Mike Mentzer revolutionized bodybuilding along with his Heavy Obligation philosophy — temporary, intense, and rare coaching designed to stimulate development with surgical precision. In contrast to the high-volume routines of his friends, Mentzer’s strategy targeted on most effort, not most time.
When it got here to constructing his iconic arms, Mentzer didn’t depend on countless curls. His favourite bicep train wasn’t even a direct arm motion — it was the underhand (supinated) lat pulldown.
Key Factors You Want To Know!
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Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Obligation Coaching
Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Obligation system was constructed on logic and effectivity. He rejected the high-volume routines frequent in his period, arguing that extra work doesn’t imply extra development.
As a substitute, he emphasised temporary, rare, and brutally intense periods, ultimately performing what was referred to as rest-pause coaching.
- Every exercise used one or two warm-up units to arrange the muscle groups.
- When prepared, carry out a single all-out working set taken to momentary failure.
- Place the load down and relaxation 10-15 seconds
- Carry out a mini-set, performing reps to failure once more.
- Repeat 1-2 occasions.
Mentzer believed progress got here not from doing extra, however from doing sufficient after which permitting full restoration. Heavy Obligation coaching grew to become a direct problem to the marathon periods of the Nineteen Seventies, focusing as a substitute on precision, objective, and restoration.
Mike Mentzer’s Favourite Bicep Train: The Underhand Lat-Pulldown
Heavy Obligation Coaching didn’t simply have an effect on the rep scheme used, however workout routines as properly. Mike didn’t need to use a ton of workout routines to hit each muscle; he wished one of the best train, so he solely wanted one which obtained the job finished.
For him, it was the underhand lat pull-down.
When choosing the right biceps train, many individuals will level to an isolation train. This is very true throughout trendy occasions. They imagine the isolation helps produce extra activation.
Quite the opposite, Mentzer seen train choice as a matter of effectivity. As such, he preferred compound movements as they labored a number of muscle teams. Going additional, he most popular those who;
- Used a full vary of movement
- Allowed managed motion underneath heavy hundreds
- Had minimal danger of harm.
For these causes, when it got here to coaching the biceps, Mike clearly had his favourite train.
Mike Mentzer most popular the underhand lat pulldown to hit his arms and believed it was clearly one of the best to construct mass.
Why Mike Mentzer Beloved The Underhand Pulldown
In comparison with a traditional lat pulldown with a pronated grip, utilizing a supinated grip adjustments the motion mechanics considerably.
1. The grip is usually narrower, and the biceps are available in entrance of the physique.
2. This places the bicep in a stronger place because it sees higher activation within the supinated place (Leslie & Consolation, 2013)
3. The lats are nonetheless concerned, which permits heavier hundreds to be positioned on the biceps.
This mixture of mechanics theoretically leads to an intense biceps exercise by means of 3 mechanisms;
- Heavier weights, which maximized stress and activation
- Better time underneath stress (mechanical stress) resulting from giant ROM (Roberts et. al, 2023)
- Extra full stretch and contraction
Mentzer believed that the pulldown maximally activated the biceps, leaving no cause so as to add one other biceps train. Bear in mind, in his view, as soon as a muscle has been skilled to failure, it can’t be skilled “extra.”
He additionally preferred the train’s stability and security. With a cable-guided bar path, a lifter can keep good management all through the movement and focus totally on muscular contraction.
Effectivity Over Quantity
The underhand pulldown match completely along with his Heavy Obligation framework. It allowed him to coach each the again and biceps effectively in a single motion, minimizing general coaching time with out decreasing effectiveness.
Mentzer would sometimes pair it with one different again train, reminiscent of a Nautilus pullover or a row, and that was the whole workload for these muscle groups. Every train consisted of a single rest-pause working set.
Tips on how to Carry out the Underhand Lat Pulldown (HIT / Relaxation-Pause)
Performing the underhand lat pulldown like Mentzer requires two explanations: the directions for the train, as properly as a proof of Rest-Pause training.
Setup
- Sit on the pulldown machine and safe your thighs underneath the pads.
