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Remembering Mike Mentzer - Part 2

By Rob Drucker

The Evolution of the Heavy Duty Training System

In the first installment of this series, we introduced the theory of high intensity training, also known as HIT for short. As mentioned previously, the theory of high intensity training says that bodybuilding workouts should be intense, brief, and infrequent. While Arthur Jones outlined these three general principles some 30 years ago, Mike Mentzer, a student of Jones, determined with precision how best to implement these three principles into a systematic and productive bodybuilding program. The result was the Heavy Duty training system.

From its inception in the mid to late 1970s until Mike's untimely death in 2001, Mentzer continually added to or made changes to his Heavy Duty system as he gained new information from systematic study and logical deduction. In addition, many refinements and improvements to his system came about from progress studies of hundreds of his personal training clients.

Although Heavy Duty was an evolving system, the basic principles that it rested upon were never altered. Rather, it was the the practical application of these principles that was refined from time to time as new information was attained.

Mentzer called his training philosophy a "rational approach" to building muscle, one based on a rigorous and logical methodology of exercise science. As such, he designed Heavy Duty with one primary goal in mind - to tell bodybuilders exactly and specifically what they should do to build the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time possible.

Mike developed his training system based on meticulous use of logic and upon scientific training principles and corollaries. Before we look at the training programs advocated by Mentzer, it will prove useful to take a look at the underlying thought and scientific structure that forms the backbone of the Heavy Duty System. Doing so is necessary in order to fully appreciate, understand, apply, and benefit from it.

The Fundamental Concepts Behind Heavy Duty

(1) We Are Governed by The Law of Identity

At its core, Heavy Duty is based on the "law of identity". With regards to bodybuilding, this law can be stated that "man is a specific entity with specific characteristics and specific requirements, including specific training requirements." One of the specific requirements for inducing muscle growth is the application of high-intensity exercise. By his very nature, man does not develop large a powerful muscles by performing exercise of low intensity, regardless of how much of such exercise is done. Only intense exercise can trigger the muscle-growth mechanism within the human body. Furthermore, the specific biochemical pathways that result in muscular growth, according to Mentzer, are the same in every member of the human race.

A second important characteristic of man, as Arthur Jones pointed out nearly 30 years ago, is that he has a strictly limited recovery or adaptive ability. This fact prompted Jones to state that bodybuilding exercise should be brief and infrequent. Mentzer realized that although Jones was on the right track, his statement was not very exact. As such, Mentzer sought to determine exactly how brief and infrequent a bodybuilder's workout should be.

(2) A Corollary - No Two Theories Can Both Be Right

As Mentzer related, "a theory is a set of non-contradictory abstract ideas or principles which purports to be either a correct description of reality or a guideline to successful action." Implicit in Mentzer's definition is that reality exists, it has a definite identity, and it is independent of man's feelings, wishes, hopes, or fears. Thus, since reality is what it is, no two descriptions or theories of reality can both be right. In fact, Mentzer observed,

Since the universe is an absolute of clear-cut identity, guided by one never-changing set of principles, there can be only one valid science of anything, including physics, astronomy, medicine, and bodybuilding.

(3) The Last Possible Rep is the Most Important

A basic tenet of the theory of high intensity training is that it is the last, almost impossible, rep of a set that is responsible for turning on the muscle-growth mechanism within the body. As such, Mentzer believed that carrying a set of an exercise to the point where you are forced to utilize nearly 100% of your momentary muscular ability is the single most important factor for stimulating an increase in size and strength. According to Mike, you will only short-change yourself if you don't do that last seemingly impossible rep.

(4) To Get Bigger, Get Stronger

Due to variations in neuromuscular efficiencies, bone lengths, muscle attachment points, etcetera, it is an established fact that person's degree of strength cannot be predicted solely based upon the size of his muscles. However, within an individual, Mentzer pointed out that the strength of a muscle is directly proportional to its cross-sectional area. As such, he stressed that the bodybuilder should train specifically to gain strength. Heavy Duty reflects this belief.

Incidentally, although the strength of a muscle is ultimately proportional to its cross-sectional area, Mike pointed out that for the majority of exercise enthusiasts, an increase in muscle size lags behind an increase in strength. Some years ago, Mike became extremely frustrated when after several weeks of high-intensity training, he had gained considerably in the strength department, but his muscles showed no noticeable increase in size. Just when he was about to give up on his training approach, his muscles started growing like crazy. There had been a significant time delay between his strength gains and his gains in muscular size. Mentzer said that he also observed this time-lag phenomenon with many of his personal training clients.

