Mike Mentzer’s Ideal Routine Workout Guide Workout Frequency 30:52: Four different workouts with 2 days of rest between each workout, every third day. 24:37: General Warm-Up Principles * Warm-up with minimal exercise required to increase blood flow to target muscles. * No need for extensive stretching or aerobic work. Workout Schedule Workout 1: Chest and Back *1:54: Pec Deck or Dumbbell Flies: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *3:28: Incline Press: 1 set of 1-3 reps to failure *4:46: Close Grip Palms-Up Pulldowns: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *5:50: Deadlifts: 1 set of 5-8 reps to failure Rest for 2 Days Workout 2: Legs and Abs *7:51: Leg Extensions: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *9:41: Leg Press: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *11:01: Standing Calf Raises: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *11:47: Sit-Ups: 1 set of 10-12 reps (use weights if more than 20 reps) Rest for 2 Days Workout 3: Shoulders and Arms *13:06: Standing Lateral Raises: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *16:11: Bent-Over Lateral Raises: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *16:43: Barbell Curls: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *19:19: Triceps Press Downs: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure *21:13: Dips: 1 set of 3-5 reps to failure Rest for 2 Days Workout 4: Legs and Abs (Variation) * Leg Extensions: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure *22:31: Squats: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure * Standing Calf Raises: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure * Sit-Ups: 1 set of 10-12 reps (use weights if more than 20 reps) Rest for 2 Days You’re Welcome 💪

@gregory9017

9 күн бұрын

Thanks 🙏

@perezosoetc

Күн бұрын

Thanks G

I fired the transcript of the video into chatgpt and got a distilled program. This video has all the rich detail you're going to need to understand the concepts and philosophy, but this should be a helpful summary of the 'ideal routine' Workout Structure Workout 1: Chest and Back Pec Deck (or Cable Crossovers/Dumbbell Flies): 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Incline Press: 1 set of 1-3 reps to failure. Close Grip Palms Up Pull Downs: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Deadlifts: 1 set of 5-8 reps to failure. Workout 2: Legs and Abdominals Leg Extensions: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure. Leg Press: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure. Standing Calf Raises: 1 set of 12-20 reps to failure. Sit-Ups: 1 set of 10-12 reps, increasing weight as necessary. Workout 3: Shoulders and Arms Standing Lateral Raise: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Bent Over Lateral Raise: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Barbell Curl: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Triceps Press Down: 1 set of 6-10 reps to failure. Dips: 1 set of 3-5 reps to failure. Thanks to @VentsislavRachev for reminding me about the supersets. Quoting him below: Pec Deck (or Cable Crossovers/Dumbbell Flies) followed by Incline Press. Leg Extension followed by Leg Press. Skull Crusher followed by Dip. Lateral Raise followed by Reverse Pec Deck. Warm-Up Perform a minimal warm-up to increase blood flow to the muscles being worked. Example: For deadlifts, start with a lighter set (e.g., 115 lbs for 7-10 reps) and progress to a slightly heavier set (e.g., 145 lbs for 2-3 reps) before the working set. Adjustments for Progress If progress slows, take a 2-week break and then resume training with reduced frequency or less demanding exercises. Periodically eliminate an exercise from your routine to prevent overtraining. Training Log Keep a training log to monitor progress in weights and repetitions. Adjust the frequency of workouts based on recovery and adaptation rates.

@7xleoss705

Ай бұрын

i love you man thx

@dadadadadadadadadadadada

Ай бұрын

@@7xleoss705 you're welcome my friend

@LuciaGTAVI665

Ай бұрын

Big thanks

@thegoodraj

Ай бұрын

You are awesome, know that

@Rawlingm

Ай бұрын

thanks for this, basically exactly what I was looking for. I am just getting into lifting now, I am 39 years old, and looking to burn fat and gain muscle. What days of the week should you do these workouts? Like for example, If i do workout 1 on Monday, when should I do workout 2? the next day or no? and when should I do workout 3. This has been my struggle as I dont know when/what days to work out and how long to rest each body parts

gone from 5/6 days to 2/3 days at the gym, the growth is insane!

@peterowley2014

Ай бұрын

Really that's really motivating fairplay is that per week you've gone down to 2/3 days yeah?

@cerberus2373

Ай бұрын

Just starting bulking and over the last month added 20kg to leg extension, 9kg to leg press. 10lbs to pull over machine and 10kg to pec dec.

@peterowley2014

Ай бұрын

@cerberus2373 that's brilliant mate I'm working out 5/6 days a week and not making progress worried if I go down to 2 or 3 days I'll get weaker do you think it'll help?

@jackhodges1030

Ай бұрын

Just like Mike said lifting weights takes more out of you than what you realize you have to let your body recompensate for what you spent then you start growing. And when you go to the gym every 4 days with this workout program you hit it and hit it hard hit with everything you got and then rest 4 days and then do the next set you will see results.

@cerberus2373

Ай бұрын

@@peterowley2014 cheers, that progress was achieved working out once a week, one set to failure. trust me it works.

Switched from doing high volume training 5 days a week to Heavy Duty. 2-3 days a week 20 to 25 minutes. In just one month my gains are substantial. I do VERY slow negatives and also static holds also. Weighted negatives also.. stuff wipes you out quickly. You can train hard or you can train long … but you can’t do both

@x933Deadboy

Ай бұрын

Can you explain for me your training with boring details please!?

