HighIntensity.net View Mike Mentzer Bodybuilding Topic

by Derek Hardy

Derek: Brice, I would like to start by getting some information on your training experience. More specifically when did you start weight training, what kind of exercise program and what were your results?

Brice: (laughing) Oh god, I have done a ton of things….In the beginning I was about 17 and I was training with my uncle. We basically did a 3 days on one off routine. For example, chest & back on Monday, biceps and triceps on Tuesday and legs on day 3. And we did the traditional exercises flat, incline bench press and dumbbell flys for chest and pull ups and pull downs for back.

Derek: How did that routine work for you?

Brice: It kind of worked a little bit for about the first month and then it just stopped and I stayed the same body weight and strength.

Derek: Ok, did you keep using that routine or what did you do?

Brice: Well since that didn′t work very well I started talking to this real big muscular guy in the gym and he gave me his routine to follow; he told me to work out 5 days a week and alternate body parts. Chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, triceps on Wednesday, biceps on Thursday, legs on Friday and rest Saturday and Sunday.

Derek: What results did you get from that program?

Brice: It didn′t work at all.

Derek: It didn′t work at all, this guy was real big and muscular so he should be an expert?

Brice: No, he wasn′t at all, and I thought he knew what he was talking about because he was incredibly muscular. I can′t [say] any good things about asking the big buffed out guy in the gym for good training advice, that routine was worthless.

Derek: I guess you can call that choosing your parents correctly.

Brice: (Laugh) Yeah, I believe that′s right.

Derek: Since those routines did not work well, what did you do next?

Brice: I was looking through a magazine and I found a routine called "Russian Volume Training" and you do 10 sets of 10 reps each time and Super set those sets. For example- decline bench press Superset with back pull downs again 10 sets of 10 reps each time and that just totally killed me! I only did that for 3 weeks and I realize now I was totally overtrained!

Derek: I think I know but , what were your results? Do you remember how much weight you lost?

Brice: About 5 pounds and I was very thin to begin with–about 152 pounds at the time.

Derek: I agree with you on stopping that volume program. What did you decide to do next?

Brice: I went to a basic 3 times a week routine- Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And I did like the total body, I did 3 sets and that worked a little I gained a little muscle but not a lot.

Derek: Ok, so what made you decide to call Mike Mentzer?

Brice: I was really frustrated with my training results and it wasn′t going anywhere. I thought I could get bigger because at 6 feet tall and 152 pounds I had to at least give Heavy Duty a try. I thought that I have tried just about everything else, [so] I called Mike Mentzer as a last resort.

Derek: Tell us about your experience using Heavy Duty high intensity training.

Brice: With all of the other programs I kind of knew I was overtraining, but all the big guys in the gym told me that you could only look kind of athletic on a 3 day a week program. I read Mike′s articles and I was kind of reluctant once I found out it was only that little amount of training. Because I didn′t think you could gain muscle off of that little (brief) training workout but I tried it.

Derek: That′s interesting what kind of things went through your mind when you called Mike for a phone consultation and he outlined the baseline routine?

Brice: To be totally honest with you…. I thought he was full of crap (laughing). I didn′t think it (Heavy Duty) would work at all.

Derek: What made you try the routine if you thought it was b.s.?

Brice: I thought I have nothing to lose and everything to gain, but I told myself I would only try Mike′s workout for 3 or 4 weeks tops and if it didn′t work , I would then look for something else.

Derek: Reading Mike′s articles convinced you?

Brice: It started with the articles, they were all reasonable, logical and scientific but after I ordered and read his book I began to see the truth. I see now how and why it works. Not only that, I have had great, wonderful results!

Derek: Yes, tell us about your results.

Brice: I followed Mike′s advice and every workout since I keep getting stronger.

Derek: Any lean muscle increase?

Brice: Yes, when I started Heavy Duty I weighed about 151 or 152 pounds and it′s been about 3 and one half months and I now weigh this morning 181 and I′m not fat–it′s muscular weight gain. What has really moved up and increased are my legs, they used to be very , totally skinny legs. I used to be only able to squat 155 pounds for about 7 reps. Now, I can squat 290 pounds for 10 reps and I continue to increase my reps and weight I can lift every time I squat!! I have gone up a lot, big time for me. It seemed crazy, typically for the first 2 and one half months it moved up about 10 pounds every single workout, I mean weight I could lift.

Derek: What workout were you doing?

Brice: Squats, pull downs, dead lift and dips with minimal warm-up. Another thing was that my left knee used to hurt when I was doing other multiple set routines and I went to the doctor and he didn′t know what the problem was. Now it seems crazy but since I′ve been training Heavy Duty style I can lift more weight and my knee stopped hurting. It used to hurt before I tried Heavy Duty so the only logical thing I can explain it with, was that I must of been chronically overusing my joints and muscles. Now I am bigger, stronger, and just as nice, I feel zero pain in my knee.

Derek: That sounds great, I was wondering what your friends and other′s thought when you told them you were going to try Heavy Duty.

