feature
conditioning fundamentals
German Volume Training: An Alternative Method of High about the AUTHOR Daniel Baker is a Life Member and President of the Australian Strength
Volume-Load Training For Stimulating Muscle Growth Daniel Baker, PhD, CSCS
Introduction
crease the recruitment o dierent muscle bers as typi-
Association. His
Resistance training may be implemented to achieve di-
cally occurs when perorming dierent exercises or the
full-time job for
ering outcomes such as increased control and stability,
same muscle groups. But there is an alternative method
the past 14 years
hypertrophy o muscle, maximal strength, power, or
to the common edict o multiple exercises per body
is as strength and
strength-endurance. Common among the desired out-
part, gleaned apparently, rom the training o German
conditioning coach for
comes or many trainers is the hypertrophy or growth
olympic-style olympic-style weightliters that has been labeled by re-
the Brisbane Broncos
o muscle.
nowned Canadian strength coach Charles Poliquin as
& Conditioning
Rugby League team, who participate in Australia’s professional National Rugby League (NRL) competition. Before this time he
“German Volume Training” (GVT) (3). Typical recommendations to develop muscle hypertrophy include a higher training volume (eg. multiple sets o > 10 repetitions) with shorter rest periods (e.g. < 3-minutes) at a moderate intensity (60 – 75% 1RM). Moreover,
The German Volume Training Workout
some research (1) and a large amount o practical train-
The GVT has been advocated in the coaching and
athletes from a diverse
ing experience also suggests that a higher volume-load
popular media as an eective training method to help
range of sports such
(total repetitions x the weight lited) is more eective
athletes gain lean body mass and muscle size (2, 3). Ac-
as power-lifting, diving,
in developing muscle hypertrophy as compared to the
cording to Charles Poliquin, the GVT workout was pur-
soccer, and track &
same volume (sets and reps) and intensity perormed
portedly developed by German weightliting coach Rol
with exercises that utilize lighter resistances.
Fesser to aid liters who wanted to increase lean body
worked with elite
eld to name a few. He completed his PhD in
mass during the general preparation phase o training
Sport Science at Edith
For example, 3 x 10RM bench press with an 80 kg resis-
(3). The original GVT workout entailed the per ormance ormance
Cowan University in
tance (volume-load (volume-load = 30 x 80 kg = 2400 kg) is presumed
o a larger number o sets per exercise (ten sets per ex-
Perth, Australia, where
to be more eective in developing muscle growth as
ercise) than is typically recommended or hypertrophy-
compared to the alternative workout o 3 x 10RM chest
oriented training (2). Specically, the original GVT train-
fies with 15 kg dumbbells (volume-load = 30 x 15 kg x
ing prescription was 10 sets o 10 repetitions perormed
2 each = 900kg).
with about 60% 1RM or a 20 RM resistance. As achieving
he is also an Adjunct Lecturer. He can be contacted at www. danbakerstrength.com
a high volume-load with a resistance o around 60% Consequently most trainers and athletes wisely tend
1RM is the strategic goal o the work-out, the strategy
to choose a predominance o multi-joint, compound
o reducing the resistance by 2.5 to 5kg ater a ailed set
exercises when training to increase muscle growth so
(where 10 repetitions was not achieved) or when the
that a high volume-load can be attained to help stimu-
athlete believes they will ail in the ensuing set, is neces-
late muscle growth. Aligned with these choices is the
sary to maintain set liting volume at 10 repetitions per
typical recommendation to choose multiple exercises
set. I athletes attempt to maintain the initial resistance
(e.g. 2 – 4) to “hit the muscle rom every angle” or in-
and do ewer repetitions per set due to accumulating
nsca’s nsca’ s performance training journal • www.nsca-lift.org • volume 8 issue 1
10
German Volume Training GVT complex #1 (Bench press emphasis) Exercise
Sets x Reps
Intensity
1a. Bench press
10 x 10
Start at 60% 1RM
Table 1
Rest 20 – 30 s
Examples of the modified German Volume Training (GVT) workout.