(5) To Gain More, Train Less

As Arthur Jones pointed out, any amount of physical training is a negative from the point of view that even one set of an exercise drains the body of valuable resources. With this fact in mind, Mentzer spent years determining how to best balance training intensity, training time, and training frequency for optimal results. What he found is that the majority of bodybuilders train way too often and much too long. In short, they overtrain. Mentzer defined overtraining as "performing any more exercise than the precise amount required for optimal results."

In an interview with Bill Phillips in 1993, Mentzer had this to say about overtraining:

Most bodybuilders are only dimly aware, they only sense vaguely, that over-training means something kinda sort of negative. You hear bodybuilders use the term frequently. But, none of them really know precisely what it means. They have never given it a definition. Therefore, it plays no central role in their thinking or in guiding their training efforts. The phenomenon of overtraining is very important. It's more than something just kinda sort of negative, it is the worst training mistake you can possible make. It is that which militates against achieving the desired results. The greatest anti-catabolic is not overtraining.

Mentzer went on to explain to Bill Phillips that the net negative effect of performing an additional set beyond what is optimally required increases exponentially. That is, doing even one more set of an exercise than is necessary is bad. But, doing two extra sets is more than twice as bad. And, doing three extra sets is more than three times as bad.

Most bodybuilding "experts" tell you to do more sets, more exercises, and more training sessions as you progress and gain experience. Mentzer advised his clients to do the opposite; he advised them to train less often and with less sets as they gained strength. The reason is, as the Heavy-Duty man pointed out, an increase in strength almost always overshadows an increase of an individual's capacity to recover from exercise. Studies in exercise physiology have revealed that from the time an individual begins weight training, he has the capacity to increase his strength by about 300%, but his tolerance to exercise can only be increased by about 50%. And as one becomes bigger and stronger, the drain on the body's resources during a workout becomes greater, unless, as Mentzer pointed out, the volume and / or frequency of the training program are regulated.

A key point that Mentzer stressed in his books and articles is that muscle growth will not occur following a workout unless sufficient time is granted to allow the body to replenish the resources that were used up during the training session. This replacement is inherently very slow, and any interruption to the process will diminish the production of muscle growth, which takes place only secondarily. Mike found that the majority of his phone and gym clients made their best gains by training no more than once every 72 hours, or every three days. Mentzer also found that a number of his clients, primarily hard gainers and advanced lifters, made their best progress by training even less often, sometimes only once every 10 to 14 days!

Not only did Mentzer recommend training no more than once every 72 to 96 hours, but he also generally recommended doing no more than one set per exercise (after a brief warm-up), and no more than two or three exercises per body part. Mike explained in Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body,

It only takes one set to failure to trigger the growth mechanism into motion. Any exercise carried on beyond what is required to stimulate growth is over-training, your worst enemy.

The general principle is this: "The less the inroad into recovery ability, the more the body's resources can be utilized for growth." This principle is worth remembering if you want to make consistent bodybuilding progress.

(6) Training Has a Generalized Effect

A common training method among bodybuilders is to train four to six days a week, working out the body on a "split" schedule. For example, a lifter may train his upper body on Monday and Thursday, and train his lower body on Tuesday and Friday. The belief here is that because individual muscle groups are trained on alternating days, sufficient rest is provided to allow for full recovery and optimal growth.

However, Mike Mentzer cautioned that any kind of exercise has both a local effect upon the specific muscles trained and a general effect upon the entire physical system. Thus, even if specific muscles are trained only on alternating days, the bodybuilder is subject to overtraining and lack progress if he fails to rest long enough to allow the body as a whole to fully recover. This is why Mentzer argued that a bodybuilder generally should workout no more than once every 72 to 96 hours, or even less often.

(7) Muscle Overlap Must Be Taken Into Account

When Mentzer first started his personal trainer business in the early 1990s, he had the majority of his clients training on a three-workout protocol. This training protocol had them training chest and back during workout #1, shoulders and arms during workout #2, and legs during workout #3. With the individual workouts spaced 72 hours apart, Mike reasoned that this type of training program would provide his clients with sufficient rest for optimal recovery and growth.

