In Mike Mentzers defence he did state he was looking to answer the question how little training is enough, to produce a result. In hindsight, it’s easy to see he was wrong in terms of frequency (and maybe volume also) - but no matter how you put it - it is an interesting thought! I believe Dr Darden got this just about right, but that’s just my opinion.
That being said, @davemccright is onto something unique and revolutionary here! 
Lol, seen the term used on a few HIT sites over the years. I shit you not… I recall one individual claiming he gained 35lb of muscle training once every 6 months with 2 exercises, 2" ROM Trap bar deads and bench press. ::
LOL 35lbs of muscle? or more likely, 35 lbs of fat
That was on pete sisco’s site, and yup, this guy was just fat and outta shape.
I have talked a lot about my experience with Mike and Ray. I took the rest days too far and ate more than I needed. I look at it this way. I learned a few things both negative and positive.
The guy is long gone. I don’t feel like I have to trash him. Ray ask me what are some of the things in my life that were important to me. He wanted to see what I would say. I replied my wife,son,and helping others. He agreed. The point he was getting at was there more important
things in life than obsessing with exercise.
I need to exercise but I don’t need to be over analytical.
At my age I can get by with training once a week if I want. But if I do that I do more exercises. I use more intensity techniques. I watch what I eat as well.
I also do things to keep active or get my heart rate up a little.
Is once a week ideal? Maybe not but it can work. If I train more I don’t always go to failure.
I usually don’t stick to the same routine. I like to mix it up a little. Sometimes I do a few warmup
sets.
Note I am talking about full body workouts.
Go into any gym and you will see people train everyday and be muscular and strong
but, dont forget, you will also see people train everyday and not be muscular, some are fat and look weak
some know how to to train, eat and recover and others don’t…doesnt matter if its HIT or HVT or somewhere in between
IMHO the biggest takeaway from Mentzer is to be a thinking bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast
Hi Dan,
Mike was anything but fitness enthusiast, he was a chain smoker that in a recent interview with a former flatmate, it was said he had to be bribed with drugs to get him to train.
Mikes obsession with “overtraining” lead many people down the wrong path. He said on those mid 90s tapes that you shouldn’t tolerate more than 1 or 2 workouts where you havent either went up in weight, load or both. Essentially thats like asking a sprinter to run faster every single race or training session…aint gonna happen!!
Mikes answer was to take 2-3 week layoffs and when you resume training reduce volume and/or frequency. Eventually it would reach the point as many did whereby your barely training at all.
In my experience, long term progress is two steps forward, one step back. Turpin on the old site use to talk about “owning the weight before adding more to the bar”, that makes sense to me. And as for layoffs and deloads…well life provides those for us lol.
The layoffs have merit. But the extreme reduction of frequency not so much.
Never said layoffs didnt have merit…
He was a bodybuilder and he did take things to the extreme (layoffs, infreqency)…i will not debate that…i never claimed he was a fitness enthusiast…i dont think any pro bodybuilder is
But he questioned the six days a week, 3 hours a day in the gym type training that most of us followed during the arnold and franco era
My introduction to Mentzers philosophies, led to me to Jones which led me to Darden…and Dardens methods…which in turn has given me a better path to fitness
My comment was not directed at you. Just my thoughts on it all.
“IMHO the biggest takeaway from Mentzer is to be a thinking bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast”
That was your quote…Im i picking it up wrong?
Quite right, and Mikes first routines training 3-4 days a week i think most would agree where rational and appealing. But of course Mike would go on down a path to the complete opposite extreme.
AJs appoarch i felt was much better, he’d have trainees insert maintenance workouts, whereby you didnt go to failure, and i believe he cut training from 3 days and a dozen exercises do to 2 workouts per week and 8 exercises. Again, most would probably again thats still a rational appoarch. Especially for people who do labour intensive jobs and/ work long hours etc.
Myself personally, i like little (with adequate intensity) and often, that appears to be MY perfect formula. Of course i was able to retire at 39, i can eat, sleep and train when i want. Plus (and ive made it no secret) ive been using small doses of peds.
This isnt aimed at anyone btw…
On a side note, im not knocking Mike for have drug issues, he obviously at times in his life had mental health issues. Ive been there, i was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but not before developing an addiction to prescription drugs. Along with that i was addicted to morphine for back pain. It took years to be weaned off the damn things!!
What i meant was back in the late 70s early 80s mentzer was known as a thinking bodybuilder because he questioned the mainstream of high volume training
Therefore, a person can become a thinking bodybuilder or thinking fitness enthusiast
Hope that clarifies
Am with ya now 
I still think Mikes most productive routine is the one he used prior to the 1980 mr olympia
3x/week full body nautilus machine
i agree, after that he went to the extreme
One day at a time so to speak. I’m glad you got away from it.
Thanks dips, appreciate that. ::
Kudos to you, sir! Sounds like one guy against a shitstorm tag team. For me, I just had to beat the booze! 20 years next month!!
odat 1991