Rich Piana was one of the most iconic bodybuilders in the modern era most infamously known for his 8-hour arm workout. He was known for his big personality and even bigger arms which in turn helped develop his cult-like following. From his cars, women, and cookie-eating habits, everyone wanted to be like him. In this article, we will look at one of his most famous workout videos: The 8-hour arm workout
Pre-Workout Briefing
Digging into the video, Piana prefaces it by letting us know that he is willing to do anything and everything to accomplish his goals. This lead him to create the brutal workout famously known as “The 8-hour arm workout”. The workout consists of 16-mini-workouts – 1 mini-workout every half hour. Between each work out you must drink a protein shake. This is an absolutely brutal workout and will leave you with a massive pump – if you make it all the way through.
How to Prepare
- Take 2 days off before the workout to allow the body to completely recoup
- Plan for a huge breakfast before you work out and let it digest for 2 hours.
- Prepare 16 shakes that contain protein, simple sugars, and some carbs to help replenish the glycogen after each mini-workout. Piana recommends bringing different flavored shakes to ease the pain of drinking 16 shakes.
The Advertised Results
Rich claims that the workout will put 1-inch on your arms in 24 hours but he admits most of that is due to inflammation and swelling. The workout will shock the hell out of the arms and pushes them to future growth. He recommends giving the workout a shot but most people will fail at the 4-hour mark.
Once you complete the workout, take 2 days off from the gym to recuperate and of course measure your arms to see where you are at.
Piana claims to have done this workout at least 12 times in his life – he’s “cared about nothing more than to get that extra inch on his arms”. Since he was 11 he has been willing to do whatever it takes.
The 8-Hour Arm Workout
Workout 1
| Sets | Reps | Exercise |
| 4 | 10 | EZ-Bar Skull Crushers |
| 4 | 10 | EZ-Bar Barbell Curl |
DRINK A SHAKE
Workout 2
| Sets | Reps | Exercise |
| 4 | 15 | Single-arm Dumbbell Extensions (laying on bench) |
| 4 | 15 | Dumbbell Hammer Curls (Seated) |
DRINK A SHAKE
Continue to alternate between these workouts until you have reached 16 workouts. Each workout should last 30 minutes – shake drinking time included. You should use the same weight in all rounds.
Post-workout
Well, you’ve made it through the workout – we hope! Make sure to eat a big meal after you finish and take 2 days off to let those arms grow. The meal should consist of carbs like potatoes, rice, or bread and clean protein sources like salmon, cod, or trout. Post down below if you attempted or completed it and let us know how it went.
