Mike Mentzer was one of the pioneers of bodybuilding. Championing the high-intensity workout routine, the veteran set forth a new era in the sport. With workout plans that are relevant and followed to date, it’s safe to say that Mentzer was the torchbearer of innovation in the sport.
Recently, one of his training routines resurfaced. The late bodybuilder had various training plans and audios, and one of them was an intense routine for arms and deltoids. It seemed to be a part of a larger series that involved daily training routines focused on various body parts.
For the delts, the first workout that Mentzer recommended is the side raises or dumbbell laterals. He suggested doing 6 to 10 reps of these after a brief rest. However, these do not have to occur in supersets.
The next exercise he recommended for deltoids was bend over dumbbell laterals. Mentzer suggested 6 to 10 reps for this as well, with a dumbbell in each hand. However, if there’s only one dumbbell available, the veteran recommended another version where one could use a pec deck and work the rear delts.
For the arms, Mentzer recommended two exercises. However, these had some specifications to them. The first exercise was barbell curls with a straight bar, specifically.
“A straight bar, not an easy curl bar. Easy curls do not work the biceps; they work the brachialis on the outer part of the arm.”
The next exercise that the late veteran recommended was tricep press downs with a straight bar or a v-bar. However, the icon was strictly against using a rope for this exercise. Instead, if the bars were unavailable, Mentzer suggested:
“one set of lying French presses for 6 to 10 reps (and) immediately after the press down, in super set fashion, proceed to dips between parallel bars for three to five reps to failure.”
All of these arm workouts need to have 6 to 10 reps each. Mentzer’s foolproof technique seemed to work out for many for ages to come. But was there someone he looked up to for inspiration?
Bringing in Greek philosophy, Mike Mentzer dubbed bodybuilding innovator Aristotle
In an extended interview with Muscle Media 2000, Mentzer talked about how society slipped into the dark ages when they ignored Aristotle’s principles. Similarly, bodybuilding underwent dark ages when people did not listen to one of the greatest innovators.
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Mentzer considered Arthur Jones, the inventor of the Nautilus exercise machines, a pioneer in the field. Together, they tested many scientific theories and deemed them effective in the field of bodybuilding. Jones was an inspiration for Mentzer’s ideas, and now, the late bodybuilder’s principles live on in the form of training routines.
