Mike Mentzer: “Man is an indivisible entity, an integral combination of mind and body.”

Childhood

Mike Mentzer was born on Since childhood, the boy was fond of team sports, until he came across the “Kachkovsky” magazine. Photos of bodybuilders with powerful biceps captured children's imaginations. Since then, he “got sick” with iron and determined his life priorities. An understanding father bought sports equipment and strongly supported his son in his endeavors. At the age of 15, the well-built young man had abs of steel and impressive biceps. After school, he was drafted into the Air Force, which did not stop him from training there for 3 hours a day, excluding Sundays.

Premiere performances and new patterns of thinking

Success came at the age of 19 after his debut on “Mr. Pennsylvania”. He inspired an ambitious guy who decided to become the first in weightlifting. In 1971, the athlete entered his candidacy for the Mr. Olympia competition and won 10th place. It was a good result for a newbie, but not for Mike. He decided to radically change his training strategy. His acquaintance with Arthur Jones and the work of Ain Reid helped him in this. The coach suggested a new technique; reading the three-volume book “Atlas Shrugged” changed the picture of the world, added courage and self-confidence. He began to think philosophically, which helped him move away from mental patterns and discover his creative abilities.

Left without a title

In 1979, Mentzer took part in the annual Mr. Olympia show. He became first among weightlifters and second in the absolute, losing the prize to Frank Zane. Ambition motivated me to repeat the success next year. During these years, the athlete was in better shape. There are no complete anthropometric data, but the surviving figures allow us to judge the dimensions.

• With a height of 173 cm;
• the athlete weighed 103 kg;
• biceps girth was 47 cm.

By this time he had an army of fans and numerous victories. To prevent the guy from having star fever, fate brought a surprise in the person of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Despite his announcement of retirement, the 6-time champion decided to participate in Olympia, where he took the championship. Mentzer was a fiasco - he had to settle for 5th place. The judge's decision caused controversy among the tournament participants. Since Arnie's anthropometric data were inferior to those of the contenders for prizes, biased assessments gave rise to rumors about the corruption of the competition. Mike believed that his victory had been blatantly stolen from him and did not want to participate in the vanity show anymore. He announced his resignation and switched to coaching .

Release in audio (mp3) format:

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• Mike Mentzer
• Mohammed Benaziza
• Andreas Münzer
• Sony Schmit
• Ray McNeil
• Bertil Fox
• Ed Courtney
• Aziz
• Turchinsky

MIKE MENZER

One of the most famous theorists and practitioners of bodybuilding. For the first reason, Uncle Joe Vader did not like him. And for the second, Mike no longer liked Arnold and the IFBB federation, which harshly pushed him back at the 1980 Olympics in Australia. Mike took offense at them for this and went into coaching. It was he who created the high-intensity training system “Supertraining”, which allowed D. Yates to win at Olympia many times. Mike Mentzer died on June 10, 2001. He was found dead in his apartment by his brother Ray. Who also died after Mike two days later.

• Mike Mentzer died of a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction)
• Ray Mentzer died of kidney disease.
• A lot of morphine was found in the blood of both, which they both used to relieve pain.

A heart attack is a “breakdown” of the heart as a result of necrosis of its parts that impede blood supply.

MOHAMED BENAZIZA

A short bodybuilder from France with such a powerful and harmonious physique that it allowed him to beat even Dorian Yates at the “night of champions” in 1990. Momo Benaziza died in 1992 immediately after winning the Dutch Grand Prix. He was 33 years old.

Shortly before his death, Benaziza complained of nausea after eating and shortness of breath during training, but refused to go to the doctor due to preparations for the tournament. Primary cause of death: diuretics (diuretics) Secondary cause: heart failure , insulin shock IFBB version: hereditary blood disease

ANDREAS MUNZER

"the man without skin" Münzer was a long-time fan of his famous Austrian compatriot Arnold Schwarzenegger (both from the Graz area). Perhaps after him there were no more dry athletes (less than 5%) among the top ten at Olympia.

