He was found dead in his apartment, due to heart complications, by his younger brother and fellow bodybuilder Ray Mentzer. 1979 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Invitational 2nd He claimedhe needed it for productivity, and didnt use it for recreation. In fact, carbohydrates made up the bulk of Rays diet. If theres something to learn from Ray Mentzer, it would be; never take life for granted, make every day count, and dont spend time doing something you dont love lifes too short for that. Shohat, Greenbergers attorney, said the verdict of second-degree murder showed that the jury did not believe Greenberger was the driving force behind Radins killing. Thanks for the articles, Mike Mentzer Lives! Acted as liaison for Evans and New York producer Roy Radin during Cotton Club movie negotiations. Many competitive bodybuilders and even non-competitive lifters have. In her testimony, Greenberger said Evans had nothing to do with Radins death. He contracted Bergers disease. Greenberger, Mentzer, Marti and Lowe were arrested in 1988--five years after Radins body was found by a beekeeper in a desolate canyon 65 miles north of Los Angeles. One year later, he achieved same in the AAU Mr. America show. When he signed my book I was in AWE! But in the years prior to his drastic physical decline, Matarazzo was one of the few pros who talked openly about what he felt was the underlying cause the level of anabolic steroids and related drugs necessary to become a top-ranked pro. In short, man can and ought to be a hero.. In this timely tribute to Mike we review his final days and next week offer an appraisal of his place in the bodybuilding firmament. Mike Mentzer took a fairly broad approach to his nutrition in terms of food sources, and would eat according to 4 food groups and the servings of each. "I was consumed 24 hours a day by the thought: What can I do today in terms of training, diet, aerobics and motivation to improve myself? He was known for lifting over 900lbs in squats, and for weighing 275lbs of rock-solid muscle at one point. One of these protocols included the famous Heavy Duty Training. When I came to California in 1992 the guy I most wanted to meet was Mike Mentzer. A native of Germantown, Pennsylvania, he died of heart failure in Rolling Hills, California at the age of In enthusiastic tones Mike told me he looked forward to celebrating his 50th birthday in November. Kaiserman said he thought the jurys decision showed that they believed Greenberger had not intended to murder Radin, but rather to kidnap him to find out who was behind a large theft of cocaine from Greenbergers residence. Arnold Schwarzenegger - He's been named the Austrian Oak, The Terminator,John Matrix, Mr. He has been a life saver for me, from last in my class in high school and 130lbs to 1985 Jr. Mr. Mississippi,1987 Mr. Mississippi,1985 Middle weight Southern Classic,1987 Light Heavy 3rd place Southern Classic,1988 Heavyweight 3rd place Southern Classic, on the same stage with Shawn Ray when he won Nationals,U.S. Mikes younger brother Ray, who was thewinner of the 1979s Mr. America began receiving kidney dialysis in 1999. These manmade and naturally occurring compounds can make you less of a man. His physique was a blockbuster and he later won the contest. Insulin, HGH, and various diuretics supposedly gained traction in the '90s, and they tend to have a greater risk-to-reward ratio. Rider told them that Mentzer and Marti had admitted during a poker game that they killed Radin. 1971 AAU Mr. America 10th Prologue: Mike Mentzer died 13 years ago this month on June 10, 2001, aged 49. The latter are the lifters who generally end up as statistics. WebJerry Brainum on the Demise of Mike and Ray Mentzer Leo and Longevity 120K subscribers Subscribe 490 Share 21K views 2 years ago In this clip from the longer interview of The day before, both he and brother Ray were working on a fitness DVD titled HIT. Ray suffered from kidney failure caused by Berger's Disease. . Id answer them back. Check regularly for the latest, Greatest Physiques. I dont need the glory story. All rights reserved. 1976 IFBB Mr. America 1st (Overall) It was time to 'Go back to what you know, Mike Mentzer!'". It was a crushing blow. There was a strain and tension in the air all the way through.. Every lifter needs these five types of people in his life. 1971 AAU Teen Mr America 2nd He is a member of famous with the age 48 years old group. The brash and ambitious Radin had made his name in New York by producing a series of successful vaudeville revivals and police union benefits. By the 45th minute mark, he was completely exhausted and his muscles were ready for recovery. It was early May of 2001, when out of the blue I received a phone call in FLEXs LA office from Mike Mentzer. WebA native of Germantown, Pennsylvania, he died of heart failure in Rolling Hills, California at the age of forty-nine. He said Lowe and Greenberger did not know that Mentzer and Marti intended to kill Radin. Mohammed Benaziza: Seven total Grand Prix wins in 1990 and 1992, 1st place at the 1990 Night of Champions (beating The following morning, on the 10th of June 2001, Ray found that his brother would never wake up. At least do light reps a couple of those days for arms, delts, lats, upper legs, abs. However, Mike was still able to take care of his younger brother. Do any supplements work? Your email address will not be published. . Eight years after the bullet-riddled body of New York impresario Roy Radin was found in a dry creek bed near Gorman, a jury Monday found onetime drug dealer and would-be Hollywood deal-maker Karen Greenberger and three bodyguards guilty of murder and kidnaping in what became known