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Wave loading refers to grouping the work sets in “series”, each of these series normally have 2 or 3 sets. For a given exercise, you perform 2-4 of those series. The weight increases during the series (the second set is heavier than the first one, the third is heavier than the second if you have 3 sets per series) giving the loading scheme a wave-like structure since the weight goes up for a few sets, goes back down within a new series and goes back up again, etc.
Wave loading also has an increase in loading from series to series. The second series uses a little more weight than the first one, the third one (if there is one) is slightly heavier than the second one, etc. In fact, waves can be auto-regulating: you keep doing series as long as you can complete your sets. Week 1: 6-5-4 waves (6-5-4, 6-5-4) Week 2: 5-4-3 waves (5-4-3, 5-4-3) Week 3: 4-3-2 waves (4-3-2, 4-3-2) Week 4: 3-2-2 waves (3-2-2, 3-2-2) *Rest 90-120sec between sets, 3-5minutes between waves. Wave loading works for various reasons: neurological, psychological and physiological. Neurological: Wave loading works via the benefit of a phenomenon called “post-tetanic potentiation”. To make things simple, understand that every time you lift a weight or produce force two things happen: - You get the nervous system excited; the neurons start to fire faster, recruiting more muscle fibers and increasing the strength of muscle contraction. - You create fatigue which can, of course, reduce performance. If the performance potential increase from neural excitation exceeds the fatigue accumulated your capacity to produce force goes up. This results in you lifting more weight. This is why wave loading works better with lower reps. Low reps using big weights lead to the highest force production and the lowest work output. So, you get maximum excitation and minimal fatigue. That’s why with wave loading your performance potential goes up from wave to wave, until the fatigue build-up catches up to you. Psychological: This benefit will apply mostly to people who, hate doing the same thing over and over. With most powerlifting programs the movement becomes boring and performing the same number of reps with the same weight for two sets or more in a row is mentally draining; With wave loading you have a different tack on every set because the weight and reps change. And even when you start a new series, you are using different weights than you did in the first series. If you like variation and variety, this will help keep your motivation higher. And because of a weird phenomenon, every set “feels easier” which you may hav experienced during the 1-6 month in December. Your brain focuses on the 1 rep less and you are more positive and confident. And even when you change series and the reps go back up, iit’s fine because the weight is going down compared to your last set and it feels lighter. Physiologically: The physiological benefits are more important with mixed waves. Mixed waves include work in both the neurological and muscular zones. This approach will maximize strength gains by improving both muscle mass (strength potential) and neurological efficiency (how well you can use your potential). Integrating strength waves into your strength and conditioning routine provides significant benefits by promoting continuous improvement in strength, power, and muscular development, while reducing the risk of overtraining. By varying intensity and volume in a cyclic manner, strength waves help athletes achieve long-term progress, maintain motivation, and optimize performance.
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A full pyramid combines both the ascending rep protocol in which you begin with lighter weights and higher reps, then progressively increase the weight while decreasing the number of reps as you move through each set and descending reps protocol starts with the heaviest weight you can handle for a few reps and then progressively decreases the weight while increasing the reps in each subsequent set. Now for the Full pyramid training, we will start with lighter weights and high reps, then increase the weight and decrease reps as you go up the pyramid. After reaching the peak weight (the heaviest set), you then decrease the weight and increase reps on the way back down.
Some the key benefits you will experience during the of Full Pyramid Training are: A development in comprehensive strength at the Peak: The ascending portion of the pyramid, where you increase the weight and decrease reps, focuses on lifting heavier loads, which is crucial for developing maximal strength. The descending portion (reducing weight and increasing reps) helps target muscle endurance and hypertrophy (muscle growth), which works the muscles in a different way compared to heavy the ascending phase gradually builds up intensity, allowing your body to adjust to heavier weights. This helps stimulate strength gains through progressive overload (increasing intensity over time). During the descending phase, lighter weights allow for more volume (more reps), promoting muscle growth through increased time under tension. The combination of both lighter and heavier sets in one workout prevents monotony and gives your body a diverse stimulus. This keeps training interesting and can prevent plateaus, a common issue in strength training when the body becomes too accustomed to a single approach. Moreover, the lighter, higher rep sets in the descending portion give your muscles a chance to recover from the intense, heavier sets. This allows you to train at a high intensity without risking overtraining, providing an efficient recovery window while still maintaining the benefits of strength and hypertrophy training. Furthermore, the descending phase increases time under tension (the amount of time muscles are actively working). This is crucial for stimulating muscle growth because the muscles experience prolonged stress at lower intensities, which enhances hypertrophic response. The ascending sets effectively serve as a warm-up, gradually preparing your body for heavier weights without abruptly jumping into high-intensity lifts. This makes the approach safer and more effective, especially for exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench press.The full pyramid approach is an excellent strategy for strength training because it balances intensity and volume, providing a comprehensive stimulus for both strength and muscle development. By incorporating both ascending and descending elements, it enables the athlete to progressively overload the muscles and avoid plateaus while also benefiting from higher rep ranges that promote muscle growth and endurance.
