Rating: 
Summary: Good book for all who wants to train the right way
Review: This book is really good. Mike Mentzer explains his theory of HIT by using 7 basic principles:
Identity, Intensity, Frequency, Duration, Specificity, Adaptation, and Progression.Then he derives the right methods to train using these basic principles. He gives excellent information on how to train and when.
The motivation and exercise selection chapters are really good. Even though the theory is little long, you can flip through it first, and then read them again and again when you find time. Once understood properly, his principles are simple and good, thus easy to follow.
One drawback is, no food or nuitrition information is given. Other than this, this book is an excellent buy.
Rating: 
Summary: Machismo Trure
Review: This book opens up for the laymen and bodybuilding freaks but is against the principle of individual differences.Steroid using bodybuilders may acheive progress but think abouit the average natural gym folk.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is the best book on bodybuilding that I've read. Dorian Yates, arguably the best bodybuilder in history, was influenced by Mike Mentzer. Mentzer (and Yates also) stress doing fewer sets per exercise / body part but with maximum intensity. Also, he stresses the importance of leaving more time for recovery and only working each muscle group once every 5 or 6 days. This actually goes against the arbitrary beliefs and practices of many traditional bodybuilders who trained each muscle group two or even three times a week and did many sets for each exercise. The book explains everything you need to know and is well written.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is the best book on bodybuilding that I've read. Dorian Yates, arguably the best bodybuilder in history, was influenced by Mike Mentzer. Mentzer (and Yates also) stress doing fewer sets per exercise / body part but with maximum intensity. Also, he stresses the importance of leaving more time for recovery and only working each muscle group once every 5 or 6 days. This actually goes against the arbitrary beliefs and practices of many traditional bodybuilders who trained each muscle group two or even three times a week and did many sets for each exercise. The book explains everything you need to know and is well written.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing!
Review: This is the only bodybuilding book you will ever need! As I read this book I decided to highlight the most interesting areas and at the end I had highlighted almost the entire book! I have read at least 1,000 pages on bodybuiding and nutrition and what I read out of Mike Mentzer's book was more interesting and factual than all the other books I have read. After reading this book I decided to give it my all and after only 5 months of training I had gained 1 1/8 inches on my arms, almost 1 inch on my forearms, 3 inches on my chest and back, 1 3/8 inches on my neck, a loss of 1/2 inch on my waist, a 1 3/4 inch gain on my upper and lower thighs, and a 3/4 inch gain on my calves. This is truly remarkable and I urge anyone who wants to gain a lot muscle quickly, give Heavy Duty a try; what do you have to lose?
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing!
Review: This is the only bodybuilding book you will ever need! As I read this book I decided to highlight the most interesting areas and at the end I had highlighted almost the entire book! I have read at least 1,000 pages on bodybuiding and nutrition and what I read out of Mike Mentzer's book was more interesting and factual than all the other books I have read. After reading this book I decided to give it my all and after only 5 months of training I had gained 1 1/8 inches on my arms, almost 1 inch on my forearms, 3 inches on my chest and back, 1 3/8 inches on my neck, a loss of 1/2 inch on my waist, a 1 3/4 inch gain on my upper and lower thighs, and a 3/4 inch gain on my calves. This is truly remarkable and I urge anyone who wants to gain a lot muscle quickly, give Heavy Duty a try; what do you have to lose?
Rating:
Summary: The most logical training method I have practiced
Review: When I started to lift weights I experienced progress only the first year with a routine of one and a half hour training Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but after that year I had no progress and my trainer recommend me to train two hours daily and I still had no progress. I spent another year doing this routine with no gains. Then once I was viewing pages about training I saw a brief introduction to High Intensity Training that seems insteresting. After that I investigate more about this and bought the book. The High Intensity Training theory of Mike Mentzer seems to me the most logical approach to bodybuilding and it has helped me to increase my strength and muscle mass training in a month only four two five sessions that last half an hour each one. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good training method.
Rating: 
Summary: Mentzer: The Good, The Bad and Not so Good!
Review: Without a doubt, Mike Mentzer was one of the most intelligent bodybuilders to ever grace the bodybuilding platform....and one of the most controversial. My comments from first meeting Mike 34 years ago in Norristown, Pa. where he won the AAU Mr. Pennsylvania......
At first, Mike was very congenial. Came across like a really nice guy and he was. He would get a little perturbed if you talked too much about bodybuilding and God help you if you mentioned that dirty 6 letter word: ARNOLD!
From first sight it was obvious that here was future world beater. At 19 he was already one of the best in the world. Interesting though, back in 1971, Mike said his gains came as a result of high volume training, superior genetics and steriods.
After finishing 10th in that years AAU Mr. America and getting ripped off with a 2nd place in the AAU Teenage Mr. America in 1971, Mike all but disappeared from competition. I ran into Mike again in 1973 at the AAU Mr. World in Harrisburg where Mike was a spectator not a contestant.
