Is German Volume Training Hypertrophy-Specific? Full article by Bryan Haycock found by
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Quote:
GVT is a high-volume light-weight training system that focuses mainly on "strength-endurance" or fatigue. GVT, though specific to increasing short-term endurance, can produce some hypertrophy in as much as it adheres to any of the known principles of hypertrophy.
The Goal of GVT
As to people's question about whether GVT is hypertrophy-specific, we must take a look at the goal of GVT. The clearly stated goal of GVT is to complete 10 sets of 10 reps without reducing the weight. So right from the beginning we see that the goal of anyone using GVT is not hypertrophy, but endurance of strength in the 10 rep range.
The Principle of Specificity
IF GVT adheres to the principle of "Specificity", GVT will have to stick with high volume and significantly light weights in order to condition your body to be able to perform 10 sets of 10 reps without reducing the weight load. So rather than using "load" or "muscle tension" which is a principle specific to hypertrophy, GVT uses fatigue to increase the "difficulty" of lifting a light weight, thereby making it "feel" heavy. Inducing fatigue is a principle specific to endurance.
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I can see GVT giving a trainee plenty of Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy (increase muscle size by filling the muscle with mainly water and glycogen), but I've read that once you stop the high volume training, this will consequently disappear. Another point to make is that Charles Poliquin makes tens of thousands of dollars personal training
elite weightlifters and
olympic hopefulls. So when he says most of his trainees grow 10-15 lbs. bigger after GVT, it makes me wonder about the genetically average as well as trainees who refuse to take AAS.
According to the SAID Principle (The acronym for "Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands."), your 10 RM should increase with GVT unless you're overtraining or cannot handle the extreme volume. That being said, I could definately see myself in the future doing something like this on the short term. Maybe not the 10x10, but maybe to 10x6 which is the second phase of GVT. I've done the
AGVT (
Advanced German Volume Training) and had pretty decent success with it. I, as you all know, used a spreadsheet for the program that can be found
Here! I hosted it to Clutchfitness.com for everyone to use. Everything is calculated in, just input what weight you use on the first day of 10x5 and it'll automatically program the rest of the weights for the remaining 50 days.