bklaves
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this is the routine i have been doing. overtraining? any advice would be appreciated.
Gironda's 8 x 8
Vince Gironda's 8 x 8 is an outstanding method of training because it allows you to hit every body part three times a week in a short amount of time. It also introduces a different progression method that 99% of trainees have probably never tried. The basics are simple:
• Perform 8 sets of 8 reps per body part every session.
• Train 3 times a week.
• Employ a mini push/pull order within the workout, similar to Leroy Colbert's method.
• Train your weakest body parts first.
The progression is where it gets interesting. Instead of simply adding more weight to the bar, you reduce rest times. You start with 45 or 60 seconds of rest between sets and every time you successfully get all 8 reps for all 8 sets, you cut the rest period by 5 seconds. The starting weight should be around 60% of your normal 8-rep maximum (that's assuming you normally rest a minute or two for 3-5 sets). The lowest you reduce your rest to is 15 seconds between sets (some may want to stop at 30). At that point, you'd add weight and start over.
You should steadily progress for about 6-8 weeks as this is a different type of overload than your body is used to. By the 8-week mark, some trainees can use 100% of their original 8-rep max for 8 sets of 8 with only 15-30 seconds rest between sets. However, even if you manage to work your way back to 75% of your original 8-rep max, you're still doing a lot more work in a lot less time. The pump and the mind muscle connection is incredible and it's also easy on the joints. A basic routine might look like this:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Bench Press
8
8
B
Lat Pulldown (do pull-ups if you're a stud)
8
8
C
Overhead Triceps Extension
8
8
D
Body Drag Curl
8
8
E
Lateral Raise
8
8
F
Hack Squat
8
8
G
Standing Calf Raise
8
20
That's 56 sets, which would take a little over an hour if using 45-second rest periods, or only 43 minutes if using 15-second rest periods. The last thing to consider is exercise variety. Obviously you wouldn't expect to get a thicker and wider back from just doing lat pulldowns for 8 weeks. You could alternate between two exercises such as pulldowns and bentover rows and still follow the prescribed progression. The same can be said for any body part; you want to practice a variety of movements.
Gironda's 8 x 8
Vince Gironda's 8 x 8 is an outstanding method of training because it allows you to hit every body part three times a week in a short amount of time. It also introduces a different progression method that 99% of trainees have probably never tried. The basics are simple:
• Perform 8 sets of 8 reps per body part every session.
• Train 3 times a week.
• Employ a mini push/pull order within the workout, similar to Leroy Colbert's method.
• Train your weakest body parts first.
The progression is where it gets interesting. Instead of simply adding more weight to the bar, you reduce rest times. You start with 45 or 60 seconds of rest between sets and every time you successfully get all 8 reps for all 8 sets, you cut the rest period by 5 seconds. The starting weight should be around 60% of your normal 8-rep maximum (that's assuming you normally rest a minute or two for 3-5 sets). The lowest you reduce your rest to is 15 seconds between sets (some may want to stop at 30). At that point, you'd add weight and start over.
You should steadily progress for about 6-8 weeks as this is a different type of overload than your body is used to. By the 8-week mark, some trainees can use 100% of their original 8-rep max for 8 sets of 8 with only 15-30 seconds rest between sets. However, even if you manage to work your way back to 75% of your original 8-rep max, you're still doing a lot more work in a lot less time. The pump and the mind muscle connection is incredible and it's also easy on the joints. A basic routine might look like this:
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Bench Press
8
8
B
Lat Pulldown (do pull-ups if you're a stud)
8
8
C
Overhead Triceps Extension
8
8
D
Body Drag Curl
8
8
E
Lateral Raise
8
8
F
Hack Squat
8
8
G
Standing Calf Raise
8
20
That's 56 sets, which would take a little over an hour if using 45-second rest periods, or only 43 minutes if using 15-second rest periods. The last thing to consider is exercise variety. Obviously you wouldn't expect to get a thicker and wider back from just doing lat pulldowns for 8 weeks. You could alternate between two exercises such as pulldowns and bentover rows and still follow the prescribed progression. The same can be said for any body part; you want to practice a variety of movements.
