Mike Mentzer Once Revealed the Reason Behind Going for That ‘Impossible’ Rep

There are numerous techniques to train during a specific gym session. Many fitness aficionados have their own strategies for getting the optimal pump. However, if people are unwilling to push beyond their training barrier, they may be missing out on significant improvement, as Mike Mentzer explained in a resurfaced audio tape on @mikementzer’s Instagram.

The late bodybuilding legend once provided a simple example, stating that if a person can curl 100 pounds 10 times but does not push himself for the 11th rep, they may be missing out on a lot of muscle development. This is because their body will not feel the pressure to desire to attain a specific goal because they are not pushing themselves too hard.

The training process is also linked to HIT, as Mentzer was an advocate for it, which provided him with the physique to earn that degree of respect in the community and all of the flashy accolades during his professional career. He simplifies the necessity of pushing beyond one’s boundaries by saying:

“It’s only when you try that impossible 11th rep that you stretch the existing capacity, endanger the existing reserve, and the body seeks to protect the reserve by enlarging upon its existing capacity so that no longer will that 11th rep seem like a threat.”

The human body has its own intricate method of reaching the pinnacle of physique. However, it can only be triggered when one goes until the failure rep, which causes their muscle to enlarge, and when done consistently, they will not feel exhausted for that single extra rep.

While pushing oneself may be helpful to their physique, going too far can lead to overtraining, as the late icon previously addressed.

Mike Mentzer’s opinion on the side effects of overtraining

Overtraining has always been a negative aspect of the fitness industry, as it has serious health effects, starting with something as basic as increased muscle soreness. This is a common problem in the community, as Mike Mentzer previously stated, because many people ignore the fact that overtraining does not result in an ideal physique.

The former icon also highlighted Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s research, which revealed that his purest patients, who had never smoked or drank in their lives, developed heart disease and cancer. Mentzer offers the sun as an example of overtraining, claiming that high-intensity sunlight stress will result in a suntan up to a degree; however, going beyond that threshold may result in sunburn.