MARCH 2025 - STRENGTH BLOCK #3 - STRENGTH WAVE LOADING

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.