Bodybuilding veteran Lee Priest responded to Dr. Mike Israetel’s critique of his training on January 29, 2025, explaining that he avoided a full range of motion to maintain extra tension on the muscles.
During his bodybuilding career, Lee Priest stood out amongst giants in the sport, thanks to his extreme conditioning levels. He boasted some of the biggest and most detailed arms in the IFBB Pro League, which he used to his benefit on stage.
Priest defeated former eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman seven times in contests. Having utilized training tips from legendary icons of the sport such as Tom Platz and Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s no surprise the Australian star carved out such an impressive tenure throughout the 1990s and 2000s. His efforts, especially inside the gym, attracted Dr. Mike Israetel to critique his training, who is known for his scientific approach to exercise.
Lee Priest Responds to Dr. Mike Israetel’s Training Critique: “In The End, You Got To Find What Works For You”
In a recent YouTube video, Priest emphasized that training is individualistic and that you must find what works for you.
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“Mike is very scientific-based. He looks at it differently than I do. I do it very basic. He takes a bit more of a scientific approach. He has different training styles like Dorian had different, Mike Mentzer did, to me, it’s like, it’s good to listen to people like him and everyone else but in the end, you got to find what works for you.”
He explained that some lifters respond well to heavy weight with fewer reps whereas others might prefer light weight with more reps.
“What pace you do, like we said, whether you want to superset or straight sets, or if you want to go heavy 6-8 reps or you want to go a bit lighter 10-12 reps, it’s one of those things, in the end, you got to find what works for you.”
Priest noted that some individuals are more sensitive to exercises than others, emphasizing that instinct plays a significant role.
“I might say for me, dumbbell curl, the best thing ever get big arms doing that. Somebody might go, I don’t really feel it, I prefer dumbbell curl. Then do dumbbell curl. Some might look at me and go Lee does barbell, I got to do barbell to get big arms. But if you’re doing it and then you don’t feel it, don’t do it. Do what you feel.”
Priest used a limited range of motion because it felt more comfortable and helped maintain extra muscle tension.
“I can’t explain it, I just never liked locking my arms out for some reason. Even if I was doing a barbell row, I’d always keep a bit of bend to keep the tension. To me, if I went like that, I always felt like weird especially if I was going heavy like I was going to tear it. So I’d rather keep a little bend there.”
“Same if I’m doing a tricep pushdown I wouldn’t do that. I’d come to there and tense the tricep, leg press I wouldn’t lock them out unless I was taking a break. I always try to keep the knee a little bent just to keep the tension on it. I wasn’t trying to cheat or anything. I just preferred to keep that little bit of tension there,” he said.
With a movement like preacher curls, Priest shared that there was a bigger risk of tearing a muscle when performing a full range of motion.
“Preacher curls, I see some people going like [full range], I just think you risk tearing something, especially when I was going heavy.”
When dumbbell pressing, Priest didn’t let the weights touch as it would remove tension from the muscles.
“Even dumbbell presses, when I was going up if my hands were the dumbbells some people would push them together but once they touch you lose the tension off the muscle once the weights touch. I found if I kept them half an inch apart and really squeezed the chest, it kept the tension on there. Like I said, everyone is different.”
Recently, Priest renewed his IFBB Pro card for the 2025 bodybuilding season. Shortly after, fans speculated that he might be considering a comeback. Priest believes if he had competed in today’s era, he would place ‘somewhere in the top 10’ as an Open competitor.
There’s no denying that Priest’s training methods delivered results on stage. While he doesn’t favor a full range of motion, he believes it allowed him to tax his muscles more effectively in a way that worked for him.
RELATED: Keone Pearson Says Lee Priest ‘Wouldn’t Stand a Chance’ Against Him If They Competed Today
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