Any fitness enthusiast would know the significance behind Mike Mentzer and his contributions to the bodybuilding community. A pioneer of high-intensity training methods, the late bodybuilder published books and recorded many lectures on what the technique stood for. His teachings are imparted even now due to their relevancy throughout the industry.
In a recently resurfaced video, Mentzer was teaching students the philosophy behind high-intensity training and how it can work. While every individual will have different innate adaptabilities and, therefore, a different plan, the late bodybuilder was prepared with notes.
The first thing the late bodybuilder clarified was that everyone has different physical requirements. He didn’t believe everyone had different physiologies. Rather, everyone had different innate adaptabilities and, therefore, different intensities up to which they could work out.
The idea behind his high-intensity training concept was simple. In general, the harder one trained, the more growth they’d gain. However, an increase in training intensity would also mean less time taken to reach an optimum level of growth. Now, all that was left was to find out how much intensity one needed to put in to reach their peak.
“You can train as hard as possible for 30 minutes, then diminish the intensity, and train for eight hours after that. That’s not going to result in anything except reduced progress.”
There is a threshold to every kind of workout that, once crossed, gives the desired result. But the intensity was usually only seen in binaries—either one doesn’t push themselves or pushes too hard, resulting in hampered progress. Mentzer recommends keeping a check on this and aiming for a sweet spot where one trains to failure but is still capable of going forward. However, he warns:
“There are some people who simply don’t want to train this way. It’s only recommended for those who want to stimulate maximal increases in size and strength. It’s not for the casual enthusiast, it’s for the serious bodybuilder.”
While Mentzer popularized this method for generations to come, he idolized another innovator who created waves in the bodybuilding world.
For Mike Mentzer, another innovator played Aristotle to the society
Many considered Mentzer to be their mentor and guide. 6x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates was fortunate enough to train under him and be subject to his scientific methods. However, someone whom both icons looked up to was innovator Arthur Jones.
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Jones invented the Nautilus bicep machine and joined hands with Mentzer to explore bodybuilding’s scientific side. The late bodybuilder even went so far as to call Jones the Aristotle of the bodybuilding industry. When Jones’ teachings and observations weren’t followed, the sport suffered from a dark phase. Currently, if the industry is on the upside, it’s because of pioneers like Mentzer and Jones and their ideas.
