by Christian Thibaudeau
Build Size and Strength at the Same Time
Dietmar invented it. Dragomir put it to work. Poliquin popularized it. And now Thibaudeau has perfected it.
If you value strength and size equally, you need to put the 1-6 training principle to work. The original system is proven, and the variations I’ll outline below are even more effective. Let’s jump right into it.
The Original 1-6
T Nation was the first major outlet to write about the system. Back in 1999, Charles Poliquin brought it to the masses with this article.
Essentially, the system alternates a very heavy set and a moderate-weight set for the same lift. You do a set of 1 rep, rest, then a set of 6 reps. This pairing was sometimes called a “wave.” There are two to three waves per exercise. The goal was to add weight to the set of 6 reps with each new set.
It could look like this below. Note: I’m only giving percentages so you understand the loading and progression. In reality, you’re not really using percentages.
Set 1: 1 rep at 90%
Set 2: 6 reps at 82.5%
Set 3: 1 rep at 92.5%
Set 4: 6 reps at 85%
Set 5: 1 rep at 95%
Set 6: 6 reps at 87.5%
At the next workout, you’d progress by starting your first wave with the weights you used for your second wave during the previous workout.
Poliquin originally used his traditional A1/A2 setup, meaning you’d combine two exercises. For example:
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1. | EZ-Bar Scott Curl | 6 | 1,6,1,6,1,6 | 2 min. |
| A2. | Close-Grip Bench Press | 6 | 1,6,1,6,1,6 | 2 min. |
It looked like this:
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 1
Rest 2 minutes
Close-Grip Bench Press x 1
Rest 2 minutes
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 6
Rest 2 minutes
Close-Grip Bench Press x 6
Rest 2 minutes
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 1
Rest 2 minutes
Close-Grip Bench Press x 1
Rest 2 minutes
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 6
Rest 2 minutes
Close-Grip Bench Press x 6
Rest 2 minutes
Each workout had four exercises (A1/A2 pairing and B1/B2 pairing) using the 1-6 system.
Maximum Potentiation 1-6
This is my first adaptation. I made two main modifications.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1. | EZ-Bar Scott Curl | 6 | 1,6,1,6,1,6 |
| A2. | Close-Grip Bench Press | 6 | 1,6,1,6,1,6 |
First, I do the 1-rep and 6-rep sets together for the same exercise. For example:
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 1
Rest 90 seconds
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 6
Rest 2 minutes
Close-Grip Bench Press x 1
Rest 90 seconds
Close-Grip Bench Press x 6
Rest 2 minutes
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 1
Rest 90 seconds
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 6
Rest 2 minutes
Close-Grip Bench Press x 1
Rest 90 seconds
Close-Grip Bench Press x 6
Rest 2 minutes
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 1
Rest 90 seconds
EZ-Bar Scott Curl x 6
Rest 2 minutes
Close-Grip Bench Press x 1
Rest 90 seconds
Close-Grip Bench Press x 6
Rest 2 minutes
This makes more sense. The purpose of the 1-rep set is to make the set of 6 reps more effective via a phenomenon called “post-tetanic potentiation” (basically, increasing neurological activation). Doing another exercise between the potentiation set and the work set takes away some of the effectiveness.
Second, the weight for the 1-rep sets doesn’t change. The work sets, those that count, are the sets of 6 reps. The 1-rep sets are just there to increase neurological activation and give you a psychological edge for the following set of 6. There’s no need to keep increasing the load for the set of 1. You just need it to be heavy enough so that the set of 6 feels lighter by contrast, and to increase neurological activation.
We also want to reduce fatigue. About 90 or 92% for 1 rep is very manageable. But getting in the 95 to 97.5 range can be excessive on some days and hurt, rather than help, the performance for the set of 6.
So, the set progression becomes:
Set 1: 1 rep at 90-92%
Set 2: 6 reps at 82.5%
Set 3: 1 rep at 90-92.5%
Set 4: 6 reps at 85%
Set 5: 1 rep at 90-92%
Set 6: 6 reps at 87.5%
Again, the percentages are just for illustration purposes.
The 1-6 Drop Set
This consists of doing both the “1 rep” and the “6 reps” as one set – a drop set. Start with a challenging but comfortable load for 1 rep (90-92%). Perform your rep, then drop the weight by 7-10% and immediately do 6 reps. You do three such work sets with about three minutes of rest.
I really like this one, but for it to work optimally, use it on exercises where you aren’t required to make an effort to get into the starting position. For example, it won’t work great for squats, front squats, incline bench press, and the various dumbbell presses. On these exercises (and even on the flat bench), unracking the bar, getting it into the proper starting position with good body tension, and racking or lowering the weights at the end of the “1 rep” part of the set takes away from the “6 reps” part of the set.
