German Volume Training (GVT) Phase 1
By Charles Poliquin · From Original Source
Charles Poliquin's German Volume Training, Phase 1 as he wrote it. Each day supersets two lifts for 10 sets of 10 with the same weight, about 60% of your 1RM (a weight you could lift 20 times), 90 seconds rest, then two supporting lifts for 3 sets with 60 seconds rest, every lift at his tempo. Chest and back, legs and abs, arms and shoulders, each once a week for six weeks. Once you make every set, add 4.5% (his 4 to 5 percent); until then, repeat the weight.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is German Volume Training (GVT) Phase 1?
German Volume Training is the 10 sets method. Charles Poliquin traced it to German weightlifting in the mid-1970s, where it was used in the off-season to put on muscle, and he wrote it up for Muscle Media 2000 in July 1996. The idea is simple: one big lift for a body part, 10 sets of 10 reps with the same weight, short rests, and nothing else for that muscle.
This is Poliquin's own Phase 1, lift for lift. Monday is chest and back: decline dumbbell presses with your palms facing each other, supersetted with chin-ups, both 10 sets of 10, then incline dumbbell flyes and one-arm dumbbell rows for 3 sets of 10-12. Wednesday is legs and abs: back squats with lying leg curls for the 10 sets of 10, then low-cable pull-ins and seated calf raises for 3 sets of 15-20. Friday is arms and shoulders: parallel bar dips with incline hammer curls for the 10 sets of 10, then bent-over and seated dumbbell lateral raises for 3 sets of 10-12. Each lift has his tempo, such as 40X0: four seconds down, then up as fast as you can while keeping the weight under control.
Is German Volume Training (GVT) Phase 1 right for you?
Poliquin wrote this as a beginner and intermediate program for putting on muscle. He says gains of 10 pounds or more in six weeks are not uncommon, even in experienced lifters. It is hard work: a lot of volume with short rests, so expect deep soreness after the leg day. Pairing two lifts means holding two stations at once, which is easier in a quiet gym.
How progression works
Start the 10 sets of 10 with a weight you could lift 20 times to failure if you had to, about 60% of your 1RM. Keep the weight the same for all ten sets and keep the rests the same: 90 seconds on the 10-set pairs and 60 seconds on the 3-set pairs. The first sets will feel light; the fatigue builds as the rests stay short. Once you make every set, Poliquin adds 4 to 5 percent; Durata adds 4.5%. Until then you repeat the weight. There is no deload. He runs Phase 1 for six workouts per body part, which is six weeks here, then moves to a three-week block of heavier work.
Durata runs this progression for you — there are no percentages to work out, so each session's target carries over from what you logged last time and the weight moves when you hit or miss the prescribed reps.
German Volume Training (GVT) Phase 1 — every set, every session
Week 13 sessions
Day 1 — Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Decline Bench Press (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Chin Up (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Chest Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Day 2 — Legs & Abs
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Low-Cable Pull-Insuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
| Seated Calf Raisesuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
Day 3 — Arms & Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps Dip (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Seated Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Week 23 sessions
Day 1 — Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Decline Bench Press (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Chin Up (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Chest Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Day 2 — Legs & Abs
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Low-Cable Pull-Insuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
| Seated Calf Raisesuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
Day 3 — Arms & Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps Dip (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Seated Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Week 33 sessions
Day 1 — Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Decline Bench Press (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Chin Up (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Chest Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Day 2 — Legs & Abs
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Low-Cable Pull-Insuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
| Seated Calf Raisesuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
Day 3 — Arms & Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps Dip (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Seated Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Week 43 sessions
Day 1 — Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Decline Bench Press (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Chin Up (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Chest Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Day 2 — Legs & Abs
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Low-Cable Pull-Insuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
| Seated Calf Raisesuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
Day 3 — Arms & Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps Dip (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Seated Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Week 53 sessions
Day 1 — Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Decline Bench Press (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Chin Up (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Chest Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Day 2 — Legs & Abs
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Low-Cable Pull-Insuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
| Seated Calf Raisesuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
Day 3 — Arms & Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps Dip (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Seated Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Week 63 sessions
Day 1 — Chest & Back
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Decline Bench Press (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Chin Up (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Chest Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Bent Over Row (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
Day 2 — Legs & Abs
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Low-Cable Pull-Insuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
| Seated Calf Raisesuperset B | 3×15–20 | 1:00 |
Day 3 — Arms & Shoulders
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Triceps Dip (Weighted)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Incline Hammer Curl (Dumbbell)superset A | 10×10 | 1:30 |
| Rear Delt Reverse Fly (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
| Seated Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×10–12 | 1:00 |
German Volume Training (GVT) Phase 1 — common questions
What weight do I start 10 sets of 10 with?
A weight you could lift 20 times to failure if you had to. For most people on most lifts that is about 60% of their 1RM, so a lifter who benches 300 lb for one rep would use 180 lb.
Should any GVT sets go to failure?
Poliquin says to count only the reps done in strict form, and to leave out forced reps, negatives and burns: the volume does the work. If you miss reps on the later sets, keep the same weight next time until you make all ten sets.
How long do I run Phase 1?
Six workouts per body part. Each body part comes round once a week here, so that is six weeks. Poliquin then moves to three weeks of 6-8 rep sets before Phase 2, which uses 10 sets of 6.
How long does a GVT session take?
About 40–55 minutes. The 10-set pair takes most of the session at 90 seconds rest, and the 3-set pair finishes it. Poliquin says to time the rests with a stopwatch, because it is tempting to rest longer as you tire.
Why only one lift per body part?
Poliquin's rule: one exercise per body part, so pick lifts that use a lot of muscle. The supporting lifts get only 3 sets, because 10 sets of them as well would be too much to recover from.
Is there an app that runs German Volume Training (GVT) Phase 1 for you?
Yes. Durata runs German Volume Training (GVT) Phase 1 as written, free: the 3-day-a-week schedule, every set and rep, and the progression built in. Log your sets and the next session's weights are worked out for you, with the stalls the program calls for; a tap on any lift shows why the weight moved. It is on iPhone and Android, works offline, and your history from Hevy or Strong imports free.
Source: Charles Poliquin — "German Volume Training", Muscle Media 2000 (July 1996)
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
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