Vince Girondas 8 X 8 Training

One of the reasons why the name Vince Gironda is still very popular in bodybuilding articles today is that this man had ideas that were revolutionary and ahead of his time.

50 years before German Volume Training and other training templates such as FST-7 appeared on the mainstream stage, Vince Gironda was already promoting the benefits of volume training for maximum muscle hypertrophy.

Vince was known for his unconventional training methods. Some of his special exercises included bench presses to the neck, sternum pull-ups (where the chest touches the bar, drag curls and sissy squats with a variation he called the "burlesque bump".

His training systems included 15 x 4, 3 x 12, 6 x 6, 10 x 10 and 4 mega set exercises with one set for each "side" of the muscle.

Of all these techniques, the 8 sets of 8 reps program was his favorite for advanced bodybuilders. "I definitely have a preference for the 8 x 8 system of sets and reps," Vince wrote. "I come back to this high-intensity workout more often than any other program when it comes to maximizing muscle fiber growth in the shortest possible time for advanced bodybuilders."

8 sets of 8 reps is the most effective set-rep combination ever developed for rapid muscle growth while burning body fat.

Vince Gironda referred to this training system as "honest training" due to the sheer amount of pure muscle growth it allows you to build. "Stick to 8 x 8 and your muscle fibers will grow and give you solid muscle mass and density as a result," Vince promised.

8 sets of 8 reps is so effective that as a 20 year old newbie to competitive bodybuilding, I was able to build 17 pounds of muscle in under 9 months steroid free.

Vince warned that this set and repetition combination is not for beginners: "You need to reach a certain level where you can benefit from this extremely advanced form of training. I doubt that anyone with less than two years of training experience can benefit from this method."

How does 8 x 8 work?

8 sets of 8 repetitions is a high volume, high speed mass building workout. It is not intended to build strength, but is solely for bodybuilding purposes. 8 x 8 will also help you get leaner.

The short rest intervals stress the cardiovascular system to the point where calories are burned, metabolism is stimulated, hormones are released and fat is melted.

Here's how it works: You choose three or four exercises per muscle group and perform 8 sets of 8 repetitions per exercise. That's 24 to 32 sets per muscle group! You train three to four muscle groups per training session and only pause for 15 to 30 seconds between sets.

Each training session lasts around 45 minutes and never longer than 60 minutes.

Although this obviously excessive volume may remind you of Steve Michalik and John Defendi's "Intensity or Insanity" training style, it's not the same. These are not two to three hour training marathons. You finish these workouts in under an hour.

The reason this style of training doesn't lead to overtraining is that you don't exceed the training duration at which the training starts to show negative effects on recovery and anabolic hormones.

You simply overload the muscles by compressing more training into a shorter window of time.

Why does this work?

More training in a shorter period of time = higher intensity and bigger muscles. Many people believe that the only way to make a muscle bigger is to increase the amount of weight used. However, this is not true.

Overloading is an absolute necessity to build muscle, but overloading can come about in several ways. Progressively increasing weight may be one of the best ways to generate overload, but it is not the only way.

Vince was also in favor of increasing the weight on the bar (always assuming that good form of exercise execution is maintained), but he believed that doing more work in a shorter period of time was a better method of overload.

The iron guru's advice was: "To build big muscles you need to increase the intensity of the work done in a given time.

This means minimal rest between sets. Push yourself. Workouts should be stopped and you should continually try to reduce the time it takes to complete your workouts. This is another form of progressive resistance and is more important than increasing your weights.

The principle of overload explains why sprinters have bigger muscles than long-distance runners. Even though it is more work to run a mile than to run 100 meters, the sprinter does more work per second. The result of this is that their muscles get bigger."

Why should you use 8 sets of 8 repetitions instead of conventional training?

The most popular training method for advanced bodybuilders is to choose between two and four exercises per muscle group and perform between three and four sets of 6 to 12 repetitions. The rest intervals between sets range from 60 seconds to four minutes, depending on your goals. So why bother doing such an insane program like 8 x 8?

The answer is that this type of "honest" high volume, high tempo training will be a complete shock to your body - especially at the beginning if you're not used to it. An advanced bodybuilder will adapt to any training program within a few months - and often even a few weeks.

Once such adaptations take place, you need to look for new types of exercise to continue to force your muscles to grow.

Although Vince Gironda did not advocate overtraining in any way, he was a fan of "muscle confusion" to stimulate new gains - even if this meant temporary overtraining.

8 sets of 8 repetitions is simply an unusual method of overloading and muscle confusion. Clearly, this program is not intended for long-term use.

