Sicilian Volume Training
A program you can't refuse!
by John Paul Catanzaro
There are many excellent "volume" routines out there, but who can forget that July 1996 issue of Muscle Media 2000
when Charles Poliquin introduced German Volume Training? MM2K was quite
a magazine at the time and GVT was (and still is) one hell of a
program! I know I made some great gains from it and I continue to use
it periodically with clients. These
programs work by obeying the Law of Repeated Efforts, which basically
means that you target a group of motor units and expose them to an
extensive volume of repetitions. In other words, you trash them! As
Poliquin put it: "The body adapts to the extraordinary stress by
hypertrophying the targeted fibers. To say this program adds muscle
fast is probably an understatement. Gains of ten pounds or more in six
weeks are not uncommon — even in experienced lifters!" Let's look at an example of the first phase of German Volume Training:

Poliquin Routine (a.k.a. German Volume Training)
Day 1 — Chest & Back A1) Flat DB Press (neutral grip) 10 x 10 @ 4010, 90 secs A2) Medium-Grip Chin-Ups (supinated) 10 x 10 @ 4010, 90 secs B1) Incline Rope Cable Flyes (pronated) 3 x 10-12 @ 2012, 60 secs B2) One-Arm DB Row (elbow out) 3 x 10-12 @ 2012, 60 secs
Day 2 — Legs & Abs A1) Cyclist Back Squat (heels raised) 10 x 10 @ 4010, 90 secs A2) Lying Leg Curls (feet inward) 10 x 10 @ 4010, 90 secs B1) Swiss Ball Crunch 3 x 12-15 @ 2010, 60 secs B2) One-Leg Calf Raise 3 x 10-12 @ 2210, 60 secs
Day 3 — Off
Day 4 — Arms & Delts A1) Mid-Incline Hammer Curls 10 x 10 @ 4010, 90 secs A2) Parallel-Bar Triceps Dips 10 x 10 @ 4010, 90 secs B1) Standing Rope Upright Rows 3 x 10-12 @ 2012, 60 secs B2) Lean-Away Lateral Raises 3 x 12-15 @ 2010, 60 secs
Day 5 — Off • For all the "A" exercises, start with a 20RM load. • Only increase the weight when you're able to perform all 10 sets of 10 reps. • Perform this routine for 6 cycles (i.e. 6 workouts per body part) then change to a routine with greater intensity. •
When you return to this routine, use a 10 x 6 set/rep scheme for all
"A" exercises (starting with a 12RM load this time.) Make sure to use
different exercises at that point. In general, strength is
related to intensity (load) and size requires volume (sets, reps, time
under tension, total workload, etc.). Most volume programs you see in
the magazines tend to promote sarcoplasmic hypertrophy unless very
heavy loads with low reps are advocated (which tends to promote
myofibrillar hypertrophy if enough sets are performed). According
to Brad Schoenfeld, low rep sets (below 5) improve neuromuscular
response, or the ability to use heavier weights. Moderate reps (8-10)
are optimal to build muscle mass for the following four reasons:
1. Optimizes fiber recruitment — stresses different motor units and fibers (i.e. FT II A&B, and even ST)
2. Increases anabolic hormonal response — Testosterone and GH
3.
Enhances cellular hydration — greater muscle pump (called "reactive
hyperemia") drives plasma and water to muscle which stimulates protein
synthesis and inhibits proteolysis (protein breakdown).
4.
Heightens myofilamental damage — optimum amount of tension and time
under tension (TUT) above a minimum threshold increases potential for
damage to muscle tissue. Zatsiorsky has nicely demonstrated in his book, Science and Practice of Strength Training, that the total amount of degraded protein is highest in the 5-10 RM range and thus leads to greater hypertrophy.
Resistance
(RM)
Rate of Protein Degradation
Mechanical Work
(# of reps)
Total Amount of Degraded Protein
1
High
Small
Small
5-10
Average
Average
Large
>25
Low
Large
Small
Table
1 — The Amount of Degraded Protein During Strength Training With
Different Levels of Resistance (Zatsiorsky, 1995, pg. 91) Okay, enough talk, let's get to some more routines! Here's a simple volume program offered by one of the legends in the bodybuilding world, Vince Gironda. Apparently,
Gironda had experimented with thousands of routines and concluded that
"the seasoned bodybuilder can always get an honest workout by
performing a routine (every other day) consisting of working one
exercise per body part for 8 sets of 8 reps" (except calves, which
Vince says are a high rep muscle, and 20 reps minimum should be
employed).