However, by the mid 1990s Mike began to see a disturbing pattern. Almost all of his clients made excellent and balanced progress in strength and muscle size for about the first eight weeks of training under his direction. However, after this initial period of good and balanced progress, many clients reported that their upper-body gains had slowed down, even halted, while their legs continued to grow stronger and get bigger. The story was always the same - the legs continued to grow, and the upper body elapsed into a state of stagnation.

After much thought about what was causing this phenomenon, Mentzer concluded that training overlap was the culprit. For example, the Incline Press he prescribed for chest training not only placed a huge stress on the pectorals as planned, but also greatly stressed the shoulders and triceps. Likewise, the Close-Grip Palms-Up Pulldown, which Mike prescribed for the back, also affected the biceps and shoulders to a high degree. However, none of the upper-body exercises, with the possible exception of the Deadlift, affected the legs to any appreciable extent.

Thus, in the final analysis, Mentzer concluded that his client's upper body muscles were trained twice every 72 hours, while their leg muscles were trained only once every nine days. And it was the latter training frequency that produced the superior results!

To eliminate the problem with upper-body overlap, Mike had the majority of his clients increase the number of days between upper body workouts, and he had them insert an extra leg training day between them as well. Thus, his clients were instructed to follow a four-workout protocol. This protocol had them training only once every 96 hours, with chest and back trained during workout #1, legs during workout #2, shoulders and arms during workout #3, and legs again during workout #4. According to Mentzer, this strategy had a dramatic positive effect upon his clients. He claims that almost all of them saw new, significant, and lasting training progress after implementing the new four-workout protocol.

(8) Progress Should Be Immediate and Consistent

Most bodybuilders, especially those who follow what Mike Mentzer called the "blind, non-theoretical volume approach," make progress on a hit and miss, mostly miss, basis. Many of these folks accept slow progress as "the way it is supposed to be." Well, the Heavy-Duty man taught otherwise:

Progress should not be witnessed unpredictably in tiny dribbles every eight months or so. You should literally see progress every single set of every single exercise every single workout. Every single workout you should increase either the weight, or the reps. If you can't, then you're doing something wrong.

(9) To Stimulate More Muscle Growth, Activate More Fibers

Each muscle of the human body consists of thousands of individual fibers. When a person lifts a barbell, or any other object, only the minimum number of muscle fibers required to overcome the resistance is brought into play. And, each individual muscle fiber either contracts with 100% of its contractile ability, or it does not contract at all. This is known as the "all-or-nothing" principle.

Low to moderate intensity exercise only activates a relatively small percentage of muscle fibers. Regardless of how many sets of low intensity exercise one performs, this law still holds. In order to recruit more muscle fibers, the intensity of effort must be increased, not the length of the workout. Simply put, given all other factors equal, the higher the exercise intensity, the greater the number of fibers activated. In this context, as mentioned previously, intensity refers to the percentage of possible momentary muscular effort exerted.

Arthur Jones pointed out many years ago that only when a muscle is in a fully contracted position is it possible to activate nearly 100% of its constituent fibers. His reasoning was that muscles perform work by reducing their length, and that the shortest achievable length can only be obtained when the muscle is in the fully contracted position.

Mentzer subscribed to this theory put forth by Arthur Jones, and this is why he stressed the importance of performing at least some exercises that provide maximum resistance in the fully contracted position. Many barbell exercises, such as the Squat, the Standing Barbell Curl, and the Barbell Press offer little resistance in the fully contracted position, Mentzer argued. For this reason, he preferred that his personal training clients train with Nautilus or Hammer machines almost exclusively. Both of these machines are specifically designed to provide a balanced resistance throughout a muscle's full range of motion. Many barbell exercises, such as those mentioned above, cannot provide sufficient resistance to the targeted muscle when it is in the fully contracted position, because the bones end up supporting the bulk of the weight when they become locked vertically.

Although Mentzer was a big advocate of Nautilus training equipment, he pointed out that good results could be achieved with conventional barbell equipment provided the basic principles of Heavy Duty training are adhered to. It should also be explained that although barbell squats provide relatively little resistance to the muscles when the legs are in the fully contracted position, Mentzer considered this exercise to be among the very best for building muscle, strength, and overall body power.

(10) Warm-ups Should Be Brief

Mentzer considered a proper warm-up to be an essential part of a productive bodybuilding program. A proper warm-up, he said, triggers a number of physiological responses that allow the muscles to contract more intensely and safely.

