I could tell that Carol was quickly getting a handle on the subject matter. Mike Mentzer. Born in 1941, Franco Columbu was a Strongman competitor and bodybuilder who won two Mr. Olympia titles: in 1976 and 1981. If you read nutrition labels, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and maltose, all refer to sugar. Furthermore, he was generally thought of as being anti-strength training, anti-HIT, and anti-Nautilus. Bench Press Ray continued working out diligently behind the scenes even though he was no longer in the spotlight on the bodybuilding stage. Finally, it was the middle of April, a month before the Jr. Mr. America, and Jones realized that if he doesnt return to training Casey, Casey might get beat at the national event. Drew Baye: Did you ever train Arnold Schwarzenegger when he visited Nautilus? Ive experimented with all styles of leg presses and this one is the hardest of all. I am in no way against slow reps a person is better off moving too slowly than too quickly during exercise I just havent seen any convincing evidence that moving any more slowly during exercise than necessary to maintain strict form provides any additional benefit in terms of strength or hypertrophy. Flat barbell bench press (5 sets, 6-8 reps) 3. He was that strong. Terms of Use - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy. He seemed to be in a perpetual training drift, looking for someone or something to take his oars and row him to shore. HIT, of course, is the system of high-intensity training developed by Arthur Jones and codified and popularized by Darden, who was director of research for Nautilus Sports/Medical Industries, the company Jones founded, for more than 20 years. But in my experience, sooner or later, youre going to have to train alone and youre going to have to push yourself. Here is where indirect effect comes in. I think back then they relied on blood,sweat,tears more than juice,which sadly . Once I saw her creative design and layout, I realized that she had leapfrogged significantly my other bodybuilding books. As you age, your body undergoes changes With Valentines Day just around the corner, everyone is looking for gift ideas and ways to spend time with their special Jonathan Majors is a fitness and actor model featured in Fitness Magazines and Workout DVDs and has even been on the Have you ever wondered how to get bigger arms and why it is essential to have them? (No commercial intended, but the book will truly help.). Two days later, Ray died from complications from his long battle with Berger's disease. I do think, however, that the creatine monohydrate formula was responsible for from 25 to 30 percent of the results. She called a cab and within 15 minutes, was on her way to Orlando. Drew Baye: I also think that the bodybuilder you use to illustrate your HIT exercises has an outstanding build. Viator trained himself and slowly lost muscle and gained fat. 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. What I see is experimentation and progression in both methods and teaching them over time refinement. Surely, with the correct instruction and motivation, we can turn a reasonable percentage of them into HIT believers. 1 1/4 Reps - After bringing the bar into a contracted position, let it return only one-quarter of the way, then contract it again. Concerning volume, if youre on a reduced-calorie diet to lose fat, you can shorten your HIT routine to only 4 or 5 exercises per session and make excellent results. All of these champions were drug-free and I must emphasize that there were some very well built men in the 40s and 50s. . To compound the loss of Mike, on June 11th, at approximately 9:00 PM, Ray died in his sleep. Of course Grimek and Reeves stood out, but so did Steve Stanko, Mr. America 1944, who was more massive than Grimek. Bill Pearl was a major influence on Rays bodybuilding. He quickly competed in and won the Junior Mr. America and IFBB Mr. America competitions. Friday Mike suffered a heart attack while he was sleeping. Drew Baye: Besides Casey Viator, Sergio Oliva, and Mike Mentzer, who are some of the other big-name bodybuilders that you worked with? "Many bodybuilders sell themselves short. By Steve Wedan (visit his website at www.SteveWedanArt.com). Plus, I had a fairly good setup in my parents garage, and when I visited my parents during the holidays and summer, Hutchins would often join me for workouts. Look at the workout accompanying this article for a few minutes. 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. Someone somewhere should be doing a large-scale research project to help us understand more about their place in short- and long-term exercise. Ellington Darden: Over the last 25 years, I worked with a lot of major publishing houses, such as Little Brown, Simon & Schuster, Contemporary Books, and Putnam. And youre correct, youd have thought that with his devotion to hard training, hed have been on cloud nine. Ray Mentzer has weighed in at 270 and Lou Ferrigno has competed around 300 pounds. In the past, with my bodybuilding books from other publishers, I had always worked with a man on the design and layout. So, during the experiment, he was rebuilding previously existing levels of muscular size. Ken always came back for more, and perhaps most importantly, asked intelligent questions. Thank goodness, Hutchins and I were not seated near Cooper, as our heads and necks needed rest. When a trainee thought he was finished, Jones could always get at least two more reps from that individual. We then expected some locking of horns to occur. And his size increase is all the more impressive for having been accomplished while getting leaner. Binges on spoonfuls of butter straight from the carton. . Do you want to As a bodybuilder, your goal is to increase your muscle mass. Besides training Viator over the next year, Jones would make sure he entered all the national bodybuilding contests. 