GVT for Hyperplasia

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’m interested in ya’ll learned folks’ input on using modified German Volume Training (the 10 sets of 10 method) to simultaneously train for hyperplasia and hypertropy.

GVT has been establised as a really good hypertropy plan for experienced trainees. That much we know.

Hyperplasia is a bit of a dark horse, though. I’s been purported that to stimulate hyperplasia (growth of new muscle cells), one may:

  1. Use higher training volumes.
  2. Perform eccentrics, both by using tempos which favour the eccentric actions, as well as by eccentric overloading and forced reps.
  3. Stretch before (gently) as well as after (deep) your workout. PNF stretching should be quite useful.
  4. Use a Myostatin Binder like MyoStat.
  5. Supplement with L-Glutamine and BCAAs.

It seems to me that Poliquin’s good old GVT, with an eccentric tempo is just what the doctor ordered as far as the first two are concerned.

I was thinking of making the additional “balance excersise” an overloaded eccentric, so, for example, I’d like to try GVT (10 sets of 10) for flat bench press, say, followed by an angled press on a press machine with a “foot bar” to help to get a heavy weight (GVT weight +10-20%) up, and then to lower it under my own power, for about 3 sets of 6 reps. This would then be followed with some stretching as a warm-down, and then some PNF work a day or so later to restore flexibility.

Naturally the programmes gonna be quite damaging, so I was thinking of one bout per body part, per week.

I’m already on MyoStat and L-Glutamine.
Mag-10 isn’t out of the question as an addition to the program.

As for diet, I’m going to kick calories and protein up as high as I can manage (that should be about 50% more than my normal bulking diet), in an attempt to spur some growth.

Any thoughts?

2

tracer,

I would like to know your age, height, weight, backround in training, how active you are outside the gym, your current diet, Your middle initial…okay forget that last one!

Give us some information please.

3

Where did you get the information on hyperplasia? To my knowledge it has never been shown to occur in humans.

4

might want to try some TA.

5

tracer,

If you supplement your GVT program along with weekly injections totaling 30 IU’s of HGH, plus 2 -3 grams test (and a few other choice anabolics), along with timely insulin
administration , you’ll have your hyperplasia, by golly!!!

Jeff, don’t believe in hyperplasia…ever
seen pictures of an IFBB event?!

P.S. Sorry to be a wise-ass …without
“mega-doses” of Drugs forget it :frowning:

6

Tracer, I too am interested to hear where you got your info. Sounds FLEX magazine (or something of similar ilk).

What does the following mean? “Perform eccentrics, both by using tempos which favour the eccentric actions…” Faster eccentrics (isokinetic) have been shown to cause more damage as well as greater strength/hypertrophy.

Stretching has been shown to have no effect on muscle protein synthesis in humans (though this hardly makes it dogma).
Although BCAA’s stim PS, there’s no suggestion that hyperplasia is a factor. As for glutamine… well you can probably guess my opinion of that.:slight_smile:

7

He’s right to some degree. TO quote Pavel Tsatsouline, “Scientific stretching can make you a lot stronger and, if that is your desire, slap on some serious meat on your bones! Did you know that the most dramatic muscle growth on this planet took place in a chronicallyh stretched muscle? In slightly over a month of progressively more intense stretching the mass of a bird’s wing muscle increased by an out of this world 334%! Stretching induced muscle damage appears to trigger muscle cell splitting, or hyperplasia. Although all the bugs have not been worked out for humans yet, the possibilities are awesome!”

Now, I’m not so sure that GVT is going to be the prime method of inducing hyperplasia. Here would be my personal guidelines to induce hyperplasia, although this is all theoretical:

  1. Slow, overload eccentrics, above current 1RM.

  2. Loaded Passive Stretching.

  3. Explosive concentric work.

  4. High training volume.

As far as diet and supplements are concerned, aside from Myostat, I’m not sure there’s anything else you could do except for trying to keep your muscular environment conducive to hyperplasia (well hydrated, etc.) Weight releasers, bands, chains, and the like seem to be in order.

