{"id":32066,"date":"2025-09-23T02:17:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T02:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/32066\/"},"modified":"2025-09-23T02:17:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T02:17:14","slug":"this-golden-era-bodybuilder-trained-just-twice-a-week-and-new-science-proves-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/32066\/","title":{"rendered":"This Golden Era Bodybuilder Trained Just Twice a Week \u2013 and New Science Proves It Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aside from the GOAT of bodybuilding that is Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/a>, Mike Mentzer is one of the other famous lifters of the Golden Era who rivalled Arnie’s gains<\/a>. And his lifting methods<\/a> are recreated to this day.<\/p>\n

Who Is Mike Mentzer?<\/p>\n

Born in 1951, Pennsylvania, Mentzer started bodybuilding when he was just eleven years of age. His father bought him a set of weights that came with an instruction manual which outlined a three-days-a-week training programme. Influenced by this and ‘exercise philosopher’ Arthur Jones, Mentzer’s training methods in later life raised eyebrows, favouring just two to three workouts per week, with each set taken to absolute muscular failure<\/a>. Called his Heavy Duty Training programme, his protocol advocates for high-intensity and low-volume gains.<\/p>\n

Mentzer\u2019s minimalist philosophy is echoed in new research<\/a>, years on. A meta-analysis<\/a> of 67 studies found that as little as four sets per week per muscle group is enough to cause muscle growth, while just one set per week can still build strength. Beyond 12-20 sets, gains plateau, reinforcing Mentzer\u2019s methodology that more isn\u2019t always more. Frequency mattered less than total volume, suggesting his infamous two to three weekly sessions could be enough provided each set is taken to true muscular failure. <\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

Arthur Jones, Mentzer’s trainer, advocated for single-set training \u2013 which has been backed up by recent evidence<\/a>. A new study<\/a> found that single-set training performed twice a week was enough to increase muscle size, strength, endurance, and even power. Whether taken to failure or with two reps left in the tank, results were similar. So, the thought-leaders of Golden Age lifting were onto something, before the science even existed.<\/p>\n

\"schwarzenegger@ bodybuildingbros_\/\/Instagram<\/p>\n

Mike Mentzer and Arnold Schwarzenegger at 1980 Mr. Olympia<\/p>\n

Mike Mentzer vs Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/p>\n

Famously, Mentzer and Schwarzenegger fell out back stage at Mr Olympia. Schwarzenegger reclaimed the Mr Olympia title in 1980, while Mentzer placed 4th in what became one of bodybuilding\u2019s most controversial contests. With underlying tensions existing due to vastly different training methods, Mentzer then believed the judging was rigged in Schwarzenegger’s favour. Reportedly, Schwarzenegger made a remark about Mentzer’s stomach, which caused a handbags at dawn backstage confrontation between the two lifting legends.<\/p>\n

While Schwarzenegger was known for marathon two-sessions-a-day, four-hour total training days, Mentzer\u2019s Heavy Duty philosophy proved you could build world-class muscle on as little as two hours a week.<\/p>\n

Realistically, both training methods \u2013 Arnie\u2019s high volume and lower weights vs Mentzer\u2019s lower volume and higher weights \u2013 work for muscle growth, when applying enough effort towards the end of sets. And their physiques are testament to that.<\/p>\n

Ready to include Mentzer’s minimalist approach and save some precious time? Try his two-set workout below.
<\/p>\n

Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty Back WorkoutSuperset:
6-9 reps x 2 sets (after 1-2 warm-up sets)1a. Machine Pullover\"arm, <\/p>\n

Work the sets to failure, then continue with forced reps<\/a>, negatives, and\/or rest-pause<\/a> reps. If no machine is available, substitute with straight-arm pulldowns or dumbbell pullovers.<\/p>\n

Sit in the pullover machine with elbows slightly bent. Grip the handles and bring your arms in an arc down toward your torso until hands are near your thighs. Reverse the movement under control. If using a dumbbell, lie on a bench, hold the weight above your chest, lower it behind your head in an arc, then reverse the movement.1b. Underhand Close-grip Pulldown \"pulldown\"<\/p>\n

Work the sets to failure, then continue with forced reps, negatives, and\/or rest-pause reps.<\/p>\n

Sit at a pulldown station, palms facing you on a close bar. Pull the bar down to your upper chest, squeezing your lats and keeping elbows tucked. Slowly reverse the rep, ready to repeat.Straight Set:
6-9 reps x 2 sets (after 1-2 warm-up sets)\"barbell<\/p>\n

Work reps to failure, then continue with forced reps, negatives, and\/or rest-pause reps.<\/p>\n

Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width overhand grip. Hinge forward from the hips with a flat back, until your torso is about 45 degrees, with knees slightly bent. Pull the bar toward your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Lower under control, ready to repeat.Related Stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aside from the GOAT of bodybuilding that is Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mike Mentzer is one of the other famous…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32067,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[7157,27126,637,589,163,85,46,636,27125],"class_list":{"0":"post-32066","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-content-type-default","9":"tag-contentid-893e3584-2cf6-4dfe-b29f-54e85372ab2f","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-fitness","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-il","14":"tag-israel","15":"tag-locale-gb","16":"tag-shorttitle-bodybuilder-mike-mentzers-low-volume-plan"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}