Ray and his teammates would move incredibly heavy objects while taking a lot of pauses. 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. As a result, Hutchins and I improvised a plan. With Flanagan and me pushing him, hed have stopped at 20. We both should have discussed it more. Joness measured Arnolds flexed right upper arm cold at 19-1/2 inches. Annabel DaSilva Workout Routine, Diet Plan, Exercise, Body Measurements, Who is Josh Dallas? And Whitley achieved that without the help of creatine. Here's what he would have for lunch: Squats 1 Set x 6-8 Reps. iii. Something similar to a lesser degree also happened to just about everyone who was trained by Jones. And what growth isn't created by direct arm work is induced by the indirect effect of torso work. There are a few in that category today, but there werent any in 1983. But in my experience, sooner or later, youre going to have to train alone and youre going to have to push yourself. Who is that muscular guy? I thought to myself. Stage Reps - Here you have a way in which to work around both the sticking points in an exercise and the lockout. The advanced and super advanced techniques were fully researched and tested by Mike in the late 70's, but following the infamous 1980 Mr.Olympia . Ellington Darden: Yes, I believe youre right, especially those who recommend only three exercises once a week, or even once every-other week. In fact, we ended up chauffeuring Cooper to his hotel. A careful look will reveal that your arms are actually worked hard on all three days, even though it's not always direct isolation. Squat If Ray Mentzer taught us anything, it would be to never take life for granted, to make every day count, and to avoid wasting time on things you dont enjoy since life is too short for that. During the 10 years that Ken worked at Nautilus, he and I were involved in four major strength-training and fat-loss projects, as well as dozens of Nautilus-related seminars and workshops. Mike believed in training with a partner who can assist when reaching failure. Again, he was judged an easy winner. 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. I disagree with Darden that theres a strike against isometrics vs negatives here. 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. I met Mike seven years ago in Gold's Gym in Venice, when I was one of his numerous in-gym clients. I'd better leave this nut to the pipestem, get-in-shape, "muscle tone" crowd Well, before you click to another article, let me say that this routine isn't hypothetical. Workout 1 of Mentzer's Routine Leg Exercises. He was always clear about his goals and diligent in pursuing them. So at least from that perspective, static contractions are lacking. Bodyweight dips (5 sets, 10 reps) 4. Surely, with the correct instruction and motivation, we can turn a reasonable percentage of them into HIT believers. But Ken often strength trained with the team and was significantly stronger than the top players. "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. And what a training session it was. Tricep Extensions- 1 x 10 reps, Wednesday Body Building Links. There we were with thousands of frustrated people and a couple of hours to burn. Sorry for the humungous post Drew; hope it is useful. A couple of years earlier, at one of the industrys annual fitness conventions, Hutchins had been involved in a panel discussion that included Cooper. This can be carried to a logical extreme. Question: Given your disdain for slow rep training, why did you not ask Dr. Darden specific questions as to why he felt slow training was so beneficial (which he does). When Ken started high school he became a friend to one of my Conroe classmates, Philip Alexander, who was in medical school in Houston. Ray would throw Saturday night squat parties every Saturday night. Work out no more than three days per week. What muscular biceps and full triceps he possessed. However, a number of trainees seem to suffer overtraining even from such brief workouts once they genuinely achieve an intense level of effort. . By age 15 he weighed 165 pounds and could bench press 370 pounds. After a while, Ken asked me what I thought about his new section, which he called Exercise Versus Recreation.. For those recommendations to come close to producing maximum results, the trainee would have to extremely big, strong, and advanced. Ellington Darden: Negative work (eccentric muscle action) was kicked around haphazardly in the physiology world before Jones came on the scene. Ive experimented with all styles of leg presses and this one is the hardest of all. Drew Baye: Whats your opinion of Hutchinss SuperSlow? High Intensity Training For Muscle Growth Ray, like his brother, trained using Heavy Duty High Tntensity Training. After graduating from high school, he worked in United States Air Force and started working out 3 hours a day and 6 days a week. Studies since then have confirmed much of what Jones