There are a lot of things to like about the Conjugate Method. Over the last year or so I’ve really fallen in love with the method (again) for use with my clients. After many years of experimentation I feel like I’ve finally got a “formula” down for how to best apply the methodology with the general demographic that I work with.
For those that might be unfamiliar with the methodology, a quick review: the conjugate method is often used interchangeably with what is known as the “Westside Method” – derived from the methods used by Louie Simmons at his gym Westside Barbell in Columbus Ohio. You can busy yourself for hours, days, weeks reading and watching material straight from Louie and Westside if you want to get into the finer details of his practice.
The conjugate method is really just a piece of the total Westside method if we want to break down all the semantics. The total Westside Method is a combination of The Max Effort Method, the Dynamic Effort Method, and the Repetition Effort Method.
In short, this means every week trainees will train with maximal weights to train absolute strength, medium weights moved with maximal speed to train power, and light weights moved for high repetitions in order to build muscle mass.
Typically the week is organized like this:
- Monday – Max Effort Squat or Deadlift Variation + 2-4 lower body assistance exercises (repetition method)
- Wednesday – Max Effort Bench Press Variation + 2-4 upper body assistance exercises (repetition method)
- Friday – Dynamic Effort Squat & Deadlift + 2-4 lower body assistance exercises (repetition method)
- Saturday – Dynamic Effort Bench Press + 2-4 upper body assistance exercises (repetition method)
The Conjugate Method generally applies to the max effort training days. This means that in general we are doing a different variation of the Squat, Bench or Deadlift every single week. And every single week that movement is trained maximally i.e. we are working up to a 1-rep max in whatever variation we choose that week.
The goal is to avoid misses if possible, but end with a heavy all out single that causes us to strain extremely hard under very heavy weight. This is why choosing different exercise every week is not just something we do for fun and variety but because it is a necessity. You cannot max out on the same movement multiple weeks in a row. You will burn out, regress, and even get injured. However, if there is variety in exercise selection you can actually train maximally (100% of 1RM) week in and week out without burnout and with less chance of injury.
One of the criticisms of this type of training is that it is too non-specific to power lifting (where it is most commonly employed). In other words if we are doing Box Squats, Rack Pulls, Front Squats, Deficit Deadlifts, Goodmornings, Safety Bar Squats, Snatch Grip Deadlifts, etc we aren’t getting the necessary technical practice and repetition with the movements that we are actually trying to compete with.
This is a misunderstanding of the system.
On Max Effort Day, the SPECIFICITY we are looking to achieve is NOT technical proficiency…..it’s the STRAIN we are after. Which makes it incredibly specific to power lifting. So again….the movement that you choose for your max effort day is actually a bit less important than the fact that you strain hard under a very heavy load (relative to the movement you choose). This might be 350 on a Front Squat one week and 650 on a Rack Pull the next week. Done right, the absolute loads will oscillate and vary every week which is why you can make the system work.
Straining under a very heavy load regularly not only prepares you physically for heavy 1-rep max attempts on the competitive version of the Squat, Bench, and Deadlift but also mentally and emotionally. When you are used to max weights every week you aren’t freaked out when it comes time to test or compete.
The lift-specific volume and the technical practice of the lifts generally comes on Dynamic Effort Day. In contrast to the 90-100% loads we use on Max Effort Day, on the Dynamic Effort Day we’ll use loads generally between 60-80% for lots of sets (I usually use about 10) but low reps (1-3).
I’ve found that I’ve been getting good results for clients with about 30 reps for the Bench (10 sets of 3 reps) and about 30 reps combined for Squat / Deads (10 sets of 2 for Squat, and 10 x 1 (or 5 x 2) for Deads). The emphasis on this day is bar speed, technical proficiency, and density (i.e. a lot of work done in short periods of time using 30-120 rest periods between sets depending on load for the day). I’ve been running a 5-week wave for my clients starting at 60% and going up in 5% increments each week up to 80% and then running the “wave” again starting back at 60%. The goal is not necessarily to add weight every time (although we bump up weights when we set new maxes) but to move the same loads faster and faster and perhaps with less and less rest between sets.
So back to the title of the article…..What do I love BEST about this methodology??
Aside from the fact that the method is extremely effective and fun….I really love the fact that there is no structured long term planning involved. This factors in PERFECTLY into the lives of many of my clients – all of which have jobs, families, travel schedules, that often interfere with their ability to complete a highly structured long term 8-16 week training program. It also accounts for the fact that clients may or may not always be at the same state of readiness on a given training day. Bad sleep the night before, stress at work, etc and the planned Sets x Reps x Load that they need to complete for the day simply doesn’t happen.
The conjugate system accounts for all of this.
