tricep fatigue on pressing movements

[finest1]

hi there,

I'm in week 4 of German Volume Training. I've noticed that after set 5 or 6 my triceps start to weaken on bench press and OHP movements. in fact I fail my reps because of this. my triceps are so pumped its rock hard! don't get me wrong I don't mind it, but in the case of running this program, I feel my chest is not being worked due to the fatigue. the last work out I had to rest 5 seconds in-between reps just to get my 10x10. but that's not the point. I've always had weak arms in the sense that they don't grow big. when I was on 5x5 my triceps did pump, but did not fatigue.

any ideas how I can get round this? and what does this mean in terms of development and growth. will this hamper the program?

bench press and OHP are on different days.

some extra info:

I've been powerlifting for the past 5 years consistently.
I've learned good technique and form during those 5 years
I've been on 5x5 for years. I wanted to have a break and do something different

thanks

[etet1919]

hi there,

I'm in week 4 of German Volume Training. I've noticed that after set 5 or 6 my triceps start to weaken on bench press and OHP movements. in fact I fail my reps because of this. my triceps are so pumped its rock hard! don't get me wrong I don't mind it, but in the case of running this program, I feel my chest is not being worked due to the fatigue. the last work out I had to rest 5 seconds in-between reps just to get my 10x10. but that's not the point. I've always had weak arms in the sense that they don't grow big. when I was on 5x5 my triceps did pump, but did not fatigue.

any ideas how I can get round this? and what does this mean in terms of development and growth. will this hamper the program?

bench press and OHP are on different days.

some extra info:

I've been powerlifting for the past 5 years consistently.
I've learned good technique and form during those 5 years
I've been on 5x5 for years. I wanted to have a break and do something different

thanks

I've done German Volume Training before (for quite a few years). My questions: How far apart are your bench and OHP days (less than 3-suboptimal)? Are you currently powerlifting (this will hinder GVT results -too much volume!)? How much recovery time are you giving yourself between SETS, especially with that lactic acid build up?

[ampire]

Do DB flies to finish off the chest after your workset benchpress becomes impossible due to tricep fatigue.

[finest1]

I've done German Volume Training before (for quite a few years). My questions: How far apart are your bench and OHP days (less than 3-suboptimal)? Are you currently powerlifting (this will hinder GVT results -too much volume!)? How much recovery time are you giving yourself between SETS, especially with that lactic acid build up?

mon legs
weds chest and back
fri shoulders and arms

2min rest between sets

no not powerlifting. im just using the compound movements. weights are 50% of my max. for example I can BP 110kg but for GVT I am on 65kg but failed on sets 7-10 I could manage only 7 reps

[WolfRose7]

mon legs
weds chest and back
fri shoulders and arms

2min rest between sets

no not powerlifting. im just using the compound movements. weights are 50% of my max. for example I can BP 110kg but for GVT I am on 65kg but failed on sets 7-10 I could manage only 7 reps

Have you thought that maybe you are doing way to much volume too soon..

[etet1919]

^^^ WolfRose is right....It is unmistakably very high volume. Why not make chest and back separate days, cut the sets down to 5-6, and target the muscles from varying angles instead. If you cut the volume down, you may only need to take those 2 minutes rest periods without struggling to get all your reps in. Don't worry as much about "completing" 10 reps in a "do or die" fashion. It's much more beneficial that you just train to failure.....at whatever weight or repetition that is!

[Garage Rat]

Yes maybe to much pressing altogether to recover from.
I would pick one pressing movement either BP or OHP for a cycle.
If your also doing arm with GVT that would be a tough recovery.
The other option may be to spread your training days out so you can recover doing a body part say every 10 days instead of every week.
One more is to do your OHP non lock style up to 2/3 of a press to take some tricep out and it be more on the delts.

[asrl78]

How wide is your grip on the bench press? I had the problem of triceps tiring on the bench press before my trainer told me to widen my grip, now my triceps don't fatigue so fast and I can feel it more in my chest.

[finest1]

Have you thought that maybe you are doing way to much volume too soon..

no, as I researched GVT over the Christmas period where I took the whole xmas season off training (2weeks) that gave me time to decide what I want to do. one of the websites said that GVT was the ideal workout to take a break from heavy lifting, which I been doing so for years.

[finest1]

^^^ WolfRose is right....It is unmistakably very high volume. Why not make chest and back separate days, cut the sets down to 5-6, and target the muscles from varying angles instead. If you cut the volume down, you may only need to take those 2 minutes rest periods without struggling to get all your reps in. Don't worry as much about "completing" 10 reps in a "do or die" fashion. It's much more beneficial that you just train to failure.....at whatever weight or repetition that is!

im following the GVT as it was written and designed. if I cut the sets down, it therefore won't be GVT. I actually like the challenge, except my tris are failing!

[etet1919]

because I am following the GVT workout as it was written, and how it was devised. if I cut the sets down, it would not be GVT

Well, you can look at it this way....What's better for you to do? Is it to do the 10 sets exactly as prescribed, and fail on the last few sets out of complete muscle exhaustion and failure? Or, would you want to train with the same philosophy, just temporarily reducing the number sets in order to more efficiently target those muscles and RECOVER, thereby making quicker strength and muscular gains? What is your ultimate goal....or what is the reasoning behind you wanting to do GVT EXACTLY as written? You have control over "modifying" GVT, or ANY program, to individually suit your goals and needs!

[finest1]

Yes maybe to much pressing altogether to recover from.
I would pick one pressing movement either BP or OHP for a cycle.
If your also doing arm with GVT that would be a tough recovery.
The other option may be to spread your training days out so you can recover doing a body part say every 10 days instead of every week.
One more is to do your OHP non lock style up to 2/3 of a press to take some tricep out and it be more on the delts.

unless I change the structure to:
mon: chest and back
weds: legs
Fri shoulders and arms

you would think after that my tri's would be sore the next day! no sir! it feels worked but not sore. however after the pressing movement I have tested the tricep strength by attempting to do a dip, no way, not happening, so I know its fatigued

[DCSpartan]

GVT is a terrible program for 99% of all ifters to follow.

Poliquin prescribed it for elite athletes trying to add mass in the off season, not as a break from heavy lifting.

As a rule of thumb, if you cant do 10 sets of 10 with 225 on a GVT workout you shouldnt be doing it.

[finest1]

a quick update for you all,
on chest day, I switched to DB presses instead of BP. the result was that my tricep did not fatigue. it did pump, but only on the last set. I also did this for OHP.

[finest1]

GVT is a terrible program for 99% of all ifters to follow.

Poliquin prescribed it for elite athletes trying to add mass in the off season, not as a break from heavy lifting.

As a rule of thumb, if you cant do 10 sets of 10 with 225 on a GVT workout you shouldnt be doing it.

I don't agree. maybe that was his idea in the 70's and 80's but with user feedback, and decades of trial and error, the program can be of use to a experienced advanced lifter. im on week 6 now. im ending the program mid march. its certainly a challenge, and something has to happen with all the stress I'm putting on the body, the eating and sleeping I've been doing.