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.

Wednesday Winning Muscle Strategy: Beginner, Master The Free Weights First!

This is not an article that will dis out the gym machines. In fact, I'm very fond of some machines, such as the Hammer Strength bench press and others. I am,  however, opposed to the notion that beginners and those who took a long lay-off from the gym should start by doing machine work, piling up the poundage there, and then move on to a program of free weights with a variant of that exercise and attempt to move the same weights on a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. Though logical to some, this is actually a lot less prudent.

The Prevailing Logic

I noticed that some of the best selling muscle magazines have always advised the novice lifters to start with exercise programs loaded with moves on machines instead of free weights. From what I have picked up, it serves two major purposes. One, these magazines are advertising the fitness equipment of whatever company is sponsoring them. And two, some argue that it is safer for the beginner to lift with machines, since there is no need to balance the load as it is being lifted, and move on to something harder as the trainee progresses. Though it is safe to say that I can't do anything to persuade the muscle magazines from doing this, I want to be able to reason with you, and if you or anyone you know is still a beginner or someone from a long layoff, to master first the free weights (body weight, dumbbells and barbells).

From A Safety Viewpoint

This is the main point of the entire post. The novice is better off started with a free weights because of the difficulty  of the movement. In fact, dumbbells should be the first exercise equipment used by any beginner because it will teach the trainee to coordinate both limbs. It can be likened to the way a baby first learning to get up on its two feet and walk. The infant will definitely be wobbly and goofy at first, but once it "gets in the groove", the standing and walking process will become way easier as the legs and the entire body has learned how to move  in one accord. Same logic applies to learning to coordinate the arms/legs to deal with an unstable load such as free weights to an adult. Imagine someone who is used to lifting 200 lbs on the  machine overhead press trying to clean and press the same weight with a plate loaded barbell. The trainer would be lucky if he/she didn't injure himself/herself on the first try. One more thing to consider is that dumbbells and barbells are more common in gyms and health clubs all over the world. Therefore, there would be not much adjustment for you if you entered a gym during your vacation that only had dumbbells and barbells.

From A Size and Strength Viewpoint

The most important stimulus for muscle growth is muscular stress, as it forces the muscle to adapt to the imposing load. Also, the most potent muscle building hormones, human growth hormone and testosterone, are released in to the body at elevated levels after a brief  bout of intense lifting. Anyone who is in the know can attest that free weights are far superior in stressing the body to stimulate growth as more muscles are required to perform them. A beginner will reap the benefits of free weights training earlier on instead of dabbling with a "more comfortable" exercise.