Mike Mentzer’s methods are coming back in the fitness world.
There are many bodybuilding greats associated with the Golden Era that still see their methods being used today. Arnold Schwarzenegger comes to mind immediately but he is not alone. Mike Mentzer is another bodybuilding legend who used unique methods to build muscle. This includes training just 2-3 times per week. Nowadays, that method seems crazy but new research is finding that it is plenty to build ample muscle.
Mike Mentzer’s Profile and Biography
| Full Name: Mike Mentzer (Golden Era Bodybuilder) | ||
| Weight | Height | Date Of Birth |
| 225-235 lbs | 5’8″ | 15/11/1951 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Open | 1970’s, ’80s | American |
At 11 years old, Mentzer was gifted a weight set from his father along with a manual that outlined a training program across three days. As his career went on, Mentzer began training with Arthur Jones and this is when he favored a two-day training week. His program was centered around high-intensity and low-volume gains.
What Does the Research Say Today?
New research, shared by Men’s Health, backs up the training style of Mike Mentzer. It has found that as little as four sets per week for each muscle group is enough for muscles to grow. Mentzer’s methods proved that less has a chance to be more.
Jones was a major advocate for single-set training. This is found to be enough to grow muscle and increase strength and endurance while training.
Mike Mentzer took on this training method while performing each set to failure. While the science was not being studied yet, Mentzer proved to be ahead of the game.
Who Used Mike Mentzer’s Workout Methods?
Mike Mentzer was a phenomenon, even winning the heavyweight division of the 1979 Mr. Olympia (Frank Zane won the overall that year). But in 1980, Mentzer released two Heavy Duty booklets detailing his training, and through his seminars, articles, and other forms of exposure, his training philosophy was becoming widely popular. Other bodybuilders began training like Mike Mentzer, but eventually returned to a more moderate training model.
Then came the 1980 Olympia, where Mentzer placed a controversial fifth place, and retired after this. Sadly, Mike Mentzer passed away in 2001 at the age of 49, but not without leaving behind a legacy.
Perhaps you have heard of Dorian Yates, a 6x Mr. Olympia winner, also considered to be the original mass monster. Yates changed the game of bodybuilding with the size he brought. As far as his training, Dorian Yates followed the workouts of none other than Mike Mentzer. Yates had trained with far less frequency, and much more intensity.