@Hamromerochannel

Ай бұрын

Yes me too same question please

@mpdebruin

Ай бұрын

Same question here

@jlmckenna10

Ай бұрын

​@x933Deadboy go to failure on most of your exercises, use enough weight , or work on body weight pulls and pushes

@bDub3891

Ай бұрын

I go 3-4x max and gains are way more intense from 30-40mins sessions max

Just chiming in on my own experience with this routine. In short, I am lifting the heaviest I've ever lifted and have increased weight for every single exercise week after week. I couldn't be more happy. Disclaimer: I have not consistently trained in years passed and would consider myself as an intermediate in weight training.

The quality of these videos is insane

Thank you John for bringing this to us! I think this is probably the only program that is made by an elite Mr. Olympia competitor and available for free online. I think you've helped many people with this! To share my personal experience, I have used this routine in my training and saw steady progress. My strength definitely increased visibly on the exercises I was performing. However, in the short term (6-10 weeks, let's say) higher volume routines have produced more muscle growth for me. The thing with higher volume training, is that it must be periodized in order to not create overtraining. The main strength of Mike's routine is that it basically throws periodization out the window - it just adds rest as strength increases - so it's very easy to program for people who are not working with a coach. The most valuable leasson I learned from Mike is to focus on intensity and never let your training volume blow up so much that it becomes endurance work. That is a principle that I think anyone who is interested in bodybuilding will be served well by.

I started this programme on January this year. Noticed results after three weeks in strength. This really does work and is hard. 😊

@noneed6472

Ай бұрын

Started this back up in April after Shoulder Surgery and it is BEYOND effective. Seeing immediate growth, strength and the density of the muscle grown is phenomenal. Still trying to prefect the sequence, reps, etc... but this man knew exactly what he was talking about. RIP Mike and Ray

What a great breakdown 🙌 Mike was spot on back then...and still spot on to this day.

@stevemann1299

Ай бұрын

Yup just a shame over 95% of people who train still cant see it. Some neverwill...

I started this style of training today and I swear I have never sweated like this in my entire life. really great

@megumiishitani4027

19 күн бұрын

what are the results compared to traditional training?

@Captain_MacTavish

16 күн бұрын

@@megumiishitani4027 literally Works ( for me ). You can try this and find out if it Works ( for you ).

THIS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!! THANK YOU!!

next month gonna be a year I've trained like Mike did and I've never been more grateful. my progress speaks for itself. he's a legend. i got to fuse this routine with a lot of stuff and created the perfect balance in life. Really thankful for his knowledge!

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Congratulations on your progress.

@LCTherapy

Ай бұрын

Just completed 1 year on this program too. I’ve never been stronger or bigger!

@gchibli

Ай бұрын

Would you recommend this for a beginner?

@gchibli

Ай бұрын

Would you recommend this to a beginner?

@stevemann1299

Ай бұрын

​@@gchibli Absolutely. Best to start with the best. And not waste years going down the wrong path.

The video personal trainers don't want you to see so you can keep believing the BS they continue selling. Respect to Mike!!

So glad to see this broken down …. Thnx for the work and attention to detail Mike would be proud

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for your post.

So much love towards you man! Keep doing what you are doing! I have been subbed on my other account since you had like 4k subs and now you have almost 150K! LETS GO! People are resonating with mikes message because he is the only advocate for logic and the natural body builder. I cannot thank you enough for the work and effort you put into these videos and on this channel. Truly, thank you.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks for your support and kind words.

I started his program last year. I must say this program works. I wish I learned this earlier. Thank you for you work

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

You're very welcome!

Thank You! 💪💪💪 🌏🌍🌎

John Little your doing a great job presenting this material.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks very much.

I will be needing this programme again after my holiday. Can't wait 😄

His guide for how to do deadlift is a wonderfully detailed explanation.

@therockiscooking4119

2 күн бұрын

"Deep knee bend with your back perfectly flat and your head up" works every time

I love this routine. I have all the recommended equipment in my home gym so I can do it as suggested. Now, here's the key for me; I tried this several times over the last couple years but always stagnated after a couple months. Just recently I decided to try more rest and I am quickly progressing once again. I am hitting new recent PR's every WO in every exercise. I say recent PR's because I am 66 and I'm not as strong as I was when I was 26. I'm resting 5-7 days between each WO, so I am going between 20-24 days between each WO, 1,2,3 and 4. I never thought I would need this much rest but it is absolutely working for me. I just did the shoulders/ arm WO and my upper body was trashed. I have to laugh when I read someone say they do 10 sets "to failure" for each exercise. There's no way I can do 1 more good set after I am done. If you are not gaining regularly, try resting more.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks for your post!

Thanks for the Video

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

You're welcome. Thanks for your post.

The one and Only Mike Mentzer

Man you just break this training routine down like we are toddlers, and we love it THANK YOU!

