As someone who enjoys working out, there are many different training methods. From calisthenics, crossfire, power lifting and the lost goes on. I have used various training methods to get stronger and in recent weeks I discovered the methods of one Mike Mentzer. Mentzer was a champion body builder and coached many clients over the years in terms of high intensity training. I thought his approach to strength training was intriguing so I took on his training method for a few weeks to see how it would feel to train like his clientele.

This training split involved several rest days between sessions (Mike’s clients had 96 hours between sessions to emphasize recovery) and didn’t take too many hours in the gym to complete a session. Usually, it can take upwards towards 30 minutes to compete these workouts. There was a lot of superset work to really blast the muscles to failure with weight that will challenge the muscles. High intensity, low volume, and good recovery are the name of the game here.  Here are the exercises that I did using his training method. :

Day one- chest and back
1-2 Set chest fly 6-10 reps
1 Set smith machine bench press medium grip (incline preferred) 6-10 reps
1 Set with straight bar lat pull down  6-10 reps
1 Set  lat pull down with a closed grip 6-10 reps
1 Set deadlift 6-10 reps

Rest 48- 96 hours

Day two- legs and abs
1 Set leg extensions 12-20 reps
1 Set leg press or barbell back squats 6-10 reps
1 Set leg curls 6 -10 reps
1 Set calf raises 6-10 reps
1 Set decline weighted sit ups 12-20 reps

Rest 48 -96 hours

Day three-arms and shoulders
1 Set machine/dumbbell lateral raise 6-10 reps
1 Set reverse peck deck/rear dumbbell raise 6-10 reps
1 Set barbell curl (straight bar) 6-10 reps
1 Set cable triceps pull down 6-10 reps
1 Set triceps press down 6-10 reps

Now I myself felt that one set at a challenging weight was good, but then I wondered if I could go beyond that. For these exercises, I modified the sets to 2 sets with up to 10-15 reps. This combined with ab work and a 15-minute cardio session were very satisfactory for my workout. Overall, I spent less than my normal time in the gym with the feeling that I went even longer, and that was an excellent feeling. Overall, this was an excellent regimen to try, which I would recommend for anyone to test out, and it does not feel like a chore. The extra rest times were good as I felt much stronger the next time I I hit the gym. Until the next time, dear readers excelsior!