Brice: Oh they thought I was crazy, they all said there is no way that will work. Everybody from the big guy in the gym to the guy that worked at GNC, I don′t know if you have GNC out where you live..but they all said it was too much rest, they were all wrong.

Derek: Brice it just occurred to me that if you weighed 152 pounds when you started Heavy Duty, and tell me if I wrote this down correctly, you as of today weigh 181 pounds?

Brice: Yes, you wrote that down correctly.

Derek: That′s 29 pounds in 3 and one half months.. wow! I didn′t realize it was that much.

Brice: Yeah, I can only smile!

Derek: Tell me about your friends′ reactions now?

Brice: Well people that know me and when they see me now are very surprised but mainly my girlfriend, we have been together 2 years and she has been with me every workout and she thinks my body looks 100 percent better. She loves the muscle I have packed on and loves that my legs are no longer skinny.

Derek: Yeah, I′ve heard that before, tell us about nutrition are you using any special supplements?

Brice: Not really I just eat a balanced diet, I do eat a little more protein but that′s basically it.

Derek: I know some people want to know if your using steroids?

Brice: Laugh, My girlfriend would kill me, and I don′t want that. I think if I was going to use them I think I most likely would have when I was frustrated with no progress with other routines like "THE RUSSIAN VOLUME TRAINING". I have decided to stay completely all natural and that is why I kept searching for an exercise routine that works and I found and tried Heavy Duty and it has worked incredibly for me! I also know that I′m totally healthy without any possible health risks. I only take a multi-vitamin and really watch my diet but I really think it′s the correct training that gave the biggest results. Actually I know it′s the training routine because I followed a great diet with other exercise routines and I did not get the great results that I′m getting from HEAVY DUTY.

Derek: What about your family what do they think?

Brice: My dad thinks I am getting big and my Grandmother say′s I′m now big enough and thinks I might be getting too much muscle (laugh). Think about it like this, can you imagine a Grandmother watch her grandson gain about 30 pounds of muscle in a few months, that could be a little shocking for a person especially if in all their years they never saw something like that. What I mean is that she has always seen me at a certain bodyweight and now I′m 30 pounds of muscle bigger and still growing! She tells me that she doesn′t want me to get as big as "One of those bodybuilders", although I′m still gaining and could be able to build another 20-30 pounds of muscle on my frame so I could build a body that could go in that direction. It′s hard to explain it to her, I live with my Grandparents and every time I get a comment I know that I′m getting bigger; my Grandmother is funny and I love her I think she′s starting to understand and get used to my new outward appearance with added muscle.

Derek: Brice, I would like to thank you for the interview and I was wondering if I could post your number so if anyone who reads this has any doubts, or may think this is a phony interview they can call and hear it from you.

Brice: Sure, anyone who wants to call me, I′m on midwestern time. Call me about 3 pm west coast time at (303) 443-0377 that would be the best chance of reaching me. Please no late night calls, thank you.

Derek: Thanks again for your time Brice. I look to follow up and get an update in the future, and wishing you continued Heavy Duty success.

© 1997, Mike Mentzer Co

Great post!
We need more posts of this kind.
Thanks a lot!

wonder if anyone has called the number, lol. Great post

there is also an interview with another of mikes client… here it is:

Mike Mentzer Happiest Client!

by Derek Hardy

I would like to preface this interview first by thanking Ali Ahadpour for his testimonial. I found Ali′s story similar to mine and I hope some readers will not have to waste years marathon weight training, before trusting the reasoning power of their mind and have full confidence in Heavy Duty training.

Derek: Ali, please let our readers know about what kind of training you have been doing up until 3 months ago.

Ali: My background in training started about 8 years ago when I was 15 years old. Ever since I started I′ve tried every single program you could purchase, for example Innervation training, Body Contract-Duchaine′s, Arnolds, Weider, POF, Periodization, non Periodization, Pyramid system, 5 x 10, 3 x 10 ……. need I go on?

Derek: I get your point. What kind of results did you get from your use of those prior mentioned training systems.

Ali: I really had nothing to show for my results, I basically looked the same. You couldn′t tell the difference between me and someone who did not lift weights.

Derek: What made you decide to try Heavy Duty?

Ali: I saw an ad for Mike Mentzer′s Heavy Duty training and then I read some of his articles and it made perfect sense to me. I placed an order for his book and video.

Derek: Tell us about your results.

Ali: Since I started 3 months ago I have gained 23 pounds of muscle, I look like I just went through a complete physical metamorphosis! I don′t know what my exact body fat percentage was when I started with Mike′s training. All I know is my waist size has gone down 2 inches from a 34 to a 32 inch waist and now that I have more muscle I eat more calories because my metabolism has increased.

Derek: What about your strength?

Ali: Strength increases have been phenomenal, going up on major multi-joint exercises like squats, deadlifts and dips anywhere between 35 to 50 percent increases. As Mike pointed out with strength increases so will muscle size.

Derek: What was your initial reaction when Mike first outlined the Heavy Duty workout?

