Just because strength training concepts have funny names doesn’t mean they have to be complicated. One that gets thrown around a lot that seems complex but really isn’t is undulation.
To put it simply, undulation means changing the sets, reps and load of a lift each time you do that lift within a certain period of time. Even simpler, if you do a lift often, don’t do the same thing every time.
This is a different approach than a strictly linear progression, where the sets and reps stay the same each training session and the lifter aims to add a little bit of weight to the bar each time. That well runs dry for many lifters shortly after the novice phase, when the “newbie gains” have come and gone. An undulated approach can add water back into the well.
There are two main types of undulation we use: daily undulation and weekly undulation.
Daily Undulation
Daily undulation refers to the changes in sets, reps and load when we performing a lift multiple times within the same training week. Most of our lifters squat, bench press and deadlift twice a week every week, and we’re doing different protocols each of those days. A classic example of daily undulation is to have a heavy day and a light day. Pretty simple. For example:
Heavy day
Work up to 1×3 @ 9 RPE, then 2×3 @ 90% of top set
Light day
5×5 @ 80% of top set from heavy day
This lets us practice the skill of heavy lifting and build maximal strength on the heavy day, and work on building muscle and/or improving technique/bar speed on the light day.
Weekly Undulation
Weekly undulation refers to changes in sets, reps and load for a lift each week within a training cycle. Most often, we’ll start with higher reps at a certain weight/RPE, and each week the rep range will get lower and the weight/RPE will get higher. For example:
Heavy Day
Week 1: 1×5 @ 9 RPE, 2×5 @ 90% of top set
Week 2: 1×4 @ 9 RPE, 2×4 @ 90% of top set
Week 3: 1×3 @ 9 RPE, 2×3 @ 90% of top set
Week 4 (Deload): 3×5 @ 7 RPE
Light Day
Week 1: 5×5 @ 80% of heavy day top set
Week 2: 4×4 @ 80% of heavy day top set
Week 3: 5×3 @ 80% of heavy day top set
Week 4(Deload): 3×5 @ 80% of heavy day top set
Changing the rep range week to week allows for more frequent exposures to different rep ranges, which can help the lifter figure out which rep range best improves their maximal strength. It also nullifies some of the effects of a bad session, because we know there’s a good chance the reps will be lower and the weight will be higher the following week.
The above is also an example of daily and weekly undulation at work together: a lift is performed twice a week (a heavy day and a light day), and the sets, reps and load change each week.
There’s a lot to be gained by repetition. Doing the same thing over and over builds mastery and confidence. However, you can spread out the frequency of that repetition over a longer period of time via daily and weekly undulation. It’s more interesting and more sustainable than a strictly linear progression, especially if you’re beyond the beginner stages of training.
Interested in learning more? All our online training programs utilize some sort of daily and weekly undulation to help you get strong and jacked. Check them out here:
