Originally Posted by IA

I use this for various reasons. Either to unload the joints from the heavy pounding of low reps, or to get some fast growth. Works for both. I only use ONE lift when doing the 10 x 10 version and it looks something like this most often:

Monday

Dumbbell Bench Press 10 x 10
Chin-up 10 x 10

Wednesday

Squats 10 x 10
Calf 5 x 10

Friday

Dips 10 x 10
Incline Dumbbell Curls 10 x 10

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Why does GVT work for some people?

Joe BB'er can squat 350 x 5, that equals 1750 lbs of tonnage. if he does a static weight 5 x 5 he will likely be using about 335 for his sets. 335 x 5, x 5 sets =8375. LOTS of tonnage.

Depending on muscle fiber composistion he can likely do about 280 x 20 if pushed, the 20 rep weight would be his starting point for his 10 rep sets. 280 x 10 equals 2800 lbs of tonnage. If he can get his 10 x 10 with this weight his tonnage for the workout is 28,000 lbs!

Thats why people that aren't overtrained into the ground grow fast on 10 x 10's.

I just had 2 advanced lifters this week tell me they have gained 4-6 lbs in 4 weeks of 10 x 10. For those that are "recovery challenged" all it does is beat them into the ground, but it is still a good switch-up routine to insert from time to time for many lifters.

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It works for about 4 weeks, and for those it works for they get stronger on it each week. It is mainly for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy while in the 10 x 10 phase (the 10 x 5's build much more contractile protein) but some contractile protein is built. Transfer to lower reps is very individualistic. Like most people sets of 10 don't help their 1rm much, for others it helps. I had a guy I used to train recently contact me that ran 10 x 10 for 4 weeks and decided to see how much strength he lost on his 1rm's To his suprise he hit PR's on squats, benches and deads. This is not something I woud count on though.

Hypertrophy work is a very different animal than strengh work. But until you are already quite strong, strength work IS hypertrophy work. Once you have a base built, then you can and probably should start playing with hypertrophy work if more size is your goal.

IA