3 Weeks to a PR: Why These Waves Work

Max Effort Waves that change the game.

The Problem

Many lifters find themselves stuck in long training cycles. These cycles often drag on for twelve weeks. Lifters spend endless hours accumulating volume while constantly guessing when to test their strength.

But what if you could set a personal record (PR/PB) every three weeks? Not just a lucky PR, but a predictable one. This can be achieved through intent, exposure, and structured programming. That’s the purpose of these waves.

The Concept

A well-structured 3-week Max Effort wave is short enough to maintain focus and aggression. Yet, it is structured sufficiently to build momentum. Each version works effectively because it:

• Builds exposure and confidence at high intensities.

• Trains both the nervous system and movement skills under load.

• Offers just enough variation to drive progress without drifting too far from your target.

  
  

These waves are fast, reliable, and repeatable. They are long enough to peak a lift, yet short enough to keep lifters engaged. They are specific enough to avoid wasting time.

You can run these waves during your off-season or integrate them into a longer training plan. You can also build them around specialty bars, paused variations, boards, boxes, or bands.

While these examples do not depend on Dynamic Effort work to be effective, you will see how DE slots can be used alongside them if you're running a full Conjugate setup. There’s no need for overthinking or unnecessary complexity. Just smart programming with intent.

The 3 Types of PR Waves (3 Weeks to a PR)

You don’t need to be in a peaking phase to use these waves. They are effective both in-season and out-of-season. You can use them independently or as part of a broader training template. They do not rely on Dynamic Effort work, but they integrate well with it if you're running a full Conjugate setup.

Here’s how the three main types break down:

1. Layered Exposure Wave

Same lift each week, progressing reps and intensity.

This wave builds week-to-week exposure to one movement. It allows you to groove the pattern, develop neural drive, and build psychological confidence without rushing to a one-rep max (1RM).

• Week 1: 3RM or heavy triple.

• Week 2: 2RM or cleaner/heavier triple.

• Week 3: 1RM or “max clean single.”

  
  

This approach is perfect for skill-dependent lifts, lifters returning from injury, or anyone who benefits from repeated practice under heavy but manageable loading.

2. Percentage-Based Wave

Same lift each week, submax to peak with autoregulated intensity.

This format uses calculated submaximal percentages to build precision and readiness over time. It allows for fatigue management and week-to-week adjustments based on how the lifter feels and performs.

• Week 1: ~87.5% × 3–5.

• Week 2: ~90% × 2–5.

• Week 3: ~95% × 1–3.

  
  

This is ideal for lifters who are close to a competition, building into a mock meet, or need structure without testing to full failure. It also works well for technical lifts that break down under maximal grind.

3. Goal-Oriented / Complementary Wave

Different ME lifts, one shared goal.

Each week hits a slightly different variation, but they all push towards the same outcome. This could be building towards a full event (like log clean & press) or strengthening a weak point in a competition lift (like improving triceps for bench).

• Week 1: Pause Axle Push Press (2-count dip) – 1RM.

• Week 2: Max Z Press – 1RM.

• Week 3: Max Strict Log Clean & Press – 1RM.

• Week 4 (Optional Test): Max Log Clean & Press – full movement.

  
  

This type of wave pairs especially well with coordinated Dynamic Effort work. For example, your DE Upper could focus on log rack presses against bands for speed, while your ME work builds the full movement piece by piece.

Strongman lifters tend to benefit the most from this format. It allows you to train every component of an event across four days without repeating the exact same lift twice. Clean, press, support, rack position, and midline are all covered without wasting training volume.

🧪 3-Week Wave Examples

🔹 1. Deficit Deadlift – Layered Exposure Wave

Purpose: Reinforce positioning off the floor, improve speed through the bottom, and strengthen hamstrings and brace under tension.

• Week 1: Deficit Deadlift – Work to a heavy triple (around 8 RPE), maintaining perfect positioning.

• Week 2: Deficit Deadlift – Work to a strong double, ideally adding 5–10 kg or improving control.

• Week 3: Deficit Deadlift – Max single or “clean rep” PR - no form breakdown, just intent and execution.