as the Cotton Club murder. We may be able to send a man to the moon, he said later, but when it comes to recognizing the rightful winner of the 1980 Olympiad, mankind is surely arrested in its development., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Best coffee city in the world? The Ray Mentzer story is one of success, but also tragedy. In a sport that, at its core, requires eating well, losing fat, and exercising, why do we see so many bodybuilders dying from similar causes at unusually-young ages? I saw him in person in 1979 in Baton Rouge, at a book signing,The Mentzer Method to Fitness. According to the prosecution, the deal began to come apart when Greenberger felt she was being cut out of the profits. Check out our guide to protein-rich foods to help you on your way - a completely new fitness level is just around the corner. When a bodybuilder dies at an early age from organ-related failure, this is the kneejerk response you'll hear from bodybuilding fans: "He had a preexisting condition and would've had that same problem whether he was a bodybuilder or a school teacher!". Though the football players were, not surprisingly, associated with significantly higher rates of neurological and musculoskeletal disease. Mikes form would be kept absolutely perfect. Erroneously attributing their lack of satisfactory progress to a poverty of the requisite genetic traits, instead of to their irrational training and dietary practices, they give up training. 1979 IFBB Southern Pro Cup 1st One of the core principles of Rays training was doing low reps and heavy weight. Lowes attorney, Mark Kaiserman, said he also was disappointed in the verdicts and vowed to appeal. Please consult with your own physician or health care practitioner regarding any suggestions and recommendations made. Although he wasnt stage-level-ripped, Rays gigantic and muscular frame was a sight to be seen. He begantraining 3 times a week and bythe age of 15, Mikecould bench press 370lb (170kg), with a body weight of just165lbs (75kg). Previously, he had started dieting 12 weeks out. And yet, there were still occasions when the demons visited. The two brothers dying within 48 hours of each other shocked the bodybuilding world. Ray At one time, training for just six weeks, he squatted 902 pounds for 2 repetitions. Ray believed that by increasing the time under tension with these methods, hed improve his muscle growth. As Mike wrestled with his demons, the bodybuilding community, to its discredit, took a detached stance toward his circumstances. Died from multiple organ failure in 1996, age 32. He would talk with me at length, and I remember those conversations with fondness, which causes me to think fondly of John Little. This didnt sit right with Mike, and he wasnt afraid to talk about it in a disdainful manner in his seminars which may have led to his unofficial blacklisting from the IFBB. Every Saturday evening, Ray would host so-called Saturday night squat parties. He always knew what he wanted and worked hard for it. Monday morning, June 11, 2001, an e-mail was sent to us saying that Mike Mentzer has passed away June 9th. 1976 IFBB Mr. Universe 2nd (MW) Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a40bbc091972361b92bafe047762c2f0" );document.getElementById("de63bbf7bd").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Mike certainly had a great mind for bodybuilding. Ray and Mike Mentzer were probably the most legendary bodybuilding brothers of all time. "John Little was one of the few who didn't approach me on the ignorant assumption that I was a 'loony' or a 'crazy.' Is it worth injecting? He just scratched the surface with that physique. Health became an afterthought. RIP Mike. This would require a weight that would take you to failure in between 6 and 9 reps. Then, once you hit failure, keep going. This was in no small part due to his new training routine, Heavy Duty Training, which was created by his 21-months older brother Mike Mentzer. 7 Things No One Tells You Before You Start Lifting, Tip: Avoid Xenoestrogens and Phytoestrogens, Tip: Surround Yourself With These 5 People. "If they want more definition, I'll give 'em more definition," he vowed. 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Jordan Michael B. Handsome at Walk of Fame ceremony. Freeze,The Governator,and to many of his fans justArnie. Mike Mentzers life was certainly not one without tragedy. Thirty years ago, the average non-professional athlete was uninterested in using steroids. confirmed that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a year before Mikes death called Mike to enquire about Ray Mentzers health problems, and had offered assistance. Mike was 49 and Ray was 47. Within a few days of leaving thehospital, he approachedGolds Gym, Venice, and convinced them to let him start up as a personal trainer. In around mid-1983, Mike had managed to find a role as editor of Workout Magazine. 06/28/01 - New information on this tragedy can be found. When Ray and his brother were little, theyd send letters to Bill and tell him how they admired his physique hoping that they too could one day sculpt strong and ripped muscles like Bill. No date was set for the trials penalty phase, in which jurors will decide whether to sentence Mentzer and Marti to death or life in prison without parole. 