HighIntensity.net View Mike Mentzer Bodybuilding Topic

Hi Guys,

I thought I′d post a clearer log, along with tonight′s latest progression – I′m still huffing and puffing after this workout…

April 4th, 2007:
Slight caloric deficit, increased definition – because of planned vacation next Friday… Can′t wait to see what would happen with positive intake. Weight has stayed the same, varying b/w 194-191 in morning.

Tonights′ workout:
Barbell Squats, below parallel: 315 * 10

Hammer pulldowns (pin and stack – tougher version): 300 x 5! Got a spot to bring the weight up on the 6th rep to complete a 20 second negative… awesome pump in my lats, forearms and biceps – no straps.

Dips, bodyweight + 100lbs x 5, followed by 10-12 second negative. Tried to do partials following negative, but I couldn′t even move up, so it ended up being a 3 position static… Intense.

I′m so happy to see that pulldowns are moving this week! Don′t know what to do when I get to 10 reps… Go to weighted pull ups?

Took a five minute break, grabbed some water, and I′ve been wanting to see if there is carry-over from Hammer deads to Barbell deads. Even after squats, pull downs, dips to failure, I was able to pull 405 x 2 easy reps, and stopped it there. Don′t want the enthusiasm to get the best of me…
So much for saying that machines are MUCH easier. I strongly suggest that people who have access to the Hammer Dead machine consider doing their training on that apparatus – for both safety(spinal) and knowing mentally that you don′t have to worry so much about form, because you are forced into a perfect groove with the handles parallel to your side, just like a trap bar.
I′m satisfied in knowing that Hammer Deads serve as a perfect replacement to the freeweight version. My torso is freakishly long vs my legs – which makes the bar the devil′s tool for my lower back.

March 30th
Hammer deads: 450lbs x 5, 1 forced rep.
Hammer Plate-Loaded Military Press: 320lbs x 3, 1 forced rep. Too low for reps, so I took off 20 and kept going for 3 more good reps.
Calf Press: 810 x 12, 2 forced reps.

Friday, March 23:
Squats, below parallel: 315lbs x 8
Hammer pulldowns (weight stacks and pin version): 300 x 3, 280 x 2 + 1 10 second static hold
Dips: Negative only, bodyweight +135lbs x 6 reps (6-8 second negatives)

Workout, Friday March 16
Hammer Deads: 430 x 5
Hammer Military: 300lbs x 5, 2 forced reps and 2 12second negatives
Calf press: 810 x 10, static hold on last rep for about 10 seconds.
IŒve been feeling like hell b/c thereŒs a bad flu going around, and still fighting it off. But, I still was able to improve this week over last.

March 9th, 2007
Barbell Squat, ass to calves:295lbs x 7 –
Tried to do eight, but I could feel my form wasnŒt so hot on the last one, so I opted for a slow negative. I mistakenly thought that my previous workout was 275!!!! So, this means I went from 255×12, to 295 x 7 reps! I couldnŒt believe it when I racked it. This is fantastic. IŒve done 455 to almost parallel, but nothing beats going all the way down; IŒve learned to check my ego at the door. People ask me, why all the way down? Easy, itŒs a good way to really gauge progress, because going to parallel is often misleading, especially if you train alone as I do. By having a measurable spot to touch with your hams (calves) you can be sure youŒre going as deep as you did last time, without tricking yourself into false progression.

Hammer Pull downs (pin and stack version):
300lbs x 3, 4/2/4 cadence! Too heavy to keep going, so, quick pin change and did 280×3 perfect reps. Did 2 rest pause reps at 280. Moved right away into…

Dips, body + 100lbs:
3 perfect 4/2/4 reps, with 100. Took off 10lbs, and did body + 90lbs x 2. Immediately did negatives only for 3 @ approx 7-8 seconds each negative – couldnŒt control last half of the negative.
W/out rest, went back to Row and tried one static hold with 300lbs, but I could only get half way, so I gave up for today. ItŒs hard to train alone and overeach… wanted to ensure I taxed myself enough.

March 3, 2007
Hammer Deads:
410 x 7. couldnŒt budge it from the floor on the last attempt.
Hammer Military presses (plate-loaded) :290 x 6, 3 rest pause (but only half way on 2 of the attemptsc)
Felt great, and so, before I started stripping off the plates, my enthusiasm got the best of me, and I decided to try 430lbs on the dead, for 2 reps!!!!
Calf press:
18 plates (810lbs), x 10, last rep had a 12 second negative. Should warm up calves more next time, to get more out of themc wasnft feeling them so much.

