how to use them. While hospitalized it was discovered that he had experienced two silent heart attacks, wherein the victim is unaware theres a problem. Dunn joined The Times in 1986 as a suburban reporter in the San Gabriel Valley and later moved to the Metro section, where he participated in coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1992 Los Angeles riots. 1976 IFBB Mr. America 1st (Medium) The body of Mike Mentzer, age 49, was discovered by his brother Ray on Sunday, June 10th, at the home they shared together in the vincinity of the Rolling Hills Estates area of Los Angeles. Arnold Schwarzenegger - He's been named the Austrian Oak, The Terminator,John Matrix, Mr. 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? The information presented on this website is intended to be used for educational purposes only. He was the brother of fellow bodybuilder Ray Mentzer. Goldman consistently found that the majority of athletes would eagerly accept the deal. Bill spoke fondly of both Mike and his brother; Mike and Ray Mentzer used to write to me when they were young kids back in Pennsylvania, when Ray was 9 years old and Mike was 11 years old. He was called as a witness during the preliminary hearing but refused to testify, claiming 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination. A case of riseand fall. Mentzers body was discovered by his younger brother Ray Mentzer Sunday in the apartment they shared in Redondo Beach, California. Rolling Hills, California, United States. Atty. Of all the subject matter we ever discussed fannies were never even bottom of the list butt I put it behind me. Discover the cheat that athletes use to cut fat quickly and get defined muscles. Mike bodybuilding idol from a young age was Bill Pearl. 06/28/01 - New information on this tragedy can be found. WebThere was no obviously apparent cause of death, but medical records indicate that he had a history of heart problems. After the autopsy, it turned out that the cause of death was a heart attack, a large dose of anesthetic was found in the man's body, and it contributed to the cardiac arrest. I wish he was still living too. Almost miraculously, within a few days, he was establishing his personal-training business at Gold's Gym, Venice. Greenberger, 43, and Robert Lowe, 44, were convicted of second-degree murder and kidnaping, requiring an automatic life sentence without possibility of parole. 4 AM: woke up and read philosophy for two hours, 9 PM: studied philosophy and dealt with mail-order administration, "I was in love with being conscious - amphetamines have that effect on a lot of people. During his downtime, Mike began studying to be a psychologist in 1974 to keep his academic mind active. Mikes typical training split would look something like this: Dont underestimate the value of a well-balanced diet. Almost unbelievably on going to the apartment Joanne found Ray had passed away. "Heavy Duty" involves doing very few, extended sets (using techniques like negative repetitions, forced reps, partial reps and done primarily on machines rather than using free weights). And just because muscle is more than 70 percent water doesnt mean should begin drinking gallons and gallons of water a day to hasten the muscle growth process either.. Ray Instead of focusing only on proteins, he ate a well-balanced diet that consisted of several food groups such as; grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, and good fat sources. A quick browse online will show you tons of recreational lifters discussing plans for their first, second, third, or fourth steroid cycle. There certainly may be cases where underlying natural causes were a key factor in a death, but it seems to be a common and unfortunate go-to excuse whenever a physique athlete dies. Rest was crucial. Ray Mentzer (August 3, 1953 June 12, 2001) born in Philadelphia was the 1976 Junior Mr. America, 1978 IFBB Mr. USA and was winner of the 1979 AAU Mr. America competition. 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. Greenberger introduced Radin to Evans and together they struck a deal to finance The Cotton Club.. Ray had been ill for some time and was a kidney dialysis patient. Rice said that although Michael Mentzer had appeared robust, his medical records showed that he had a history of coronary-related problems.. . * Former bodyguard for Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt. On the morning of Tuesday, June 12, Joanne Sharkey (General Manager of Mikes business but who was in essence like an older protective sister to the brothers) received a call from Rays dialysis unit that he hadnt turned up for his appointment. In 1971, Mikewon his first competition, the Mr. Lancaster at the age of 18. I looked my best, but I didnt feel at my best. In 2014, the Public Library of Science published a report investigating the mortality rate among active pro wrestlers. To compound the loss of Mike, on June 11th, at approximately 9:00 PM, Ray died in his sleep. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. Joe Weider rehired Mike in the fall of that year, but after six months, Mentzer left to assume the editorship of Workout, a newly launched magazine. 2023 Greatest Physiques. Some top pros almost reach 50, but even less get to 55 without a major health scare. 1975 IFBB Mr. America 3rd (Medium) 1977 IFBB Mr. Universe 2nd (HW) At one time, training for just six weeks, he squatted 902 pounds for 2 repetitions. Ray Mentzer of Centerburg, Knox County, Ohio was born on September 6, 1902. He is currently single. All rights reserved. Check out our guide to protein-rich foods to help you on your way - a completely new fitness level is just around the corner. "Bodybuilders' Deaths Lead to Investigation", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Mentzer&oldid=1121569006, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 November 2022, at 00:22. Ray Mentzer's net worth 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. may have contributed, there was a history of heart disease in the Mentzer family - all of them died fairly young. Please consult with your own physician or health care practitioner regarding any suggestions and recommendations made. 1979 IFBB Southern Pro Cup 1st I need to know the steroid cycle. I was a productive genius, but I had lost sight of the fact that the body and the mind have limitations. By the morning of the contest he had recovered. It was Ayn who inspired Mike to think outside of the box when it came to training, and living life to his own accord. This would allow him to rebuild his muscle tissue from the damage hed caused with extremely heavy weights and going past failure in his sets. We recommend you to check the complete list of Mike Mentzer died on Sunday, June 10th, 2001. I dont need the glory story. As Bill Pettis put it; Ray is one of the strongest bodybuilders I have ever seen in my life.. However, Mike was still able to take care of his younger brother. You should add Ayn Rand as an influence. ", As 1980 unfolded, however, Mike had no inkling that his competitive career was hurtling toward its conclusion. Prior to his career at The Times, Dunn worked at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, the Danbury News-Times in Connecticut and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. During one of these squat gatherings, Ray achieved an astonishing feat lifting a 900-lbs squat for 2 reps. Back in the day, many bodybuilders believed that a high-protein diet was the number one key to building muscle. confirmed that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a year before Mikes death called Mike to enquire about Ray Mentzers health problems, and had offered assistance. A 2012 study in the American Journal of Cardiology investigated mortality rates among NFL players and actually saw that they were, overall, almost half as likely to die as comparably-aged non-athletes. Mike was 49, Ray was 47. in Community Counseling,Ph.D. We hadnt spoken for over five years. Mike Mentzer won the Mr. Universe title in 1978 and the heavyweight division of the Mr. Olympia contest in 1979. In her testimony, Greenberger said Evans had nothing to do with Radins death. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Oscar favorite Everything Everywhere All At Once sweeps Spirit Awards, The Scream 6 publicity stunts hit closer to home, prompting 911 calls in Sonoma, Review: Andrea Riseborough and campy Please Baby Please deconstruct gender and the 1950s, Bruce Willis steps out with friends after announcement of dementia diagnosis, 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, Gayle King surprises Angela Bassett with her Whats Love Got to Do With It dress, Review: Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre is classic Guy Ritchie and not in a good way, Review: The teen drama Palm Trees and Power Lines tells a searing story of abuse, Review: The documentary Ithaka attempts a difficult defense of Julian Assange, Jonathan Majors dubs Michael B. Jordan Michael B. Handsome at Walk of Fame ceremony. You just cant beat that feeling of knowing that your physique is one youve worked hard for. In the last 15 years, roughly one in five wrestler deaths were connected to recreational drug overdose. Really. He was a proponent of heavy duty training along with Mike and although retiring from competition in 1982, carried on training to the heavy duty high intensity principles. Previously, he had started dieting 12 weeks out. - John Doe Bodybuilding, 1977 IFBB North American Championships 1st (Overall), 1977 IFBB North American Championships 1st (MW), 1978 IFBB World Amateur Championships 1st (HW), 1979 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Invitational 2nd, Cereal and Grain Foods Four or more servings per day, Fruits and Vegetables Four or more servings per day, The high-protein group (Fish, meat, eggs) Two or more servings each day (Basic serving of meat = 3.5 ounces). We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 2 August. "I looked my best, but I didn't feel at my best. Mikes form would be kept absolutely perfect. Monday morning, June 11, 2001, an e-mail was sent to us saying that Mike Mentzer has passed away June 9th. Excellent mindset for bodybuilders to learn from and improve. 