  
  

Coaching Notes: Keep the deficit between 1–2 inches. Use straps if grip becomes a limiting factor. Pull from the same setup each week to reinforce rhythm and bar path.

🔹 2. SSB Box Squat – Layered Exposure Wave

Purpose: Build hip and posterior chain strength, increase squat stability, and reinforce control into and out of the bottom.

• Week 1: Safety Bar Box Squat – Heavy triple to a solid box, focus on control and clean drive.

• Week 2: Same lift – Work up to a double with more weight or better tightness off the box.

• Week 3: Max single with intent - sit back under tension, drive through with force.

  
  

Coaching Notes: Use a box just below parallel. No bouncing or collapsing. Keep tension throughout. Use a consistent stance and pause slightly on the box each week. This is great for lifters with weak hips or forward collapse in the squat.

🔹 3. Axle Push Press – Layered Exposure Wave

Purpose: Improve dip-to-drive mechanics, reinforce overhead lockout, and build upper body force transfer.

• Week 1: Axle Push Press from rack – Work to a smooth, controlled 3RM.

• Week 2: Axle Push Press – Double with higher load or cleaner bar path.

• Week 3: Axle Push Press – Max single with crisp dip and full lockout.

  
  

Coaching Notes: Focus on a consistent rack position and dip timing. Avoid letting the elbows crash down or the bar shift. Don’t grind overhead - a clean press is more valuable than a sloppy PR.

3-Week Percentage-Based Wave Examples

🔹 1. Straight Bar Squat – Percentage-Based Wave

Purpose: Build top-end intensity, sharpen execution, and prepare for a raw squat peak without overreaching.

• Week 1: Straight Bar Squat → Work to ~87.5% × 3–5 reps.

• Week 2: Same lift → ~90% × 2–5 reps, depending on bar speed and fatigue.

• Week 3: ~95%+ × 1–3 reps - go for a crisp top-end effort or clean rep PR.

  
  

Coaching Notes: Start conservatively in Week 1. Build toward your best set of the day within that rep range, not a grind. In Week 3, you’re looking for a powerful, sharp top set - either a small PR or a strong baseline before testing.

🔹 2. Competition Bench Press – Percentage-Based Wave + Slingshot Overload

Purpose: Peak raw bench performance with controlled intensity and weekly top-end exposure using supportive gear.

• Week 1: Raw Comp Bench → Top working set at ~87.5% × 3–5 reps → Then: Add Slingshot, hit 105–107.5% × 1–2 reps.

• Week 2: Raw Bench → ~90% × 2–4 reps → Then: Slingshot 107.5–110% × 1–2 reps.

• Week 3: Raw Bench → ~95%+ × 1–3 reps → Then: Slingshot 110–115% × 1 rep - attempt an overload PR.

  
  

Coaching Notes: Ensure your setup doesn’t change once the Slingshot is added - maintain the same touch point and intent. Use the overload work to drive top-end triceps development and confidence under heavier-than-raw weights.

🔹 3. Deadlift – Percentage-Based Wave

Purpose: Build consistency, control, and force production under heavy loads with room for weekly autoregulation.

• Week 1: Comp-Style Deadlift → ~87.5% × 3–5 reps, staying clean and powerful.

• Week 2: ~90% × 2–4 reps - adjust based on speed off the floor and lockout quality.

• Week 3: ~95%+ × 1–3 reps - either a top-end test or an “opener+” with intent.

  
  

Coaching Notes: This wave works well for lifters who burn out on constant singles or those needing repeated exposures to heavy weight. Use straps if needed to preserve grip. Focus on consistent setup, bracing, and lockout across all weeks.

Goal-Oriented Max Effort Waves

Goal-Oriented Waves use different movements each week, but all serve the same end goal: preparing for a final test or building strength in the components that support it. This format works especially well for strongman, fight prep, or lifters with technical plateaus. Think of it as layered problem-solving across three weeks of rotation.

🔹 C. Bench Press Wave: Variants That Build to a Raw PR

Purpose: Develop upper body strength off the chest, improve mid-range control under tension, and peak with overload confidence.

• Week 1: Max Floor Press (raw) Press to a true 1RM without leg drive. This forces tightness and full-range triceps effort without the arch advantage.

