He reached a bodyweight of 75kg by age fifteen. When I graduated from Conroe High School in 1962, I was the strongest student athlete in most of the basic strength-training exercises. Number of Bodybuilders Using High Intensity Training. And youre correct, youd have thought that with his devotion to hard training, hed have been on cloud nine. As well I found him very bias towards AJ, as in he was never wrong. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. When Ray had the Muscle Mill in Redondo Beach, there was a guy named Ross who worked for Universal Studio as a stage manan experienced machinist. How do you get a physique like Chris Evans? It works. I assumed one of the Mens Health design team would be assigned to do the layout of my book. We both tried at least a half-dozen times each, to wedge a comment into Coopers dissertation. Ellington Darden: It was less than that. Ellington Darden: Yes, I believe youre right, especially those who recommend only three exercises once a week, or even once every-other week. Drew Baye: Ken Hutchins, the architect behind the SuperSlow philosophy, and you grew up in the same town in Texas. He quickly competed in and won the Junior Mr. America and IFBB Mr. America competitions. Likewise, some of us even recall the few pictures published of a 19-year-old Mentzer in York the year Casey Viator won the AAU Mr. America. I admire big, muscular arms, broad shoulders, thick chests, and great legs but I dont admire them when theyre connected to bloated, 42-inch waistlines. Drew Baye: The publisher of your new HIT book is Rodale. When Casey trained himself, according to Jones, he gradually lost muscle and got fatter. So at least from that perspective, static contractions are lacking. A. It was starting to become a sideshow then. In fact, Ray would regularly host Saturday night squat parties. Today, he weighs a lean 220 pounds and has muscular forearms, thick wrists, and a vise-like grip. So a quality, set of curls ought to take longer to recover from that is used to, 20 muscular pounds and an inch of size ago. A few years later, a significantly more muscular Mentzer emerged in the IFBB and began an incredible career, climbing the ladder of national and international physique titles, growing gigantic in the process. They favored lower reps so it was different than the way someone like Platz and Casey generated intensity. If isometrics are doing something to foster the creation of cross-bridges, I wonder if theres a performance-price to be paid elsewhere? Sitting beside me as we watched the movie clips was a 69-year-old lifter from Kansas (yes, there were a few out-of-staters who attended). Ray won the title of IFBB Mr. USA in 1978. Leg curl - 1 x 16 reps Viator lived nearby so Lerille invited him over to talk with Jones and go though a workout. It involves a very unique way to vary the repetition number, as well as the slowness of each repetition. He was found dead in his apartment, due to heart complications, by his younger brother and fellow bodybuilder Ray Mentzer. Cooper, answering a question, knocked strength training. For this discussion, though, I'm considering conventional equipment which restricts most large-muscle moves to multijoint exercises. Viator trained himself and slowly lost muscle and gained fat. And arm yourself with The New High Intensity Training. This was largely because of his new training regimen, Heavy Duty Training, which was developed by Mike Mentzer, his older brother by 21 months. All of these champions were drug-free and I must emphasize that there were some very well built men in the 40s and 50s. He was at rep 15 and Arthur walked into the gym with a couple of people. Overall, Im very pleased with whats happening with the book. Ellington Darden: Actually, I understated the time period. Perhaps during the early 1970s, when he was training so many bodybuilders, it was simply easier to drive home intensity, than be so concerned with form. Ellington Darden: I cover some similar topics, such as intensity, form, and progression. Weight loss without dieting: the new trend to remove excess flab! Concerning the educational system in Conroe, small-town football was big in Texas. Olivas arms, from any angle or position, both relaxed and contracted, were absolutely HUGE. Drew Baye: If you place those potential HIT users on the far left side a normal, bell-shaped curve, what would you label those on the far right side high-volume trainees? Drew Baye: Can you tell me more about this NTF workout. But his well-documented progress is nonetheless directly attributable to his well-organized increase in intensity and the attendant diminishing of exercise volume. All the other HIT books eventually have you performing split routines. Or a training partner with a watch can talk your through each phase. Who is that muscular guy? I thought to myself. It was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts. Theres probably a few more, but I cant recall them right now. Soon after, the medical professionals started him on renal dialysis and added him to the waiting list for a kidney transplant. Why? Although systemic recovery is still affected by each workout more time is allowed for local recovery. On a beach, Ray and Mike Mentzer engage in some joint flexing. Rest 1 minute To change the subject . In a relative sense, the