100% gem

Incredibly helpful breakdown. Thanks for putting this together.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you John! I would switch from dead lift to rack pulls to take ñegs out of movment stress all on back that is if goal is to isolate then do rack puols on a squat rack. Now assuming reps were done at 1 to 2 seconds contentric. 1 seconded squeez at top then 3 to 4 seconds eccentric

Amazing video, John! A breakdown on different exercises is just what I needed. I've had people asking me about trying out different exercises and routines a lot lately, and I've had to do a lot of research outside of the exercices recommended in the Heavy Duty Ideal Routine. I have a quick question for you: I've seen many of the golden era bodybuilders performing Klokov Presses or Behind-the-Neck Shoulder Presses on pictures (Doryan Yates, Tom Platz, etc.) and I've heard that this exercise is good to stimulate all 3 heads of the shoulders at once (in lieu of not having a shoulder Nautilus machine in my case). I've been trying it out myself and I find it a lot simpler than raises and can be done without having to jerk the weights upwards, with the only downside that it tires out my triceps more. Do you happen to have some insight on this exercise? I would appreciate your feedback a lot!

thank you so much for “IDEAL ROUTINE” 😭🙌🙌🙌

Bought the book and have not read it yet, I’m currently only lifting 3 to 4 days out of the week. Have been not going to failure though. I have just been doing upper body and lower body splits and hitting the upper/ lower every 4th day and just doing light cardio every other day and doing some neck training on cardio days. I’m interested to see what differences this will have for growth for me. I really am happy and appreciative that Mikes legacy lives on.

Everyone thinks they workout hard with maximum effort until they do Mike's routine. Just doing 5-6 sets per workout twice a week kicks my ass more than the 15-20 sets 4 times a week I used to do.

@jakeythecrow9969

Ай бұрын

I actually agree, when I do one set of everything I feel so much more fatigued afterwards than when I was doing high volume

@simba-_-222

Ай бұрын

im confused about the weight. how much weight are we using? something that we can only do for the reps mentioned or?

@JayanthiPrasannan-xw8ex

Ай бұрын

5-6 sets or Reps

@KCBRYAN_1525

27 күн бұрын

@@simba-_-222untill you hit failure on the last rep.this is very similar to how Dorian Yates used to work out

@bieateofan2251

22 күн бұрын

5-6 sets a week is still to low for volume. It's enough for at first, but you will increase it in time.

John, you and Mike are such humble people. Some persons on this internet would say buy my book for information while you give it away for free. I've read your and Mike's book but still got a lot of answers from this video alone. Thanks man for such a marvelous video

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words and for your post!

@SteveMatthews-ln4un

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE John, while I love the fact that you're trying to keep the Mentzer legacy alive, this stuff does nothing to break new ground. This is just a rehashing of Mike's work. Why not relate some of your OWN studies and research, such as your work with getting a better understanding of frequency with your Bod-Pod experiments. Even more so, how about your studies with Power Factor Training and the use of partial strongest-range reps......Would love to hear YOUR insights and ideas.....Respectfully, Steve Matthews

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

@@SteveMatthews-ln4un Simply because this channel is not about me or my thoughts on training, but on trying to keep Mike's legacy and teachings available for those that care about it. I'm not interested in using this channel or Mike to promote what I've done, but in giving credit where credit is due. The Chinese have a great phrase "when you drink the water, remember the source." Mike was a friend and, as a friend, I'm just doing what I can to ensure he still has a voice in the fitness world. I've written extensively about my views (and some have interviewed me about them), but much of what I've discovered (the Bod Pod studies you cite indicate this), simply further validate what Mike indicated. Not sure that there is a lot of "new ground" to break, to be honest. Human physiology hasn't changed in several hundred thousand years and thus our response to exercise hasn't shifted either. There are no shortage of other channels on KZread that are run by people who will be happy to tell you how they have advanced Mike's teachings, or how he was in error, and how they cracked the nut on stimulating maximum hypertrophy. Not my thing.

@oscardinogetti3824

Ай бұрын

You're a good friend, sir. True to the core for Mike. Respect.

Gracias por este documento. Un trozo de historia del bb 💪 Definitivamente funciona el hd concept, no lo duden.

I do this exact plan less the second leg day.. works incredible

nice video, thanks

Very nice detailed video thanks

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

John your videos are simply amazing. Thanks for your hard work!

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks, glad you like them.

Oh nice this just popped up I wanted this!

Best Workout routine in the world

@treznor6992

Ай бұрын

I agree. when im done with the workouts, it drains you so much, i just want to go to sleep LoL

@letbright8182

Ай бұрын

​@@treznor6992I'll leave it to you man, I did leg training on the second day of the week on Tuesday and I couldn't do any other training, I had to take 6 days of rest LOL

@gchibli

Ай бұрын

Would you recommend this for a beginner?

@JohnP-go6wf

27 күн бұрын

An absolute beginner should use light weights and build up to medium weights first. There’s a process of adaptation to find comfortable posture, pace and stretch to go through that shouldnt be skipped. Just keep to every third day and it will change your body anyway, and switch to more fatiguing protocols like this one when you have adapted a bit more. Do not go two days in a row, even if using a split. Beat wishes

i was one of the lucky ones that was able to train with mike in the mid 90's, met joan sharky and the group that ran his web page store.......hard to believe when he left before 50...

I have training from4-5 years with the usual 5-6 days a week routine. Since I started doing heavt duty by allowing 3-4 days rest between workouts my strength increase has been tremendous. My body is not afraid of heavy weights anymore, every week i go up on weights. I am South Asian so I got the worst genetics for muscle building plus i am endomorph. I urge people to give it a shot , have more rest days, and eat more carbs than protein. Thanks mike

JOHN- LONG time subscriber here... I just saw you on "High Intensity Business" channel discussing MIKE and you mentioned that you were at the Toronto 1980 "Breakfast Seminar"!! Can you ever do a video of your best recollections from that, I read about it in the MUSCLEMAG Annual back in the day- THAT would be truly FASCINATING!!!!!

