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At this point every time I hear someone say doing set/rep scheme X doesn't work or is a waste, I stop listening. Everything works if you train hard, nothing works if you don't.
Your chosen goal is important. I'm pushing 60, after more than 8 years of training in gyms, I know that I'm not going to compete in Mr. Olympia, so I go slow in weights and in reps. Injuries at any age is a major setback. And no one will tell you that until you experience an injury yourself. Pushing the limit on a daily basis has its gain but it is not without a cost.
About a year ago. Was doing incline leg press. Felt a severe snap on the right side of the abdomen. Could barely walk for days and was out of the gym so bad that I've only recently been going back. Little too much weight, wanted to keep up and impress a mate.
This is true. I'm 52 and I've been lifting since I was 17. I warm up slow with light weight. When I push myself and max out, I definitely feel it later.
Well said! Beiing 59 Years and in the gym since I am 13, I underline your saying, except the reps. I do now 20 reps since 3 years, but lowered the weight. This works fine for me. Everybody needs to listen to his body, not the mirror, nor the weight. And your body will talk to you - immeadeately and in long term. Just LISTEN.
I *just* posted about the same thing. I'm 66 and have enjoyed lifting on-and-off since my 20s. I don't want a setback, so I'm kind of afraid to go low and heavy.
At 69, I'm also in the "don't get injured" category. I concentrate more on cardio, but I do weight train twice a week. My goal is mainly to maintain the muscle that I have. To this end, I use lower weight and stay in the 10 to 18 rep range.
I’m 64 and know all about the old school bodybuilders. What I’ve found is mixing things up is what works best for me. Sometimes many sets, sometimes only a few, sometimes negatives or supersets, sometimes not….change a few exercises every 6 months or so. Our bodies respond to work and overload by trying to “adapt” to it. You don’t want your body to adapt, so keep changing things up. That’s mainly what I’ve learned from almost 50 years of training w weights.
This! You have to learn to TRULY hear & listen to your body .. some days you can push a little & some days just focus on maintaining, eating healthy as heck, stretching, and staying happy & moderately productive. Key to longevity.
Absolutely! I found that out by accident. I trained hard the same way every week. Then one day I had to carry heavy buckets and bags around. The day after I carried the buckets I was soooo sore and wiped out. My muscles really got demolished and I grew that week. I also learned a lot about my workouts.
Also 64. I build my programs using the "best" exercises for each body group that Jeff presents in other videos. I make changes often, but at this point it is more akin to fine tuning than wholesale changes.
I'm 75 in a couple of months, and use MM's stuff to great advantage. Warm up set. One 'big' set to failure around 6-10. Three or four days recovery. I'm now able to do pullups, pushups and whatever no dramas. Sensible approach, sensible awareness, good food, plenty of sleep. Thanks to Mike Mentzer for his inspiration, and thanks to Jeff for keeping this stuff moving.
0:50 Goal 2:20 High Effort 3:50 # of sets 5:40 # of reps 8:40 ROM 10:40 Your effort guides the right amount of set and rep (Your Intensity dictates the amount of Volume you need)
Do not complicate this. It's simple, you can go heavy or for long, but not both. If you want to do many sets, you'll have to pace yourself, making sure you're saving enough energy to complete your workout. But if you go all out, to real muscle failure (but Mike Mentzer's or Dorian Yates' "true muscle failure") you won't be able to do another set. Look at their videos. When they finish a set, they're close to fainting.
Person A said 3 sets of 10-20 reps, Person B said 1 set trained to failiure. IDK what to do anymore, so I'm just going to start following my own head. Truth is, it seems none of these people know the answer to the question. It's all just noise. I'm so tired of being confused by conflicting reports. Time to get off TH-cam and get my muscles working.
What you’re not realizing is everyone has to figure out what works best for their individual bodies. Take all the information that comes your way and mold it into what works best for your body…
1 set to true failure with one super set to true failure with focus on negatives and static hold is the absolute most efficient way to work out any muscle group I won’t say it’s definitely the BEST and ONLY way but it is the most EFFICIENT method!
Agreed. It’s a conversation that keeps getting rewritten each year. Do what feels right. Sometimes I do 3 sets, sometimes 4. Sometimes I do 8-12 reps, other times it’s 10-15. Just get some resistance in, cardio, and eat right. That’s a recipe for good health.
@@ob1kendobe I've done this in the past. My gains were the same as they are now, doing 3/4 sets of 10-20 reps and it had the downside of having a longer recovery period.
After 4 recent foot surgeries and 1 8 hour leg bypass surgery since the end of December, I finally started lifting weights again too get my strength back - I'm 48 & i got a infection in my foot and by the time I got to the hospital,it was really bad & thank God I didn't lose it- I didn't realize how serious it was - Im so thankful,Jeff for you're video's, although im not lifting super heavy yet, I can feel my strength coming back - Always love you're Videos Jeff - Thank you !
Glad you brought this up. Every day , with my left hand, I spend about 5-6 minutes brushing my teeth. I brush each area at least 24 strokes….nonstop. Sometimes twice a day. Why aren’t my left forearm , delts and trap HUGE? Been doing this for 70 plus years.
I dunno. I’ve always done 3 sets of 10 reps, sometimes 6 sets depending on the exercise, and I went from a lean 6’ tall, 155 lb guy to a ripped 6’ tall guy weighing 198 lbs. It’s fun to debate and ponder the pros & cons of this or that, but I think the key word here is EFFORT. Set a goal, stick to it, stay consistent, and listen to your body. I was in the army for several years so my training was and still is built around 50/50 strength and endurance. My PT test scores were usually 5 or so points from the max of 300 because I sucked at sit-ups due to the biomechanics of having a long upper torso. Most everyone trains for self-improvement, not a Mr. Olympia title. Set/rep range aside, training with purpose, determination, consistency, and function of movement will take you further than any fad or currently hyped trends ever will. Hell, just having an encouraging workout buddy will likely elicit more progress/gains than any number of knowledgable articles or videos ever could. Just my 2 cents.
@@2headedmadness21 I’m currently 43. Started lifting when I was about 31 and it took roughly 4 or 5 years to reach what I consider my natural peak. Covid disruptions threw me off my game a bit, but not by much. These days I just try to lift smart, avoid injury, and maintain. Use it or lose it, as they say!
Add "fun" to that, and me as a 44 year old dad, who started lifting 2 years ago and now finally sees results is signing your text as the best, most honest and most truthful comment about exercising in the gym anyone has written so far. Without having fun in the gym you will not stick to it. Also some light progression should be there. But everything else was never written better than in your comment. Cheers, my dad buddy from whereever in this beautiful world :)
@@hellblazer_originalHa! Thank you, hellblazer. Much appreciated. And you’re right, fun is an important aspect to emphasize. I love a good, grueling workout when everything is clicking, but doing too much of that can lead to burnout or dread the next time leg day rolls around (for me at least). That’s when these Athlean-X videos come in handy, to learn and try something new which can also be FUN. It’s nice to hear from another 40-something that enjoys hitting the weights. It’s never too late to start, but age doesn’t make it any easier. I discovered the latter at about 42, lol. Keep at it tho! Cheers from here to there as well. 👍
When it gets to the point where half your working load feels like its much more, that is where you know you've exhausted the muscle group successfully. For me, drop sets, coupled with rest/pause allow me to reach failure multiple times and have given me the biggest returns compared with everything else I've tried.
I've been training for 26 years. I've done every rep and set scheme at one point or another. And I've taken almost every PED there is. At my biggest I was 250. At my most lean I was 198. I'm 5'11'' for reference. And none of the aforementioned had anything to do with it. It was all about my diet. FOOD sculpts a body more than anything.
I've tried several different schemes and I wonder for you, what did you find worked best for you? Obviously diet is key, but what scheme out of all the ones you tried did you notice gave you the best results? For example, in my 20's I did the whole Body for Life routine and it worked really well. But in my 40's I spent some time doing one of the Athlean-X routines and while I felt more broken lol because I was older and more banged up, I had people I knew commenting how much more pumped I looked. So that made me realize that everyone's body reacts differently to different stimuli
@@Viewfinder73 I do what's considered the "bro split" because you have to love what you do in the gym or you won't do it. And that's how I love to train. 4 sets, 12-15 or even 20 reps in some cases per exercise. Deep stretches are super important too. I know thats not a lot of detail but it's the broad strokes. Good luck on your journey 🙏🏻
I’ve started this style since you introduced it, through Mikes videos. It has worked for me. I am stronger, increased the weights. I’m in and out in 45 minutes. For the past 45 years I trained the traditional way I was taught. 3 to 4 sets adding weight. Now at 68 years old I have found a great work out. My thanks to you Jeff for bringing this to me. Thanks , you’re the best.!
Too funny, of course it works “for you”. You spent 45 years building your base & physique. You never could have built what you have on ONE set and if you’re honest with yourself, you know that. Mike didn’t build his physique that way either. This training is fine for a maintenance physique for advanced older lifters.
@@johnathanbeicher536idk man. They said they’re getting stronger, and that’s tougher to do with age and after you’ve already gained a substantial amount of muscle. I would try it and see how it works for you.
@@johnathanbeicher536 getting stronger after 45y training when you're supposed to reach plateau literally proves it works, sherlock. Mike didn't build his physique that way but he was able to at least maintain proves it works, otherwise he would have lost muscles overtime.
17-Year-Old woman here. I started doing weights off and on since 1982. I went through that whole phase at 12 to 15 reps. God what a waste of time! Now I do two sets to failure which is usually 5 to 8 reps. And I am growing muscles!
In the mid nineties I ordered Mike Mentzers book (It was more of a thick Magazine) Heavy Duty. I followed his programme religiously and here is what I found. Firstly it’s almost impossible to follow the work out or routine without a training partner. For example to train to failure on say bench press you need someone to spot on the failing rep. If you want to go further and do negatives you certainly will need a spotter. Even if you don’t do negatives I found if I was on my own I wouldn’t go to absolute failure due to fear of not being able to place the weight back and also the lack of encouragement you would get from a spotter. The other thing or issue I found was although the work outs were shorter and more infrequent I got to the point of dreading going to the gym. It is unbelievably hard to go to absolute failure every set and work out. Then the very issue of failure is an arguable point. What is failure? Mike even says in his book that (not quoting acurately) you may feel you’ve reached failure but if someone was to put a gun to your head at that moment and say push five more reps out or I’ll blow your brains out, chances are you’ll find the strength to push five more out. All in all I found it an excellent routine to follow on a short term basis but personally I think it’s impractical to follow long term. I know some will comment and say I’ve followed this workout for twenty years etc but I think they should ask themselves have they really pushed themselves to failure and beyond in every work out. I certainly couldn’t.
