MAKE WAVES Get 10% stronger in six weeks — and add muscle, too — with this totally sick wave-training programme By Dwayne N. Jackson >> Surfing is a cool sport, but unless you live on a coast — or have the dough to build a gigantic replica of Maui in your backyard — spending all day shooting the curl, gazing at girls in bikinis and saying “gnarly” probably isn’t your thing. And yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t catch a few waves yourself (albeit metaphorical ones) with our dynamic new lifting approach. It’s called wave training, and it can boost your strength by up to 10% in only 6–8 weeks. Not only that, but it can swell your muscles as well. Ready to ride? Schweet Science It may sound like something that was washed up on a beach, but wave training originated, with the Canadian National Weightlifting Team. The secret is in the small progressions in weight you make with each wave; they actually allow you to lift up to 102% of your current max — on Day 1. While that may equate to only a few extra pounds, over 6–8 weeks you can expect a total strength boost of around 10%. How does this phenomenon happen? The physiological answer is known as potentiation. Although strength scientists haven’t figured out exactly how it works, they have an idea — apparently, earlier sets prime the nervous system or the contractile fibres of the muscle in such a way that the muscle can contract with more force on later sets. Killer Programme If this sounds familiar, it should. We’ve introduced several other programmes based on potentiation, but wave training is a bit different, because it actually helps you extend beyond your current max. For this programme, you’ll perform a warm-up, then 2–3 waves of three sets each, with four minutes rest between sets and between each wave. During Wave 1, your first set consists of three reps with 90% of your 1RM (one-rep max) — a weight you can normally lift for about four reps. Set two consists of two reps with 95% of your 1RM. And on set three, you’ll do one rep with 100% of your 1RM. Enjoy that four-minute rest, because then it’s on to Wave 2, where you’ll increase the weight per set by about 1%. So set one will be about 91% of your 1RM, set two will be 96% and set three will be 101%. This will equal a 21⁄2-pound jump on any weight under 400 pounds; for weights of 400 pounds or more, add 5 pounds. In either case, on the third set of Wave 2, you’ll be lifting more than your current max. Want more? Go for a third wave if you dare. Simply increase the weight another 1% per set and go for the same number of reps — that means 102% of your max on that third set. After a nice long rest, round out the session with 3–4 ordinary sets of an assistance exercise (preferably with dumbbells) for that same bodypart. (See “Strong Waves”.) Trying to increase the weight used on each wave by 1%–2% every workout can be tougher than it sounds. If you can’t complete the last set of the last wave of a workout, start the next workout with the same weights and really push to break through. Then increase the weight in the next workout. Due to the high intensity of this programme, don’t use it for more than 6–8 weeks and not more than twice per year for the same muscle group. Mondo Muscle To use wave training to drive muscle growth, drop the training poundage by 10% on all sets and do just two waves (see “Big Waves”). During the first wave, do seven reps with 80% of your 1RM for set one. For set two, do five reps with 85% of your 1RM; for set three, do three reps with 90% of your 1RM. You can drop your rest periods between sets to three minutes, but still allow four minutes to recover between waves. On Wave 2, as before, increase the weight per set by about 1%. Follow the second wave with 3–4 sets of an isolation exercise for that same muscle group. M&F Dwayne N. Jackson is a doctoral candidate in the Neurovascular Research Laboratory at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario, Canada). REFERENCES ›› Chiu, L.Z., et al. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17(4):671–677, 2003. ›› French, D.N., et al. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 17(4):678–685, 2003.

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