Ok, finally going to try this workout. I've done some workouts like this before in all my years of training. But never stuck to the program. I'll see how it goes at age 61.

Appreciate you continuing to put out these videos John. I plan on buying the course in the future. Hopefully it will answer all the questions I may have.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks very much for your support and for your post.

I have been searching this ideal mike workout for a long time. Finally i feel like, i stopped in the right video. Thanks mate.❤

@metalcowboy-my5xy

Ай бұрын

Arnold's enemy...

Very nice presentation !!! I read 4 books from Mike Mentzer and can confirm that he says exactly that. I must substitude some of his exercises, because I don't have acess to those machines, but there are good alternatives. Maybe you can do a video about those one day. He's talking about some in his last book. I guess that some viewers would appreciate that.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion. I may do that.

@BobFahrer-jb2kr

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thank you!!! If you need someone to create a Mike Mentzer "AI" Voice, I am happy to help you

I started doing high intensity training and my working set weight increased about 40 lbs in a month.

You know what. I'm not saying his entire video are alinged with what the taste of working out I would have. But at around 27min he does actually make some great sense switching out deadlift for shrugs occasionally in my opinion, I might just do that.

Great video John, I've been using this routine for a few weeks now, and most of my questions and doubts were answered in this video. I do have one question though regarding the chest/back workout. Why is there no isolation movement for the lats, such as a pullover?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Good question. I had debated about putting in the straight-arm pulldown (an isolation exercise for the lats that Mike advocated if one didn't have access to a Nautilus pullover machine). He actually recommended this in his final book and in his first Heavy Duty training booklet for Chest & Back in the late 1970s. I didn't include it because he dropped it from his program from 1993 on. However, like the ab workout, I should have included it as an option for people. As exercises are discarded as one gets stronger, the best time to use the pre-exhaust combination of straight-arm pulldown and close-grip, palms up pulldown would be in the beginner or beginning of intermediate training and it would be one of the exercises later to be discarded as superfluous as you progressed. Now that you brought it up, I'm mad at myself for not having included it in the video. Apologies. Bad call on my part.

@jacobm92

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thanks for the quick and thorough reply, I was kind of imagining that the pre-exhaust combo of pullovers into the pulldowns would make sense given the other workouts in the routine. I think that I will do that for now, until the weight starts to increase.

i did buy the book, and another one too, years ago, and i got 0 regrets! mike was really such an incredible person and when u read the book, u get out of the endoctrination and u see the workout as a logic thing instead of those 'do this and do that'

@gchibli

Ай бұрын

Would you recommend this to a beginner bro?

@m1noladea

Ай бұрын

@gchibli before u go at your maximum u need to feel accustomed to the moves and the weight, to have tje right form. If u got ur basics then absolutely. But it goes for all kind of training. Just strict form. This is actually the safest way to train, coz it's not jerking the weights etc, it's controlled and if u can't lift it with good form, the weight won't move and u won't hurt yourself. As a beginner, I believe you will be able to train more often and do progress coz you won't go that heavy so your central neuro system will be able to recover quicker, but ofc, that varies on every individual

It’s been a month since I started heavy duty 2 and Im so happy and pleased with the progress. But I am following what mike said to only train every 4 days but here ur saying to train every 3 days plz can u explain. Note that I was training high volume for the past 2.5 years but now I’ve never been happier. Thanks mike we will always love you ❤️❤️

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

This video was geared to walk someone from beginner through to advanced. Beginners aren’t lifting as heavy weights for as many reps, consequently they don’t need the same recovery days off as those who are. As mentioned near the end of the video, you will need to begin inserting additional rest days as you grow stronger. Mike indicated a wide range exist within individuals with regards to recovery ability, with some recovering quite quickly and others not so quickly. As long as you do the workouts and make sure to keep an accurate progress chart, you will know when to insert additional rest days. If you are more advanced, then take four days off in between workouts and progress from there.

I think Ron Simmons may have followed this fitness routine. There's countless anecdotes about him entering the gym with other wrestlers, doing 3 bench presses with a crazy amount of weight on the bar and a few other exercises with similarly high intensity but low reps, and after roughly twenty minutes shouting "I'll wait for you in the car" while the other wrestlers worked out for 2-3 hours lol. This guy was known for his insane "country boy strength", but maybe he had just figured out the secret to getting that strong

I’m going to try this and see how it goes

@ryd3v

Ай бұрын

I took a full 7 days off, then started this plan, and man! Let me tell you, this is the way to do it. My first workout was so intense, that after I was vibrating my whole body, never had I felt this level of nevous system shock. Today I finished my second session following 2 days off, and I almost throw up, and can bearly walk to the car, and back home, my legs were jacked. Thank you Mike!

Personally, and it could be because of age and actual vs perceived ability, I work out every 8th day, usually a full body workout. After a year, I have gained substantive strength, relative to where I started. When I was doing a workout every third day, it was clear that I was not recovered enough to keep moving up in either weights or reps. So I added a day of rest until I could move up in every single muscle group that I worked.

