German Volume Training

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
Im confused. I was reading an article earlier and it said “402” tempo… meaning 4 seconds up (1st rep), 0 down, and 2 seconds back up (2nd rep) and repeat 402 again right for the whole 10 reps yes?

How much weight am I supposed to use? I would assume it wouldn’t be 100% of my Max and instead a reduced amount yes?[/quote]

I think you are misunderstanding the standard form tempo notation format. “402” means a 4 second negative, no pause in the down (fully stretched) position, and 2 second positive each rep. If there were a fourth number (for example 4021) that would refer to how long to hold the fully contracted (positive) position. If you are skeptical–and you should be about everything on the “internets” --you can look up explanations of the format using the search tool on this site. These numbers apply to the performance of each rep. The article is suggesting a 6-second rep cadence for each rep. That’s a lot slower than you might think. Perform a rep while looking at a clock with a sweep second hand and you’ll see.

Ahhhhhhhh now it makes sense!

Thx man… ok so if understand correctly, 4 seconds negative on the way down, then fast up, then 2 seconds negative down, then back to 4 second negative down and repeat?

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
So basically this exercise wears you out and gives you immediate pump…but, since the weight isn’t your Max, I don’t get how it still promotes muscle growth. Doesn’t one have to always exceed previous weights to encourage growth? Does the 1 min rest ans lots of reps really give you growth despite the lack of Max lifts? [/quote]

No, one doesn’t always have to exceed pevious weights to encourage growth. Of course increasing your workload over time will promote growth. But do you really think that the pros who are lifting insane amounts of weight to begin with, but still seem to keep growing, are continuously getting stronger and lifting more and more?

Like I said before, I am stil doing some heavy lifts on top of the GVT, and I’m also not doing it forever, it’s just a nice change of pace and seems to be already having a positive effect.

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
Ahhhhhhhh now it makes sense!

Thx man… ok so if understand correctly, 4 seconds negative on the way down, then fast up, then 2 seconds negative down, then back to 4 second negative down and repeat?[/quote]

No lol…

It’s 4 seconds negative (downard movement of the lift), ZERO time holding in the rest position (bar on your chest for instance when benching), then 2 seconds positive (the upward movement of the lift).

So if you’re benching…you lower the bar down to your chest for 4 seconds, then immediately being to push the bar back up to the start positin for 2 seconds. Once at the start position again, you simply repeat.

4…0…2!

This make sense now?

Yep! Can’t wait to try it tomorrow!

Sorry for multiple repeat posts… for some reason the forums here don’t work well on my phone… wtf??

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
Yep! Can’t wait to try it tomorrow!

Sorry for multiple repeat posts… for some reason the forums here don’t work well on my phone… wtf??[/quote]

Yea man…I did legs last night. I got up to go to the class this morning and was like…fuck, how am I going to walk around campus lol!

Gvt has always worked for me better than any other program, always used the 10x5,10x4,10x3 cycle instead of the 10x10. Ima try the 10x10 now as I am a bit of a heavy weight whore lol, reps are always harder!

GVT will ax murder your legs if done hard on squats proceed with caution and get the family packs ready cause ul b hungry

I did it today… surprisingly I did all the reps I was required. I don’t know if I did it right, but I stuck to 50% of 1rm and did the following:

Chest and back

Dumbbell chest press with 65 lbs each @100 reps with 10 sets total. 4 second negative.

Cable rows 105 lbs @100 reps as well… same tempo

Dumbbell incline chest flyes 40lbs DB each @100

Wide grip cable pulldowns 90 lbs @100 reps.

Only thing I deviated was the 402 tempo… I did 404 instead cause I found the 2 threw my count off.

Is this a good workout? I got the back and chest routine from a site online… after resting next one ill do on Thursday is prolly arms.

My only complaint is that I didn’t really feel the “pump”… that feeling ur muscles will explode… it was tiring, but I didn’t feel that burning pain :frowning:

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
I did it today… surprisingly I did all the reps I was required. I don’t know if I did it right, but I stuck to 50% of 1rm and did the following:

Chest and back

Dumbbell chest press with 65 lbs each @100 reps with 10 sets total. 4 second negative.

Cable rows 105 lbs @100 reps as well… same tempo

Dumbbell incline chest flyes 40lbs DB each @100

Wide grip cable pulldowns 90 lbs @100 reps.

Only thing I deviated was the 402 tempo… I did 404 instead cause I found the 2 threw my count off.

Is this a good workout? I got the back and chest routine from a site online… after resting next one ill do on Thursday is prolly arms.

My only complaint is that I didn’t really feel the “pump”… that feeling ur muscles will explode… it was tiring, but I didn’t feel that burning pain :([/quote]

Lol…I think you misunderstood the program dude.

You pick ONE main exercise (flat bench for example) and do the 10x10’s. Thennnnn you proceed with your normal exercises that supplement that body part, with normal rep ranges. NOT 10x10’s! So after your main 10x10’s, you can still go decently heavy on your other exercises.