so-called easiest stage will not seem at all easy. His greatest asset was his physical strength. There we were: Ken Hutchins and Ellington Darden kneeling at the feet of Dr. Kenneth Cooper, while he lectured to us on aerobic exercise. The insurgent 28-year-old Mentzer finished a controversial fifth and, in the aftermath, retired. "It lasted 18 months, and every day of that period I had the same commitment and ambition I'd had in preparing . I dont believe Arthur really hired Ell for research and development, I believe he hired him because he knew he needed someone who was intelligent and charismatic and could write and speak well to be a spokesperson for Nautilus. Olivas arms were round like a couple of bowling balls and Viators were massive and rock hard. Here's what he would have for lunch: Without getting into the finer points of the SuperSlow philosophy, I want to say simply: Ken Hutchins carefully studied repetition form, which was and is a subset of HIT, and turned it into a full-fledged business. One of the greatest bodybuilders of his time was Ray Mentzer. The entire movement needs to be fluid and controlled. That sounds like a long workout but marathon training sessions where common practice amongst the Golden Era Bodybuilders. "The routine I followed was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts - The first workout would be legs, chest and triceps; the . He performed one set of 11 or fewer HIT upper-body exercises, three times per week. Thank you for your reply; I appreciate that this is stuff yet to be fully resolved by science but for me your considered opinion nevertheless carries weight. I thought Mike would have thrived being around Nautilus and Arthur Jones. Kens exercise/recreation section explained how to define exercise (which involved disciplined overload and was not fun), and then how to separate it from recreation (which required no overload and was enjoyable). Does recovery-pain have anything to do with microtrauma? Andy McCutcheon and High Intensity Training. It was during this project, which continued for four years, that Hutchins tested and applied the initial SuperSlow protocols. I once read about Ray Mentzer training legs once a month! Coe had more flat, oval-shaped, peaked upper arms than did either Viator or Oliva. Mentzer starting pumping iron at the age of 12 at a bodyweight of 95 pounds. So we use the body's abilities to create inroads into existing strength to our advantage. In the middle of the Nautilus compound was a non-descript, 30- by 50-foot, metal building, which was the home of 40 large crocodiles that Jones had brought in from Jamaica. Here we have a sound explanation for recommending multiple joint exercises for bodybuilders seeking muscle size increases. In 1990, I worked with Keith Whitley, a bodybuilder from Dallas, Texas, who added 29 pounds of muscle in six weeks 11-1/4 pounds of it occurred during the first two-week period. The primary reason I wrote The New High-Intensity Training was to help bodybuilders learn how to train, and more importantly, how to train themselves. Copyright © 2001-2020 BodybuildingFanatic.com. Mikes significant cardiac problems were discovered during a checkup, ruling out the possibility of a kidney transplant. by Greg Merritt. Bodybuilding Titles Won After working with McCutcheon for week, I knew hed be ideal to use for The New High-Intensity Training. If Arthur Joness specialty is intensity, then Ken Hutchinss forte is form. Similar things can be said of delts, calves and abs based on the same principle. Twenty reps, Arthur repeated, after asking us about his progress, hell, he can do 50 with each leg. Over the next three minutes, Viator not only did 50 reps, but 2 more for good measure. Could someone from Nautilus pick her up at the Orlando International Airport the next day at 11:00 AM? What was Ray Mentzer's arm training routine? Whats up with the whole black or white thing? Mike Mentzer (1951-2001) was a brilliant professional American bodybuilder, businessman and fitness writer. As the name would suggest, this routine isn't for the light of heart. You can build up to it. Something similar to a lesser degree also happened to just about everyone who was trained by Jones. High-intensity training (HIT) is a form of strength training popularized in the 1970s by Arthur Jones, the founder of Nautilus.The training focuses on performing quality weight training repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure.The training takes into account the number of repetitions, the amount of weight, and the amount of time the muscle is exposed to tension in order to . Rest 3 to 5 minutes . all at 19 years of age. Actually, the personal-training part was much less than that. Yates' drug routines have been published and were an earlier version of today's polypharmaceuticals - far beyond the relatively lightweight stacks of the 70s. Jones had an interest in producing how-to videos on many aspects of sports medicine. Ray had no choice but to have a replacement kidney due to the severity of the illness. It had been a while since he had written a book on bodybuilding, and other than the late Mike Mentzers last book there hasnt been any books on the subject worth reading for quite a while that Im aware of. Incline press - 1 x 8 reps Ray and Mike Mentzer used to write to me when they were young