6 week German torture log

jernau_gergeh

jernau_gergeh

jernau_gergeh

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Let my last log go a couple of years back after I basically burned out. Too much intensity for too long and my mind and body told me to get stuffed! Anyway I've been back training more moderately for about a year and it's more sustainable.

So I thought it was time to do something foolish on the run up to Christmas and slot in 6 weeks of GVT. It's completely the opposite of what I prefer to do so I figured it's just the kind of bad tasting medicine that I need!

My goals are to hopefully gain a little chunk of lean muscle and shed a teeny bit of timber at the same time.

Routine will be something like this -

Mon: Chest & back
Bench press 10x10
BOR 10x10
DB pullovers 3x10
Pull ups BW 3x8

Weds: Legs & abs
Squats 10x10
RDL's 3x10
Crunches 3x10
Leg raises 3x10

Thursday: shoulders & arms
OHP 10x10
Close grip BB press 3x10
BB curl 3x10
Dips BW 3x8

Strict timed rests between sets of 60s, 90s between exercises.

Going to need to eat more but don't want to eat myself fatter so will need to be careful especially on off days.

This is going to hurt! Regular pain updates will follow.
 
So day one of German Volume Torture.

•Incline bench press 25kg 10 sets of 10 reps - 60s rest between sets
•Barbell Row 10 sets of 10 reps 27.5kg - 60s rest etc


So up the weight on this next Monday and shoot for 10x10

•Dumbbell pullover 22.5kg 3 sets of 10 reps
•Lat pulldowns 70kg 3 sets of 10 reps

More weight required.

It did hurt though. Starts off easy and then the short rest times mean that sets 8,9 & 10 get tougher and the sweat starts pouring!

Will be having a long soak tonight (and eat a lot).
 
Another long soak and some yoga this morning feel like they have offset some of the mega-DOMS I might have been subjected to.

I am acutely aware of exactly where my pecs are at all times :eek:
 
Cheers for the encouragement.

Damn needed it for leg day. Must have lost a full litre in sweat! So that's a kilo right? :)

Not at gym so used home weights only (set of Bowflex 90's).

- Goblet squats 20 kg 10, 10, 10 , 10 , 10 , 10, 9, 8, 6, 6

- DB deadlifts 2x22.5kg 10, 6, 6 (lower back tightened up after the squats dammit)

- Weighted crunches 22.5kg 10, 10, 10

- Leg raises 10, 10, 10

Shaking and doubt I'll have the use of stairs in a hurry.
 
GSVBagpuss said:
Is the fridge upstairs? If not, just lie next to it and pour food in :cool:

What are your 1RMs for the exercises you're using?
Click to expand...

They're nothing to shout about at all! In part because I've been consciously trying not to push too hard and burn out again, and partly because I'm having to work out as best I can between a hotel gym which is good but no power rack (would be room if they got rid of the damn Smith machine pffft), and at home where I have heavy dumbbells, a pull up bar and some gymnastic rings.

So that's why I have to use DBs for squats which is more awkward than a BB - but goblets I find great because the technique is really easy and you can go deep and slow without any risk to your knee - it doesn't take much weight to make this difficult by the 8th set!

I don't know what my 1RM would be on some of the movements as the BB load doesn't always correlate to DB's for certain exercises, but I reckon my !RM's are something like -

Squats (BB) - 85kg
RDL's - 100kg
Incline bench press - DB's 55kg
BOR - 50kg

Legs actually not as bad as I was fearing this morning - can definitely feel them, but I suspect the full blown pain will surface tomorrow.

Will be shoulders and arms tonight if I get back in time from a pretty full on day, otherwise I have the contingency of tomorrow first thing.
 
Shoulders and arms tonight.

OHP DB's 2x15kg 10 sets of 10 reps - need to up weight
Chins BW - 4,4,4 (no strength in arms at all!)
Close hand press ups 8,8,8
DB curls 2x 10kg 10,10,10
Lateral raises 2x7.5kg 10,10,10

Wrong weights, no tempo, not feeling it - disappointing session. On the positive side one week done, five more to go!
 
Week 2:

Chest and back

•Incline bench press 30kg 5 sets of 10 reps + 5 sets of 7 reps - 60s rest between sets
•Barbell Row 10 sets of 10 reps 30kg - 60s

•Dumbbell pullover 22.5kg 3 sets of 10 reps
•Lat pulldowns 80kg 3 sets of 10 reps

Gotta eat, gotta sleep
 
Easiest of the 3 weekly workouts last night - shoulders and arms.

- Overhead DB press - 20kg 10 sets, half at 10 reps, half at 8 reps
- Barbell curls 20kg - 3 sets of 10 reps
- Dips - 3 sets of 7 reps , full range and strict form
- Hammer curls 18kg 3 sets of 10 reps
- Overhead pulley extensions 32kg - 3 sets of 10 reps

Followed by a brisk 3 mile walk to try to loosen up my aching thighs which are suffering from a truck load of DOMS from the squatting volume.
 
Quick catch up - week 3 finished so half way through the program and still alive!

Tuesday did Chest and Back, with some ring push ups and horizontal ring pulls at the end.

Thursday night did Legs and Abs - so yep another 100 squats.

Weight up by 4.5 pounds and will take bf% measurements this week to check. Definitely see progress in arms, legs and chest.
 
Too busy to log but this is still on. Week 4 last week was better than weeks 1-3.

This week is week 5.

Monday was chest and back:
Incline DB press - 2x17.5kg; 10,10,10,10,10,7,7,7,7,7
Barbell Row - 30kg; 10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10

DB pullovers - 20kg; 10,10,10

Some band pull aparts and light DB rear raises.
 
Let the blog slip but more importantly finished all 6 weeks of GVT which I'm really pleased with, having never done any real volume with weights before.

Definitely feel better physically but it's the mental side that I think has benefitted most - I've proved I can face out 100 squats and see it out.

Now just need to decide what's next - might go back to a full body workout 3 days per week and at 8-10 rep range, for the next 6-8 weeks.
 
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