Yesterday I mentioned that Mentzer’s high-intensity workouts weren’t as efficient as they could’ve been due to not emphasizing the biomechanically ideal exercises as well as not applying the latest hypertrophy research (he died in 2001).
His methods could’ve been significantly better at stimulating mass with a few tweaks. Let’s review his go-to quad routine:
Superset (as little rest between exercises as possible):
Leg extensions + Leg presses
Brief rest
Barbell squats
You do one set of each exercise, so three total sets, all to failure. To start, let’s analyze the first exercise that’s emphasized…
Leg extensions are close to ideal; however, the resistance curve is wrong. The resistance is the same all the way through the stroke….
It should tail off as you reach contraction. In Old Man, Young Muscle, that’s one of the five ideal-exercise factors: early phase loaded, late phase unloaded….
So an ideal exercise should be harder near the stronger stretch and easier new the weaker contraction. That increases muscle-fiber activation and size stimulation…
As for the second two exercises, leg presses and barbell squats, the resistance curve is correct; however, the line of force is wrong—both emphasize the glutes, not the quads…
So the first way you make Mentzer’s quad routine better is to start with the ideal quad exercise, sissy squats…
That’s Tom “The Quad Father” Platz demonstrating. It was one of his favorites for good reason—sissies work. You get total quad-loading isolation with zero spine compression. And the resistance curve is perfect….
How else should you tweak his routine? Let’s go through it set by set. Here’s the updated Mentzer-inspired quad workout:
Set 1: Sissy squats, 20 reps using a 1/3 tempo. That serves to warm up the quads as well as fatigue the slow-twitch fibers early; the fast-twitch kicking in at the end.
Set 2: After a 20-second rest, you do sissy squats again using the same resistance but with a faster tempo: 1/1; the rapid cadence activates fast-twitch fibers from the very first rep, stimulating the majority by the final rep.
Set 3: After a 20-to-30-second rest, move to cable squats. This exercise has the resistance pulling more horizontally so you have to drive back, not up. It’s quad-centric but with some glute involvement. You could substitute hack-machine squats—and every few workouts use a set of leg extensions instead.
What about barbell squats? If you must do them, put them with your glute training. For example…
Two sets of cable pull-thoughs (I’ll have more on this exercise in future newsletters), then one set of barbell squats. You won’t be able to use nearly as much weight on squats. That’s good because you’ll spare your spine some traumatic compression while still triggering major glute activation.
Personally, I prefer dumbbell squats, holding the ‘bells at my thighs. At my age I don’t want my spine turning into an accordion.
Notice that you’re still getting Mentzer’s pre-exhaustion effect—the cable squats are compound—but you’re now focusing on biomechanically ideal exercises so you get a better surge in muscle size.
I’ve been using this routine for a while, and at 64 my quads look pretty good—considering my drug-free status and dental-floss genetics…
So should you do all of the above sets to failure? Good question. I’ll have more on that tomorrow, with an eye-opening quote from the Mr. Heavy Duty.
Note: There is a Mentzer-based workout in Old Man, Young Muscle, Chapter 9, pages 71-72.
Your Efficient Mass-Building Handbook: For complete mass workouts that include Speed Sets, the ideal exercise for each muscle, and the best stretch and contracted add-on moves, get your copy of Old Man, Young Muscle.
And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
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