However, Mike did not believe in performing long warm-ups, arguing that many bodybuilders turn their warm-up into a workout and invite overtraining. Mike's warm-up prescription was put into simple terms:

Perform any amount of warming up which you believe is minimally required so that you can proceed to the intense portion of the workout secure in the knowledge that you will not injure yourself.

As an example, Mentzer found that one set of light to moderate bench presses followed by one set of light to moderate dumbbell flyes provided the majority of his training clients with a sufficient warm up prior to the heavy portion of their chest and back workout.

(11) Proper Exercise Performance is Important

Mentzer was an advocate of performing all exercises in a reasonably strict fashion. He stressed that each rep of a set should be performed in a relatively slow and controlled manner, through a full range of motion, and without jerking or yanking the weight. He also recommended pausing the weight briefly after it is lifted to the fully contracted position, and then lowering the weight under complete control. Mike considered the lowering of a weight to be just as important as lifting it.

Performing an exercise in a reasonably strict fashion, according to Mentzer, assures that the exercise provides a smooth and even resistance throughout the full range of motion, at least to the extent possible. In contrast, jerking, bouncing, and swinging of a weight causes momentum forces to take over. These forces, in turn, Mike warned, reduces the muscular effort and intensity.

Mike did make some exceptions to the rule, however. He explained that for some exercises, such as the Bent-Over Barbell Row and Dumbbell Laterals, it is best to initiate the movement with a slight hitch to overcome "disadvantageous leverage factors" and get the weight moving. He also indicated that a slight "cheat" on the final rep or two of the Barbell Curl may prove necessary to bring the biceps to a state of momentary positive failure.

(12) Use Forced Reps and Negatives, But Only Occasionally

While performing an exercise, the first level of strength to give is the ability to lift the weight, or what is called the positive portion of the lift. However, even after a point of positive failure, the trainee still has the ability to hold the weight in a static contraction. And, after this level of strength is exhausted, the lifter still still has the ability to lower the weight in a controlled fashion. The lowering of a weight in a controlled fashioned is accomplished by what is termed negative strength.

Only after the bodybuilder has exhausted all three levels of strength, the ability to lift the weight, the ability to hold the weight in a static position, and the ability to lower the weight in a controlled fashion, can it be said that he has reached a state of total failure.

Training to total failure is likely to stimulate the greatest number of muscle fibers possible, and during the early development of Heavy Duty, Mentzer recommended performing one or two forced reps and / or negatives at the conclusion of each set of every workout. However, over time, Mike came to realize that forced and negative reps can severely tax the body and lead to overtraining if practiced on a regular basis. In his book Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body, he wrote:

I have found with my personal clients, however, that including forced and/or negative reps at the end of every positive set leads quickly to overtraining. So I [now] have my clients use them on a random basis. On some sets they'll do one or so forced reps at the end of a set of positives; on other sets, they do one negative at the end of a set of positives, or static holds. They are best employed when feeling particularly well rested - with motivation and energy at a pinnacle.

(13) Pre-Exhaustion Can Boost Training Intensity

It is often difficult to bring large the large muscle groups of the chest, back, and legs to a state of total failure because other muscles may act as "weak links" and fail first. For example, when aiming to train the back with a set of chins, the smaller and weaker biceps muscles of the arms may give out before the large "traps" and "lats" can be fully taxed. Likewise, the lower back or hips may give out before a set of heavy squats can bring the powerful legs to a state of failure. Or, the relatively small triceps may give out before the larger and stronger pectorals can be momentarily demobilized by a set of heavy bench presses.

To overcome the limitation set forth by the "weak link" muscles, Mentzer often had his training clients utilize the pre-exhaust training method. This training method was invented and popularized by Robert Kennedy, the founder of Muscle Mag International, during the 1960s.

Pre-exhaustion works by preceding a compound movement with an isolation exercise, one chosen specifically to pre-fatigue the large targeted muscle group. For example, for the chest, bent-arm dumbbell flyes, an isolation exercise, can be done first to pre-tax the pectorals without involvement of the weaker triceps muscles. Immediately following the flyes, a set of bench presses can then be performed, and the triceps will have a momentary strength advantage. As such, the pre-fatigued "pecs" will likely reach a state of momentary failure, as desired, before the relatively fresh triceps tire enough to become a weak link.