• Weight: 108 kilograms
• Chest: 147cm
• Biceps 53cm

In order to earn money from an activity such as bodybuilding, you must always be in shape. After all, few people will want to invite an athlete to guest pose if he is covered in off-season fat. Münzer understood this very well and he needed money. Only constant chemistry could defeat nature. And especially diuretics (diuretics). This gives him the opportunity to constantly perform and stay in shape, doing 40 performances a year. March 13, 1996 - Andreas died at the age of 31. Münzer began bleeding in his intestines. An urgent operation was performed, but it did not help, because the blood was viscous due to the deuretics and the heart could not cope with the load. “severe electrolyte abnormalities” as a result of high potassium levels in the body. Cytadren is another cause of this death. Munzer blocked...

SONY SCHMIT

Died at the age of 50. A professional bodybuilder who performed brilliantly at the Olympia among veterans. Sony Schmit died of cancer.

RAY MCNEIL

Another bodybuilder who died in a bed other than his own. But it's not that simple. The fact is that Rhea was shot and killed by…..his wife (Sally McNeil)….on a very memorable day…….St. Valentine. This is love until the grave. “What do steroids have to do with it,” many will ask? The fact is that at the trial the wife of the murdered man defended himself by claiming that the murder was in self-defense. They say Ray fell into a state of “steroid rage” and she had to calm him down with the help of Uncle Colt. I would not believe this, because it is very beneficial for her to make such accusations. Such a thing as “steroid rage” is something that falls under the category of “tales for ordinary people.” No one has ever seen her, but everyone has heard that this could happen. The imagination of a meticulous journalist draws pictures from the scientific documentary film “Hulk” and now articles and programs are full of exciting headlines “steroid rage”

BERTIL FOX

He didn't wait for his wife to kill him. He himself killed the entire family, for which he was sentenced by the court to hang. Bertil Fox is a talented bodybuilder from “foggy Albion”, to whom Joe Weider invited, like Arnold in his time, to move to California. Bertil received the nickname “Hard” for his explosive character, which helped in training, but was quite a hindrance in everyday life. In 1994, he ended his career, having exhausted his potential (he was already 43 years old at that time), returning to his homeland. And 4 years later he killed his wife and mother-in-law.

ED COURTNEY

This grandfather was often cited as the longest-lasting bodybuilder in the world. No wonder. After all, he was already a grown man during the filming of “Pumping Iron” with Arnold. ED was born back in 1933 in Hawaii. By moving to California, he made the right decision. Here he managed to shine prominently. From 1975 to 1983 ED performs at all Olympias in a row. His last appearance was at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Masters in 1998. In 1999, he had shoulder surgery and was prescribed blood thickening medications. This caused a heart attack and coma.

AZIZ (zyzz) SHAVARSHYAN

1989-2011 Aziz Sergeevich Shavarshyan is a Muscovite who moved with his family to Australia where he became famous as a model, trainer and even... a stripper, no matter how funny it is. He represented the “banner” of amateur bodybuilding in Australia. In 2011 he released his protein “Protein of the Gods” and his clothing line. But I couldn't fully enjoy it. On August 5, 2011, he died in Thailand from a heart attack after a sauna. He had all the symptoms of athlete's heart, starting with high blood pressure.

VLADIMIR TURCHINSKY (1963-2009) 46 years old.

Wrestler, Strongman, Actor, TV presenter..."Dynamite" became known for its popularization of strength sports. He himself participated in strength competitions and led the Federation of Strength Extreme. He acted in a lot of films and extras. A very charismatic person with a bright sense of humor. He died of a heart attack in the early morning of December 16, 2009. Three weeks before, Turchinsky went to the hospital complaining of chest pain.

CONCLUSIONS:

Mike Menzer - Heart Attack (infarction) Mohammed Benaziza - Diuretics + Heart failure Andreas Munzer - Bleeding in the Intestines (Diuretics) + Stress on the Heart Sonya Schmit - Cancer (Denis Newman also had leukemia) Ray McNeil - Shot by his wife Bertil Fox - sentenced to hang for murder Ed Courtney - Heart attack (like Mike) + coma Aziz - Heart attack (like Mike) Turchinsky - Heart attack (like Mike)

Now, having understood the situation, we can draw conclusions. Rating of causes of death in bodybuilders: 1. Myocardial infarction (heart attack) 2. Diuretics (electrolyte imbalance) 3. Cancer

In principle, I could give many more examples. But I decided to save your time, because 99% of all deaths in bodybuilding are associated with these three reasons .

You can often hear that this bodybuilder died from taking steroids. But as you can see, there is no direct connection, because the pathologist did not write “Died from steroids” on the death certificate for any of these guys. The skeptic will grimace and immediately object that steroids have an indirect effect, provoking a disease from which the jock is already dying. Let's find out by looking at the three most popular reasons in order.

Life after sports

The bodybuilder devoted the next 20 years to working with youth, creativity and restoring health. Mike Mentzer's books about sports are read with interest by beginners and masters of strength sports. They are among the top ten best bodybuilding aids.

The athlete’s main achievement is the creation of a new system, which he tested on Dorian Yates, a 6-time Mr. Olympia.

Despite the fact that he began training using it at the age of 20, which is late by bodybuilding standards, the results at the very first tournament confirmed the effectiveness of the system. Previously, Mike tried to implement a similar principle from Coach Johnson into his training, but there was little effect. After analyzing the system errors, he realized that there were no results due to muscle overtraining.

Personal life

Atheism

Mentzer was an atheist,[11] and stated in the last interview before his death that he did not believe in God, heaven, hell or any afterlife.[12]

Objectivism

While in school, Mentzer's father motivated his academic performance by giving him various incentives, from a baseball glove to cash. Years later, Mike said that his father "unwittingly...instilled in me an understanding of capitalism."[1]

According to David M. Sears, Mentzer's friend and editor and publisher of his Muscles in Minutes

in the book he stated that:[1]

As you know, Mike was an avid reader of philosophy in college—so he would have been 18 years old in 1970. He was reading more traditional philosophers back then and "probably" didn't fully accept Ayn Rand until the mid to late 1980s (since none of his writings mentioned her until at least the mid 80s. if not later). In my opinion, Mike's ideas about bodybuilding were "allowed" to emerge because of his objectivism. His approach to critical thinking, analytical thinking, and knowing a single truth all allowed him to challenge conventional wisdom and advance his mental efforts.

— David M. Sears[1]

Regarding what he learned from Ayn Rand, Mentzer said in an interview:[1]

Learning logic and learning to think critically is not easy, although not incredibly difficult. I learned to do these things by reading and digesting the works of the writer and philosopher Ayn Rand. To get started on the right, methodical path, read her books of candid philosophical essays. Philosophy: who needs it

— especially the Introduction and the first two chapters — and
the Romantic Manifesto
— especially the second chapter, “Philosophy and the Meaning of Life.”
After reading and re-reading the first couple of chapters of each of these books, put them aside for a while and read her two great epoch-making novels: The Fountainhead
and
Atlas Shrugged
, in that order. As with any other context of knowledge, philosophy must be studied in a logically structured order...

— Mike Mentzer[1]

In his last interview before his death, Mentzer said he was glad to receive so many phone clients and close bodybuilding friends such as Marcus Reinhardt, whom he influenced to become an Objectivist. He described Objectivism as the best philosophy ever invented. He also criticized the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, which he called "evil philosophy" because, in his opinion, Kant intended to destroy human reason by undermining its faith in reason. He also criticized the teaching of Kantianism in schools and universities and said that it was very difficult for an Objectivist philosopher with a doctorate to get a job in any of the universities.[12]

Mentzer training system

High-intensity training (HIT) using the athlete's method has revolutionized the world. Until this time, in the 80s, bodybuilders adhered to the volumetric training of the German school, which was actively promoted by Joe Weider. More than one generation of bodybuilders grew up on it.

The system is based on a three-phase principle:

• slow reproduction of movements;
• strict execution of technique;
• a small number of repetitions.