Good points! Also, I'm no spring chicken, and there's some exercises I can't do heavy to failure without risking injury. I tend to think of the first set as somewhat of a warm up and a chance to feel how strong I am that particular day
That’s why I use machines for this method and it works perfectly. I also use the rest pause to make sure I go to true failure where I can’t do one more positive rep no matter how hard I try
Interesting post Paul. Personally, I think the more years you've been training for (or perhaps it's just the older you get), training to failure or even really close can be too fatiguing if it carries-over into your daily life. I mean, I train full-body 3 or 4 times a week for about 90 minutes these days, and even though I'm doing fewer sets than I was just a couple years ago, and working mostly in the 10-16 rep range now, I still fall asleep fairly early in the evenings on gym days. I sometimes do 'heavy' sets of 8 or 9 reps, but I certainly wouldn't want do 3-rep or 5-rep or 6-rep sets at the corresponding weight for most exercises, and definitely not on squats or deadlifts. Okay that's partly down to mental attitude (i.e me feeling apprehensive about a forthcoming difficult workout before even going to the gym), but it's more to do with pain tolerance while actually there, and not repeating injuries that become most inevitable over time. Plus, as I suggest above, although DOMS is tolerable, suffering from tiredness continually is neither sustainable nor desirable as you move towards middle-age, when training to failure just kills your CNS; I do work hard while I'm there though. Of course, there will always be guys in their 40s and 50s who have an excess of energy and almost unlimited stamina, but that's not me!
I am very eager try mentzer methodology Like you said without a partner it's very difficult to perform or motivate to go that way when whole of gym is doing reps and sets
I tried Mike's approach once. I got ill... lost 20 lbs, from all the wrong places. I was really weak. So, used that approach to get my strength back. I found I progressed steadily. However, I tried to do 15 good reps before i advanced the weight. I didn't necessarily stop at 15 reps, but I used that as a measurement point for adding weight. The reps were explosive up, 3 sec eccentric and a pause. I also added partials when I couldn't do full reps anymore. Those days always made me feel wiped when finished. Once I got strong again, I started adding sets. It did help me get out of a bad place.
I'd say Mike is about 90% right about bodybuilding principles. I've experienced it myself, a large amount of growth even after 7 years of lifting as soon as I cut down the volume, and focused purely on slow, controlled, intensity.
I’ve changed to the 45 second period of each set, and it’s made me really sore at 64. Slow, controlled, high effort, but mainly, get to the gym and eat well.
@@Greg766 It does not get you big it gets you very very strong as it allows for fast progressive overload. Maybe 2 sets as the second set you will always be stronger. A better rule is do as many sets as you can do as many or more reps than the first set (because for some exercises this is the case). Once you get strong you can drop the weight a little and do more sets and reps and get very big.
I do 4 sets of 25. I know it's not normal and many people don't like my training method. The thing is you do what your body can handle, your workout is base on your daily life and how much time you can put into it. I started at 3 sets of 8, 3 sets of 12, 4 sets of 20 and now 4 sets of 25. It took me years of workout to create my way. Everyone is not the same.
I started lifting heavy weights and running when I was 30. Prior to that all I did was body weight,martial arts,and stretching. I found Athlean-X when I first watched TH-cam. I’ve used what Jeff has given us and he is correct. I used to count reps,do all kinds of different sets,diets,etc. I made many mistakes but learned from them.
Here is the problem, Jeff! Almost all fitness influencers and even studies rarely take into consideration all the factors that contribute to strength, size, and endurance. I’ve been a coach, trainer, teacher and have trained/competed (still powerlifting) for 30 plus years. What worked great for me at 25, would and does not work well at 58. I use these tips and teach them over and over. They are time tested no matter what. 1. Master your exercises 2. Use compound movements as a core part of any training. 3. Progressive overload should me done slowly. 4. Recovery is not laying in a couch, eating donuts. It’s about allowing your body time to heal. 5. Food matters. If it grows and has a face, it’s usually good. 6. Programming matters, but following the same sets and reps gets you stagnant. 7. Age - training history - injuries - stress - job - genetics all make a difference 8. Stop copying what one top pro tells you to do. Get educated. 9. Seriously maintain a positive attitude. 10. Lastly and most important, fitness can be a hobby or a lifestyle. Choosing the later is how you transition your body.
Well, reality is, 80 % of fitness influencers are on steroids. Studies even proved you gain muscles with moderate levels of additional steroids even without training. But it's just mind boggling how many people are willing to risk their health for those gains. Not sure what is recorded on Mikes intake of steroids, but he died before 50 just like his brother. So that should make you thinking.
I have done HIT, bro splits, total body, low medium and heavy weight, and all kinds of variations over time - 35 yo now. It all works as long as you train hard, train consistently, eat, sleep, and rest enough, and do not ever ego lift but rather always err on the side of caution. Personally, due to injuries from the military and otherwise (never from training though), I do not use heavy weights much anymore, but can train just fine with low and medium weights by adjusting the sets, reps, and rest times accordingly. I still get great results, I'm not dragging myself around feeling beat up or overly sore, and I have energy throughout my days. Intensity, consistency, and recovery. That's all there is to it.
There is no ONE way to do things. Being active and enjoying your efforts in the gym is #1!! Try different things - mix it up. There is usually no wrong way unless you're being reckless and stupid.
Absolutely, I want this body to last until it can't through training. Health first to me, then rewards. You're an excellent teacher and trainer Sir, I highly respect you. Thank you.
Then hopefully you're going for the nexus between strength and endurance, because bodybuilders typically don't get old unless they happen to have wheelbarrows of money for heart surgeries after their 60s.
@@AtlasReburdened that's amazing. Thank you Sir. Earlier, my message kept repeating, I didn't do that purposely. It could be because my phone's cracked, and its heat sensitive. But I do apologize I erased them. I believe.
@@AtlasReburdenedBody builders that abuse steroids don’t grow old. There are several 70 year olds at my gym still hitting the weights, still going strong. There is nothing wrong with bodybuilding itself if you also include mobility work and proper rest.
@@ukbleedbluex9340 Serveral is a meaninglessly ambiguous word. Hitting the weights is a meaninglessly ambiguous phrase. There's probably 70 year old strength trainers at your gym, not 70 year old bodybuilders. Also, mobility exercises do nothing for the damage that bodybuilding does. Bodybuilders don't die from reduced range of motion, they die from heart failure and aneurysms finally giving out.
I do 10, 8, 6 rep sets of one exercise going heavier each set. The final 6 rep set I will actually go to failure and if I get to 8 or 10 then next time I start the base 10 rep set heavier and build up. I write everything and keep a log of what I’m doing each gym session
@@MoPRZA. Ah ok, sorry. The amount of reps are decreasing as the weight is getting heavier each set. so they are kind of like warm up sets as not going to failure. For the first set you might pick a weight that you can do 12 reps with to failure but then only do 10, then second set pick a heavier weight you can do 10 with but then only do 8 and so on. All working up to the last and heaviest set you do as many reps as physically possible to failure (until you literally fail trying to get one more rep) It's a very old school tried and tested approach to bodybuilding most pros and lifters in general have always used and still do
@@benzanino the goal is to not over exercise so I cut down my splits into single muscle groups. It could be shoulder one day just 3 sets and the next day 3 sets biceps and so on. Add stretching and going there by bike makes my complete workout. In the end it’s 3-5 days in the gym but large time spans again until a muscle group is up again. I am honestly so happy I learned about this strat from mike
I've been doing a one set workout with a warmup set prior ever since you first talked about this workout routine maybe like a year ago. I get so much more gains while saving time
I love videos like this because there are the icons of bodybuilding history and their strategy & it gets updated with some science plus prevailing knowledge now.
I am only doing 1 Dropset to complete failure per muscle group on machines (so I can truly fail with minimal risk of injury), I work out every other day full body and I made more gains and especially faster gains than ever before.
@@fmerritt00 Pretty simple. Full body workout, one exercise per muscle group. Preferably not an isolated one. Leg press, chest press, row, lat pulldown etc. I do only one set which is a drop set. Number of reps doesn't matter that much, I choose the weight that lets me do 8 - 10 reps to complete failure. To achieve complete failure, do slow controlled movements. The last few reps will be way more difficult to complete, but you have to push through. On your last rep keep pushing ( or pulling respectively ) until the weight just drops because you can't provide any counterforce anymore. That's why I use machines mostly to minimize risk of injury. Depending on your experience it will take some time to get used to that level of effort. And lastly, to ensure maximum failure, I then reduce the weight and force out one or two more reps with the same intense effort until the weight just drops. I reduce the weight 2 or 3 times in total. Which is a drop set. I do that every other day, full body. So just one day off between workouts. It works better for me than anything else tried. Now I am adding a few exercises to target more specifically. E.g. the different heads of the triceps. But that's an experiment, I will see if I can recover enough to do that every other day. I'm not an expert (although I am going to the gym now for almost 14 years, on and off) , just telling what accelerated my gains tremendously while cutting down time in the gym at the same time. Hope that helps.
My current plan of lifting is to rep the heaviest weight that i can, then reduce the weight by 5 or 10 lbs and go up in reps by 2. For example, if the max weight is 100 for 10 reps, then reduce weight to 90 for 12 reps, moving on down in weight and going up in reps. Works very well for me.
I used to go to the gym 5 days a week. I plateaued for years and I had issues gaining muscle despite having a good program. I was tired all the time. Took me 13 years before I did 3 days a week and started eating more. Gained like 25 pounds in 2 years with what I consider a substandard whole body workout. I added biking 2 days a week for cardio. I think Mike is on to something.
it's called "over training" which is never a good program. used to only rest 1min between sets, because of brother's influence, we never saw much gains and I fell sick more easily after workouts. some years later finally tweaked to higher rest time 3-5min in between sets, less days at the gym and finally made breakthroughs across the board
@thedude8526 your right it take years to realised you doing it all wrong, Listen to what body says ,don't go heavy as it destroys the joints. Consistency, sensibly eating, rest, And train your way, and results are there. All the massive body's are drugs and life span seems short,which defeats the ideal of health and fitness as we age.hopefully
I've been working out for two years. I always do a heavy 1 set, which is 5 to 8 reps depending on the type of exercise. And I'm so happy with the results as a 50 year old.
@@noudialp Well it depends upon what you mean by 'heavy'. Is it e.g. a 140kg bench press? Or something different? If the average 50 year-old does the first without a warm-up he's looking for future trouble. At age 49 I can still squat heavy for reps - 135-140kg - but I warm-up and build up to it.
@@baronmeduse I don't have any previous workout experience and have been working out only for 2 years. The most I did in squat was 50kg 10 reps on a single leg. But it was a year ago. I mainly work my upper body. For ex I do incline push ups with legs elevated on a wall. Last time I measured with a scale it was 90kgx6. But when I started 2 years ago the number of reps for regular push ups was 1 :D And I've never warmed up since then.
At 50 an being quite active(x-c skiing biathlete) I am 205 for the first time in my life, I competed at 175-180...in my younger years. I listen to my body and realize 7 days a week doing workouts is not necc. I enjoy watching your videos jeff
Mike is right. I'll do a couple sets pyramiding up in weight to warm up the muscle, but one ;last max, all-out set to total failure. It works good for me. I'm going to try adding in those partial reps after failure and see how that goes.
