For a long time, bodybuilders have debated over the use of nautilus and free weights. During Mike Mentzer‘s days, this discussion was viable, and even the bodybuilder once expressed his perspective on the best option for maximizing benefits. In a resurfaced audio recording of the late icon, he can be seen giving his two cents on the debate.
In any gym throughout the world, a fitness enthusiast can choose between two types of equipment. They can use free weights or Nautilus machines to perform the same workouts. While free weights have been around for a long time, they have a larger following than the Nautilus machines.
This gym equipment was created by Arthur Jones, whom Mike Mentzer looked forward to and even tailored his exercises to. According to the former Mr. America, they are significantly superior to free weights. He does, however, recall that many notable bodybuilders have achieved success by working solely with free weights.
He even built his foundation on free weights, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to go with the superior alternative in the future. Mentzer silenced the Nautilus critics by saying:
“What many of the anti-Nautilus people point out is that yes, all of the great physiques have been trained on free weights and none on Nautilus. That’s not entirely true; I trained mostly on Nautilus.”
Aside from Mentzer’s unearthed recording, the YouTube video shows a few other noteworthy NHL players, including Tim Horton, Gordie Howe, and Bobby Hull. Despite never training with free weights, these professional athletes maintained impressive bodies during their illustrious ice hockey careers.
The former Mr. America also emphasizes how the sport of bodybuilding will always benefit individuals with strong genetics. However, despite the genetic component, the late legend stated that the Nautilus machine was the only way to maximize training. Mentzer frequently went through a variety of training techniques. He was a pioneer of HIT at the time, although he preferred a single workout that provided multiple benefits.
Mike Mentzer Unveils the Benefits of Weight Training
Despite being the poineer of HIT, Mike Mentzer was fond of weight training. The process not only provided numerous benefits, but it also saved time because all that was required was a proper commitment to the practice. The late legend included this in his workout program since it helps with endurance.
Mentzer was confident that weight training alone might improve several aspects of physical fitness. These components included muscular strength, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and even stress reduction, which is uncommon in other forms of exercise. The former Mr. America was always ahead of his time, and the lessons he provided are still useful for individuals who are always pushing themselves to achieve the best.
