Wednesday Winning Strategy: A Little Known Gem from Vince Gironda

It's Wednesday again, and our winning strategy today comes from the one and only- Vince Gironda. He's been credited by some of the biggest names in early bodybuilding as the reason for their success, including the very first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott. His innovative and unique approach to weight training and fat loss. He is known for his great conditioning, which was achieved before the age of commercial fat burners and bodybuilding drugs. This technique is taken from Alan Palmieri's book Vince Gironda: Legend and Myth.

This training style involves the use of 15 sets of 4 reps. Most are familiar with Vince's 10x10, 8x8 and 6x6 system but even I was surprised to read about 15x4. Here's a part of that article:

This program is for the advanced or those preparing for a contest. It is a maximum workout program, and in order to keep from running out of nervous energy, work fast. This minimizes nervous energy depletion and allows maximum muscular energy output. This is a split routine. Two workouts per week for each body part. Conjunctive or assisting muscles only are used each workout. For instance, pulling muscles one day; lats biceps and abdominals. The next day pushing muscles; pecs, triceps, and delts. The third day thighs and calves. This workout takes 72 hours of recuperation so do not work a muscle group more than twice a week. Adequate recuperation is a must in every type of workout! Select your movements and perform 15 set of 4 reps for each movement

I would like to re-iterate the part where this is for advanced trainers. 15 sets of any exercise will shock your muscles but it does carry a bit too much of a burden for the beginner's nervous and muscular system to recover. If 15 sets is not enough, try intensifying the routine more by shortening the rest interval. Try keeping your workouts under 45 minutes as it has been proven by studies that after 45 minutes, the body starts to create Cortisol, as stress hormone that can cause muscle breakdown.

Since you will most likely be new with this, I suggest that you do this as a means of introducing new stimulus to your muscles and use it sparingly. Too much of a good thing maybe counterproductive to your goal of building and shredding your condition.