Get Big, Fast: The 20-Minute Strength-Training Hack

Men’s Journal– German Volume Training

If your aim is to get big, fast, your workouts don’t have to be long — they just have to be tough. That’s the philosophy behind German Volume Training, in which you perform 100 reps of a given movement, with 1 minute of rest between sets.

To get to 100, you’ll do 10 sets of 10 reps, keeping the weight at just 60 to 70 percent of your one-rep maximum. Budget about a minute for each set of 10. Sets will feel easy in the beginning — but increasingly tough toward the end. (The math: 10 minutes of work, 10 minutes of rest, for a total of 20 minutes per movement.) A few additional ground rules:

Do compound movements .

Though German Volume Training works fine for single-joint isolation exercises like biceps and hamstring curls, it’s most effective with multi-joint movements that engage several large muscle groups like squats, overhead presses, bench presses, pullups, and rows. The one exception: Deadlifts. The amount of volume makes it tough to keep perfect form, which can lead to strain on the lower back. The risk/reward just isn’t worth it.

Written by Tad Lumpkin

Tad is a producer, writer, and business strategist who has experience in Media Production, Creative Direction, Strategic Partnerships, and Emerging Platforms.