Mentzer recommended that there should be "zero rest" in going from an isolation exercise to a compound one. After just three seconds, he warned, the pre-exhausted muscle can regain up to 50% of its strength.

To prevent overtraining, Mike urged his followers not to get carried away with the pre-fatigue method. He recommended never performing more than two pre-exhaust cycles or supersets per body part. He also indicated that neither the pre-exhaust, nor any other training method, should be used exclusively.

(14) Heavy Duty is a High Intensity, Low Force Exercise Program

With a few exceptions, and indicated by the training program outlined below, Mike advocated selecting a weight for each exercise that will allow for 6 to 10 repetitions in moderately strict form. He also recommended, as stated previously, that each exercise be performed without recourse to bouncing, jerking, or yanking. In this regard, Heavy Duty provides a high intensity, low force form of exercise. In contrast, a typical powerlifting program, one which includes heavy sets of one to three repetitions, involves a high intensity, high force form of exercise.

Not only does high intensity, low force exercise lead to significant increases in muscle mass and strength, Mentzer stressed that this type of exercise allows the bodybuilder to train very safely, with minimal impact forces placed on the muscles, joints, and connective tissue.

Many bodybuilders fear training in Heavy Duty style, because they mistakenly believe that training to failure is inherently dangerous. However, Mike Mentzer pointed out in his books and articles that, when done in proper form, each succeeding rep in a set is actually safer the previous rep. This is because, as he explained, when a muscle fatigues and approaches a state of momentary failure, the amount of force it can generate significantly declines. It is the first repetition of a set, he said, that is most dangerous. This is the point where the muscle is strongest and able to generate the highest level of force.

(15) Training Volume and Frequency Should Be Regulated

When Mentzer first developed his Heavy Duty training method, he had each of his clients continue to follow the same basic workout program, in terms of volume and frequency, even as they became bigger and stronger. However, Mike came to discover that as an individual grew stronger, he also placed greater demands on his body during a workout. Eventually, the bodybuilder would reach a critical point, and he could no longer adequately recover from his training. Progress would then slow down significantly, or cease altogether.

Now, what do most bodybuilders do when their progress slows down or halts? They do even more work in the gym, and they also accept the popular belief that gains are supposed to slow down to a snail pace as they become bigger and stronger.

Mentzer took a radical departure from this popular belief. Rather than have his clients add more sets or exercises to their workout program, he instructed them to REDUCE their training volume and / or frequency as they became stronger. From Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body, Mike observes:

There was a time when I thought that reaching a sticking point in training was inevitable. I was wrong. If you keep in mind all the while the point made above that as the weights grow greater, the stresses grow greater, and you must periodically compensate for them - [and then] a sticking point won't be reached.

To compensate for improvements in strength, Mentzer had his training clients periodically modify their training routine to keep the stress demands on their body under control. Modifications were made in different ways, but each was designed to reduce the exhaustive effects of the workout. Some of the modifications that Mentzer recommended to his clients were as follows:

1. Occasionally, drop a set (exercise) from a workout. For example, every three workouts, the Pressdowns could be eliminated from the arm routine.
2. Periodically, replace a demanding exercise with one that is less demanding. For example, replace the deadlift, a very energy-consuming exercise, with the shrug, a much less demanding exercise.
3. Eliminate one or more isolation, or pre-exhaust, exercises from your routine.
4. Periodically insert added rest days into your training cycle.

According to Mentzer, periodically inserting added rest days into your training cycle is the single most important thing you can do to sustain training progress. He also considered it very important to cut back on the number of exercises performed as you grow stronger. In Heavy Duty II: Mind and Body, he said,

Ultimately everyone, no matter what the genetics, will have to reduce the volume and frequency of training to the point where you're training only once a week, or less, and using only two to three sets of primary compound movements.

Mentzer stressed that if a bodybuilder properly reduces the volume and frequency of his training program to compensate for increases in strength, then he will not reach a sticking point until the upper limits of his genetic potential is approached. He also said that with proper training, the average bodybuilder should be able to actualize his full muscular potential within two years or less!

The Ideal (Principle Workout)

In his final book, High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer Way, the author outlined what he called "The Ideal (Principled) Workout". Mentzer suggested that his recommended training routine would yield great results for the majority of bodybuilders, at least until they reach a very advanced stage of physical development. He also stated that those with average to superior recovery ability should be able to make consistent progress for many months. How long the process of uninterrupted progress will continue, Mike could not say, because much depends upon various genetic and external factors that circumvent the trainee, such as innate recovery ability, sleep habits, type of occupation, etcetera.

