Remembering Mike Mentzer

Mike Mentzer was a key player in the golden age of bodybuilding, winning the IFBB Mr. America, Mr. Universe, and heavyweight Mr. Olympia, the last two with perfect 300 scores.

This photo and the one below, sent to us my Mike, are on display at Ripped Enterprises.

A man who came into our office to buy a set of our DVDs got me to thinking about our contacts with Mike--telling us that Markus Reinhardt, a personal friend of Mike's, was overseeing his preparation for an upcoming contest.

Attracting attention at Gold’s Gym is hard to do. The best bodybuilders in the world train there. Muscle is everywhere you look.

Bill Reynolds took me there as part of an all-day photo shoot. We came in from the beach, a few blocks away.

The best lighting for photos was in one corner. The regulars knew about it, but it took us a while to find it.

I was doing my best to display my muscularity—and Bill Reynolds was shooting away.

That lighting, my leanness, and Bill's photographic mastery produced our celebrated Fab Ab photo, shown here:

Slowly but surely we began to attract a crowd. Some big names were there, but the one that stood out was Mike Mentzer.

We had met before. But I believe this was the first time he’d seen me in shorts.

Drawing a crowd in Gold’s Gym would be good. But a crowd led by Mike Mentzer was momentous.

The second memorable event also took place in Santa Monica, a couple of blocks from Gold’s Gym.

I don’t remember what contest, but I do remember a very thoughtful gift from Mike.

He walked down the street from Gold’s to the hotel where Carol and I were staying, knocked on the door to our room—and gave me one of his books.

He explained that it might help during the last week before the contest. As I was to learn, getting rid of excess water can make the difference between winning and losing.

Mike wrote about running - and sweating - in the streets before a big contest--at night. I haven't tried that, but the purpose was and is commanding.

It was a thoughtful gift from one of the top bodybuilders in the world--to a guy getting ready to enter an “Over 40” contest.

I learned of Jones from Peary Rader, the publisher of Iron Man magazine. Peary thought that I might be interested in working with Arthur, whose articles were expanding his readership exponentially.

Arthur met Carol and I on the tarmac in his private plane. We got out of a commercial airliner and climbed in with Arthur.

It didn’t take long to decide that I would not be comfortable working for Arthur Jones. I was, however, very interested in his philosophy of training and superbly engineered Nautilus machines.

We purchased a Hip & Back machine, which is still in our office gym, along with several additional Nautilus machines we've acquired over time.

Mike learned of Jones from Casey Viator, who gave him contact information for his trainer, Arthur Jones. (Casey had just won the 1971 AAU Mr. America, where Mike had suffered his worst defeat.)

Mentzer took the concepts developed by Jones and set out to fine-tune them to help a drug-free person achieve their genetic potential.

Mike's philosophy of training was brief, infrequent and intense. The emphasis is on intensity, not duration: one or two sets, with little if any specific warm-up. The opposite of the volume training you read about in most bodybuilding magazines.

Boiled down to essentials, Mike’s training calls for training body parts with mostly compound exercises every 4-7 days--essentially what I do once a week.

I can’t tell you that Mike trained precisely that way--I never saw him train--but that’s basically what he recommended.

He introduced Dorian Yates to brief high-intensity training and put him through this type of training in the early ‘90s. Dorian went on to win Mr. Olympia six consecutive times, from 1992 to 1997.

A video sold by our Aussie friend Wayne Gallasch, shows Dorian training the short and intense way. It's inspiring to see such focused effort.

Mike and I agreed that dieting for leanness does not need to be onerous: Focus on eating a balanced diet of unprocessed foods: whole grains, fruit, dairy, eggs and other high quality protein foods. You'll be satisfied without over shooting your calorie needs.

I don’t remember how this came about, but I do remember an email from Mike that might’ve extended his lifespan had it come earlier.

He wrote that he regretted not including some aerobic exercise in his workouts. He didn’t specify that it would’ve been good for his heart, but that 's bound to be what he was thinking.

We’ve looked everywhere for this email and cannot find it. Nevertheless, the comment is firmly embedded in my memory.

My Morning Motion routine begins by walking and going up and down our stairs. It ends with low and high intensity marching in place. (Got the idea from Dick Winnet.)

While it’s a shame that his life had to end so soon, he made his mark around the world.

You’ll find many more details on his Wikipedia page and in his books, including his “love of language, thought, and writing.”

We'll leave you with the other photo given to us by Mike. It shows his superbly muscled back and his ability to display it from top to bottom.

Reviewing the treasure trove of material Mike shared with us made me appreciate the time and effort he put into promoting bodybuilding world wide.

He published three books: HEAVY DUTY for serious bodybuilders; one for the average Joe and Jane: The Mentzer Method To Fitness (1980); and another for the serious athlete: Mike Mentzer's Complete Book of Weight Training (1982) with special sections for those who swim, run, play golf, and tennis.

The third book ends with a chapter on the history of progressive resistance exercise, beginning with MILO carrying a new born calf from birth to full size and ends when a section for the serious bodybuilder.

He put his heart and soul into spreading the Mentzer way of training around the world.