@TiberiusX

Ай бұрын

Yes. He said that if you could only ever do negatives it would work you better than the positive rep. He also said that your static hold strength is stronger than your positive rep strength, and your negative rep strength is stronger than your static hold.

Hello, what Mike say about exercise change after some time(muscle shock)? I mean individual exercises... for example... first go with Peck Deck superset with dumbels.... after some time..... Dumbbell Flyes with incline Bench...is there some information about this "shock" the muscles? or is okay to go with same exercise for years?

Hello John, in the book The Mike Mentzer Way the ideal routine is described a little differently, why? Wasn't Mike's current idea to adapt it for back training, for example? There is also a difference in bicep training? Greetings from Germany

In chest back workout shouldnt you do pull overs on the machine as a pre exhaustion movement?

The critical point is that if you recover but don't grow stronger, you haven't trained intensely enough. Waiting longer will not be of benefit when that is the case. For most people a recovery (and growth) period of a little over a day is sufficient. A stimulus for growth is necessary on each occasion; no additional growth occurs no matter how long between sessions.

@Starbreaker2012

Ай бұрын

When a person training at 9am on Monday, grows stronger by 10am on Tuesday, it is folly to claim that resting longer would be of benefit since it defies the basic principle of high intensity training; muscle growth occurs in response to an intense stimulus, and once growth has occurred a further stimulus is necessary to induce further growth.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

The key phrase there is "If you recover." Recovery (and growth) occurs during the rest period, which is every bit the equal of the workout itself. " For most people," according to Mike's data from his clients (which is what his later system was based on) this took several days to occur, with some requiring much longer.

I knew Mike. Great guy! However, one thing I never quite had the opportunity to talk to him about was this "ideal routine.". When I became one of his clients, he had me move from his '92 HD book routine, which I'd used with great success for over a year, straight into his first version of the consolidation routine. That's a discussion for another time. Right now, I was going to zero in on his pec routine as outlined here and in HD2:M&B -- notably, the extremely low rep count on the incline press. Given the pre exhausted/superset nature of the routine, I can see a lower rep count on the press, but what's the rationalization for but 1-3 reps? I might understand 5-8 reps, but one to three?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

I’m pretty sure I touched on this in the video. It was simply that if you use a weight that you could perform five, six, or 10 reps with, you are simply recycling a lot of the same fibres you already activated/stimulated in the isolation exercise. The idea, as I understand it at least, is to simply squeeze one to three more contractions out of the pectoral muscles that otherwise would’ve been impossible without using the compound exercise and the fresh strength of the triceps and anterior deltoids. For this purpose, one to three reps is sufficient. This is not to say that the world will stop revolving or your progress dramatically fall off if you went with 3 to 5 repetitions, just that this was Mike’s reasoning behind the lower reps for the incline press.

My football workouts were short and intense about 45 minutes but you had nothing left.

What cadence do you recommend? I know Menzter used a normal cadence while he was competing. Then he used a 4/2 cadence during the first part of his personal training career before transitioning to a 4/2/4 cadence towards the end. What cadence do you think works best overall?

@DaltonRosee

Ай бұрын

I’d recommend a 4/2/4 That way you completely remove momentum and get the maximum amount of effort out of each rep Also the negative part of the movement is the most productive part and also takes the least amount on energy to perform Best of luck!

Went to working out every 72 hours vs 6 days a week. Night and day difference in strength gain

Hi, could I get some advice regarding this style of training? I would like try this routine but I'm concerned about compromising my pressing strength (both overhead and flat bench). My concern is derived by the absence of any overhead movements in this routine and the only pressing is part of a pre-exhausted superset. Is there anyway to follow the principles outlined in the video and integrate some overhead pressing without compromising recovery? Thanks.

@josephfranco919

Ай бұрын

I would think you could incorporate a superset of overhead press after side delts.

Can this routine be used until someone reaches their genetic potential? I know that a reduction of training frequency is absolutely required as someone gets stronger in order for them to compensate and continue making progress, but I'm still not sure if removing exercises is necessary. As long as you are allowing enough time for full recovery and adaption to take place between workouts then is it really necessary to remove or drop exercises from the routine regardless to if an individual needs 3-4 days of rest or even 10-11 between each workout? As long you are sticking to the routine, doing one set to failure on each exercise, tracking your progress with a training journal, and progressively lowering the frequency of workouts when needed, you will eventually reach your genetic potential?

What can I do instead of the triceps press down?

Hey John, hope you doing well. I am little confused about the rest period. In this video you say take 2 days off, I some other videos Mike states you should take 4 days off. Can you clarify this to me? Greetings from Germany and thanks for your awesome work on youtube - helped me a lot!

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thanks for the kind words. This video covers the use of Mike’s Ideal Routine for beginners through to advanced trainees. Consequently, you start out with 2 days off in between workouts and (as the video indicates) add rest days as you progress. The beginner isn’t strong enough to be using the kind of weights and outputting the kind of energy that would require more than two days off. However, as he grows stronger and outputs more energy, he needs more days off in order to fully recover and grow. So, the beginner to this routine would take two days off in between workouts. As he progresses into the intermediate and advance stages; that is, as he gets closer and closer to his genetic potential, he needs to insert additional rest days.

