Ellington Darden: Ive trained Boyer Coe, Joe Means, Scott Wilson, and Ray Mentzer to name four. He quickly competed in and won the Junior Mr. America and IFBB Mr. America competitions. Drew Baye: When Jones trained someone, was he a stickler for form? If you have ever made a new year fitness resolution as a bodybuilder, you can attest that keeping your new years Hormones are chemical substances released by glands in the body to regulate various functions. I offered to drive her back even told her Id run the car through a Jiffy Wash, Ray deadpanned afterward. At about the same time, he hired Kim Wood to take charge of the Quonset Hut workout room at DeLand High School, where all the training occurred. Drew Baye: That 18-1/2 pounds of muscle built by David Hudlow in two weeks seems almost too good to be true. I had a tremendous pump throughout my upper body. Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty Training in Action Life is too short to be small. He played defensive tackle and was about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed 230 pounds. My initial contact with Rodale occurred 5 years ago when Ken Hutchins introduced me to a Bill Stump, an editor from Mens Health (a Rodale magazine), who was in Orlando interviewing Ken. Weight loss without dieting: the new trend to remove excess flab! Mike Mentzer "Mr. Heavy Duty" - Fitness Volt He stood only 5'8 yet packed 215 pounds of rock-solid muscle on his . If you can press two partners into service, there will be hardly a break in your breakdowns, make this a very advanced principle. Franco Columbu was also an amateur boxer, and like his good friend Arnold Schwarzenegger, a movie star. Ellington Darden: Yes, I believe youre right, especially those who recommend only three exercises once a week, or even once every-other week. I apply many of the techniques in my workouts each week. Mike & Ray Mentzer - In the Gym. Mike and Ray Mentzer Heavy Duty Training - Bodybuilding Many years ago, the entire bodybuilding world watched Mike Mentzer grow very large. and a mutual friend told me that Cooper still didnt care for strength training. We never heard from him. High-intensity training (HIT) is a form of strength training popularized in the 1970s by Arthur Jones, the founder of Nautilus.The training focuses on performing quality weight training repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure.The training takes into account the number of repetitions, the amount of weight, and the amount of time the muscle is exposed to tension in order to . Ray Mentzer's Mr. America Pec Routine - RX Muscle Forums 06-08-2013, 11:15 AM Ray Mentzer Workout Here are some excerpts, from a 1979 interview where Ray talks about his workouts leading up to his Mr. America victory. Mike Mentzer: Mr. Heavy Duty - The Bodybuilding Archive My hamstrings seem very stubborn that way, and isometric exercise produces virtually no soreness there, as if Ive done next to nothing despite willing a 100% exertion. And, hes into the martial arts, so he does some of that several times a week. Wilbur was, and still is, a wheat farmer. Doing low reps with a big weight was one of Rays main training tenets. But the arithmetic of bodybuilding soon presents a difficult problem, If he needs, say, 20 exercises to work everything, and he's decided to cut back to 16 total sets of high intensity work in order to keep gaining, how does he cover all bases? He ate a well-balanced diet that included foods from many dietary groups, such as grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, and healthy fat sources, as opposed to focusing solely on proteins. Ellington Darden: A NTF session is where on each exercise, you stop the set two repetitions short of an all-out effort. It wasnt unusual for Jones to discuss various deals with well-known athletes, or their agents. Since then, hed regretted not speaking up. I once read about Ray Mentzer training legs once a month! As I focused on the guy, I recognized him. How were they to work with? None of that helped Mikes health, and unfortunately, he died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 49. Drew Baye: Shoot straight with us. They can also be produced synthetically or Robert Kennedy Memorial @ Casa Del Mar, Santa Monica By Jerry Fredrick, 10 Signs Your Testosterone May Be Too Low, 4 Ways Sugar Does Harm To Your Body and What To Do, Top 10 Best Partner Workout Exercises for Valentines Day, Workout and Diet Like Kang the Conqueror: Jonathan Majors, Fuel Your Muscles: Top 16 Best High-Protein Foods, New Year Resolution Tips | Guide for Beginners. Ray neglected to tell Martina that there were dangerous crocodiles inside. So we use the body's abilities to create inroads into existing strength to our advantage. I must point out this about Viators courage and fortitude. Ellington Darden: I like SuperSlow. With each contest, his proportions swelled, and fans stated at every "heavy duty" photograph they could find in the magazines. Ray went to bed after a long and demanding day at work, but Mike continued to work late. Drew Baye: In chapter 9 of your new HIT book, you talk about meeting and working with Mike Mentzer. Mike Mentzer - Evolution of Bodybuilding