Why you should try the ‘honest 8x8 workout’ to get shredded

When you’re planning a fitness routine, incorporating different workout formats should be a priority. No, this doesn’t mean having a new workout every day, but changing the approach every few weeks is what keeps the body fresh and the muscles conditioned for various kinds of stimuli. Once you’re familiar with multiple ways of training, it becomes easier to plan your weeks in advance. And not all of them need to be modern methods. Some, like the late bodybuilder Vince Gironda’s extremely popular ‘honest 8x8 workout’ routine have endured the test of time.

Known fondly as the “Iron Guru”, Gironda trained Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane, both of whom went on to win a combined ten Mr Olympia titles. Hollywood stars Clint Eastwood and Sean Penn also trained under him, clear proof that Gironda knew what he was doing.

I was getting back to the gym after a short break and was looking for something to kickstart my body into action. The 8x8 routine seemed perfect: eight sets of eight reps for each exercise, with just 15–30 seconds of rest in between. The format also suggests how much weight to use: 50 percent of your usual starting weight, increasing it gradually week by week. So if you typically start an incline bench press at 15kgs, then begin with 7.5kg here. There’s no need to progressively overload through the sets unless the weight feels too easy. For me, the format worked perfectly. In fact, I found it true to its name: honest.

There are, however, a few things to know before you jump into this routine. Gironda believed that you should have at least two years of lifting experience to fully benefit from it. Another rule is to dedicate about 60 minutes to the workout, which is more than enough time. I’ve tried the routine three times with five exercises (the ideal range is between five and eight), and it took me around 35 minutes. This can, of course, be extended depending on your fitness level.

A big part of this workout lies in choosing the right exercises, which is perhaps why Gironda recommended some prior lifting experience. This is a high-volume routine, and he wasn’t a fan of heavy compound movements. The idea is to avoid exercises like back squats; a lighter leg press, for instance, makes more sense. Similarly, you could opt for floor flys or incline dumbbell presses instead of a barbell bench press, and choose lateral raises over a heavy overhead shoulder press.

The 8x8 shocks the body into hypertrophy. “The genius of Gironda’s system lies in its density: 8 sets create cumulative fatigue, which helps trigger hypertrophy through metabolic stress and extended time under tension. The short rest intervals keep your heart rate elevated, adding a conditioning element that makes every session feel like a test of stamina as much as strength. Because the weights aren’t excessively heavy, you can maintain form and focus on the muscle, which strengthens the mind-muscle connection,” says a Men’s Health article titled Vince Gironda’s ‘8×8’ Training System: Simple, Brutal, and Shockingly Effective.

This isn’t Gironda’s only enduring legacy in the fitness world. He had several other ideas and a characteristically brazen way of making them heard. Gironda is probably the first influencer who pushed against doing sit-ups. He was adamant it did nothing for the core, and this almost forced a new way of working the abs out. He was also against the bench press. Instead, he chose to invent a new variation: the neck press.

The neck press (also known as the guillotine press) involves using a wider grip and lowering the barbell towards the neck rather than the upper, mid or lower chest. Gironda preferred using a Smith machine for this exercise to avoid balance issues while lowering the weight. He also suggested crossing the legs and drawing them up over the stomach, ensuring the back stays flat on the bench instead of arching—a common tendency among lifters.

“Take a wide grip on the bar and the elbows and upper arm should be directly under or slightly back of the barbell. Lower the bar to where your neck and upper chest meets – not to the nipple line as you would with regular bench presses. Press up to within an inch of lockout and then lower and repeat. Try for maximum stretch as you lower the bar and tense the pecs hard at the top, trying for a hard contraction,” says an article on physicalculturestudy.com titled The Gironda Neck Press. Multiple studies have shown the neck press allows for maximum pec activation, something which is absolutely necessary for chest muscle growth.

Whether you perform the neck press or not, there’s no denying that the ‘honest’ 8x8 workout remains one of the most widely used methods to get shredded. Gironda’s methods and temperament were often questioned, but they worked in his time and going by the looks of it, continue to do so.

Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.