8

Hmm…

First off, I read the initial posts when I first started this thread… and as with most “exotic” ideas, I expected opinions to be divided.

However, having continued both reading and training in the period between then and now, I have the following inputs.

First off, I cannot validate whether or not the trainig program above has caused hyperplasia or not, since I have never done a muscle biopsy. I am also not keen to have one done.

My stats at the start (November 2003):

Weight: 71kgs
Height: 1.8m
Fat: 18% Royal Navy Formula
Bench: 50kg x 8
Squat: 50kg x 8
Deadlift: Huh? What’s a dead lift?

This is what one would expect from a former distance runner / martial artist who hadn’t trained in a year because of a back injury.

My stats now (March 2004, 5 months later):

Weight: 82.5kgs
Height: I grew 10 inches… just kidding.
Fat: 14% (BodyIQ infra-red, inaccurate)
Bench: 130kg (1RM)
Squat: 170kg (1RM)
Deadlift: 170kg (1RM)

So, I recon that was good gaining, especially since I only used GVT for two 3-week periods, and the resto of the time I was HI interval training or plyometric-based cardio once a week each.

In between the GVT I did a 4-week stint of Post-tetanic Neural Facilitation training (the 1-6 method) on my major lifts (deadlift and bench on one strength workout, squat and bent over row in the other), as well as some compounds thrown in for balance. This, I feel, helped keep my speed up, and let me concentrate on neural training a bit more.

I’ve started to train with straps (straps with small weights attached all along their lengths, equivalent to chains), but much cheaper. I haven’t been using them enough for any comment at this point… but if it’s good enough for the powerlifters…

My oveservations about the above program are:

  1. The excentrics left me damn sore… almost to the point of “shattered”, although the dull-ache-pump that results from their proper execution in combination with GVT or PTNF+drop-set was quite pleasant… it’s a good feeling not being able to lift a cup of coffee until after the post-workout shake. Often, at the beginning, I was so sore that I had to take a two or three day rest instead of a one day rest. But, I can confirm that they have drastically improved both strength, recovery time and injury resillience. I have been unable to produce DOMS without doing very heavy (130%) excentrics. This, I think, is good.

  2. My speed fluctuates, but on average, I’m slower now… this I need to work on. Hence the straps.

  3. MyoStat didn’t do anything for me. This is possibly because I took it at an early stage… so I guess that’s my own dumb fault. I have another two bottles, so I’ll try again later… but I’m not betting on anything besides rich PWO shakes and creatine.

  4. I’ve messed with my shakes a lot. My bulking shake, which I’ve been using for a while is

50g CFM Whey Isolate (approx. 0.7g/kg)
30g Whey Concentrate (filler)
75g Maltodextrin (DE20)
50g Glucose
3g Salt
15g Cane sugar.

When I get them cheap, I add
5g Creatine Monohydrate
5g L-Glutamine (Go on, say it!)
300mg Alpha Lipoic Acid
150mg Vanadyl Sulphate

My cutting shake is the same, but with half the carbs and no sugar.

And that, was my brief foray into the mythical land of hyperplasia…

9

Unless you are a cat from Texas don’t plan on experiencing hyperplasia.

10

You say your cutting carbs shake has half the carbs , but no sugar. What is your carbo source in this? I would forget the glutamine in the bulking shake and add it to the cutting shake. If you can afford it, add 20-40g minimum to this shake with the reduced carbs. As far as the program goes, I think the GVT is more than enough stress for most people, no need to add eccentrics or other methods unless perhaps on the 3rd week only of a three week phase followed by a lower volume phase. My 2 cents!

11

Actually, hyperplasia has been proved in “chemically enhanced” athletes, as well as swimmers, middle-distance runners, etc.

Loop, the carbs come from malto at about DE60. I was referring to the cane sugar which I used for glycogen regen in the liver.