GVT Volume Training

When you need a fast workout, slash your rest periods and still hit the volume you desire. This little GVT twist can go a long way.By Cory Gregory

I am going to take you through a shoulder workout with my personal spin on German Volume Training (GVT). I call this "GVT with a Twist," and it's a great way to knock out a fast, furious, effective workout when you're short on time. You can also use the Twist as a finisher, making this technique even more versatile.

German Volume Training With A Twist

Watch The Video - 09:53

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I came up the Twist when I was rushed one day at the gym. Instead of doing the normal German Volume Training—which is 10 sets of 10 reps with 60-second rest periods—I cut the rest periods down to 10 seconds. It gave me a serious burn, so I developed a program around it.

Cutting the rest period fatigues the working muscles much faster and speeds up the workout. A full GVT with a Twist workout doesn't take that long—you're looking at 20-minute workouts—but it will still leave you torched.

I recommend standard German Volume Training for intermediate to advanced lifters, but the program I put together, "with a Twist," works for anybody. Depending on the body part, a raw beginner can lift 5-pound dumbbells and still get a good metabolic resistance workout.

Get Twisted

If you're going to use GVT with a Twist for multiple workouts, I'd stick with it for roughly two weeks before moving to a different training program. Or, just use my Twist on a couple exercises at the end of your workout, which will provide an awesome finisher. Believe me, the Twist will humble you. It's amazing how fast 10 seconds of rest can pass.

You can use this method on any body part. I think it makes more sense to keep it around for your smaller muscle groups, but it's still metabolically taxing to do it on the larger muscle groups.

If you normally lift heavy, this is a good thing to add to the end of your workouts to help strengthen your connective tissues. If you are a big-time powerlifter, benching heavy weight, you still need to have strong connective tissue. Blood heals and delivers nutrients; this workout will definitely deliver a lot of blood!

Shoulder Workout: GVT With A Twist

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  Standing Military Press

  10 sets of 10 reps, 10 seconds rest between sets, 3 minutes rest between exercises
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  Lateral Dumbbell Raise

  10 sets of 10 reps, 10 seconds rest between sets, 3 minutes rest between exercises
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  Rear Delt Flyes

  10 sets of 10 reps, 10 seconds rest between sets, 3 minutes rest between exercises
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  Face Pull

  10 sets of 10 reps, 10 seconds rest between sets, 3 minutes rest between exercises

Make sure to finish all 100 reps! The weight depends on how smoked your shoulders are. There's no ego in this plan. Don't be concerned about what's on the bar. If you're getting the right feel and it's burning like crazy, then you are where you need to be.