Mike Mentzer Once Spilled the Beans on the Correct Technique to Lift Weights

Mike Mentzer made sure that his philosophy of training and exercise went far and wide since they had logic and science backing it. Even though the high-intensity way of working out wasn’t as popular back then, people did grow curious after watching bodybuilders like Dorian Yates succeed.

Mentzer had his own set of principles that he wanted people to abide by while performing their planned workout routines. One of these rules was about the correct technique to work with weights for maximum gains.

Unlike popular belief, the late legend firmly preached that the very act of lifting weights, which included the positives of the motion, was detrimental to muscle growth. Instead, what truly worked in favor of bodybuilders was the act of holding on and the negatives of the exercise.

In the case of his clients, Mentzer made sure to perform a particular step while helping them work with weights. Instead of simply lifting and lowering, he made them hold the weights in a contracted position till they found their static.

 

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“The positive portion of any exercise, the lifting of the weight, is the least productive in terms of simulating an increase. Why? Because it’s the weakest part of the movement.”

Holding the weights in a contracted position and subsequently lowering them slowly gives the individual an advantage so big that it beats the act of lifting alone. Mentzer guaranteed visible results with this trick, as it eventually triggered the growth mechanism.

“What I’ve been having my clients doing is holding the weight in the fully contracted position for up to 15 seconds. And then once they recognize their static strength is about to go, they start lowering the weight very slowly.”

Thus, Mentzer devised a technique that could help maximize gains and provide a challenge to the gym goer.

Well, from the looks of it, Mentzer was much ahead of his time as much of his advice is still quite relevant and held in high regard by present bodybuilding icons.

Mike Mentzer had an easy pathway for doing regular full-range dips

It’s common knowledge that bodybuilding prioritizes the full range of motion while performing exercises since it provides proper efficiency. Mentzer strongly believed in this principle and often helped his clients utilize their range of motion through various tricks and techniques. In fact, he even once taught listeners a hack to perform regular full-range dips using a different kind of hip dip.

Negative dips are easy to perform and involve the individual placing a chair or bench between the dip bars. They can then stand on it with outstretched arms and locked elbows while they slowly lower themselves. This negative form of the exercise gradually trains the body, helping users ease into regular full-range dips, without much struggle.