In this article we will summarize the method described in the two books: Heavy Duty And Heavy Duty 2: Mind and Body.
For more information, it is highly recommended that you read them both.
.In that era, the workouts were characterized by many series and many days of workout per week, even a double daily session could be reached. use of drugs and the great genetic skills of these samples.
Mentzer was one of the first to go against the tide, believing that these principles were conceptually wrong.
if, until then, everyone was doing the exact opposite.In fact it was not easy to support this hypothesis in front of the entire world bodybuilding community.
Mentzer showed, however, that a single series brought to failure is effective in "inducing" adaptation and consequent hypertrophy (muscle growth).
The subsequent series would not be as productive, because they are affected by the products of energy catabolism, therefore by the accumulated fatigue. On the contrary, they would disadvantage the supercompensation and recovery process.
Increased overloads and repetitions
Without neglecting the correct execution of the exercise, Mentzer emphasized the awareness that one must improve with each workout.
However, this progress is very difficult, because the proximity to the performance plateau requires very modest implements (250-500 g at a time) - sometimes influenced by even more relevant environmental variables.
Choice of multi-joint exercises
Mentzer preferred multi-joint exercises, a choice based mainly on the thesis of overload:
"the greater the sustainable overload, the greater the muscle growth". This above all for greater muscular involvement and for the consequent hormonal response of the organism.
Comparing, for example, the bench press with the crosses, in the first exercise you will move more overloaded than in the second, which is why it should be preferred.
Control of movements and tension times
Mentzer took great care of the times of muscle tension (time under tension - TUT).
He preached maximum repetition control and execution at a rate of 4 seconds for the concentric phase and 4 for the eccentric phase.
Recovery times to maximize growth
For Mentzer, another key aspect is recovery.
The time of this phase varies according to various factors, first of all the genetics and the intensity adopted.
The greater the latter, the longer the rest time will have to be, so that the supercompensation makes its way to the muscle growth response.
Mentzer does not establish fixed parameters but encourages you to listen to your body.
or the triceps become exhausted before the pectoralis major; here is that by performing some crosses first, it will be possible to finish the main set in the same way for everyone.
Attention! Before training each muscle, perform 2 or 3 warm-up sets.
Monday
Friday
The workout days were chosen on the basis of a 4-day recovery from each other. Logically it can also be clearly superior; it depends on subjectivity.
It is good to remember that each series must be performed at maximum muscle failure and an increase in load or repetitions should be sought at each workout.
In conclusion, I would like to highlight the fact that this method seems very effective in bodybuilders who already have a lot of experience, while it was not very productive or not at all productive in beginners. This is because, Mentzer training involves a total knowledge of one's body and an awareness in the concept of maximum muscular exhaustion, characteristics that a beginner, however logical, does not possess.
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