The sport of bodybuilding consists of multiple approaches to forming a desired physique. One of the popular ones was heavy-duty training, championed by Mike Mentzer. The technique involves bursts of intense workout sessions followed by long recovery periods.
An entire week’s worth of heavy-duty training covered every body part group. One of them that held significant importance was the chest. Mentzer had a simple two-step process for an insane pump that guaranteed massive chest gains.
To start things off, Mentzer stressed performing just one set per exercise. These sets could have varying numbers of reps depending on an individual’s capacity, but the thumb rule was to go to failure. Therefore, the fitness enthusiast works their chest to the fullest but gets enough time to recover.
The first exercise involves the use of a pec deck for the chest. The late icon suggested a range of 6-10 reps on the deck, with a twist. The number of repetitions wasn’t set in stone. Therefore, he recommended to stop at 5 or even 13, depending on the fitness enthusiast’s capabilities.
“If you don’t have access to a pec deck, then flat bench dumbbell flies or cable crosses may be substituted.”
The second workout Mentzer recommends is an incline press. Unlike the pec deck, where the veteran calls for 6-10 repetitions, he goes drastically low with his recommendation. Followed by the pec deck, Mentzer recommends 1-3 reps for the incline press.
“If you don’t have any machine for the incline press, you may perform either regular free weight barbell incline presses or incline dumbbell presses.”
After an intense workout, Mentzer strongly recommends a 72-hour gap before hitting a different set of body parts at the gym. This gives the body enough time to grow.
Mike Mentzer opened up about recovery for growth
A 72-hour gap may seem like a lot for some who are used to hitting the gym regularly. But that’s where Mentzer’s philosophy comes in. Growth and strength of muscles increase not due to actively working them but because of rest.
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Recovery gives time for the muscles to repair what they lost during intense training. This makes them stronger and promotes growth. If the body doesn’t receive sufficient time to rest, it might lead to opposite consequences. Mentzer was a visionary who knew his way around bodybuilding. That’s why his ideas are still popular among the masses.
