Which exercises?
Your exercises should be selected carefully to hit the
aspects of each muscle you want to target the most. For
example, if it's side deltoid and shoulder width you're
after, you would select side deltoid movements such as side
lateral raises and wide grip upright rows instead of front
raises and military presses.
Machines and single joint movements will be easier, but
don't shy away from the big compound movements just because
they're more difficult. As with any training program, the
basic exercises will always produce the best results. For
example, if you want a massive back, think rows and chin
ups, not one arm cable pulls and machines.
8 sets of 8 works as well for calves and abdominals as
it does for any other body part. However, Vince was always
partial to 20 reps for calves. He would often suggest staying
with 8 sets, but keeping the repetitions at 20.
Intensity: "training over your head"
Most of your sets will not be taken to failure, and none
of them will be taken beyond failure. On your last set or
two of each exercise, it's normal to fail at the 6th or
7th rep. When you can easily complete a full 8 sets of 8
reps, then increase the weight on the next workout.
Although you won't be reaching failure on most of your
sets, make no mistake - this is some of the most difficult
training you will ever undertake. Training large muscle
groups and doing multi-joint free weight exercises are especially
difficult. You will face the burn of local muscle fatigue,
the challenge of oxygen debt and the difficulty of maintaining
mental concentration.
8 sets of 8 is a test of strength, endurance and mental
toughness. Gironda called this "training over your
head." At times, you won't be sure if you can go on,
but once you start, you cannot stop.
How Many Sets & exercises
As a general rule, Vince suggested limiting your total
sets to no more than 12-15 per body part. He said that if
you can't get a workout in 12 sets, you're not concentrating
properly. However, he also said there are certain occasions
where this rule could be broken. The 8 sets of 8 program
for the advanced bodybuilder is one of them.
As far as how many exercises, Vince recommend anywhere
from one to four exercises per muscle group, depending on
the circumstances. For this particular variation of the
program, you will perform 8 sets of 8 reps on two to four
exercises per body part. Generally, you will aim for three
or four exercises for large muscle groups and two or three
exercises for small muscle groups. This is the way Vince
had Makkawy do it when he was training for the Olympia.
Vince was quick to point out that Mohammed was a "genetic
superior," and that not everyone can handle this kind
volume. The optimal number of exercises and total sets per
muscle group will depend on your level of training experience,
your tolerance to stress, and your recuperative abilities.
The number of exercises per body part will also depend
on what type of split routine you choose. The most important
factor is to do only as many exercises as you can fit into
the 45 minute time limit.
What type of split routine?
Vince advocated different types of split routines for various
purposes. Sometimes he had his pupils train as often as
six days in a row with each muscle group being worked three
times per week! More often, Vince was partial to routines
split two or three ways so that each muscle group was trained
twice per week. He advised advanced bodybuilders to use
a three-day split with 72 hours of recuperation between
maximum-intensity workouts.
These days it's more popular to split a routine four or
even five ways. With a four or five day split, each muscle
group is worked once every five to seven days. If Vince
were around today, he would surely give me a verbal beating
for saying this, but I've discovered that 8 sets of 8 works
with nearly any split routine whether you work each muscle
group once a week or twice a week. The important thing is
to adjust your volume so you can observe the tempo and time
limit rules. If you have a split routine that works well
for you, by all means stay with it.
For example, if you're on the popular four-day split where
you train two days on, one day off, you'll get great results
on 8 sets of 8. With this type of split, you can perform
seven or eight exercises for 8 sets of 8 reps and fit it
all inside of forty-five minutes. If you are on a two or
three day split as Vince often recommended, you may have
time for only one or two exercises per muscle group, each
performed for 8 sets of 8. The sample routine I've outlined
is based on a four day split.
The Routine:
DAY 1
Chest
Decline low cable crossover (touch hands at waistline) 8
X 8
Bench press to neck 8 X 8
Incline Dumbbell Press (palms facing each other) 8 X 8
Wide Grip V-Bar Dips 8 X 8
Biceps
Drag Curl 8 X 8
Preacher curl (top of bench at low pec line) 8 X 8
Incline Dumbbell Curl 8 X 8
Forearms
Zottman Curl 8 X 8
Barbell Wrist Curl 8 X 8
DAY 2
Shoulders
Dumbbell Side Lateral raise seated 8 X 8
Wide Grip upright row 8 X 8
Front to back barbell shoulder press 8 X 8
Dumbbell bent over rear deltoid lateral 8 X 8
Triceps
Kneeling rope extension 8 X 8
Lying Tricep Extension 8 X 8
2 Dumbbell Tricep Kickback 8 X 8
DAY 3
Back
Sternum Chin up 8 X 8
High bench two dumbbell rowing 8 X 8
Low cable row with 18" high pulley 8 X 8
Medium Grip Lat Pulldown to Chest 8 X 8
Abs
Double Crunch (pull in knees and elbows together at same
time) 8 X 8
Weighted Crunch 8 X 8
Lying Bent Knee Leg Raises 8 X 8
DAY 4
Quads
Front Squat 8 X 8
Hack machine squat 8 X 8
Sissy Squat 8 X 8
Leg Extension 8 X 8
Hamstrings
Supine Leg Curl 8 X 8
Seated leg Curl machine 8 X 8
Calves Standing Calf raise 8 X 20
Seated Calf raise 8 X 20
Conclusion
8 sets of 8 is a little known and very misunderstood program.
This is partly because Vince never explained it clearly
in great detail- not even in his famous mail order courses.
Even when fully understood, most people will never even
attempt this type of training because it seems like too
much volume and the weights seem too light to get anything
out of it. Too bad for them! The real reason most people
never finish a full cycle of 8 sets of 8 is because it's
too damn hard! 8 sets of 8 reps performed in five minutes
for a large muscle group can test the grit of the toughest
bodybuilder.
You don't have to agree with all of Vince's teachings to
use this program. It's natural to resist concepts that are
so radical. Vince was quite used to it. Nearly all of Vince's
ideas met with a certain degree of skepticism initially,
yet eventually - sometimes two or three decades later -
many of his methods became accepted as standard bodybuilding
truths.
When questioned, Vince advised, "If in doubt, try
these concepts and try others. Results count. Examine. Test.
Then make up your own mind. The secret to success is to
believe that the course I give will work and it will. If
you have doubts, you will find it won't work."
Regardless of whether you think Vince was the greatest
trainer of all time or just a crusty old curmudgeon, I urge
you to give this "honest workout" an "honest"
try.
>>
Click here for Tom's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle program
About the Author
Tom Venuto is an NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified
strength and conditioning specialist, lifetime natural bodybuilder,
and author of the #1 best-selling e-book "Burn the
Fat, Feed The Muscle" (BFFM). Tom has written over
170 articles and has been featured in IRONMAN Magazine,
Natural Bodybuilding, Muscular Development, Muscle-Zine,
Olympian’s News (in Italian), Exercise for Men and
Men’s Exercise. For information on Tom's "Burn
The Fat" e-book, click
here |