believed concerning negative work. Today, he weighs a lean 220 pounds and has muscular forearms, thick wrists, and a vise-like grip. No other HIT books covers NTF training. all at 19 years of age. Thank you for your reply; I appreciate that this is stuff yet to be fully resolved by science but for me your considered opinion nevertheless carries weight. As you can see, my book is distinct from the others. Drew Baye: Did you ever train Arnold Schwarzenegger when he visited Nautilus? Interestingly, I replicated the 14-day experiment with another Gainesville Health & Fitness subject, Michael Spillane. Mike Mentzer. In a relative sense, the so-called easiest stage will not seem at all easy. One reason the squat is considered such a great overall exercise is the sheer volume of muscle the movement exercises. I guarantee . 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. 2022 Sugar Zam. He reached a bodyweight of 75kg by age fifteen. 290 pounds on the Nautilus leg extension machine, I believe Ive done that much., Having cleared his throat, Mullen continued . Born in 1941, Franco Columbu was a Strongman competitor and bodybuilder who won two Mr. Olympia titles: in 1976 and 1981. Ellington Darden: I have a couple of projects in the formative stages. Mike Mentzer (November 15, 1951 June 10, 2001), Ray Mentzer (August 2, 1953 June 12, 2001). Home BLOG Products Online Courses Videos About Support Search. Ray thought that by using these techniques to extend his time under tension, he would improve his muscle growth. But they can be fairly close and still very significant. In the middle of the Nautilus compound was a non-descript, 30- by 50-foot, metal building, which was the home of 40 large crocodiles that Jones had brought in from Jamaica. The reason his workouts were referred to as HIT (High-Intensity Training). 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. As for gaining eighteen pounds of muscle in two weeks, Ive never personally trained anyone who has put on that much size, but knowing how quickly I can put on a few pounds with creatine I wouldnt rule out the possibility that someone like David Hudlow who is much larger than I am could gain a significant amount of size with Ells creatine loading protocol. Also, Im in the process of updating my Web site, which was called Classic X. All rights Reserved. There is a lot of research on microtrauma and hypertrophy. Drew Baye: The publisher of your new HIT book is Rodale. GONE. The other key component of HIT is the low workout volume. Food blog that features daily healthy recipes. Posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2016 by John Wood. Ken was sitting next to me and we began sorting through our strength-training slides, since we had both given talks using a 35mm-slide projector earlier in the day. Heavy Duty: Mike Mentzer's Most Productive Routine, by John Little. Press Behind Neck. Mike Mentzer helps brother Ray go beyond failure on machine shoulder presses. Drew Baye: Thanks, thats a fascinating story. The Ray Mentzer story is one of success, but also tragedy. Rays brother Mike was the first and most obvious candidate for a kidney transplant. . Drew Baye: How is your book, The New High-Intensity Training, different from other HIT books, such as those written by John Little, Stuart McRoberts, Brian Johnston, and Matt Brzycki? Finally, Jones informed Ray that once he was back in Lake Helen, to give the lady a tour starting with the barn. As a result, Jones offered Viator a job with his new company, Nautilus, and assured Viators parents that hed finish his senior year in high school in Florida. Your goal is for each repetition to take 30 seconds: 15 seconds on the positive and 15 seconds on the negative. Triceps ExtensionSuper-slow In two weeks, Caseys body weight was up to 210 pounds. If any nontheoretical, real-life example will serve to prove the efficacy of indirect effect. Drew Baye: When Jones trained someone, was he a stickler for form? I followed Mentzer's prescribed routine in his Heavy Duty 2 Mind and Body book. With The New HIT, youll have the next-best thing to thing to being personally trained by Arthur Jones. 1976 Jr. Mr. America (Tall) In the end for me, I consider him a genius in his principles (as well as Yates, Jones, Viator, Ray Mentzer). (Cooper was speaking at a hospitals grand opening the next morning.) After Mike left Nautilus and returned to California, I heard he experienced severe depression and went through lengthy periods of drug therapy. The downward spiral began at this point. But since Hutchins had his back toward me, it was difficult to gauge what was happening on Kens side. Ellington Darden: Mike moved to Lake Helen, Florida, in 1983 and worked for Nautilus approximately 6 months. His triceps, in particular, when viewed from behind, reminded one of two . Drew Baye: In your book, you discuss the importance of negative work in building muscle. Another option if someone wants to train more frequently is to follow a split routine. . Drew Baye: That 18-1/2 pounds of muscle built by David Hudlow in two weeks seems almost too good to be true. He registered no weight gain during days 12, 13, and 14, so I just called it two weeks to keep it in line with the other two-week plans in the book. When an intermediate or advanced bodybuilder finds himself on a plateau, he is wise to consider cutting back on workout volume, while reasserting his commitment to a high intensity of effort. Casey trained himself (with a few others sometimes helping) for 6 of the 10 months. The pullover done on a Nautilus machine is an example of an exercise that works a very large volume of muscle without being a compound movement. Sup with that? 