Name: Exercise Scientist Reviews Lee Haney’s Genius Training Methods
Uploaded: 2026-03-08T21:34:44.000Z
Duration: 19 min 28 s
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So I use a scientific approach along with my training system.

Adverbs of degree

I didn't just run it out to see how much weight I could lift.

You're supposed to only grunt out and see how much weight you can lift.

Hey folks, Dr. Mike here for RP strength.

I am a longtime college professor of exercise and sports science.

I have degrees and stuff, a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, and

most importantly, I was born in the year 1984, which is also the year that was the early beginnings for the reign of the greatest bodybuilder of all time.

You might not have ever heard of what folks, Lee Haney exists.

And we have so much to talk about with Mr. Lee Haney.

Lee Haney is by far the greatest bodybuilder of all time.

Arnold Schwarzenegger had the seemingly unreachable achievement of seven Mr. Olympia victories.

But in 1984 emerged the ultimate mass with Class Body Bodybuilder, a 24 year old genetic marvel that bridged the gap between graceful aesthetics and gargantuan size.

Shattering Arnold's record and racking up eight Sandow trophies in the process.

Yeah, so this is just a couple shots to get a look at his physique since I know a lot of people really haven't seen him.

Yeah, so he's, he was like 5 10, 511 and I believe about 245 pounds on stage.

Oh, sorry, a monster with a 28 inch waist.

So yeah, I mean, if you look at that front double by like, you know, just not much to say other than okay, that guy's gonna win that show and could pose.

All right, now we dive in to what Lee Haney thinks about training and what he credits at least partially to his exceptional physique.

This is where you realize that a lot of folks following other lifters and other bodybuilders are doing it for vibes because it resonates with them emotionally.

But if you really wanted to be your best, you would parse your emotions and choose what works as well as what is something that is appealing to you on an emotional level.

I believed in the mind and the muscle length.

I believed in the training system that wouldn't destroy the body or injure the joints.

How do you put together eight Mr. Olympia victories with a destroyed body?

To quote paraphrase Nate Diaz, you don't.

So Lee Haney was known for approaching weights methodically, carefully and without like some kind of unbridled, animalistic, total lack of restraint.

He was intelligent about his training and would often side on training a little bit less than he could so that he could do two things, not get hurt, which is a big deal, and

recover for next time to come back and have another great session.

Is there glory to this compared to just like dying in a hack squat?

Intelligently putting together 16 weeks of amazing training, being not injured and being your best and win the Olympia again?

I didn't just grunt it out to see how much weight I could lift.

Once I understood the science of how to do a pre exhaust, leg extension, leg press, then squats, number three leg.

All it knows is the weight feels heavy and I have to respond by growing.

So I saved my hips and my knees and my back by using that kind of approach.

When you are coming up in lifting and you want to be big and strong, training in a hybrid, powerlifting, bodybuilding fashion is totally awesome.

It hits every vibe and it makes you jacked.

Start with heavy compound movements, squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull ups, rows, and then do isolation work later.

As you become bigger and stronger, the reality of the limits of your nervous system, your psychology, and

especially your joints and connective tissues are going to hit you.

That reality is going to hit you one way or another.

You can either adjust to it or you can grind yourself into a pulp.

So what Lee Haney discovered was this, something I discovered as well.

Now, I didn't really discover it because I had read about everything Lee Haney said and I already knew this was a thing I'm supposed to be trying.

And you guys remember I'm four foot eight and a half.

I have to stand on the shoulders of giants just to see like the movie theater screen when I'm at the movies.

You know, when I stand up to see a movie, no one ever Complains I'm still so short, people think I'm sitting and they still think I'm pretty short for sitting down.

So if you squat enough 3, 4, 500 pounds, the systemic fatigue and the acute injury risk of any squat you do goes up exponentially.

And the chronic wear and tear also goes up.

So that squatting 505, then 510, then 515 pounds for reps, every time you do it, it accumulates wear and tear radically fast.

And it also exposes you every time to like a very decent low, but

decent compared to other ways of lifting acute injury risk.

There goes your back, there goes your hamstring, there goes your knee, whatever.

But the real question is, can you do business in some other way that promotes strength and still avoid actually squatting that heavy?

That's why powerlifters have to start with squats and they have to go heavy, like specific to the sport.

Well, as Lehini just said, the muscle doesn't quote, unquote, know how much weight is on the bar.

And if you put it into a position where it is isolated and has to generate high tension, it gets really good stimulus.

Then you put it in a position later where it's integrated with more muscles.