Wave Load Your Starting Weight

Q: Hello. I was reading your Hypertrophy Training for the Ectomorph, and I had one question regarding the weight incrementation process. Should I just increase the weight by a certain amount after each week, or should I just guess as to how much weight I can lift after each week that will allow me to do at most the 10, 8, 6 and 15 reps?

Many thanks!
M. Rivera


My Answer: A lot of it is going to be you guessing as to what weight to choose for each set, especially in the first week. By your second week, however, you should have a good sense of what weight to choose. What I suggest is to slowly increase the weight in small increments day by day for the 10 rep set, but do it in waves. Here's how wave loading looks with sample weights:

Workout One: 100 pounds
Workout Two: 105 pounds
Workout Three: 110 pounds
Workout Four: 105 pounds
Workout Five: 110 pounds
Workout Six: 115 pounds

As you can see, your starting weight for the 10 rep set zigzags up through the weeks. As long as you hit 10 reps, then you're good. If you fall short, then adjust the weight accordingly for the next workout.

Now wave loading throughout the weeks is only done for the 10 rep set, which is your base weight. Your performance on the 10 rep set with the weight you choose will determine your weights for the 8, 6 and 15 rep sets.