I slap on an intensity set (dropset, myo reps, partials) after that last most heavy set. Works for me, try it. This way I dont feel bad, training 2-3 times a week per muscle group. With 1-2RIR for every set, I feel like I have to come back to the gym "tomorrow". But I cant: Kids, house, job, >40yo etc.
@@Len_J_It's common sense to do lighter warm-up sets before your main workout regardless of what your routine is. Mentzer is talking about one all-out main set. I think you probably knew that already though.
I recently started training this way. I was getting discouraged because i dont have the time and energy to work out the way i used to. At 40 years old with 2 young kids and full time (with ot) job i find this style fitting to my lifestyle and am back to making gains. Allbeit slightly slower than i used to but i am also 40 so things are just slowing down in general. Another good video as usual.
When I did one set per muscle I did 30 reps tell failure and did it every other day you get 48hours of growth 3 times per week. Now I do 8-15 reps 8 sets and three light. I have been doing the gym 41 years now hope this helps someone, and thanks alot for your knowledge.
1 set high intensity then gradually increase volume, or high volume then gradually increase intensity They all work, never said this is the only way, sherlock
60 here. I followed Mike’s program since January 2024 and after a lifetime of working out 4 to 5 days a week lots of volume- now high intensity 2 days a week results: 1. Lost significant body fat because not as hungry - 16-18% to 12-14% 2. increase in muscle mass i never had before went from 86 to 90 kilos. Chest, arms and shoulders reacted exceptionally It works for me
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But for me, some compound movements aren't that easy to reach the same level of failure as an isolation exercise. Like Biceps curl is easy to reach failure, but chest fly probably not so easy. And i still overall prefer to do 2 or 3 sets at least. But hey, i am still a beginner, but it worked so far. On the other hand, i take more care for rest days, since that gave me some additional jumps in what i can reach.
I used to do the inverted pyramid sets. Start low with many reps, 12 or so, then move the weight up, keep doing reps until failure with increasing weights. Then, max out when you can do one or none. then go down again. This required being on the machine for 10 minutes sometimes, but it was brutal. I would do them 3 times on each exercise. I usually did three exercises per workout. This was when I was in my twenties and I was a beast. Back when the body was full of hormone and vigor.
Happy to hear your thoughts on this. One of my usual fitness guides that I follow regularly to do some thinking about stuff. Me particularly like to change the rep range after some time, but always considering the effort in mind (and the phase of my current program). I am 36 Yol and I think finally I am getting stronger without being dead, and finding that balance for gains/work life. At the end everything will depend of your present time, your lifestyle, and your previous workouts and muscular imbalances. I think that will kind of dictate what the next logical step would be or has to be. Of course considering the type of workouts you like, and as you well said, the objective you have in mind.
@@TheCelticsAREboss lol bro splits. They worked, I'm a hard gainer. I went from 130 to 170 using athlean x. I got cut Af. But now my strength gains are sizeable and consistent and I've had people tell me i look way bigger now. I see the difference too! I also had great success on the 100 series workouts before moving to Mike's work outs.
I've been doing the mentzer programme for six months. Train twice per week( x2 sets per muscle group) four/three days apart, no soreness or joint injuries. Noticed good growth and strength. Each set is very hard. We've been lied to by the industry that overtraining and more is better. If you take steroids, this is the wrong method.
@@Arianoush9Sun Of course he grew. Its THE HOLY GRAIL. Nothing else is even close. Its taken people 40 years to realize Mentzer knew what he was talking about. At 61 im making gains in size and strength I couldn't make 30 years ago. From one workout every 8 days. Its amazing. Every workout is a step forward. No plateaus.
I love this, effort and being honest about the effort you will give is key. Some days I can give 110% on every set, other days I can't. One of the downsides of being human and having a full work and home life outside of the gym.
For chest press I've only been doing decline dumbbell press for the last few months - due to shoulder discomfort on flat or incline at age 50. After warm up, I do the 70's for 3 sets each to failure (rep range 12, 8, 6 or so). Then I grab the 50's for my final 2 sets, of which, I do high intensity method pushing the weight normally but on the eccentric (lowering the weights) I go very slow and methodical concentrating on the contraction, taking at least 8 seconds to descend the dumbell... pause at the bottom and then up normally. Right now I can only get 4-6 reps for each of those 2 final sets. My chest is wrecked after this - in a good way.
I honestly agree, ever since I switched to a more "Mike Mentzer" style of work outs I spend 45-55 minutes in total working out and my gains and strength have increased much faster than the regular 3 sets X 12 reps per work out, rest 2 mins between sets, it's also does something to my mental, I actually look forward to my 45 minute routine where as my 1:30-2 hr sessions of 4 x 8-12 reps stuff, I'd kinda dread it .
Excellent video. I used to train with three friends in the early eighties, and I trained like Lou, Mike trained like Frank Zane, Dave trained like Mike Mentzer, Scott trained like Arnold. Good times, and I think at sixty-one we all look like we lifted at some point. Great lifestyle
My opinion is that many people overtrain in an effort to achieve goals. Simply because that's what we've all been told. Go big or go home, which is counter productive. Enjoy the workout and don't get hurt, best advice I can suggest. Good video to start this conversation, well done.
I bought Mike’s Heavy Duty program when he sold it through mail order, I was about 17yrs old back at that time( late 80s) and I learn to train heavier and find the weight that caused you to fail at a certain rep range. I made tremendous gains in high school using this method BUT Mike and Author Jones kept pushing for less is best and even advocated a single max rep in theory, long story short the record seems to show that bodybuilders who tried to follow this method to the letter didn’t make the gains Mike talked about, I don’t remember a single bodybuilder who stayed with one set or even three per body part per session that made it to the stage, and those that tempted the outside of the sweet spot tore their shit up just to see a moderate weight pumping fool make all the his/her genetics who allow if all other factors where accounted for, but I’m still a Mentzer fan!
1 set of 30 works for me. You move to the next exercise with no rest and you get an aerobic effect also. This saves the most time possible. I am still muscular at 73.
So how do you come to a decision on increasing the weights? If you are able to complete set of 30 easily then doesn't that mean you aren't exerting enough?
Hi Guys. 65 years ago i was a high school track and field athlete, hockey captain, gymnast, cyclist and basketballer. To keep fit, I did circuit training in the gym which required the completion of reps of 10 different exercises. To work out how many reps to do I would count the number I could do in one minute at the beginning of each month and half the number. As fitness improved the start number increased month by month. Needless to say, there are rather fewer reps these days but I am still fit.
I think when you have Jesse on, you should get him to ask questions and Jeff answers. Jesse is likely knowledgeable enough now to be a good interviewer of Jeff on whatever topic the video is covering. Or perhaps Jesse could ask the best viewer questions from comments each week?
Well said Jeff ! 45 years of experience working out , 4 exercises per body part, 12 to 16 sets , 8 to 15 reps to failure. Best growth I’ve seen, works best for me , along with a good protein intake! GO METS !!
34 years working out, I recently started this same type of workout, my gains as a guy closing in on middle age are pretty awesome. Just my opinion, everyone is different and free to do whatever works for them, the important thing is just keep moving.
Being a 50 + year lifter I have tried all types of workouts with good success all natural and use basic supplements. At 66 years old 6'1 215lbs. 13%BF i have slowly changed the way I now approach lifting. I do a lot more to protect my joints and connective tissue. Injury is my biggest concern as my body has become more fragile than years past. I now do more to stimulate and less to annihilate. It took some time to accept this but it's working for me. I do leave a rep in the tank, slow my motion and use less weight. My volume is still there but intensity is lower. Diet and sleep is more important than it has ever been. I plan to carry this plan out to the end.
It's worth noting that Mike M didn't actually practice this one set technique. I heard a recording of him saying he would stick around and do extra sets for good measure. Many other lifters of the time say he was at the gym for 3-4 hours everyday.
Wow, that makes so much sense, and I've been doing 2 sets for years. Granted, I have been in tone and maintain mode for long periods of time, but I never thought about for building (which is my goal right now). This is the old German weight lifting thinking. Thanks for the info!
Doing 3 sets of 12 has worked for me so far. Its basic science. Shocking the muscles to cause the muscle to grow bigger and stronger. It won't work with just 1 set to failure.
Keep in mind that a lot of the people who've seen success with Mike Mentzer's method are doing exactly that, shocking the muscle. The body is pretty good at adapting, so if all you've done for a long time is 3x12, going 1 set all out provides a very new and unique stimulus that forces the body to adapt to the new stimulus. The same would be true if a guy did 1 set all out for a long time and switched to 3x12 Novelty or "shocking the muscle" if you will, is a very big part of training although rarely mentioned. It's typically why you see elite lifters with years of experience doing completely different training compared to the training they did to get to the elite level.
Never aim to do 12 reps and then stop at 12. Decide how close to failure you want to be, and stop at that point. If in a given set it is 11 reps or 13, you should be doing that and not stopping at an arbitrary number.
I've definitely focused now on doing less sets, but with higher intensity and better form. 3 days a week to make sure I can recover. it has been working well so far.
I do 6-8 lift supersets that range from 50-100 reps for some and 6-15 reps for the others. It switches based on what I am able to push or need to recover. In addition, i work concrete and I'm a mover. Also, zero peds. Old man strength is the way.
I started doing HIT / single set to failure about a year and a half ago. I sort of assume I don't get quite what I might get from doing a lot more volume, but I can say I think being able to get in and out of the gym faster is what has finally allowed me to stick to a program. I'd tried many times before, and could never keep it up for more than maybe 6 months. After about a year and once I the habit of sticking to my routine was firmly ingrained, I started doing a custom version of HIT. I now do a set of each exercise to absolute failure, then take 5 deep breaths (I'm generally out of breath by the time I fail), go again to complete failure, then repeat that one more time for 3 approaches to complete failure. I think this is a good middle ground for me that keeps my time in the gym low while also seeming to provide decent results.
Balls out to failure is what I like... Most, most, most of the guys I see in the gym don't put enough effort into their workouts, wimpy, wimpy, wimpy! 9 out of the 10 lifters are casual lifters.
At 41 I’m mostly about maintaining what I already have and looking to stop decline. For that set reps with a final set to failure seems to do the job and be something that can be planned around.
Hi Jeff, interesting video. One of the things I'd like to comment on is what you and others have said, equal gain is achieved through more sets less weight. At 63 I cannot begin to try and do what I did when I was 43, tendons, ligaments, and joints Just can't handle it as you know. I hit the gym every day and I'm a big proponent of doing more sets lighter weight reps to failure. For example, on my biceps using proper form, arms extended out with tension to begin with, I might only use 80 pounds but I'll do it for 30 reps, then 20, then 14 then 10, then I'm done. I found doing five sets versus four makes a difference. With an example of the deltoid, I will do five different exercises times five sets and I'm done.
