Mike Mentzer had a very unique approach towards training since the very beginning. He never considered volume training to be in favor of bodybuilding goals and from what he had observed, it did not address the intensity of each exercise on a set of muscles. Instead, he stood by high-intensity training until the end because of how efficiently it seemed to address his concerns about his physique.
In a resurfaced interview posted by the YouTube channel Heavy Duty College, Mentzer can be seen engaged in a conversation with host Bill Phillips. Speaking about various ideologies and his preference for training, he explained why volume training should be a thing of the past.
He began by pointing out how a fixed number of sets doesn’t allow one to exert the intensity intended for growth. Therefore, it is more likely that the bodybuilder won’t get the best workout meant to bring out the muscles and the desired aesthetic.
All of his A-lister clients, including six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, swore by high-intensity training because of how well it worked out for them. They kept their mind open to a new form of training, straying away from the traditional techniques, and that’s what Mentzer wanted other fitness enthusiasts to do.
“Get it out of your head that more is better. If more is better, then you should literally train all day! But you recognize there’s a limiting factor.”
Following the same principle, he brought to everyone’s attention how recovery was essential and could get really slow, depending on the training. But it was equally important since bodybuilders could easily injure themselves if they didn’t allow their muscles to heal completely.
“You don’t want to do any more exercise than is minimally required to stimulate the body to grow and get stronger.”
Apart from this, ensuring a full range of motion and muscle contraction while pushing to failure in a single set is what Mentzer’s typical workout looked like. This technique seemed to have worked wonders for several and is therefore relevant even today.
Dorian Yates Was a Testament to How Intense Mike Mentzer’s Training Was
Recently, Mentzer’s protege, Yates, recounted his good old training days with his mentor, where they would go all in on the intensity. At the time, the English bodybuilder was incredibly strong and could lift heavy weights well within his capabilities. So Mentzer would harness that power and apply his heavy-duty training routine to help define his muscles.
In the post, Yates talked about how his mindset and adaptability let him be open towards Mentzer’s experiments. Eventually, it all came around for him when he built up a monstrous physique under the late legend’s guidance and won six Mr. Olympia titles in a row.