1978 IFBB USA vs the World 1st (HW) This is an opinion carried by many bodybuilders today. He was at his competitive peak in his early-30s, when "mass monsters" dominated bodybuilding, and he claimed to eat up to seven pounds of red meat per day at his biggest. Ray and co. would lift extremely heavy weights, taking long breaks between sets. To gain further insight into Mikes 2001 death, it is necessary to turn the clock back 21 years. Radins decomposed body was found a month after his disappearance. RIP. Coming from a well-educated home, Mikesfather would regularly test and encouragehis academic knowledge using various rewards, including cash to ensure he excelled. I wasnt in control of my mind although I thought he was.. Ray Mentzer died at age 92 years old on June 21, 1995. Required fields are marked *. Hoe to get them. Both Mentzers were jack offs with ray being the biggest jack off. No, not every pro has had issues. It may be more accurate to say steroids don't kill people, abusing steroids kills people. Mike being Mike, stayed up late to work on the scripts. I wanted the magazine to be the absolute best I could make it, and I worked harder than I'd worked in my entire life. Ray suffered from kidney failure caused by Berger's Disease. He was 33 years old. Greenberger called Mentzer the murderer. In the year 1985 he claimed; The magazine was doing fairly well, when, just as it started to turn a profit, the financial people for whatever reason pulled the plug on the whole thing and we ceased operation. Professional athletes seeking every possible advantage and recovery method shouldn't surprise us, even when it's directly prohibited by their sport's rules and the law. Mike Mentzer was born in Pennsylvania. ", Even though he felt he was at his best and had no knowledge of the controversy to come, Mike told me in 1993 that he had made up his mind that the 1980 Mr. Olympia would be his last contest: Trying to be the best built man in the world demands total seriousness, but in essence the seriousness and the ambition involved is a little silly., To find out what went down at the 1980 Mr. Olympia including the near fist fight between Mentzer and Schwarzenegger click on http://www.musculardevelopment.com/team-md-blogs/the-mcgough-report/11982-mentzer-vs-arnie.html#.U47ZXCh93oD, In the wake of his fifth place finish at 1980 Mr. Olympia contest, Mike Mentzer's career began to fragment. Last Known Residence . He started dieting in February for the October contest. From there, it wasonward and upwards. Ray is one of the strongest bodybuilders I have ever seen in my life and Mike is equally as strong.. Compiled by Times researcher Michael Meyers. Anyway in that May 2001 conversation Mike acted like the previous five years had never happened and that we were continuing as if we had spoken a week earlier. . * Convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances, subject to the death penalty. Plot #17067587. In 1999, Ray started kidney dialysis 4 times each week, and extensive testing was performed on him to determine if he could handle a kidney transplant. Life isnt without hardships, and no matter how difficult things may seem or how far from the path you have strayed, you can always turn things around. According to our Database, He has no children. Death record, obituary, funeral notice and information about the deceased person. In spring of that year a blood clot broke loose from his leg and went to his lung. "The magazine was doing fairly well, when, just as it started to turn a profit, the financial people - for whatever reason - pulled the plug on the whole thing and we ceased operation. However, during much of Mike's career bodybuilders overtrained badly - some working out twice a day, six days a week - so his ideas did contribute to restoring a certain balance in the volume of training done by serious bodybuilders. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in English. One of the greatest of all time in my opinion. Rest was crucial. may have contributed, there was a history of heart disease in the Mentzer family - all of them died fairly young. Theyd send me little pictures of themselves and all types of stuff. Heres what Bill said about Ray and Mike; Mike and Ray Mentzer used to write to me when they were young kids back in Pennsylvania. As soon as that realization hit, I was appalled at how much time I had wasted. Get our L.A. 1977 IFBB North American Championships 1st (MW) This approach has always been considered controversial and is contradicted by a great deal of exercise physiology reasearch. Ray died just two days after discovering his brother Mike Mentzer's body in the same apartment due to heart failure.[2]. Eventually, as the fatigue set in, Mike finally decided to call it a day and turn to bed. Physical wear and tear such as collisions in contact sports or recreational drug use are said to be greater contributing factors. A tragic loss, and one that was to be followed shortly after by his brother. In her testimony in April, Greenberger denied that she was involved in the murder, saying that her ex-lover, Mentzer, killed Radin on the orders of Bellechesses. There was a strain and tension in the air all the way through. While there were no reported long term side effects at the time, Mike began to suffer from fatigue, and would spend full days in bed without being able to even lift an arm. I was taking them as ergogenic aids, to facilitate my hectic lifestyle. The long term results of the era are what we've been seeing over the past couple decades: consequences that are catching up with more and more bodybuilders as reports of health issues from mild to fatal have appeared. It just didnt feel like a normal contest; no one was being their usual self. Data was collected from 1985 to 2011 and demonstrated that wrestlers were three to four times more likely than the general population to die between 30 and 50 years old. You'll be seeing more and more serious heart problems, and worse, once these guys hit 40." Some top pros almost reach 50, but even less get to 55 without a major health scare.