I used to work out 5 to 6 days a week. High volume, heavy weight, to failure. Proper nutrition, sleep, supplementation. All the "proper" things. Switched over the Mike Mentzer's program about 1.5 years ago, one set (20 - 25 minute total workout), 4 days between workouts, for a total of about 2 hours a month training. Read his book cover to cover. This resulted in a total body transformation. I've gained more muscle in the last 1.5 years than in the previous 10. Clearly I was overtraining and didn't know it.
As an ex PT, I used to say “Stimulate, don’t annihilate”. Full ROM, control, embrace the stretch, do some training to failure (to keep your RPE in check) and rest. Great vid Jeff (and Jess..)
@@SilverStar6609 I tried this method last 6 month and I’m only 2 years lifter still begginer and I couldn’t see any PR improvement for some muscle group Instead I pushed Big volume in shoulders and doing lateral raise variations with dumbell and cable over 20 set a week same as rear delt biceps and they really exploded I asked experienced lifter on gym and they talk to me about 2 sets methods 1 working set + another working set with drop set and they finish the exercice with 2-5min rest periods and they told me that this method work for bodybuilder who already acquired a Big muscle mass not for the like of me at least 6 -7 years on gym Go and watch KINOBODY gregogalgaher or smth like that on TH-cam he only workout 2-3 days a week with a total of 7-10 set in all exercice on that day pushing PR but he is experienced more than 12 years
Im 46. I use RIR and periodisation. 3 to 5 sets per exercise 6-20 reps etc. Getting the best gains of my life! I go to failure once every 6 weeks or so, nothing more. Deload after this, and off we go again. Miraculous gains for me this way.
Im 49 i grew up that if you wanted size thats up to 8 reps if you wanted "DEFINITION" as we called low body fat in the 80's-90's you needed 12 reps MINIMUM. Now I think all this is stupid i follow the burn and pump. I dont even count plates problem is with all the suplements we have we cant feel shore any more and if you dont have PR in reps or weight AND GO WITH THE FLOW like me ... GETTING SHORE is your only guide you are pushing and not wasting time on gym
Truthfully with me I get a better workout when I use lighter weights and more reps and I don’t over do it. I feel it but it doesn’t hurt at the same time!
As a woman, I will tell you the secret to makes your wife desire you like crazy and love you like crazy: 1) Stay calm (calm man have control over others) 2) Good back postures, good head physical posture ( this will allow you to avoid back problems when getting older and it will boost your confidence too). 3) Say what you want with finesse 4) Don't avoid conflicts 5) Don't talk for nothing/don't laugh for nothing 6) be a good listener (women love to be listened) 7) Assume responsabilities in case of failure, negative things that happens in life. 8) Compliment her often (on things that you will not notice usually.) 9) Don't avoid time together 10) Having sexual relationships (well an important part lol) 11) When you are pissed off, stay calm but says what you think without exploding. 12 Be the best version of yourself
@@TheAaronJP Thanks haha, us women: easy mod. WE are manipulative, WE are doing comments to tests our men, (i don't do it often, when it IS too much it IS obsessive and childhish. ) WE tests our men reactions to sée if they are Solid or fragile (alpha or beta). As weird as it sounds. But these days, i don't have much female Friends, they all were too much narcissistics, feminists, mean and weird. So i'm now with just m'y fiancé and i'm happy. I think he IS too. I Guess... I Hope... Thanks if something IS Bad he talk to me about it with finesse. If he IS pissed off (which sometime i like, Yep us women are weird sometimes) but i like it when he IS pissed off and says what he have in his Heart with finesse without exploding. Cause exploding Can be dangerous for me. Im a woman and can't défend m'y self in case of violence. And lof of women in the west are sad cause they are in couple with beta, who are emotional, fragile, they got mad for nothing they aren't patient. They aren't calm. They can't control négative émotion. They don't assume their mistakes. And unfortunately lot of men are sad cause of feminisme and the brainwashed génération of women in the west of these days.
I have been lifting for aboutr 25 years. My goal was purely health and fitness. My idea was a good physique was the by-product of good health through exercise. With that idea in mind then, it is a life style with long term goals and benefits. I play the drums, I practice and teach martial arts, weight training was supplimental to my life. Training to failure all the time meant longer recover which also meant I could not perform at my best in my other activities. Young guys want the results as fast as possible which is fine. I was okay with slower muscle growth since it wasn't my goal in the first place.
I workout, retired army 101st airborne, 58 years old, most times I dont count sets, i go for the feeling of my muscle group im working on, i do a PPL routine, for me intensity is the key, I cant knock anyones methods because they know what works best for themselves, i have earned my 2nd degree black belt with 3 state and 2 national titles, ive seen many different workout strategies in my dojo and they all work for that individual, that being said, i listen to advice from anyone, some things ive incorporated into my workouts and some not, we can always learn something for sure , to each their own, respect for all
I hate it when people say only do 45 minutes a day 3 days a week😅😅😅😅😅. Less than 3 hours a week seriously???!!!!!. These prisoners workout all day with crap nutrition and look amazing. I think it’s all trash just workout til you can’t move the muscle no more time under tension to failure. Balls to the wall
I use a high intensity training program the way Mike taught it. I usually increase either weights or reps every single session. But I'm a natural bodybuilder, so that's my training method and it works!
Partly because a LOT of people just repeat what they've heard from whatever source, so there's a lot of anecdotal "information" floating around. Much of it is unsound, and much of it contradicts each other. So you have to figure out who's reliably a source of good information. Then you have to try it for yourself and see if what they're telling you actually _works_ . Along the way, you have to ignore much of what you hear-- especially from social media "influencers" who, let's face it, are just trying to get you to click on their posts so they make money off of you.
As the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. If you're just a regular person trying to stay fit, you don't need to sweat the details. Just put in the work, and try not to hurt yourself. But that doesn't make for engaging content. So influencers over-dramatize it, for the clicks.
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hi am first
I no longer believe the "giveaway" is real.
me also this giveaway isnot real
It's real. I've won one.
@@RVsbladesnthangsit's real, I won it once before
At this point every time I hear someone say doing set/rep scheme X doesn't work or is a waste, I stop listening. Everything works if you train hard, nothing works if you don't.
True although some things work better than others
You're a very smart man. Will you be my friend?
@KillRhythmmore like you don't listen enough and prefer to whine instead.
@@TwinMillMCsure
@@neverbroke642you again, he made a workout using 4 sets of 12 doesn't mean he claimed it's the only way you can train, sherlock 🤦
Your chosen goal is important. I'm pushing 60, after more than 8 years of training in gyms, I know that I'm not going to compete in Mr. Olympia, so I go slow in weights and in reps. Injuries at any age is a major setback.
And no one will tell you that until you experience an injury yourself. Pushing the limit on a daily basis has its gain but it is not without a cost.
About a year ago.
Was doing incline leg press. Felt a severe snap on the right side of the abdomen. Could barely walk for days and was out of the gym so bad that I've only recently been going back.
Little too much weight, wanted to keep up and impress a mate.
This is true. I'm 52 and I've been lifting since I was 17. I warm up slow with light weight. When I push myself and max out, I definitely feel it later.
Well said! Beiing 59 Years and in the gym since I am 13, I underline your saying, except the reps. I do now 20 reps since 3 years, but lowered the weight. This works fine for me. Everybody needs to listen to his body, not the mirror, nor the weight. And your body will talk to you - immeadeately and in long term. Just LISTEN.
I *just* posted about the same thing. I'm 66 and have enjoyed lifting on-and-off since my 20s. I don't want a setback, so I'm kind of afraid to go low and heavy.
At 69, I'm also in the "don't get injured" category. I concentrate more on cardio, but I do weight train twice a week. My goal is mainly to maintain the muscle that I have. To this end, I use lower weight and stay in the 10 to 18 rep range.
I do the 'failure to train' method.
🤣🤣🤣
I'm having unthinkable gains by using this method.
Never been this big before
Don't feel bad, most people take that route!
😂
😂😂😂
I’m 64 and know all about the old school bodybuilders. What I’ve found is mixing things up is what works best for me. Sometimes many sets, sometimes only a few, sometimes negatives or supersets, sometimes not….change a few exercises every 6 months or so. Our bodies respond to work and overload by trying to “adapt” to it. You don’t want your body to adapt, so keep changing things up.
That’s mainly what I’ve learned from almost 50 years of training w weights.
Thank you sir.
This! You have to learn to TRULY hear & listen to your body .. some days you can push a little & some days just focus on maintaining, eating healthy as heck, stretching, and staying happy & moderately productive. Key to longevity.
Absolutely! I found that out by accident. I trained hard the same way every week. Then one day I had to carry heavy buckets and bags around. The day after I carried the buckets I was soooo sore and wiped out. My muscles really got demolished and I grew that week. I also learned a lot about my workouts.
Also 64. I build my programs using the "best" exercises for each body group that Jeff presents in other videos. I make changes often, but at this point it is more akin to fine tuning than wholesale changes.
Not to have adapted but to always be in a state of adapting
I'm 75 in a couple of months, and use MM's stuff to great advantage.
Warm up set. One 'big' set to failure around 6-10. Three or four days recovery.
I'm now able to do pullups, pushups and whatever no dramas.
Sensible approach, sensible awareness, good food, plenty of sleep.
Thanks to Mike Mentzer for his inspiration, and thanks to Jeff for keeping this stuff moving.
0:50 Goal
2:20 High Effort
3:50 # of sets
5:40 # of reps
8:40 ROM
10:40 Your effort guides the right amount of set and rep (Your Intensity dictates the amount of Volume you need)
What a Nice guy❤
Do not complicate this. It's simple, you can go heavy or for long, but not both.
If you want to do many sets, you'll have to pace yourself, making sure you're saving enough energy to complete your workout.
But if you go all out, to real muscle failure (but Mike Mentzer's or Dorian Yates' "true muscle failure") you won't be able to do another set.
Look at their videos. When they finish a set, they're close to fainting.
Thank you. Didn’t learn a thing..
The real MVP!!!
Person A said 3 sets of 10-20 reps, Person B said 1 set trained to failiure. IDK what to do anymore, so I'm just going to start following my own head. Truth is, it seems none of these people know the answer to the question. It's all just noise. I'm so tired of being confused by conflicting reports. Time to get off TH-cam and get my muscles working.
What you’re not realizing is everyone has to figure out what works best for their individual bodies. Take all the information that comes your way and mold it into what works best for your body…
1 set to true failure with one super set to true failure with focus on negatives and static hold is the absolute most efficient way to work out any muscle group
I won’t say it’s definitely the BEST and ONLY way but it is the most EFFICIENT method!
Every" body" is different. Different genetics. You have to discover what stimulates your muscles. How many reps, sets,etc
Agreed. It’s a conversation that keeps getting rewritten each year. Do what feels right. Sometimes I do 3 sets, sometimes 4. Sometimes I do 8-12 reps, other times it’s 10-15. Just get some resistance in, cardio, and eat right. That’s a recipe for good health.