Bodyweight dips (5 sets, 10 reps) 4. When I visited Rodales main photography studio in Emmaus, I met with my editor, Lou Schuler, who also is the fitness director for Mens Health. MIKE MENTZER - HEAVY DUTY HIT Training For Size & Strength He was found dead in his apartment, due to heart complications, by his younger brother and fellow bodybuilder Ray Mentzer. It was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts. Hi Drew, I was just reading that interview, Ive bought his book,hoping there would be something new, but have found that he was just vomiting what arthur jones did and said. I would love for it to be wrong, but hey, it might be right. Furthermore, he was generally thought of as being anti-strength training, anti-HIT, and anti-Nautilus. Because organized properly, you get better results. As a result, Hutchins and I improvised a plan. Ray would approach failure after the ninth rep because the weight would be too heavy. On our Nautilus leg-extension machine, Ray did 290 pounds for 10 good repetitions, Mullen said, as he paused and cleared his throat. They favored lower reps so it was different than the way someone like Platz and Casey generated intensity. There we were with thousands of frustrated people and a couple of hours to burn. HIT workouts for days afterwards. But my books differences can be grouped as follows: History: In my opinion, Arthur Jones, more than any single individual, developed high intensity training. Mike Mentzer's Diet and High-Intensity Workout Routine - Sportskeeda Ellington Darden: Arnold spent a week with Jones in November of 1970 and, unfortunately, I wasnt around then. He reached a bodyweight of 75kg by age fifteen. Drew Baye: Are you currently working on anything new and exciting? Sorry for the humungous post Drew; hope it is useful. When I graduated from Conroe High School in 1962, I was the strongest student athlete in most of the basic strength-training exercises. Jones applied this concept frequently in the early 1970s, but seldom mentioned it in his writings and lectures. Viators arms reminded me of Popeye, because his hanging forearms appeared disproportionately large and impressive. Copyright © 2001-2020 BodybuildingFanatic.com. Put simply, when you work one muscle, other unworked muscles are affected; when it grows, they growto a smaller extent, of course. The entire movement needs to be fluid and controlled. Today, he weighs a lean 220 pounds and has muscular forearms, thick wrists, and a vise-like grip. High Intensity Training Mike and Ray Mentzer Style And strength training was a lot safer than the most popular aerobic activities, such as jogging and aerobic dancing, which were the latest crazes. Who framed Roger Rabbit? They shared an apartment after moving in together, and during the ensuing months, they became closer. It didn't take long for Ray's body weight to climb from 250 to a lean 260 pounds. Ellington Darden: Actually, I understated the time period. 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. As a result, Hudlow made steady progress for the entire 6 months that I trained him. My methodology is simply to keep pushing at 100% force (or near as I can) until the force drops off significantly, rest a couple of seconds, and repeat until strength-levels drop way down and pain-levels become unbearable. The very first things a musclehead will notice is that upper arms are exercised only once during the three workouts. Triceps ExtensionSuper-slow 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. With The New HIT, youll have the next-best thing to thing to being personally trained by Arthur Jones. The information contained within is not intended to provide specific health advice, or any other advice whatsoever, for any individual or company and should not be relied upon in that regard. Thank goodness, Hutchins and I were not seated near Cooper, as our heads and necks needed rest. A major reason, I believe, is either ignorance, or a neglecting, of the principle of "indirect effect". Barbell CurlStage reps He was always clear about his goals and diligent in pursuing them. The Private Side of Mike Mentzer - NECKBERG Incline dumbbell fly (5 sets, 8 reps) 2. Let me explain. 3 Day a Week High Intensity Workout - The Pumping Station Pay particular attention to the bottom turnaround. At the planned 10-minute mark, I walked over. Id respond to them. Heavy Duty: Mike Mentzer's Most Productive Routine, by John Little 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. Ray was able to develop his body significantly during this time. Here is where indirect effect comes in. The exact physiological processes aren't completely clear, but what happens on a muscle-training level is clear. . He was that strong. If any nontheoretical, real-life example will serve to prove the efficacy of indirect effect. Bergers Disease had been contracted by him. Drew Baye: In your book, you discuss the importance of negative work in building muscle. Remember, this was on an advanced bodybuilder, the hardest specimen to realize real muscle growth because of being so close to his genetic potential. In two weeks, Caseys body weight was up to 210 pounds. Theres a lot of the interesting stuff