~45 min
Perform 10 sets of 10 reps of a single compound exercise using the same weight throughout (roughly 60% of 1RM) with short, fixed rest periods — a brutal, high-volume hypertrophy protocol.
How it works
Choose one compound lift and a weight you could normally lift for about 20 reps (roughly 60% 1RM). Perform 10 sets of 10 reps with 60-90 seconds rest between sets, using the exact same weight for all 10 sets even as it gets progressively harder. A secondary antagonist exercise is often paired in as a superset.
Pros
- Extremely high volume stimulus for hypertrophy
- Simple to program — one weight, fixed sets/reps
- Well-known, long track record in bodybuilding circles
- Builds significant work capacity and muscular endurance
Cons
- Brutally fatiguing — not sustainable long-term or across many lifts at once
- Same-weight constraint means later sets are often technically very difficult
- Time-consuming (10 sets per exercise)
Best for
Hypertrophy blocksBreaking through a size plateauIntermediate/advanced lifters with recovery capacity
Examples
- Squat 10x10 @ ~60% 1RM, 90s rest, superset with leg curls
- Bench Press 10x10 @ ~60% 1RM, 60s rest, superset with rows
Notes
Popularized in the West by strength coach Charles Poliquin in the 1990s under the 'German Volume Training' name, despite its actual German weightlifting origins being disputed/mythologized.