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Article by Jeremy Likness

German Volume Training

German Volume Training does not necessarily come to us from Germany. Charles Poliquin is credited with popularizing the method in the United States. The premise behind German Volume Training is simple: shock your muscles through high volume and hopefully their response will be hypertrophy. This makes sense. People who do a high volume of work, i.e. roofers, lumberjacks, etc, do build strong muscles despite the heavy load. The key is finding a workload heavy enough to stimulate a response, yet light enough to allow you to complete virtually all of the sets.


When properly done, your body undergoes a compensation period. The first sets become progressively difficult, then the overload triggers a neurological response, and suddenly the last 2 or 3 sets should become slightly easier. This is when you know you've loaded the weight correctly. Try to load enough weight to allow you to finish all reps in at least 7 out of the 10 sets. By the last training session for that group, you should be able to finish all reps of all sets. Tempo is steady but not explosive, no strong emphasis on lowering the weight, just controlled.

The variation of german volume training used here is supersetting. Agonist and antagonist muscles will be worked. For example, you might perform a military press followed by a wide grip pull-down. The idea is to hit two muscle groups with volume and take advantage of a response known to happen when antagonists are worked back to back: a suddenly increase in strength. The rest is short - 45 seconds - enough to lower your heart rate slightly. The muscle will get passive rest as you work the opposing muscle group.

Volume: high
Intensity: moderate
Tempo: 211

GVTH - GVT Horizontal

1.       Perform your favorite cardiovascular warm-up for 10 minutes.

2.       Perform your upper body stretches. Hold for 10 seconds each.

3.       Perform your upper body control drills. Perform 10 reps each.

4.       Perform the following workout ...

Exercise

Reps

Tempo

Rest

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

45 s

Flat barbell bench press

9

211

45 s

Bent-over barbell rows

9

211

DONE!

5.       Perform your upper body stretches. Hold for 15 seconds each.

GVTL - GVT Legs

1.       Perform your favorite cardiovascular warm-up for 10 minutes.

2.       Perform your lower body stretches. Hold for 10 seconds each.

3.       Perform your lower body control drills. Perform 10 reps each.

4.       Perform the following workout ...

Exercise

Reps

Tempo

Rest

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

45 s

Bodybuilding Squat

11

211

45 s

Stiff-legged Dead-Lift

11

211

DONE!

5.       Perform your lower body stretches. Hold for 15 seconds each.

GVTV - GVT Vertical

1.       Perform your favorite cardiovascular warm-up for 10 minutes.

2.       Perform your upper body stretches. Hold for 10 seconds each.

3.       Perform your upper body control drills. Perform 10 reps each.

4.       Perform the following workout ...

Exercise

Reps

Tempo

Rest

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

45 s

Seated Barbell Military Press

9

211

45 s

Wide Grip Pull-Downs

9

211

DONE!

5.       Perform your upper body stretches. Hold for 15 seconds each.






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