February 25th, 2007
Squats, past parallel: 255 x 12 – felt incredibly light. I know this is relatively light, given the fact that I didnŒt do Leg press beforehand, but, I didnŒt want to over do it, as I am still fragile from my flu.
no rest
Hammer PULL downs (stack and pin version): 280 x 7 – this is a personal best, at 4/1/4 cadence
Dips (bodyweight + 90lbs) x 7, last rep had a negative of 12 seconds.

Dan: Awesome progress. That sounds like the progress I have achieved lately. I really feel that bombing the body with ultra intensity variables is the key to excellent gains in both strength and size. Consolidation is great for this. KEEP IT UP, BUDDY.

I agree with your noting that the deadlift with the bar is much harder. I am going to cease them all together for awhile and alternate shrugs and calf raises between the two workouts I do. My routine has changed a bit, because a deadlift injured my back (felt like a strain/pinched nerve with my 3rd rep of 484). I am doing incline bench/leg press/shrug squat/pulldown/standing calf now. I have room for one more 45 pound plate on the seated calf, but I am sure I will end up in a position where I can not add weight. I have 110 pounds to go before I max our leg press out too, then I will see if I can leg press nearly 1,000 for 20 reps, lol. I don′t know if you saw in the other thread or not, but try subbing leg curl/shrug for your deadlifts every 3rd or 4th time through. I wish I would have done that.

I also added the rest pause set in there with upper body work, and I am trying to pause in 2-3 places in the negative of those sets. I can′t believe how my arms look better without arm work. I wish I had access to hammer stuff, but alas, I do not.

Your progress with static holds is interesting. I have really been meaning to try them out. They seem to be best for the last rep of the set instead of by themselves. However rest pause is really brutal, especially after a set to failure.

I am in a pretty large calorie deficit, on pace to loose around 3 pounds a week, and am still gaining. After experimentation, I can say that this is my favorite workout plan. I know you will do real well with it. If a natural guy responds well, it is a legal anabolic for him. I truly feel sorry for those that went unaffected.

Expert, thanks for the encouragement. Things are going well for you too… Good.

smanjh,

You are one persistent guy. I remember your older posts a few years ago… You′ve really progressed up the ladder so to speak in terms of strength and size with this routine. Too bad about the Deads – that is why I am doing them on HammerStrength now… I′ll take your advice about subbing in some exercises in order to keep recovery and progress positively charged.

Isn′t this shit amazing? Even on lower cals, progress is there. This is a natural anabolic!

Dan

Persistent, lol. I tried all sorts of things, from sky high volume to ultra consolidated. Ultra volume worked like magic for my first six months of training. Then it quit working, and I took gear for 6 weeks. Man, I was an ultra responder to that stuff. Gains like you would not believe. Never again though, as to keep your gains from it, you have to keep using. I gave the rest of my cycle to my steroid using police friend, lol.

Anyway, I learned about Mike, and gained 8 lean pounds in one month from his ideal routine, and 4 pounds of fat. Then I read Darden′s book and tried that starvation diet he reccomended, along with whole body workouts, which ended up being the ideal routine again. Then I did some light weight workouts, which were useless, then went back to HD.

I had starved myself down to 208 pounds, the lightest I have ever been. Man I had that ethipian look going on, lol. Then I did Bill Starr 5×5 for a few months, and it worked alright. Then I decided to ride the consolidated routine until it gave out on gains. Well I did deadlifts on the low setting of the power rack (seemed safer) wher the bar was about 3 inches from the ground, and the other three exercises. I peaked out at 291. However it was like the time I used juice, which I hit 310 pounds, lol. However there was less fat on me.

Then I tried DC training. It probably works really well, but I am trying to reach a lean 235-245, and leaning up is not that programs strong point because the workouts are super demanding. In truth, I think Mike′s consolidated routine would work better for me at any juncture-DC′s program overtrained me.

Now I am going back to this amazing program, lol. Mega High Intensity training is what I call it, as there is no way in hell a workout of 4 sets like I did today should make me feel sick when loads of volume and 5×5 never did.

On that note, I found upper body progress to diminish rather quickly. I had to switch excercises at month three because I ceased making progress on the pull down and dips.So I did DB Presses and rows. I ended up rowing and pressing the 120′s. The rows were especially shocking, as I have never been good at them. After I did like 120, I decided to see how many sets of 5 I could get, and I could do 5×5, which amazed me considering how HD is supposed to give nueral gains. Any way, I ended up being able to make the heaviest set of dumbells in my gym my bitch. So no more dumbell stuff for me until I find a place with heavier ones.

Moral of the story is, HD makes perfect, logical sense.In our applications it obviously works, so to hell with those that try to tell us otherwise. I think other training methods most certaintly do work, and they would work for me if my schedule was not what it was. However I think Mike was probably the smarted theorists that ever put together a training program. He was willing to tailer it to individual trainees and not the chemically gifted.

Jesse