The truth about German Volume Training
Are you interested in giving German Volume Training a try? Here's what exercisers often say about this training system:
- "German weightlifters have used it to move up a weight class."
- "Canadian weightlifter and gold medalist Jacques Demers used it to build up his legs, which resemble tree trunks."
- "It was the hypertrophy method of choice of bodybuilding guru Vince Gironda." All that sounds really good, doesn't it? Wait, not so fast.
The reputation of German Volume Training
Few training approaches in history are as well known as German Volume Training. It's been used for almost 50 years, it has almost mythical status and few people question its effectiveness.
All the dramatic anecdotes may have something to do with its popularity. Its simplicity and mathematical elegance could also have an impact on our perception of this system.
But while few people question the effectiveness of this training system, I've rarely seen it live up to its hype.
Even though I hate performing training a la German Volume Training, I have recommended it in the past and even developed my own variation 20 years ago, which I called Optimized German Volume Training. Back then, however, I didn't have the experience I have now.
Let's look at German Volume Training in a little more detail to see if it's good for you.
What is German Volume Training?
German Volume Training is first and foremost a load pattern.
You perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions with 60 to 120 seconds rest between sets using 60% of your maximum weight for one repetition. With 60% of your 1RM weight you would normally be able to perform 15 to 20 repetitions. However, as cumulative fatigue occurs, the last three sets will be very hard.
Charles Poliquin has added the antagonistic pairing to German Volume Training.
In his variation, you perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions with two exercises per training session. This would look like an A1/A2 format:
- Perform one set of exercise A1.
- Pause for 60 to 75 seconds.
- Perform one set of exercise A2.
- Pause for 60 to 75 seconds.
- Return to exercise A1
The cornerstone of every training session is two antagonistic exercises, each of which you perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions.
In the Poliquin version, two supporting exercises (B1/B2) are added, of which 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions each are performed.
The training split would look something like this:
- Chest and back
- Quadriceps and hamstrings
- Biceps and triceps
- Shoulders and rear shoulder muscles
Charles Poliquin has also added a tempo variable.
You perform each set using a 3020 or 4010 tempo - you lower the weight slowly and move it back up quickly(er) without pausing at the lowest point of the movement. One set of 10 repetitions would therefore correspond to 50 seconds of time under tension. These are the characteristics of modern German Volume Training. In reality, however, we always speak of German Volume Training when we talk about 10 sets of 10 repetitions with short pause intervals.
German Volume Training in theory
The theory is that you stimulate more muscle growth by accumulating a massive amount of fatigue. You achieve the accumulation of fatigue through the high volume, more time under tension per set and incomplete rest intervals.
You gradually build up more muscle fiber fatigue by performing the same movement over and over again so that the effort on the last sets becomes very high. It sounds simple and logically appealing, but does it work in practice?
German Volume Training from a scientific perspective: two studies
Let's take a look at some scientific studies that have investigated a 10 x 10 training approach. The first study by Amirthalingam et al. compared 6 weeks of training with 10 sets of 10 repetitions with performing only 5 sets. They used a 3-day training split and mainly multi-joint exercises (1).
After 6 weeks, the group that performed 5 sets had built significantly more muscle mass and strength than the group that performed 10 sets. Of course, the 10-set group had also built up mass and strength - but less than the 5-set group.
In another study, scientists compared the performance of 5 sets of 10 repetitions with the performance of 10 sets of 10 repetitions. Both groups used 60 to 80% of their 1RM weight over a 12-week period, and the researchers observed no significant differences between the two groups (2).
The German Volume group even began to lose muscle mass in the lower body between weeks 6 and 12. In terms of gains in muscle mass and strength, the 5-set group appeared to achieve better results, but the differences were not significant. At best, this study shows that 10 sets are no better than 5 (and if you have to do twice as much work to get the same results, this is an inferior program).
A different approach
Let's look at this from the perspective of the "maximally effective repetitions" approach developed by Chris Beardsley.