• Week 2: Max Close-Grip Bench with Doubled Mini Bands Emphasises triceps, bar path control, and mid-range lockout - a common raw sticking point. The band tension increases demand on speed and stability.

• Week 3: Slingshot Bench Press Single @ 105–110% of Week 1 PR This overload single gives your nervous system exposure to top-end weight with joint support. Choose a weight that feels heavy but snappy, not a grind.

• Week 4 (Optional): Raw Competition Bench Press PR Test or Opener The nervous system is primed. The lockout is sharper. The bar should move fast.

  
  

Coaching Notes: If you’re not testing in Week 4, this wave still transitions cleanly into a new block. Use the Slingshot single as your anchor before backing off into volume.

🔹 D. Strongman Log Press Wave (Standard)

Purpose: Develop all components of a log press - strict strength, dip drive, clean technique, and overhead finish.

This follows the structure you proposed originally, written out with added detail and coaching context:

• Week 1: Max 3RM Strict Log Press (clean once) Strict pressing forces upper back tightness, midline stiffness, and raw pressing power. Clean it once, then press for 3 clean reps.

• Week 2: 2RM Push Press off Blocks or Rack Focus on leg drive timing, bar path, and overhead acceleration. This primes your dip mechanics and gets the triceps ready to lock out heavier loads.

• Week 3: Max Log Clean & Press Every Rep Clean each rep from the floor. Hit a new top-end single or attempt max reps in a set time window. This tests full-body efficiency under fatigue.

  
  

Optional Week 4: Light technique resets or back-off volume with log rack presses, clean drills, or strict overhead to deload.

3-Week Strongman Log Press Wave (Goal-Oriented, 4-Day Layout)

Week 1

Max Effort Upper (Day 1)

• 2-Count Pause at Dip – Axle Overhead Press to new 1RM (Pause at bottom of dip, then drive  -  builds dip control and intent)

• Accessories:

  • 1x Unstable Overhead Press (e.g. bamboo bar or log strict)

  • 2x Upper Back Movements (e.g. seal row, incline DB row)

  • 1x Heavy Tricep (e.g. JM press, close-grip floor press)

  • 1x Lighter Arms/Shoulders (e.g. lateral raises, band pushdowns)

Max Effort Lower (Day 2)

• Deficit Deadlift vs Chains – Work to 3RM (1–2” deficit; chains overload lockout and cue speed)

• Accessories:

  • 1x Anterior Hip Hinge (e.g. front-loaded RDL)

  • 1x Prehab Movement (e.g. tibialis raises, Peterson step-ups)

  • 1x Higher-Rep Hamstring (e.g. 3×15 banded curls)

  • 1x Core: Dynamic (e.g. banded pulldown abs)

Dynamic Effort Upper (Day 3)

• Log Press from Rack vs Mini Bands – 60% × 6×2 (Speed-focused; controlled dip and explosive drive)

• Log Cleans – 70% × 2×2 (focus on leg timing and turnover)

• Accessories:

  • Z Press 3×5

  • Band Face Pulls 3×20

  • Fat Grip Hammer Curls 3×12

Dynamic Effort Lower (Day 4)

• Front Box Squat – 5×5 at 65%

• Deficit Deadlift vs Bands (Monster Minis) – 8×2 at 55%

• Accessories:

  • Single-Leg DB RDL 3×8

  • GHR 3×12

  • Core: Dynamic (e.g. med ball slams or rotational throws)

Week 2

Max Effort Upper

• Z Press – Work to 1RM (strict, from pins or floor)

• Accessories:

  • 1x Unstable Press (e.g. log seated press or Swiss bar)

  • 2x Upper Back

  • 1x Heavy Tricep

  • 1x Light Arm Circuit

Max Effort Lower

• Safety Bar Squat vs Bands – Work to 2RM

• Accessories:

  • Banded Good Mornings 3×10

  • Sled Drags (forward + backward)

  • Reverse Hyper or 45° Back Extensions

  • Static Core (e.g. suitcase holds, weighted planks)

Dynamic Upper

• Log Press from Rack vs Mini Bands – 65% × 6×2

• Z Press – 3×5

• Accessories:

  • Incline DB Bench 3×10

  • Chest-Supported Row 3×10

  • Band Tricep Pushdowns 4×20

Dynamic Lower

• Front Box Squat – 6×2 at 70%

• Deficit Deadlift vs Bands (Monster Minis) – 6×2 at 60%

• Accessories:

  • GHR 4×10

  • Prehab Lunge Variation 3×12

  • Dynamic Core (e.g. hanging knee raises)

Week 3

Max Effort Upper

• Max Log Clean & Strict Press – Find 1RM (Full clean from floor, strict press from rack position)

• Accessories:

  • Log Z Press 3×6

  • Seated Cable Row 3×10

  • Rolling DB Extensions 3×12

  • Band Lateral Raises 3×20

Max Effort Lower

• Pause Front Squat (can be off box) – Work to 1RM (2–3 second pause at bottom; breaks stiffness and tests midline)

• Accessories:

  • SSB Good Mornings 3×10

  • Reverse Sled Drags 3×25m

  • GHD Sit-Ups or Weighted Static Core Holds

Dynamic Upper

• Log Press from Rack vs Mini Bands – 3×2 at 70%, 3×1 at 75%

• Z Press – 3×4–5

• Accessories:

  • Incline Swiss Bar Bench 3×8

  • Fat Grip Pull-ups or Rows 3×10

  • Skullcrushers 3×15

Dynamic Lower

• Front Squat or Front Box Squat – 5×2 at 75%

• Deficit Deadlift vs Bands – 5×1 at 65%

• Accessories:

  • Glute Ham Raise 3×10

  • Copenhagen Planks 3×30s

  • Weighted Sit-Ups 3×15

Week 4 (Optional Peak or Test)

Max Effort Upper

• Log Clean & Press Anyhow – Work to Max Single or Max Reps in 60–75 sec (Use push press or jerk as needed; clean each rep per comp rules)

All other days can be deloaded or used for speed, recovery, or technique resets.

Most lifters waste time in overly long training cycles that stall motivation and muddy progress. This article outlines a smarter solution: 3-week Max Effort waves designed to produce predictable, repeatable PRs with precision and intent - not randomness.

These waves are short enough to maintain focus and long enough to generate meaningful adaptation. They are versatile, slotting seamlessly into off-season work, meet prep, or broader Conjugate templates - with or without Dynamic Effort support.

🔁 The 3 Wave Formats:

1. Layered Exposure Wave

2. Same lift weekly; progress from 3RM → 2RM → 1RM.

3. Ideal for skill-based lifts or lifters returning from injury.

5. Builds confidence, technical consistency, and neural drive.




6. Percentage-Based Wave

7. Same lift weekly; submax to peak (~87.5% → ~95%+).

8. Perfect for lifters prepping for competition or avoiding full grinders.

10. Enables autoregulation and intensity without failure.




11. Goal-Oriented / Complementary Wave

12. Three different ME lifts with one shared goal (e.g. log press PR).

13. Week 1–3 target specific components (strict → push → full event).

15. Strongest choice for strongman, technical sports, or skill layering.

✅ Why These Waves Work:

• Train both movement skill and intensity adaptation.

• Offer just enough variation without derailing specificity.

• Reduce mental fatigue by staying goal-driven and time-bound.

• Allow for rotation, reload, or repeat as needed.

• Support high-skill events, specialty bar work, and competition prep.

  
  

Each wave includes detailed week-by-week loading strategies, key technical cues, and accessory integration - especially valuable when combined with Conjugate-style DE work.

Where 3-Week Waves Fit in the Programming Landscape

To understand the significance of the 3-week wave, it helps to see where it sits within the wider programming ecosystem. Most strength training systems fall into a handful of broad categories, each with a distinct approach to progression and peaking. Three-week waves borrow elements from several of these systems but combine them in a way that creates a unique tactical tool for both lifters and coaches.

Linear Periodisation is built around long, fixed arcs of volume and intensity, typically stretching over 10 to 12 weeks. Training begins with higher volume and lower intensity, then gradually shifts toward heavier, lower-rep work before culminating in a single planned test. This method works well for predictable competition calendars, but it locks the lifter into one long peak. Mid-cycle adjustments are difficult, and motivation often dips as the weeks drag on.

