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German Volume Training

  • 10-08-2011 11:11AM
    #1
    RobAMerc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,863 ✭✭✭


    My Bench has seriously stalled despite my chest/pecs definitely looking a lot better ( probably due to other excercises ) and I don't really feel as if my strength is gaining any more. ( This may be due to my battle with the flab and my not eating enough ).

    Anyway - in an effort to mix it up has anyone heard of this GVT stuff ? A fad maybe ? Worth a 9 week "reinvigoration" stint ?

    Ta
    Rob


Comments

  • #2
    Parsley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭Parsley


    RobAMerc wrote: »
    My Bench has seriously stalled despite my chest/pecs definitely looking a lot better ( probably due to other excercises ) and I don't really feel as if my strength is gaining any more. ( This may be due to my battle with the flab and my not eating enough ).

    Anyway - in an effort to mix it up has anyone heard of this GVT stuff ? A fad maybe ? Worth a 9 week "reinvigoration" stint ?

    Ta
    Rob

    you'll gain muscle mass but it's crap enough for strength/trying to get your numbers out of a rut. at least that's what i found, i pretty much lost my ability to handle heavy weights, singles, doubles, triples, after about 8 weeks of GVT.

    what're you doing at the moment?


  • #3
    Hanley
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 21,981 ✭✭✭✭Hanley


    Didn't Poliquin himself say GVT isn't great for gaining strength?


  • #4
    RobAMerc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,863 ✭✭✭RobAMerc


    Parsley wrote: »
    what're you doing at the moment?

    I have a 4 day split.

    Usual Monday chest - Tue back - Wed shoulders - Friday arms with a healthy dose of squats thrown in for the legs.


  • #5
    Parsley
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,144 ✭✭✭Parsley


    RobAMerc wrote: »
    I have a 4 day split.

    Usual Monday chest - Tue back - Wed shoulders - Friday arms with a healthy dose of squats thrown in for the legs.

    try something like advanced 5x5, which i've found great. you're squatting 3 times a week, which i like, and i think helps progress, and you're benching twice a week and incline benching once. if you want strength to go up in benching and squatting, you should be doing them both twice a week at least, i find... i've modified it a bit to put in some extra bicep/tricep work so i still haz gunz.


  • #6
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 22,317 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    RobAMerc wrote: »
    Parsley wrote: »
    what're you doing at the moment?

    I have a 4 day split.

    Usual Monday chest - Tue back - Wed shoulders - Friday arms with a healthy dose of squats thrown in for the legs.

    If your goal is a bigger bench, I'd do 1 heavy bench day and 1 high rep bench day with feck loads of upper back work.

    Extra volume will probably be counter productive.

    they/them/theirs


    The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all of the people.

    Noam Chomsky



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  • #7
    RobAMerc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,863 ✭✭✭RobAMerc


    briankeating wrote: »
    If your goal is a bigger bench, I'd do 1 heavy bench day and 1 high rep bench day with feck loads of upper back work.

    Extra volume will probably be counter productive.

    thanks - I'll have a look at that
    I like the volume bit cause I'm vain and want something to show for my hard work but I am a loooooong way from Extreme volume.
    my bench issue may be technique as I seem to involve my shoulders a bit more than I should despite concentrating extremely hard on not doing so.
    Hanley wrote:
    Didn't Poliquin himself say GVT isn't great for gaining strength?

    I don't know - can you expand a little pls ?

    thanks


  • #8
    Hanley
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 21,981 ✭✭✭✭Hanley


    RobAMerc wrote: »

    I don't know - can you expand a little pls ?

    Poliquin was the one who started GVT, Poliquin said it's not great for gaining strength. If you want to get stronger, don't use a program written by a guy who says it's not good for strength?


  • #9
    RobAMerc
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,863 ✭✭✭RobAMerc


    I'm beginning to see where you are going with this :D
    thanks


  • #10
    chris139ryan
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 318 ✭✭chris139ryan


    i would say its your technique look up so you think you can bench on youtube its really really good and shows all the flaws that people do with the bench.


  • #11
    Owen_S
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Owen_S


    More than likely your form, read the bench section of starting strength and watch the ''so you think you can bench'' series by Dave Tate on youtube, then record your form to see how your form compares to the form demonstrated.


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  • #12
    BossArky
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,647 Mod ✭✭✭✭BossArky


    RobAMerc wrote: »
    My Bench has seriously stalled despite my chest/pecs definitely looking a lot better ( probably due to other excercises ) and I don't really feel as if my strength is gaining any more. ( This may be due to my battle with the flab and my not eating enough ).

    Anyway - in an effort to mix it up has anyone heard of this GVT stuff ? A fad maybe ? Worth a 9 week "reinvigoration" stint ?

    Ta
    Rob

    No clue about GVT, but here's another idea which may help.
    • What do you currently bench?
    • What is your bodyweight?
    • What sets and reps for flat bench?
    • Do you follow it with DBs for what sets and reps?
    • Do you follow DBs with tricep work for what sets and reps?

    My bench has been increasing slowly but consistenty for the past 18 months with the following routine, which I've mentioned in my log. There may be quicker ways to increase your bench, but this one suits my 2 day a week time constraint for training . Maybe it'll work for you. You'll need 12 weeks to run a cycle.

    "Heavy day" - Monday
    flat bench - 3 sets
    db bench - 3 sets
    lying ez triceps - 3 sets

    "Light day" - Thursday
    close grip bench - 3 sets @60% of 1RM
    • On the heavy flat bench day, start the first week with 10 reps per set at maybe 50% of your 1RM.
    • Increase the weight as you ramp up thru 2 weeks of 8 reps (60%-67% of 1RM), then 4 weeks of 6 reps (70-82% of 1RM), then 4 weeks of 5 reps (85-92% of 1RM), then a final week of 2x2s (95% of 1RM), take a week off then test your 1RM.
    • The early weeks will feel easy and should. This gives you time to recover from the previous cycle and practice technique.
    • If you go to heavy too early you'll be stuffed later in the cycle.

    Assistance on DBs and tri's should build up to its heaviest on the last week of 3x6s, then back off for the 4 weeks of 3x5s. i.e. you are going hard on the assistance when the flat bench is easy, then back off later in the cycle to save yourself for the main flat bench. There is only so much work you can do given a fixed about of recovery time and nutrition.

    I'd love to have the time to try something like Sheiko or one of those other programs that requires 99 bench sessions a week, but as mentioned, the above works when your time is limited to two sessions a week.


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