A Guide To: PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD- HIGH VOLUME TRAINING/GERMAN VOLUME TRAINING
FLECK AND KRAMER (1987) SUGGEST THAT A KEY DETERMINANT OF PRODUCING OPTIMAL GAINS IN MUSCLE STRENGTH IS ALTERING YOUR TRAINING STIMULUS [1].
Within the weight lifting community, it is acknowledged that in order to see improvements you need to alter your training stimulus and increase the intensity (whether that be in regards to reps, sets, weight lifted, reduced rest periods). This is known as progressive overload.
A few weeks ago, I pushed myself to my 1Rep max on deadlifts, focusing on low reps and high weights, so the other day, I decided I would focus on volume and alter my training stimulus [Baecle &Earle, 2000; Kavanaugh).
Let me introduce to you ……German volume training.
This consists of performing 10 reps of 10 sets, with a minute rest in between. Select a weight that is 60% 1RM (or if you don’t know your 1RM, select a weight whereby you can just about do 20 reps).
High volume training has been found to:
INCREASE 1RM COMPARED TO LOW VOLUME (KRAMER ET AL, 1997)
EFFECTIVELY ADAPT YOUR NEUROMUSCULAR PATHWAYS AND INCREASE STRENGTH GAINS [1]
Not only this, but I love the feeling of accomplishment after GVT. I also find it activates my muscles, particularly my glutes and it is a great exercise if your gym is packed as you can push yourself on the same bit of equipment for 100 reps.
I like to do it for deadlifts or squats. Try it in your next workout! Mix up your workout.
AND REMEMBER: progressive overload is a great way to push your body by providing a new stimulus for it to adapt to. So next time you go to the gym, change your training stimulus. Increase your reps/increase your sets/ reduce your rest period/ increase your weights/ perform a new exercise/ introduce supersets. Anything new to push yourself!
And most of all, enjoy it. Come out the gym having accomplished something.
Accomplish something today that you will thank yourself for tomorrow.
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[1] http://www.luzimarteixeira.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1x3-series97.pdf
[2] Baechle TR, Earle RW. (Eds.). (2000). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.