Metzner Routine

[rykertest]

Well I am close to 4 weeks on this new routine, a mike metzner one and I must say I REALLY like it. I work out every 3 days, and I am really trying to push myself hard on that one set to failure. I warm up with 2 sets per excercise, and stretch really good, then blast away.

I'll admit I had a bit of a hard time with the intensity the first 2 workouts. But I really pushed myself since then and man, when I got to real, undeniable failure, I had help to get one more rep. I'm ashamed to say it but I really have never taken it that far.

I've had some shoulder issues but thats not the workout. I think that I like it not for it's intensity, but for how it's a change from the normal routine crap, and with my busy schedule it's a great way to get a good workout but not live in the gym.

I do legs tomorrow and if it's anything like last time, I'll be wobbly kneed about 3PM tomorrow.

Give mikes style a chance. It's an eye opener.

 

[Mavafanculo]

Ironman Mag has a feature section every month on metzners workout theory and application. I've incorporated alot of metzner/darden/jones into my workouts

 

[rykertest]

Ironman Mag has a feature section every month on metzners workout theory and application. I've incorporated alot of metzner/darden/jones into my workouts

I will take a look at that. The intensity level was a gut check for me. I realized I wasn't near as hardcore over the past few years as I thought I was. lol. But I'm always learning.

He has a lot of philisophical stuff in his writings, but his workout stuff is what interests me.

 

[SofaGeorge]

How does Mike's HIT differ from DC training and a few of the other HIT proponents.

I used to see Mike every day at the gym. Truthfully, it was kind of tragic. I saw him every day for years and year... and he always looked like crap. He worked as a personal trainer... and I never saw him working with anyone of significance... just out of shape business people that came to the gym. Mike's clients always started out looking like crap... and 6 months to a year later they still always looked like crap.

I could never get a feeling for his training theories watching him because for years he didn't work out at all... and when he did train or train others... there never seemed to be much intensity to it. Nothing ever stood out.

I am not throwing this out to in anyway disrespect what you are doing. I have a lot of respect for HIT and DC training... and I have seen people do very very well on it. I was just always mystified why Mentzer, pretty much the most vocal proponent of his training style, couldn't realize the benefits of his own theories more.

There are several walls of pictures at Gold's Venice... all the Mr. O's... the Ms. O's... stuff like that... and all through the '90s there was a line of pictures from the Mr. Americas... going back to the first one. All of them had their picture up... except Mike. When you came to his year... there was an empty spot where his picture would have gone. It was one of those things that was VERY conspicuous. The managers at Gold's didn't just rearrange the years... they left the gap there.

I don't know if it was the controversial judging from the 1981 contest or what... but Mike carried a tremendous amount of hurt and bitterness. His was not a happy life.

 

[rykertest]

How does Mike's HIT differ from DC training and a few of the other HIT proponents.

I used to see Mike every day at the gym. Truthfully, it was kind of tragic. I saw him every day for years and year... and he always looked like crap. He worked as a personal trainer... and I never saw him working with anyone of significance... just out of shape business people that came to the gym. Mike's clients always started out looking like crap... and 6 months to a year later they still always looked like crap.

I could never get a feeling for his training theories watching him because for years he didn't work out at all... and when he did train or train others... there never seemed to be much intensity to it. Nothing ever stood out.

I am not throwing this out to in anyway disrespect what you are doing. I have a lot of respect for HIT and DC training... and I have seen people do very very well on it. I was just always mystified why Mentzer, pretty much the most vocal proponent of his training style, couldn't realize the benefits of his own theories more.

There are several walls of pictures at Gold's Venice... all the Mr. O's... the Ms. O's... stuff like that... and all through the '90s there was a line of pictures from the Mr. Americas... going back to the first one. All of them had their picture up... except Mike. When you came to his year... there was an empty spot where his picture would have gone. It was one of those things that was VERY conspicuous. The managers at Gold's didn't just rearrange the years... they left the gap there.

I don't know if it was the controversial judging from the 1981 contest or what... but Mike carried a tremendous amount of hurt and bitterness. His was not a happy life.

While I don't know for sure but my theory on that subject has to do with mikes mental issues. Everything I read about him always seem to mention issues he had with mental illness and bi polar issues. I know the controversy in 81 did affect him greatly so he has said, and I would imagine that impacted it as well. Mikes writings deal with HIT yes, but alot of it has to do with philisophy and such, and it seems he was always searching. Again this is just my own opinion on this but he may of never found anything he felt completed him. He also had heart problems in the last few years of his life so he may of been limited in his ability to workout. There was also amphetamine use rumored, a mental breakdown rumored and he was in fact put into a mental institution more than a few times (not rumored). I think the last decade of his life was a slow spiral downward, and thats unfortunate. Towards the end he was just making a living I suppose. The above is again just my opinion but it's all very sad.

