German volume training is a very popular training system for those people who are looking to make fast gains in muscle mass. It’s an intense, but powerful mass builder. But let’s make no mistake, German volume training requires a serious mental commitment and a real desire to pack on muscle because easy it is not.

It’s a brutal style of training but it’s popular because it works. It’s not uncommon for trainees to add 10 to 15 pounds of rock solid muscle mass to their bodies in a matter of weeks.

Here are the very important rules that need to be followed to get the most out of the German volume training system. It’s not simply do lots of sets.

First, you’ll be performing 10 sets per exercise. But not just any exercise. It’s an exercise that delivers big mass gains. In other words, it’s the best, most basic of exercises. For biceps it would be the standing barbell curl (or dumbbells), not concentration curls. For the chest, it’s dips or the bench press, not dumbbell flyes.

The goal is to get 10 repetitions per set. You’ll also be performing a superset with the exercise for the antagonist muscle. For the chest, this would be the back. For the biceps, it’s the triceps. For the quadriceps it’s the hamstrings.

The weight used will be very light compared to what most lifters use and it will seem incredibly easy on the first few sets. But that will change. Most trainees overestimate the weight they can use. It’s better to go lighter in the first workout and build momentum by adding weight slowly than to go too heavy and struggle from the beginning.

You’ll want to use a weight that allows you to get 20 reps if you were doing one set. That may end up being too heavy for some and you’ll need to adjust for the next workout, but it’s a good starting point.

If you stop being able to get 10 reps on a set before the eighth set, the weight is too heavy. It’s okay to get fewer than 10 reps on sets eight, nine or ten. If you do, keep the weight the same for the next workout. When you get 10 reps on all 10 sets, add a little weight to the next workout.

With this type of training, it’s important to only hit each body part no more than once every five days. If you’re more advanced, even once every seven days or so will be plenty.

Here’s a good basic split to start with if you’ve never done German volume training before.

On day one you’ll work your legs and your abs.

On day two, it will be the chest and the back.

Day three is a rest day.

Day four is the arms and shoulders.

Day five is a rest day.

On day six you’ll start over with day one.

Remember, you’re only using one big exercise per body part.

On day four, if you can stand it, you can do a tri-set instead of a superset with the biceps, triceps and shoulders or just do the shoulders on their own without a superset.

Use a stopwatch for your rest intervals. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between supersets. But keep it consistent. If you are resting 60 seconds, don’t change it to 90 seconds on the last few sets because the weight is getting heavy. Keep it at 60 seconds and lower the weight at the next workout if you choose too heavy of a starting weight.

Here’s a sample German Volume Training Workout:

Day 1

A. Leg Press (10 sets of 10 reps)

B. Stiff Legged Deadlift (10 sets of 10 reps)

Day 2

A. Bench Press (10 sets of 10 reps)

B. Barbell Bent Over Row (10 sets of 10 reps)

Day 3

Rest

Day 4

A. Barbell Curls (10 sets of 10 reps)

B. Close Grip Bench Press (10 sets of 10 reps)

C (can be done alone without a superset) Dumbbell Upright Row (10 sets of 10 reps)

Day 5

Rest

Day 6

Start day one again.

The reason German volume training is so effective is because of the time under tension and the density of the training. In other words, the muscles get a lot of work in a short period of time, which has a positive affect on muscle building hormones and triggers serious muscle gains.

If you’re looking to pack on muscle mass fast, it’s tough to beat German volume training for great results.