Block Periodisation breaks training into distinct accumulation, intensification, and realisation phases. Each block develops a specific quality in sequence. This structure offers more control than classical linear models, but it still relies on long, pre-planned cycles, and often leaves little room for flexible mini-peaks during the training year.

RTS and Emerging Strategies take the opposite approach. Instead of pre-planning a peak, the coach keeps training stable and monitors performance over time. When the athlete naturally trends toward higher performance, the coach decides to test. This method can work well for advanced lifters, but it is reactive by nature. It depends on the coach correctly identifying trends rather than deliberately applying a structured peak.

Bulgarian and High-Frequency Systems aim for continuous maximal exposure by training to daily or near-daily maximums. While effective for highly adapted lifters in tightly controlled environments, this approach requires exceptional recovery capacity and is difficult to integrate into broader systems like Conjugate or strongman event training.

Three-week waves sit at the intersection of these approaches. They are proactive, like linear and block systems, but operate on a short, repeatable cycle that allows for frequent, targeted peaks without long build-ups. They are flexible, like Conjugate, and can be integrated seamlessly into ongoing weekly structures. Most importantly, they are distinct from simple Max Effort rotation. This is not just changing the lift every week for variety. It is the deliberate application of a structured wave to build, sharpen, and express strength on demand.

This positions the three-week wave as a systemic bridge between development and peaking methods. It gives coaches a way to programme intentional, time-bound peaks inside broader training frameworks without sacrificing flexibility or derailing the rest of the system.

You Don’t Need 12 Weeks to PR - You Need 3 Weeks of Smart Overload

Forget endless cycles and bloated templates. Most lifters don’t fail because they’re not training long enough - they fail because they’re not training intelligently enough.

A well-structured 3-week wave, built around targeted overload and purposeful variation, can generate more progress than 12 weeks of aimless volume. Whether you're peaking a lift, sharpening technique, or preparing for competition, it's not about time - it's about precision.

Repeatability matters. These waves aren’t one-offs. Rotate them, reload them, adapt them. This is how real lifters stay progressing, season after season.

While these waves can stand alone as short, aggressive training blocks, their real power lies in how they fit into a larger seasonal plan. Think of a 3-week wave as a micro-peak - a deliberately timed burst of precision and intensity that can sit within off-season development, a pre-competition sharpening phase, or as a focused bridge between bigger training cycles.

For example, a coach might spend several weeks building broad strength and capacity, then drop in a 3-week wave to sharpen a specific lift or event, deload, and pivot to a new focus. This creates punctuated bursts of performance rather than relying on long, monotonous ramps. Instead of spending 12 weeks grinding toward a single PR attempt, the lifter accumulates multiple, well-timed peaks across the year - each tied to a specific skill, bar, or event.

This stands in contrast to classical linear periodisation, where volume steadily drops and intensity rises over 10–12 weeks toward one fixed test date. That model works, but it locks you into a single seasonal crescendo and often leaves lifters flat or under-stimulated in the middle. Similarly, RTS/Emerging Strategies seeks to identify natural peaks as they arise through stable programming, but it’s reactive: the coach observes performance trending upward over time, then decides when to test. By contrast, the 3-week wave is proactive. It imposes a structured, repeatable peaking stimulus on demand, without having to overhaul the entire macrocycle.

Used this way, 3-week waves become strategic tools inside a broader system - planned bursts that keep training sharp, lifters engaged, and performance steadily climbing across multiple mini-peaks each season.

Using 3-Week Waves in Conjugate Outside of Competition

One of the most effective ways to use 3-week waves is outside of competition prep, as focused development phases within a broader Conjugate template. Because Conjugate operates on concurrent training, it’s easy to fold a wave into the Max Effort rotation without disrupting the rest of the system. Instead of chasing all lifts equally, you deliberately zoom in on one lift, movement pattern, or weakness for three weeks, peak it, then move on.

For example, say a lifter’s off-the-floor speed in the deadlift is lagging. A coach could run a three-week Layered Exposure Wave on deficit pulls within the regular ME Lower rotation, pairing it with Dynamic Effort waves that emphasise the same quality (e.g. banded speed pulls or front-loaded squats). After three focused weeks, the lifter has both sharpened the skill and hit a clean PR without needing to restructure the entire training cycle.