 

[SofaGeorge]

While I don't know for sure but my theory on that subject has to do with mikes mental issues. Everything I read about him always seem to mention issues he had with mental illness and bi polar issues. I know the controversy in 81 did affect him greatly so he has said, and I would imagine that impacted it as well. Mikes writings deal with HIT yes, but alot of it has to do with philisophy and such, and it seems he was always searching. Again this is just my own opinion on this but he may of never found anything he felt completed him. He also had heart problems in the last few years of his life so he may of been limited in his ability to workout. There was also amphetamine use rumored, a mental breakdown rumored and he was in fact put into a mental institution more than a few times (not rumored). I think the last decade of his life was a slow spiral downward, and thats unfortunate. Towards the end he was just making a living I suppose. The above is again just my opinion but it's all very sad.

Unfortunately, pretty much all I saw of Mike was the last decade of his life. He died a year or two after I left Gold's. I never saw him behave in any way that indicated mental illness or an unstable personality... but there were a lot of stories floating around the gym of his having gone off the deep end a few times. I never really got an accurate telling of the stories... even though they were being retold by people who were physically there when they happened... because people tended to keep their talk about Mike short. Some things about running naked through the gym... drugs... directing traffic naked. There was never a difinitive story... just a mish mash of nuttiness. The people at the gym were there to work out... and yes we all gossiped or talked between sets... but with Mike there was just such an underlying feeling of a tragic and broken life that people tended to not want to talk about the past problems much. Lots of the people at the gym were friends... many of the old time lifters had known each other and been training at the club for 30 to 40 years... so it could be a pretty tight crowd that had a lot of history together... and everybody talks to each other... says hi or whatever. Mike was always an island alone. He didn't seem to have many friends... never seemed to take part in the comrraderie. He'd just focus on his clients... and other than that it always felt like he was alone in the gym.

I think that is why people tended to not talk much about him except in the occasional whisper. It was sad just to see him.

 

[rykertest]

Unfortunately, pretty much all I saw of Mike was the last decade of his life. He died a year or two after I left Gold's. I never saw him behave in any way that indicated mental illness or an unstable personality... but there were a lot of stories floating around the gym of his having gone off the deep end a few times. I never really got an accurate telling of the stories... even though they were being retold by people who were physically there when they happened... because people tended to keep their talk about Mike short. Some things about running naked through the gym... drugs... directing traffic naked. There was never a difinitive story... just a mish mash of nuttiness. The people at the gym were there to work out... and yes we all gossiped or talked between sets... but with Mike there was just such an underlying feeling of a tragic and broken life that people tended to not want to talk about the past problems much. Lots of the people at the gym were friends... many of the old time lifters had known each other and been training at the club for 30 to 40 years... so it could be a pretty tight crowd that had a lot of history together... and everybody talks to each other... says hi or whatever. Mike was always an island alone. He didn't seem to have many friends... never seemed to take part in the comrraderie. He'd just focus on his clients... and other than that it always felt like he was alone in the gym.

I think that is why people tended to not talk much about him except in the occasional whisper. It was sad just to see him.

That is too bad because I have always read that he was a really nice guy, very genuine. I wonder if the bodybuilding community didn't want to address mike because he got ripped on the mr. o All that talk about a fixed contest....maybe mike felt betrayed by bodybuilding and just wanted to make a living and go home? Who knows really. I just know that I like his idea on HIT and while I am still new to his approach, it really seems to fit me and my life well and for that I am thankful. It's taught/is teaching me what true intensity and failure is. I guess better late than never. I like how I get to workout hard but still have time for my family. For that I can't thank him enough.

 

[searay]

mike had very good genetics in his prime and could have worked out any way he wanted and had great results. from one of his articles ive read that he did 3 full body workouts a week using aurther jones theries. he found over time that doing less yeilded faster results and took it to the extreme working each body part as little as once per month. i read about a study that people on very low calorie diets, as little as 1200 calories a day, lost weight and gained muscle working 1 body part once per month with one workout per week. i think this is how mike would prepare for a contest, very low calorie diet and very infrequent workouts. as far as the olympia he lost i have no idea as to the details but i have read many times that mike was very anti establishment and was always fighting against the powers to be. it was a shame that he let things get out of control with his life the way it did.