Is more volume better?

🏋️‍♂️ More Volume Is Not Always Better

Lessons from the Modified German Volume Training Study

Study Reviewed:

Effects of a Modified German Volume Training Program on Muscular Hypertrophy and Strength — Amirthalingam et al., 2016

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🎯 Purpose

German Volume Training (GVT) — the famous “10 × 10” program — has long been praised as a mass-building secret.

But is more always better?

This study compared two training volumes in trained lifters to find out whether doubling the sets truly builds more muscle or just adds fatigue.

Researchers asked:

1️⃣ Does 10 × 10 produce greater muscle growth than 5 × 10?

2️⃣ Does higher volume also boost strength more effectively?

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👥 Who & How

Participants: 19 drug-free men with ≥ 1 year of lifting experience

Groups:

🔴 High-volume (10×10) — Modified GVT

🔵 Moderate-volume (5×10) — Traditional approach

Length: 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week (Mon/Wed/Fri)

Exercises: Bench Press • Lat Pulldown • Leg Press • Accessory work (rows, extensions, curls etc.)

Rest: ≈ 60–90 s between sets

Nutrition Control: 3-day food logs + 30 g whey protein post-workout

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🧪 Measurements

Hypertrophy: Ultrasound for muscle thickness

Body Composition: DXA scan for lean mass

Strength: 1 RM for Bench Press, Lat Pulldown, Leg Press

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📊 Key Findings

💪 Strength

Both groups got stronger, but 5×10 outperformed 10×10.

Bench Press: +14.9 % (5×10) vs +6.2 % (10×10)

Lat Pulldown: +15.1 % (5×10) vs +4.5 % (10×10)

Small edge for leg press as well in favor of 5×10

➡️ Moderate volume produced greater strength gains.

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🧬 Muscle Growth

No significant difference in overall muscle thickness.

Tiny trends: triceps slightly favored 10×10 (+10.7 %), biceps slightly favored 5×10 (+7.3 %).

➡️ Both built muscle — neither clearly won.

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🧍‍♂️ Body Composition

Both groups increased lean mass (arms + trunk).

5×10 showed greater arm and trunk lean mass.

Leg mass did not change significantly in either group.

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🧠 Interpretation

1️⃣ Volume Isn’t Linear

More sets doesn’t always mean more progress — especially in moderately trained lifters.

High volume can disrupt recovery and reduce training quality.

2️⃣ Adaptation Takes Time

The 10×10 group may have been overreaching in the short term.

Their muscles and CNS couldn’t fully adapt within 6 weeks, blunting results.

3️⃣ Training Frequency Matters

Each muscle group was only hit once per week in this study.

Current evidence shows 2–3× per week per muscle is superior for growth.

➡️ Spreading volume across multiple sessions beats cramming it into one brutal day.

4️⃣ Experience Level Counts

Participants were trained but not advanced (starting bench press ≈ 80 kg).

For lifters at this level, extreme volume is often too much too soon.

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⚡ Practical Takeaways

✅ Moderate volume (5×10) builds strength as well as or better than high volume (10×10) in trained lifters.

✅ Don’t chase fatigue — chase progressive overload and recovery.

✅ Distribute volume over 2–3 sessions per week instead of doing marathon workouts.

✅ Gradually increase volume as you adapt — not all at once.

✅ High volume has its place (later in macrocycles or for advanced athletes), but timing and readiness matter.

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🧩 Big Picture

GVT still “works” because it follows progressive overload.

But for most intermediate lifters, quality beats quantity.

Too much volume too soon may stall growth by overwhelming recovery.

Start with manageable workloads, progress methodically, and let your body adapt before you add more.

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📚 References

1️⃣ Amirthalingam T et al., 2016 — Effects of a Modified German Volume Training Program on Muscular Hypertrophy and Strength. J Strength & Conditioning Research.

2️⃣ Klemp A et al., 2016 — Volume-Equated High and Low Repetition Daily Undulating Programming Strategies Produce Similar Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations.

3️⃣ Schoenfeld BJ et al., 2016 — Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

4️⃣ Flann KL et al., 2011 — Muscle Damage and Remodeling: No Pain, No Gain?

5️⃣ Zourdos MC et al., 2016 — Modified Daily Undulating Periodization Model Improves Performance in Powerlifters.

6️⃣ González-Badillo JJ et al., 2005 — Moderate Training Volumes Produce More Favorable Strength Gains Than High or Low Volumes.