Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty training system was nothing short of revolutionary. Between the 1979 and 1980 Mr. Olympia competitions, Mentzer’s high-intensity training (HIT) approach was at the forefront of bodybuilding, poised to transform the sport. Inspired by Arthur Jones’ HIT philosophy, Mentzer developed a physical system—Heavy Duty. This approach emphasized fewer reps, heavier weights, and more intense sets. Even after four decades, Heavy Duty continues to influence weight training.
The Discovery Of High-Intensity Training By Mike Mentzer
In 1971, 19-year-old Casey Viator made waves in bodybuilding by winning Mr. America after training under Arthur Jones’ HIT regimen. Less noticed then was another 19-year-old standout, Mike Mentzer, who placed an impressive 10th in the same contest. Viator introduced Mentzer to Arthur Jones, and soon Mentzer began to consult with Jones, drastically overhauling his training. By the time Mentzer won the 1976 Mr. America title, he was celebrated as much for his innovative training philosophy as his physique. He wrote extensively for Muscle Builder/Power magazine, sharing techniques to intensify workouts.
Mike Mentzer’s Workout System
Mike Mentzer’s approach to HIT was even more intense than Arthur Jones’. While Jones advocated one 20-rep set per exercise, Mentzer reduced the rep range to 6-8, using a weight heavy enough to reach absolute failure within that range. But for Mentzer, failure was just the beginning. His Heavy Duty system pushed beyond with advanced techniques like forced reps, negative reps, rest-pause, and pre-exhaust supersets.
- Forced Reps: A spotter assists just enough to help you complete additional reps after reaching failure.
- Negative Reps: A spotter helps lift the weight, allowing you to lower it over approximately six seconds slowly.
- Rest-Pause: After reaching failure, rest for about 15 seconds, then perform another rep. Repeat for 2-3 reps. Mentzer also used an alternative method: performing 4-6 single reps with a 10-15 second rest between each, reducing the weight by 20% near the end to squeeze out the last few reps.
- Pre-Exhaust Supersets: Perform an isolation exercise set immediately, followed by a compound exercise set for the same muscle group without resting. The isolation exercise pre-fatigues the muscles, causing them to give out first during the compound exercise.
Mike Mentzer often trained with a partner, typically his younger brother Ray, the 1979 Mr. America winner. The partner’s role was crucial, assisting during forced reps, helping with the positive phase of negative reps, and spotting during rest-pause reps. Heavy Duty was an actual test of endurance and strength.
The Role of Low Workout Volume in HIT
A fundamental aspect of High-Intensity Training (HIT) is its low workout volume. Arthur Jones once said, “The secret, if there is one, is high intensity. And when you train with high intensity, you don’t need a lot of volume.” In 1979, Mike Mentzer recommended only 3-6 working sets per body part (with supersets counting as two sets) and typically included one or two lighter warm-up sets per exercise. He also advised just three weekly workouts, with each body part trained twice every 8-9 days—a significant departure from the once-weekly training most modern bodybuilders follow.
“If you’re skeptical [of Heavy Duty’s low volume], your subconscious child is telling you that more is better,” Mentzer wrote. “In some cases, that’s true. More money is better than less. But you can’t take that principle and blindly apply it to exercise and expect to get anything out of it.”
The Legacy of Heavy-Duty
In 1979, at 27, Mike Mentzer made a sensational debut in professional bodybuilding, earning acclaim for his impressive shoulder, arm, and leg density. His victory in the heavyweight division of Mr. Olympia that year (with Frank Zane taking the overall title) solidified his status as a rising star. In 1980, Mentzer published two popular Heavy Duty booklets, and his training philosophy became as influential as his on-stage presence, reaching bodybuilders through articles, seminars, and a thriving mail-order business.
Although many bodybuilders experimented with his lower-rep HIT approach, most eventually returned to more moderate training methods. The 1980 Mr. Olympia marked a turning point when Arnold Schwarzenegger, representing the old guard, claimed victory, and Mentzer, at 28, finished a controversial fifth. Disillusioned, Mentzer retired from competition and rarely trained again. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 49.Read Also: Discovering Senada Greca: Everything You Need to Know
Despite his early departure from the sport, Mentzer’s heavy-duty system has endured. His workout philosophy was later embraced by Dorian Yates, who won six Mr. Olympia titles in the 1990s. Heavy Duty books and courses continued to thrive, with a shift towards lower workout frequency and higher intensity. Mentzer’s high-intensity principles have influenced other training programs like Doggcrapp and Max-OT, and countless weight trainers worldwide still engage in brief, intense Mentzer-inspired workouts. Over two decades after his passing, Mike Mentzer’s legacy lives on.
