German Volume Training (GVT)- why does it work so well?

peni · 06-06-2008, 06:05 PM

A few years back I had the bad luck to be framed for a crime I didnt commit, like the A-team. So inside there were no weights and only a concrete yard a third the size of a high-school gymnasium. I would walk around this yard and every 4 laps jump-reach for an overhead railing and do some chin-ups. Id start with 5 reps and quickly go down to 3, then 2 - which may not seem like a lot of reps but doing nothing but chins for an hour and a half... the reps add up.

So now I have really good lats and nothing else to speak of, just wish I could summon the mental fortitude to do 90min of heavy squats on a regular basis.

Moral: Heavy weight + High cumulative rep count = Monstrous gains
(even on naturally skinny dude with no 'roids and crappy diet of mashed potato and virtually no protein)

Biggly · 06-07-2008, 02:18 AM

Lats do tend to react that way and I've seen myself that just jumping on a home pull-up bar throughout the day can be as effective as incorporating within a workout as such. What I'm interested to know though is how did this affect your biceps and forearms?

I ask as I've found pull-ups do indeed seem to develop lats but not much on the arms, which is weird as the arms are usually the weakest link.

B.

peni · 06-07-2008, 06:27 AM

I always used a pronated grip, and although people often comment on my lats I know my biceps are very average and forearms pretty wimpy really.

MetalVolcano · 12-16-2008, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharkattack

My theory is that since the GVT method of training has you repeating the same movement over and over, you're going to really improve on that movement in that plane of motion, whereas 'conventional' training has you hitting the chest from multiple angles but for fewer sets per angle.

Does any of this make sense? I've been using the GVT method for a couple of weeks and really like it. It's not the most exciting thing, the same exercise for 10 sets, but it does seem to be having a positive effect-which is why we train in the first place, right?

Makes sense to me. You're doing 100 reps of one exercise, therefore with all of that movement on just one lift, you're bound to kill it on that lift, and exhaust your muscles in a more complete fashion than if you did 5 sets, or 3 different muscle movements.

MetalVolcano · 12-16-2008, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggly

Lats do tend to react that way and I've seen myself that just jumping on a home pull-up bar throughout the day can be as effective as incorporating within a workout as such. What I'm interested to know though is how did this affect your biceps and forearms?

I ask as I've found pull-ups do indeed seem to develop lats but not much on the arms, which is weird as the arms are usually the weakest link.

B.

I've always gone underhand and done chin-ups, and when I do them that way, my biceps grow just as fast as my lats.

**Merkaba** · 12-16-2008, 01:35 AM

06-06-2008, 06:05 PM	#31
peni Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 2	GVT with chins = Massive results A few years back I had the bad luck to be framed for a crime I didnt commit, like the A-team. So inside there were no weights and only a concrete yard a third the size of a high-school gymnasium. I would walk around this yard and every 4 laps jump-reach for an overhead railing and do some chin-ups. Id start with 5 reps and quickly go down to 3, then 2 - which may not seem like a lot of reps but doing nothing but chins for an hour and a half... the reps add up. So now I have really good lats and nothing else to speak of, just wish I could summon the mental fortitude to do 90min of heavy squats on a regular basis. Moral: Heavy weight + High cumulative rep count = Monstrous gains (even on naturally skinny dude with no 'roids and crappy diet of mashed potato and virtually no protein)

06-07-2008, 02:18 AM	#32
Biggly Nerd Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Borneo Posts: 567	Lats do tend to react that way and I've seen myself that just jumping on a home pull-up bar throughout the day can be as effective as incorporating within a workout as such. What I'm interested to know though is how did this affect your biceps and forearms? I ask as I've found pull-ups do indeed seem to develop lats but not much on the arms, which is weird as the arms are usually the weakest link. B. Biggly Bodybuilding Software Food Data Rep Calc

12-16-2008, 01:35 AM	#36
Merkaba "King of Cheat Meals" Moderator Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: sc Posts: 1,625	Ban 2 1/2 's !!!!!! -------------------------------------------- Some Pics. All Natural

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06-07-2008, 06:27 AM	#33
peni Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: New Zealand Posts: 2	I always used a pronated grip, and although people often comment on my lats I know my biceps are very average and forearms pretty wimpy really.