children back in Pennsylvania, according to what Bill had to say about them. Wood supervised Viator for six weeks and reported back to Jones that he had trouble getting Viator to give him his best effort. (Delicious, Fresh, and Simple to make), Who is Michael Deluise? You must be logged in to post a comment Ray quickly surpassed the 250 lb weight threshold thanks to an excessive intake of calories. Ray lost his fight against Bergers Disease and was found dead in his apartment less than 48 hours later. Drew Baye: When Nautilus hired you, did Ken visit you in Florida? The plain truth is that hundreds of thousands of men throughout the middle of the last century strengthened and built their bodies without drugs. Proper strength training, we felt, was more than an adequate way to work the muscles and heart. Jones began immediately training Viator on a three-times-per-week schedule, and true to his expectations, Viator started growing. Not only was Dr. Darden kind enough to do an interview for this site, he also lent me a recent draft of The New High Intensity Training, which Ive read three times already. Crenshaw had 18-inch upper arms and 15-inch forearms, which were mighty impressive; but even more impressive was his neck, which must have measured at least 20 inches. We both should have discussed it more. Was Arthur Jones the first person to introduce negative work to bodybuilding? Is there anything Im missing here? He was always clear about his goals and diligent in pursuing them. If you have any questions about Mike Mentzer or High Intensity Training email us and we'll get back to you with an answer as quick as we can. At a powerful 5'4", Franco was able to deadlift 750 pounds, bench press 525 pounds, and squat 655 pounds. Does McCutcheon actually train on Bowflex? No one could motivate Casey the way Arthur could. Anyway, review chapter 16 to find out all the how-tos. Drew Baye: I also think that the bodybuilder you use to illustrate your HIT exercises has an outstanding build. But they can be fairly close and still very significant. Thats right, Ray Mentzer did single leg extensions in a normal positive-negative manner with 290 pounds, which is equivalent to handling 580 pounds with both legs. Shoulder presses, declines, inclines, pull-downs, curls, etc. 1978 IFBB Mr. USA With the plan in mind, Hutchins hurried over but just as he approached, an older woman took the seat beside Cooper. And strength training was a lot safer than the most popular aerobic activities, such as jogging and aerobic dancing, which were the latest crazes. It was the essential basic Heavy Duty routine consisting of four to five sets per bodypart and broken into two workouts. But Ken often strength trained with the team and was significantly stronger than the top players. My initial contact with Rodale occurred 5 years ago when Ken Hutchins introduced me to a Bill Stump, an editor from Mens Health (a Rodale magazine), who was in Orlando interviewing Ken. Another option if someone wants to train more frequently is to follow a split routine. Mike started working out three times a week, and at the age of 15, despite only weighing 165 pounds, he could bench press 370 pounds (170 kilograms) (75kg). He admitted to spending three hours a day in the gym as a young man while serving in the United States Air Force. We read the sarcastic and bitter attacks of strength coaches and naturally gifted weightmen who try to tell us that everyone knows that one-set-to-failure is an exercise philosophy that never really worked. He passed away in 2001 at 49-years-old due to a heart attack. The sad story does not end here. Then, he discusses how he merged his experiences into his latest publication, The New High Intensity Training Introduction Having trained on Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty 1 Routine (find that book on Mike's site as well) for 2 years before losing my mind and training on the more popular 3 day on/one day off routine for 5 or 6 years, it was a blessing to get back to the lower volume and ultra-high intensity type of routine*** My Cellar-Dweller Experience One thing Cooper appreciated, our mutual friend noted (and this was no joke), was that we had not raved to him about Nautilus. But perhaps more importantly, research shows that with that sliding 8 percent, if there was a unified HIT push, it could rather quickly increase back 16 percent, or 3,200,000 trainees. In the end, Rays life was both successful and tragic. Ellington Darden: When I became interested in bodybuilding in 1959, I naturally started reading the muscle magazines. Ray would subsequently go on to become a legend in the bodybuilding world with his vascular 20+ inch arms and then-unimaginable weight of 275 pounds. - 8 day rest - Day 3. I know a lot of people believe that adding that much muscle so quickly is impossible. Upright Row For those recommendations to come close to producing maximum results, the trainee would have to extremely big, strong, and advanced. Drew Baye: In your book, you discuss the importance of negative work in building muscle. Id respond to them. He achieved the same in the AAU Mr. America competition one year later. There is this rumour going on that Ray had squatted as much as 900 pounds, with Darden confirming Ray could almost certainly handle 700 odd pounds in powerlifter form. She had