What are maximally effective repetitions? Repetitions where you recruit and stimulate as many muscle fibers as possible, focusing primarily on the fast contracting muscle fibers that have the greatest growth potential.
I wrote back in 2007 in my book "High-Threshold Muscle Building" that recruiting and stimulating the fast-twitch muscle fibers is the key to stimulating muscle growth. This is because these fibers have the greatest hypertrophy potential.
You recruit all recruitable fast-twitch muscle fibers when you need to produce about 80% of your maximum force potential at that moment. The misinterpretation is that you need to be at least 80% of your maximum weight for one repetition on the bar. If you exhaust your muscles during a set, the weight on the bar, even if it is lighter, can still represent 80% of your strength potential or more.
You will achieve a 2 to 4% reduction in your performance during a set of 2 to 20 repetitions per repetition. The lighter the weight, the less your performance will decrease from set to set.
For example, if you have 70% of your 1RM weight on the bar, by repetition 4 or 5 the weight will represent more than 80% of the weight you can move at that moment and from that point on you will be recruiting and stimulating the fast contracting fibers.
It's all about accumulating the maximum effective repetitions. The right amount will stimulate maximum growth, while too few will lead to inferior results and too many will make it difficult for you to recover from the workout, which can also lead to smaller gains. And if you need too many less effective reps to achieve those maximum effective reps, the increase in cortisol release resulting from the volume can negate much of the gains you are stimulating.
Maximum effective repetitions vs. German Volume Training a la Poliquin
In the Poliquin version of German Volume Training, you use 60% of your maximum weight for one repetition. The key element of German Volume Training is that you accumulate fatigue from set to set due to insufficient recovery between sets. The result of this is that the last sets tend to be very hard. The first three or four sets are easy and sets 5 to 7 are averagely hard.
Basically, you build up the cumulative fatigue of 2 to 2.5% from set to set. You can see how I came up with this in the tables below. These tables show you what each set looks like:
Set 1
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in capacity |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
0% |
60% |
|
2 |
60% |
2% |
62% |
|
3 |
60% |
4% |
64% |
|
4 |
60% |
6% |
66% |
|
5 |
60% |
8% |
68% |
|
6 |
60% |
10% |
70% |
|
7 |
60% |
12% |
72% |
|
8 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
9 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
10 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
Set 2
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in capacity |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
2% |
62% |
|
2 |
60% |
4% |
64% |
|
3 |
60% |
6% |
66% |
|
4 |
60% |
8% |
68% |
|
5 |
60% |
10% |
70% |
|
6 |
60% |
12% |
72% |
|
7 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
8 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
9 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
10 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
Set 3
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
4% |
64% |
|
2 |
60% |
6% |
66% |
|
3 |
60% |
8% |
68% |
|
4 |
60% |
10% |
70% |
|
5 |
60% |
12% |
72% |
|
6 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
7 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
8 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
9 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
10 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
Set 4
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
6% |
66% |
|
2 |
60% |
8% |
68% |
|
3 |
60% |
10% |
70% |
|
4 |
60% |
12% |
72% |
|
5 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
6 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
7 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
8 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
9 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
|
10 |
60% |
24% |
84% |
Set 5
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
8% |
68% |
|
2 |
60% |
10% |
70% |
|
3 |
60% |
12% |
72% |
|
4 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
5 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
6 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
7 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
8 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
|
9 |
60% |
24% |
84% |
|
10 |
60% |
26% |
86% |
Set 6
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
10% |
70% |
|
2 |
60% |
12% |
72% |
|
3 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
4 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
5 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
6 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
7 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
|
8 |
60% |
24% |
84% |
|
9 |
60% |
26% |
86% |
|
10 |
60% |
28% |
88% |
Set 7
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
12% |
72% |
|
2 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
3 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
4 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
5 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
6 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
|
7 |
60% |
24% |
84% |
|
8 |
60% |
26% |
86% |
|
9 |
60% |
28% |
88% |
|
10 |
60% |
30% |
90% |
Set 8
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
14% |
74% |
|
2 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
3 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
4 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
5 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
|
6 |
60% |
24% |
84% |
|
7 |
60% |
26% |
86% |
|
8 |
60% |
28% |
88% |
|
9 |
60% |
30% |
90% |
|
10 |
60% |
32% |
92% |
Set 9
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
16% |
76% |
|
2 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
3 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
4 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
|
5 |
60% |
24% |
84% |
|
6 |
60% |
26% |
86% |
|
7 |
60% |
28% |
88% |
|
8 |
60% |
30% |
90% |
|
9 |
60% |
32% |
92% |
|
10 |
60% |
34% |
94% |
Set 10
|
|
Weight |
Exhaustion/decrease in performance |
Current capacity |
|
1 |
60% |
18% |
78% |
|
2 |
60% |
20% |
80% |
|
3 |
60% |
22% |
82% |
|
4 |
60% |
24% |
84% |
|
5 |
60% |
26% |
86% |
|
6 |
60% |
28% |
88% |
|
7 |
60% |
30% |
90% |
|
8 |
60% |
32% |
92% |
|
9 |
60% |
34% |
94% |
|
10 |
60% |
36% |
96% |
These tables show quite clearly how each set gets progressively heavier and heavier and how, in turn, more repetitions become maximally effective.
