Who Is Mike Israetel?

Mike Israetel is an accomplished sports physiologist with a Ph.D. from East Tennessee State University. He is a professor of Exercise Science at Lehman College in New York and co-founded Renaissance Periodization, a consultation service for diet and training.

Dr. Israetel also worked as a sports nutrition consultant at the U.S. Olympic Training Site in Johnson City, Tennessee. Apart from his academic and career accomplishments, he is an amateur bodybuilder and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner.

Mike Israetel was born in Russia and moved to the U.S. in 1991 at age 7. He is now approximately 40 years old and married to Christle Guevarra.

The Renaissance Periodization YouTube channel started in 2012 and became popular as a directory of recipes and exercise tutorials. However, it gained significant traction in 2020 when Israetel created videos on advanced resistance training concepts.

Dr. Mike’s experience, public speaking skills, and straight-talking approach resonate with his audience. Over the past few years, he has become one of the most-watched fitness experts on social media, and his following continues to grow.

Mike Israetel Height and Weight

Mike Israetel boasts an impressive physique, but in many of his videos, he appears relatively small in stature compared to the other people on camera. So, you might be wondering about his height and weight.

How Tall Is Dr. Mike Israetel?

In a 2020 Instagram post, Mike Israetel stated his height is 5’6″. However, there is no official confirmation of his height. Fitness athletes are known to exaggerate their measurements to appear larger, and this may be the case with Dr. Mike as well.

To determine his actual height, I compared him with other well-known fitness stars of shorter stature, such as Tristyn Lee, Greg Doucette, and Jeff Nippard. Based on these comparisons, it is likely that Dr. Mike is slightly under 5’6″.

How Much Does Mike Israetel Weigh?

When Mike Israetel is not competing in bodybuilding contests, he can bulk up to 250 lbs at his heaviest. However, he cut down to about 225 lbs and a single-digit body fat percentage for his most recent bodybuilding competition.

These numbers are more impressive when you consider that Israetel packs all that mass on a 5’6″ frame. He definitely has an endo-meso body type that makes bulking up easier, but getting lean more challenging.

Mike Israetel Bodybuilding

Mike Israetel began competing in amateur bodybuilding contests in 2013 and has four competitions under his belt so far. Most recently, he competed in the 2023 NPC Masters National Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Israetel placed 5th in the Men’s Bodybuilding Masters 35+ Heavyweight division in his July, 2023 show.

Mike Israetel Hypertrophy Program

As one of the co-founders of Renaissance Periodization, Mike Israetel strongly believes in periodization training. This type of training involves having a specific goal for a defined period, typically lasting 4-8 weeks.

For resistance training, periodization means adjusting your plan to focus on strength, hypertrophy, or a combination of both. Dr. Mike is mainly recognized for his hypertrophy training programs.

Israetel advocates some fundamental principles for anyone interested in optimizing their weightlifting sessions for muscle growth. Here are his hypertrophy training guidelines.

1. Range of Motion – Using the full range of motion on exercises is perhaps Mike Isratel’s number one tenant. He also recommends using a slow and controlled tempo, especially on the negatives.
2. Loading – Dr. Mike advises using a load or weight that causes your muscles to fail within the 5-15 rep range is best for hypertrophy. On some sets, higher reps can stimulate additional fibers.
3. Volume – Hypertrophy training generally works better with relatively high volume in terms of the total sets per workout and per week, but it doesn’t have to be overkill. Dr. Mike recommends 10-20 sets per muscle group per week.
4. Progression – According to Dr. Mike, applying progressive overload for hypertrophy should consist of gradually adding more reps or sets each week while also making small increases in load. In contrast, strength training progress almost exclusively increases the load.
5. Exercise Selection – Dr. Mike suggests using more isolation movements to target specific muscles and maximize growth. You can also use compound movements to maintain strength, but they should not be the bulk of your workout.

Here is a video from the Renaissance Periodization YouTube channel where Dr. Mike explains his hypertrophy training principles in more detail.