@@ob1kendobe I've done this in the past. My gains were the same as they are now, doing 3/4 sets of 10-20 reps and it had the downside of having a longer recovery period.
After 4 recent foot surgeries and 1 8 hour leg bypass surgery since the end of December, I finally started lifting weights again too get my strength back - I'm 48 & i got a infection in my foot and by the time I got to the hospital,it was really bad & thank God I didn't lose it- I didn't realize how serious it was - Im so thankful,Jeff for you're video's, although im not lifting super heavy yet, I can feel my strength coming back - Always love you're Videos Jeff - Thank you !
Scary stuff man. Glad you are back at it after all that
Some days I wake up, take a long look in the mirror, and then brush my teeth to failure.
Don’t forget mouthwash within 30 minutes for max gains
I wipe my butt after my morning crap to failure because no one likes an itchy crack later on in the day.
You sir are winning
Glad you brought this up. Every day , with my left hand, I spend about 5-6 minutes brushing my teeth. I brush each area at least 24 strokes….nonstop. Sometimes twice a day. Why aren’t my left forearm , delts and trap HUGE? Been doing this for 70 plus years.
@@EileenHeitman Don't start counting your strokes until start straining. That's key.
I dunno. I’ve always done 3 sets of 10 reps, sometimes 6 sets depending on the exercise, and I went from a lean 6’ tall, 155 lb guy to a ripped 6’ tall guy weighing 198 lbs. It’s fun to debate and ponder the pros & cons of this or that, but I think the key word here is EFFORT. Set a goal, stick to it, stay consistent, and listen to your body. I was in the army for several years so my training was and still is built around 50/50 strength and endurance. My PT test scores were usually 5 or so points from the max of 300 because I sucked at sit-ups due to the biomechanics of having a long upper torso. Most everyone trains for self-improvement, not a Mr. Olympia title. Set/rep range aside, training with purpose, determination, consistency, and function of movement will take you further than any fad or currently hyped trends ever will. Hell, just having an encouraging workout buddy will likely elicit more progress/gains than any number of knowledgable articles or videos ever could.
Just my 2 cents.
That's very good to read.
How old are you?
@@2headedmadness21 I’m currently 43. Started lifting when I was about 31 and it took roughly 4 or 5 years to reach what I consider my natural peak. Covid disruptions threw me off my game a bit, but not by much. These days I just try to lift smart, avoid injury, and maintain. Use it or lose it, as they say!
Add "fun" to that, and me as a 44 year old dad, who started lifting 2 years ago and now finally sees results is signing your text as the best, most honest and most truthful comment about exercising in the gym anyone has written so far. Without having fun in the gym you will not stick to it. Also some light progression should be there. But everything else was never written better than in your comment. Cheers, my dad buddy from whereever in this beautiful world :)
@@hellblazer_originalHa! Thank you, hellblazer. Much appreciated. And you’re right, fun is an important aspect to emphasize. I love a good, grueling workout when everything is clicking, but doing too much of that can lead to burnout or dread the next time leg day rolls around (for me at least). That’s when these Athlean-X videos come in handy, to learn and try something new which can also be FUN.
It’s nice to hear from another 40-something that enjoys hitting the weights. It’s never too late to start, but age doesn’t make it any easier. I discovered the latter at about 42, lol. Keep at it tho! Cheers from here to there as well. 👍
Must also consider higher risk of injury to joints and tendons at maximal effort, or aggravation of existing injuries.
I'm just trying to be well-toned looking, not big muscled.
A lot of injuries are caused from repetitive movements, not high intensity.
When it gets to the point where half your working load feels like its much more, that is where you know you've exhausted the muscle group successfully. For me, drop sets, coupled with rest/pause allow me to reach failure multiple times and have given me the biggest returns compared with everything else I've tried.
I've been training for 26 years. I've done every rep and set scheme at one point or another. And I've taken almost every PED there is. At my biggest I was 250. At my most lean I was 198. I'm 5'11'' for reference. And none of the aforementioned had anything to do with it. It was all about my diet. FOOD sculpts a body more than anything.
I've tried several different schemes and I wonder for you, what did you find worked best for you? Obviously diet is key, but what scheme out of all the ones you tried did you notice gave you the best results? For example, in my 20's I did the whole Body for Life routine and it worked really well. But in my 40's I spent some time doing one of the Athlean-X routines and while I felt more broken lol because I was older and more banged up, I had people I knew commenting how much more pumped I looked. So that made me realize that everyone's body reacts differently to different stimuli
@@Viewfinder73 I do what's considered the "bro split" because you have to love what you do in the gym or you won't do it. And that's how I love to train. 4 sets, 12-15 or even 20 reps in some cases per exercise. Deep stretches are super important too. I know thats not a lot of detail but it's the broad strokes. Good luck on your journey 🙏🏻
That’s not very lean at all for your height
@@Cryptum404lean???…unless you know his body/fat ratio you have no idea what you’re talking about🤓
Im 235lbs and Im 5' 8. I find ladders and drop sets keep the intensity and growth. My last set is always to failure.
I’ve started this style since you introduced it, through Mikes videos. It has worked for me. I am stronger, increased the weights. I’m in and out in 45 minutes. For the past 45 years I trained the traditional way I was taught. 3 to 4 sets adding weight. Now at 68 years old I have found a great work out. My thanks to you Jeff for bringing this to me. Thanks , you’re the best.!
I'm 50 and it definitely is reflective per better recovery time post short duration stimuli
Too funny, of course it works “for you”.
You spent 45 years building your base & physique. You never could have built what you have on ONE set and if you’re honest with yourself, you know that.
Mike didn’t build his physique that way either.
This training is fine for a maintenance physique for advanced older lifters.
@@johnathanbeicher536idk man. They said they’re getting stronger, and that’s tougher to do with age and after you’ve already gained a substantial amount of muscle. I would try it and see how it works for you.
@@johnathanbeicher536 getting stronger after 45y training when you're supposed to reach plateau literally proves it works, sherlock.
Mike didn't build his physique that way but he was able to at least maintain proves it works, otherwise he would have lost muscles overtime.
@@johnathanbeicher536
Calm down buddy. It's not that serious. Yes it works. I'm 48. I do it.
17-Year-Old woman here. I started doing weights off and on since 1982. I went through that whole phase at 12 to 15 reps. God what a waste of time! Now I do two sets to failure which is usually 5 to 8 reps. And I am growing muscles!
Great info. Please continue to discuss reps to failure, HIT, and workout intervals.
In the mid nineties I ordered Mike Mentzers book (It was more of a thick Magazine) Heavy Duty. I followed his programme religiously and here is what I found. Firstly it’s almost impossible to follow the work out or routine without a training partner. For example to train to failure on say bench press you need someone to spot on the failing rep. If you want to go further and do negatives you certainly will need a spotter. Even if you don’t do negatives I found if I was on my own I wouldn’t go to absolute failure due to fear of not being able to place the weight back and also the lack of encouragement you would get from a spotter. The other thing or issue I found was although the work outs were shorter and more infrequent I got to the point of dreading going to the gym. It is unbelievably hard to go to absolute failure every set and work out. Then the very issue of failure is an arguable point. What is failure? Mike even says in his book that (not quoting acurately) you may feel you’ve reached failure but if someone was to put a gun to your head at that moment and say push five more reps out or I’ll blow your brains out, chances are you’ll find the strength to push five more out.
All in all I found it an excellent routine to follow on a short term basis but personally I think it’s impractical to follow long term. I know some will comment and say I’ve followed this workout for twenty years etc but I think they should ask themselves have they really pushed themselves to failure and beyond in every work out. I certainly couldn’t.
Good points! Also, I'm no spring chicken, and there's some exercises I can't do heavy to failure without risking injury. I tend to think of the first set as somewhat of a warm up and a chance to feel how strong I am that particular day
That’s why I use machines for this method and it works perfectly.
I also use the rest pause to make sure I go to true failure where I can’t do one more positive rep no matter how hard I try
👍👏👏👏👏 To all the responses thus far.
Interesting post Paul. Personally, I think the more years you've been training for (or perhaps it's just the older you get), training to failure or even really close can be too fatiguing if it carries-over into your daily life. I mean, I train full-body 3 or 4 times a week for about 90 minutes these days, and even though I'm doing fewer sets than I was just a couple years ago, and working mostly in the 10-16 rep range now, I still fall asleep fairly early in the evenings on gym days. I sometimes do 'heavy' sets of 8 or 9 reps, but I certainly wouldn't want do 3-rep or 5-rep or 6-rep sets at the corresponding weight for most exercises, and definitely not on squats or deadlifts. Okay that's partly down to mental attitude (i.e me feeling apprehensive about a forthcoming difficult workout before even going to the gym), but it's more to do with pain tolerance while actually there, and not repeating injuries that become most inevitable over time. Plus, as I suggest above, although DOMS is tolerable, suffering from tiredness continually is neither sustainable nor desirable as you move towards middle-age, when training to failure just kills your CNS; I do work hard while I'm there though. Of course, there will always be guys in their 40s and 50s who have an excess of energy and almost unlimited stamina, but that's not me!
I am very eager try mentzer methodology
Like you said without a partner it's very difficult to perform or motivate to go that way when whole of gym is doing reps and sets
Clicked so fast I got gains on my finger! 🎉
That click better have been done with good form
"You've worked explosively but overlooked the hypertrophy component by reducing time under tension."
you've done your one set, now rest
😅😅😅
Need more time under tension.
I tried Mike's approach once. I got ill... lost 20 lbs, from all the wrong places. I was really weak. So, used that approach to get my strength back. I found I progressed steadily. However, I tried to do 15 good reps before i advanced the weight. I didn't necessarily stop at 15 reps, but I used that as a measurement point for adding weight. The reps were explosive up, 3 sec eccentric and a pause. I also added partials when I couldn't do full reps anymore. Those days always made me feel wiped when finished. Once I got strong again, I started adding sets. It did help me get out of a bad place.
I'd say Mike is about 90% right about bodybuilding principles. I've experienced it myself, a large amount of growth even after 7 years of lifting as soon as I cut down the volume, and focused purely on slow, controlled, intensity.
I’ve changed to the 45 second period of each set, and it’s made me really sore at 64. Slow, controlled, high effort, but mainly, get to the gym and eat well.
Let’s see it dude. One set every two weeks like Mike suggests. I’ll see you in a year. I want before and after pictures. Hahahahah
@@Greg766 It does not get you big it gets you very very strong as it allows for fast progressive overload. Maybe 2 sets as the second set you will always be stronger. A better rule is do as many sets as you can do as many or more reps than the first set (because for some exercises this is the case). Once you get strong you can drop the weight a little and do more sets and reps and get very big.
@@Greg766 Mike never advocated for one set every two weeks, Gregory.
