Bodybuilding and overall fitness are complex activities that attempt to achieve the ideal human physique. There are numerous strategies to workout to maximize benefits, but each individual’s program is unique to their preferences. In a resurrected audio tape of Mike Mentzer, published by Heavy Duty College on YouTube, the late icon answers an all-time burning question, “How often you should train?”
According to the bodybuilding legend, total muscle increase is not attained while a person performs a specific activity but rather throughout the healing phase.
Muscle hypertrophy is always the key to muscle growth because when the body repairs the wear and tear of the tissues, they usually bulge in size, providing the necessary pump to the physique. The pioneer of HIT was likewise opposed to training for consecutive days, as he states:
“We have learned through observation that training 2 days is always a mistake because 24 hours between workouts is not enough time to allow for full recovery and full growth.”
Mentzer uses a simple example to describe how a person feels after a routine workout session. He claims that the individual experiences fatigue as a result of the human body reserving energy consumed during the workout in order to devote it entirely to the recuperation process.
However, natural compensation takes a long time, which can range from several hours to many days, depending on the individual. Mentzer further explains that once the body has fully recovered from the exhaustion caused by the workout, it uses the remaining energy to promote muscle growth. He illustrates how a particular exercise for a single muscle area can have a systemic effect on the entire body. The late legend also highlights a specific workout routine, stating:
“I have seen with my phone consultation clients and my gym clients that they do best on an every 72 to 96-hour program…you would train your chest and back on Monday, take Tuesday and Wednesday off, and on Thursday and on an every 72-hour program, you would do your shoulders and arms. Then you would take Friday and Saturday off, and on Sunday, train your legs.”
This entire workout cycle revolves around a 72-hour break, which allows the individual’s body to fully recuperate from the intensive sessions. The bodybuilding icon also reiterated a previously expressed concern, emphasizing that he consistently advises his followers to refrain from overtraining during their workouts.
Mike Mentzer sheds light on the dark side of overtraining
While a fitness fanatic may always want to push themselves to the limit in order to reap the most advantages, they are falling into a trap known as overtraining. This phenomenon is extremely harmful, according to Mike Mentzer, who outlined a comprehensive study conducted by Dr. Kenneth Cooper.
The bodybuilding icon claims that the doctor’s finest and purest patients, who had never smoked or drank in their entire lives, developed heart problems and even cancer as a result of excessive training.
He also presents a simple example, explaining that when a person basks in the sun, they will have a positive outcome because they will get a suntan on their body. However, even if they stay in the sun for one minute longer than necessary, they will develop sunburn. This is how Mentzer wants his followers to perceive overtraining, as it will only hurt them rather than provide any potential benefits for maximizing gains.
