The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer: The Art, Science, and Philosophy of a Bodybuilding Legend

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The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer: The Art, Science, and Philosophy of a Bodybuilding Legend

by John R. Little

4.83 · rating details · 6 ratings · 1 review

The last word on how to build a better body--from the late, great Mike Mentzer

With his revolutionary "Heavy Duty" system, Mike Mentzer changed the way bodybuilders train, showing them that "less is more" when it comes to making great gains. In "The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer," you will discover Mike's most advanced training techniques and philosop

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Paperback, 163 pages

Published September 20th 2005 by McGraw-Hill Companies

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Jan 29, 2011

Art rated it

When I was a teenager, Mike Mentzer was a hero of mine. Like most heroes, I later found him to be a very flawed individual. Nevertheless, Mentzer greatly influenced my life. Mentzer was viewed by many as "the thinking man's bodybuilder." He was as comfortable discussing the philosophies of Ayn Rand, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Friedrich Nietzsche as he was discussing weightlifting and nutrition. Because of Mentzer, I started reading Nietzsche when I was 15. I eventually earned a B.A. i...moreWhen I was a teenager, Mike Mentzer was a hero of mine. Like most heroes, I later found him to be a very flawed individual. Nevertheless, Mentzer greatly influenced my life. Mentzer was viewed by many as "the thinking man's bodybuilder." He was as comfortable discussing the philosophies of Ayn Rand, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Friedrich Nietzsche as he was discussing weightlifting and nutrition. Because of Mentzer, I started reading Nietzsche when I was 15. I eventually earned a B.A. in Philosophy, specializing in Existentialist philosophers (Kierkegaard to Camus). I consider myself an expert on Nietzsche's writings. As a committed Objectivist, Mentzer had little use for faith. Reason and science were his guide. I personally have nothing against reason and science, but I do believe there is more to reality. I'll spare you the epistemological reasons for my assessment.

Mentzer was a strong advocate of High Intensity Training (HIT). Training to failure, pre-exhaustion, negative resistance, and static contractions are all HIT methods. Generally, I believe Mentzer was correct to advocate HIT. However, Mentzer tended to sometimes run wild with a good idea. In this book, the author says that Mentzer normally advocated 1 set to failure after completing 1 to 2 warm-up sets. That I agree with. However, I know in Heavy Duty II, Mentzer advocated 1 set to failure with no warm-up sets. For me, that is just asking for joint and tendon trouble. Best to get the blood flowing before doing an all out set to failure. Mentzer was always experimenting with exercise and nutrition routines. Each individual is different and should, after learning the basics, experiment with what works best for him.

In the mid-80's, Mentzer's life spun out of control. A failed business venture, his father's death, the loss of a long time girlfriend, and an amphetamine addiction pushed Mentzer over the edge. Strange stories began to surface. He was supposedly seen running naked through the streets, directing traffic, prophesying the end of the word, drinking his own urine, etc. He was reportedly arrested numerous times and institutionalized. With the support of the author (John Little) and a former girlfriend, Mentzer eventually kicked the amphetamine habit and went back to writing and training. After a productive decade, Mentzer died of an unexpected heart attack in 2001. He was 49.
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