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? But as I look back on my 45 years of bodybuilding experience, combined with the thousands and thousands of individuals Ive trained (and observed training), I can say with confidence that more people would profit from an understanding and application of proper form, than from proper intensity. "It lasted 18 months, and every day of that period I had the same commitment and ambition I'd had in preparing . 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. I think back then they relied on blood,sweat,tears more than juice,which sadly . Net Worth, Partner, Biography, The Untold Story of Ice-Ts 44-Year-Old Daughter Letesha Marrow. Kens parents would not permit him to play football. Mike Mentzer Photo Album. A little known fact is that Arthur Jones went through the same training program in Colorado as Casey, with one exception: He did no lower-body exercise. . Two days later, Ray died from complications from his long battle with Berger's disease. Jones began immediately training Viator on a three-times-per-week schedule, and true to his expectations, Viator started growing. Weight loss without dieting: the new trend to remove excess flab! 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. Best arms: three-way tie among Casey Viator, Sergio Oliva, and Boyer Coe Best chest: Arnold Schwarzenegger Best shoulders: Scott Wilson Best back: Dorian Yates Best thighs: Tom Platz Best calves: Chris Dickerson Best forearms: Casey Viator Best abdominals: Frank Zane Most muscular: Sergio Oliva Best overall first impression: Boyer Coe at the 1965 Mr. Texas contest Strongest during multiple workouts: Ray Mentzer Best consistent workout form: Robert Berg, a bodybuilder and a medical doctor from Stuart, Florida. Drew Baye: Dr. Darden, which do you think is more important in getting the best results from HIT, intensity or form? Rodales marketing team assures me that the book will be: Excerpted in Mens Health MUSCLE magazine (September issue). 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. I must point out this about Viators courage and fortitude. Make no mistake Ken Hutchins was one strong, Texas teenager. Franco Columbu was also an amateur boxer, and like his good friend Arnold Schwarzenegger, a movie star. And Mike made at least one appearance at the old Lancaster Health Spa. Leg Curl Breakdown (one drop in weight) Then his brother died two DAYS later at age 47. Arthur Jones had some of that ability, too. Viator lived nearby so Lerille invited him over to talk with Jones and go though a workout. He was that strong. As I focused on the guy, I recognized him. Olivas arms, from any angle or position, both relaxed and contracted, were absolutely HUGE. Leg Extension Then, there was the tour through the barn. Mike was 11 years old, while Ray was 9 years old. Look at the workout accompanying this article for a few minutes. He started his fitness journey at the age of 12 and became a phenomenal bodybuilder. . And arm yourself with The New High Intensity Training. They would send me various items, including tiny photos of themselves. Arthur Jones noted more than 30 years ago that negative-work potential was perhaps the most important aspect of the muscle-building process. I remember coming in on a Monday and Benny informed me that Ray had squatted 900 that past Saturday. To be specific: Hit: 100kg- 140kg squat 4 reps - long time Starting strength: 100kg - 170kg squat 5 reps - 4 months. 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. Being 32, super busy, getting little sleep and working so much did not help. Barbell Curls - 1 x 10 reps For example, full-range exercise provides more thorough muscular strengthening, more stretching for flexibility, more work for the cardiorespiratory system, and more calorie-burning ability from the overall workout. It was portable so they used it from station to station on a Marcy Multi-unit (similar to a Universal Machine). Mentzer wrote several books about weight training. Because organized properly, you get better results. 