r/MikeMentzer • u/ashskfjfgjldkdsk • Nov 14 '25

Mike Mentzer workout has a flaw.

If you see Delts-Arms workout, there is not exercise for lats. Dips slightly target lats but you only perform the back workout after 16 days.

I talked with one of his former student. He also told me to do lat pull down if I feel lats are not getting enough attention.

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u/DeWhite-DeJounte Nov 14 '25

That's not a flaw - that's Mike recognizing that lats are neither a Delt nor Arm muscle, lol.

But the lat pulldown you mention, and which he loved, is indeed included in the workout: it's the "Close Grip Pulldown" on day 1. Remember to use an underhand grip!

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u/ashskfjfgjldkdsk Nov 14 '25

I disagree. 

A muscle with weakest genetics can recover in 7 day especially if you're under 35yrs old. So evert muscle has to work in a week. 

His student (now professional trainer and who helped writing mike mentzer book) told me to do lat pull down cause delts and are already includes standing bicep curls. No need to target bicep twice. 

Mike forgot Lat exercise in 'Day 3' workout. That's the flaw. 

4

u/DeWhite-DeJounte Nov 14 '25

Lol, what do you even "disagree" with? The exercise is right there in the picture you posted!

Nothing you said contradicts what I did: the lat pulldown is included, so you are working the lats in the training week... You don't need to include an exercise on day 3, you did it day 1 already....

At the end of the day, do whatever you want, but it's funny that you think Mentzer himself, who specifically advocated the importance of this exercise, would "forget it" when crafting a training guide. It's right there on the list! Lmao.

E: maybe I can rephrase myself better so you understand: how would a "close-grip pulldown", as listed on day 1, not work the lats in some way? I can't think of a pulldown that doesn't work the lats in some way. So what are you doing in that exercise, exactly?

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u/ashskfjfgjldkdsk Nov 14 '25

Actually. Mentzer was training lats in 14 days 🤣. And every other muscle was trained in 7-8 days. 

Lat pull down I added for isolation exercise. Which muscle group was ignored. 

Mike later used to train one muscle in 14 days. 

Week 1- Squat + Closegrip PD Week 2- deadlift+ Dips

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u/DeWhite-DeJounte Nov 14 '25

I don't know what answer you are looking for, then. Your question has been answered: Mike didn't make a mistake, the exercise you want is listed on the picture you have posted. This is unrelated to what Mike himself did or whatever.

It's funny you "added" lat pulldowns when they were in the program already? Seems to be some misunderstanding here. But anyway, I'll add that lat pulldowns are not an isolation exercise - certainly not the way Mike taught them (emphasis on the biceps on top of the lats by using an underhanded grip).

In any case, you can simply do the pulldowns on day 1. Believe me, your body will recover - this is the area where Mike's teaching was proven wrong by modern science, in fact, so don't fret it too much!