Mike Mentzer a Bodybuilding Fraud?

I’ve seen posts on the Internet ridiculing Mike Mentzer, some calling him a fraud…

The reason: He used three to six sets per muscle during his competitive years, often with forced and negative reps tacked on…

But after he retired and began training people, he had those trainees use one set per muscle once a week in most cases—and no forced or negative reps…

His barometer for progress was strength increases. If his trainee did not get stronger, he made adjustments—less or more time between workouts.

He had some of them taking 10 days between workouts…

It’s hard to imagine someone making significant muscle gains on such an abbreviated workout schedule—but I’m not sure what his trainees’ goals were…

Most were probably not looking to be competitive bodybuilders. Still, adding visible muscle to retool a physique appears to require more. How much more?

That’s debatable because the governor is an individual’s recovery ability, lifestyle, age, etc. And steroids throw a large monkey wrench into things—more than most think (more on that next week)…

If you’re older, like past 50, and not on steroids, which includes excessive hormone-replacement therapy, then the Old Man Young Muscle workouts would be a good place to start…

And I’m not just saying that because I’m a biased SOB—although I am biased and sometimes an SOB, as my wife often tells me…

In a recent newsletter, I mentioned that a 60+ trainee reported that he had to cut back on the OMYM workout…

He went to one STX sequence on the ideal exercises two to three times a week—and his gains surged…

Is it time for you—or me at age 65—to reduce volume as a test? More on that tomorrow.

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.