Build muscle with German Volume Training
History of German Volume Training
In the 1970’s a German National weightlifting coach came up with a method to bulk of some of his lifters through an intensely structured program.
Later on Strength Coach Charles Poliquin took those ideas and helped to popularize German Volume Training .He was noted saying – “When I was a kid, I realized that in the Western world, German weightlifters were probably the most advanced in training results,” Poliquin, who died in 2018, “So I went to the national training center in Leimen, and the then national weightlifting coach Rolf Feser explained how they would do periodization with 10 sets of 10, 10 sets of five, and 10 sets of three. They were big believers in the law of repeated efforts: one of the reasons people don’t get strong is because they simply don’t do enough sets.”
Here is a book where you can learn all about German Volume Training principles and different ways to apply it:
What is German volume training
German volume training consists of doing ten sets of an exercise for ten reps. It is extremely hard, but great for building muscle! It is important to keep a book or journal so you can record exactly what weight and how many reps you hit of each exercise.
Sample Workout:
Day 1
- Bench Press 10 x 10 reps
- Chin ups 10 x 10 reps
- Dumbbell Chest flys 3 x 8-12 reps
- Single arm dumbell row 3 x 8-12 reps
Day 2
- Barbell Squat 10 x 10
- leg curls 4 x 8- 12
Day 3
- Rest
Day 4
- Dips 10 x 10 reps
- Incline Hammer curls 10 x 10 reps
- rear delt flys 3 x 8-12 reps
Take a 90 second rest in-between each set when you are doing the 10 x 10’s . For the accessory work take a 60 second rest break. German volume training is very demanding on the body. Make sure you get adequate rest. Furthermore, stick to compound movements like squats and bench press, stay away from isolation exercises like triceps kick backs.
Provided by Lift Vault Here is a spreadsheet that you can use to track the workout. It also provides a different German Volume Training example to the one above.
Looking for other workout ideas?
If you want look more specifically into gaining strength check out this workout plan geared towards powerlifters!
About the Author
Kafui is National Powerlifting Champion, IPF World Deadlift Record Breaker and Strength Coach. Follow the training log of a top strength athlete on Instagram content follow on Instagram. For more informational content and videos subscribe on YouTube
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