It is a shock program that you can use for limited periods of time to stimulate new growth when you need it most. After completing an 8 x 8 cycle, you can return to more conventional methods.

How long should you use 8 sets of 8 reps? As long as it works. Another benefit of 8 sets of 8 reps is that this system can be used to train around injuries.

Heavy squats with 5 to 6 heavy repetitions are impossible if you are suffering from a strain or other problems. But you can do 8 sets of 8 reps to complete an "honest" training session with a fraction of the usual weight.

8 sets of 8 reps is also a fantastic method for competition preparation because 50 to 60 sets in under an hour is an aerobic workout.

You can easily count any training session with weights as cardio training. Exercisers with a fast metabolism may not need any other aerobic training while using an 8 x 8 workout.

How long should the rests between sets be?

Vince promoted a "business-like" approach to pacing. He said that using the 8 x 8 format is not enough to guarantee muscle gains. Even more important is the speed at which you go through the program. Minimal rest between sets was a must for him.

When Vince Gironda was training Mohamed Makkawy for the Mr. Olympia competition, he got Makkawy to the point where he was doing 8 sets within 5 minutes. The goal is to reduce the rest intervals between sets to 30 seconds or less - and eventually reduce them to 15 to 20 seconds per set.

Once your fitness level has been adjusted to the requirements, it should be sufficient to take just 5 to 10 deep breaths between sets before starting the next set. Your tempo for the exercises is 2-0-2-0 (2 seconds eccentric, no rest and two seconds concentric) so that each repetition takes 4 seconds.

8 repetitions per set means that a set lasts 32 seconds. With 15 to 20 second rest intervals, 24 sets will only take you 18 to 21 minutes and 32 sets will take 25 to 28 minutes.

Training tempo

The right tempo combined with the right resistance is the key to success in this program. Vince defined the optimal tempo as evenly spaced sets with no distractions and complete focus when you pick up the next weight and perform the next set.

This means no smartphones, no walking around the gym, no chatting, no playing around with your playlist and not even going to the toilet. This program requires 100% concentration.

If you get interrupted or distracted, you might as well pack your bags and go home. Don't put the dumbbells down between sets. Place them on your legs, but don't put them on the floor or on the rack.

Don't let go of the barbell between sets. Place it on the rack but continue to hold it. If you are using grip aids or bandages, do not release them.

Stay on the bench or machine until all 8 sets are completed. Do not rest between muscle groups. After completing the last set for one muscle group, go straight to the first set for the next muscle group.

Following these speed guidelines also means that you do not need a training partner. This program must be completed alone.

How much weight should you use?

Using rest intervals of 15 to 20 seconds will limit the amount of weight you can use, but that's okay. In the beginning, there will be a sharp drop in your training weights compared to the weights you normally use. Most exercisers will need to reduce their maximum weight for 8 reps by around 40% in order to complete 8 sets with such short rest intervals.

So if you normally use flying movements with 27.5 kilos for 8 repetitions with rest intervals of 60 to 90 seconds, then you will need to reduce your weight to around 17.5 kilos in order to successfully complete 8 sets of 8 repetitions with 15 to 30 second rest intervals.

However, as your body gets used to this type of training, you will be amazed at how much you can increase your training weights again while maintaining the short rest intervals. You may even be able to get close to your original weights. At this point, serious muscle growth will take place.

Choosing the right weights is crucial. The first training session should be deliberately light.

If you try to use too much weight, then you won't be able to perform 8 reps on the last sets, nor will that weight give you room for progression over the next few weeks.

Vince has pointed out that using the same weight for all 8 sets is a prerequisite. If you have to stop on the sixth or seventh repetition on the last set or two, that's fine, but if you drop back to under 8 repetitions on the fourth or fifth set, then the weight you've chosen is too heavy.

The right intensity

Most of your sets will not go to muscle failure and none of those sets will go past the point of muscle failure. On your last one or two sets, it is normal to reach the point of muscle failure on repetition 6 or 7. Once you can do a full 8 sets of 8 reps, it's time to increase the weight in your next training session.

But even if you don't reach muscle failure on most of your sets, don't underestimate this type of training - these will be some of the hardest workouts you'll ever do.

Training large muscle groups and performing several basic exercises with free weights is particularly hard. You will experience the burn of localized muscle fatigue, the challenges of oxygen debt and the difficulty of maintaining mental focus. 8 sets of 8 reps is a test of your strength, endurance and mental toughness. There will be times when you won't be sure if you can keep going, but once you start, you won't be able to stop.

How many sets and exercises should you do?