concerning Arnold and Arthur in chapter 5: How HIT Humbled Schwarzenegger. Arnold, for perhaps multiple reasons, couldnt get the hang of high-intensity training the Arthur Jones way. The stronger he is, the more a set of exercise can make an inroad into his existing abilities. He accepted Joness pushing to a magnitude that few people could have stomached. This exercise program was predicated on performing 69 reps at his maximal lifting capacity for each set. It felt like we were in the middle of an old-fashioned tent revival. Ray thought that by using these techniques to extend his time under tension, he would improve his muscle growth. Posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2016 by John Wood. He passed away in 2001 at 49-years-old due to a heart attack. He always trained alone, after finishing his day job. Here's what he would have for lunch: Ray Mentzer Diet Plan, Workout Routine, Exercise, Body Measurements Something similar to a lesser degree also happened to just about everyone who was trained by Jones. HIT MEN: The Story of High-Intensity Training - The Barbell . Does he start splitting his workouts? Andy McCutcheon and High Intensity Training. The last of the three exercises: extremely slow leg presses, 4 repetitions in 120 seconds, will rock your world but good. All of these champions were drug-free and I must emphasize that there were some very well built men in the 40s and 50s. I want to focus my query on the Timed Static Contractions section because I have been dabbling in isometric & isokinetic exercises due to lack of access to equipment. He was frequently up for a hard workout. This would enable him to repair the muscular tissue that had been damaged by using really heavy weights and working through set failure. Bodybuilder Ray Mentzer was Mike Mentzer's younger brother and training partner. We had been steam-rolled, and worse captivated somehow by what we heard. Mike Mentzer's Old School "Most Productive" 2 Day Split Routine As you can see, my book is distinct from the others. Mike Mentzer High Intensity Training Full Body Workout | 3 Day Split Routine HIT Bearer 2.81K subscribers Subscribe 297 7.7K views 4 months ago #mikementzer #bodybuilding #2022 In this. It was portable so they used it from station to station on a Marcy Multi-unit (similar to a Universal Machine). And youre correct, youd have thought that with his devotion to hard training, hed have been on cloud nine. So, Jones refocused on his personal training, cracked the whip as only he could, and Casey responded. With Mike and Ray Mentzer's tragic deaths, our visitors would like to know about last days of the legendary brothers. 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. Much of the credit goes to its nature as a big, three-joint exercise (hips, knees and ankles are all involved). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The amazing thing about Miller was that he never worked out in a commercial gym and never had a training partner. 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. So were all the negative reps, extended sets, stutter reps, rest pause and hydraulic assisted reps any more productive than the traditional set training? all at 19 years of age. It was about 20 degrees outside and the Atlanta airport was the middle of an ice storm, so all flights were delayed. Mike Mentzer's training routine Triceps Choose two different exercises and do them both for two sets. Advertised in Muscle & Fitness and Ironman magazines (November and December 2004 issues). After a while, Ken asked me what I thought about his new section, which he called Exercise Versus Recreation.. That being the case, then I must go with chapter 16: shocking your hips and thighs. When Ray had the Muscle Mill in Redondo Beach, there was a guy named Ross who worked for Universal Studio as a stage man-an experienced machinist. In 1971, when he was 20, he participated in Mr. Lancaster contest and won. Out of curiosity, which one do you like the best? Born in 1941, Franco Columbu was a Strongman competitor and bodybuilder who won two Mr. Olympia titles: in 1976 and 1981. One of the funniest Ray Mentzer/Arthur Jones stories occurred during the summer of 1983. Incline press - 1 x 8 reps Squat Delayed onset muscular soreness is not completely understood, but there does appear to be a relationship with microtrauma. Why? Having trained on Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty 1 Routine (find that book on Mike's site as well) for 2 years before losing my mind and training on the more popular 3 day on/one day off routine for 5 or 6 years, it was a blessing to get back to the lower volume and ultra-high intensity type of routine*** My Cellar-Dweller Experience Pullover Ive seen visitors at close range, suddenly back off, as if they thought his gradually contracting biceps was going to explode. Ray continued working out diligently behind the scenes even though he was no longer in the spotlight on the bodybuilding stage. He himself typically trained three times a week and his 30-minute workouts incorporated no more than 5 sets per body part. Mentzer, however, was only warming up. However, Ray used a variety of techniques to up the ante on