I LOVE German volume training. It’s one of the most successful training protocols I’ve used to build muscle mass faster. This is whilst on a dieting phase for bodybuilding shows. Back when I started my bodybuilding journey, I was not in the least bit as muscular as all the other women competing. I had a lot of work to do on my end, with limited time. In hindsight, it would have been a much smarter alternative to building me up enough, before trying to build muscle whilst dieting to get as lean as possible. For a rundown of those who are not familiar with women bodybuilding, the category I classed in was Figure. Our objective was to be feminine, yet have a muscular physique, in symmetry and as lean as possible. It is a big possibility to become lean and muscular simultaneously, but it is very challenging (especially for us women who suffer from monthly hormonal fluctuations). One of the best options for me was to Use German Volume Training to bring up those lagging muscles that were not in symmetry. This is feedback from coaches as well as people in the industry. They will tell you what you should be working on in a more focused way. There will always be certain body parts which naturally accumulate more muscle than others. I actually lagged (literally) in the hamstring, glute and calf department. Those were my weakest link (and still are) therefore, I have to work extra hard to smash those towards the growth that I want. 

3 Steps before considering German Volume in your training

1. Use it for any training goal: I want to make sure you all know that GV can be used for anybody part/s at all. Whatever your goal is, use GV as a means to get towards that goal sooner.
2. You will also need to make sure your nutritional requirements are being met. This type of training will wear you out. Therefore, your primary aim is to make sure you are eating enough nutrients – and of course, the right kinds of nutrients. Without this important step, you won’t get the results.
3. Proper rest is required. You will be a lot more tired than your usual training schedule. I would recommend you take at least 1–2 days off fully after GV. Allow enough rest to ensure you take advantage of the muscle growth.

3 example training sessions with GV

1. Legs: Deadlift followed by leg extensions
2. Chest & Back: Bench press followed by neutral grip row
3. Biceps & Triceps: Biceps curl & Scull crushers

You can choose whatever you prefer, as it all depends on what muscle groups are lagging in growth. Focus on what those muscles are, and find the best exercises possible to train them effectively. Make sure you complete 10 sets of each exercise. I like to use this training as a superset, complete one exercise after the other, and rest after the second exercise. Rest for a total of 60 seconds. This training should take about 35–45 minutes or along those lines. Make sure you use the same care and consistency with your training. Feel very repetition; make sure it’s smooth and controlled. If you are a beginner for weight training, perhaps don’t try this method as of yet. It’s really best to serve those who have ample experience in training, technique, and science behind weight training. If you try this, you will love the results. I hope you found this article useful and I would love you to upvote it if you did. Please also join me on my various social platforms and do go ahead and download your new year’s resolution pack – which has 7 days of free nourishing recipes. I’m also on Instagram.