{"id":30165,"date":"2018-05-22T12:08:19","date_gmt":"2018-05-22T16:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barbend.com\/?p=30165"},"modified":"2024-08-02T14:57:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T18:57:41","slug":"german-volume-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbend.com\/german-volume-training\/","title":{"rendered":"How German Volume Training Can Add Muscle to Your Frame"},"content":{"rendered":"

Building muscle takes a lot of time and dedication \u2014 it\u2019s not quite as easy as Hollywood makes it seem. Most people understand this when they step into a gym for the first time. Yet undoubtedly there\u2019s always someone selling a \u201cget ripped\u201d fast program that they guarantee will melt the fat right off your body<\/a>. Sounds too good to be true, right? <\/p>\n

Well, yeah. But that doesn\u2019t mean some programs aren\u2019t more effective than others \u2014 if you\u2019re willing to endure the pain that is.<\/p>\n

Enter German volume training (GVT), a muscle and strength building program beloved by bodybuilders and powerlifters from Munich and beyond. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s little scientific evidence to back up its claims (more on that in a bit) but countless words have been typed singing the regimen\u2019s praises. Are they full of baloney, though, or is this a worthwhile program? Let\u2019s dig into it and see. <\/p>\n

What Is German Volume Training?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Popularized by legendary strength coach Charles Poliquin, GVT involves a lot of volume, little rest, and a limited timeframe. Generally speaking, programs can be crazy intense and short or more moderate in its intensity and a bit longer. GVT is the former: you go hard for three weeks and then you don\u2019t try it again for at least six months.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was a kid, I realized that in the Western world, German weightlifters were probably the most advanced in training results,\u201d Poliquin, who died in 2018<\/a>, previously told BarBend<\/em>. \u201cSo I went to the national training center in Leimen, and the then national weightlifting coach Rolf Feser explained how they would do periodization with 10 sets of 10, 10 sets of five, and 10 sets of three. They were big believers in the law of repeated efforts: one of the reasons people don\u2019t get strong is because they simply don\u2019t do enough sets.\u201d<\/p>\n

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oleksboiko\/Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here\u2019s how German volume training works. You perform three workouts over five days and repeat that cycle six times for a 30-day program.<\/b> (More advanced trainees might be advised to do the program for three cycles.)<\/p>\n

Each workout has four exercises in two supersets, A and B. Both \u201cA\u201d exercises are performed with 10 sets of 10 at 60 percent of your <\/b>one-rep max<\/b><\/a>, with 90 seconds between sets<\/b>: A1, rest 90 seconds, A2, rest 90 seconds, repeat 10 times. Sixty percent of your one-rep max might feel frustratingly light for the first few sets. It won\u2019t by the end.<\/p>\n

Not sure what your max is? no worries, you can use our calculator below:<\/p>\n\t\t

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One Rep Max Calculator<\/h2>\r\n\t\t\t\t
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