Other than that, this is a great way to build strength and size in a short time period.
The 1-6 Cluster
This one might be the ultimate loading scheme for strength. It combines the 1-6 strategy with cluster sets. You keep doing your 1-rep sets as potentiation prior to the sets of 6. The difference is that the sets of 6 are performed as a cluster. This allows you to use heavier weights than you would for a normal set of 6.
The same caveat regarding exercise selection applies: exercises where you have to make an effort to unrack the weight and/or bring it into the starting position aren’t good choices. That is even more true because, with clusters, you’ll have to get into the starting position seven times.
The sets of 6 use a load that you’d normally use for 3 solid reps. You perform 6 reps with that weight by resting 30-45 seconds between reps.
A set of 6 might look like this:
1 rep at 87.5%, rest 30 seconds
1 rep at 87.5%, rest 30 seconds
1 rep at 87.5%, rest 30 seconds
1 rep at 87.5%, rest 40 seconds
1 rep at 87.5%, rest 40 seconds
1 rep at 87.5%
The whole thing looks like this:
Set 1: 1 rep at 92.5 to 95%
Rest 2-3 minutes
Set 2: 6 cluster reps at 85%
Rest 2-3 minutes
Set 3: 1 rep at 92.5% to 95%
Rest 2-3 minutes
Set 4: 6 cluster reps at 87.5%
Rest 2-3 minutes
Set 5: 1 rep at 92.5 to 95%
Rest 2-3 minutes
Set 6: 6 cluster reps at 90%
Remember, the percentages aren’t precise guidelines, just illustrative.
The 1-6 Stato-Dynamic
In this variation, your sets of 6 are your normal sets of 6, but the sets of 1 are replaced by a set of overcoming isometrics.
In an overcoming isometric, you’re pushing or pulling against an immovable resistance. For example, get into a bench press position in the power rack and press the empty bar as hard as possible against safety pins for 3-6 seconds. Ideally, the overcoming isometric exercise would be for the same movement as the one you’re using for the sets of 6. For example:
- Bench Press Overcoming Isometric + Bench Press
- Squat Overcoming Isometric + Squat
- Rack-Pull Overcoming Isometric + Deadlift
In reality, it works as long as both exercises are for the same movement pattern. For example, a bench press overcoming isometric paired with a dumbbell bench press also works.
Because overcoming isometrics are less draining than a full-range heavy set of 1, the rest between the set of 1 and the set of 6 is shorter, around 60-90 seconds.
It looks like this:
Bench Press Overcoming Isometric x 3-6 seconds
Rest 60-90 seconds
Bench Press 82.5% x 6 reps
Rest 2-3 minutes
Bench Press Overcoming Isometric x 3-6 seconds
Rest 60-90 seconds
Bench Press 85% x 6 reps
Rest 2-3 minutes
Bench Press Overcoming Isometric x 3-6 seconds
Rest 60-90 seconds
Bench Press 87.5% x 6 reps
Just like our first variation, if you’re using an A1/A2 setup, perform both the set of overcoming isos and the set of 6 for A1 before moving on to A2. For most exercises, I recommend performing the overcoming isometrics either at the mid-range or at the sticking point.
How It All Works
There are three main benefits from the 1-6 variations:
-
Post-Tetanic Potentiation: The heavy 1-rep sets increase neurological activation, which increases the capacity of the nervous system to recruit fast-twitch fibers. This makes the sets of 6 more effective at stimulating both growth and strength gains.
-
Dual Stimulation: The 1-rep sets provide a very strong neurological stimulus, while the sets of 6 provide enough hard work to get maximal hypertrophy stimulation (5-6 effective reps in the set). As such, the 1-6 approach gives you the best of both worlds and represents an extremely powerful strength gain stimulus (strength being dependent on both muscle mass and neurological efficiency).
-
Psychological Boost: By doing a heavy set prior to the work sets of 6, those work sets feel lighter. That carries over to a better performance.
Key Element: The important sets are the sets of 6 reps. These are the “work sets” you want to push hard. The sets of 1 are there mostly to make the sets of 6 more effective. You don’t need to push them as hard as the work sets, just enough to get the neurological benefits, which aren’t dependent on proximity to failure.
Fun and Effective!
The 1-6 strategies are not only very effective, but they’re also fun to do! For some reason – maybe my need for variety – doing the same number of reps with a similar load set after set is boring to me. With the 1-6 strategies, each set has a different feel than the preceding one. And the neurological effect also amps you up, which makes you feel strong, powerful, and in the zone.