@afewmoments8499

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thank you for quick and detailed, also very helpful answer. All the best 🦾

Does this workout routine only work for bodybuilders who’ve hit a plateau. Or can this also work for people who are skinny fat?

If I understood good: 1st day training chest and back, 2nd day training leg and ab, 3rd day training delt and arm and than AGAIN LEG DAY? Thank you guys for your help

Been doing this for forty years

@LM_28035

Ай бұрын

Does this work good for back? Because I don’t see how palms up pull-down and deadlift will work as good, I’m going to try it anyway and hopefully prove myself wrong

@jondavid1071

7 күн бұрын

Id add either Nautilus Pullovers or some type of row time to time. Also on weeks you perform the row perhaps drop the Deadlift and perform a shrug or if available a machine back extension.

@jondavid1071

7 күн бұрын

Btw. Yes it does work if you train hard with good form and train progressively.

❤

How many weeks?

I have two questions about this routine. If you are starting this program on a diet, then should the frequency of workouts be lower or higher than if you started this program on a bulk? Also, on "Day 1: Chest and Back" if you don't have access to a close-grip palms up pulldown machine can you substitute it with barbell rows and then move on to the deadlifts?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

With regard to your first question, it will depend on what your training chart indicates. If you are going up in repetitions, weight (or both), then, despite being in a calorie deficit, your body has the time it needs to fully recover and adapt from the workouts. This is why your training journal is crucial. If you find that you're getting weaker, then you need more time in between training sessions (assuming you've trained intensely enough to stimulate an adaptive response from your workouts). As to your second question, yes, barbell rows can be substituted for pulldowns. You may wish to use a palms up grip on your rows so that your biceps are placed in their strongest position and don't become a limiting factor in your lat work.

@therockiscooking4119

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Awesome, thank you very much. This answers both of my questions perfectly. This also answers another question I had about "Day 1: Chest and Back" about the biceps as to whether or not they should be trained on that day. Because I don't have a pulldown machine, I know that I am neglecting the bicep portion of the close-grip palms up pulldown exercise and was contemplating whether or not adding a set of barbell curls to that day would fix that problem. However, doing palms up barbell rows sounds like a good solution to that problem and should stimulate the biceps enough.

How much weight should be used for beginners, seriously i have incorporated this but I pyramid the weight. Because I still have a lot left to give.

Sleeping is the key. That's how you grow. My arms are between 18 to 19 in natural All muscle no fat. Thank you, Mike

Mr. John, thx for the materials... Btw, every 3 days or 4? Because in other video Mike says 4 days... Which approach is right? Thanks 😊

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

10 күн бұрын

Both are correct, depending on your individual tolerance for exercise. Some people recover quicker, others require more time. That is why you need to train according to the results you experience or don’t experience as reported on your progress chart.

@The-Blessed-Hope

10 күн бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thanks Mr. John for such a fast reply and all the efforts you make for us... God bless you and your family

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

10 күн бұрын

Thank you. Happy to help.

Is there any video for like biceps and arm workout

@TiberiusX

Ай бұрын

It's in this video. Biceps specifically Mike preferred close grip palms up pull downs, according to him it uses the full range of motion for both ends of the biceps.

Thank you for the explanation but I have a question, if don't have access to machines but I have only weights and a bench, wich exercises can I do instead? Thanks in advance.❤

@ironangel5842

Ай бұрын

Waiting because I have same exact question.

@super_frog_official

19 күн бұрын

@@ironangel5842 still no answer, i don't know if I should start doing some random exercises or wait for the answer 😅

I tend to get cramps from sit ups. Someone said that maybe my hip flexors are tight? Any advice, especially I guess for a thorough warm up and stretch?

@danielpatel5948

4 күн бұрын

I've been there. Fixed it through Strengthening my glutes and hams. Lots of stretching of hip flexors. Avoid leg raise until resolved. I sit alot for my job so it needs to be done

I substitute the deadlifts with shrugs

@LiftOffLife

Ай бұрын

I substitute deadlifts with Farmers walks.

@treznor6992

Ай бұрын

you might consider doing dead lifts at least once a month. it is the best compound lift, not only because of all the muscles that get worked and the mass you gain, but it also does the little things like drain your cns, and it boosts your testosterone and ur natural growth hormones. it's way too good not to do at least once in a while.

@actilent9276

Ай бұрын

Nah bro dont replace it it's a foundation in heavy duty

@icetray2727

Ай бұрын

The reason why I substitute shrugs for deadlifts is because the amount of lower back injuries I heard from people doing deadlifts and I’m trying to immitigate the risk.

Why was Mike against the rope for triceps work?

In terms of the days of rest, how do we know if we are ready for the next workout? Is it by not feeling anymore pain and being fully recovered? Is it also completely fine if after day one, you rest for an example 2 days, and then after day two you rest 4 days and so on, having a little bit more of a randomized rest range? So far I've rested for 4 days like Mike said and usually my body is fully recovered and I feel no more soreness or any slight pain anywhere. Should I continue resting in this manner?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Mike typically based recovery on measurable performance - which is why keeping a detailed training journal is important. If you are going up in reps or weight (or both), then you know you have recovered and adapted; if you are staying the same, then you have allowed enough time for recovery but not for adaptation; and if your performance declines (doing less reps, not able to handle the same weight successfully), then you haven't allowed enough time to recover.