@@carnivorous_veganHe did use copious amounts of meth tho
I do 4 sets of 25. I know it's not normal and many people don't like my training method. The thing is you do what your body can handle, your workout is base on your daily life and how much time you can put into it. I started at 3 sets of 8, 3 sets of 12, 4 sets of 20 and now 4 sets of 25. It took me years of workout to create my way. Everyone is not the same.
I started lifting heavy weights and running when I was 30. Prior to that all I did was body weight,martial arts,and stretching. I found Athlean-X when I first watched TH-cam. I’ve used what Jeff has given us and he is correct. I used to count reps,do all kinds of different sets,diets,etc. I made many mistakes but learned from them.
Don't overthink it.... Just get to the gym and lift!!
Training without plan and purpose 🤦
@LittleBpaulmuller-Owners what is the "purpose" supposed to be? Just move thy body. Dont overthunk it.
@@Joe-ti7qd
wa tch this at 5:00
Are you Training Hard Enough (TAKE THIS TEST!)
@@LittleBpaulmuller-Owners Gatekeeping lifting… not a good look
Don’t think. Great advice 🤡
Here is the problem, Jeff! Almost all fitness influencers and even studies rarely take into consideration all the factors that contribute to strength, size, and endurance. I’ve been a coach, trainer, teacher and have trained/competed (still powerlifting) for 30 plus years. What worked great for me at 25, would and does not work well at 58. I use these tips and teach them over and over. They are time tested no matter what.
1. Master your exercises
2. Use compound movements as a core part of any training.
3. Progressive overload should me done slowly.
4. Recovery is not laying in a couch, eating donuts. It’s about allowing your body time to heal.
5. Food matters. If it grows and has a face, it’s usually good.
6. Programming matters, but following the same sets and reps gets you stagnant.
7. Age - training history - injuries - stress - job - genetics all make a difference
8. Stop copying what one top pro tells you to do. Get educated.
9. Seriously maintain a positive attitude.
10. Lastly and most important, fitness can be a hobby or a lifestyle. Choosing the later is how you transition your body.
Lost me at 5. Yall eating just meat are silly
@@Joe-ti7qd no grows (veggies - fruits - grains ) - face is salmon - eggs - chicken - turkey - steak. Another words, what we should all be eating.
@@chattingwithshap8010 so carnivores?
So true
Well, reality is, 80 % of fitness influencers are on steroids. Studies even proved you gain muscles with moderate levels of additional steroids even without training. But it's just mind boggling how many people are willing to risk their health for those gains. Not sure what is recorded on Mikes intake of steroids, but he died before 50 just like his brother. So that should make you thinking.
I have done HIT, bro splits, total body, low medium and heavy weight, and all kinds of variations over time - 35 yo now. It all works as long as you train hard, train consistently, eat, sleep, and rest enough, and do not ever ego lift but rather always err on the side of caution.
Personally, due to injuries from the military and otherwise (never from training though), I do not use heavy weights much anymore, but can train just fine with low and medium weights by adjusting the sets, reps, and rest times accordingly. I still get great results, I'm not dragging myself around feeling beat up or overly sore, and I have energy throughout my days.
Intensity, consistency, and recovery. That's all there is to it.
Well said...35+ training years as well. If I had to do it all over again a little less ego lifting in my early years would of been better.
My training is similar. I train for energy not to impress people.
There is no ONE way to do things. Being active and enjoying your efforts in the gym is #1!! Try different things - mix it up. There is usually no wrong way unless you're being reckless and stupid.
I'm trying to lose weight with HIT. Lifting weights is HIT.
Absolutely, I want this body to last until it can't through training. Health first to me, then rewards. You're an excellent teacher and trainer Sir, I highly respect you. Thank you.
Then hopefully you're going for the nexus between strength and endurance, because bodybuilders typically don't get old unless they happen to have wheelbarrows of money for heart surgeries after their 60s.
@@AtlasReburdened that's amazing. Thank you Sir. Earlier, my message kept repeating, I didn't do that purposely. It could be because my phone's cracked, and its heat sensitive. But I do apologize I erased them. I believe.
@@willievaughn6474 No worries, friend. I didn't even see any duplicates.
@@AtlasReburdenedBody builders that abuse steroids don’t grow old. There are several 70 year olds at my gym still hitting the weights, still going strong. There is nothing wrong with bodybuilding itself if you also include mobility work and proper rest.
@@ukbleedbluex9340 Serveral is a meaninglessly ambiguous word. Hitting the weights is a meaninglessly ambiguous phrase. There's probably 70 year old strength trainers at your gym, not 70 year old bodybuilders. Also, mobility exercises do nothing for the damage that bodybuilding does. Bodybuilders don't die from reduced range of motion, they die from heart failure and aneurysms finally giving out.
I do 10, 8, 6 rep sets of one exercise going heavier each set.
The final 6 rep set I will actually go to failure and if I get to 8 or 10 then next time I start the base 10 rep set heavier and build up.
I write everything and keep a log of what I’m doing each gym session
how do you progressive overload ?
Good pyramid. Good opinion
@@MoPRZA. He literally just told you lol. Read it again
@@papaspaulding I’m new to this, I understood what he said but I don’t understand the logic using a decreasing number of reps
@@MoPRZA. Ah ok, sorry.
The amount of reps are decreasing as the weight is getting heavier each set. so they are kind of like warm up sets as not going to failure.
For the first set you might pick a weight that you can do 12 reps with to failure but then only do 10,
then second set pick a heavier weight you can do 10 with but then only do 8 and so on.
All working up to the last and heaviest set you do as many reps as physically possible to failure (until you literally fail trying to get one more rep)
It's a very old school tried and tested approach to bodybuilding most pros and lifters in general have always used and still do
I adopted his strategy with slight variations, it’s the best I’ve ever been doing in the gym ❤❤❤
What are your variations?
@@benzanino the goal is to not over exercise so I cut down my splits into single muscle groups. It could be shoulder one day just 3 sets and the next day 3 sets biceps and so on. Add stretching and going there by bike makes my complete workout. In the end it’s 3-5 days in the gym but large time spans again until a muscle group is up again. I am honestly so happy I learned about this strat from mike
I've been doing a one set workout with a warmup set prior ever since you first talked about this workout routine maybe like a year ago. I get so much more gains while saving time
Damn how does that one set work? Do you simply just take it to failure?
@@zhifengwu2384he must do unless he's like a new breed of human
What kind of gains are you getting? I'm guessing you hardly even look like you lift.
@@zhifengwu2384 yes, you have to take it to failure, but you’re not going to gain shit doing one set of anything even if you’re taking it to failure.
Look at this guy’s page. My guess is “one set” is just to get everyone to look as small as he does. Incel vibes.
I love videos like this because there are the icons of bodybuilding history and their strategy & it gets updated with some science plus prevailing knowledge now.
I am only doing 1 Dropset to complete failure per muscle group on machines (so I can truly fail with minimal risk of injury), I work out every other day full body and I made more gains and especially faster gains than ever before.
Thats a literal lie. You wont build shit when training every single day
I’m curious about your routine
Most of the time that just proves you were doing wrong before
1 drop set after how many regular sets?
@@fmerritt00 Pretty simple. Full body workout, one exercise per muscle group. Preferably not an isolated one. Leg press, chest press, row, lat pulldown etc.
I do only one set which is a drop set. Number of reps doesn't matter that much, I choose the weight that lets me do 8 - 10 reps to complete failure. To achieve complete failure, do slow controlled movements. The last few reps will be way more difficult to complete, but you have to push through. On your last rep keep pushing ( or pulling respectively ) until the weight just drops because you can't provide any counterforce anymore. That's why I use machines mostly to minimize risk of injury. Depending on your experience it will take some time to get used to that level of effort. And lastly, to ensure maximum failure, I then reduce the weight and force out one or two more reps with the same intense effort until the weight just drops. I reduce the weight 2 or 3 times in total. Which is a drop set.
I do that every other day, full body. So just one day off between workouts. It works better for me than anything else tried. Now I am adding a few exercises to target more specifically. E.g. the different heads of the triceps. But that's an experiment, I will see if I can recover enough to do that every other day.
I'm not an expert (although I am going to the gym now for almost 14 years, on and off) , just telling what accelerated my gains tremendously while cutting down time in the gym at the same time. Hope that helps.
My current plan of lifting is to rep the heaviest weight that i can, then reduce the weight by 5 or 10 lbs and go up in reps by 2. For example, if the max weight is 100 for 10 reps, then reduce weight to 90 for 12 reps, moving on down in weight and going up in reps. Works very well for me.
I used to go to the gym 5 days a week. I plateaued for years and I had issues gaining muscle despite having a good program. I was tired all the time. Took me 13 years before I did 3 days a week and started eating more. Gained like 25 pounds in 2 years with what I consider a substandard whole body workout. I added biking 2 days a week for cardio. I think Mike is on to something.
it's called "over training" which is never a good program.
used to only rest 1min between sets, because of brother's influence, we never saw much gains and I fell sick more easily after workouts. some years later finally tweaked to higher rest time 3-5min in between sets, less days at the gym and finally made breakthroughs across the board
3 days weights, 3 days cardio, 1 day rest per week for the win! 💪
@thedude8526 your right it take years to realised you doing it all wrong,
Listen to what body says ,don't go heavy as it destroys the joints.
Consistency, sensibly eating, rest, And train your way, and results are there.
All the massive body's are drugs and life span seems short,which defeats the ideal of health and fitness as we age.hopefully
I've been working out for two years. I always do a heavy 1 set, which is 5 to 8 reps depending on the type of exercise. And I'm so happy with the results as a 50 year old.
Me too Im 44
How long is the warm-up and what do you do?
@@dekik.979 I think I am going against everything told by the workout community. I do calisthenics and never warm up.
@@noudialp Well it depends upon what you mean by 'heavy'. Is it e.g. a 140kg bench press? Or something different? If the average 50 year-old does the first without a warm-up he's looking for future trouble. At age 49 I can still squat heavy for reps - 135-140kg - but I warm-up and build up to it.
@@baronmeduse I don't have any previous workout experience and have been working out only for 2 years. The most I did in squat was 50kg 10 reps on a single leg. But it was a year ago. I mainly work my upper body. For ex I do incline push ups with legs elevated on a wall. Last time I measured with a scale it was 90kgx6. But when I started 2 years ago the number of reps for regular push ups was 1 :D And I've never warmed up since then.
Clicked. Would love to get your program. I did the 100 series and it was amazing!
At 50 an being quite active(x-c skiing biathlete) I am 205 for the first time in my life, I competed at 175-180...in my younger years. I listen to my body and realize 7 days a week doing workouts is not necc. I enjoy watching your videos jeff
Loved this video. I've been learning from Jeff for years and recently from Mike.
The Athlean X 100 series is my way of doing everything. I'm 56, been lifting safely for 40yrs. Thanks Jeff
Same. It’s been great.
