German Volume Training: The Best Kept Muscle Building Secret?
Brutally hard, brutally effective
As fitness addicts, we’re always looking for an edge.
Whether it’s a new training protocol, more advanced exercise equipment or experimenting with various supplements, we’ll try anything to get stronger, faster and leaner. We’re constantly striving to be better today than we were yesterday.
German Volume Training is the game-changer you seek.
Rising to prominence in (you guessed it) Germany in the 1970s, GVT holds dear one of the most fundamental muscle-building axioms: volume is key in the quest for muscle growth. It utilizes a 10x10 repetition scheme to shock the body into action. For a given exercise, that means 10 working sets of 10 repetitions.
I must warn you, GVT is not for the faint of heart. It will test the resolve of even the most experienced athletes. It will cause you to shake and tremble and curse the day you were born. You’ll want to slow down. You’ll want to stop. You’ll try to convince yourself what you’ve done is good enough.
Let’s see if you’re up for the challenge.
If done right, the results can be downright awe-inspiring. You’ll experience muscle growth and development unlike anything you’ve seen previously. You’ll become your own version of Superman.
Here we go.
The preparation phase
There is a distinct correlation between having a plan and reaching your goal. Virtually every study ever done on the subject confirms this.
Make sure you’re primed for success by knowing exactly what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it before setting foot in the gym.
Selecting your exercises
It’s essential to make impactful exercise choices that will give you the best bang for your buck.
Don’t opt for easy machine movements or isolation exercises. They don’t lend themselves to heavy weights (loads) and can overwork joints, tendons and ligaments.
Think compound movements like squats, bench presses and overhead presses. These movements bend and manipulate the body at multiple points of flexion, working many muscle groups at once.
Determine your training split
Training splits refer to what muscle groups you work when. You’re probably familiar with the “bro split” of training two muscle groups per session, like chest and triceps, legs and back, shoulders and arms, etc. Perhaps you’re more familiar with the “full body” split, where you work the entire body in one session.
GVT requires more of a hybrid due to the intense nature of the activity. Here’s an example of a five-day GVT training split:
Day 1: Chest & Back
Day 2: Legs & Abs
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Arms & Shoulders
Day 5: Off
There is room to adjust based on personal preference, but always make sure to work antagonistic muscle groups on the same day. In other words, don’t work muscle groups where there is too much cross-over, for example chest and shoulders.
Also keep in mind it’s optimal to work each muscle group at least once every four or five days.
Establish the correct starting weight
Start with approximately 60% of your one rep maximum. If you don’t know your one rep maximum, pick a weight which you could perform a single 20 rep set with.
For example, if you can squat 200 pounds for 1 rep, you would use 120 pounds for this exercise.
For any accessory movements, go with isolation or machine exercises. Perform 3 sets for 15–20 reps, aka light weight. I’d recommend waiting until you have a few weeks of GVT training under your belt first.
The execution phase
All workout sessions begin with a proper warmup.
A warmup is key to maximizing performance and minimizing injury risk by priming your cardiovascular system and muscles for use. Aim for 5–10 minutes of light to moderate movement. If needed, gently foam roll any tender areas for another 3–5 minutes.
Now the fun begins.
Considering the training split from above, here’s an example of a German Volume Training workout:
Day 1
Bench Press: 10x10 (alternate weekly with Pushups)
Lat Pull-downs or Pull-ups: 10x10 (alternate weekly with Bent-Over Rows)
Cable Flys: 3x20 (alternate weekly with Pec Dec)
One Arm Dumbbell Rows: 3x20 (alternate weekly with Seated Rows)
Day 2
Barbell Squats: 10x10 (alternate weekly with Leg Press)
Lunges: 10x10 (alternate weekly with Deadlifts)
Weighted Sit-ups: 3x20 (alternate weekly with Hanging Leg Raises)
Calf Raises: 3x20 (alternate weekly with Bodyweight Lunges)
Day 3
Off
Day 4
Dips : 10x10 (alternate weekly with Tricep Extensions)
Barbell Curls: 10x10 (alternate weekly with Chin-ups)
Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3x20 (alternate weekly with Lateral Raise machine)
Bent-Over Reverse Laterals: 3x20 (alternate weekly with Reverse Pec Dec)
Day 5
Off
A couple of additional notes:
Rest for 90 seconds between sets
Only add additional weight when you’re able to perform 10 reps for each of the 10 sets
DO NOT train to failure. You don’t need any additional intensity
While tempo is not a major concern, renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin suggests a 4 second negative (i.e. for a barbell squat, 4 seconds on the way down).
