The golden era of bodybuilding had remarkable bodybuilders like Frank Zane, Tom Platz, and Mike Mentzer, apart from the 7x Mr. Olympia champion, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mike Mentzer’s story is well-known in the bodybuilding community, whether it was the feud with Arnie or his untimely death due to heart complications. But Mentzer is still revered by his fans for his great physique and heavy-duty stunts.

The bodybuilding icon who managed to bench press 370 lbs at age 15 earned his nickname ‘Heavy Duty’ with his training method. Recently, a resurfaced video of Mentzer shed light on the most common idea of muscle soreness in bodybuilding.

Mike Mentzer rubbishes a popular notion among fitness lovers

Muscle soreness is often associated with muscle gain and a good workout at the gym. But the bodybuilding champion who won in 1979, Mr. Olympia, in the Heavyweight category, denied such a notion as a fallacy. David Meaker, a fitness YouTuber, shared a video titled, “Do I need to get Sore to build muscle?” in which Mentzer shared his thoughts on muscle soreness.

“They worry about soreness, another thing that bodybuilders often watch for to measure,” Mentzer said. He rubbishes the claims that getting bigger has a connection with muscle soreness as he stated, “I never would be a Mr. Universe because I never got soar.” However, he stresses that soreness is often associated with layoffs or when bodybuilders radically change their exercise routine.

“After a workout getting sore is not a sign that you did anything positive,” he concluded. Despite facing heavy lifts at the gym during his prime, Mentzer denies experiencing muscle soreness. It is Mike Mentzer who inspired bodybuilders to lift heavy while pushing for ultimate muscle growth. Dorian Yates’s 6x Mr. Olympia titles are due to his HIT method inspired by Mike Mentzer.

Mike Mentzer – An inspiration to Dorian Yates

The Shadow reigned the bodybuilding stage in the 1990s with 6x Mr. Olympia titles. His physique startled the bodybuilding audience during elite events. He developed it with intense hard work in the Temple Gym by following the Heavy Intensity Training regime. He credited Mentzer for his training and paid tribute on the late actor’s death anniversary.  

Sharing a photo of Mentzer, the English bodybuilder wrote in his Instagram post, “Mike had a major influence on myself and my bodybuilding journey. Firstly as a fan when I’d be reading old copies of Muscle Builder and later, when we met in person at Golds Gym.” By God’s grace, Menter witnessed Yates’s success before he died while caring for his ailing brother due to a stroke.

Read More: “That’s What Killed Mike”: Arnold Schwarzenegger-Mike Mentzer Cold-Hearted Feud at 1980 Mr. Olympia Detailed by Tom Platz in 2018

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