Many of the programs that I sell on my site and many of the programs I write for my clients are structured in a way that a certain amount and type of work must be done between Week 1 and Week X in order to produce a peak at a meet or testing day in Week Y. This works on a correctly designed program. But I often get emails and texts from clients asking what to do during the program because they have to miss 1-2 weeks for business travel or because they contracted the Flu, etc. Or they are shift workers with a fucked up sleep schedule etc. This is problematic to a highly structured time sensitive program. Or perhaps you trained consistently for 12-weeks hitting all your prescribed numbers but then on your scheduled testing day you come down with a sinus infection or the A/C goes out at your house. Being sick or distracted and your testing day goes all to hell. That really sucks as it’s hard to hold that peak for very long.
The conjugate system doesn’t require you to focus on much more than THIS week. On Max Effort Day you pick an exercise and go balls out on it. Work up to a 1-rep max. If your schedule and consistency has been off for the last month you may or may not set a PR today. And that’s okay. You aren’t necessarily expected to hit a PR at every max effort session. They will manifest themselves throughout the year but it’s rare (i.e. it never happens) that you will set PRs 52 weeks out of the year. What matters is that you strain against a heavy load. Pick a handful of complimentary assistance exercises that support that lift and crank out a bunch of volume in the 8-15 rep range. On the Dynamic Effort Day later in the week your Percentages of 1RM need not be highly precise. Estimate a weight that is between say 60-70% of what you think your 1-rep max might be at that time and move it for 2-3 reps as fast as you can. If it’s slow…..peel some weight off until you are hitting some reps with speed. Again the goal today is a moderate weight moved FAST, not necessarily an EXACT weight. Once you get a few weeks of this under your belt your capacity to move heavier and heavier loads comes back rather quickly.
In my online barbell club, where I run a conjugate program for my clients, new members often ask “What week should I start the conjugate program?” My answer is usually – this week. You can hop into the program at any time. There isn’t a definitive stop and start point necessarily. And if you miss a week or two for whatever reason, you just hop back into the programming. No going back to Day 1, Week 1 or any of that shit that drives clients and coaches nuts.
If you come into the gym that day tired, hungover, a little sick or whatever it’s fine. Go the heaviest or fastest that you can on that day. If you come into the gym rested, full, pissed off and ready to tear the head off a Rhino, then crush some new PRs with the heaviest weights you can handle. Or put 70% on the bar and try to explode it through the ceiling.
To me this is the ultimate system for auto-regulation. If you like auto-regulation (you must auto-regulate as an advanced lifter), but dislike RPE based systems this is a great alternative. This isn’t me bashing RPE. This is just another alternative for those who dislike using that type of system.
So are there downsides to this system?
Yes. Mainly when lifters first start this type of training there is going to be a learning curve. Using new max effort exercises every week is going to be unfamiliar. When you start doing things like Front Squats or Snatch Grip Deads, etc you might just feel a bit awkward and uneasy about taking them out for heavy singles and you may not feel like you are getting much out of them, especially since we don’t do them every week. But as you give the system time you will get better and better at each of these movements, which makes performing them more and more effective.
For this reason I suggest two things: 1) Don’t set up a rotation of exercises that has 986 different options to choose from. Limit your selection to maybe 10-12 at most. (2) don’t use the variations just for max effort. You might only max out the front squat once every 12 weeks or so, but you can include the movement for volume perhaps as often as every other week as a supplemental movement. This will give you the chance to practice the movement and build up strength more frequently making your max out days more productive.
Here is a sample 12 week rotation for the Bench Press:
- Competition Bench Press
- Standing Overhead Press
- Close Grip Bench Press
- Incline Bench Press (30-45 degree)
- Floor Press
- Bench Press with Light Band Tension
- Seated Overhead Press off Pins
- Specialty Bar Bench Press
- Incline Bench Press (45-60 degree)
- Rack Bench Press or Spoto Press
- Bench Press with Heavy Band Tension
- Long Paused Bench Press (3-5 sec pause)
Of course you can mix and match your own favorite exercises and just using different grips etc you can create lots of variations without a lot of specialized equipment.
Here is a sample 12 week rotation for the Squat / Deadlift
- Competition Squat
- Competition Deadlift
- Front Squat
- Sumo Deadlift
- High Bar Squat
- Rack Pull
- Box Squat
- Deficit Deadlift
- Squat with Light Band Tension
- Snatch Grip Deadlifts
- Safety Bar Squat
- Deadlift with Light Band Tension
One little trick to use on max effort lower body days with a program like this is to perform the next week’s max effort movement as the second exercise of the day for something moderate like 4 x 4 in order to get accustomed to the movement before hitting it for a max the next week.
For instance (reference the order above):
- Week 2: Deadlift 1RM + Front Squat 4 x 4
- Week 3: Front Squat 1RM + Sumo Deads 4 x 4
- Week 4: Sumo Deads 1RM + High Bar Squat 4 x 4
- Week 5: High Bar Squat 1RM + Rack Pull 4 x 4
- etc, etc
Using this system my clients are getting stronger faster than ever before. And even better, they are training with motivation, having fun, and not stressing about missed weeks, bad workouts, etc, etc. The PRs are rolling in the insane regularity from members of my private coaching group.
If you are spinning your wheels with your training, you might give this system a go.
