Precision. Patience. Progression. Strength Built the Italian Way.

The inspiration behind the Italian Volume Training (IVT) was initially sparked by the legendary German Volume Training (GVT), a system made famous by Charles Poliquin in the 1990s, though originally developed by Rolf Feser for the West German national weightlifting team in the 1970s. GVT typically consisted of 10 sets of 10 repetitions at approximately 60% of 1RM (one rep max), performed with short rest periods and aimed at maximizing muscle hypertrophy through sheer volume and density.

Shortly before developing this program, I underwent shoulder surgery. During the initial stages of my recovery—when I was restricted to very light loads and unable to use the barbell—the familiar 10×10 structure of GVT naturally came to mind.

That said, Italian Volume Training quickly evolved far beyond its surface resemblance to GVT. While GVT emphasizes metabolic stress, short rest periods, and muscular fatigue, IVT is rooted in a very different training philosophy—one grounded in StrongFirst principles: precision, control, intelligent progression, and technical mastery.

More importantly, IVT reflects key ideas from Soviet research on hypertrophy in weightlifters, particularly the work of Roman and Medvedev on volume and submaximal intensities. These methods—used with great success by heavyweight lifters—form the true backbone of the program.