Mike Mentzer training (HIT)

[RAIDEN]

Anyone ever do his training? Did you get results? Do you think it is effective?

[afton]

Not Mike Mentzer's, but Dorian Yates' which is an adaptation of Mike's. From memory (correct me if I am wrong), Mike was one main set to failure but only one exercise per body part? Dorian added more exercises to his but stuck with the one main set principle. I am in agreement with Dorian, I don't see how you can get proper development from one exercise per body part. Take back for instance. What one exercise could you do that would give you EVEN development in all the muscles that make up the back? You'd be better using multiple exercises that targeted different muscles. Guess you could change the exercise each week, so say chins one week, bent one rows the next etc. Just don't think it would be as efficient as doing multiple exercises for a body part.

[ritch]

I had done phone consultations with Mike in '97. I was training every 4 days on a 4 way split. So I was actually training every body part once every 16 days! Talk about a fresh CNS, and going all out with vengeance. I think I was dieting at the time, kept my strength, but canned the system after a while as I simply prefer to train 4 times a week.

but in the end what I learned is if you're in a rut for time, you can do very little and maintain what you have...

I will try and think of the exact split and post it, it was pre exhaust.

[cook]

Mike`s Heavy Duty changed over the years.I bought his original in about 78.It had you work 4 days a week and each bodypart got hit twice.For chest you would do a heavy set of flyes to failure and immediatly do a set of benches.All the other bodyparts were pre-exhaust supersets as well.I did this for a while and got very strong on the first exercise but could never move much weight on the second.For example I was doing strict flyes with 90s but then could only bench about 135.This may be one of the reasons it didn`t catch on.I know I was mortified when some punk would come up to me and say wow you can only do 8 reps with 135.It did give you an intense burn and pump in the muscles.I used to do for biceps a heavy set of curls to failure and immediately do underhand grip negative chins.It killed your biceps like nothing else.

[irish_2003]

i do Big A's routine but add dc stretches to it

[RAIDEN]

I had done phone consultations with Mike in '97. I was training every 4 days on a 4 way split. So I was actually training every body part once every 16 days! Talk about a fresh CNS, and going all out with vengeance. I think I was dieting at the time, kept my strength, but canned the system after a while as I simply prefer to train 4 times a week.

but in the end what I learned is if you're in a rut for time, you can do very little and maintain what you have...

I will try and think of the exact split and post it, it was pre exhaust.

Good stuff ritch. I'd be interested to see the split if you get a chance.