By: Gerrick King Thought German Volume Training was hard? There is an advanced version called Advanced German Volume Training. And it is way more advanced than regular German Volume Training! A typical session is roughly 20-30 sets. How we distribute those sets amongst the exercises determines the impact those exercises have. Greater total volume and overall load will have a greater overall impact. Said differently, allocate more sets to an exercise if you want that exercise to have a greater impact. Greater allocation of sets means there is a greater potential for advancement from those exercises. Have you heard of Pareto's Principle? Pareto's Principle (aka 80/20 rule, the law of the vital few, or the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. We are able to leverage Pareto's principle. So it is about determining the greatest ROI generating exercises and setting up sets and reps to maximize benefit from training.
Advanced German Volume Training vs Traditional German Volume Training What's the Difference? Let us recap the most important points regarding German Volume Training:
Improvements for Advanced German Volume Training The advanced component comes from lowering the reps and increasing the corresponding load. So we have more intensity and greater impact on the nervous system. This makes it more advanced. GUIDELINES FOR ADVANCED GERMAN VOLUME TRAINING: Training Frequency: Because this is such a demanding program, it will take you longer to recover. It is recommend working each body part every 5 days, BUT ONLY DOING THE SAME EXERCISE EVERY 10 DAYS. The routine outlined in the end will make things clearer. The exercises done in the two different workouts for the same body part should be similar, yet different enough to tap into a different motor unit pool. Reps: For the advanced trainee, doing more than 5 reps is a waste of time, as the average intensity will be too low. The reps should vary for each one of the six workouts (German Volume Training, like any other training, is only effective for so long). Reps are the loading parameter to which one adapts the quickest. Rest Intervals: When trainees start with this method, they often question its value during the first several sets simply because the weight will not feel heavy. However, there is minimal rest between sets (about 90 seconds when performed in sequence and 90-120 seconds when performed as a superset), which gives you a process of accumulative fatigue. Because of the importance of the rest intervals, you should use a stopwatch or a watch equipped with one to keep the rest intervals constant. This is very important, as it becomes tempting to lengthen the rest time as you fatigue. Tempo: For long range movements such as squats, dips, and chins, use a 40X0 tempo; this means you would lower the weight in four seconds and immediately change direction and lift explosively for the concentric portion. For movements such as curls and triceps extensions, use a 30X0 tempo. Advanced trainees, because of their enhanced neurological efficiency, should only use explosive concentric tempos. Number of Exercises: One, and only one, exercise per body part should be performed. Therefore, select exercises that recruit a lot of muscle mass. Triceps kickbacks and leg extensions are definitely out—squats and bench presses are definitely in. For supplementary work for individual body parts (like triceps and biceps), you can do 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Overload Mechanism: Once you are able to do 10 sets of x reps with constant rest intervals, increase the weight on the bar by the percentage outlined in the article and repeat the process. Refrain from using forced reps, negatives, or burns, as the volume of the work will take care of the hypertrophy. Expect to have some deep muscle soreness without having to resort to set prolongation techniques. In fact, after doing a quad and hams session with this method, it takes the average bodybuilder about five days to stop limping. Therefore, for an advanced trainee, one should apply a 6-9% increase in load with each successive rep reduction as outlined in the example below. In other words, each week, you’ll do fewer reps per set, but increase the weight. And to create a bigger effect on the nervous system, we use Fat Grip, Tempo, and more exercises that require more balance and coordination. Workout 1: The goal of the Advanced German Volume Training method is to complete 10 sets of 5 reps with the same weight for each exercise. You want to begin with a weight you could lift for 10 reps to failure (10RM), if you had to push it. For most people, on most exercises, that would represent 75% of their 1 R.M. load. Therefore, if you can bench press 300 pounds for one rep, you would use 225 pounds for this exercise. So your workout may look like this: Set 1: 225 x 5 Set 2: 225 x 5 Set 3: 225 x 5 Set 4: 225 x 5 Set 5: 225 x 5 Set 6: 225 x 5 Set 7: 225 x 4 Set 8: 225 x 4 Set 9: 225 x 3 Set 10: 225 x 3 NOTE: When using Advanced German Volume Training, or for that matter, any program - you should keep a detailed journal of the exact sets/reps, load, and rest intervals performed, and only count the repetitions completed in strict form. Workout 2: Increase the weight by 6-7% and strive to do 10 sets of 4 reps with that weight. So workout 2 would look like this: Set 1: 235 x 4 Set 2: 235 x 4 Set 3: 235 x 4 Set 4: 235 x 4 Set 5: 235 x 4 Set 6: 235 x 4 Set 7: 235 x 4 Set 8: 235 x 4 Set 9: 235 x 4 Set 10: 235 x 4 NOTE: It is not uncommon on the second workout to be able to complete all sets of 4, as your work capacity will have improved from the first GVT workout. Workout 3: Increase weight of Workout 1 by 8-9% and strive to do 10 sets of 3 reps with that weight. Yes, you are reading it correctly—8-9%, not 6-7%. So Workout 3 might look like this: Set 1 255 x 3 Set 2 255 x 3 Set 3 255 x 3 Set 4 255 x 3 Set 5 255 x 3 Set 6 255 x 3 Set 7 255 x 3 Set 8 255 x 3 Set 9 255 x 3 Set 10 255 x 3 NOTE: During sets 6-7-8, you will think your spleen wants to come out of your right eye, but stick with it as sets 9 and 10 will be the easiest. Workout 4: Use the weights you used in Workout 2 and go for 10 sets of 5, which you should do easily. Workout 5: Use the weights in workout 3 and go for 10 sets of 4, which again you should do easily. Workout 6 By now you should be able to do 10 sets of 3 at 275 pounds with no problem. Let’s continue to work in 2021 by crushing our nervous system, listening to some Wutang, and getting strong AF.