Due to the high-intensity nature of this workout program, Mike suggested that beginners break into it slowly. He urged new members of Heavy Duty to first get used to the exercises, and to determine proper weight selections, before engaging into the program with full intensity. He recommended that beginners allow up to 30 minutes to complete each workout. However, he urged his clients to gradually reduce the time required to complete each training session as their resistance to exercise stress increased. In time, he said, the average trainee should be able to complete any one of the prescribed workouts (outlined below) in as little as 10 to 12 minutes! A gradual reduction in workout time, according to Mentzer, is a powerful technique for raising training intensity, because the power factor (work per unit time) becomes greater. This holds true, Mike said, provided that your workouts are not rushed to the point that you exceed your physiological limits, or engage in sloppy training.

Below the "Ideal" workout advocated by Mike Mentzer in his final book is outlined in schematic form. In Part Three of this series, we will look at this workout and the proper execution of its constituent exercises in much greater detail. We will also take a look at an abbreviated training program that Mike specifically designed for "hard gainers". Additionally, we will look at some advanced (and consolidated) training techniques that Mentzer and many of his advanced training clients used to trigger a new wave of muscle growth and strength. Stay tuned. We are no where near done with this Heavy Duty stuff.

The Ideal Workout

Workout Number One: Chest and Back

Chest
Dumbbell flyes for pre-exhaust: 1 X 6 - 10 reps
Incline presses: 1 X 1 - 3 reps
Back
Straight-arm pulldowns for pre-exhaust: 1 X 6 - 10 reps
Palms-up pulldowns: 1 X 6 - 10 reps
Deadlifts: 1 X 6 - 10 reps

Rest 4 to 7 days

Workout Number Two: Legs and Abs

Legs
Leg extensions for pre-exhaust: 1 X 12 to 20
Leg presses: 1 X 12 - 20
Standing calf raises: 1 X 12 - 20
Abs
Sit-up: 1 X 20

Rest 4 to 7 days

Workout Number Three: Shoulders and Arms

Shoulders
Dumbbell lateral raises: 1 X 6 - 10 reps
Bent-over dumbbell laterals: 1 X 6 - 10 reps
Biceps
Palms-up pulldowns: 1 X 6 - 10 reps
Triceps
Pressdowns for pre-exhaust: 1 X 6 - 10 reps
Dips: 1 X 3 - 5 reps

Rest 4 to 7 days

Workout Number Four: Legs and Abs

Legs
Leg extensions for pre-exhaust: 1 X 12 to 20
Leg presses: 1 X 12 - 20
Standing calf raises: 1 X 12 - 20
Abs
Sit-up: 1 X 20

Rest 4 to 7 days

To the extent possible, Mentzer recommended that trainees start their Heavy Duty training with the exercises as shown above. After about two to three months, Mentzer said that it is okay to swap exercises provided the basic principles of his system are adhered to. However, he urged his followers to never start a superset with a compound exercise. Some suggested substitution exercises are shown below.

Suggested Substitution Exercises

Type	Exercises
Chest
Isolation	Pec Deck, Cable Crossovers
Compound	Bench Presses, Dips
Back
Isolation	Dumbbell Pullovers
Compound	Barbell Rows, One-Arm Dumbbell Rows, Chin-Ups
Compound	Shrugs instead of Deadlifts
Legs
Compound	Barbell Squats
Abs
N/A	Hanging Leg Raises
Shoulders
Isolation	Nautilus Lateral Raises
Isolation	Bent-Over Cable Lateral
Biceps
Compound	Barbell Curls, Preacher Curls, Palms-Up Chins
Triceps
Isolation	Lying Triceps Ext, Nautilus Triceps Ext, French Curls
Compound	Close-Grip Bench Presses

Notes:

• Mentzer recommended that if shrugs are substituted for the Deadlift, that the trainee also include one set of leg curls during Workout One. This is because the Deadlift works the back of the legs quite hard, while the shrugs does not work the legs to any appreciable degree.
• Mike also recommended that instead of performing isolation exercises for the shoulders, any one or two of the following compound exercises could be utilized: Upright Rows, Press Behind Neck, or Machine Presses.

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© 2012 Rob Drucker

contact email address: robdrucker@musclesofiron.com