German Vol. Training’s effectiveness?

[Montague]

Has anyone here personally employed the German Volume Training or similar type training principles?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/luis13.htm
What kind of success did you see with it?

I have to omit certain exercises from my routine for the next month or two until my tendonitis finishes healing.
My belief is that the GVT principle will allow me to stimulate the muscles enough to make them grow while using a smaller/limited variety of exercises.

Opinions?

Mods:
Feel free to move this thread to the injury board if you wish. I merely put it on the main training board in hopes that more people would initially see it and respond to GVT’s effectiveness.
Thanks.

[biceps]

Has anyone here personally employed the German Volume Training or similar type training principles?
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/luis13.htm
What kind of success did you see with it?

I have to omit certain exercises from my routine for the next month or two until my tendonitis finishes healing.
My belief is that the GVT principle will allow me to stimulate the muscles enough to make them grow while using a smaller/limited variety of exercises.

Opinions?

Mods:
Feel free to move this thread to the injury board if you wish. I merely put it on the main training board in hopes that more people would initially see it and respond to GVT’s effectiveness.
Thanks.

Be sure that you are doing everyting in full range of motion and if you can,  take a hat shower before training will help your joints and thendons to warmed up faster. Actually I recommend a hat shower to all of you don`t meter if you have any injury or not especially during the winter time.

[Cap]

http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=88379.0

I have never used it in its pure form but have tried it.  It is hard program in terms of using one exercise and the 10 sets are brutal as you progress.  I used it for skullcrushers when I was having tendinitis and I have never had a pump like that in my triceps.   

There are stories of German lifters using this in the offseason and gaining 10-12 lbs of muscle in a very short time, helping them move up in weight class.

[Bluto]

havent tried it. my objection is that german lifters would have better genetics than average lifters.

[Geo]

Has anyone here personally employed the German Volume Training

years ago I tried a couple consecutive weeks with it for chest (flat bench) and even though the last 3-4 sets got really tough,mentally I could'nt get past the feeling that I was using warm up weight, so I dropped the idea of doing it....


it's something I've thought about doing in the squat rack before too, but by the time I actually get to the gym I forget about it

[Montague]

havent tried it. my objection is that german lifters would have better genetics than average lifters.

I'm one quarter German. That should be enough to get me some hamstrings and anterior delts.

[Montague]

...even though the last 3-4 sets got really tough,mentally I could'nt get past the feeling that I was using warm up weight, so I dropped the idea of doing it....

Yeah.
From what I’ve read, it sounds like that is one of the biggest barriers to people sticking with it – the ease of those first few sets can really make you doubt its effectiveness.

I think it’s similar to the way many people feel when using Max-OT, when they don’t feel like they’ve completed a full workout due to the lack of volume that the program prescribes.

[Deicide]

I am ignorant of Geman volume training; can someone please enlighten me and/or sumarise it for me?

[haider]

I am ignorant of Geman volume training; can someone please enlighten me and/or sumarise it for me?

10 sets of 10 reps.

this thread:
http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=88379.0

[webcake]

Never tried it fully, but have tried it a couple of times for squats. You start out thinking this is easy, then the last 3 sets or so are killers.

[LatsMcGee]

Yes it is effective.  Don't try it it you plan on just going through the motions in the gym and you're eating like shit though because done properly it's a very intense program.

For hypertrophy I prefer 6x6 and 8x8 but 10x10 is good.  It's just not something worth coming back to more than once a year for me.

[wes]

I`ve done 8x8 for a while last year.....very humbling as far as limiting poundages soes,but I made good gains.

Also did 10x10 squats.....legs were progressing nicely but hurt my back doing rack deads so I had to stop squatting.

Tough routines that you should use for 4-5 weeks then burnout seems inevitable if you`re pushing hard like you should be.

Get ready to be sore as hell if you try it and don`t rest too much between sets.

[Hedgehog]

I've tried it for awhile, and thought it to be pretty good.

I did deadlifts and uhm.. shoulder presses? on it.

Also think I did squats and benchpresses or something like that.

