Advanced German Volume Training
by Charles Poliquin
When I introduced German Volume Training in the now defunct Muscle Media 2000, it
was the most popular article they had ever published. Since then, it has been reprinted,
translated, copied, attacked, "modified" or "improved," pirated, you name it.
Why? Because it works; because it works very well.
I get feedback about it to this day, even though it was written over ten years ago. I still
get asked at least three questions a week about it on my own website. Last year, I was
visiting Boston and decided to grab a workout at the Needham’s Gold Gym. As I showed
the attendant my Gold’s gym card, he said, "Oh, the German Volume article author! I’m
pleased to meet you. That’s the only program that put 15 lbs of muscle on me in one
month."
I have heard this type of report countless times.
However, the most common question I hear concerns how it might be adapted for an
advanced trainee–someone with a good 5-years training experience.
Before I get into that, let us recap the most important points regarding German Volume
training:
1. You do ten sets of a single "most bang for your buck" exercise.
2. You strive to do a pre-determined number of reps on each set, i.e. ten sets of ten reps.
3. You preferably alternate with the antagonist "most bang for your buck" exercise.
4. You only increase the weight once all ten sets are completed with the pre-determined
starting weight. The load used is submaximal, you do not try to reach failure on all sets,
but only the last three should be hard. Basically you get the training effect from the law
of repeated efforts.
A typical workout might look like this:
A. Bench press (the goal is to do 10 sets of 10 with 200 pounds):
Set 1: 10 reps
Set 2: 10 reps
Set 3: 10 reps
Set 4: 10 reps
Set 5: 9 reps
Set 6: 7 reps
Set 7: 7 reps
Set 8: 8 reps
Set 9: 7 reps
Set 10: 6 reps
B. Barbell Row (the goal is to do 10 sets of 10 with 200 pounds):
Set 1: 10 reps
Set 2: 10 reps
Set 3: 10 reps
Set 4: 9 reps
Set 5: 8 reps
Set 6: 7 reps
Set 7: 7 reps
Set 8: 7 reps
Set 9: 6 reps
Set 10: 6 reps
Once you were able to do complete 10 sets of 10 reps, you would increase the weight by
2 1/2 to 5%.
Pseudo-improvements for GVT
A lot of people claim to have improved the German Volume Training, but failed
miserably because they did not understand the physiology behind it.
I do not care to bore you with details, but let’s say that German Volume Training is the
best apple pie recipe. One author might say you should use bananas instead of apples for
an apple pie. And he would argue that the crust ruins it, and that it should instead be
made into a loaf, or a mousse, or whatever.
Unfortunately, it is not apple pie anymore.
For example, performing 5 sets of 2 exercises done to failure does not equal the training
effect of 10 sets of a single exercise using a load that causes fatigue on the later sets. The
volume-intensity equations are completely different for the two different training
systems.
Goals and Guidelines for the Advanced Trainee
Training Frequency: Because this is such a demanding program, it will take you longer to
recover. I recommend working each body part every 5 days, BUT ONLY DOING THE
SAME EXERCISE EVERY 10 DAYS. The routine outlined in the end will make things
clearer. The exercises done in the two different workouts for the same body part should
be similar, yet different enough to tap into a different motor unit pool.
Reps: For the advanced trainee, doing more than 5 reps is a waste of time, as the average
intensity will be too low. The reps should vary for each one of the six workouts (German
Volume Training, like any other training, is only effective for so long). Reps are the
loading parameter to which one adapts the quickest.
Therefore, for an advanced trainee, one should apply a 6-9% increase in load with each
successive rep reduction as outlined in the example below. In other words, each week,
you’ll do fewer reps per set, but increase the weight.
Workout 1
The goal of the Advanced German Volume Training method is to complete 10 sets of 5
reps with the same weight for each exercise. You want to begin with a weight you could
lift for 10 reps to failure (10RM), if you had to push it. For most people, on most
exercises, that would represent 75% of their 1 R.M. load. Therefore, if you can bench
press 300 pounds for one rep, you would use 225 pounds for this exercise.
So your workout may look like this:
Set 1: 225 x 5
Set 2: 225 x 5
Set 3: 225 x 5
Set 4: 225 x 5
Set 5: 225 x 5
Set 6: 225 x 5
Set 7: 225 x 4
Set 8: 225 x 4
Set 9: 225 x 3
Set 10: 225 x 3
When using this—or for that matter, any program—you should keep a detailed journal of
the exact sets/reps, load, and rest intervals performed, and only count the repetitions
completed in strict form.
Additional tips will follow after the description of the remaining workouts.
Workout 2
Increase the weight by 6-7% and strive to do 10 sets of 4 reps with that weight. So
workout 2 would look like this:
Set 1: 235 x 4
Set 2: 235 x 4
Set 3: 235 x 4
Set 4: 235 x 4
Set 5: 235 x 4
Set 6: 235 x 4
Set 7: 235 x 4
Set 8: 235 x 4
Set 9: 235 x 4
Set 10: 235 x 4
NOTE: It is not uncommon on the second workout to be able to complete all sets of 4, as
your work capacity will have improved from the first GVT workout.
Workout 3
Increase weight of Workout 1 by 8-9% and strive to do 10 sets of 3 reps with that weight.
Yes, you are reading it correctly—8-9%, not 6-7%.
So Workout 3 might look like this:
Set 1 255 x 3
Set 2 255 x 3
Set 3 255 x 3
Set 4 255 x 3
Set 5 255 x 3
Set 6 255 x 3
Set 7 255 x 3
Set 8 255 x 3
Set 9 255 x 3
Set 10 255 x 3
NOTE: During sets 6-7-8, you will think your spleen wants to come out of your right eye,
but stick with it as sets 9 and 10 will be the easiest.