As a general rule of thumb, Vince recommended limiting your total number of sets to 12 to 15 per muscle group. He said that if you don't manage to train a muscle group sufficiently with 12 sets, you're not concentrating properly.

However, he also said that there are certain situations where this rule can be broken - and the 8 x 8 program for advanced bodybuilders is one of them.

As for the number of exercises, Vince recommended anything between one and four exercises per muscle group, depending on the circumstances. In this particular variation of the program, you will perform 8 sets of 8 repetitions with two to four exercises per muscle group.

The number of exercises per muscle group will also depend on the type of split you use. However, the most important factor is that you only perform as many exercises as you can fit into the 45-minute time slot.

What type of training split should you use?

Vince promoted different types of split programs for different purposes. Sometimes he had his athletes train up to six times in a row, with each muscle group being trained three times a week.

More often, however, he used split programs in which the body was divided into two or three training sessions so that each muscle group was trained twice a week. He instructed advanced bodybuilders to use a 3-day split with 72 hours of recovery between training sessions at maximum intensity.

Today, it is more popular to split the body's training over four or even five days. With this type of training split, each muscle group is trained once every 5 to 7 days.

Although Vince would have disagreed, I have found that 8 x 8 works with almost any split program regardless of whether a muscle group is trained once or twice a week.

The most important thing here is to adjust your volume so that you can stick to the pace and time rules. If you have a split program that works for you, then you should definitely stick to it.

For example, if you use one of the popular four-day splits, where you train two days in a row followed by a non-training day, you should get good results with 8 sets of 8 reps. With this split, you can perform seven or eight exercises with 8 sets of 8 reps without breaking the 45 minute time frame.

If you use a two or three day split, as Vince has often recommended, then you will probably only have time for one or two exercises per muscle group with 8 sets of 8 reps.

The following example training program is based on a four day split.

An 8 x 8 example training program

Day 1

Chest

• Flying movement on cable pulley on a reverse incline bench (hands touching at waist level) - 8 X 8
• Bench press to neck - 8 X 8
• Dumbbell incline bench press (palms facing each other - 8 X 8
• Dips with wide V grip - 8 X 8

Biceps

• Drag curls - 8 X 8
• Scott curls - 8 X 8
• Dumbbell incline bench curls - 8 X 8

Forearms

• Zottman Curl - 8 X 8
• Barbell forearm curls - 8 X 8

Day 2

Shoulders

• Dumbbell side raises seated - 8 X 8
• Rowing upright with wide grip - 8 X 8
• Barbell shoulder presses - 8 X 8
• Lateral raise bent forward for the rear shoulder muscle heads - 8 X 8

Triceps

• Kneeling tricep presses on the pulley with a rope grip - 8 X 8
• Lying tricep press - 8 X 8
• Kickbacks with 2 dumbbells - 8 X 8

Day 3

Back Press

• Pull-ups to the sternum - 8 X 8
• Dumbbell rows on a high flat bench - 8 X 8
• Rowing on cable pulley - 8 X 8
• Lat pulldown with medium-wide grip to chest - 8 X 8

Abdominal muscles

• Double crunches (pull knees and elbows together at the same time) 8 X 8
• Crunches with additional weight - 8 X 8
• Lying knee raises - 8 X 8

Day 4

Quadriceps

• Front squats - 8 X 8
• Hackenschmidt squats - 8 X 8
• Sissy squats - 8 X 8
• Leg extensions - 8 X 8

Leg curls

• Lying leg curls - 8 X 8
• Sitting leg curls - 8 X 8

Calves

• Standing calf raises - 8 x 20
• Sitting calf raises - 8 X 20

Summary

8 sets of 8 reps is a little known and often misunderstood training program. This is partly because Vince never described this system in great detail - not even in his famous Mail Order classes.

And even if they did fully understand it, most people will never try this type of training because the volume seems too high and the weights too light to achieve anything.

However, the real reason most people never complete an 8 x 8 cycle is that it is very demanding to perform 8 sets of 8 reps for a large muscle group in 5 minutes - it can overwhelm even the toughest bodybuilder. You don't have to agree with all of Vince's views to use this program. It's perfectly natural to resist concepts that are this radical.

Nearly all of Vince Gironda's ideas were initially viewed with some skepticism, but ultimately many of his ideas became accepted standards in the field of bodybuilding two or three decades later.

When asked, Vince advised the following:

"If you doubt, try these concepts and others. The results are what counts. Investigate. Test. Then make your decision. The secret to success is to believe that the program I give you will work - and it will. If you have doubts, you will find out that it doesn't work."