Wave Loading: How to “Trick” Your Nervous System Into Lifting Heavier

Wave loading is a strategy for building up to heavier weight without grinding yourself into the floor, and is an effective tool for anyone who wants to get stronger whether it’s trying to hit a lifetime PR or just continuing to improve functional strength.

Wave loading uses multiple “waves” of rising intensity. You start lighter, build up to a more challenging weight, then reset and do it again, only heavier.

Example:

• Wave 1: 5R at 135#, 4R at 155#, 3R @ 175#
• Wave 2: 5R at 145#, 4R at 165#, 3R @ 185#

Wave loading is less about volume and more about leveraging the Central Nervous System to increase your output. The more efficient your CNS is, the more of your strength you can access.

Wave loading takes advantage of post-activation potentiation (PAP). By lifting a heavy load, your body “remembers” that intensity from a neural recruitment perspective. So, when you drop back slightly or hit that second wave, the weight feels lighter, you move better, and your nervous system is fired up to push more.

This is why we’re seeing it delivered during week two of our current cycle. It is yet another stimulus to keep driving strength adaptations.

Get under the bar. Build something powerful.