GERMAN VOLUME TRAINING - JANUARY 2021

Written By: Terrance Wilkerson

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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!

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If you're interested in trying German Volume Training out for yourself, hit the link below to start your 7-Day Trial!