When the 1970s bodybuilding enthusiasts focused on training for 2-3 hours a day, six days a week, Mentzer proposed his High-Intensity Training method involving training till failure, rest, and recovery. Mr. Heavy Duty was a bodybuilding wizard who captured the judges’ imaginations on the 1978 Mr. Universe stage to get the first-ever perfect score. Mentzer’s bodybuilding principles still resonate with fitness enthusiasts. 

He won elite competitions like Mr. America and Mr. Universe while training only two hours per week. Recently, bodybuilding YouTuber Will Tennyson followed Mike Mentzer’s bodybuilding routine for a week and shared his experience with his followers. 

Will Tennyson’s experience the intense training regime of Mike Mentzer

Despite never winning Mr. Olympia, the late icon was regarded as one of the sport’s pioneers. Promoting Arthur Jones’s High-Intensity Training philosophy became Mentzer’s bodybuilding purpose after he quit the competitive stage. His heavy-duty routine involved high-intensity reps till failure, which helps in muscle growth. 

Tennyson was intrigued by Mentzer’s training principles, which are now scientifically proven. However, the heavy-weight routine is a risky affair. So, the challenge to follow Mr. Heavy Duty’s training regime, especially barbell back squats, brought anxiety to Tennyson. “I haven’t barbell back squatted in a minute. So, I’d be lying to you if I said I was not nervous and scared as hell for this set,” Tennyson agreed on his first day of the challenge.

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The one-set routine of Mentzer’s further builds up the pressure to perform too well in Tennyson. He finished 370 lbs back squat but realized that he had more potential to push towards failure and ended up sooner. “That was far too easy for it to be in my top set,” the YouTuber lamented. However, one bodybuilder won six Mr. Olympia titles following Mike Mentzer’s principles.

Dorian Yates – Mr. Heavy Duty’s admirer

The English bodybuilding icon Dorian Yates trained four times a week to win six Mr. Olympia titles. The Shadow followed Mentzer’s philosophy of training till failure to amplify muscle growth with proper rest and recovery spans. 

Yates considers Mentzer his idol and once paid an emotional tribute to the deceased bodybuilder in an Instagram post. The 61-year-old used to follow Mentzer’s philosophies and training techniques shared in his articles for Muscle Builder magazine and later met him at the Gold’s Gym.

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Despite dying young, Mentzer incredibly contributed to the knowledge treasury of the sport that is now his bodybuilding legacy. His principles have gained significance in recent times, and training till failure is now opted for by many bodybuilders.