The Dark Truth Behind Mike Mentzer (Documentary)

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Mike Mentzer was a bodybuilding genius and one of the sport’s most prominent and inspirational characters. During his short-lived career, he was the first bodybuilder in history to receive a perfect score of 300 and was famous for popularizing the high-intensity training technique that is still being discussed to this very day.

Mike was as controversial as he was enigmatic. He was known for going against the grain and for his disdain towards the IFBB after the 1980 Mr. Olympia loss that derailed his career and marked the beginning of his downfall.

It seemed like Mike and his younger brother Ray Mentzer had won the genetic lottery and were destined for greatness, but life was anything but easy for the Mentzers.

The pair died early in their mid-to-late forties. Ray suffered from a rare and debilitating kidney disorder, while Mike was a victim of drug addiction for many years. Going from bodybuilding superstardom to being institutionalized, arrested, and written off as crazy by those who were once peers, friends, and associates.

This Mike Mentzer documentary tells his story of dedication, tragedy, and redemption.

Born in Philadelphia, 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.

00:00 - Prologue
01:11 - Early Passion
04:00 - A Rising Competitor
06:30 - Time Out
07:34 - Weider
08:49 - The Most Satisfying Win
09:35 - Mr. North America
10:36 - A Wakeup Call
11:13 - The Perfect Bodybuilder
12:05 - A Devastating News
12:45 - 1979 Mr. Olympia
14:25 - The Austrian Oak
16:46 - Whatever it Takes
18:21 - The Comeback
19:40 - A Brewing Tension
23:03 - The 1980 Disaster
25:32 - The Aftermath
29:47 - Gone Too Early
31:15 - Iconoclast