Comments on: Popular Programs – Heavy Duty, Part I

By: John

John — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 11:07:39 +0000

I’m now 75 and 3 years ago I embarked upon a weight training program based on the heavy duty system I weighed 9st 11lbs at the start & used the following :
a weight I could do 6 reps with until I could do 10 reps then increased the weight by 10% and so on I stuck to the basic exercises and nothing fancy no mega sets or silly stuff, I did no warm ups or stretching exercises no special foods or diets and no stupid steroids ! I now weigh 149 lbs with a BMI 0f 20 which is vast improvement from where I started from. What I learned over this period is that there is no one system that suits everyone we are all individually different. So for me the basic concept of HD worked the gains I have made are solid muscle and all round body fitness I surprised myself as being very small boned and slim gaining anything apart from fat was always a problem and everyone told me I was too old! all I can say is you are never too old to try.

By: Tom Barbahulk

Tom Barbahulk — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 22:51:44 +0000

I think one has to find the right combination of Intensity, duration and frequency to create an effective workout routine. I´m 41 by now and I have been into natural bodybuilding for 28 Years. As you can imagine, I´ve spent a lot of time looking for a training system that works best for me. The idea of working out hard, briefly and not too often seems to do a good job for some people, me included. But you have to be careful with these extreme training systems like Heavy Duty on the one end and the high volume stuff on the other end of the spectrum. In most cases the everage trainee makes better progress by training in a less extreme style. Please don´t get me wrong. I realy like High Intensity Training and somehow I enjoy reading those HIT-books which are writen in such a passionate style. But although they all warn us not to overtrain by doing too much sets or by working out too often they don´t recognize, that intensity is also a factor which can lead to overtraining. Often a trainee who was overtrained by his excessive training-volume changes to a HIT program and eventually starts progressing again. But after a while his progress slows down again because of his fatigued CNS. Often the next step is to raise again the intensity level which leads to even severe overtraining symptoms. That´s why I say that you have to find the right mixture of intensity, volume and frequency. You will have to play with these parameters and vary it depending on your age, lifestyle, health and the stresses of your life. And I think you can optimize your results if you create a routine that you are able to enjoy instead of just fulfilling the duty!

By: evilcyber

evilcyber — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 23:11:26 +0000

In reply to Jesse. These are stock pictures, except for the author pic just showing Wolf's head.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 22:44:17 +0000

I’m curious from your pic you don’t look as though you have any real experience in the sport, what trial and error, or research to back up your statements. As some one who has used this method for several years not only myself as a competitive bodybuilders but as a trainer as well.

By: Zoran

Zoran — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:39:43 +0000

Heavy Duty is amazing, great gains, better definition, more strenght with proper nutrition You can look great in short period of time, I am ectomorph and I have exellent results with Mike Mentzer program, anybody can try and results will follow:-)

By: Curt

Curt — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 14:37:04 +0000

Wolf, I think you are a powerlifter–bodybuilder at heart. And I mean that as a compliment. The “old time” bodybuilders like Reg Parks performed heavy resistance powerlifts in a progressive method, and then single joint bodybuilding exercises if needed.

By: Wolf

Wolf — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:14:35 +0000

In reply to Joe.

I had a troll on another article some time ago who, interestingly enough, also didn’t knew the meaning of word plagiarism and, despite both citations and links being present in that article as well, claimed that I had no basis for what I’m saying.

Anyhow, I don’t have time to play around with such people, if you want to boost the comment count, be my guest, but I don’t plan on making further responses.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 01:45:59 +0000

HIT all the way! This article is pretty much plagiarized, no evidence supporting the claims you make. I did volume training then after few months I hit the plateau but since I switched to HIT my gains going up on week basis. And Mike Mentzer have figured it out for many of us so Thank You Mike!

By: tim

tim — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 22:38:51 +0000

Well ive been reading this with great interest.As with all of these articles its one counter claim after another.However trying to see the wood for the trees is part of the fun I suppose!I think there are lots of variables in weight training,maybe too many.chronic overtrainers following 1970s steroid crazed 50 set workouts.high volume low intensity,low volume high intensity.etc…..My take on it all is finding the balance between intensity and frequency,and for people with a couple of years of lifting mike mentzer may be closer to the answer than most of us care to admit.I believe most people not gaining are in one catergory,constantly fatigued and overreached,if your lifting the same weight and look the same as you did 6 months ago somethings wrong!And we all know the common answer dont we?Do some more sets,super sets,pyramids,5 nights a week,hell throw in some more cardio……Im getting to my point for the people getting bored!! Mike mentzer idea of doing more intensity when your at the gym and more rest to recover properly has a lot of validity in todays world.I admit it seems one extreme to the other for a lot of people.but thats the point lots of people need that break or reset.To summarize may be the best program lies in a hybrid of workouts,the problem with this in the fitness world is people with commercial ideas never like to admit they have tweaked some one elses idea.it just has to be a bit radical to get noticed eg mike mentzers ideas.How about training each body part every four to six days moderate sets not to failure,for three weeks then mentzer style for 2 weeks,rest for a week repeat!…..well its just another idea lol.

By: Wolf

Wolf — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:00:15 +0000

In reply to Robert McClintock.

I have a section at the end of the second part of the article (link below) in which deal with these kinds of statements (it’s called Analyzing the Anecdote). You’ll basically find my reply there.

http://evilcyber.com/fitness/review-mike-mentzers-heavy-duty-2/

Btw, what supplements do you see me promoting? I personally don’t use any, never mentioned any in my articles, and the stance of this site as a whole is generally anti-supplement (compared to what fitness mainstream endorses). (And, of course, we definitely don’t endorse “supplements” that got the late Mike Mentzer to where he was in his prime.)