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2025 Strength Block # 1 - 10/8/6/20 Protocol
The new year isn't a new beginning — you are in the middle of your story. Your past mistakes make you better. Don't write them off now that the year is done. Keep them at the front of your mind and use them as the steppingstones to your future. Now Lets ge to work and crush this work out!!! New Year, New Terrors! The 10/8/6/20 protocol is a variation of Vince Gironda’s 10-8-6-15 workout routine, but we take it a little further on our last set by emptying the tank. The 10/8/6/20 protocol is going to help you break through training ruts and get out of plateaus. For each exercise you perform 4 sets with a rep scheme of 10-8-6-20 and rest 2 minutes between sets. This set and rep scheme gives you the best of both heavy weight low rep pyramid training, and higher rep lighter weight training all in one workout. The last set of 20 reps will test your will. It also comes with many physiological benefits such as, inducing muscle hypertrophy, significantly enhance endurance and stamina, and contributes to an enhanced metabolic rate, making the body a more efficient fat-burning machine. expect to see fast muscle growth, particularly if you haven't tried it before. Perfect for natural trainers to shock their muscle into new muscle growth. Ideally, the weights you’ll use with these sets are as follows:For the 10-rep set, use 65% of your 6RM weight. For the 8-rep set use 70% of your 6RM weight. For the 6-rep set use 75% of your 6RM weight. For the 20-rep set use 50% of your 1RM weight Lifting Tempo – Take 2 seconds to lift the weight and 2 seconds to lower it. Contract your muscles at the top of the movement for a full second. Rest breaks - 60s rest between exercise/sets. Now lets get out there and have fun!
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DECEMBER 2024 - STRENGTH BLOCK12/1/2024 Strength: The 1-6 Method: The 1-6 Method, which uses a variety of repetition protocols to achieve results, can produce dramatic increases in strength and size. It is based on the concept of a neurological phenomenon called post-tetanic facilitation (PTF), which has been the subject of considerable research. One of the early researchers in this field is German strength physiologist Dietmar Schmidt-bleicher, probably best known for his pioneering work in the field of power development.In simple terms, PTF describes the process by which a more powerful muscular contraction is achieved if that contraction is preceded by a strong muscular contraction.The basic premise of the 1-6 Method is to use maximal loads to increase the activation of the nervous system before performing sets of higher reps. The result is that you will be able to use heavier weights in those 6-rep sets, which will enable you to build bigger and stronger muscles. The 1-6 Method takes advantage of added volume at a time where your nervous system is primed for performance and your body has already recruited more muscle fibers and motor units.Doing your 1 rep set, which will be done at 90% of max effort – this ensure brute strength while still perfecting form and efficiency – is going to recruit more muscle fibers and get the nervous system able to handle heavier loads. At this point, you rest for 1-2 minutes while reducing the load on the bar by 25-50% (relative to the person and the lift), then perform your set of 6 reps.Your 6 reps should be done at about 70-75% of your 1RM or at an RPE of 8-9, meaning you should have 1-2 more reps in the tank – but they might be grueling reps.Performing contrast sets is going to challenge you on a neurological and muscular level, which in my opinion is the most optimal way to ensure muscle growth. It’s also a great way to feel charged up for your higher rep sets and have fun.Rest 1-2 minutes between sets and 3-5 minutes between pairs.