1b. Incline Dumbbell row
10 x 10
20RM Rest 20-30 s
1c. Abdominal curl-up
10 x 10
Bodyweight, take 3-s for each rep Rest till 3-minute mark and repeat complex.
GVT complex #2 (Pull-up emphasis)
The athletes perform one set of each exercise in the order listed (1a, then 1b,then 1c). A new complex of these exercises is started every 3 minutes until all 10 sets
1a. Pull-up
10 x 10
Bodyweight Rest 20 – 30 s
have been completed. Each com-
1b. Dumbbell press
10 x 10
20RM Rest 20 – 30 s
plex is an entire workout.
1c. Reverse curl-up
10 x 10
Bodyweight, take 3-s for each rep Rest till 3-minute mark and repeat complex.
GVT complex #3 (Squat emphasis)
1a. Squat
10 x 10
Start at 60% 1RM SQ Rest 20 – 30 s
1b. Leg curl
10 x 10
20RM
No abdominals. Rest till 3-minute mark and repeat complex.
atigue, then typically some athletes are only
Coach Poliquin has recommended modiying
Effects of the GVT workout
able to perorm 3 – 5 repetitions in the last ew
the original GVT so that an agonist-antagonist
As yet no long-term studies have been perormed
sets. This procedure drastically reduces potential
pairing o exercises can be used with sets o a
to gauge i the GVT workout is more eective in
volume-load and is not the methodology used
key agonist heavy resistance multi-joint exercise
promoting muscle growth or lean body mass
or the GVT workout.
alternated with sets o an antagonist second-
gains than the traditional hypertrophy training
ary movement (3). For example, bench press
edict o multiple exercises to attain high load-
The rationale o the GVT workout is to totally
sets may be alternated with a row exercise or
volume. One study has been perormed that
deplete the muscle bers involved in one key
pull-ups with dumbbell shoulder presses. The
looked at the acute eects o an upper body GVT
multi-joint exercise, rather than disperse the a-
agonist exercise is the main ocus o the workout
workout upon upper body power output. Not
tigue across alternative muscle bers as could
and each GVT complex can be considered as ei-
surprisingly, due to the high volume-loads and
occur with multiple exercises (3). I the exercise
ther an entire workout or at least the dominant
the atigue associated with the GVT workout, re-
chosen was a key, compound exercise, then -
portion o a workout.
searchers rom Edith Cowan University in Perth,
ber recruitment would naturally be high anyway,
Australia, reported this type o training can exert
and it was presumed that a super-compensatory
Typically each complex o the GVT starts every
an immediate negative impact upon power out-
growth response would occur as a result o the
3-minutes, consequently the entire GVT workout
put o 23%, with power still suppressed by 18%
high volume-load training stimulus that was
lasts 30-minutes. An abdominal training exercise
even ater 7-minutes passive rest (1). As such it
concentrated in the recruited bers (3). Accord-
can also be included in upper body GVT com-
must be recommended that the GVT workout
ingly, exercises such as squats, bench presses,
plexes, making this workout extremely time-
not be perormed beore power training sets or
deadlits or pulls, pull- or chin-ups are dominant
eective, yet “dense” in volume-load (see Table
exercises, however this would appear to be an
exercise choices or the GVT workout.