Anyway, two things:

Use big compound excersises.

Make sure to make a very moderate weight selection. If done correctly, the "sensation" of the GVT, starts to come around set 7 or 8.

If you try it, you'll know what I mean.

Important to not go to heavy.

After all, you're going to complete 100 reps.

[Montague]

Get ready to be sore as hell if you try it and don`t rest too much between sets.

Once I start back doing full workouts, I’m planning on trying 90-sec. rest intervals and gradually work down to 60.
That’s a Poliquin suggestion.
After that, I’ll increase the weight incrementally until it becomes necessary to decrease my total reps. My target rep range after 6 weeks is 6 – 8 with 1 min. rests between sets.

Thanks, people, for all of your input.
Greatly appreciated.

[pumpster]

GVT is an excellent approach that is basically what was espoused and arguably originated by Vince Gironda and BBs like Larry Scott.

Try GVT which is 10 x 10 for a period of time say 6-8 weeks. And/or try  8 x 8, 7 x 7, 6 x 6 or 5 x 5 for another stretch of time.

Over time you want to increase the reps and eventually weight, or reduce the rest times betwen sets. Poliquin's suggestion of changing the rest times came from existing information already out there. I think 90 seconds is too long. Go with a minute rest between sets and over time increase reps or shorten rest times.

It's also ok to add some type of intensity technique to some sets even though some don't. Also ok to change the one exercise that is used for each muscle from time to time.

[Montague]

GVT is an excellent approach that is basically what was espoused and arguably originated by Vince Gironda and BBs like Larry Scott.

Try 10 x 10 for a period of time say 6-8 weeks, or 8 x 8, 7 x 7, 6 x 6 or 5 x 5.

Over time you want to increase the reps and eventually weight, or reduce the rest times betwen sets. Poliquin's suggestion of changing the rest times came from existing information already out there. I think 90 seconds is too long. Go with a minute rest between sets and over time increase reps or shorten rest times.

Yes.
Charles P. did credit both of these men (as well as the Germans) as pioneering this system, and their influence can be seen in the sample programs he outlines.

That is part of what attracted me to his article on the subject.
When someone mentions Scott’s name in their writing, I always stop to read.

[Zach Trowbridge]

I tried it benching a couple times last year, and stopped because I looked like a little bitch.  But frankly, if it'll help me put on some size, I could give a shit now about the amount of weight.

[Montague]

I think that is the attitude you need to help make this system work.
I can't see many "ego trainers" trying this.

[webcake]

Yeah definietly not for ego trainers. A lot of people cant bring themselves to use a light weight and not go to failure on the first few set. Their loss, they'll never know how hard GVT can be.

[pumpster]

Another benefit of this type of training is that it's harder to get injured.

In most case i'd say moderate weight can be used, rather than light.

[Geo]

Another benefit of this type of training is that it's harder to get injured.

In most case i'd say moderate weight can be used, rather than light.

supposedly 60% of your 1 RM is most effective

[Get Rowdy]

I've used it for exercises like barbell curls, SLDL, front squats and lateral raises.

I love it.  I train at home, so there's no need for me to worry about trying to look strong or anything.

I had been using 8x8 for dips for awhile, now working up to 9x9, then onto 10x10.

[gcb]

Just did 10x10 for squats - I needed more than 60 seconds between sets but I'm still very sore now a day later.

[buffbong]

i think this works well for legs. i did a routine of 6x6 on squats and deads and it worked awsome. it also is a good routine for calves probally be better to do 6sets of 10-15 for those. i didnt like it for shoulders over working the delts with presses.

[sculpture]

I ve trialed this method with one exercise in my chest and back routine - dips!

Now i know its effectiveness may be affected by the what the rest of my workout consisted of, ie, 5 x 5 and moderate hypertrophy, but to be honest i havent seen a single gain.

You get a fantastic pump no doubt and it lingers too, but in terms of muscle gains i have yet to experience it.

Like i said its effects may be diminished as i'm not truly following gvt.

any thoughts?