If you have been in the muscle-building game for a while, then you might have come across several muscle-building techniques such as pyramid training, reverse pyramid training, partial drop sets, and many more. Most bodybuilders over-complicate things where training exercises are concerned. But GERMAN VOLUME TRAINING is one of the simplest training programs to follow. The claim is that this super-easy and simple training program is also quite effective to boost muscle and mass build-up. In this article, we will briefly explain to you the main characteristics of this training system, its advantages, and disadvantages, and how to perfectly adjust all training variables in order to get the maximum benefit if you ever decide to engage in this training system.
A brief history of German Volume Training (GVT)
This program was first brought to the bodybuilding arena back in the ’60s by the late Vince Gironda, who termed it simple 10 SETS OF 10 REPS. Enter the ’70s, Rolf Feser, German National Weightlifting Coach introduced it to team members as a means to add muscle in the off-season. Then in the ’90s, Charles Poliquin introduced 10 SETS OF 10 REPS as German Volume Training to the bodybuilding community through the pages of Muscle Media 2000 magazine.
What is German Volume Training or 10 by 10?
In this training system, you do exactly 10 sets of 10 reps for each exercise (which is why GVT is often referred to as 10 by 10 (100 reps in total). The simplest way to fully define this method of training would be: GVT is a one-exercise-per-bodypart-per-workout approach. It is a training system that has been used by weightlifters, athletes, and powerlifters to reach new fitness levels, build muscle mass, and break mass and weightlifting plateaus.
What are the main characteristics of German Volume Training?
Let’s see how to design the German Volume Training and how to adjust all the important training variables.
Selecting your split
If you are a beginner, then a three-day split will work well for you. It is an intense training program due to the high volume. However, you will be allowed rest days between the training days. The following training schedule will ensure maximum muscle boost as you will concentrate on a single muscle group in a single day.
- Day 1. Bench press day
- Day 2. Rest
- Day 3. Squat day
- Day 4. Rest
- Day 5. Deadlift day
- Day 6. Rest
- Day 7. Rest or restart cycle
More experienced muscle builders can also focus on more than one muscle group per day, followed by mass-building splits, but the high-stress schedule is often too tough for beginners.
Selecting your exercise
In a single day, you will be concentrating on just one exercise which you have to complete in a 10×10 format per body part. If you are a beginner your will train only one body part (muscle group) per training. Choosing an exercise is a very crucial part of this training program because you have to make sure that you select one that will boost maximum muscle building. The main objective of the German training program is to cause stimulation of the cells and cause them to swell. Therefore, combine the best types of exercises and then implement them. For example, squats, deadlifts, and bench-press allow the best multi-joint movement which results in enhanced metabolic stress and anabolic responses.
Choosing the weight
This is also an important variable because if you choose an extremely high or low weight, the whole training session will be ineffective. Thus, you have to choose a weight that is at least 60% of your one-rep max also known as 1RM (maximum single effort), which is basically the weight that you will be able to sustain for 20 reps without failure. This weight might feel a bit light for the first couple of sets, but as the collective fatigue sets in, you will find it difficult to reach the end of the workout. The most important thing to remember is not to use set-extending techniques. When you find that you can’t complete the set, rest.
If you use your 10 RM there’s no way you’ll be able to hit 10 reps for all 10 sets due to muscle fatigue. As previously mentioned, you’ll do 10 reps (no more, no less) on each set. If on the first few sets, you reach rep 10 and feel like you can do more, don’t. Stop at 10. You’ll see why in those last few sets! Not all sets should be taken to failure with GVT.
Use fixed poundage (no pyramids) and 10 reps for all ten sets if possible. If not, reduce the poundage to no more than 5-10 pounds every two to five sets. Or, keep the poundage fixed but reduce the number of reps.
The ideal scenario, for example:
- Set 1. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 2. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 3. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 4. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 5. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 6. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 7. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 8. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 9. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 10. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
The less ideal scenario, an example.
- Set 1. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 2. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 3. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 4. 185 pounds for 10 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 5. 185 pounds for 9 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 6. 185 pounds for 8 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 7. 185 pounds for 7 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 8. 185 pounds for 7 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 9. 185 pounds for 6 reps, rest 90 sec.
- Set 10. 185 pounds for 6 reps, rest 90 sec.
Rest intervals
You should pre-determine your rest periods before starting the GVT session. The most common rest period is 90 seconds which can be maintained using a stopwatch. If you don’t strictly keep to the rest schedules, the effectiveness of the overall GVT session will decrease. By limiting yourself to a rest period of 90 seconds, you will allow your muscle to rebound after the fatigue accumulates and sets in.
Supplementary exercises
German Volume Training starts with the primary exercises done for 10 sets which are subsequently followed by complimentary exercises done from different angles with an addition of 3-8 reps. You can include two to more secondary exercises based on your experience and fitness level.
German Volume Training for Beginners
As already stated above, the German volume training calls for lifters to choose a multi-joint compound exercise (such as barbell squats, barbell shoulder presses, deadlifts, or bench presses) and perform 10 sets of 10 reps at approximately 60% of their 1 rep max. This can be done for 1 or 2 exercises and then followed up with accessory work (even isolation exercise) if desired. Rest times between sets are recommended at around 90 seconds.