Gironda Routine (a.k.a. 8 x 8 System) DB Lateral Raises Wide-Grip Parallel-Bar Dips Seated Lat Pulley Machine Rowing Kneeling Face Down Cradle Bench Triceps Pulley Extension Body Drag Barbell Curls Heels On Block Squat Calf Raise Crunches With Weight
• Perform 8 sets of 8 reps on all exercises except for calves where you'll do 8 sets of 20 reps.
• Use a 2-0-2-0 tempo on all exercises.
• Maintain a short rest interval of 15-30 seconds (don't let go of the bar between sets) Frequency
depends on your training age (and thus loads used) as well as your
level of recovery. Intermediates can split the program in half;
advanced trainees may need to split the routine into three days to make
progress. Remember to have a day of rest following each workout. Fitness
writer, Rob Thoburn, also put together an interesting volume routine.
Don't be fooled by its simplicity. If size is what you're after, this
routine will get the job done.

Thoburn Routine Day
1: Chest (BB flat bench press), Shoulders (BB military press), Triceps
(BB close-grip bench press or parallel bar dips with added weight as
necessary) Day 2: Back (BB bentover rows or wide-grip pull
ups), Biceps (BB curls or DB curls), Abs (crunches with added weight
behind head as necessary) Day 3: Quads (BB squats), Hams (BB stiff-legged deadlifts), Calves (standing calf raises)
• Not including warm-up sets, do 10 sets per muscle group.
• Lift as much weight as you can for 6-8 reps — no more, no less.
• Rest 45-50 seconds between sets — no more, no less.
• Train each muscle group twice per week.
• You don't need to do any cardio, unless you want to.
• Take days off whenever you feel it's necessary.
• Learn to listen to — not just hear — your body. Simple
and effective! The only issue I have with this scheme is training each
muscle group twice per week. Of course, if you have some "assistance",
then you can recover enough to make adequate gains, but most natural
trainees can train each body part twice on this type of plan within a
10-14 day period. I'll discuss this in further detail a little later. Another great program you may not be familiar with comes from Ironman
contributor George Turner. Much like GVT, the Turner routine is based
on high volume, except higher intensities are used (due to the use of
RM loads). Here's the program as it was outlined in his Real Bodybuilding audiotape series in the nineties.

Turner Routine (a.k.a. HUGE! Program)
Day 1 — Chest & Back 1. Bench Press

• 2 warm-up sets (15,12 reps) followed by 10 sets x 10 reps
• drop 10 pounds every 2 sets

2. Wide-Grip Pull-Ups

• 2 warm-up sets (15,12 reps) followed by 10 sets x 10 reps
• decrease load every 2 sets

Day 2 — Legs 1. Full Squats

• 2 warm-up sets (15,12 reps) followed by 6 sets x 10 reps

2. Lying Leg Curls

• 2 warm-up sets (15,12 reps) followed by 6 sets x 10 reps

3. Standing Calf Raise

• 2 warm-up sets (15,12 reps) followed by 10 sets x 10 reps
• decrease load every 2 sets

4. Bent-Knee Deadlifts

• perform 6 sets x 6 reps
• pyramid weight (add weight each set)

Day 3 — Off
Day 4 — Delts & Arms 1. Seated DB Press (pronated)

• 2 warm-up sets (15,12 reps) followed by 8 sets x 10 reps

2a. Seated DB Curls (no back support)

• 1 warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 8 sets x 8 reps
• superset with

2b. Lying Triceps Extensions (hands 6" apart)

• 1 warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 8 sets x 12 reps

Day 5 — Off (One word of advice: try not to plan much after leg day. Trust me!) Okay,
below is my revised version of this program. Many elements are
maintained but we'll go through the details afterward.