If we look at the number of maximum effective repetitions per set, we get the following result:
- Set one: 0
- Set two: 1
- Set three: 2
- Set four: 3
- Set five: 4
- Set six: 5
- Set seven: 6
- Set eight: 7
- Set nine: 8
- Set ten: 9
Sets 1 to 3 provide almost no growth stimulus. Set 4 is slightly more effective and sets 5 to 10 are effective - in theory. I say "in theory" because due to the accumulation of volume you need to get to these effective sets, you are likely to increase your cortisol levels, which reduces your capacity for muscle growth. This is why studies show lower results with 10 sets.
However, there is one sticking point. The studies used a modified version of German Volume Training, starting with more weight (70 to 80% of maximum weight) and reducing this weight as fatigue set in.
This changes the program considerably compared to real German Volume Training. This makes the 10 x 10 program better in the early sets, as you achieve a lot of maximum effective repetitions instead of "wasting" the first sets. For example, if you use about 75% of your maximum weight on sets 1 and 2, 7 to 8 reps will be effective. That's 15 to 20 maximum effective repetitions for these two sets instead of one maximum effective repetition in real German Volume Training.
In these programs, the sets looked like this:
- Set one: 75% x 10
- Set two: 75% x 10
- Set three: 70% x 10
- Set four: 70% x 10
- Set five: 70% x 10
- Set six: 65% x 10
- Set seven: 65% x 10
- Set eight: 60% x 10
- Set nine: 60% x 10
- Set ten: 60% x 10
If they had used the Poliquin German Volume Setup instead, the gains would likely have been even lower due to the lower number of maximal effective repetitions.
In these studies, the subjects probably reached the maximum effective repetitions at the beginning due to the higher weight used. The results were worse than the other group either due to excessive cortisol release from the higher volume or due to excessive muscle damage preventing optimal recovery.
Muscle damage and cortisol
After you have trained a muscle, your body increases protein synthesis. This increase allows muscle damage caused by training to be repaired and new muscle tissue to be built.
This increase in protein synthesis lasts for 24 to 36 hours, depending on the training session. But your capacity to build muscle mass increases more for 24 to 30 hours and is only increased by 10 to 15% between 32 and 36 hours after training (compared to 110 to 120% after 24 hours).
It is important to understand that your capacity to build muscle decreases dramatically once you are outside of this time window.
You should also keep in mind that you must first repair the muscle damage before you can build new muscle tissue. If you generate so much muscle damage that it takes 28 hours to repair it, that leaves only 4 to 8 hours to build new muscle.
It's a real possibility that causing too much muscle damage results in lower gains simply because it takes longer to repair that damage, leaving less time to build muscle.
This is probably one of the reasons why the 5-set group achieved better results than the 10-set group in the first study.
