Mike Mentzer

Mike Mentzer (November 15, 1951 – June 10, 2001) was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder, businessman and author.Born in Pennsylvania, Mentzer started bodybuilding when he was 11 years old. He won several amateur bodybuilding competitions before turning professional in 1979, including the 1976 Mr. America title and the heavyweight division of the 1978 IFBB Mr. Universe. In late 1979, he won the heavyweight class of the Mr. Olympia, but lost in the overall to Frank Zane. In the 1980 Mr. Olympia he placed fourth in a tie with Boyer Coe behind Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Dickerson and Frank Zane. Influenced by the concepts developed by Arthur Jones, Mentzer devised and successfully implemented his own theory of bodybuilding. One of the most iconic bodybuilders of all time, his Heavy Duty Training program still inspires lifters to this day. In 2002, he was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame.