Taking a leaf out of the old-school training books can be beneficial for your progress in the gym. Not only have many of these methods been tried and tested for decades, but the physiques of bodybuilding’s old-school greats suggest their efforts paid off. One such approach is the 8×8 method.

‘The 8×8 method, popularised by old-school strength coach Vince Gironda (who trained the likes of Schwarzenegger), is deceptively simple: 8 sets of 8 reps with minimal rest, using two to three exercises per body part and working two to three body parts per session in a split pretty close to what we, as modern coaches, would refer to as “push/pull/lower”,’ says Men’s Health fitness director Andrew Tracey.

‘Make no bones about it though, simple doesn’t mean easy,’ he adds. This legs and abs workout is no exception.

Complete the following exercises in an Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) format:

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge x 8 reps each side

Hanging Leg Raise x 8 reps

Start a new exercise at the beginning of each minute. Complete the reps, then rest for the remainder of the minute before moving on. Once you’ve completed all four exercises, repeat the sequence until you’ve completed eight rounds.

Barbell Front Squat

• In the squat rack, set the bar up to be mid shoulder height and bend the knees to set the hips under the bar. The bar should rest beneath your chin, across your clavicles. Take your thumbs to the outside of your shoulders; this is where your grip will be on the bar. Pull your elbows out and forward under the bar.
• Straighten the legs and unrack the bar before taking some small steps back. Lock your core and keep your chest proud with the elbows in line with your shoulders.
• Keep the barbell over your mid-foot and sink your hips into a squat with your thighs hitting parallel or lower. Explosively drive through the floor to push yourself back to standing.

Barbell Romanian Deadlift

• With a slight bend in the knees, push your hips back and slowly lower the barbell towards the ground, pinching your shoulders back and maintaining a flat back.
• When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, pause and explosively return to an upright position.

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

• Stand tall with your dumbbells in each hand.
• Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground.
• Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg.

Hanging Leg Raise

• Hang from a pull-up bar with your arms fully extended.
• Brace your core and raise your legs until they’re parallel to the floor or higher.
• Lower your legs slowly back to the starting position and repeat.

If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.

Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? Click here to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.