Fundamental Principles of the Mike Mentzer Workout
- Split Routine: Divide your body parts into two workouts and allow 48 hours between sessions. For instance, you can do Workout A on Monday, B on Wednesday, A on Friday, and B on Sunday (or Monday if you prefer a weekend break).
- Push-Pull System: To optimize recovery, follow a push-pull system—pushing muscles one workout, pulling muscles the next. Mentzer modified this by including legs on push day and shoulders on pull day due to the two-workout split.
- Warm-Up Sets: Perform 1-3 warm-up sets before your working sets. For the final warm-up, use approximately 75% of your working weight and stop before reaching failure.
- Training to Failure: Aim for full-rep failure in the 6-8 rep range and progressively strive to increase your strength within this range.
- Pre-Exhaust Supersets: For example, perform flyes (isolating the pecs) immediately before incline presses (engaging the pecs, shoulders, and triceps) so the pre-exhausted pecs give out first during the presses.
- Exercise Form: Always maintain proper form throughout your exercises.
- Extending Sets: Use techniques like forced reps, negatives, and rest-pause to push beyond failure.
- Partner Training: Train with at least one partner to assist each other in pushing past failure.
Mike Mentzer Full Workout Routine
This Heavy Duty routine, inspired by Mike Mentzer circa 1979, captures the essence of his training philosophy before he transitioned to even lower-volume workouts. After his retirement, Mentzer advocated for drastically reduced volume—sometimes as little as one or two all-out sets per body part every two weeks! The workout outlined here represents an effective and practical heavy-duty approach. Warm up each exercise as needed, then push your working sets to full-rep failure at 6-8 reps, extending beyond failure with techniques like forced reps, negatives, or rest-pause for an additional 1-3 reps.
WORKOUT A: LEGS, CHEST, TRICEPS
- Leg Extension — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Leg Press — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Squat — 1 set x 6-8 reps
- Leg Curl — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Standing Calf Raise — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Calf Press — 1 set x 6-8 reps
Analysis: This workout begins with a pre-exhaust superset, combining leg extensions and presses. Mentzer follows this with squats, continuing the intense leg focus. He applies the same rep scheme (6-8 to failure, plus 1-3 beyond failure) even to body parts like calves, for which many bodybuilders typically perform higher reps.
- Dumbbell Flye or Pec-Deck Flye — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Incline Barbell Press — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Dip — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
Analysis: Another pre-exhaust superset, this time for the chest, with flies preceding presses. Mentzer finishes with a compound exercise: weighted dips.
- Pushdown — 1 set x 6-8 reps
- Dip — 1 set x 6-8 reps
- Lying Triceps Extension — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
Analysis: After the leg workout, this routine shifts to a push workout, targeting the triceps after the chest. The triceps portion begins with yet another pre-exhaust superset.
Workout B: Back, Trapezius, Shoulders, Biceps
- Machine Pullover — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Close-Grip Underhand Pulldown — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Barbell Row — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
Analysis: As expected, Mentzer starts with a pre-exhaust superset, using machine pullovers (which target the lats without engaging the biceps) before underhand pulldowns (which involve both the lats and biceps). If your gym lacks a pullover machine, you can substitute it with straight-arm pulldowns or dumbbell pullovers.
- Machine Shrug — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Upright Row — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
Analysis: Mentzer, known for his exceptional trapezius development, dedicates more sets to traps (4) than to biceps (3), equaling the volume for triceps (4). This is due to the relative size difference between arm muscles and traps. Another pre-exhaust superset is included here: shrugs (isolating the traps) followed by upright rows (working traps, medial delts, and biceps). Mentzer preferred using a Universal machine for shrugs, but you can opt for a Smith machine or free weights.
- Side Lateral — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Machine Shoulder Press — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
- Dumbbell or Machine Rear Lateral — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
Analysis: Another pre-exhaust superset, targeting the shoulders with laterals before presses. Mentzer favored the Nautilus side lateral machine, but any lateral machine or dumbbells will suffice.
- Standing Barbell Curl — 1 set x 6-8 reps
- Dumbbell Concentration Curl — 2 sets x 6-8 reps
Analysis: The biceps workout is straightforward, with no pre-exhaust supersets. You could follow the barbell curls with chin-ups (underhand grip) if desired. This biceps segment concludes what is primarily a pull workout—focusing on the back, traps, and biceps—with the addition of deltoid exercises.