If you look at the Poliquin version of German Volume Training, you have the following elements:
- A very high volume of non-productive repetitions: This will not result in much growth, just a lot of fatigue and used energy, in addition to increasing cortisol levels. Remember that volume is the primary driver when it comes to increasing cortisol release during training. The more energy you have to mobilize, the more cortisol you will release.
- An excessive number of repetitions causing muscle damage: Even though it is crucial to perform a sufficient number of maximally effective repetitions (15 to 30 for a muscle group per training session), too many repetitions are an excessive stressor from which you cannot recover sufficiently. In a German Volume workout, we have 45 of these repetitions - 15 more than the amount most people can handle.
And what about all those success stories
Fans of German Volume training will often say that the East German Olympic weightlifters used 10 x 10 to build five kilos of muscle and move up a weight class.
Really? Do you really think German Volume Training was responsible for the pace of their growth? East German athletes weren't exactly known for being natural. In fact, their systematic doping system was very developed even by Eastern Bloc standards.
I don't disparage something merely because steroid users did it. Many people who use steroids have contributed amazing things to knowledge in our field. However, when it comes to how much training you can handle, steroids make a huge difference. Why would a program that worked optimally for steroid users (who were also genetically predisposed to excellence) also be optimal for the average steroid-free exerciser?
And did the East German weightlifters actually use this approach? At one point, perhaps. But to claim that they used it to move up a weight class isn't really plausible if you know anything about Olympic weightlifting.
Good weightlifters will use every trick in the book to avoid moving up a weight class. They want to get stronger while staying lighter. They will only move up a weight class if they absolutely cannot manage to keep their weight down. They will not intentionally train to move up a weight class.
And then there's the claim that Jacques Demers used it to build up his monster legs. Yes Jacques had enormous legs. I remember training him when he was preparing his comeback at 45. His legs were massive back then and I imagine they were during his prime as well.
I asked him if he was still using German Volume Training and his response was "What's that?" When I explained to him that it was a system of 10 sets of 10 reps with consistent weight, he said "yes, I seem to remember using that once". In other words, it was just one of many methods he had used, but not an important one and not one that he continued to use.
And then there's the statement that German Volume Training was Vince Gironda's favorite method when it came to muscle growth.
No, it wasn't. Gironda used many methods and he was a fan of mathematically elegant programs. There was 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10. Yes, he occasionally used 10x10, but his two favorite schemes were 6x6 and 8x8. This fact does not discredit 10x10, but puts it in perspective.
Can we improve German Volume Training?
The only way to make German Volume Training better is to make it something other than German Volume Training. 10 sets of 10 reps is simply not an effective method - at least not compared to the hype surrounding it. If you're using steroids, then maybe, but if not, then you're not going to get what you're hoping for with German Volume Training.
The only way to make it work is to cut the volume in half. Doing 5 sets of 10 reps at 70 to 75% of your maximum weight will give you better results than 10 sets of 10 reps at 60 to 65% of your maximum weight.
If for some reason you are fixated on doing 10 sets, then you could do 10 sets of 5 reps at around 75 to 80% of your maximum weight. That would be slightly better, but probably too hard on the nervous system - and it could also cause too much muscle damage.
So it doesn't work?
I'm not saying that German Volume Training doesn't work. You can probably build some muscle and some strength with it. But the results won't live up to the hype and you'll be putting a lot of effort into something that would be better with half as many sets. But because of the myth of this program, people tend not to question it. And when exercisers use it, they subconsciously believe that it works well.
And even though being enthusiastic about a program can help you train harder and get better results, it can also cause you to lose your objectivity and end up limiting your progress because you make illogical and counterproductive choices.
References
- Effects of a Modified German Volume Training Program on Muscular Hypertrophy and Strength. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research: November 2017 - Volume 31 - Issue 11 - p 3109-3119
- Hackett, D.A.; Amirthalingam, T.; Mitchell, L.; Mavros, Y.; Wilson, G.C.; Halaki, M. Effects of a 12-Week Modified German Volume Training Program on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy-A Pilot Study. Sports 2018, 6, 7.
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/german-volume-training-the-real-story
By Christian Thibaudeau