One member, who has been struggling with hand pain, asked me about a supplement recommended by her doctor. I told her to email me, and I would read more to understand. Yesterday, I read five different studies, and here’s what you need to know. 

You might have heard of SPM supplements (also called Pro-Resolving mediators or PRMs), which are marketed as the "next generation" of fish oil, promising to resolve inflammation and speed recovery. The pitch sounds incredible. The price tag? Not cheap. The evidence that it actually works for recovery? Nonexistent.

A recent review found zero human studies testing SPM supplements for exercise recovery, making this another unfortunate example of marketing and science on the supplement shelf.

SPMs (specialized pro-resolving mediators) are real molecules your body naturally produces from omega-3 fatty acids. They were discovered about 20 years ago, and the science is genuinely interesting. Instead of blocking inflammation like ibuprofen, SPMs help your body finish the inflammatory process and shift into repair mode. In animal studies, injected SPMs helped mice recover muscle strength after injury.

But here's where it falls apart. A comprehensive review examined every available human study on SPM-enriched marine oil — and found that not a single one measured exercise recovery, muscle soreness, or performance. Worse, the supplements don't even contain actual SPMs. 

They contain precursor molecules that your body may or may not convert into functional SPMs. The best-designed human study simply showed that the supplements raise blood levels of SPM-related markers. That's it.

If you’re buying these supplements, it’s a red flag not just for the product but also for the brand selling them to you. 

The only randomized, placebo-controlled trial (the GAUDI study) tested SPM supplements for knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis and failed to meet its primary endpoint.

Meanwhile, standard fish oil has multiple human trials supporting its use for reducing soreness and preserving strength after hard training, especially with at least four weeks of consistent use. Your body already makes SPMs when you get enough omega-3s. So if you want to make that a priority (and it’s not a necessity), instead of paying a premium for unproven precursors, eat fatty fish two to three times per week or grab a quality fish oil supplement. 

The science might catch up to the hype someday, but your wallet shouldn't have to wait.

Most workouts fall apart when fatigue takes over. Wave loading flips the script.

Instead of piling on reps as you get tired, you strip volume away and let intensity rise. This workout pairs wave loading with reciprocal supersets, so one muscle group rests while the other works. Efficient. Powerful. Old-school smart.

How To Do It

Each exercise follows the same structure:

Set 1: 5 reps
Set 2: 3 reps
Set 3: 1 rep

That’s one wave. Select a weight you can normally do for 1-2 more reps than the recommended rep range. For example, on the first set for 5 reps, pick a weight you could lift 6 times.

As reps decrease, the weight increases. You’ll do 1 set of the first exercise in the superset, rest 30-60 seconds, and then 1 set of the second exercise. Rest for another 1-2 minutes, and repeat twice more to complete the first wave. Rest for 3 minutes, repeat all three sets, rest, and then move to the next superset pairing. 

You can do each superset as its own workout, or combine all three into a full-body blast. 

Superset 1: Chest + Back

1A. Dumbbell Bench Press
Wave 1: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep
Wave 2: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep

1B Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
Wave 1: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep
Wave 2: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep

Rest for 3 minutes

Superset 2: Quads + Hamstrings

2A. Front Squat
Wave 1: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep
Wave 2: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep

2B. Romanian Deadlift
Wave 1: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep
Wave 2: 5 reps, 3 reps, 1 rep

Rest for 3 minutes

Give it a try, and start your week strong!