Also, try to stay above 60% of your 1RM for the 10x10’s.

Omfg… so I did 400 reps for nothing? Lmao… kill me NOW.

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
Omfg… so I did 400 reps for nothing? Lmao… kill me NOW.

[/quote]

No, not for nothing lol…

You did it so we could all laugh when we read your post!

And remember…we’re laughing at you, not with you :wink:

[quote]ZEB wrote:
When I did GVT I gained a great deal of size. But interestingly enough when I went back to my regular training I was naturally not as strong on singles or doubles. But that is to be expected.[/quote]
How quick did it come back, the single or double strength??

[quote]ironmanzvw wrote:

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
Omfg… so I did 400 reps for nothing? Lmao… kill me NOW.

[/quote]

No, not for nothing lol…

You did it so we could all laugh when we read your post!

And remember…we’re laughing at you, not with you ;-)[/quote]

I’m sore as hell right now… so that’s good… but still… wtf… 400 reps… Omfg… noooooooooooooooo!

Ok so 10x10 as the first exercsize, then normal heavy weight routine… yes?

French Volume Training works well too

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:

[quote]ironmanzvw wrote:

[quote]RedBaron1981 wrote:
Omfg… so I did 400 reps for nothing? Lmao… kill me NOW.

[/quote]

No, not for nothing lol…

You did it so we could all laugh when we read your post!

And remember…we’re laughing at you, not with you ;-)[/quote]

I’m sore as hell right now… so that’s good… but still… wtf… 400 reps… Omfg… noooooooooooooooo!

Ok so 10x10 as the first exercsize, then normal heavy weight routine… yes?[/quote]

usually you would pick 2 antagonist exercises (ie, incline press and pull/chin-ups (lat pull-down if you cant do that many pull/chin-ups) and you would super set them until all 10 sets for both are done (20 total sets)

then pick 2 assistance exercises, (ie, dips, and seated cable row) and super-set those for 3/6-8

thats a basic template for the GVT

I seem to be a strange one, lower reps done in the advanced GVT of 10x5,10x4,10x3 put more size on me than any type of 10 rep workout Iv ever done.

I grow like a weed on 5x5,10x3,the 1-6 program, and westside training, but I can do all the repping i want like 4x10, 3x12, and 2x15 I want and it doesnt get me bigger or stronger except in my quads and delts.

Its like I get bored with a weight I dont have to fight to the death and my mind wanders or something, but a quick explosion of 3 reps super heavy I love BAM BAM BAM collapse,Grow!! 10 sets of explosive low rep heavy training really really worked!

Ok I’m gonna sound like a retard, but I’ve never done GVT before.

So obviously my last post about workout involving 400 reps was NOT GVT.

So if I’m understanding this correctly, you do 1 exercise of 10 reps and 10 sets BEFORE you do any other exercise to achieve hypertrophy (ie. Get pumped) and then u proceed with the normal weights till failure… yes? No? Can someone let me know if I did it correctly this time? Lol

I did chest, and what I did this time was:

Incline DB chest at 65lb 10x10 with 404 tempo, 1 min rest. 100 reps.

Then normal routine with 3-5 min rest tempo… incline DB chest again with my normal max weights… 4 sets of 6,4,3,3 all till failure due to being exhausted.

Lastly, machine flyes for pecs at my normal max weights… 3 sets for 8,7,6…all till failure as well.

Is this how ur supposed to do GVT?

[quote]Achilles of war wrote:
French Volume Training works well too[/quote]
can I do FVT with decline pushups or should I not mix programs

Ya Baron, select a good compound exercise that targets the area u would like to improve and superset it with the opposing muscle group that works in the same plane of motion, 4 example, the vertical plane would be any type of overhead press supersetted with any type vertical pull like chins or pulldowns.

Base your rest periods on your goals, shorter for fat burning, longer for raw strength.

The best gains of my life came from the advanced german volume template by Coach Poliquin, again thats the 10x5, 10x4,10x3 not the 10x10 although I cannot compare the two as I have not yet done the 10x10 as Poliquin reccomends that trainees with more than 5 yrs lifting experience do the advanced version and not the 10x10and I just do what the coach says but thinking of giving the 10x10 a try!

So yes do 10 sets of 10(or the advanced 5,4,3), then 3 sets of 6-8 reps on ONLY one additional exercise per bodypart as advised by coach.

A1:Incline Barbell Press 10x10
rest 60secs
A2:Medium grip chin 10x10

go back and forth between these two push/pull moves waiting 60 secs between each then

B1:Flat dumbell press 3x6-8
B2:Bent Barbell Rows 3x6-8

Done, and if you dont time your rest intervals, u lose a crucial element of the conditioning this program produces, so stay true to the 60 sec rest intervals!

Omfg… I’m on week 2 of GVT, and I can honestly say I haven’t been this sore in like years… wtf. I had my doubts about doing 60% of 1rm, but I’m more sore than doing 1rm Max weights over multiple reps…this stuff is no joke.