How to get stronger
Written by Conquer Athlete Coach Jason Leydon, CSCS
When your numbers refuse to budge, it isn’t willpower you’re missing—it’s a new stimulus. Strength plateaus happen because your nervous system has milked every drop of adaptation from the straight-set routine you keep repeating. Below are three evidence-backed ways to jolt progress back to life:
Cluster sets
Cluster sets break a heavy set into mini-clusters (for example, four 2-rep bursts with 15 – 20 s breaths). Those brief pauses let phosphocreatine recharge, so you grind out more high-quality reps instead of slogging through sloppy grinders. A recent systematic review spanning 29 studies found cluster and traditional programs produce comparable long-term strength and hypertrophy, but clusters do it with significantly lower fatigue and smaller velocity loss What does this mean? Get the same gains, less mental exertion.
Wave Loading
Wave loading (a session built, say, 3 × 80 %, 2 × 85 %, 1 × 90 %, then repeat slightly heavier) subjects the CNS to repeated high-threshold exposures without unnecessary tax each time. A 2022 meta-analysis of 35 trials showed periodized programs beat non-periodized training for one-rep-max strength, and undulating or wave models outperformed linear schemes in trained lifters. By cycling intensities within a workout or micro-cycle, you revive motor-unit recruitment without piling on junk volume.
Forced Reps
Forced reps enlist a spotter to give just enough help for one or two post-failure reps, letting you overload the eccentric and tap motor units straight sets never reach. In a landmark study on strength athletes, forced-rep sessions spiked growth hormone and cortisol far higher than matched maximum-rep sessions and produced a larger acute strength drop—clear signals of a heavier adaptive load. Used sparingly (think final set, once every few weeks), that hormonal punch can kick-start stalled hypertrophy and strength.
Ready to take the next step?
Plenty of other tools—tempo eccentrics, bands and chains, contrast work—will also break a rut, but cluster sets, wave loading, and forced reps are my go-to trio when athletes are stuck.
Contact our coaching staff for an individualized plan that pairs science‑backed training with battle‑tested mental resilience protocols at help@conquerathlete.com.