Still, some of the feedback we're getting focuses more on his abrupt demise, rather then on the time and effort he put into promoting brief and efficient training. His version of the Arthur Jones way of training.

Mike's message got to people who never heard of Arthur Jones--promoting an appealing version of strength training. People appreciate short and efficient training--and are more likely to keep it up.

People like the fellow who came in to buy our DVDs. A business man who works for a living and lifts to stay healthy--and wants to match his results with others occasionally.

We're including a follow up email from him below. He is a great example of the many who still thrive on Mike's message to bodybuilders around the world.

Again, Mike Mentzer was a good man who experienced and promoted the benefits of bodybuilding around the world.

Like Eugene Sandow, perhaps the most famous bodybuilder ever, he had both a good and a not so good side. (Sandow's wife refused to put a marker on his grave.)

I corresponded with Mike Mentzer. Plus out of the blue, he called me a few times. I just wish he had gotten some serious preventive medical care. Tragic to die so young and the same with Ray - dying so close together. I wish I could have helped him in some way.

I was surprised to read your remembrance of Mike Mentzer, which did not include a single word about his acknowledged steroid-use. How can anyone rely on the training advice of a juicer who died at 50! Similarly, Ray was another acknowledged heavy steroid-user.

I tried some of Mentzer's training advice when it appeared in the lifting magazines, but as a drug-free lifter, it failed to benefit me.

Please consider discussing the Mentzer's steroid use in a revised remembrance of the Mentzers.

[Editor: True of practically all professional bodybuilders at his level. As noted above, he wrote books for active people, and for athletes in all sports.]

Mike gave the bodybuilding world the gift of "Critical Thinking" as opposed to the dogma of commercial interest in bodybuilding.

Brief infrequent training, balanced diet favouring whole plant foods, and the understanding that the potential of your bodybuilding success is down to genetics and steroid use, regarding top level competitions.

This philosophy is gold dust to the average trainee, and saves hours, hard earned money and ultimately disappointment with your training.

He was a bonus to the sport of bodybuilding and a pioneer in HIT (High Intensity Training).

Since the late 1970's I have been a fan of Mike Mentzer and his training philosophy. I have read all of his books. Very sad that he died so early.

Then I also started reading your books and articles and because I knew that you did it in a clean way and also followed Mike's training philosophy. ( more or less ) I started following the heavy duty system slightly adapted to my needs.

My favorite is the Gold's Gym moment. You are very fortunate to have had such an amazing experience that put you among the greats of bodybuilding, even to the point where they were admiring you for that one magnificent moment.

I really enjoyed reading your tribute to Mike Mentzer. I have fond memories reading his articles while in high school and purchased a couple of his books. What I did not know at the time was that you were also an influence on him.

Here are a couple of You Tube videos showing Mike talking about you at a seminar and in one of his training articles:

The first thing I used to do after buying a copy of Muscle and Fitness years ago was go right to your Ripped column. Now I go right to your website at the first of the month.

I have been following your work for over 30 years and have all of your books and DVD’s.

You have had a strong positive influence on my life and I am trying to pass these lessons to my children.

It's been snowing over here in England, but I've managed to walk to the gym and back, to do some cardio on the rowing machine, stationery bike, and treadmill, along with some weights.

Chris

A very interesting article about Mike Mentzer!

He had a small mail order business back then and I wrote him a letter (from Finland) with a 5usd bill in it, asking for advice.

I got back a nice, hand written letter, almost non-readable, but never the less.

I still have it.

This was in 1979 I think.

Fond memories.

Johan

* * *

Trained by Mike Mentzer

Thanks for posting details of your encounters with Mike. It's always interesting to read other perspectives.

I took advantage of a visit to Los Angeles in 2001 to arrange a personal training session with him, at Gold's Gym in Venice no less - now what could be better than that (and it was 100% worth the parking ticket I got)!

I met Mike outside Gold's - my first actual meeting with him - and he told me to go inside, pay a day entrance fee, get changed and he would meet me in the back of the gym. He wasn't supposed to train others in Gold's so he had to enter the gym via a side/back door.

Mike looked an "old" 50, wearing baggy sweat pants and top, and quite stooped. He explained to me about his cervical disk replacement (using disc material from a cadaver). It was clear that he was not in the best of health.

So, there I was in Gold's being trained by Mike Mentzer. Talk about "high intensity!"

He had lots of people coming up and saying "Hi." It was clear that he was extremely well liked.

The training session itself was exactly what you would expect if you have followed Mike or read his Heavy Duty book.

It was one of the few training sessions where I have been close to a visit from Mr. Pukie. (CrossFit terminology for wanting to throw up). Interestingly, the other time was during a workout with Bill Pearl.

Mike was very gracious the whole session. I remember him saying that I had "some good looking muscles."

I'll take that, thank you!

* * *

After the session we sat outside around a table and to my complete surprise we were joined by Ray Mentzer. Could the day get any better!

We all chatted away for about 45 minutes and Mike's parting words to me were "I am your trainer now."

Sadly, it was only a matter of weeks before he and Ray passed away.

Now, at 66 years of age, the experience remains a vivid memory.

Sincerely,

Owen Dell

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From The Desk Of Clarence Bass