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. While initially inspired by Bill Pearl, Mikes whole training philosophy was based on the work of Arthur Jones and HIT. Mike Mentzer placed 5th. Achieving lower body fat with a higher body weight meant packing on more muscle. that is what I am interested in. Take a look. As soon as that realization hit, I was appalled at how much time I had wasted. Matarazzo had triple-bypass open heart surgery at 38, a heart attack at 41, and died at age 47 while waiting for a heart transplant. ), "I didn't think there was anything wrong in taking stimulants to make me work as hard as I was. I Think Mike was someone worth looking up to. Ray Mentzer (August 3, 1953 June 12, 2001) born in Philadelphia was the 1976 Junior Mr. America, 1978 IFBB Mr. USA and was winner of the 1979 AAU Mr. America competition. Burt Forced negatives did the same. To compound the loss of Mike, on June 11th, at approximately 9:00 PM, Ray died in his sleep. And indeed there were warning signs about his health. Its been so many years and of course, you lose hope. At a bodyweight of a then unthinkable 250 plus pounds, he added even more muscle within a month. His physique was a blockbuster and he later won the contest. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a3ca1a8fdbeffdd8bb7f5786098d8b9d" );document.getElementById("de63bbf7bd").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); If you're a vegetarian who's serious about strength training, you need to know how to optimize your diet to get the best results. Once he reached that point, Ray would have his training partner help him do another 2-3 forced reps, controlling the weight with slow and perfect form. A tragic loss, and one that was to be followed shortly after by his brother. He would talk with me at length, and I remember those conversations with fondness, which causes me to think fondly of John Little. Here's where they're hiding. Ray Mentzer was born on August 2, 1953 and developed a love and passion for bodybuilding at a very young age. I think its terrific that the justice system is working here, she said. This routine was based on doing 6-9 reps per set at the maximum weight he could lift. I saw him in person in 1979 in Baton Rouge, at a book signing,The Mentzer Method to Fitness. Greatest Physiques is the number 1 destination for the best looking bodies on the planet. The jurors were ordered not to speak about the case until the penalty phase is concluded. [en] Vital records: Ray Mentzer at +Archives Friday. As he waited for the kidney transplant, Ray discovered that his brother Mike had serious heart issues which led to Mikes death on June 10th, 2001. But the next morning, he was back to "being a productive genius. Both brothers lived in Redondo Beach, and they shared an apartment together. Ray was also a successful bodybuilder, winning the USA tall class title in 1978 and the AAU Mr. America overall in 1979. Its hard not to surmise that in his frail state of health (in the previous few months he had been rushed to the local emergency room several times) the death of his beloved brother was just too much to bear. It was on a visit to the West Coast in 1982 that he met Greenberger, an alluring drug dealer with links to the Latin American drug underworld who also had ambitions of breaking into the movie business. Arnold was also set to take part in a bodybuilding video with the two brothers but death came too quickly for this to happen. They also had the same time-lapse conversation with him, and he even came up to the office and had lunch with the Master Blaster. Dunn is a California native who has worked as a dishwasher in Sacramento, a printer in San Francisco and a bicycle repairman in Walnut Creek. Ray was troubled by this because he knew his brother had heart problems, and didnt want him to overtax his body. Bodybuilding began to separate from physical fitness in the 1950s. Cardiovascular disease and drug overdose were found to cause an overwhelming majority of the deaths, with wrestlers being 15 times more likely to experience a cardiovascular-related death and a shocking 122 times more likely to die from drugs compared to non-athletes. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. This would require a weight that would take you to failure in between 6 and 9 reps. Then, once you hit failure, keep going. Mike Mentzer was a complex and gifted man who left an indelible mark on the bodybuilding landscape. A typical excerpt from Mike's diary during that period reads as follows. He was declared dead Monday, about 24 hours after his brother died. And even grimmer component of Ray Mentzer's life was the fact that he died tragically only two days after the unexpected death of his famous brother. I always admired Mike Mentzer and knew from my own experience that his training philosophy had great validity. 2023 Greatest Physiques. Mentzers body was discovered by his brother, 47-year-old Raymond Harry Mentzer, said David Rice, an owner of the L.R. He begantraining 3 times a week and bythe age of 15, Mikecould bench press 370lb (170kg), with a body weight of just165lbs (75kg). Champion bodybuilders are known only to the relatively-small community who follow this fringe sport. Centerburg, Knox County, Ohio 43011 . I saw him on stage at the 1978 Mr. Universe qualifying posedown in Cincinnati (listed above as USA versus the World). Discover the cheat that athletes use to cut fat quickly and get defined muscles. ", 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. Theyd send me little pictures of themselves and all types of stuff. I knew I had to wake up to that fact or my life would be over. Heavy Duty Training revolved around doing extremely intense exercises in a short period of time. In 2001, Mentzer lived in an apartment in Los Angeles, where his brother Ray found his lifeless body. Ray Mentzers income source is mostly from being a successful . All rights reserved. In 1983, he flew to Florida in order to be trained by Arthur Jones. He also made similar calls to Joe Weider and photographer Chris Lund, with whom he had worked on books and other projects. You won't have much luck. Radins decomposed body was found a month after his disappearance. 1978 IFBB World Amateur Championships 1st (HW) As reported at some length in the June 14th, 2001 edition of the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles County coroner's office is currently investigating the deaths of bodybuilding brothers Mike and Ray Mentzer, who died within two days of each other. 1979 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Invitational 2nd 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? 1976 IFBB Mr. Universe 2nd (MW) Many bodybuilders sell themselves short. For the answer to that question stay tuned for next weeks story. Ray Mentzer and Mike Mentzer flexing together on a beach. Get our L.A. Edit: two DAYS not years, my b And the more that look was rewarded, the more competitors pursued it. Mentally, he went into a different gear and battened down the hatches earlier and more securely than for any other competition. He began competing in the most elite shows around America, making a name for himself in the process. As for his protein sources, they included chicken, beef, and high-quality dairy. After a day of shooting, Ray turned However, these werent the only methods Ray used to increase his training intensity. While steroids, amphetamines, smoking, etc. Mike won the rival IFBB Mr America in 1976. I was 19 years old,me and 2 friends drove from Carrollton,Ms to Baton Rouge to see him. Would you accept this deal? Ray followed a similar training style to his brother Mike; it was called Heavy Duty Training. But Mike wouldnt listen. Check out our top rated fat burners to find out what actually works. At 48 years old, Ray Mentzer height not available right now. His progress over the next few years was onward and upward. Eventually, the Ray Mentzer bodybuilding training sessions led to him bulking up to a shocking 275lbs. Bullshit. Required fields are marked *. The younger Mentzer was devastated as he went about making funeral arrangements. Mike Mentzer is one of the classic bodybuilders of the early years. There was a strain and tension in the air all the way through.. After failing to turn up to a dialysis session, Ray too, was found dead in the same apartment, not 48 hours later. Sadly, Ray Mentzer would contract Berger's Disease which would lead to kidney problems that contributed to his passing. 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. Id put 110% into the enterprise and it hadnt worked out.. Mike Mentzer was born on the 15th of November, 1951. "Most guys think nothing bad will ever happen to them. A 2012 report from the American Journal of Cardiology reviewed nearly 50 different studies looking at the effects of anabolic steroids and cardiovascular/metabolic function. He always knew what he wanted and worked hard for it. So, how much is Ray Mentzer worth at the age of 48 years old? This may have been a bad move, as 2 years after the blacklisting, Mikehad virtually no income. In enthusiastic tones Mike told me he looked forward to celebrating his 50th birthday in November.