Mike Mentzer was my roomate and training partner in 1985 while I was preparring for the Teen America that year. We trained heavy duty high intensity just like Mike advocated. The only cardio we did was bicycle riding from Santa Monica down to Redondo beach and back a couple times a week on non training days. Mike won the heavyweight with a perfect score at the 1979 Olympia but lost the overall to Frank Zane. The following year he came in his best shape ever and was favored to win the 1980 Olympia. But as history tells Arnold jumped in at the last moment and stole the show. Mike never did get over that as he like many others fealt that he was robbed.
I remember a detailed article Mike did about a pre-contest prep including diet (v.low calorie but featuring some sweet carbs before training or for breakfast!), PEDS (tiny even by the standards of the day), training (inc. quick and consistent strength gains) and cardio (mostly higher intensity and short cycle rides iirc). It was fascinating and seemed far more honest than most (ghost written?) accounts.
I do cardio 4 days a week, mainly because my brother died last year of a heart attack. He was only 62. I'm 55, and Jay, you have been a great inspiration to me. I've lost 30 lbs and am working out 4 days a week. I've been a fan of yours for years. Thank you for pushing me.
Ill never stop doing cardio ,outdoor cardio in the mountains in the best if your fortunate enough too live close to the wilderness ,forest etc take advantage
Great subject of discussion. I'm a bodybuilder from that 60's 70's 80's era and it was a great time for bodybuilding. I trained at the old Tucson Health Studio owned by former Mr. Universe Carlos Rodriguez. Bodybuilding was gaining popularity across the globe and the magazine's were the main source of information. I met Mike Mentzer a few times during that time period. I was at the IFBB Mr. Universe contest then called the World Bodybuilding Championship held in Acapulco Mexico that year. The 3 class winners were light weight Carlos Rodriguez, middle class Tom Platz, and heavy weight Mike Mentzer who had a perfect score. Mentzer was very popular during that time and was doing seminars all over. So was Tom Platz. Heavy Duty training was being pushed not only by Mentzer but also by Arthur Jones who had come out with the Nautilus machines and training centers. I'm sure that plenty of people were into it but I think the majority of bodybuilders who using the good old Progressive volume resistance training. Mike Mentzer was a very intelligent guy and he was great at his seminars. He would definitely give time to anyone who wanted to talk with him after the seminar was done. Thanks for your video post and please keep up the good work. To bad someone besides Robby Robinson isn't putting out material for us from that period of time. Some of us still want to workout with our bad knees, shoulders, ect.👍🏋️♀️
I’m 64. Finally retired. Able to focus more now on heavy lifting and long rest periods. After 10 months hitting personal bests in deadlift etc. However, developing a belly. Decided to start climbing on the treadmill and doing the stair master. Belly going down. Strength stable. Amazing how much better I feel doing that 2 times a week. Hope this helps.
@@kerpal321 My problem is I’m making huge gains on strength. Seeing size changes I e never seen before, as I was an infantryman etc. I need to stop being so shortsighted and get back to more aerobics.
Cardio training is essential for a healthy life. The heart is a muscle and our lungs become more efficient through exercise. Also our mental health improves with exercise, especially cardio. We were built to move.
If anyone thinks he's actually quitting cardio then I have 3 unmeltable ice cubes call me theyl stay cold for ever and are 100% all organic water straight from the source 😂
Mentzer or Boyer Coe were better than Arnold....just like Platz and Padilla got screwed in '81 to 1 leg Franco. Mentzer won the over 200 in '79...Frank Zane won the under and overall.
I'm always surprised that more bodybuilders don't use the Concept 2 RowErg for their cardio rather than just plodding on the treadmill. The rower works upper and lower body and is perfect for active recovery rest days.
love HIT and mentzer. even more than his training methodology I appreciated his approach to knowledge sharing and how well thought out and structured a ton of his seminars/recorded talks are.
I like the general motivation Jay provides, making weightlifting approachable to everyone. I'd rather hear him talk through his routines and life than hearing someone take on every "snowflake" on the internet....ehm lion mane
It’s great to see all Of us 50+ year olds still in the game. Even with all our injuries, we’ve learned a lot. Bless ya Jay for keeping it real and doing this for us.
Mentzer quit because of politics... and Arnie shouldn't have won the 80 Olympia... Mentzer certainly looked great- but many thought Dickerson should've won...