These micro-peaks can also be used to bring up specific event skills in strongman (e.g. axle clean timing, log dip drive, yoke acceleration), technical weak points in powerlifting (e.g. mid-range bench press, squat stability), or even supplementary strength qualities like strict pressing or pull variations. The rest of the Conjugate structure keeps rolling - ME Upper and DE work continue on their normal rotation - but one lift is given special attention and systematically peaked over three weeks.

This approach gives Conjugate programming an extra layer of tactical precision. Rather than only rotating lifts for variety or chasing PRs in an ad hoc fashion, the coach applies a structured mini-peak to deliberately move the needle on one targeted quality. It’s development without disruption - a way to engineer progress inside the ongoing weekly structure.

 Sequencing Waves and What Comes Next

A 3-week wave doesn’t exist in isolation. The real power of this approach emerges when you string waves together intelligently across a season. Once you’ve peaked a lift or quality, you can either reload and repeat the same wave, shift to a different wave type to emphasise another quality, or move on to a new focus entirely. This makes the method highly adaptable for both short-term development and long-term planning.

For intermediate lifters, multiple 3-week waves can be run back-to-back, as they tend to respond well to frequent exposures and can often hit meaningful PRs every three weeks. Advanced lifters, however, may need to space their peaks further apart. For them, a single wave might be followed by a deload or a lower-stress rotation block, then a new wave targeting a different movement pattern. In practice, this often means meaningful peaks occur every 6–9 weeks, not every 3, allowing for recovery, technical consolidation, and accessory development between peaks.

A common and effective sequence looks like this:

• Layered Exposure → Percentage-Based → Goal-Oriented Start with 3–6 weeks of Layered Exposure to groove the lift and build technical confidence, follow with 3 weeks of Percentage-Based work to sharpen intensity and structure, then finish with a 3-week Goal-Oriented wave to bring everything together in a targeted peak. This structure allows you to develop, consolidate, and express strength in a deliberate rhythm.

You can also expand Goal-Oriented waves themselves into longer cycles by chaining together multiple 3-week blocks. For example:

• 6-Week Goal-Oriented Block: Run two complementary Goal-Oriented waves back-to-back, each focusing on a different aspect of the same lift or event (e.g. Wave 1 for strict strength and pressing mechanics, Wave 2 for push press and full movement integration).

• 9-Week Goal-Oriented Block: Layer three waves sequentially, each attacking a distinct weak point or skill component. For a log press, this could mean strict pressing → dip drive development → full log clean & press with heavier loading or timed rep tests. Each wave builds on the last, culminating in a larger peak without abandoning the 3-week rhythm.

  
  

This structured sequencing turns the 3-week wave from a short tactical tool into a seasonal planning framework. Instead of relying on one long, linear arc toward a single test, you can build multiple, strategically placed mini-peaks across the year - each one serving a clear developmental purpose. Over time, this creates a rhythm of build → sharpen → peak → reload that drives sustained, year-round progress

Seasonal Integration: Practical Applications

Three-week waves are not only powerful as standalone tools, but they also fit neatly into longer training plans. By sequencing different wave types and placing them strategically across a season, coaches can engineer repeated peaks without the stagnation that often comes from relying on one long linear arc. Below are examples of how three-week waves can be used over three to six months in powerlifting, strongman, and general strength training.

Powerlifting Off-Season Example An off-season powerlifter begins by rotating three-week Layered Exposure Waves on paused squats, close-grip bench press, and deficit deadlifts to address technical and positional weaknesses. After nine weeks, they deload for one week to consolidate adaptations. The next block focuses on Percentage-Based Waves for competition squat, bench, and deadlift, sharpening execution and building structured intensity. The final phase uses Goal-Oriented Waves to bring these qualities together, targeting specific weak points such as mid-range bench strength or deadlift lockout before testing or transitioning into meet prep. This structure allows the lifter to build, sharpen, and peak multiple times across a season while maintaining high technical standards.

