By 
By Gary Wallace
THE start of the summer holidays is approaching and for some the goal may be to look and feel good when you stroll pool side or down to the beach. For men, as vain as it may sound, they want to feel confident with their top off and of course have those bulking biceps.
In a sense you want to be lean but also build muscle. If this is the case, you may want to consider which training methods best suit your goals. When it comes to hypertrophy, muscle building, a simple but very effective training program to follow is German Volume Training (GVT) or the 10 set method.
The GVT system originated in Germany in the mid-’70s and was popularized by Rolf Feser, who was then the national coach of weightlifting. It’s a very simple, but effective method concept, below are its main principles.
One Exercise
You perform one exercise per body part. That’s it. Stick with heavier, compound-style lifts that tax major muscle groups, squats, shoulder press, bench press etc. Because you will be performing a limited number of exercies per week, proper exercise selection is critical in maximizing the effects of GVT.
100 Reps
For each exercise, you will be performing 10 sets of 10 reps. Start with 50 to 60% of your one rep max for that lift. Perform as many reps as possible for each of the 10 sets. There is no need to train to failure. Train close to failure. GVT is taxing enough without training to failure. When you can complete 10 sets of 10 reps, increase your weight by 2-5 per-cent. You also want to use the same weight for each set.
Rest Pause
You will be resting approximately 60-90 second between sets. Resist the urge to lower your rest periods under the 60 second mark. Limiting rest like this will force you to decrease the load. You’re already working with weights slightly above half of your 1RM. It does you no good to use lighter weights then this. For most exercises, a 60 second rest works best. For big, beefy and taxing exercises like the squat, 90 seconds is needed. (And then some!)
The following is an example of a GVT Body part split.
Day 1: Chest & Back.
Day 2: Legs & Abs.
Day 3: Off.
Day 4: Arms & Shoulders.
Day 5: Off.
Here are a few guidelines when carrying out this programme
Record: Keep a detailed record of the amount of sets, reps and weights. Be strict and only record the repartitions you have completed. This will also show you how far you have progressed throughout the programme.
Time frame: Carry out the programme for 4-6 weeks depending on your goal and personal time.
Tempo: For long-range movements such as squats, dips and chins, use a 4-0-2 tempo; this means you would lower the weight in four seconds and immediately change direction and lift for two seconds. For movements such as curls and triceps extensions, use a 3-0-2 tempo.
Rest: Use your rest days wisely and make sure you keep to a healthy high protein meal plan.
Eat: One thing is for sure, you will always want to eat and you will want to consume a lot of good quality protein to help build and repair your muscles.
Have a meal plan set out and prepare your meals for two-three days in advance.
Consistency with this routine is key and you will be aiming for a minimum of 6-12 weeks before you start to see any results.
This is not going to be easy but you can do it! Train smart and listen to your body, give it time to grow and be patient. Just visualise how awesome you are going to look for that holiday.