General template
| GENERAL TEMPLATE |
|---|
| DAY 1 |
| Compound Lift A: 10x10 @ 60% 1RM |
| Compound Lift B: 10x10 @ 60% 1RM |
| Accessory Lift A: 3-5 sets of 10 |
| DAY 2 |
| Compound Lift A: 10x10 @ 60% 1RM |
| Compound Lift B: 10x10 @ 60% 1RM |
| Accessory Lift A: 3-5 sets of 10 |
| DAY 3 |
| Compound Lift A: 10x10 @ 60% 1RM |
| Compound Lift B: 10x10 @ 60% 1RM |
| Accessory Lift A: 3-5 sets of 10 |
3 Day Full Body German Volume Training for Beginners
| German Volume Training Workout 1 / Day 1: | |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets, reps, intensity |
| Back squat | 10 x 10, 60% 1 RM |
| Bench press | 10 x 10, 60% 1 RM |
| Dumbbell flyes | 3 x 10, by feel |
| German Volume Training Workout 2 / Day 2: | |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets, reps, intensity |
| Barbell row | 10 x 10, 60% 1 RM |
| Split squats | 10 x 10, 60% 1 RM |
| Lat pull-downs | 3 x 10, by feel |
| German Volume Training Workout 3 / Day 3: | |
|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets, reps, intensity |
| Romanian deadlift | 10 x 10, 60% 1 RM |
| Overhead shoulder press | 10 x 10, 60% 1 RM |
| Leg extensions | 3 x 10, by feel |
German Volume Training for more advanced exercisers
GVT can be used with any training split—upper and lower body, two-day, three-day, four-day, or five-day. However, because it’s such an intense workout, training fewer muscle groups in each workout (i.e., a four-day or five-day training split) typically works better.
If using an upper- and lower-body or two-day split, stick to only one exercise per muscle group, especially if you’re training six days a week (in which each muscle group is worked three times). If using a three-day, four-day, or five-day training split, you can perform multiple exercises per muscle group since each muscle group is only worked once or twice a week. In this case, we recommend two or three exercises for larger muscle groups like quadriceps and chest, and one or two exercises for smaller muscle groups like biceps, triceps, and trapezius.
German Volume Training Workouts (Using a Four-Day Training Split)
| WORKOUT 1 CHEST AND TRICEPS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle group | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Chest | Dumbbell bench press | 10 | 10 |
| Low-pulley cable crossover | 10 | 10 | |
| Fly machine | 10 | 10 | |
| Triceps | Triceps pressdown | 10 | 10 |
| Machine dip | 10 | 10 | |
| WORKOUT 2 BACK, BICEPS, FOREARMS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle group | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Back | Bent-over barbell row | 10 | 10 |
| Lat pull-downs | 10 | 10 | |
| Straight arm pull-downs | 10 | 10 | |
| Biceps | Barbell curl | 10 | 10 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 10 | 10 | |
| Forearms | Barbell wrist curl | 10 | 10 |
| WORKOUT 3 GUADRICEPS/GLUTES, HAMSTRINGS, CALVES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle group | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Quadriceps/Glutes | Barbell squat | 10 | 10 |
| Leg press | 10 | 10 | |
| Hamstrings | Lying leg curl machine | 10 | 10 |
| Calves | Standing calf raise | 10 | 10 |
| Leg press calf raise | 10 | 10 | |
| WORKOUT 4 SHOULDERS, TRAPS, ABS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle group | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Shoulders | Dumbbell shoulder press | 10 | 10 |
| Cable upright row | 10 | 10 | |
| Band lateral raise | 10 | 10 | |
| Traps | Behind-the-back barbell shrug | 10 | 10 |
| Abs | Machine crunch | 10 | 10 |
Closing Thoughts About the German Volume Training: It’s a Waste of Time!
Here at Bodybuilding Wizard, we are not fans of this way of training. In our opinion, this way of training is definitely not suitable for beginners. Even advanced exercisers should think carefully about what exactly they are getting from this type of training. We only see big disadvantages of GVT which are numerous and can’t be even listed here.
First and foremost, GVT does now fall into any well-established training protocol. This is not the way you should train either for muscle hypertrophy (increasing muscle size) or for muscle strength and power. It’s not even the way to train for muscular endurance, despite the big volume. Usually, more work tends to equal better results, especially for hypertrophy and muscle growth. However, there comes a point of diminishing returns, where each extra set only offers marginally better results but comes at the cost of massive extra fatigue and injury risk.
There are numerous advantages to training a muscle using multiple exercises during one workout. GVT does not allow you that. The most important is that you can attack the muscle from a variety of different angles. The more angles you hit the muscle from, the more muscle fibers are stimulated and the greater the overall degree of development. For example, on the chest you can do declines for the lower and outer chest, flats for the lower and center chest, inclines for the upper chest, and peck dec flyes and cable crossovers for the inner chest.
Another advantage of multiple exercises (what this way of training deprives you of) is variety. Even though most bodybuilders love training, doing the same workout over and over can get pretty boring. Changing the exercises keeps things fresh.
Yes, it’s simple, and yes, it can work for some people. But those people could have gotten the same or better results doing literally half the work! So if you’re looking for a way to waste your time and increase your injury risk, GVT 10×10 is the approach for you.
