Bodybuilding as a sport requires years of hard work and discipline. The athlete transforms his body through various training rituals. The judges decide their effectiveness based on aesthetics and size. Moreover, the competition is not merely a battle of physique, but also of minds. Two names stand tall in the sport for their bodybuilding philosophy, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mike Mentzer. Earlier, YouTubers accustomed to the Austrian Oak’s version tried a distinct style. They were surprised by the variance in approach.

Brothers Hudson and Brandon White posted a workout inspired by Mentzer on their social media channels. They enhanced their gym game by focusing on the intensity of their training. 

Pedagogy of Arnold Schwarzenegger versus Mike Mentzer

Taking to YouTube, “Buff Dudes” posted a workout video. At the beginning of the post, they said, “There has been a name that’s popping up more and more these days, and it is the bodybuilder Mike Mentzer.” Furthermore, the duo bought Mentzer’s book on training and read it. “I feel like his philosophy in some ways aligns very much with ours. He was all about muscle failure, taking the muscles to absolute failure in every workout,” one of the brothers remarked.

Interestingly, Mentzer and Arnie were rivals. In 1980, the Austrian Oak made a return to the stage to win his seventh title, denying Mentzer a chance at Olympia. The heavy-duty technique stood in direct contrast with the “high volume” style of the seven-time Mr. Olympia, which made him famous. An entire cohort of Sandow hopefuls swore by its results. However, in a recent discussion, the Terminator astonished everyone with his answer when a subscriber asked a question about lifting.

Schwarzenegger focused on both endurance and strength

In a Q&A session on his ‘the Pump App’, Arnie held a Q&A session. A follower’s question revolved around the decades-old debate, “More reps or higher weights?” The “Fubar” actor responded, “When I give you an exercise that starts at 15 reps every week, I do not mean for you to do the same weight for 15 reps every week.” Arnie wants the weight to increase progressively. “I want that weight going up, I want progress,” he stated. 

“Most of the time we have you work in lower reps, too.” Thus emphasizing both “muscular strength and muscular endurance.” In his prime, the former governor followed the same method, fine-tuning the practice according to the body part. Additionally, his approaches to training kept evolving with time owing to new research and experiences in the field. What steps do you follow in your training regime? Let us know in the comments.

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