German Volume Ramping Program!
The German Volume Training Workout was created back in the 1970’s. This routine became popular by Rolf Feser, who was the German National Weightlifting Coach at the time. The basis of the workout is to 10 sets of 10 reps.
This was used as an off-season workout to help Olympic Weightlifters gain lean body mass and shed excess bodyfat. It’s been said that weightlifters would often move up an entire weight class after just 12 weeks of following the 10 sets of 10 method of training.
Back in 1996 Charles Poliquin helped make the German Volume Training a mainstream workout by publishing it in the magazine – Muscle Media 2000. Since then it has been used by thousands of bodybuilders, powerlifters, weightlifters, and athletes across the globe to help gain muscular body weight. The goal of the workout is to complete ten sets of ten reps for each exercise while keeping the rest periods short, only 1 minute rest between sets.
German Volume Ramping…
With the German Volume Ramping Program you are going to start off with a high volume 10×10 workout. Then every 2 weeks you’ll decrease the volume and increase the intensity.
Sets & Reps
Weeks 1 & 2 – 10 sets of 10 reps
Weeks 3 & 4 – 8 sets of 8 reps
Weeks 5 & 6 – 6 sets of 6 reps
Each phase of this program will work different muscle fibers and utilize different energy systems. The first phase of 10×10 will use more slower twitch fibers and build muscular endurance. Then as you drop the volume and increase the weights for the following phases of 8×8 and then 6×6 you’ll work more fast twitch muscle fibers and build more strength and power.
In addition to increasing the weights and lowering the sets and reps with each phase, you’re also going to increase the rest periods between sets.
Rest Periods
Weeks 1 & 2 – rest 60 seconds between sets
Weeks 3 & 4 – rest 90 seconds between sets
Weeks 5 & 6 – rest 120 seconds between sets
Simply adding rest time between will dramatically change how your body utilizes energy. Shorter rest periods will use more lactic acid and longer rest periods will use more adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP).
The Workout Split
You’ll be working out 4 days per week and alternating between 2 workouts.
Monday – Workout A
Tuesday – Workout B
Wednesday – Off
Thursday – Workout A
Friday – Workout B
Saturday – Off
Sunday – Off
Now if this doesn’t suit your schedule you can more the days around accordingly.
But make sure to take a day off after 2 consecutive days of working out.
Workout A
Back – Bent Over Barbell Row
Chest – Incline Bench Press
Biceps – Standing Dumbbell Curls
Calves – Standing Calve Raise
Workout B
Shoulders – Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Triceps – Tricep Cable Push Down
Thighs – Barbell Squats
Abs – Decline Bench Sit Ups
If you have to change the exercises listed above you can do so to better suit your needs. For example, if barbell squats bother your back then you can do hack squats instead. Or if incline barbell bench press hurts your shoulders, then you can do another bench press variation instead. Etc…
However, I would recommend that you keep the same exercises for the entire German Volume Ramping Workout. Keeping with the same moves for the entire training program will allow you to master them and make some good strength gains.
Later on if you choose to repeat the German Volume Ramping Workout again you can switch it up and use different exercises for each body part.
Start Light & Progress Gradually…
I recommend starting this workout with about 50-60% of the weight that you would normally use for each exercise. This will allow you to get used to the volume and intensity of the workout.
You can adjust the weight accordingly. You are going to be doing each workout 4 times because each phase is 2 weeks long and you’ll be doing each workout twice per week. So be conservative on your first time through. Then increase the weights for your next workout.
If you can do all the sets and reps by yourself with good form, increase the weight by 5-10 pounds for your next workout. However, if you can’t complete all the sets and reps, then keep the same weight for your next workout.
Click The Link Below To Download The Full German Volume Ramping Program Workout Schedule:
–>> German Volume Ramping Workout Program – PDF
If you have any questions or comments about this workout program,
please post them in the forum and we’ll chat there 🙂