German Volume Training

The original five-day GVT split ready to run, plus full control over exercises, tempo, rest and loading if you want to build your own.

The classic split

The five-day rotation the program is known for:

Day 1: Chest & back
Day 2: Legs & abs
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Arms & shoulders
Day 5: Rest

Given the recovery cost, many lifters do better hitting each body part once a week rather than following the rotation strictly. The app will run either.

The original five-day GVT split, ready to go
Strict 90-second rest timers on main lifts, 60 on accessories
Weight only advances when all ten sets of ten are complete
Tempo guidance per movement type
Customize exercises, sets, reps, rest and loading

How to run it

Exercises: one 10×10 movement per muscle group, and make it a compound. Machines do not justify the volume.
Sets and reps: 10×10 on the primary lift, 3×12 on assistance.
Rest: 90 seconds on main lifts, 60 on accessories. Strictly. The short rest is the stimulus.
Pairing: work antagonistic groups together: chest and back, overhead press and a lat movement, quads and hamstrings, biceps and triceps.
Starting weight: about 55% of your one rep max, or a load you could manage for a single set of 20.
Adding weight: only once you complete all ten sets of ten. Never train to failure on any set.
Frequency: hitting each muscle group every four to five days is about right.
Tempo: a four-second negative on long-range movements like squats, dips and pull ups; three seconds on shorter ranges like curls and triceps extensions.

Where it came from

German Volume Training was popularised by German national weightlifting coach Rolf Feser and later by Canadian strength coach Charles Poliquin, who credited it with the leg development of Team Canada lifter Jacques Demers. Bev Francis has said she used it during her early bodybuilding years. The claim that followed it around European weight rooms was that lifters would move up a weight class in twelve weeks.

What it demands

A hundred working reps on a compound lift is a serious recovery load. Eat aggressively while you run it, and if you are dragging, cut the frequency before you cut the sets. The volume is the program.

Common questions

What weight should I start with?

Roughly 55% of your one rep max. If ten sets of ten feels comfortable in week one, that is the correct feeling. It stops being comfortable around set six of week two.

What if I cannot finish all ten sets of ten?

Keep the same weight next session. Weight only goes up after a complete 10×10, and taking sets to failure to force it defeats the point.

How long should I run GVT?

Most people run it in blocks of four to six weeks. It is a specialization phase, not a year-round program.