German Body Comp Training

German Body Comp (GBC) training is an incredibly efficient way to reduce body fat, but should only be used outside of camp (8 week+ away from competition.)

It is based upon the pioneering research by Hala Rambie, a Romanian exercise scientist who defected to West Germany. Rambie made the important discovery that the lactic acid pathway is better for fat loss than the commonly accepted aerobic pathway. Rambie found that high blood lactic levels decrease blood pH levels, which in turn sends a message to the brain to accelerate its production of growth hormone. Higher growth hormone levels increase fat loss.

For years the popular understanding for weight loss centered around doing heaps of aerobic training. Go to any big box gym now and you’ll see people running, stepping, and biking miles upon miles and hours upon hours, bored to tears, in an effort to lose fat.

GBC utilizes multi-joint movements with shorter rest intervals (less than 60s). Resistance training coupled with short rest intervals has the potential to produce nine times normal growth hormone levels.

Below is a sample split from Charles Poliquin:

You will perform 2 exercises each training session using the following split:

Day One: Chest and Back
Day Two: Legs
Day Three: Off
Day Four: Shoulders and Arms
Day Five: Off
Repeat

The cycle is meant to be performed 6 times. Doing it longer will result in diminishing returns.

Here are some suggested movements, along with the prescribed rest periods.

Day One: Chest and Back

A1. 6 Incline Dumbbell Presses at 45-degree angle
Rest 10 seconds
A2. 12 Incline Barbell Presses at 45-degree angle
Rest 10 seconds
A3. 25 Incline Dumbbell Press at 30-degree angle
Rest 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times

B1. 6 Weighted Chins
Rest 10 seconds
B2. 12 Bent-over Rows
Rest 10 seconds
B3. 25 Seated Cable Rows to Neck
Rest 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times

Day Two: Legs

A1. 6 Squats
Rest 10 seconds
A2. 12 Lunges
Rest 10 seconds
A3. 25 Leg Extensions
Rest 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times

B1. 6 Leg Curls
Rest 10 seconds
B2. 12 Romanian Dead Lifts
Rest 10 seconds
B3. 25 Reverse Hypers or Back Extensions
Rest 2 Minutes
Repeat 3 times

Day Three: Off

Day Four: Arms and Shoulders

A1. 6 Seated Dumbbell Presses
Rest 10 seconds
A2. 12 Seated Lateral Raises
Rest 10 seconds
A3. 25 Lateral Raises with Cables
Rest 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times

B1. 6 Dips or Close-Grip Bench Presses
Rest 10 seconds
B2. 12 Decline Barbell Extensions
Rest 10 seconds
B3. 25 Cable Pressdowns
Rest 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times

C1. 6 incline Dumbbell Curls
Rest 10 seconds
C2. 12 Standing Barbell Curls
Rest 10 seconds
C3. 25 Standing Pulley Curls
Rest 2 minutes
Repeat 3 times

Additional Notes:

• If you work out at a commercial gym, you might be hampered by slackers and fat cows who steal your exercise stations. As such, you may need to improvise and do different movements.

• Strive to do each circuit 3 times per workout. Progress to 4 circuits per workout after two or three weeks.

• Use a 40X0 tempo on the sets of 6; a 20X0 tempo on the sets of 12; and a 10X0 tempo on the sets of 25.

• You must use the entire 2-minute rest period. If you do not, you might not be able to use sufficient weight (or complete the prescribed reps), thus affecting lactate production

• Doing fewer reps tha what is prescribed will not elicit enough lactate and consequently not produce enough GH.

• These workouts demand a high level of motivation, so you had better be on something like Biotest’s Spike to help you complete the workout.