promised to help me later with my tennis serve. He was thoroughly worn out and his muscles were primed for rest by the 45-minute mark. They have a New York City office, but the majority of their publishing house in located in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, which is a quaint community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Not-to-failure (NTF) workouts: Several chapters and a detailed chart illustrate precisely how to integrate NTF workouts into your standard HIT routines for best-possible results. So, during the experiment, he was rebuilding previously existing levels of muscular size. While a person could learn most of what they need to know about training by just reading the first two Nautilus Bulletins, there is a lot of great information in Ellingtons books and some really interesting historical information and interviews in the more recent ones. Ray handled the entire weight stack, 500 pounds, on the Nautilus duo-squat machine with ease. "For a while Mike and I strayed from our high intensity, heavy poundage workouts into a program using lighter weights and higher reps. Ray Mentzer Workout Here is a sample Ray Mentzer style high intensity training workout routine: Monday Bench press - 1 x 8 reps Incline press - 1 x 8 reps Flyes - 1 x 12 reps DB shoulder press - 1 x 8 reps Tricep Extensions- 1 x 10 reps Wednesday Squats - 1 x 16 reps Leg ext - 1 x 16 reps Leg curl - 1 x 16 reps Calf raise - 1 x 12 reps Friday Important, you must have a clock or a watch with a second hand that you can place in plain sight. Ray Mentzer's experience is it. Some people accuse him of writing the same book over and over, with just a different twist to the training method, or geared towards a different audience. If they had two or three guys they would do negatives and incorporate stutter reps. Rest pause can be incorporated without too much outside assistance or energy expended for training partners if you have the right machines and even with free weights on some exercises like barbell curls, laterals, etc. Harder, briefer exercise helped create larger, stronger muscles. . It was about 20 degrees outside and the Atlanta airport was the middle of an ice storm, so all flights were delayed. We then expected some locking of horns to occur. After another 30 minutes had passed, all the seats in the lobby were overflowing with people, and we had little to do but keep kneeling and nodding. Ray Mentzer had a different viewpoint. Miller cant understand why anyone interested in lifting and bodybuilding would want to get involved with drugs. It will be reintroduced under the name of DrDarden.com, and it will include a lot of new and old stuff related to HIT. I also read that much of his depression was related to Arnold Schwarzenegger defeating him in the 1980 Mr. Olympia, a contest Mike thought he should have won. The materials are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind either express or implied. He retired at age 29 and switched to training other bodybuilders. Ray made at least one appearance at the Ephrata Rec Center, signing autographs for fans. For example, full-range exercise provides more thorough muscular strengthening, more stretching for flexibility, more work for the cardiorespiratory system, and more calorie-burning ability from the overall workout. Mike Mentzer split What was the Mike Mentzer's training split? MIKE MENTZER: "MY HEAVY DUTY WORKOUT ROUTINE" John Little 20.8K subscribers 67K views 9 months ago In this presentation, recorded in 1990, Mike Mentzer reveals the program (exercises, sets,. A goal of 160,000 for The New HIT seems reachable. Born in 1941, Franco Columbu was a Strongman competitor and bodybuilder who won two Mr. Olympia titles: in 1976 and 1981. Learning logic and acquiring the ability to think critically is not easy, though not impossibly difficult. . I have found it hard to generate an equal sense of intense stimulation using completely static exercises. Darden says that isotonic work provides more work for the cardiorespiratory system, but in my experience isometric work can also be very taxing. Drew Baye: Dr. Darden, which do you think is more important in getting the best results from HIT, intensity or form? Ellington Darden: I like SuperSlow. Bent Over rows Stay focused and keep the tension and the movement smooth and slow. Jones was briefly introduced to Viator at the 1970 Mr. America contest in Los Angeles, where Casey placed third. During one of these squat meetings, Ray accomplished a remarkable achievement by performing two reps of a 900-pound squat. Ellington Darden: Arnold spent a week with Jones in November of 1970 and, unfortunately, I wasnt around then. Family, Partner, Biography, How to make Garlic Dressing? Net Worth, Partner, Biography, Who is Paris Berelc? Also, Im in the process of updating my Web site, which was called Classic X. I talked about not-to-failure training in the middle of my first Nautilus book, but it wasnt emphasized. Drew Baye: Ive read that Ray Mentzer was somewhat of a comedian. Food blog that features daily healthy recipes. High Intensity Training For Muscle Growth Ray, like his brother, trained using Heavy Duty High Tntensity Training. Ive never taken Drews writings, comments as disdain for slow rep training. The Mentzer brothers were fairly candid about the steroids they