As the saying goes: a little bit of narcissism won't hurt, vanity isn't a sin. However, for men and women who want to take the workout several notches higher, the Weider Workout will require effort, time and discipline with the obligatory pain.

Created by none other than the old master blaster and Father of Bodybuilding Joe Weider, the Weider Workout is among one of the most intense and heaviest workouts in the whole world. Weider who was well-known for revolutionizing the whole body building industry took note of the most effective body workouts he saw in fellow enthusiasts and created a program that body building champions has been using for years - and from that he created the 29-stepped Weider Workout Principles.

The funny thing is that when I was 15 I bought a Weider Workout book and I still throw it into the mix of my workouts today, some 20 years later. The principles still work well.

The Weider Workout Principles basically has one goal - progressive overload. Weider believed that in order to keep on increasing body mass and avoid the so called body building plateau wherein the growth of the body has seemed to stop, one must always challenge his physical self. From the basic, increased intensity and advanced Wielder workouts, the golden rule was to always push one's body beyond the limit in order to keep on growing.

The first workout principle is the progressive overload itself, discussed earlier. In a nutshell, one could double the sets of the workout or shorten the period of rests in between to achieve the stamina that he needs for the workout in higher stages.

What comes next is the set system rule. This principle worked by enhancing different parts of the body using three or more sets. For instance, if you're training the core, you won't stick to simply doing sit-ups no matter how many they may be. You have to add a variation such as leg raises, Pilates, leg scissors and many more.

The third principle is named isolation. While other fitness experts suggest workouts that apparently target the whole body, Weider believed that focus is key. If one wants to enhance one part of the body greatly, then he must engage in exercises specifically made to target that part. Next in line comes muscle confusion. Following the same process over and over again will lead to muscle memorization which is to be avoided for continuous mass increase. In order to confuse your muscles, one must engage in different exercises and not simply stick to an old routine.

The fourth principle was priority. You know how one part of your body seems to be weaker than the rest like for instance your arms or legs? In the start of the training when you still have a lot of energy, this muscle should be worked out before anything else until such time where all parts of the body is in equilibrium with the other in terms of strength, power and endurance.

The fifth is called the pyramiding principle. Weider believed in the power of warm outs. He encouraged body builders to start in the bottom of the pyramid, or a lighter weight, slowly up to the top, to the heaviest weight to avoid muscle ripping and fiber damage.

The seventh and eight principles which kind of go hand in hand are called split training and circulation. In split training, you divide your body from the core to upper and lower body. This way, you have heavier workouts for the two parts and thus push yourself farther. The circulation principle targets the circulation of blood in the body through out the workout.

These eight simple rules or principals that Joe Weider put together are only part of the basic workout scheme. They could help you gain immense pounds of body mass until you are ready for the next stage with higher intensity. Make sure you eat properly and get plenty of rest.