@misko933

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Thanks for the quick reply, " if you are staying the same, then you have allowed enough time for recovery but not for adaptation" What do you mean by "adaptation"?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

@misko933 Adaptation in this context means a strength increase (up in reps, weight or both) and muscle growth (to what extent your genetics permit).

Thanks for this vdo it helps me understand better. I have been doing Mike training now for 5 months but didn't understand some of the things and now i do😊 question if i get to 10 rep but its not failure should i continue untill failure even if its 10reps more?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

16 күн бұрын

Yes, continue on until you reach failure.

@Steger13

14 күн бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thanks 💪 I also do drop set to finish it.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

14 күн бұрын

@@Steger13 You may not need the drop sets: kzread.infov5AboDz7utM?si=ueE2Hi7hFcQEqOOV

Is it 100% working in a skinny guy height 6'3 weight - 77kg

Did Mike ever talk about eccentric muscle failure? Defined as concentrically assisted reps with controlled negatives, until the weight cannot be lowered in a controlled manner anymore.

@TiberiusX

Ай бұрын

Yes. He said essentially if you could ONLY do the negative it would be the best workout possible. He spoke often that your strength for holding is better than positive reps, and that negative rests were better than holds.

I just started this routine. I have mine planned out like Mike instructs, to do the 96 hours (4 days) of rest between the exercises. So in that case it would be Monday, Friday, Tuesday, Saturday… In this video you mention doing it every 3rd day. Quite frankly I like the idea of doing it every third day better but I’m trying not to break off of Mike’s system. I would appreciate anyone’s advice on this matter Thanks.

@andreadalex8893

Ай бұрын

Which Is the routine?

@MH117

24 күн бұрын

I think he means : Monday: pec deck Thursday: legs abs Sunday: shoulders, biceps Wednesday: pec deck again etc

@andreadalex8893

23 күн бұрын

@@MH117 and triceps?

@MH117

23 күн бұрын

@@andreadalex8893 on Sunday etc

Place i need answers ' now as per his program which means only 4 training total on 1st day back and chest,??????

According to the referenced book "HIT the Mike Mentzer Way" you missed an exercise in the Chest and Back workout. After completing the Chest portion the Back should begin with Straight-Arm Lat Machine Pulldowns followed by Palms Up Pulldowns. In another version of the Ideal Routine the Dumbbell Pullover is used instead of the Straight Arm Pulldowns. Not trying to nit pick but I'm trying this for the 1st time and thought other newbies might want to know.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

I had debated about putting in the straight-arm pulldown (an isolation exercise for the lats that Mike advocated if one didn't have access to a Nautilus pullover machine). I don't recall in any of his writings or recordings recommending a dumbbell pullover (not to say that it couldn't be used for this purpose). He did recommended the straight-arm pulldown/close-grip pulldown in his final book as well as in his first Heavy Duty training booklet for Chest & Back in the late 1970s. I didn't include it because Mike dropped it from his program from 1993 on. However, like the ab workout, I probably should have included it as an option for people. As exercises are discarded as one gets stronger, the best time to use the pre-exhaust combination of straight-arm pulldown and close-grip, palms up pulldown would be in the beginner or beginning of intermediate training and it would be one of the exercises later to be discarded as superfluous as you progressed.

@shaunfrederick4909

Ай бұрын

​@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGEIn the Heavy Duty 2 book the Ideal Routine shows chest/back day to include Nautilus Pullovers or Dumbbell Pullovers

@shaunfrederick4909

Ай бұрын

​@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGEAlmost forgot to thank you for your hard work and great vids. I'm 56 yrs old and getting back into lifting after a 12yr hiatus. Started with an old school high volume approach. After about 5 months I had no gains to show and felt broken and beaten. Then I stumbled across your vids. Started off with Dorians Blood and Guts version of HIT and made some gains in size and strength. But the best part was i found myself enjoying working out. I'm now moving on to Mike's Ideal Routine and hope to see even more progress with the slight reduction in volume and a bit more time between workouts. So thank you for showing me the light and bringing back the enjoyment. Please keep up the great work.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

@@shaunfrederick4909 thank you very much for the kind words and for your posts.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

I stand corrected. The pre-exhaustion pullover/pulldown combo was in “Heavy Duty I” as well. Now you’ve got me thinking I should’ve included it in the video. My bad. Brain cramp on my part.

Is no warm up needed ? I feel if I jumped straight into heavy weight for one set id fail earlier than if I’d have done a few build up sets

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

The warm-up prescription appears near the end of the video.

Thank you for a great video and workout plan I'm really interested in this workout style because listening to Mike makes so much sense and in reality I want to train as little as needed to stimulate muscle growth. However, listening to mikes tapes he says 4 days in between workouts with a minimum of 72 hours rest, how come this video is train on the third day with only 48 hours rest? I just confused which would be best for optimal growth stimulated

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

This video was geared to walk someone from beginner through to advanced. Beginners aren’t lifting as heavy weights for as many reps, consequently they don’t need the same recovery days off as those who are. As mentioned near the end of the video, you will need to begin inserting additional rest days as you grow stronger. Mike indicated a wide range exist within individuals with regards to recovery ability, with some recovering quite quickly and others not so quickly. As long as you do the workouts and make sure to keep an accurate progress chart, you will know when to insert additional rest days. If you are more advanced, then take four days off in between workouts and progress from there.

