The bodybuilding community considers Mike Mentzer, who was revolutionary from the start, to be a priceless jewel. Much wisdom may be derived from the life and work of the late legend. Mentzer once revealed this training regime before any major contest in a resurfaced interview video that Heavy Duty College posted on YouTube.
A fitness fanatic may choose from a variety of training regimes to follow in the lead-up to a competition. A blog claims that competitors often exercise four to six times weekly for sixty to ninety minutes, with an emphasis on cardio.
On the other hand, Mike Mentzer had a different approach to training before competitions when he adhered to his well-known HIT regime. The former bodybuilder discussed his training program, which he began 12 weeks before the competition, in the video.
As for what would work better for his physique, it was also up to him. He further explained his training regime:
“And each one of the weeks leading up to the contest, the training would become actually briefer and more intense.”
Probably none had ever heard of the approaches that Mentzer had described. Based on the interviewer’s facial expressions, he was just as shocked as everyone else when he learned about the icon’s exercise routine. Even though Mentzer only exercised for a short period, he trained extremely hard, almost to exhaustion.
Unlike the typical contender, Mentzer divulged his unconventional final week preparation routine in advance of any contest:
“Believe it or not I wouldn’t train at all. I would rest up, try to get myself together mentally, lay in the sun, go over my posing routine and so forth.”
Mike Mentzer stressed the importance of maximum effort in the intensity of workouts
HIT is a serious business. When training, the goal is to always challenge oneself to one’s physical limits and beyond. But Mike Mentzer, who used to follow such a program, once said that an individual won’t see any progress toward their goals until they give it their all.
While acknowledging that every person is unique, the late legend emphasized that all individuals have common body mechanics. If their training intensity is at its peak, then the recovery process also follows the same path.
And, as recovery is important for muscle development, this maximum effort in the intensity of the workout will lead to maximum muscular development, according to Mentzer.