Strongman During a Crowded Competition Season A strongman athlete with frequent competitions does not have the luxury of long, uninterrupted training blocks. Instead, the coach uses three-week Goal-Oriented Waves to bring up key events between contests. For example, a wave focused on log press might progress from strict pressing to push pressing to full clean and press, peaking just before the next competition. For the deadlift, the athlete might run a Layered Exposure Wave on deficits or partials between heavy contests to build strength without excessive fatigue. This targeted use of waves allows for event-specific progress and mini-peaks without compromising recovery or overall readiness during a busy season.

General Strength Training for an Intermediate Lifter An intermediate lifter who is not preparing for competition can use three-week waves to create a repeating cycle of development and progression throughout the year. They might run three back-to-back waves targeting different lifts or qualities, such as a Layered Exposure Wave for the squat, a Percentage-Based Wave for the bench press, and a Goal-Oriented Wave for overhead pressing or deadlift variations. After nine weeks, they take a structured deload before beginning a new sequence with fresh movements. This approach provides regular opportunities for PRs and skill refinement, avoids long periods of stagnation, and keeps training engaging and purposeful.

By planning and sequencing waves like this, coaches and lifters can create a clear seasonal rhythm. Each three-week block has a defined purpose within the broader plan, ensuring that development, sharpening, and peaking occur deliberately rather than by chance. This allows for multiple targeted peaks each year without relying on a single long cycle that may or may not align with competition demands or real-world schedules.

Transfer Effects and Why These Waves Work

The effectiveness of three-week waves can be understood clearly through the lens of transfer of training, drawing on the classification models popularised by Bondarchuk. Each wave type has a distinct profile of technical, specific, and dynamic transfer, which explains why sequencing different waves produces such reliable results.

Layered Exposure Waves primarily drive high technical transfer with moderate specific strength transfer. By repeating the same movement across three weeks with gradually increasing intensity, the lifter develops precise motor patterns under heavy but controlled conditions. This improves movement efficiency, rhythm, and neural drive without introducing excessive variation or fatigue. It is particularly effective for skill-dependent lifts and for lifters who need to refine their technical base.

Percentage-Based Waves emphasise high-intensity exposures within structured ranges, creating a strong transfer to specific performance. These waves sharpen the ability to handle heavy loads with consistent execution. By regulating intensity through percentages and rep ranges, they build peak strength qualities while maintaining technical control. This type of wave is especially useful in the lead-up to testing phases or competition preparation.

Goal-Oriented Waves combine high specific transfer with dynamic transfer to event or performance outcomes. By deliberately targeting complementary variations that address different components of a lift or event, they create a layered effect that carries directly to the final test. For strongman athletes, this might mean progressing through strict pressing, push pressing, and full log clean and press. For powerlifters, it could involve building bottom-end strength, mid-range control, and top-end overload across successive weeks. This structure delivers both strength and skill adaptations that have immediate competition relevance.

By understanding these transfer profiles, coaches can select and sequence waves not only for variety but with a clear developmental purpose. This elevates the method from a programming trick to a precise tool for driving targeted adaptations across a season.

The Six-Week Compound Effect

For many lifters, the most potent combination isn’t running a single 3-week wave in isolation - it’s chaining two complementary waves back-to-back. Specifically, a Goal-Oriented Wave followed by a Percentage-Based Wave can produce strength gains in six weeks that most lifters could only dream of achieving in twelve.

Here’s why.

The Goal-Oriented Wave acts as a primer. Each week targets a specific component of the main lift - pressing mechanics, bar path control, leg drive, lockout, or positional strength. By the end of those three weeks, the movement is refined, the weak links are reinforced, and the nervous system is primed for heavier, cleaner output.

Then, the Percentage-Based Wave converts that preparation into measurable strength. The submax-to-peak structure exposes the lifter to rising intensity without excessive fatigue, allowing the nervous system to express its newly improved coordination and force production under predictable loading.

The result is a controlled acceleration of performance:

• Weeks 1–3 rebuild and refine the lift through targeted overload.

• Weeks 4–6 transform that skill and structure into raw output.

It’s not magic - it’s sequencing. The first wave builds the system, the second wave exploits it. Together, they create a compact six-week block that compresses what most lifters spend months chasing.