Form is paramount. If you can’t maintain form, the set is over. “Form is more important than weight,” says C. J. Murphy, a competitive powerlifter and strongman. “Every rep should look crisp and smooth.”
Concentrate on each muscle as it lengthens and contracts. Make sure prime movers (glutes, quads, lats, core) are doing the majority of the work. Ancillary muscles (hamstrings, biceps, calves) are there for support and stability.
The recovery phase
Muscles aren’t built in the gym. They’re built at rest.
The stimulus to build muscle size and strength is what’s generated during a workout. The actual muscle building processes occur during recovery. It’s what we do when we’re not in the gym that has the greatest impact on muscle growth.
German volume training is hard. Really hard. It’s imperative to prioritize recovery just as you would prioritize training and nutrition.
Get enough sleep
Prioritizing sleep is essential for any muscle building to occur. Most notably for weight training, sleep impacts tissue repair and cognitive function.
Both are necessary to fuel an intense training protocol like German Volume Training. Aim for at least 7 hours each night, try for 8.
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition
Make sure to take in enough protein to facilitate tissue growth. Protein contains amino-acids, the building blocks of cells. Protein is directly responsible for building muscle.
Prioritize protein from whole food sources before adding in supplements. Whatever your stance on diet, getting proteins from real food always outperforms protein from a whey container. Supplements are just that, supplements to whole food sources.
Increase caloric intake slightly on days you train. Due to the intense nature of GVT, you burn more calories during your workout and require more calories for recovery. Shoot for a 10% increase, if you’re eating 2000 calories per day, start with 2200.
What you can expect from German Volume Training
Simply put, you can expect results.
Your body is in for a shock with this sudden increase in volume. And shock is exactly what the body needs to spur physiological changes.
You can expect to be sore as well. Especially the first week or so. Respond accordingly. If you’re too tired or sore heading into a training day, postpone until tomorrow. Opt for some active recovery or light cardio instead.
Remember, our muscles grow and develop when we rest. So make sure to get enough rest!
Start slow. Get established. You’re not going to make all your gains in the first week.
Overall, you can expect your fitness to reach to new heights. Especially if your progress has seemingly stalled. Enjoy the process and learn as much as you can.
Scott Mayer is a runner, thinker, curious observer and certified personal trainer.
Glad to see a place for comment, which hopefully includes questions and advice. I am a reasonably fit and healthy 73-year old male (and German, not that it matters for this), and determined to rebuild a recent loss of some muscle mass and about ten pounds of weight. I'm normally 163#, so a loss of 10+ pounds is discouraging...although I seem to be steadily gaining it back now that I'm working on a small extent.
Regarding muscles, I am still strong enough to do numerous reps of 20# dumbbell curls, pushups and stationary bicycle work, but I had a knee replacement in early September that seems fully healed with some stiffness and aches, but recovering nicely. I have the other knee scheduled for April, and want to work out as much as possible prior to the surgery so that I am better shape for the recovery than I was for the first one.
Is there a scaled-down version of the GVT program for the more "mature" trainee that I should follow, other than simple common sense, or anything specific I should be alert to in terms of possible damage I might do without realizing it.
Thanks for any advice or guidance you might offer.
Don Kirchner
Don@AMatterofTime.org
(I'm not on Twitter.)