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 happened to Mike and Ray Mentzer? Employ forced reps when possible. My name is Val and I am Mike's close friend, pupil and protg. Each set lasted more than 20 seconds longer as a result of the stutter reps. Of course Ell writes and says a lot of the same things Arthur did it was his job. To this day, Im a firm believer in strength training the neck, for both athletes and nonathletes. Ray Mentzer Workout How To Increase Muscle Density Ray Mentzer Bodybuilder Ray Mentzer (brother of Mike Mentzer) was Mr. USA 1978 and Mr. America 1979. Family, Partner, Biography, How to make Garlic Dressing? Ray might actually have been the first bodybuilder to weigh that much and still be fairly lean. Miller cant understand why anyone interested in lifting and bodybuilding would want to get involved with drugs. No problem, he simply dropped down on one knee in front of Cooper and continued. Make them alternate days, and try to rest on your off days. "The routine I followed was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts - The first workout would be legs, chest and triceps; the . Drew Baye: In Joness 1973 Colorado Experiment, how much muscle did Casey Viator gain during the first two weeks? Also, pushing the forearm down into a flat surface, like a table-top, and applying tension via controlled bodyweight to perform very slow gruelling triceps extensions (with equal emphasis in the negatives in both exercises). Is there anything Im missing here? You can make it work for you. He had the knack of saying or doing whatever was necessary to get the desired response, which in most cases was more repetitions. Calf Raise1 1/4 reps Does recovery-pain have anything to do with microtrauma? Indirect effect can be thought of as a sort of ripple effect. The team was composed of several all-state players, each of whom weighed well over 225 pounds. He handled almost the entire weight stack on every Nautilus machine and his workout was almost equal to what Casey Viator could have done in his prime. McCutcheon believes in simple, get-as-strong-as-you-can, basic exercises. In actuality, Rays workouts were limited to 45 minutes. He achieved the same in the AAU Mr. America competition one year later. 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. So we use the body's abilities to create inroads into existing strength to our advantage. Breakdowns - This practice involves stripping off about 10% of the resistance you're using and grinding out a few more reps. You can opt to drop the poundage once or twice a week, depending on how much intensity you're ready for. nurse at Ephrata Community Hospital years ago. Bodybuilding Titles Won And Mike made at least one appearance at the old Lancaster Health Spa. Ken and I, for several years, had tried various approaches during Nautilus seminars to debate people who believed they needed daily aerobic activity to be healthy. He was at rep 15 and Arthur walked into the gym with a couple of people. While many people know the basics of Heavy Duty training, the advanced techniques are known by only a few. 2022 Sugar Zam. He accepted Joness pushing to a magnitude that few people could have stomached. And he did so 41 times in 1970-71. Incline dumbbell fly (5 sets, 8 reps) 2. As a result, Hutchins and I improvised a plan. Drew Baye: Why didnt Jones train his legs during the Colorado Experiment? The Mentzer brothers were fairly candid about the steroids they used, especially Ray if I remember correctly. Reduce your resistance 30% and your reps about half of normal. Mike was exercising six days a week in the gym, typically for up to three hours at a time, when he started his four years of service in the US air . Mike Mentzer split What was the Mike Mentzer's training split? Gday Drew 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. At the contest, he weighed 215 and blew away the competition. (The before-and-after photos confirmed that also.) With Flanagan and me pushing him, hed have stopped at 20. That reinforced to me that the weight gain was added muscle and not just water brought about from the creatine loading. Why? Mentzer's dedication never wavered. Dip Hey Fred, glad you like the interview. Sorry for the humungous post Drew; hope it is useful. Ellington Darden: Yes thats precisely what we were thinking. 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). Homemade Salsa, Fresh Toppings, Make Mango Ginger Rice Bowl, Tasty And Delightful, How To Make Caramelized Onions, Sweet, Delicious, How to make Reuben Egg Rolls at home? This would not be a problem with quasi-isometric protocols like Static Holds and Max Contraction which follow isometric failure with a full or partial negative. Studies since then have confirmed much of what Jones believed concerning negative work. Regarding what he learned from Ayn Rand, Mentzer said in an interview:. He passed away in 2001 at 49-years-old due to a heart attack. But it wasnt until Jones started experimenting and writing about negative work in 1972, that any bodybuilder took it seriously. Exploiting indirect effect can become the key to excellent, even startling, gains. Mike and Ray are genetic oddities, and I never imagined theyd turn out the way they did.