1). However, i perorming a lower body GVT
obvious recommendation or any hypertrophy-
involving squats, deadlits or pulls it is probably
oriented training dose.
unwise to atigue the torso with the inclusion o an abdominal exercise.
nsca’s performance training journal • www.nsca-lift.org • volume 8 issue 1
11
German Volume Training
G1
G2
Set #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Mean
Reps
10
10
10
9.9 (0.2)
9.8 (0.9)
9.9 (0.3)
9.6 (1.0)
10
9.8 (0.5)
9.7 (0.7)
9.9
(0)
(0)
(0)
10
10
10
(0)
(0)
(0)
Reps
(0) 9.6 (1.1)
9.6 (1.1)
9.0 (1.3)
8.6 (1.1)
8.8
(0.5) 9.8 (0.5)
9.6 (0.7)
(1.5)
9.5
Table 2 Average (standard deviation) repetitions and %1RM intensity per set across all 10 sets of the bench press portion of the GVT
(1.0) G1 = Group 1
G1
%1 RM
61.1
61.1
61.1
61.1
60.9
60.6
60.2
59.1
58.9
58.5
60.5
Professional athletes in the
(1.6)
(1.6)
(1.6)
(1.6)
(1.7)
(2.7)
(3.4)
(5.4)
(5.3)
(5.3)
(2.8)
midst of a traditional hypertrophy program.
G2
%1 RM
60.8
60.8
60.8
60.8
60.4
59.3
56.6
53.0
51.4
50.4
57.4
(1.4)
(1.4)
(1.4)
(1.4)
(1.5)
(2.9)
(4.1)
(5.4)
(5.9)
(7.1)
(5.7)
G2 = Group 2 Semi-Professional athletes coming off a high intensity, low volume program.
A positive response, apart rom muscle growth
Clearly Group 2 could not cope with the upper
References
considerations, may be that the GVT workout
body GVT workout as well as is evidenced by
1. Baker, D. and Newton, R. The deleterious
can evoke a moderate cardiovascular training e-
their more dramatic drop o in average training
effects of the high volume-load German Volume
ect that were also reported in that study by Dan-
intensity per set across the 10 sets o the bench
Training workout upon upper body power
iel Baker and Robert Newton. Figure 1 illustrates
press portion o the workout. Basically, ater the
output. (in review)
the heart rate (HR) responses rom two proes-
rst our sets they had to reduce the training
sional rugby league ootball players perorming
resistance continually in an attempt to main-
the bench press ocused GVT workout detailed
tain the perormance o 10 repetitions per set.
of strength training. Sports Coach, July-
in Table 1. The HR’s climb to over 150 and 160
Group 1 maintained their ability to use the ini-
September. 22 – 27. 1989.
beats per minute (bpm) during the latter stages
tial intensity ar better. As such the GVT may be
o the workout with recovery HR’s only dropping
considered an advanced workout or a workout
3. Poliquin, C. German volume training.
to 120 bpm (1).
or athletes in a good state o muscle and cardio-
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/luis13.htm
vascular conditioning.
accessed 12th September 2006.
2. Poliquin, C. Theory and methodology
While clearly the cardiovascular eects must impact upon the ability to perorm the GVT workout, so does the state o training that the
Conclusion
athlete is in. Table 2 compares two g roups o ath-
The GVT workout entails the perormance o 10
letes’ ability to perorm the GVT workout, taken
sets o 10 reps at about 60% 1RM (or 20 RM) in
rom the Baker and Newton study (1). Group 1
1 – 2 key exercises. This concentrated training
were proessional athletes in the midst o a hy-
dose appears airly dicult or some athletes to
pertrophy-oriented training block entailing the
perorm. However, this type o workout is time
traditional edict o 6 – 7 exercises x 3 sets x 10
eective, may be very stimulating or challeng-
reps or their upper body workouts. Group two
ing or advanced athletes, and apart rom the
were semi-proessional athletes who had just
expected muscle atigue / super-compensatory
completed a low volume-load, high-intensity
growth considerations, there appears to be a
training block (4 – 6 exercises x 3 sets x 2-6 reps).
moderate cardiovascular training eect.
nsca’s performance training journal • www.nsca-lift.org • volume 8 issue 1
12
German Volume Training
Figure 1 A graphic display of the highest and lowest heart rate responses per 3-minute complex exhibited by two elite athletes to the GVT workout. The mounting HR stress is such that the lowest recovery HR during the latter sets is higher than the working HR response in the early sets.
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