Ali: My reaction was no way, no way this can work. It flies against all quote un-quote conventional wisdom that you′re taught, you know you have to work out and got to be constantly in the gym. I thought oh no, I′ll probably atrophy even the small amount of muscle I have. I was totally wrong about that I never knew the amount of muscle gains I was capable of achieving.

Derek: So, basically would you say you were afraid, kind of a fear that…

Ali: Yeah! Definitely afraid, and even.. this is a fear… even the very little muscular development I had but even then I was thinking; I′m going to lose everything that I worked so hard for 7 years which was very minimal or miniscule to say the very least and I thought I was going to lose that by trying this radical system. But I was severely mistaken, all this time I really was, believe it or not overtraining. I wouldn′t believe it or I didn′t want to believe it. Now I see that this is exactly how much time it takes for the body to recover from high intensity training stress. I have definitely been mistaken all along.

Derek: Before you changed over to Heavy Duty had you ever heard about it? While you were trying all these other programs?

Ali: I had heard about it in passing I had read some books referring to Arthur Jones and the Nautilus phenomenon and certain body builders like Mike Mentzer and Casey Viator who utilized short high intensity training. I really didn′t give it that much thought. I just figured that this is like anything else in the world, you just model what the majority of the top bodybuilders said to do–ultra marathon routines. Like 20 sets per body part stuff like that, I figured it was just like any other aspect of life you just model them and get the results. I was really mistaken because obviously these top pro bodybuilders are on every type of anabolic in existence using outrageous quantities and this I′ve learned greatly enhances recovery ability. Getting back to your question yeah, I heard about it (Heavy Duty) before but it didn′t really start to click in until I read Mike Mentzer′s book and really understanding what he was saying.

Derek: What kind of advice would you give to others that are in the position you were in before you switched over to Heavy Duty. Most everybody seems to be training multiple sets and days. Maybe they are afraid, have some fear or are skeptical even though they see Dorian Yates uses this program and he was Mr. Olympia.

Ali: Unless they′re taking steroids and growth hormone they′re all in my shoes and I guarantee you I used to work out with them every day in the gym, and they were just like me–miniscule results. I mean it just seems futile why put in so much time, effort, money, gym membership, supplements and buying every program with nothing in return? When you look the same from year in to year out and you′re putting this much time in it′s just insane. It′s insane to keep doing the same thing and expect to get different results. You′re going to have to try something different like Heavy Duty to get different results. And before they even think about anabolic steroids which came to my mind you know it′s like anything if you are not going to see some progress you′ll do whatever it takes, that′s the mentality. I′m saying before you even look to anabolic steroids or to the next ultra marathon routine by joe blow bodybuilder, I say just give Mike′s program a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, I thought I was your typical "hardgainer" that was the label I gave myself. Now I see that was wrong. I was just using the wrong training systems. I′m telling everyone before they even think about… In my opinion you can even make better results on Heavy Duty than you can using steroids, I know quite a few people who told me they′ve used steroids and none of them have even come close to the results I have achieved. Just by using a very simple, concise and scientific approach.

Derek: How about your friends, what has been their reaction?

Ali: My girlfriend loves it, she can′t get over it because basically her boyfriend now has an amazing body. All my other friends [are] as impressed we′ll go out and … sometimes I′ll now be bigger than the bouncer.

Derek: And what does your girlfriend think of now having more time available for her.

Ali: Oh much better! I mean obviously I already have time constraints as it is. I′m sure everyone else does. At the very least not only all the results you get using Heavy Duty, how would you like to get these amazing results at 10 minutes a workout? It′s amazing and again I′m not doing any aerobic activity, I have much more time for her and for school. That′s the other thing–my school grades have improved because now I feel so much better I can study and I′m no longer tired from marathon training.

Derek: Well that pretty much covers it. Is there anything you would like to add.

Ali: All I can say is before you waste any more time, money, etc. I just ask you to try Heavy Duty–Mike Mentzer′s routine that you′ve heard about a lot, give it an honest try and you will get progress immediately work out to work out. Look at the results I and others have achieved and I have no doubt that it works.

I would like to thank Ali Ahadpour again for this candid unrehearsed interview. I found him to be honest, intelligent and articulate. He mentioned to me after the interview that he was a little bit mad because he spent so many wasted years with nothing to show for results, before he was willing to trust his mind and use Heavy Duty protocol. Well I can′t say he′s the only one, many very successful and very intelligent people have been duped to workout multiple days and sets including yours truly. The important thing is when you make the switch to Heavy Duty you have one less problem to rack your brain with. When you switch to Heavy Duty you will have much more muscle and time allowinq the freedom to become a more productive individual and enrich all areas of life.

Lorenz26
Wow! that is an incredible story.
Any one else have anything from mike′s old clients.
This kills another myth that the anti-hit boys had when they would say that they never hear from Mike′s clients. Factually Mike would let his phone clients put in a phone number so anyone could call and verify the facts of the story.
Bob