GVT vs 8x8 [Article]

GVT vs 8x8

GVT and 8x8 are very similar programs with a focus on building muscle. Always be aware that diet is more important than exercise to achieve this goal. GVT is the go to when you are in full strength. 8x8 can be a good alternative on a cut.

What are your goals

Why do you compare GVT and 8x8? Do you want to grow muscle? Are you preparing for your next competition? Did you just start your fitness journey? Whatever brought you here it is important to establish clarity about your goals. The clearer your goals the clearer your results. When I talk to beginners they are often confused and want everything at once. That is a good recipe to be miserable. There are three main fields of interest in fitness

Looks
Performance
Health

If you are mainly about looks you are in for a hard time. Getting that six pack is about saying no to a lot of things. Saying no to sugar, alcohol, carbohydrates and second helpings. Chocolate is also not really an option. The main driver of success for being a fitness model is your diet. Exercise has its place but you can not out train your diet. The choices you will make might not always be healthy or help your performance. But you will look like a Greek god and might even make some money from it.

If you are all about performance you hit things hard. Be it the weights in the gym or opposition on the pitch. It is full intensity all the way. Diet merely becomes a fuel for your ambition. It’s not the main driver of success. The intensity comes at the price of injury. You definitely got hurt and will again. Being full of mid, sweat and blood is also not pretty. But who cares when you can hold a trophy afterward.

The last group is all about health. Balance is the name of the game. You will make your choices based on feeling better. The stress and danger of injury are things you steer clear from. You might not win a prize or get on the front cover, but you sip your tea and will be happy.

Based on the fact that you are researching GVT and 8x8 you probably want to build some muscle to look better. Performance might be a concern but that is less likely.

German Volume Training

GVT is one of the most popular programs for hypertrophy that you find out there. It is brutal, simple and effective. As it is very popular you will find many different variations. My personal favorite is

10 sets of
10 repetitions at
60% of one repetition maximum with
30 seconds of rest

Between sets. This template is one of the more extreme ones and helped me to pack on 2.5kg if the muscle in one month using the

Barbell squat
Barbell bench press
Barbell deadlift

The biggest advantages of German Volume Training are its simplicity and effectiveness. You lift 10x10 and grow.

The biggest disadvantages are the time it takes and lack of clear progression. It is hard to determine whether you are doing good or bad on any given day when you do 100 reps a piece. Also, if you take more than 30 seconds to rest you spent as much time resting as some Crossfitters take for their entire workout.

8x8

8x8 is not as popular as German Volume Training but still belongs to the same school of thought. You work in the lowest range possible for hypertrophy with 8 reps per set. The big difference to most GVT templates is that the test period is definitely set to 30 seconds.

While my personal GVT template is at the extreme end you will find others that allow for 1-3 minutes of rest depending on how gassed you are. There is no room for that with 8x8. Stick to the 30 seconds while maybe sacrificing some of the load to modulate.

The biggest advantages of 8x8 are similar to 10x10. A lot of hypertrophy without a lot of thinking.

The biggest disadvantage is that you might have to build the aerobic capacities first before you can do the program properly.

Should you do GVT or 8x8

It always depends on your goals and level of fitness. As I work in the IT sector I am a bit fed up with the good old “it depends” answer which helps no one except the sales rep to cover his backside.

If you are a beginner who is starting from the couch I would recommend against GVT or 8x8 for barbell exercises. The movement patterns are too complex and you have not the endurance or strength yet to bang out 64 to a 100 reps a session. If you want to use machines like the leg press or leg curl you can start with low weights. Work up the stack until it gets challenging. In case you want to lose weight or fat because of obesity, I would recommend looking at your morning and evening habits first focusing entirely on diet.

If you are a martial artist or other athlete looking to improve your vertical jump and/or overall strength it depends on your fitness level. If you already put quite a bit of muscle on your frame you might fare better with Stronglifts 5x5, starting strength or Wendler 531. If you have good conditioning and can control a barbell comfortably look into GVT or 8x8 when you are too skinny for your height and sport. Young athletes might want to start with an empty bar or 40% of their one repetition maximum.

If you are a weightlifter you can use GVT or 8x8 to go up one weight class. Talk to your coach for advise as he/she knows best what you need based on observing you in training. If you have no coach and less than two years experience in the strength game while doing oly lifts... get a coach.

Powerlifters might want to look at GVT or 8x8 to mix up the routine. Good scenarios are phases without competitions after feeling stale. When you go back to the drawing board to break through plateaus volume is a good starting point. Use GVT or 8x8 to build a peak cycle on.

Bodybuilders will find GVT helpful all year round. If you use testosterone and other supplements the workload is less likely to crush you. 8x8 can be phased in when you are nearing competition and feel drained from the diet regime. That was the original purpose the program was built for.