used, especially Ray if I remember correctly. I trained him multiple times. What happened to Mike and Ray Mentzer? Home BLOG Products Online Courses Videos About Support Search. But now, judging from the photo spreads in the magazines, its ridiculous. Then release it for another positive. One drawback is, the ROM gets awkward beyond 90 degrees in the latter exercise. Mike Mentzer's brother, Ray, put three-eights on an inch on his presumably larger upper arm in six weeks, performing no more direct arm work that chins and dips. Rest 2 to 3 minutes If any nontheoretical, real-life example will serve to prove the efficacy of indirect effect. I believe that after you read The New High Intensity Training, you will be too. My reasoning is that a younger body can handle cheating much better than an older body, so as you get older, youd be wise to focus more on form than intensity. Also I put Steve Reeves through a workout in 1978, as well as Frank Zane and Bob Guida. I was impressed. Ellington Darden: The first thing that pops into my mind happened in Atlanta, Georgia, one night in February 1980. After years of competition, Mike decided to quit his competitive career and concentrate on new projects in 1982. First, you need to have access to an efficient leg-press machine, one that you can adjust by moving the seat forward to prevent you from locking the knees. The next morning he instructed Ray Mentzer to meet Martina at the airport and escort her back to Lake Helen. Did he ever do any amusing things around Nautilus? # posted by Paul @ 10:00 AM. Ray would throw Saturday night squat parties every Saturday night. Rest 2 minutes DW: I was wondering when you talk about training 20 sets for the biceps 3 times a week, what you think about the lower-volume, high-intensity training that Mike and Ray Mentzer use. Drew Baye: In your book, you also mention Mikes younger brother Ray. (By the way, I agreed with Mikes assessment.) Workouts one and three are the ones that stress your largest muscle masses in the upper and lower body, with the first emphasizing the legs, while the torso is hammered in the third. Ray will be remembered for his incredible strength and never-say-die outlook on training and life. McCutcheon placed high in a few contests in Great Britain and relocated in 1992 to Portland, Oregon, where he became an engineer for Novellus Systems. I would love for it to be wrong, but hey, it might be right. Ellington Darden: Mike moved to Lake Helen, Florida, in 1983 and worked for Nautilus approximately 6 months. And his size increase is all the more impressive for having been accomplished while getting leaner. Ray neglected to tell Martina that there were dangerous crocodiles inside. Bodyweight dips (5 sets, 10 reps) 4. Ellington Darden: I certainly think timed static contractions have value. Login. No other training book has this type of history or background material, which I believe is worthwhile and meaningful in understanding the why of HIT. Published in the October 1971 Ironman, Viator's routine hit the bodybuilding world like a tsunami: three whole-body workouts per week, 20 all-out reps per set, sometimes only one set of an exercise and always very few working sets per bodypart. Also, my soreness from deadlifts lasted an entire 7 or 8 days! As examples, you have a routine for thighs, calves, chest, arms, and waist. Put simply, when you work one muscle, other unworked muscles are affected; when it grows, they growto a smaller extent, of course. I offered to drive her back even told her Id run the car through a Jiffy Wash, Ray deadpanned afterward. So he hired Mike and Ray Mentzer in early 1983 with the notion that they'd come in and make a big . Now, youll experience some of the reasons why this is my least favorite routine. The last of the three exercises: extremely slow leg presses, 4 repetitions in 120 seconds, will rock your world but good. Employ forced reps when possible. Try this routine and let the detractors claim you do 'roids, sneak in extra sets after the gym closes or you're naturally muscular. Mike Mentzer Heavy Duty Workout Is One of the Hottest Topic in Bodybuilding. Are you struggling to build muscle or maintain your weight? We can thank Arthur Jones for that. The result: Jones built 11-1/4 pounds of muscle in 14 days, which is not bad at all for a man almost 50 years of age. Ray frequently rested completely for 34 days after his rigorous training sessions. Then again on things like squats they trained more traditional (but of course very heavy). 06-08-2013, 11:15 AM Ray Mentzer Workout Here are some excerpts, from a 1979 interview where Ray talks about his workouts leading up to his Mr. America victory. Your goal is for each repetition to take 30 seconds: 15 seconds on the positive and 15 seconds on the negative. Viator had never experienced a workout like Jones put him through and Jones had never exercised anyone with Viators genetic potential. A high-protein diet was once widely regarded by bodybuilders to be the secret to gaining muscle mass. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Stump later introduced me to the guy who eventually became the editor of The New High-Intensity Training. Viator more than doubled Hudlows rate of growth. Drew Baye: That 18-1/2 pounds of muscle built by David Hudlow in two weeks seems almost too good to be true.