I apply it here and there and it is always a solid way to go! Love the 100-series! 👍🏼
What is it & how does it work?
Mike is right. I'll do a couple sets pyramiding up in weight to warm up the muscle, but one ;last max, all-out set to total failure. It works good for me. I'm going to try adding in those partial reps after failure and see how that goes.
I slap on an intensity set (dropset, myo reps, partials) after that last most heavy set. Works for me, try it. This way I dont feel bad, training 2-3 times a week per muscle group. With 1-2RIR for every set, I feel like I have to come back to the gym "tomorrow". But I cant: Kids, house, job, >40yo etc.
So a lot more than one set then
@@Len_J_ Exactly. The Mentzer 1 set method is 1 set after a bunch of "warm up" sets 🤣
@@Len_J_It's common sense to do lighter warm-up sets before your main workout regardless of what your routine is. Mentzer is talking about one all-out main set. I think you probably knew that already though.
Great talk guys, unfortunately social media discusses numerous theories...causes massive confusion on viewers..
I recently started training this way. I was getting discouraged because i dont have the time and energy to work out the way i used to. At 40 years old with 2 young kids and full time (with ot) job i find this style fitting to my lifestyle and am back to making gains. Allbeit slightly slower than i used to but i am also 40 so things are just slowing down in general. Another good video as usual.
When I did one set per muscle I did 30 reps tell failure and did it every other day you get 48hours of growth 3 times per week. Now I do 8-15 reps 8 sets and three light. I have been doing the gym 41 years now hope this helps someone, and thanks alot for your knowledge.
I'll stick with multiple sets close to failure and ramping up insensity week to week. If it ain't broke, don't break it.
1 set high intensity then gradually increase volume, or high volume then gradually increase intensity
They all work, never said this is the only way, sherlock
If you don't wanna break it then don't train, because that's how you grow
@@LittleBpaulmuller-OwnersI'm sorry that my preferred training style hurt you so much.
@@muffy_bunz I'm sorry your mother has to work in the adult industry so you can self blow
@@muffy_bunz I'm sorry your mother has to work in the adult industry
60 here. I followed Mike’s program since January 2024 and after a lifetime of working out 4 to 5 days a week lots of volume- now high intensity 2 days a week results:
1. Lost significant body fat because not as hungry - 16-18% to 12-14%
2. increase in muscle mass i never had before went from 86 to 90 kilos. Chest, arms and shoulders reacted exceptionally
It works for me
I just finished reading "You Are Stronger Than You Think" by Borlest and I'm thrilled! The book offers detailed, science-backed methods for naturally increasing testosterone, which is essential for men's health and vitality. It explains step-by-step how to improve your hormones, energy, and overall health through changes in diet, exercise, and lifestyle.
If you're looking for a way to feel stronger, more energetic, and healthier, this book is for you. Don't miss the opportunity to elevate your life to a whole new level
Just stop.
So...what does it say about sets and reps then?
this is borlest or his agent trying to sell books
Nice ad.
just another theory...
hope it works
Mentzer is awesome, been following his teachings for a couple years now, and I’ve gained a decent amount of muscle. I’m happy
One top set to failure for EACH movement. You don't need to go to failure more than once each movement but not necessarily 1 set or just 1 movement.
what
But for me, some compound movements aren't that easy to reach the same level of failure as an isolation exercise. Like Biceps curl is easy to reach failure, but chest fly probably not so easy. And i still overall prefer to do 2 or 3 sets at least. But hey, i am still a beginner, but it worked so far. On the other hand, i take more care for rest days, since that gave me some additional jumps in what i can reach.
@@3komma141592653 just use common sense and be safe
"How does your body know failure?" -Menno Henselmans
@dimitrizloterek9149 it's all relative bro like what is heavy for one person may not be heavy for another.
I used to do the inverted pyramid sets. Start low with many reps, 12 or so, then move the weight up, keep doing reps until failure with increasing weights. Then, max out when you can do one or none. then go down again. This required being on the machine for 10 minutes sometimes, but it was brutal. I would do them 3 times on each exercise. I usually did three exercises per workout. This was when I was in my twenties and I was a beast. Back when the body was full of hormone and vigor.
pumping out the volume of info. love the channel
Too much volume. We need more rest in between receiving this info, otherwise we can't learn.
Happy to hear your thoughts on this. One of my usual fitness guides that I follow regularly to do some thinking about stuff. Me particularly like to change the rep range after some time, but always considering the effort in mind (and the phase of my current program). I am 36 Yol and I think finally I am getting stronger without being dead, and finding that balance for gains/work life.
At the end everything will depend of your present time, your lifestyle, and your previous workouts and muscular imbalances. I think that will kind of dictate what the next logical step would be or has to be. Of course considering the type of workouts you like, and as you well said, the objective you have in mind.
Mike was right. I've grown more and gotten stronger in the last 3 months than i have in the last 6 years.
because for those 6 years you were not going to the gym
@@TheCelticsAREboss lol bro splits. They worked, I'm a hard gainer. I went from 130 to 170 using athlean x. I got cut Af. But now my strength gains are sizeable and consistent and I've had people tell me i look way bigger now. I see the difference too! I also had great success on the 100 series workouts before moving to Mike's work outs.
Why don’t we know yet? We aren’t that different. There should be a science based workout. Not what feels good.
I liked how you mentioned goals overall. I have been a subscriber to the FITT concept according to your goals. Frequency, Intensity, Type, and Time.
I've been doing the mentzer programme for six months. Train twice per week( x2 sets per muscle group) four/three days apart, no soreness or joint injuries. Noticed good growth and strength. Each set is very hard. We've been lied to by the industry that overtraining and more is better. If you take steroids, this is the wrong method.
U grew?
Im really interested in his program.
BS...
I hear the Schwarzenegger, Coleman, Zane, and Ferrigno methods work too! 😂😂
@@Arianoush9Sun
Of course he grew. Its THE HOLY GRAIL. Nothing else is even close. Its taken people 40 years to realize Mentzer knew what he was talking about. At 61 im making gains in size and strength I couldn't make 30 years ago. From one workout every 8 days. Its amazing. Every workout is a step forward. No plateaus.
I love this, effort and being honest about the effort you will give is key. Some days I can give 110% on every set, other days I can't. One of the downsides of being human and having a full work and home life outside of the gym.
For chest press I've only been doing decline dumbbell press for the last few months - due to shoulder discomfort on flat or incline at age 50. After warm up, I do the 70's for 3 sets each to failure (rep range 12, 8, 6 or so). Then I grab the 50's for my final 2 sets, of which, I do high intensity method pushing the weight normally but on the eccentric (lowering the weights) I go very slow and methodical concentrating on the contraction, taking at least 8 seconds to descend the dumbell... pause at the bottom and then up normally. Right now I can only get 4-6 reps for each of those 2 final sets. My chest is wrecked after this - in a good way.
I had to start using a safety bar for squats, due to shoulder mobility issues. Getting old sucks. 😛
I honestly agree, ever since I switched to a more "Mike Mentzer" style of work outs I spend 45-55 minutes in total working out and my gains and strength have increased much faster than the regular 3 sets X 12 reps per work out, rest 2 mins between sets, it's also does something to my mental, I actually look forward to my 45 minute routine where as my 1:30-2 hr sessions of 4 x 8-12 reps stuff, I'd kinda dread it .
I've been wondering what you would say about this approach. Thanks for the video.
Excellent video. I used to train with three friends in the early eighties, and I trained like Lou, Mike trained like Frank Zane, Dave trained like Mike Mentzer, Scott trained like Arnold. Good times, and I think at sixty-one we all look like we lifted at some point. Great lifestyle
Just started following Mike Mentzer.
Like everyone else in 2024…
*Where did he go?*
My opinion is that many people overtrain in an effort to achieve goals. Simply because that's what we've all been told. Go big or go home, which is counter productive. Enjoy the workout and don't get hurt, best advice I can suggest. Good video to start this conversation, well done.
Jeff is the sort of guy too turn off the light switch on and off again with both hands to prevent muscle imbalances.
😂😂
bruh these joke will never die wtf
thanks Jeff for the effective reps workout! Has remapped my training after 35 years and I'm loving it! Much appreciation!
only needed that first minute and 35 seconds. 'preciate it.
I bought Mike’s Heavy Duty program when he sold it through mail order, I was about 17yrs old back at that time( late 80s) and I learn to train heavier and find the weight that caused you to fail at a certain rep range. I made tremendous gains in high school using this method BUT Mike and Author Jones kept pushing for less is best and even advocated a single max rep in theory, long story short the record seems to show that bodybuilders who tried to follow this method to the letter didn’t make the gains Mike talked about, I don’t remember a single bodybuilder who stayed with one set or even three per body part per session that made it to the stage, and those that tempted the outside of the sweet spot tore their shit up just to see a moderate weight pumping fool make all the his/her genetics who allow if all other factors where accounted for, but I’m still a Mentzer fan!
1 set of 30 works for me. You move to the next exercise with no rest and you get an aerobic effect also. This saves the most time possible. I am still muscular at 73.
So how do you come to a decision on increasing the weights?
If you are able to complete set of 30 easily then doesn't that mean you aren't exerting enough?
Hi Guys. 65 years ago i was a high school track and field athlete, hockey captain, gymnast, cyclist and basketballer. To keep fit, I did circuit training in the gym which required the completion of reps of 10 different exercises. To work out how many reps to do I would count the number I could do in one minute at the beginning of each month and half the number. As fitness improved the start number increased month by month. Needless to say, there are rather fewer reps these days but I am still fit.
what about bodyweight exercises? how many sets do you recomend
I think when you have Jesse on, you should get him to ask questions and Jeff answers. Jesse is likely knowledgeable enough now to be a good interviewer of Jeff on whatever topic the video is covering. Or perhaps Jesse could ask the best viewer questions from comments each week?
Well said Jeff ! 45 years of experience working out , 4 exercises per body part, 12 to 16 sets , 8 to 15 reps to failure. Best growth I’ve seen, works best for me , along with a good protein intake! GO METS !!
34 years working out, I recently started this same type of workout, my gains as a guy closing in on middle age are pretty awesome. Just my opinion, everyone is different and free to do whatever works for them, the important thing is just keep moving.
20 years of weight training here and I corroborate your method as Ive mirrored it for years and notice the greatest gains.
12 to 16 per exercices ? :)
Being a 50 + year lifter I have tried all types of workouts with good success all natural and use basic supplements. At 66 years old 6'1 215lbs. 13%BF i have slowly changed the way I now approach lifting. I do a lot more to protect my joints and connective tissue. Injury is my biggest concern as my body has become more fragile than years past. I now do more to stimulate and less to annihilate. It took some time to accept this but it's working for me. I do leave a rep in the tank, slow my motion and use less weight. My volume is still there but intensity is lower. Diet and sleep is more important than it has ever been. I plan to carry this plan out to the end.