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NOVEMBER 2024 - STRENGTH BLOCK11/13/2024 POLIQUIN'S 6/12 METHODIThe 6-12 method, popularized once again by elite strength coach Charles Poliquin, facilitates an environment to drastically improve your potential of making some serious gains.
The 6-12 method is where you do two exercises in a row for the same muscle group using minimal rest between those exercises. This is an "Agonist Superset." First Exercise: Use a heavier weight for 6 reps. Rest 10 seconds, then do the second exercise. Second Exercise: Use a moderate weight for 12 reps. Rest 2-3 mins before restarting the next round. Both exercises should be relatively challenging, aiming to fall into a range of 2-3 Reps in Reserve. The reps explained. 6 REPS: On the first exercise, you do 6 reps, but it's not a true 6RM (rep max) weight. It should be more like a 8-9RM load. Heavy, yes, but not taken to failure. 12 REPS: Most people think of 8-12 reps as hypertrophy work, but it's potentiated by the first relatively heavy exercise in this scenario. That's why you'll experience higher levels of stress induced on the muscle & overall body , which decreases your ability to push loading the way you would if this was a stand-alone exercise. But don't worry. The trainability will actually be higher, and because you're using lighter than normal loads, your movement proficiency will be improved. Keeping a higher volume of work is important, but we also want to ensure that we maintain its life to be short, so it does not incur more fatigue than is necessary for what we want to produce. With the Reduction of those 25 rep sets this upcoming month, we are doing just that. Why is it so effective? The 6/12 method is so effective because you get to perform 2 completely different rep ranges within one "Superset." Performing low (6), and moderate (12) reps let’s us take our muscles through various rep ranges, introducing them to stimuli that we may have not previously bought them to. By also doing this, we are able to maximize mechanical tension by driving higher intensity for a prescribed muscle group in an efficient manner. In turn, we are pulling the strongest lever we have to induce muscle hypertrophy, whilst also improving our muscular strength in other degrees. Mechanical tension is a fancy way of describing how much force your muscles have to produce during a set. When you are lifting a really heavy weight the mechanical tension on your muscles is extremely high. The first part of the 6/12 superset is just heavy enough to maximize mechanical tension on a variety your muscles through the compound movement. Whereas that 12 rep set, will ensure we are filling our muscles 'classroom' with the highest threshold motor units we can on a specific muscle in that grouping.
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SEPTEMBER 2024 - STRENGTH BLOCK11/13/2024 THE TEXAS METHODThe history of the Texas Method.
Strength coaches, Mark Rippetoe and Glenn Pendlay are to credit for this routine. It is said that this routine came originally from Glenn Pendlay's athletes becoming bored with the standard 5x5 three times weekly. As a response, Pendlay said to his athletes "If you hit a 1x5 personal record on Friday, you don't need to do five sets total; you can just stick to one set on Friday and go home," from there the idea was born. "MANY PEOPLE HAVE TWEAKED THE SETS AND REPS, AND TIME AFTER TIME THEY COME BACK TO 5 SETS OF 5 REPS AS THE BEST DRIVER OF LONG-TERM PROGRESS." - MARK RIPPETOE The Texas Method has you training three days per week. Each day is considered a full body workout, where you will squat and do upper body. Monday is the highest volume day of the week, Wednesday is considered a light day, and Friday has the heaviest weights, considered to be the "intensity day." Monday - Volume Day Wednesday - Light/Recovery Day Friday - Intensity Day The key to the Texas Method is not workout-to-workout progress, but rather weekly progress. You are trying to progress on your Monday and Friday lifts. Once you have accomplished the prescribed lifts, increase the weight for the next week. Typical progression is about 5-10 pound increases weekly. Over time, this compounds into considerable progress at the intermediate stage. Tips for the Texas Method
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AUGUST 2024 - STRENGTH BLOCK11/13/2024 CLUSTER TRAININGCLUSTER TRAINING IS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO SHOCK YOUR BODY INTO NEW GAINS, AS WELL AS BREAK UP THE MONOTONY OF TAKING A STRAIGHT SETS APPROACH TO YOUR LIFTING. IT'S DIFFERENT.
