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The Boise Experiment: Testing Mike Mentzer's Heavy Duty Workout
By Paul Becker
In 2010, two gym buddies and bloggers challenged themselves to gain as much muscle or lose as much fat as possible using just nine workouts over two months. Impossible to see results with that little training?
Not quite.
The Boise Experiment was based on the Heavy Duty principles of late bodybuilding legend Mike Mentzer, and the program worked!
One of the lifters, RonnieB, gained more than 20 pounds of muscle, while the other, BigAndy, slashed his bodyfat by 7%.
Not too shabby!
If you read through the Boise blog, though, you’ll see that BigAndy and RonnieB worked out in a well-equipped commercial gym.
Many of us work out at home, or ASPIRE to workout at home, so what about us? Can we put together a home gym that will allow us to replicate the Boise Experiment?
It would be a challenge to match the Boise guys piece-for-piece, but we should be able to come pretty close with a little creativity.
Below are the exercises and associated pieces of equipment that were used in Boise, along with possible alternatives that can make your home set-up more affordable.
The good news is that the swap-outs are all nearly as productive as their more expensive counterparts.
Workout 1: Chest and Back
Pec-Deck Flyes
The pec-deck exercise is a flye-type movement done on a machine.
You could get nearly the same results doing a simple dumbbell flye on a bench as an alternate exercise.
Incline Press
Incline presses target the chest and can be done using an adjustable bench and either dumbbells or a loaded barbell.
A more expensive alternative is a machine like the Hammer Strength Incline Press, which the Boise guys also used.
Nautilus Pullovers
The pullover machine was one of Arthur Jones’ biggest hits with Nautilus, and the Boise Experiment made use of one, too.
You could also use an adjustable dumbbell and a weight bench instead.
Palms-up Pulldowns
To perform the palms-up pulldowns, which targets your lats and biceps, you need an overhead pulley system of some sort.
A simpler alternative is the chin-up, for which you just need a hanging bar:
Deadlift
The deadlift is a full-body exercise, with special emphasis on your back and legs. To perform it, you only need a barbell and weight plates.
Workout 2: Legs and Abs
Leg Extension
You need a leg extension machine or bench attachment to perform this quad isolation exercise.
An alternative exercise that hits your quads from a different angle is the sissy squat, which doesn’t require any special equipment to get started. The sissy squat can be very stressful on your knees, so don’t attempt it if you have any discomfort or injury in that area.
Leg Press
To do the leg press, you’ll need a leg press machine. A Precor model was used in the Boise Experiment.
A leg press can be quite expensive, heavy, and cumbersome, so you might want to try the barbell squat as alternate exercise.
To do the squat safely and effectively, you will need a barbell with weights AND a safety rack.
Standing Calf Raise
To do the standing calf raise most effectively, you need a calf raise machine.
An alternative exercise is the one-legged standing calf raise, which requires just a dumbbell and a step or block.
Sit-ups
You can do sit-ups flat on the floor with your feet hooked under something stationary (or not), or you can do them on a sit-up board.
An alternate exercise is the weighted crunch, for which you just need a weight plate.
Workout 3: Shoulders and Arms
Lateral Raises
To perform lateral raises, you only need a couple of adjustable dumbbells.
Rear Delt Machine
The rear delt machine, or reverse flye machine, allows you to exercise the muscles on the backs of your shoulders — your rear delts.
An alternate exercise is the bent-over dumbbell raise, which requires just two adjustable dumbbells.
Barbell Curls
To perform curls, you only need a an adjustable barbell or a pair of dumbbells.
Triceps Pressdown
To perform the triceps pressdown, you need an overhead pulley, or lat machine.
Alternatively, you could perform lying triceps extensions.
Dips
To perform dips, you need a set of dip bars or a dip station.
An alternative exercise would be the weighted dip between benches or chairs, though that movement emphasizes your triceps more than your chest muscles.
Putting It All Together
If you were to match the equipment list from the Boise Experiment nearly exactly, here is what you’d need: pec-deck machine, adjustable weight bench, adjustable dumbbells, barbell, weight plates, power/safety rack, nautilus pullover machine, pulldown machine, leg extension machine, leg press machine, calf raise machine, rear delt machine, dip bars.
Whew! That’s quite a list.
On the other hand, working in our alternative suggestions would pare your list down to: adjustable weight bench, adjustable dumbbells, barbell, weight plates, power/safety rack with pulldown machine or chin bar, dip bars.
That’s much more manageable and affordable for most home gyms.
Either way, gearing up for your own Boise Experiment at home can give you the best of both worlds: convenience AND new muscle!
Note: For more information please read the book "Mike Mentzer and Me" by Paul Becker
If you have any questions or comments, please email us.
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Disclaimer: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
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