- Take a shoulder-width underhand grip on the bar, palms dealing with you.
- Sit upright along with your chest barely elevated and your decrease again naturally arched.
Execution
- Start every rep by miserable your shoulder blades earlier than bending the elbows.
- Pull the bar down by driving your elbows down and barely ahead, protecting your higher arms near your sides.
- Contact the bar to your higher chest and pause briefly for a full contraction.
- Decrease the bar slowly over 4 to 5 seconds, permitting a full stretch on the prime.
Each rep ought to be managed. There ought to be no jerking or leaning again to maneuver the load. The objective is steady stress and precision.
Additional, exaggerate the pull, making an attempt to maximise flexion within the elbow.
How To Use the Relaxation-Pause Technique
- Choose a weight you’ll be able to raise for about 6–8 strict reps.
- Carry out reps till you attain full failure with correct kind.
- Relaxation for 10–15 seconds.
- Carry out one other 1–3 reps to failure.
- Relaxation once more for 10–15 seconds.
- End with 1–2 remaining reps or a single sluggish adverse lasting 8–10 seconds.
That sequence counts as one working set. Mentzer would typically do one or two mild warm-up units earlier than the principle set, however by no means multiple rest-pause set per train.
He believed this degree of effort was greater than sufficient to stimulate development. Doing extra units would solely cut back restoration potential. As soon as the working set was full, the train was completed.
Mike Mentzer Fashion Arm Exercise
We’ve at all times been followers of the chin-up and lat-pulldown for bicep activation, and it’s humbling to see that Mike Mentzer has at all times had this similar perception.
If you wish to construct large arms, get away from “isolation-only” type coaching. Use giant compound workout routines that maximize load and ROM;
- Triceps – Triceps dip, close-grip bench press.
- Biceps – Underhand grip lat-pulldown, chin-up
You possibly can then use some isolation coaching when you don’t need to use a 100% Mike Mentzer-style exercise.
Right here’s an instance of what an superior arm exercise, impressed by Mike Mentzer, would possibly appear like. To be clear, this is just not Mike’s exercise. It’s merely utilizing his concepts, merged with different kinds of coaching.
Mike Mentzer-Impressed Arm Exercise
- Pull-Up – 2 Units
- Triceps Dip – 2 Units
- Underhand Grip Lat Pulldown – 2 Units
- Shut-Grip Bench Press – 2 Units
- Tricep Pushdown + EZ-Bar Curl – 1 Set
- Overheads Tri Ext + Spider Curl – 1 Set
For two units, you’ll first carry out your preliminary rest-pause set. You’ll then drop the load by 10% and repeat.
Mike Mentzer And Bicep Coaching
Mike Mentzer has a ton of superior coaching recommendation to supply the bodybuilding world. Even when you don’t agree with all the things he stated, there’s undoubtedly one thing you’ll be able to apply to your coaching and see a profit.
For us, his potential to have a look at the mechanics of an train is a big profit all of us want to contemplate in train choice. There are such a lot of examples the place an train is simply thought of to be good for a sure muscle and vice versa.
Reference
- Mentzer, M., & Little, J. R. (2003). Excessive-Depth Coaching the Mike Mentzer Manner. McGraw-Hill.
- Leslie, Kelly. L. M. BSc (Hons); Consolation, Paul MSc, CSCS*D. The Impact of Grip Width and Hand Orientation on Muscle Exercise Throughout Pull-ups and the Lat Pull-down. Energy and Conditioning Journal 35(1):p 75-78, February 2013. | https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/fulltext/2013/02000/Article.12.aspx
- Roberts, M. D., McCarthy, J. J., Hornberger, T. A., Phillips, S. M., Mackey, A. L., Nader, G. A., Boppart, M. D., Kavazis, A. N., Reidy, P. T., Ogasawara, R., Libardi, C. A., Ugrinowitsch, C., Sales space, F. W., & Esser, Okay. A. (2023). Mechanisms of mechanical overload-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy: present understanding and future instructions. Physiological opinions, 103(4), 2679–2757. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00039.2022
