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Weight Lifting, Endos, Muscle Mass, German Volume Training GVT

Living-by-the-beach

Well-Known Member
Messages
520
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
The story so far of my journey with T2DM is that I've lost 60lbs of weight but no signs of remission. I eat good food & not too much. I avoid bread pasta rice and potatoes religiously. I cycle every day & lift weights every other day. My current BMI is 23 or thereabouts.

So over the last couple of weeks my Endo & a friend who's a Registered Nurse have been at me to put on some muscle mass to burn more glucose. So eventually I called my buddy Phil Jeremy http://trailjunkie-phil.blogspot.fr/ as to why after at least a year of weight training I am not seeing increased muscle mass. He explained that of the two types of exercise Aerobic and Anaerobic I am doing too much of the former and not the latter + aerobic (cycling) exercise promotes lithe bodies and not muscled body types. Its a muscled body (weight lifting) that I need to be rid of T2DM.

Phil also told me that the quickest way to put on muscle mass was via what is known in the fitness industry as GVT or German Volume Training. Whilst I am not expert I hope I've shared enough knowledge and that with the following link from the Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/acti...aining-regime-for-increasing-muscle-size.html

should help us all. I'll be off to the gym later on this evening after I've had dinner for my first GVT..
 
I don't know GVT, but it's certainly anaerobic exercises that are the most beneficial.
 
I do GVT. You work at a lower weight (about 20-30% of your best), 10 sets of 10. Timing is important. Not sure of the right phrase but for example squatting - 4 seconds down then normal speed up. 1 minute rest between sets. You don't move up weights until you can do the full 10 sets. It does build muscle quick. I can squat and deadlift 50kg now. I get a sugar dump from weights but because I've got a bit more muscle, it gets snatched back a lot faster. (My fella says I look like a piece of string with knots in now).
I'm an old biddie - I'm working on pull ups now. I'm a type 1 but I'm after greater insulin sensitivity which muscles help with, and they continue burning energy after the workout.
 
What amazed me was that no one on this diabetes website had mentioned it before. I am off to the gym to do the GVT.. I've been lifting weights but not getting the bulk I've been expecting.. I have to keep grinding away at this issue.. I am here to help and educate us all!
 
Hi All,

I just got back from the gym. I did

Barbell bench press 10 x 10
Bent over row 10 x 10
Chest fly 10 x 10
Lat Pull Down 10 x 10

I now know why I'll be building muscle! I my upper body is shaking as I type this note to all of us diabetics! The above work out took about 1hr and 10 minutes..
 
Hi tim2000s.
Oops just realised it is 20-30% less than your max not 20-30% of your max.
Craft moment (can't remember a f@@king thing!).
 
Living by the beach - your life will be nothing but doms now for a while.
 

@Mrs Vimes I am interested in this type of exercise and would be grateful if you would post some further details as to what your routines are and how long they take. Many thanks, Hj
 
When I began it was split into legs, push and pull. I'm heading out but I'll look up my old log book and post later.
Now I'm on a 4 split of legs, back, shoulders and chest. In each workout now is a mix of GVT and pyramid.
Speak to you later - active rest today, I'm walking and coming back to a roast.
 
I've found hat DOMS is reduced by taking 5g of BCAAs before and after weight training. To me it makes a huge difference. I don't do GVT, but similar volume training. One thing I would caution is that I've found extreme volume training causes inflammation and insulin resistance for about 36 hours afterwards.
 
@tim2000s

I had a very comfortable night of sleep after the training. I am familiar with DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) yet since I've been lifting weights but not following a GVT program in the past I 've not experienced DOMS so far today. I will say one thing that what is required to do GVT is much more weight lifting than I had been doing in the past.

One thing that is important is to have a protein drink after these weights sessions so I had an iced chocolate whey protein with some blueberries and a splash of jalapeno hot sauce. The reason behind having a protein shake is that otherwise you'll be eating your own muscle! This morning my chest feel 3" larger LOL. Yet I do feel good..

So tonight after dinner I'll hit my Schwinn Airdyne for 10 x 15 second (as hard as possible) sprints. I think its important to have visual references so Usain Bolt's (the sprinter) physique is what I am looking for. At the moment I look more like Sebastian Coe in his prime!
 
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The series that I found most troublesom was an 8-8-16 tri-set series with an a and b set done at about 85% of single rep max. It felt like murder to do and had the result already mentioned.
 

@tim2000s

Funny what you've noticed with your volume training, I found my feet feel wonderful all night and now into today! I feel like a million dollars! I am absolutely thrilled I've found GVT.. I only hope my joints don't give out on me before I become diabetic-in-remission!
 
It really depends on the set types. The 12 x 8 are fine for me. It's the 2 x 8-8-16 that cause the most problems.
 
Had a chat with a personal trainer this evening. He mentioned that GVT should ideally be about 50% of one rep max. His experience of trying it was that he got enormous but didn't gain strength and he prefers to use German body composition techniques as they also increase strength.
 
I'm personally not an advocate of GVT. I think it is a valid 'training method', however in my opinion there are a number of different training methodologies which worked better for me (31 yr old type 1, mainly mesomorph body type, currently 94kg, 5ft 8)

I've pounded iron for 10+ years, during that time I've had differing goals:
  • Bulking
  • Cutting
  • Functional Power
  • Endurance
  • etc.
I tried GVT as a bulking method about 4 years ago, I didn't find it as affective as;
  • Drop sets: e.g. 4 reps at 90-95%, 6 reps at 75% and to failure at 50% - 3 sets
  • 10 reps, 70% 1 rep max, 1 min rest, 4 sets
  • 8-10 rep, 80-85 % 1rep max, 3 min rest, 4 sets.
It's possible to achieve muscle overload (microtears) through a range of different techniques, and indeed, as you mentioned above you need to be in a calorie surplus to gain new muscle and cut back on (excessive) aerobic work.

My current training is more 'metabolic', I work with approximately 60% of my 1 rep max, with lots of volume - But the important factor is the (minimal - 30-60sec) rest ratio - I have a Gym boss timer which is indispensable....

Time under tension, rest ratio and intensity are paramount when trying to achieve muscular hypertrophy (growth).

I would be interested to know your progress, keep us posted.
 

The higher volume lends itself to greater Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Heavier loads increase muscle density/cross section area to a greatet extent. (myofibrillar hypertrophy)
 
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