@@vivalarazausarmyvet4453 awesome thanks man, sounds good for him. It’s always nice to make a change, and see the outcome, and make adjustments from there 👍
I think you should do cardio every day .. the average person .. if we're talking about doing all this bodybuilding thing for shows etc you do what you gotta do but I think cardio is important for your heart so there's that
Jay you need to do live streams bro It will blow up like you wouldn’t believe Your more then just a bodybuilder your mind is iconic and your temperament is unmatched
Thanks Jay and Dave (FTB) for taken us along and letting in on your conversations it’s always great !!! SR. The history of bodybuilding is important !!!
Mike Mentzer is the only one to develop the best routine and science for naturals even though he himself has used juice. Best gains of my life and got my life back. Lift twice a week at most and an hr in total. No more joint pains, no cramps, no back pain. I rem a a quote, not by heart. When someone asked Mike about getting bigger and stronger. Mike said , " train hard, not frequent and find a hobby." I never understood that until now. Weightlifting is not life. We need recovery to great extents to become stronger, getting bigger is intensity and less time. So no need to prioritize life at the gym. Thank you Mike, for everything you done for me!
I'm 58 years old, I swim 30 minutes 3 times a week, and this helps me stay fit, also with regards to breathing. You always need some cardio, not just weights.
Jay get jacked as hell. Compete again man even if its fit for 50. Hell jay if i had ypur money you could be the b again . Lazers , botx they can do anything next if you ever have issues lifting stem cell man my arm wrestling guy uses it and it helps 10 fold. Devon larratt uses it too and he feels youmg again. Good luck jay💪i need to be the jay cutler body guard 😁
The best old school bodybuilding historical figure is John Hansen. You should really consider having him on your podcast. It would be a great interview. John is crazy knowledgeable. Please look into having him. To answer your question about politics, it was very political.
A couple weeks ago I discovered Mike Mentzer. Funny enough I was feeling overwhelmingly tired hitting not only a plateau but my lifts were getting worse. So as expected I related to his words on overtraining. I've decided to take a 10 days rest period and after that will try the Mentzer lower volume high intensity approach.
With all due respect Jay, please listen to medical doctors and cardiologists who use evidence to make recommendations. Mike Mentzer was literally a meth addict who died in his late 40's and is the last person you would ever want to take advice from.
That guy was robbed in 1980 Arnold Schwarzenegger. He was looking like crap on the stage and he still won the Olympia. That’s why the other guy left and I’m not mad at him.
Jay had to take a moment to compose himself after being called a smaller version of himself lol. Even though it’s ridiculous for him to care about cause he’ would surely be dead if he tried to stay so big
Mentzer was smaller, had no chest and waist distention. Seeing him and Arnold in 1980, I just don't see it, I don't get the hype on him. He always seemed bitter and jealous.
Mike mentzer should have won the 1980 MR Olympia arnold was not in good shape he lacked symetry size and condition he won totally on his past achievements coupled with nostalgia im not surprised Mike was pissed.
Heavy Duty works, but I believe that it depends on who you are. Look at how Jay has been in the game for so long without detrimental injuries. He had the bicep one but that happens. Overall, volume is the answer for most people, unless you are in your 20s with no fear and heavy duty is the way to make fast gains.
Jay I learned that many moons ago from Chris Aceto (through the words of his articles) let the diet work until it doesn't work anymore then add cardio. Similar to a Italian mother testing the sauce then adding more ingredients as you go
I did the Mentzer/Yates principles of training but got injured very fast....so idk, its not for everyone. At least not for me at 40yo and working out for 20 years.
Same. For me it worked well for 4-6 months and I got big gains. But then I started to get a torn bicep then sore shoulder. However, I loved to train that way, it’s just hard if your a natural lifter. You need a lot more rest for recovery. I also was in my 40s.
Thanks Jay I really appreciate you bringing Mike Mentzer into the video. My living muscle monster is of course you. But my diseased idol is Mike. I'm a 54 year old natural But when I started getting into Mike with John little channel and I adopted this method and I can tell you with the fact that I do benefit from Mike and the heavy duty method. I wish I learned about Mike a lot sooner. I posted a comment not to long ago in your channel asking you what you thought about HIT. But I never got a response...lol. anyways great video!!!