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Written By: Terrance Wilkerson King Fam! We are starting off the New YEAR with some good ole German Volume Training. That is right, 10x10 is back! So let’s get right to the structure of it: Monday- Front Squats Tuesday- Z-Press & Turkish Get-Up Wednesday- Sumo Deadlift Thursday- Close Grip Bench Press Friday- Pendlay Row (coach Terrance loves this exercise) Saturday- Conditioning Sunday- Sit down and rest. The real growth is in recovery. Each day comes with a main exercise to focus on as you see listed above. Every day has specific active recovery programmed to keep the lifter mobile and warm during their rest period until the next set occurs. All accessory work is prescribed to help strengthen the necessary muscles groups to achieve the main lift. Each rep will have a tempo of 4-0-X-0 for each working set. This means every rep should take 4 seconds, and each set will take at the least 40 seconds to complete if the tempo is followed along correctly. This tempo is forcing you to control your movement pattern and dial in on your technique. Quick break down of how tempos work. First Number: Eccentric Phase/Descending motion Second Number: Isometric pause at the point full range of motion has been achieved Third Number: Concentric Phase/Ascending motion Fourth Number: Isometric pause at the starting position/end range of motion Now take note, some exercises start at different points in the tempo sequence. In a squat you will start with the Eccentric motion. However, on a deadlift you start from the bottom position. This means the first number you will follow would be the third number which is the concentric phase. The team sat down and agreed that this year we would really push education within our community. As much as we love very aggressive high energy workouts, the reality is that you cannot and should not train that way often. The foundation you lay for yourself is important. Mastering the fundamental movement patterns such as your squats, rowing motions, overhead pressing/pulling, hinge movements, and horizontal pressing movements are essential for building a strong healthy body. Fun Fact: Every single exercise you do will be a variation and/or combination of one of these six movement patterns. The goal for this month is to show how efficient simplicity in your programming can benefit you. We want our members to not judge workouts by how it looks on paper, but by how efficient the movements are being performed. Exercise efficiency includes proper technique and muscle engagement, full range of motion, controlled movement patterns, proper breathing techniques, and managing the necessary loads to stimulate change and/or growth. This month’s training block is very much focused on the fundamentals of weight training. What does that mean for our members that are focused on weight loss? *Drum Roll* ABSOLUTELY NOTHING I’ve seen some of the most athletic 300 pounds individuals that you can think of. This calls for a separate blog, but structuring your nutritional habits and lifestyle for weight loss is key. You can be a cardio bunny with higher than normal body fat levels. There’s this belief that cardio is the answer to weight loss. It CAN be an aid to the process, but it certainly is not the end all be all answer. In fact, GVT can actually help you get leaner. Due to this program’s high demand of volume, time under tension, and loading your body is undergoing lots of hypertrophy. Hypertrophy literally means an increase in size of the muscle cell. To put in ever simpler terms, gaining lean muscle mass. GVT training initiates protein synthesis. Protein synthesis leads to glycolysis (breakdown of glucose), glycogenolysis (breakdown of glycogen), and gluconeogenesis (the process of creating glucose from the breakdown carbohydrates or other energy substrates such as proteins and lipids). Protein synthesis is where the magic happens ladies and gentleman. This is where we get blessed by the God of gains. We hope we didn’t lose you too much with all the science. Final Thoughts Whether your goal is to put on size or burn body fat GVT training can work. Ultimately your caloric intake will determine what end of the spectrum you will fall on. The program is very demanding on the central nervous system and your muscle tissue so we recommend proper rest, hydration, and nutrition while following this month’s training block. Though GVT leads to impressive results over time, it is just too demanding on the body to run for long periods of time. A 4 week block is a perfect duration, and as you’ll see, it will transition right into February’s training block. Stay Tuned! If you're interested in trying German Volume Training out for yourself, hit the link below to start your 7-Day Trial!
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