Mike Mentzer’s Routine made for Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates’
Always start with a warm up, using the deadlift as an example: if you you’re able to handle 165 pounds for 7 reps on your working set, start your warm-up with 115 pounds for 7 to 10 easy reps to get the blood flowing into the area, and then one more set with 145 pounds for 2 or 3 reps to mentally prepare yourself for the heavier set to follow. Perform only one working set of each exercise; that is one set aside from your warm-ups.
Perform approximately 6 to 10 reps of the exercise listed, except the following: incline presses and dips, do 3 to 5. Abdominals and lex exercise, perform 12 to 20 reps.
For best results, perform all exercise in a strict manner. This means taking four seconds to lift the weight, pausing two seconds at the top, and lowering for four seconds. The important thing is that there is no momentum assisting in moving the resistance, with the muscle doing the work. This helps to maximize the stress on the muscles, which is the goal. Controlled repetitions make for much safer exercise too.
Select a weight for each exercise that allows for the number of reps advocated and performance in the manner described. Never Terminate a set, however, just because the prescribed number of reps has been completed. For Example , if you reach 10 reps in the curl , but see that you’re capable of doing 13, do 13. You’re likely to misjudge the weights for the first workout or two, so be patient. Each time you reach the upper end of the suggested range (for example, achieving 10 reps within the prescribed 6 to 10 rep range), add approximately 10 percent to the weight for your next workout. However if 6 reps is the minimum suggested and you get only 4 or 5 that’s fine. The next workout, you’ll likely get 6, 7 or even more reps.
Workout One (Monday) – Chest / Deltoids / Triceps
Chest
- Dumbbell Flys – one set to failure.
- Machine Incline Press – one set to failure.
Deltoids
- Nautilus Lateral Raise – one set to failure.
- Nautilus Rear Dealt Raise – one set to failure.
Triceps
- Nautilus Multi Triceps – one set to failure.
- Tricep Pushdowns – one set to failure.
Workout Two (Wednesday) – Back / Traps / Biceps
Back
- Nautilus Pullovers – one set to failure.
- Lat Pulldowns – one set to failure.
- Hammer Rows – one set to failure.
Traps
- Hammer Shrugs – one set to failure.
Biceps
- Nautilus Multi Biceps – one set to failure.
- Ninety-Degree Preacher Curls – one set to failure.
- Ninety-Degree Preacher Curls One Arm Half Reps – four reps to failure.
Workout Three (Friday) – Legs / Abs
Legs
- Leg Extensions – one set to failure.
- Leg Presses – one set to failure.
- Squats – one set to failure.
- Leg Curls – one set to failure.
- Stiff-Legged Deadlifts – one set to failure.
- Calf Raises – two sets of 20
Abs
- Sit-ups – one set of 20
Cardio
Mike Mentzer didn’t do or recommend cardio when trying to gain muscle mass. But pre-contest, or when trying to lose fat, he did do and recommended low intensity, high duration cardio such as bike riding or jogging.
I recommend doing low intensity high duration cardio on the off days such as power walking outside or on a treadmill for 30 to 40 minutes during your non lifting days.
Mike mentzer’s seven principles of successful bodybuilding science.
1.) Identity
2.) Intensity
3.) Duration
4.) Frequency
5.) Specificity
6.) Adaptation
7.) Progression