German Volume Training
German Volume training was created during the mid-70s in Germany and was popularized by the National coach of weightlifting Rolf Feser. This method, also known as the “10 sets method”, was used by off-season weightlifters to gain lean body mass and shed unnecessary body-fat.
German volume training targets a specific group of motor units exposing them to intensive amounts volume, i.e. ten sets of a single exercise. The body adapts to the mass amounts of stress by hypertrophying (muscle-growth) the targeted fibers to cope with the work load. When you do a high amount of sets for a single exercise fatigued muscle fibers will begin to drop out and new unused fibers will join in to compensate. At the end of ten sets you will have literally used parts of your muscles that you have never used before.
The goal with this method is to complete ten sets of ten reps for each exercise. You’ll want to start with a weight of which you could do twenty reps until failure, which for most people is 60% of their 1RM (one rep max). You must keep the weight the same throughout the ten sets and only increase the weight by five percent once you have completed your ten sets of ten with constant rest intervals. The rest intervals are short (60 seconds between accessory work and 90 seconds between the main lifts) which results in accumulative fatigue. You may find yourself to get stronger again when it comes to the eight and ninth sets because of a temporary neural adaptation.
Here is a German Volume workout for a week:
German volume training targets a specific group of motor units exposing them to intensive amounts volume, i.e. ten sets of a single exercise. The body adapts to the mass amounts of stress by hypertrophying (muscle-growth) the targeted fibers to cope with the work load. When you do a high amount of sets for a single exercise fatigued muscle fibers will begin to drop out and new unused fibers will join in to compensate. At the end of ten sets you will have literally used parts of your muscles that you have never used before.
The goal with this method is to complete ten sets of ten reps for each exercise. You’ll want to start with a weight of which you could do twenty reps until failure, which for most people is 60% of their 1RM (one rep max). You must keep the weight the same throughout the ten sets and only increase the weight by five percent once you have completed your ten sets of ten with constant rest intervals. The rest intervals are short (60 seconds between accessory work and 90 seconds between the main lifts) which results in accumulative fatigue. You may find yourself to get stronger again when it comes to the eight and ninth sets because of a temporary neural adaptation.
Here is a German Volume workout for a week:
Monday
Quads: Front squats: 10 X 10 reps Leg extension: 3 x 10 reps (optional) Hamstrings: Stiff leg deadlift: 10 x 10 reps Lying leg curl: 3 x 10 reps (optional) Upper abs: Weighted cable crunch: 10 x 10 reps Wednesday Chest: DB flat bench press: 10 x 10 reps DB flyes: 3 x 10 reps (optional) Biceps: EZ bar curl: 10 x 10 reps Lower abs: Weighted knee raises: 10 x 10 reps Friday Back: Single arm DB row: 10 x 10 reps Weighted pull-ups: 3 x 10 reps (optional) Triceps: Lying down EZ bar French press: 10 x 10 reps Saturday Shoulders: Clean and press: 10 x 10 reps Calves: Seated calf raises: 10 x 10 reps Donkey calf raises: 10 x 10 reps (optional) Oblique’s: Weighted oblique crunch (with a plate or cables): 10 x 10 reps |