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. At that time, Cooper was the #1 running guru, as a result of a couple of best-selling books on aerobics. Rest 2 minutes All Rights Reserved Worldwide. My name is Val and I am Mike's close friend, pupil and protg. Squats - 1 x 16 reps Indirect effect can be thought of as a sort of ripple effect. Weight: 220 lbs. I have read before that Mike and Ray Mentzer were really into using amphetamines to train harder. 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. Ive seen visitors at close range, suddenly back off, as if they thought his gradually contracting biceps was going to explode. Drew Baye: While its important not to workout too long or too often, do you think that many high intensity training enthusiasts have gotten carried away with reducing the volume and frequency of their training? In my new HIT book, I note that Arthur Jones personally trained Casey Viator for 10 months prior to the 1971 Mr. America contest. The stronger he is, the more a set of exercise can make an inroad into his existing abilities. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Not-to-failure (NTF) workouts: Several chapters and a detailed chart illustrate precisely how to integrate NTF workouts into your standard HIT routines for best-possible results. Mike's younger brother Ray Mentzer (Mr. America 1979) discovered Mike's dead body. Roy Hilligen (51) impressed me with his overall muscle density combined with extreme definition. Login. Ill report on the discovery this fall, so I encourage interested readers to give me a holler at www.DrDarden.com. Ellington Darden: When I became interested in bodybuilding in 1959, I naturally started reading the muscle magazines. 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. Ellington Darden: People ask him that all the time, and Ill shoot straight with you. Mentzer would spend hours in the gym every day when he began training. Ray went to bed after a long and demanding day at work, but Mike continued to work late. Ray was concerned about this since he didnt want his brother to put too much stress on his body given that he knew he had cardiac issues. Rest 3 to 5 minutes He took the Nautilus training principles and helped explain them in a way that people could easily understand and apply, and without insulting people in the process like Arthur did. Joe Weider rehired Mike in the fall of that year, but after six months, Mentzer left to assume the editorship of Workout, a newly launched magazine. Here is where indirect effect comes in. Jones was briefly introduced to Viator at the 1970 Mr. America contest in Los Angeles, where Casey placed third. Ellington Darden: The last Mr. Olympia contest that I attended was in 1995 in Atlanta. The only possible mechanism I can see working against isometrics is if the load is needed to shock the muscles into contracting more strongly than is possible voluntarily, even where the isometric trainer is very experienced and determined. It felt like we were in the middle of an old-fashioned tent revival. Ellington Darden: A NTF session is where on each exercise, you stop the set two repetitions short of an all-out effort. Drew Baye: Do you have an interesting story about Ken Hutchins that you could share? Copyright © 2001-2020 BodybuildingFanatic.com. 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. Mentzer, however, was only warming up. All it takes to get bigger and stronger, Miller says with his friendly demeanor, is an understanding of weight-training basics and hard work.. 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. The strange thing was that the entire 6 months Mike was at the Nautilus headquarters, I never saw him take an intense workout. Jones had an interest in producing how-to videos on many aspects of sports medicine. Mike & Ray Mentzer - In the Gym. He prided himself in being able to keep a straight face, which threw you off, until you figured out his style. And when you actually train with high-intensity, you don't need a lot of volume," Arthur Jones said. It was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts. I do think, however, that the creatine monohydrate formula was responsible for from 25 to 30 percent of the results. Squat Thus, I spend about half of my 272-page book relating the stories and experiences of Jones. He admitted to spending three hours a day in the gym as a young man while serving in the United States Air Force. Or a training partner with a watch can talk your through each phase. 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. Today, that percentage of involvement has shrunk by half, which leaves approximately 8 percent. Of course, in the long run, youre going to need large amounts of both. Pull downs - 1 x 8 reps It didn't take long for Ray's body weight to climb from 250 to a lean 260 pounds. Also, Ive worked out with Ken Leistner, Pete Grymkowski, Robby Robinson, Jim Haislop, Richard Baldwin, Chris Dickerson, and Lee Haney. The results in his book, The New HIT, used slow rep training with great results any reason why you passed on asking these questions?