-Increase muscle mass with the German volume system-
A new version of the German volume system (G.V.T.) was recently proposed in the USA
Objectively, the method so pompously proposed some time ago had very little new and dates back to several decades ago!
For those unfamiliar with it, GVT, broadly speaking, consists in "performing - in a given exercise - 10 sets of 10 repetitions with a given weight. As you can understand, in order to complete 10 sets of 10 repetitions, the weight dev" not necessarily be too heavy. For the choice of the load, empirically, it has been seen that for most athletes, it is the one that would allow you to do 20 repetitions at the limit; on average this should correspond to 60% (or, in my opinion, even less!) of the maximum weight that can be lifted for one repetition.
A little curiosity: according to the "literature of the sector", most of the athletes after the third or fourth series begin to "lose" some repetitions (compared to the fixed 10), but then - generally from the seventh series onwards - for a kind of "neurological rebound" the repetitions begin to rise.
Now allow me a Question: but since GVT does not allow the use of particularly heavy loads, does it really work? According to the authors, theoretically, subjecting a group of motor units to such a high volume of work, should induce an adaptation that it will consist in a growth of the fibers involved in the movement.At the same time, always the considerable volume of work, should contribute to the loss of body fat.
Another question: but if we have just seen that GVT - although a bit "dated ... - can (at least" theoretically ") be an interesting method for the" increase of lean mass and the simultaneous reduction of fat, there was a need Well, although a number of practitioners have found a significant increase in muscle volume with this method, unfortunately some problems have been noted:
- First, doing 10 sets of a given exercise can cause your joints to overwork certain working angles or cause imbalances. For example, when performing 10 sets of 10 repetitions of squats, the leg joint is used in a non-multilateral way and this can cause imbalances.
- As if that were not enough, to the already considerable volume of work (10 x 10), in the original method it is recommended to add another exercise to be performed with a more traditional repetition pattern. A question that could be asked (and that the authors of GVT 2000 have asked themselves) is the following: is this really useful - barring drug abuse - for most athletes?
To try to remedy these drawbacks, a new GVT was thus created, of which some peculiar characteristics have been maintained, such as the 10 series of 10 repetitions. The new GVT - called GVT 2000 - still adopts the same weight for all 10 series, but uses (fundamental difference !!) 4 exercises chosen in such a way as to work the muscle from different angles.
Here is an example of training for the CHEST:
Incline bench with 2 dumbbells 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Bench declined with 2 dumbbells 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Horizontal bench with 2 dumbbells 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Crosses (at low cables) on bench 1 set of 10 repetitions
Furthermore, since we must always use the same weight, the exercises are chosen so that the first is the one in which we are weakest and the third the one in which we are strongest. Obviously, the weight is chosen to perform 9 series of 10 repetitions, since in the last exercise the load to be used is - given the different type of exercise - significantly different. The last exercise is chosen to try to complete the physiological functions of the muscle.
The program constructed in this way is thus - in some ways - more balanced than the original program:
- the "effort curve", since maintaining the same weight we use exercises in which we are gradually stronger should be more homogeneous; in other words, we do not make - as happened with the original GVT - series that are very easy at the beginning of the training and difficult at the end; in any case, the choice of the same weight for 9 series leaves me perplexed: it seems more uncertain than scientific .. .
- The choice of different exercises should also be suitable in order to avoid imbalances; but speaking of "different" exercises, it should be emphasized that it is not immediate to draw up lists of exercises with a "slight decrease in strength" and indeed, due to the "specializations" in a given exercise or joint limits, it sometimes happens that what it is true for an athlete, it is the exact opposite of what happens in another.
- Some further doubt comes to me that the success of the original GVT is based on the "subject a certain group of motor units to a high volume of workBy changing exercises, are we sure we are going to undergo the high volume of work (the 10 sets of 10 repetitions), always the same group of motor units?
To better understand, how such a program should be drawn up (NB: a complete program can be found in my new "training" technical handout) etc. another scheme, this time related to the back muscles:
BACK:
Wide grip lat machine 3 sets of 10 reps
Lat machine with medium grip 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Lat machine with supinated grip 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Barbell row 1 set of 10 reps
Comment: as you can understand, the dorsal is a very large muscle and working it exclusively with the lat machine, inevitably, cannot attack it in its entirety; the rowing set tries to put things right a little by working the muscle from a completely different angle.
The original version of the program recommended certain times for the execution of the movements; in the new version of the method, those times have been maintained and precisely:
a time 4-0-2 (the first number indicates the negative phase of the movement, the second number denotes the pause before the reversal of the movement and the third number shows how many seconds the positive phase of the movement must last.) on the larger muscles (legs, chest, back) and a 3-0-2 time in the movements for the smaller muscles (shoulders, biceps, triceps).
Even in GVT 2000, the recommended rest time between sets is around 60-90 seconds, while the training frequency between two sessions for the same muscle should be 5-7 days.
Abdominals and calves were not included in the "basic" scheme; these muscle groups will be trained in a conventional way and - as a training frequency - according to the various preferences or needs; Here is an example where the calves and abs are trained twice as often as the other muscle sections:
Day 1 - quads, calves and abs
Day 2 - pecs and triceps
Day 3 - rest
Day 4 - hamstrings, shoulders and calves
Day 5 - lats, biceps and abs
Day 6 - rest
Day 7 - start over
Final comment
Personally, I don't think this program - considered on its own - is one of those that "will go down in history". Apart from that, it seems to me to be discreetly designed and therefore, at least for 1-2 months, it will behave like all "new" discreetly designed programs: it will work, but in a short time (once the "novelty" effect on the "organism is over) it will lead to a stalemate.
I do not say this to diminish the validity of the method, but more simply to highlight that "miraculous" and above all "eternal" programs do not exist. However, by making the various work parameters (repetitions, execution times, etc.) evolve in an appropriate manner - month after month -, I believe that we can build a decent annual cycle: I am working to do it ...
Of course, as mentioned above, I still have some doubts (I have already started to let some of my students use it, but the "experimentation" takes time ...) regarding the fact that going from one exercise (of the original method) to 4 exercises (of GVT 2000), the "effective parameters" of the original method have remained unchanged and only improvements have been obtained. Theorizing is delightful, but then ...
In truth - based on such perplexities - I have already worked out a program (NB: you can find it in my new "training" technical handout) which could make the most of the ideas proposed by both GVT and GVT 2000, but to know it (unless you buy the pantry ...) you will have to wait for a possible future article.
Francesco Currò, ASI / CONI teacher, teacher of the "Academy of Fitness, athletic trainer and personal trainer, is the author of the new book"Full Body", of the" e-book "The Training"and the book on" Multiple Frequency Systems ". For more information you can write to the email address [email protected], visit the websites http://web.infinito.it/utenti/x/x_shadow/
or http://digilander.libero.it/francescocurro/
or call the following number: 349 / 23.333.23.