What is Cluster Training? Cluster Training involves utilizing short intra-set rest periods (usually ranging between 10-30 seconds), we will be using 15 seconds, which will act to allow us to perform more reps with a heavier weight. How do you do Cluster Training? With cluster training, the design is all about the rest between reps, rather than between sets. There are a number of ways you can set up cluster training, but the most important principle of this training methodology lies in the short rest intervals between reps, or multiples of reps. Make sure you re-rack the bar when you rest, and utilize the entirety of the rest period - both during and after your set. We're going to get our reps in then rest. Get another rep in then rest. And then get one more rep and rest. And that will make up one set. This work-to-rest program design is called intra-set rest and has a lot more rest between reps. Why do we need more rest? Because rest allows us to lift more weight and hit higher tonnages in a training block. Tonnage is a term that quantifies overall load used during a period of time. Tonnage = Weight X Reps X Sets Tonnage has been used for decades as a qualifier for national and international levels in weightlifting. Theoretically, if a person can accumulate a higher total of weight in a period of time, they should be able to compete at a higher level, become much stronger. WE CAN DO 10 SETS OF 10 TO ACHIEVE MORE MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES, LIKE BODY COMPOSITION OR HYPERTROPHY. OR WE CAN UTILIZE 10 SETS OF 3 TO ACHIEVE MORE NEURONAL CHANGES; SUCH AS, POWER AND FORCE PRODUCTION. HYPERTROPHY FOCUSED CLUSTER: 5(3x3) 15 sec w/ 6RM In this set up you're going to do 3 mini sets consisting of 3 reps, with a 6RM. This will allow you to do 9 total reps with a 6RM, and skew the training effect more towards gaining muscular mass aka hypertrophy. POWER FOCUSED CLUSTER: 4(4x2) 10 sec w/ 5RM In this set up, you'll do 4 total cluster (the first number), and each cluster is going to consist of 4 mini sets of 2 reps (the bracketed numbers). You're going to rest 10 seconds in between each mini set, and you're going to use around your 5RM load.
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OCTOBER 2024 - STRENGTH BLOCK11/13/2024 POLIQUIN'S 6/12/25It may just be the fastest way to get ripped without getting skinny. 6/12/25, popularized by the Strength Sensei, Charles Poliquin facilitates massive lactate spikes, facilitating Growth Hormone production. That means fat loss while sparing muscle mass.
The 6/12/25 method is where you do three exercises in a row for the same muscle group using minimal rest between those exercises. This is referred to as a “GIANT SET.” First Exercise: Use a heavier weight for 6 reps. Rest 10 seconds, then do the second exercise. Second Exercise: Use a moderate weight for 12 reps. Rest 10 seconds, then do the third exercise. Third Exercise: Use a lighter weight for 25 reps. Rest a few minutes and repeat. The reps explained. 6 REPS On the first exercise, you do 6 reps, but it’s not a true 6RM (rep max) weight. It should be more like a 8-10RM load, Heavy, yes, but not taken to failure. 12 REPS Most people think of 8-12 reps as hypertrophy work, but it’s potentiatied by the first relatively heavy exercise in this scenario. That’s why you‘ll experience higher levels of metabolic stress, which decreases your ability to push loading the way you would if this was a stand-alone exercise. But don’t worry. The trainability will actually be higher, and because you’re using lighter than normal loads, your movement proficiency will be improved. 25 REPS Strength-endurance requires repeated bursts of high-intensity efforts. It’s a maximal force of power production, and you usually hear about it in relation to sports. In our case, it’s important because it’s coming at the tail-end of this giant set. This means potentiation and metabolic stress are higher but so is the onset of fatigue, which means you’ll likely be using a much lighter load than normal. Some may see this as a detriment but think of it as something that improves the aerobic abilities of fast-twitch muscle fibers. "To avoid plateaus, you need to switch up your training. The 6/12/25 method is an excellent tool for that, offering a mix of mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage." - Charles Poliquin Why is it so effective? Poliquin’s 6/12/25 is so effective because you get to perform 3 completely different rep ranges within one “giant set.” Performing low (6), moderate (12), and high (25) reps lets you maximize the 3 different biological triggers for muscular hypertrophy:
Mechanical tension is a fancy way of describing how much force your muscles have to produce during a set. When you are lifting a really heavy weight the mechanical tension on your muscles is extremely high. The first part of the 6/12/25 giant set is just heavy enough to maximize mechanical tension on your muscles. First off, muscle damage is not bad. When you lift weights you actually create micro-tears in your muscles when they fatigue. These micro-tears are a form of muscle damage and act as a powerful stimulus for muscle growth. 6/12/25 creates an enormous amount of muscle damage in your target muscles. First of all you are performing three exercises in a row. The prolonged time under tension creates even more muscle damage which stimulates even more muscle growth. Metabolic fatigue is just a fancy way of saying that your muscles are “burning” from the accumulation of lactic acid. As a general rule of thumb higher reps and shorter rest periods are ideal for maximizing metabolic fatigue. Metabolic fatigue plays a huge role in building muscle mass and losing body fat which makes 6/12/25 a clear winner when you want to improve your body composition.
