Mike Mentzer was one of the visionaries who knew the nuances of bodybuilding to the core. This is why he is touted as one of the veterans whose teachings lived beyond his short-lived life. One of his main focuses in curating an optimum Heavy-duty training program is to plan a beneficial diet.
In a resurfaced video where the late icon talks about a group of ideas surrounding HIT, one of the concerns was maintaining one’s food intake while performing intense workouts. Mentzer’s idea was to encourage body fat loss while balancing other macro-nutrients.
A well-balanced diet includes all kinds of elements such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and more. However, a common factor that may be present among all of these is calories. Mentzer aimed to reduce their intake while upholding the rest of the nutrients.
“A calorie is a calorie is a calorie, no matter what the source. To lose fat, you must reduce your intake below your daily maintenance need of calories.”
The late legend devised a simple way to enable calorie reduction. As with all kinds of workouts, Mentzer suggested maintaining a journal dedicated to one’s nutritional habits. In this, the fitness enthusiast would record their daily calories consumed with the help of a calorie-counting book.
After five days of performing the same ritual, one needed to calculate the average calorie intake. This will help them reduce calories gradually over the course of their heavy-duty plan. Since it’s flexible enough to not include specific foods, one could consume anything as long as they aimed to reduce their average.
“An occasional ice cream cone or piece of cake will not hurt so long as your daily caloric intake is below maintenance levels.”
This is what Mentzer suggested even for those competing in bodybuilding championships. A reduced calorie intake diet was the key to getting ripped. Apart from this, he also had an in-depth philosophy into the distribution of nutrients in a balanced meal.
Mike Mentzer reveals a precise macro-nutrient formula for heavy-duty diet
Consuming macro-nutrients in one’s diet towards getting jacked was important. But a balanced meal meant optimum amounts of each. Mentzer once revealed how much protein, carbs, and fats were important in one’s diet to achieve the best state of physique.
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According to the late legend, a well-balanced meal contained 60% carbohydrates, 25% proteins, and 15% fats. This combined with his heavy-duty training plan, ensured the best results one could physically achieve.