In 1975 Mike reappeared as a contestant in the IFBB Mr. America and Mr. USA contests. He did well placing 3rd and 2nd respectively. Not bad after a 4 year layoff. In 1976 Mike swept the IFBB Mr. America and lost in a controversial contest, the 1976 IFBB Mr. Universe to Robby Robinson.
Now however, Mike who most had either forgotten or never heard of was touting the HD (heavy duty) system which was obviously another version of the Arthur Jones Nautilus program. It seemed that Mike was about to do what Arthur Jones had done; take a system that was all but forgotten and take an unknown bodybuilder (Jones used Casey Viator, Mike used himself) to promote the system.
And it became obvious why the hatred that Mike had for Arnold was so strong. Arnold had written a series of articles in Weiders magazine as an expose on nautilus and why it didn't work. Arnold had also said some nasty things about Mentzers hero Arthur Jones.
The fact is that Mentzer like Viator before him was a product of high volume training. Top bodybuilders who trained with Mentzer at Golds Gym circa 1977-1980 said that Mentzer trained the way most bodybuilders did although he would in the off season work heavy with the hit system.
Outside of bodybuilding, Mentzer was a big fan of Frederick Neitze and Ann Rahn. He was an avid reader and encouraged everyone he came into contact with to not be one dimensonial with bodybuilding. That is good advice.
Mentzer was a good looking guy, but to say that he was the first or best looking? C'mon? Did you guys forget about Steve Reeves? Arnold? Serge Nubret? Frank Zane?
There have also been some crazy stories about Mike like streaking naked as a jaybird in LA, CA after he heard of his fathers passing and supposedly showing up in Lake Helen, Fl outside of Arthur Jones home with a cab driver calling Jones at his gate and saying that he has a passenger named Mike Mentzer who claims to be Jones son and is demanding that Jones pay the cab fare from Orlando of $50.
And of course there was the 1980 Mr. Olympia in Australia where Mike came in 5th but thought he should have won. I recall talking with Mike in 1977 about Arnold vs Sergio. Mike though Sergio was the best and got ripped off. I said that Sergio was lucky to beat Arnold in the 1969 Mr. Olympia. Mike's demeanor quickly changed and he became enraged. "Where you there?" he shouted! Yes I was I shouted back and I repeat, it was close in 1969 but...you didn't let me finish, It was all Arnold in 1970 and 1972. Size alone is not enough, even if you lean and tight.
Mike showed up in Sydney, Australia much like his hero Sergio showed up in New York in 1970 and in Germany in 1972--way too big and out of symetry. After lambasting Arnold for all of those years, Mike competed with the man and got beat. Chris Dickerson @ 180 lbs also beat him. So did Frank Zane and so did Boyer Coe.
Mentzers comments were classic Mentzer:
Boyer Coe should have won because he was in the best shape of his life! Oh really? What if Joe Weider would have entered and was in the best shape of his life, should he have won? Mike then asked Reg Park what he could do to improve. Park told Mike that he was too big. Mike just shook his head and complained about hearing this from a man who was once known for his size. Mike didn't get it. Size is great, but you have to be in proportion as well. Like Sergio before him, Mike had entered into that freakish stage. He had taken the grotesque to an extreme and was losing his natural lines.
I liked some things about Mentzer. He had ungodly potential. Probably as much or more potential than Lou Ferrigno or Sergio and way better potential than Arnold ever had. Regrettably, he never reach his potential. And he was a nice guy, but don't you dare disagree with him!
His training system is okay if used carefully. It will build size and gets you out of the gym fast. But is size all that matters? And size with muscularity that equals freak is not the end either. Remember, Steve Reeves and Frank Zane and Chris Dickerson and Mohamed Makkawy all defeated men much larger than them. Arnold beat Sergio three times based on balance and symetry. Larry Scott also beat Sergio even though Scott was smaller than Oliva.
Mentzer: The Good, The Bad, and Not so Good-- RIP MIKE!
Rating:
Summary: In the end, it doesn't really matter.
Review: Yes, Mentzer's way is more efficient, with shorter workouts and longer time off, but the results soon plateau,(as with -any- method), and this way is really difficult to tough out during those times. Many trainees have had great strength improvement without the muscle they hoped for, and of course , Mike was on steroids when he looked good. Athletes will still have to spend tons of time on metabolic conditioning,(strength-endurance). So: It's not the best for building tissue, not the best for plateau jumping, not the best for athletes, and (although good for strength), not explosive, so not good for strength in competitive lifts. What is it good for? : A 'shot in the arm' for guys are screwed up from over-training,(Mentzer is the product of much volume before discovering this method). and guys without much time. Any system properly executed will keep injuries to a minimum, BUT it's worthwhile to note that Dorian Yates is probably the most injured top physique star ever. If the top exponent of a method can't keep form well enough to avoid injury, can you?
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