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JULY 2024 - STRENGTH BLOCK11/13/2024 GIRONDA'S 8x8With summer quickly approaching, we're shifting gears with our strength training. We're shifting into an accumulation block focused on volume, body composition ad work capacity. We're simplifying the programming for strength and drill the fundamentals utilizing Gironda's 8x8. You'll learn to appreciate how proper strength training can have different effects on your body depending how you adjust your set and rep ranges.
How to perform Gironda's 8x8 Workout Similar to 10x10 or German Volume Training, you begin with 60% 1RM in a given lift (compound movements preferred), and perform 8x8 with 15-30 seconds of rest. This method can be applied for up to four different movements per workout. Anything more than that would completely shock your body. If you remember German Volume Training and how you felt completing those workouts, the 8x8 may give you some PTSD and traumatize you even more because it's fast with no time for breaks. This strength block is all about training volume. You'll be performing traditional strength training compound movements with controlled tempos but the training intensity will feel like you're running a marathon due to the short rest intervals. You'll be lifting weights and your Myzones will look like you're running sprints which do wonders for metabolic training and fat loss aka shredzzz.
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JUNE 2024 - STRENGTH BLOCK11/13/2024 THE FRENCH CONTRAST METHODFrench Contrast Method
The French Contrast Method (FCM) is a training program that combines resistance training and plyometrics exercises to improve athletic performance. The goal is to help the central nervous system recruit more muscle fibers during athletic movements, which can lead to greater force development, movement velocity, and power production. The French contrast method is built around two different training methods: Complex Training and Contrast Training.Complex Training Complex training involves two exercises performing a heavy compound exercise followed by a plyometric exercise miming the same movement pattern. Contrast Training Contrast training also uses two exercises. The first exercise is the same as complex training using a maximal load. However, unlike complex training, the second exercise is a drop set performed at 50-70% of the first exercise’s rep max. Rest between the exercises is about 1-2 minutes, and two to three minutes between each set.The French Contrast Method The concept was first and foremost grasped by French track & field coach Gilles Cometti, and then it was widely popularized by Cal Dietz, the Head Olympic Strength & Conditioning Coach for numerous sports at the University of Minnesota. The general overview of how it works. Each set involves:
All four exercises belong in the same set and represent a similar movement pattern like pushing, pulling, squatting, hinging, and so on. They should be performed in this exact order, taking only a few seconds of rest between each one. The totality of these movements is designed to involve the whole strength-speed/speed-strength spectrum. An example of movement pattern you will see this block: 1. Trap Bar Dead Lift at 80% 2. Banded Bear Crawl 3. DB Jump Lunge 4. Explosive Broad Jumps The French Contrast Method was created to improve and boost power endurance and explosive speed. If you are unfamiliar with complex or contrast training, do those programs before you try French Contrast Method. FCM is taxing and challenging, so if your nerves and muscles don’t know how to harness PAP, you won’t get maximal results or do it correctly. So let’s switch things up and tap in to you inner athlete and get after it! Elbadry N, Hamza A, Pietraszewski P, Alexe DI, Lupu G. Effect of the French Contrast Method on Explosive Strength and Kinematic Parameters of the Triple Jump Among Female College Athletes. J Hum Kinet. 2019 Oct 18;69:225-230. doi: 10.2478/hukin-2019-0047. PMID: 31666904; PMCID: PMC6815088. Long, Michael & Fee, Chris & Taber, Christopher. (2022). The French Contrast Method-Theory and Application. 9. 18-25. |