AHH YES, yet another German Volume Training (GVT) article…..
What is known to many gym goers as the Holy Grail of musclebuilding programs, this specific training protocol is known to stimulate some of the best progress of their lives. However, if some important variables are not taken into account, it can lead to just the opposite and turn your body into German Potato Salad Mush!
Let’s first get into some basics of what German Volume Training is, then we’ll discuss how to manipulate your lifestyle to not only recover from this brutal program, but actually make the positive adaptations we are striving for!
So what is German Volume Training?
First things first, credit needs to be given where it is due: GVT was made famous by the strength-training master Charles Poliquin. Simply put, it is comprised of 10 sets of 10 repetitions of a given exercise, utilizing a 60-second rest. Simple, right? Not if done correctly. The goal of this is to activate high-threshold motor neurons, and we do this by performing exercises with a load that one could do for roughly 20 repetitions. So as we progress through the 10 sets, we slowly ACCUMULATE fatigue, making the last few sets of 10 so brutal we hope to only get 8 or 9 reps. This very idea of “get reps or die trying” is what forces your body to tap into motor pathways that are not utilized in your traditional sets of 10 reps. Notice the key word accumulate. (We will touch on this in just a few minutes.)
How do we program the training? (Or, as the bros would ask, “What’s the split?”)
The typical setup would be antagonistic muscle group supersets. However, I like to start my cycles a bit differently. I break the full GVT training cycle into 3 phases:
1. Accumulation
2. Intensification
3. RealizationAccumulation
Like I said, most would go right into antagonistic supersets typically in a 5-day cycle. This means each muscle group gets trained once every 5 days. This can be very tough on a beginner or intermediate trainee. So I start out with a less frequent training cycle and a bit more isolation as we slowly ramp up week to week.
Day 1: Back (A movement: Pendlay Rows)
Day 2: Chest (A movement: Bench Press)
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Legs (A movement: Squats)
Day 5: Shoulders (A movement: Overhead Press)
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off
I will then use the A series movement (the first movement) to ramp volume weekly.
Week 1: 5 sets x 10 reps
Week 2: 7 sets x 10 reps
Week 3: 10 sets x 10 reps
We then utilize the B and C movements for some more isolation work. A major component of this block is knowing we’re NOT looking to hit failure. Instead, we are looking for fatigue to accumulate over the sets, but not to the extent of a descending rep scheme! After having made it through 3 cycles of this, we program a de-load or taper week by dropping the A series movement down to 3 to 5 sets and using half of the weight. With this de-load week, we have set our bodies up to handle more stress so we can push into a higher frequency training phase. I call this the Intensification phase.IntensificationRealization
So there we have it! Now you have a plan to implement GVT into your program versus being a typical gym bro who goes from 3 sets of 10 to jumping into a full-blown GVT cycle.
German volume training can be one of the most beneficial training programs you ever complete. The amount of progress you can make in such a short time is outstanding. However, it can be just as detrimental and leave you seriously beat up. Recovery is, hands down, the most important aspect of any training program, yet it is the least spoken about. I could easily talk to you about all the different aspects of recovery needed with this style of training, but we would have to spend the next couple days together. Remember, the goal of training is to make PROGRESS, not kill yourself. Anyone can create a program that beats down the toughest of athletes – however, that doesn’t correlate to results. It takes true discipline to not only develop but ADHERE to a program that creates results without unnecessary pain.
