GVT- substituting exercises

[kgarto]

So I'm about to do my second round of german volume training.

The workout looks like this:

Back/Chest (chins/bench press)
Legs/Abs (back squat/leg curl/leg lifts/crunch)
Rest
Arms/Delts (dips/incline db curl/arnold press)
Rest
Rest
Repeat

I can hang with the boredom part, but I want to make sure I'm doing the best lifts for this volumizing workout. Everything I worked the first cycle of this workout became sore for at least the two days after- except triceps.

Arms and Legs are the parts I'd like to grow most (as it seems my chest and back development come easier than the rest). I have always been a tall thin guy.

Anyway, what I'm wondering is this: wouldn't something like tricep curls, jm press, close grip press, etc., be better than dips for inducing tricep growth (they just don't give me that breaking glass feeling in my triceps that the other exercises do)? Even if they're not part of the original Charles P. list..? Dips don't give me much of a pump..

Any suggestions much appreciated.. Today is the start of my second week with this program..

 

[ExtraMile]

If it where me and I could only choose one exercise per muscle I would pick:
Legs - ATG Back Squat
Back - Bent Over BB Row
Chest - Flat DB Press
Shoulders - Standing BB Press
Triceps - CGBP
Biceps - BB Curl

fuck the incline db curl and arnold press IMO

 

[kgarto]

If it where me and I could only choose one exercise per muscle I would pick:
Legs - ATG Back Squat
Back - Bent Over BB Row
Chest - Flat DB Press
Shoulders - Standing BB Press
Triceps - CGBP
Biceps - BB Curl

fuck the incline db curl and arnold press IMO

LOL.. I'm with you bro.. I went with incline curls because shortly after the first day I got some kind of sore muscle alongside my spine between my shoulder blades.. Probably stressed it more than usual during that first workout of the series.. Rather than not do arm day, I chose a seated exercise with my back supported.. I'm planning on doing barbell cheat curls..

Arnold press because it was the only delt exercise I've tried that didn't leave my shoulder joints feeling hinky for two days after

 

[ExtraMile]

LOL.. I'm with you bro.. I went with incline curls because shortly after the first day I got some kind of sore muscle alongside my spine between my shoulder blades.. Probably stressed it more than usual during that first workout of the series.. Rather than not do arm day, I chose a seated exercise with my back supported.. I'm planning on doing barbell cheat curls..

Arnold press because it was the only delt exercise I've tried that didn't leave my shoulder joints feeling hinky for two days after

yeah the reason I choose those exercises because they are best all round mass builders and let you use alot of weight. I didnt choose dips because I personally wouldnt be able to do 10x10 with my bodyweight. How come you didnt include any calf work?

 

[kgarto]

yeah the reason I choose those exercises because they are best all round mass builders and let you use alot of weight. I didnt choose dips because I personally wouldnt be able to do 10x10 with my bodyweight. How come you didnt include any calf work?

oops..lol.. sorry.. I did do one-leg calf raises at the end of my leg workout..

I couldn't do 10x10 dips either, but did the first 4 sets at 10 and then started failing at 6-8 for remainder of sets.. My objection to dips is that they didn't Feel like they were blasting my triceps while I was doing them (like bar or db based tricep exercises do), and I had NO soreness in them afterwards like I did with my other lifts.

Maybe I'm off base, but I still believe that if you do a good job of thrashing muscle fibers they should be sore either the next day or the day after (DOMS). And I fail to see how doing all those sets of dips should have left my triceps giving me the middle finger..

 

[ExtraMile]

oops..lol.. sorry.. I did do one-leg calf raises at the end of my leg workout..

I couldn't do 10x10 dips either, but did the first 4 sets at 10 and then started failing at 6-8 for remainder of sets.. My objection to dips is that they didn't Feel like they were blasting my triceps while I was doing them (like bar or db based tricep exercises do), and I had NO soreness in them afterwards like I did with my other lifts.

Maybe I'm off base, but I still believe that if you do a good job of thrashing muscle fibers they should be sore either the next day or the day after (DOMS). And I fail to see how doing all those sets of dips should have left my triceps giving me the middle finger..

so do either flat or incline CGBP instead, they're still great compound exercises that allow you to use heavy weight compared to isolation tricep extension type exercises. Thats what I would do.

 

[burnthiscorpse]

Arnold presses are an injury waiting to happen IMHO. For shoulders either do military BB press or standing clean and press.

 

[SaiBoT]

I would keep the dips for sure. And you should do the shoulder press first then dips then the curls... the beating for tris would be greater if you work them right after shoulders.