@ASS1988

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE this make sense thank you for your reply and again thank you for spreading Mikes work and keeping his legacy alive great job 👏🏻

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Thank you very much for the kind words.

I have a question if you should train every 4 days to properly allow the muscle to recover then wouldn't it be beneficial to just train everyday so that you are hitting the same muscle every 4 days, or is it too much because its hard to resupply all of the biochemicals needed everyday for a workout

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

The latter.

👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

I find that even the “Ideal Routine” is too much for me. I wish that I could but the once a week “Consolidated Routine” suits me best. Good luck everyone 💪🏻

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Good point. Mike found that it was too much for some people as well, which is why he created the Consolidated Program. As long as you're making progress, you're on the right track.

@andrewrehnert4997

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thank you for your response, and I actually got the “athlete’s routine” from Mike himself in a phone consultation in 97’ or 98’. I liken it to drinking beer, you can drink 8 beers and be ok the next day but the ninth or tenth beer was just “too much” and whoops now you’re polluted and went too far! Simple analogy but you get the point!

First I got to say this is the best video on the whole internet about this topic, I can now fully and successfully incorporate these exercises in my workout plan. There is just one thing that I did not quite understand, how does Mike interpret failure? Does that mean not being able to do one more rep of the given exercise, and does that represent the end of the set? Or should I do only negative part of the exercise, static holds and thing like that.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

In this case it means simply being unable to complete one more rep in strict form - and that's the end of the set. No additional negatives, static holds, etc.

@aleksastankovic4808

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thanks man.

I now workout every other week.

@castleenterprises23

Ай бұрын

How has growth been

@user-sf9en6sg7h

Ай бұрын

@@castleenterprises23 steady

Any explanation about performing the wide grip for the Deadlift?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

Not from Mike, as he didn't advocate a wide grip on deadlifts to my knowledge.

@alexhassan4802

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE Actually mike said, it's the most important part to use a wide grip without arching your back for sure, which makes the exercise uncomfortable using heavy weights.

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

@@alexhassan4802 I'm familiar with his saying use a "slightly wider than shoulder width hand grip," but not a wide grip, per se.

@alexhassan4802

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE yeah that's what I meant ! Still a wide grip by the way if you notice watching the video right ?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

@@alexhassan4802 More a regular grip (in my opinion) as it wouldn't be much different than the grip used in a barbell curl (slightly wider than shoulder width - key word being "slightly"). The explanation, then, which you requested, is in the narrative and the accompanying visuals for the exercise provided in the video. Or you could listen to what Mike says about performing the exercise in these two videos: kzread.info/dash/bejne/d56TqKyaldrFk6g.html and kzread.info/dash/bejne/jGSXk9qiY6msj5M.html

Correct me if I wrong I watch another video few month ago where mike was talking you don't need to train your abs in this workout program ,,, what should I do should I train my abs or not please reply i am little bit confused

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

He did not recommend training abs generally while starting this program. However, for those who did want to train abs, he recommended that if you are going to train then, do them at the end of your leg workout, which is why I included his instructions for this (just for those who wish to train their abs) in this video. As you will have to modify the program to better suit your response, you can either do abs directly or not - it's up to the trainee. This is why Mike said he couldn't "off a sure-fire prescription for everybody;" i.e., because of the wide-range of genetic difference in response to the program. He presented the principles that must underlay a productive exercise program, and then offered a "suggested" routine that incorporated those principles. But the routine is not chilled in stone and is subject to individual variation.

@ArpitBuzz

Ай бұрын

@@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE thank you sir for your reply

Such a shame a legend like this has passed. Im sure he'd of been very popular online whatever route he chose. And must of had some great stories from the old days. A period of time that could never be copied or recreated.

Sir, in the book there is a Pullover or Straught arm pulldown before the Underhand pulldown isnt it?

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

The short answer is that this video isn’t simply a repeat of that particular chapter in the book but more of an overview of Mike’s consolidated program (including the common denominators from his various iterations of the program), taking into account beginners coming to the program for the first time. I had debated about putting in the straight-arm pulldown (an isolation exercise for the lats that Mike advocated if one didn't have access to a Nautilus pullover machine). He actually recommended this in his final book and in his first Heavy Duty training booklet for Chest & Back in the late 1970s. I didn't include it because he dropped it from his program from 1993 on. However, like the ab workout, I should have included it as an option for people. As exercises are discarded as one gets stronger, the best time to use the pre-exhaust combination of straight-arm pulldown and close-grip, palms up pulldown would be in the beginner or beginning of intermediate training and it would be one of the exercises later to be discarded as superfluous as you progressed.

@kwokanson5744

Ай бұрын

I want to ask can Bent row or one rowing movement add into the routine

@HEAVYDUTYCOLLEGE

Ай бұрын

@@kwokanson5744 Yes, you can substitute barbell rows for pulldowns.

I've pretty much listened all i can from mike and i gotta say his vocabulary is vast, which makes me wonder did he intentionally sought to widen his vocabulary on purpose or was it just a byproduct of engaging in books and seminar speeches and writing in muscle magazines and or people around him influencing his speaking abilities.

Do we know if sumo stance deadlifts will achieve the same result or should I just go conventional

@awarenessrevolutionpodcast2220

Ай бұрын

Sumo is better, especially in the beginning stage. (According to Louie Simmons)