The thing about cardio and all exercise is the finding the sweet spot. The more you work on a muscle group the more stress and wear and tear you put on your joints and muscles. There is a sweet spot where you can strengthen your body without being detrimental long term. Most people exercise solely for physique which is almost always going to take a toll long term. Regular very moderate exercise is best for longevity imo. No extreme straining of muscles and joints pushing for those extra reps. Great for chasing physique but hard on the body.
You should try to see a copy if the ‘Comeback’ video. Fascinating features on Arnold, Tom Platz, Denis Tinnerino et al. Less on Mike (a political edit or ignoring of him) but clear to me that he was robbed. He had a far better balanced and in shape physique than Arnold that day.
I had mad respect for Mentzer, I could listen to him for hours, he sounded like a professor talking about body building. I'm quitting cardio now, too, because Jay quit.😂😂😂
I owned a BB gym in Winnipeg back when Mentzer should have won the Olympia. The rules were bent for Arnold because he entered past the due date for entering. Mentzer placing 5th was an insult. He at least should have gotten 2nd place. I remember the comments among gym members favored Mentzer and we were all disappointed he quit. Mentzer's abdominal Vacuum pose beat Arnold all to hell, so I don't know why Arnold chose to insult Mentzer by saying his waist was too big. Arnold.....seriously? Why piss the guy off on purpose. I used to love Arnold until he became a Trump Hater. Then his "fuck your rights" over the mask issue which science proved was more harmful anyway, and he should have known it. I think Mentzer made the mistake of becoming bitter. I've always said a bad attitude and shitty outlook on life will kill you faster than a Big Mac and fries a few times a week ever will. He should have buried the hatchet the very day he lost and just let his fans do the whining for him. What I like about Jay is that Jay has had losses but never got bitter. I think Jay is the best spokesman for Bodybuilding of all time. He never seems to get tired of signing autographs, doeing selfies for people, and he's always a gentleman. Kudos to Jay and all the best. Live long and prosper.
Great episode guy’s. I’m 52 & just got back into bodybuilding again after 25+ years off. I’ve been doing one of Mike’s HIT programs for the last 9 months and I’m very pleased with the results. My schedule doesn’t give me much time at all so this program is perfect.
Jay! At least 30 minutes of sunlight in your eyes is a good thing (especially morning sunlight - according to Dr. Andrew Huberman). After that feel free to wear sunglasses all day :)
Love Jay walking! HIT and High volume are actually same if you count the time under tension which makes the muscles growth. Like 10 sets 10 reps per body part are about 100 sec TUT, 1 set 8-12 reps can be done for 100 sec as well. Basically two way going to the same goal which is muscle growth! I think High Volume is more suitable for bodybuilding because you can hit different angles with more exercises but takes more time in the gym... For 1980 from what I've seen Arnold won because he had more muscle separations and much much better posing skills and looks like the judges that year were looking for that type of physic. No disrespect for Mike Mentzer but he just couldn't lose like a men and come back better next year to win, something Jay Cutler did which made him a legend.
If you choose to train this way just be careful that it is High Intensity LOW force. Smooth strict repetitions and make sure to warm up to your working set. Heavy Duty properly applied is progressive resistance training. Focusing on getting as strong as you can in like Jays range of 8 to 12 reps.
I believe Mentzer won the heavyweight division of '79 Olympia but lost the overall to Zane who was the under 200lb winner. With the '80 Olympia dispensing with the weight classes, Mentzer went in on a high.
Great insight Champ, this logic should be carried in so many different avenues. People always looking for a quick solution adding too much cardio, supplements, or programs without letting their bodies build a baseline first. Looking forward to hearing about FIBO! Thanks for the videos.
I've gotten pretty lean over the past few months without doing any cardio, just Mentzer style high intensity workouts and being strict with my calorie intake, and my genetics are pretty average. I bet you can get as lean as you've ever been without any cardio at all.
As an aging bodybuilder, In the off-season I dial back training to 4 days of week with active rest days (light hiking, swimming, calisthenics). But I still favor high volume training to get in shape modified from Steve Michalik a Mr Universe Champion.
Hi Jay, I'm French Canadian and I just want to tell you how is easy to understand what you say, Nice prononciation, you talk slowly so I have time to follow the conversation. I'm a fan, you are a great bodybuilder champion, cool guy and gentle person.
Mentzer’s heavy duty was different from Yates in the aspect that Mike did pre exhaust did isolation exercise them no rest did compound for same muscle . Had great results with it back in the day added a lot of thickness to my physique.
