Shock Your Body With German Volume Training

Have you been going to the gym for a while and just feel like you are hitting a plateau? And no matter what you try to do, nothing seems to help you to get to that next level? There are many factors that come into play, including nutrition, body type, and amount of years spent lifting, but something that can help you get past that slump, is called German volume training.

German volume training is a great way to mix things up, to shock your body, and to take your body to the next level. It is recommended to perform German volume training for about 8-10 weeks to get the most out of it, before changing it up.

 

So What Exactly Is German Volume Training?

The idea of German Volume Training is to reach maximum hypertrophy, and it is pretty simple. During each workout, you will choose two major compound exercises and perform 10 sets of 10 reps of the same weight for each exercise.

The workout is then finished with two supplemental exercises and you have yourself a workout.

You will perform one exercise per body part, and one exercise only. It is recommended to work antagonist muscle groups during each workout, so you could do chest and back on one day. For example, for chest, you could do flat barbell , and for back, you could do bent over barbell rows.

How to choose the weight?

You will want to choose a weight that is 60% of your maximum repetition for that exercise. That means that your first few sets will be fairly easy, but by the last couple sets, you will really be feeling it.

You will use the same weight for all 10 sets. You should not increase the weight until you can perform 10 reps for all 10 sets.

Choosing the right tempo

The recommended tempo to use consists of a concentric motion of about 2 seconds and an eccentric motion of about 4 seconds. So for an exercise such as squats, it should take you about 2 seconds to squat up and 4 seconds to lower your squat.

The idea of this is to maintain constant tension to really work your muscles to the max. Thus, try not to fully lock out at the top or bottom of your exercise. Make sure to use controlled movements and proper form throughout.

Rest Intervals

Rest intervals are very important and it is important that you do not rest for too long or too short a period of time.

Each workout will consist of two major compound exercises with an addition of two supplemental exercises to complete the workout. You will rest for about 90 seconds between the compound exercises and only 60 seconds between the supplemental exercises.

Here is an example of what a chest-back workout would like:

1. Flat barbell – set 1

2. Rest 90 seconds

3. Bent over barbell rows – set 1

4. Rest 90 seconds

5. Flat barbell – set 2

6. Rest 90 seconds

7. Bent over barbell rows – set 2

8. etc.

This would be the same for the supplemental exercises except you would be resting for only 60 seconds between sets.

German volume training follows a 5-day workout split. For example, it will look something like this:

Day 1 – Chest/Back

Day 2 – Legs/Abs

Day 3 – Off

Day 4 – Arms/Shoulders

Day 5 – Off

And then you start at day 1 again, etc.

Phases of German Volume Training

There are 3 basic phases to German Volume training to allow for maximal effectiveness. I have provided an example workout routine below. The first two exercises are the compound exercises and should have 90 seconds between exercises, and the second two exercises are the supplemental exercises that should have 60 seconds between exercises:

Phase 1 Routine

Perform this phase for about 3 weeks.

– Day 1

Incline Dumbbell Press – 10 sets of 10 reps

Pull-Ups (Palms facing away from you) – 10 sets of 10 reps (use assisted pull-ups if needed)

Decline Dumbbell Flyes – 3 sets of 10-12 reps

One Arm Dumbbell Rows – 3 sets of 10-12 reps

– Day 2

Back Squats – 10 sets of 10 reps

Lying Hamstring Curls – 10 sets of 10 reps

Weighted Sit-Ups – 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Standing Calf Raises – 3 sets of 15-20 reps

– Day 3

Rest

– Day 4

Dips – 10 sets of 1o reps

Preacher Curls – 10 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises – 3 sets of 12-15 reps

– Day 5

Rest

Phase 2

This phase will also be about 3 weeks.

This phase is identical to the phase 1, but you will choose different exercises during this phase. For example, instead of doing back squats, you can now do front squats, and instead of incline dumbbell , you can perform flat barbell , etc.

Phase 3

Phase 3 is similar to phases 1 and 2, except instead of performing 10 sets of 10 reps, you will now be performing 10 sets of 6 reps. This means that you will increase the starting weight. Choose a weight that you perform 12 reps for and use it for all 10 sets.

– Day 1

Flat Barbell Bench Press – 10 sets of 6 reps

Lat Pulldowns – 10 sets of 6 reps (use assisted pull-ups if needed)

Flat Dumbbell Flyes – 3 sets of 6 reps

Bent Over Barbell Rows – 3 sets of 6 reps

– Day 2

Deadlifts- 10 sets of 6 reps

Seated Leg Curls – 10 sets of 6 reps

Reverse Crunches – 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Seated Calf Raises – 3 sets of 15-20 reps

– Day 3

Rest

– Day 4

Close Grip Triceps Bench Press – 10 sets of 6 reps

Dumbbell Curls – 10 sets of 6 reps

Dumbbell Front Raises – 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Standing Low Pulley Deltoids Raises? – 3 sets of 12-15 reps

– Day 5

Rest

 

Well there you have it. Make sure to rest adequately and to eat well, and you will see the hard work paying off!