his training. I can now see why! We can thank Arthur Jones for that. It was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts. Mike eventually decided to call it a day and go to bed as exhaustion set in. Drew Baye: Ken Hutchins, the architect behind the SuperSlow philosophy, and you grew up in the same town in Texas. That fourth repetition will be a bear, but you should be able to finish it which will build your confidence for your next workout. Mike Mentzer Workout Routine and Diet Plan - Fitness Clone Gold School: Triceps So Big - T NATION Ray Mentzer Stats To compound the loss of Mike, on June 11th, at approximately 9:00 PM, Ray died in his sleep. Let's start by acquainting them with you. After another 30 minutes had passed, all the seats in the lobby were overflowing with people, and we had little to do but keep kneeling and nodding. (Creamy and Flavorful), Who is Luna Blaise? At that time, Cooper was the #1 running guru, as a result of a couple of best-selling books on aerobics. For the first time in years, Im actually very psyched about my training again. As we discussed the topic further, I glanced across the lobby, which was in the center of four departure-arrival gates. The first bodybuilder to get a perfect score- Mike Mentzer - reddit But it was no use. He performed one set of 11 or fewer HIT upper-body exercises, three times per week. This can be carried to a logical extreme. All of his strength plateaus were small and easily broken. . Ray Mentzer Bodybuilder, Ray Mentzer Workout - Bodybuilding Fanatic And Im glad he did. Durning his interview with John Little, Mentzer opened up in great detail about the routine that earned him the famous physique we know today. Ray found out he had kidney issues in 1999. After Ray retired from completion he continued to workout with his high intensity training approach he called "Intensity For Immensity" and reached a peak body weight of 270 pounds in fairly lean condition. Indirect effect can be thought of as a sort of ripple effect. Some years ago, I saw all the records Jones kept from training Casey during 1970 and 1971. He sort of reminds me of the character John Wayne played in his old western movies. "A LOOK AT HIGH INTENSITY BODYBUILDING" is a professionally made film featuring the legendary MIKE MENTZER, one of bodybuilding's most massive physique champions and world renowned expert and teacher of HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING. Drew Baye: In your book, you also mention Mikes younger brother Ray. The results in his book, The New HIT, used slow rep training with great results any reason why you passed on asking these questions? Doesn't he realize I plan to win Mr. America next year looking like Larry Scott? When Ken started high school he became a friend to one of my Conroe classmates, Philip Alexander, who was in medical school in Houston. Besides training Viator over the next year, Jones would make sure he entered all the national bodybuilding contests. If they closely correlate then I can vouch that I am getting microtrauma from isometric exercise. One drawback is, the ROM gets awkward beyond 90 degrees in the latter exercise. Between 1979 and 1980, Mr. Olympias, high intensity training, got on the peak and Mike Mentzer (Born on 15th November 1951 - Died on 10th June 2001) even seemed to be on the verge of giving transformation to the realms of bodybuilding. And arm yourself with The New High Intensity Training. Actually, the personal-training part was much less than that. Sadly, Ray passed away just two days after skipping his kidney dialysis appointment. Is there a study you can cite on this? Jones was briefly introduced to Viator at the 1970 Mr. America contest in Los Angeles, where Casey placed third. When we took the HIT photography, 38-year-old McCutcheon weighed 184 pounds, at a height of 6-feet even, and I personally measured his body fat at 3.4 percent. Remember, this was on an advanced bodybuilder, the hardest specimen to realize real muscle growth because of being so close to his genetic potential. Was their something in the environment or education system that motivated you guys into weight training? 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. Whole-body routines: To quote Arthur Jones, Split routines make about as much sense as sleeping with one eye open. Each routine in the new HIT features at least some exercise for both your upper body and lower body. And when an almost unbelievably muscular Mentzer materialized in 1979, once again it was due to another application of increased intensity. Ray used the same Heavy Duty Training training regimen as his brother Mike. 