The author of the new technology believed that only stress load at the limit of strength and work to muscle failure can provoke muscle hypertrophy. The complex consists of 1-2 techniques, which are performed in supersets (for muscle exhaustion) or independently after 2 warm-up sessions. Each involves 1 approach of 6 to 10 takes with heavy weight.

As a result, each muscle group receives maximum load once every 15 days. While some people are training their muscles, others have time to recover and rest. Another important condition is that the period between classes is from 3 to 5 days. This allows you to avoid overloading the body. Mike also insists on a personal approach to work . An athlete must know his strengths and weaknesses and choose the right exercises.

The program involves increasing weight capacity with each workout.

Experiments have shown that in 2 months, beginners manage to increase the power of their quadriceps and move from 80 kg and 6 doubles to 112 kg and 10 repetitions.

Before starting this program, Mike insists on a break of 2-3 weeks to restore biochemical processes and prepare the body for heavy loads.

Content

• 1 Early life and education
• 2 Bodybuilding career 2.1 Amateur
• 2.2 Professional
• 2.3 Retirement
• 2.4 Legacy
• 2.5 Bodybuilding philosophy
• 2.6 Diet and nutrition
• 2.7 Mentzer's Heavy Duty Training System
• 2.8 History of the competition

Mike Mentzer's main program

First training day – Monday:

• Torso - arm raises + superset on a bench.
• Back - pullover in the simulator, alternatively - with apparatus + reverse grip deadlift.

Friday workout is dedicated to legs:

• leg extensions;
• platform press;
• working your calves with tiptoe lifts.

Tuesday – working on the deltoids and arms:

• swing projectiles from a standing and bent position;
• superset with barbell lift;
• forced push-ups on parallel bars;
• block press to the belt.

Saturday – legs again:

• squats - better in the simulator;
• working out the legs;
• extension of the limbs.

In his book about super training, Mike Mentzer explains why he considers the method highly effective. In addition to the main group, multi-joint exercises involve other muscles. So, with HIT on the chest, the triceps and shoulder joints work together. For deadlifts, the entire lower body + arms and shoulders.

About nutrition

Mike argued that building a beautiful body with dense muscles is possible only through nutrition. A scientific approach to the culinary topic allowed us to set out 3 main postulates in “Heavy Duty”:

• consumption of demystified (pure) products;
• creating a balanced diet;
• following a diet with a calorie content of 6 thousand kcal.

In short, nutrition is based on consuming enough nutrients. This means BJU, water, nutrients.

Tragic departure

Steroid use affected my health. Mike suffered from constant pneumonia, and in addition developed pulmonary thrombosis and heart failure. In addition, he underwent surgery on the cervical vertebrae. He was invigorated in every possible way, did not complain to others about his illness, and was going to pompously celebrate his 50th anniversary. Alas, I didn’t have time. He died in the summer of 2001 in Los Angeles. The cause of the tragedy was a heart attack. An autopsy showed a high concentration of morphine in the blood.

References

1. ^ a b c d f g h i j k l m p o -
   bodybuilder, writer and Bob Burns philosopher
2. ^ a b c
   Mike Mentzer
3. ^ a b c d
   Mike and Ray Mentzer found dead
4. ^ a b
   The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer
5. Ephrata High School Graduates Archived September 14, 2014 in Archive.today
6. ^ a b
   "Mike Mentzer's last interview." Retrieved September 10, 2012.
7. ^ a b c d f The Wisdom of Mike Mentzer
8. ^ a b High Intensity Training Modeled by Mike Mentzer
9. ^ a b
   Mike Mentzer -
   Heavy Duty Power
10. ^ a b The New High-Intensity Training
    , Ellington Darden
11. INSIDE MIKE MENTZER, Dave Sears "Stopping at Mike's favorite café in Santa Monica, we attracted attention both for our car and for our heated debate about religion (Mike was an atheist, I was a Catholic)."
12. ^ a b
    Mike Mentzer's latest interview Posted by The Sandwich “I don’t believe in God.”