It's worth noting that Mike M didn't actually practice this one set technique. I heard a recording of him saying he would stick around and do extra sets for good measure. Many other lifters of the time say he was at the gym for 3-4 hours everyday.
argument from hearsay fallacy
Yep. John Terilli trained with methy back in 1980 and saw him do 25 sets for the back alone. Methy was a liar.
@@Rob-qn6od don't call your father like that
Wow, that makes so much sense, and I've been doing 2 sets for years. Granted, I have been in tone and maintain mode for long periods of time, but I never thought about for building (which is my goal right now). This is the old German weight lifting thinking. Thanks for the info!
Doing 3 sets of 12 has worked for me so far. Its basic science. Shocking the muscles to cause the muscle to grow bigger and stronger. It won't work with just 1 set to failure.
Keep in mind that a lot of the people who've seen success with Mike Mentzer's method are doing exactly that, shocking the muscle.
The body is pretty good at adapting, so if all you've done for a long time is 3x12, going 1 set all out provides a very new and unique stimulus that forces the body to adapt to the new stimulus. The same would be true if a guy did 1 set all out for a long time and switched to 3x12
Novelty or "shocking the muscle" if you will, is a very big part of training although rarely mentioned. It's typically why you see elite lifters with years of experience doing completely different training compared to the training they did to get to the elite level.
What science tells you that 3 sets of 12 ?
Lol! Yeah, Mike Mentzer was a failure as a bodybuilder...
Never aim to do 12 reps and then stop at 12. Decide how close to failure you want to be, and stop at that point. If in a given set it is 11 reps or 13, you should be doing that and not stopping at an arbitrary number.
I've definitely focused now on doing less sets, but with higher intensity and better form. 3 days a week to make sure I can recover. it has been working well so far.
Clicked immediately
No life.
Same!!!
Me too ngl
@@49ers_red_and_gold2?
@@PeterRabbitWhatsup LOL 😂, must be why you're still lost in life...
I do 6-8 lift supersets that range from 50-100 reps for some and 6-15 reps for the others. It switches based on what I am able to push or need to recover.
In addition, i work concrete and I'm a mover.
Also, zero peds.
Old man strength is the way.
Once you drastically cut volume down and let yourself have more room for intensity, your physique skyrocks.
I started doing HIT / single set to failure about a year and a half ago. I sort of assume I don't get quite what I might get from doing a lot more volume, but I can say I think being able to get in and out of the gym faster is what has finally allowed me to stick to a program. I'd tried many times before, and could never keep it up for more than maybe 6 months.
After about a year and once I the habit of sticking to my routine was firmly ingrained, I started doing a custom version of HIT. I now do a set of each exercise to absolute failure, then take 5 deep breaths (I'm generally out of breath by the time I fail), go again to complete failure, then repeat that one more time for 3 approaches to complete failure. I think this is a good middle ground for me that keeps my time in the gym low while also seeming to provide decent results.
Balls out to failure is what I like... Most, most, most of the guys I see in the gym don't put enough effort into their workouts, wimpy, wimpy, wimpy! 9 out of the 10 lifters are casual lifters.
At 41 I’m mostly about maintaining what I already have and looking to stop decline. For that set reps with a final set to failure seems to do the job and be something that can be planned around.
Absolutely need this info
Hi Jeff, interesting video. One of the things I'd like to comment on is what you and others have said, equal gain is achieved through more sets less weight. At 63 I cannot begin to try and do what I did when I was 43, tendons, ligaments, and joints Just can't handle it as you know. I hit the gym every day and I'm a big proponent of doing more sets lighter weight reps to failure. For example, on my biceps using proper form, arms extended out with tension to begin with, I might only use 80 pounds but I'll do it for 30 reps, then 20, then 14 then 10, then I'm done. I found doing five sets versus four makes a difference. With an example of the deltoid, I will do five different exercises times five sets and I'm done.
Very Good for longevity
I used to work out 5 to 6 days a week. High volume, heavy weight, to failure. Proper nutrition, sleep, supplementation. All the "proper" things. Switched over the Mike Mentzer's program about 1.5 years ago, one set (20 - 25 minute total workout), 4 days between workouts, for a total of about 2 hours a month training. Read his book cover to cover. This resulted in a total body transformation. I've gained more muscle in the last 1.5 years than in the previous 10. Clearly I was overtraining and didn't know it.
Do 12 sets of 3 instead and you'll get pumped like Mighty Mouse.
As an ex PT, I used to say “Stimulate, don’t annihilate”.
Full ROM, control, embrace the stretch, do some training to failure (to keep your RPE in check) and rest.
Great vid Jeff (and Jess..)
To be clear that works only in experienced lifters who already have build huge muscle mass
Exactly
That’s not true at all…you just made it up. The FACT is that most people have no idea what a “set to failure” or real “intensity” is.
and on steroids 💉💉💉
You have a source for that?
@@SilverStar6609 I tried this method last 6 month and I’m only 2 years lifter still begginer and I couldn’t see any PR improvement for some muscle group
Instead I pushed Big volume in shoulders and doing lateral raise variations with dumbell and cable over 20 set a week same as rear delt biceps and they really exploded
I asked experienced lifter on gym and they talk to me about 2 sets methods 1 working set + another working set with drop set and they finish the exercice with 2-5min rest periods and they told me that this method work for bodybuilder who already acquired a Big muscle mass not for the like of me at least 6 -7 years on gym
Go and watch KINOBODY gregogalgaher or smth like that on TH-cam he only workout 2-3 days a week with a total of 7-10 set in all exercice on that day pushing PR but he is experienced more than 12 years
Im 46. I use RIR and periodisation. 3 to 5 sets per exercise 6-20 reps etc. Getting the best gains of my life! I go to failure once every 6 weeks or so, nothing more. Deload after this, and off we go again. Miraculous gains for me this way.
Im 49 i grew up that if you wanted size thats up to 8 reps if you wanted "DEFINITION" as we called low body fat in the 80's-90's you needed 12 reps MINIMUM. Now I think all this is stupid i follow the burn and pump. I dont even count plates problem is with all the suplements we have we cant feel shore any more and if you dont have PR in reps or weight AND GO WITH THE FLOW like me ... GETTING SHORE is your only guide you are pushing and not wasting time on gym
Are you SHORE ?
@@randerodr7389 come on you know what he meant. Have you never made a typo or misspelled a word?
What supplements are you using that keep you from getting sore? I wish I could use something to keep me from getting sore after my workouts.
@@nathanscott7910 Yes I have. It was a joke. Not a big deal.
@@PeterRabbitWhatsup 2 times j ing others off ?????
Truthfully with me I get a better workout when I use lighter weights and more reps and I don’t over do it. I feel it but it doesn’t hurt at the same time!
I wish my wife looked at me like Jesse looks at Jeff.
Meh...leave her bro ✌
You need the feminism filter dear. Get out féminism, materialism out of her mind and you will be the happiest man.
As a woman, I will tell you the secret to makes your wife desire you like crazy and love you like crazy:
1) Stay calm (calm man have control over others)
2) Good back postures, good head physical posture ( this will allow you to avoid back problems when getting older and it will boost your confidence too).
3) Say what you want with finesse
4) Don't avoid conflicts
5) Don't talk for nothing/don't laugh for nothing
6) be a good listener (women love to be listened)
7) Assume responsabilities in case of failure, negative things that happens in life.
8) Compliment her often (on things that you will not notice usually.)
9) Don't avoid time together
10) Having sexual relationships (well an important part lol)
11) When you are pissed off, stay calm but says what you think without exploding.
12 Be the best version of yourself
@@LilianaGarcia-ve7ob you should write a book lol. Seems like you have found the secret formula.
@@TheAaronJP Thanks haha, us women: easy mod.
WE are manipulative, WE are doing comments to tests our men, (i don't do it often, when it IS too much it IS obsessive and childhish. ) WE tests our men reactions to sée if they are Solid or fragile (alpha or beta). As weird as it sounds.
But these days, i don't have much female Friends, they all were too much narcissistics, feminists, mean and weird. So i'm now with just m'y fiancé and i'm happy. I think he IS too. I Guess... I Hope... Thanks if something IS Bad he talk to me about it with finesse. If he IS pissed off (which sometime i like, Yep us women are weird sometimes) but i like it when he IS pissed off and says what he have in his Heart with finesse without exploding. Cause exploding Can be dangerous for me. Im a woman and can't défend m'y self in case of violence.
And lof of women in the west are sad cause they are in couple with beta, who are emotional, fragile, they got mad for nothing they aren't patient. They aren't calm. They can't control négative émotion. They don't assume their mistakes.
And unfortunately lot of men are sad cause of feminisme and the brainwashed génération of women in the west of these days.
I have been lifting for aboutr 25 years. My goal was purely health and fitness. My idea was a good physique was the by-product of good health through exercise. With that idea in mind then, it is a life style with long term goals and benefits. I play the drums, I practice and teach martial arts, weight training was supplimental to my life. Training to failure all the time meant longer recover which also meant I could not perform at my best in my other activities.
Young guys want the results as fast as possible which is fine. I was okay with slower muscle growth since it wasn't my goal in the first place.
Talked too much, i’m confuse!
I workout, retired army 101st airborne, 58 years old, most times I dont count sets, i go for the feeling of my muscle group im working on, i do a PPL routine, for me intensity is the key, I cant knock anyones methods because they know what works best for themselves, i have earned my 2nd degree black belt with 3 state and 2 national titles, ive seen many different workout strategies in my dojo and they all work for that individual, that being said, i listen to advice from anyone, some things ive incorporated into my workouts and some not, we can always learn something for sure , to each their own, respect for all
I hate it when people say only do 45 minutes a day 3 days a week😅😅😅😅😅. Less than 3 hours a week seriously???!!!!!. These prisoners workout all day with crap nutrition and look amazing. I think it’s all trash just workout til you can’t move the muscle no more time under tension to failure. Balls to the wall
I believe you are correct all these prisoners eat is Ramen noodles and whatever the state may give them and it’s trash
I use a high intensity training program the way Mike taught it. I usually increase either weights or reps every single session. But I'm a natural bodybuilder, so that's my training method and it works!
Why do I feel like there's so much conflicting information on the same topics?
Partly because a LOT of people just repeat what they've heard from whatever source, so there's a lot of anecdotal "information" floating around. Much of it is unsound, and much of it contradicts each other.
So you have to figure out who's reliably a source of good information. Then you have to try it for yourself and see if what they're telling you actually _works_ . Along the way, you have to ignore much of what you hear-- especially from social media "influencers" who, let's face it, are just trying to get you to click on their posts so they make money off of you.
As the saying goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. If you're just a regular person trying to stay fit, you don't need to sweat the details. Just put in the work, and try not to hurt yourself. But that doesn't make for engaging content. So influencers over-dramatize it, for the clicks.
Thanks for the vid. I think the two of you make a good team delivering the message and having a discussion along the way. Thanks!