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. Arthur Jones was a genius, but he had a tendency to be abrasive with some people, and if it were not for people like Ell Darden and Jim Flanagan who were much better with people the Nautilus company and Arthurs training principles probably would not have been as successful as they are. The lobby was even more crowded, so I had to kneel on the floor beside Hutchins. Ellington Darden: Yes thats precisely what we were thinking. Drew Baye: Whats your take on the current Mr. Olympia competitors? Today, if you walk into any serious gym in the United States (or in the world), doing negatives is a regular part of a lifters vocabulary. Mike and Ray Mentzer Dead Monday morning, June 11, 2001, an e-mail was sent to us saying that Mike Mentzer has passed away June 9th. Rays brother Mike was the first and most obvious candidate for a kidney transplant. Ray completely overlooked the fact that he had to show up for his renal dialysis treatment amid the chaos that day. Drew Baye: Ive read that Ray Mentzer was somewhat of a comedian. Ken always came back for more, and perhaps most importantly, asked intelligent questions. The men in the magazines that I admired were the classic physiques, such as Steve Reeves and John Grimek, as well as Ron Lacy, who won the Mr. America in 1957 and had terrific calves. When Ray had the Muscle Mill in Redondo Beach, there was a guy named Ross who worked for Universal Studio as a stage manan experienced machinist. Thus, I spend about half of my 272-page book relating the stories and experiences of Jones. that would be a real eye-opener. Home BLOG Products Online Courses Videos About Support Search. Crenshaw had 18-inch upper arms and 15-inch forearms, which were mighty impressive; but even more impressive was his neck, which must have measured at least 20 inches. Stump later introduced me to the guy who eventually became the editor of The New High-Intensity Training. Ray handled the entire weight stack, 500 pounds, on the Nautilus duo-squat machine with ease. While Mike showed little desire to train intensely in Lake Helen, Ray was just the opposite. And he did so 41 times in 1970-71. Machine Pullover or Dumbbell and Cable Pullovers Together. 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. He has a Bowflex Ultimate machine and he uses it two or three times a week. Mike believed in training with a partner who can assist when reaching failure. They have a New York City office, but the majority of their publishing house in located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, which is a quaint community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A New Study Confirms Mike Mentzer's Once-a-Week Training Method for Hardcore Contender - Mike Mentzer | Muscle & Fitness Mike and Ray Mentzer Heavy Duty Training Mentzer's Lost Heavy Duty Secrets. McCutcheon believes in simple, get-as-strong-as-you-can, basic exercises. But I dont think Arnolds triceps, nor forearms, were in the same category as Viators, Olivas, and Coes. I choose to remember the drug-free bodybuilders who influenced me when I was growing up. You must be logged in to post a comment Drew Baye: Thanks, thats a fascinating story. I found out in 2001, when Andy was selected to demonstrate the exercises for my book, The Bowflex Body Plan. Drew Baye is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. A similar result occurred when Arthur Jones put Ray on an eight-exercise, one-set-to-failure (drop sets being considered one set) exercise program in 1983. When I went to Baylor University in 1962, there was a guy on the football team named Bobby Crenshaw. Also, my soreness from deadlifts lasted an entire 7 or 8 days! In fact, Cirulli has been testing it for the last six months in his fitness center in Gainesville. Ray, like other great bodybuilders, developed a love for the sport of lifting early in life. Ellington Darden: I have a couple of projects in the formative stages. After I perform isometric exercises involving large muscle-groups I am sometimes panting and nauseous as though Ive just maxed out my cardiorespiratory capabilities. High Intensity Training For Muscle Growth Ray, like his brother, trained using Heavy Duty High Tntensity Training. Bodybuilding was a lot healthier then. Ellington Darden: It is interesting that both Ken and I were raised in Conroe, Texas, which is 30 miles north of Houston. Here is Mike Mentzer's chest routine: 1. I can also tell you that Ray Mentzer, at a body weight of 260 pounds, was the strongest man I ever trained, with a work ethic and pain tolerance to match. Viator had never experienced a workout like Jones put him through and Jones had never exercised anyone with Viators genetic potential. Surely, with the correct instruction and motivation, we can turn a reasonable percentage of them into HIT believers. The other key component of HIT is the low workout volume. Arthur told Ray to put on his brightest, horizontal-striped shirt (he didnt want Martina to miss him) and be sure and drive the old, unwashed, company car, which had a broken air-conditioner (that meant hed have to roll down all the windows so air could circulate). It is thus very interesting to see Mentzer putting his own heavy duty training program in action. At the contest, he weighed 215 and blew away the competition. PDF The HIT Experiment, Part I Look at the workout accompanying this article for a few minutes. It's easy to drift away from high intensity principles. Ray Mentzer who was the brother of Mike Mentzer was born in Pennsylvania on August 2, 1953. Ray lost his fight against Bergers Disease and was found dead in his apartment less than 48 hours later. He died in 2001 from heart complications. Our double-team plan had failed.