In writing this article i solely aim to provide a reliable source of information which outlines how to use the westsidebarbell conjugate method. Burley hawk the westside method, also known as the conjugate method, is a program that is often times misunderstood in the raw powerlifting realm. Oct 25, 2019 matt wenning told me he will use linear periodization for the reps and loads but conjugate method for the exercise selection. Conjugate periodization the westside model catalyst fitness. Westside vs the russian conjugate system kabuki strength. The first implementation of the conjugate method was by the soviet olympic weightlifting team in the early 70s. Ive heard it 435 different times and it never gets old. May 29, 2018 conjugate method periodization is a weightlifting technique used in soviet athlete programs, as well as westside barbell in the us. Westside vs the russian conjugate system june 8, 2015.
Conjugate training varies exercise, weight, speed, and volume of exercises, thus avoiding adaptations of the body. They took 2045 spp specific physical preparation exercises. Westside barbell, the gym, has produced more multiply world record holders than any other single gym in the history of powerlifting. This is a complex program, so it is highly recommended that you watch the overview video below. You can only learn how it works and master programming it, or find a coach who is good at it and let them help you. Also, the conjugate method is designed to help powerlifters, so expect a program that is based around the three main lifts squats, deadlifts, and bench press. When looking at what makes the conjugate method special your eye is immediately drawn to the massive amount of variety the program offers. But technically, the conjugate method is simply a piece of the overall westside system. The former soviet union claims to have invented the conjugate method at a club known as the dynamo club.
Simmons states that there are three pathways that form the backbone of conjugate periodization. The conjugate method many have asked how westside developed the conjugate system and why. Among the techniques hes developed to strengthen the already supersized is the conjugate method training system sometimes called the westside method, which employs single repetitions as one of its core training tenets. The westside conjugate system is the best of two advanced training systems. In my articles the westside barbell conjugate method. The most fundamental components of a strength training program are the amount of weight lifted overload and the speed of the repetition tempo. A study of this system showed that only one lifter was. The conjugate method breaks training down into 45 weekly training. Coach and powerlifter matt wenning, ms, discusses the benefits of conjugate periodization in this talk from the nscas 20 coaches conference.
Variety conjugate thrives on variety in exercises, especially with regard to max effort exercises. Since louie started publishing his articles on his methodologies in power lifting usa back in the 1990s, the methods grew wildly in popularity. The westside method, also known as the conjugate method, is a program that is often times misunderstood in the raw powerlifting realm. The westside barbell conjugate method to gain strength is complex and. Matt wenning told me he will use linear periodization for the reps and loads but conjugate method for the exercise selection. Jason has done an amazing job of breaking done implication of the conjugate method amongst tactical populations. Another option would be to alternate back and forth with three week blocks of each method, i. A lot of good information explaining the conjugate method but my god this book needed to be edited. Lets explain a few definitions before we get into a beginner workout program to push your strength. The real objective here, and the reason i am choosing the conjugate method, is to learn myself as a lifter, and learn about what works and what doesnt. A conjugate method program incorporates maximum, dynamic, and repetition exercises to help maximize your strength and target certain areas.
In this article we look at the science of this approach. Explosive athlete program eap overview trainheroic support. Nov 23, 2012 preparedness spp throughout the entire program. Conjugate periodization, with matt wenning youtube. And this is where conjugate planning comes in handy as it allows you to address all these. The similarities of the westside conjugate system to the one devised by the soviets at the dynamo club are obvious. Westside for skinny bastards a modified lifting program. A guide to accessory work i outlined how to program and structure your individual training routine based on westsides conjugate method now, after nearly 1 year of publication and each article receiving over 100,000 views, im back with a new resource. I recognize that theres a general consensus online that the conjugate method is worse than useless if youre a raw lifter, but i thought id throw this out there anyway.
They had 70 highly ranked lifters and used 25 to 40 special exercises to complement the olympic lifts. In laymans terms, periodization is the division of a training program into distinct training blocks, with each block focusing on specific, predetermined athletic qualities. Top 3 faqs about westside barbell conjugate system. An introduction to the conjugate gradient method without.
The westside system adheres to a 4day per week training schedule and uses an upperlower split. An introduction to the conjugate gradient method without the. The westside barbell method, also known as the conjugate method, was developed by louie simmons. The conjugate system is great at allowing the coach and athlete to design a program that fits the athletes specific needs. This training routine addresses all the needs and weak points of raw lifters through repetition, max, and dynamic effort work. With that in mind, heres the potent westside program, boiled down to its simplest elementsthat is, sans the bands and chains, chalk and knee wrapssimmons has been adding to traditional lifts since 1990 to increase tension at the upper end of the range of motion. Feb 07, 2017 free strength program how i set up the conjugate method brian alsruhe.
A system that constantly rotates the volume, intensity, and exercises. Conjugate is a great style of programming but presents some challenges to the beginner, all of which are addressed in my template. Jul 29, 2019 also, the conjugate method is designed to help powerlifters, so expect a program that is based around the three main lifts squats, deadlifts, and bench press. If you want to checkout my 8 week mma conjugate method program template the link will be down at the bottom to get your copy of the pdf.
I started training full time in powerlifting in late 1969 after returning from the army. Westsides conjugate method incorporates the maximal effort method, dynamic effort method, and repetition method within a systemized template to improve strength, power, and overall performance. If you are a regular reader of elitefts, you are probably at least casually familiar with the original conjugate template written by louie. In either case i find it a must if you have to be ready at all times throughout the year to take a fight. Few powerlifting programs have generated as much interest as conjugate periodization aka westside. Westside barbell template working with the standard template by jim wendler for. Conjugate gymnastics bodyweight strength training program. Time under tension tut because unilateral work requires less skill and neural demand.
It could be explosive strength, commonly known as the dynamic method. The westside system adheres to a 4 day per week training schedule and uses an upperlower split. Following a conjugate plan will seem like maintenance training because instead of addressing a quality like strength three to five times in a week, you may only perform a strength session once per week. Linear periodization vs the conjugate method updated. With a conjugate method routine you become flexible and work on different areas that you want to improve on. Slope on real beam shear on conjugate beam deflection on real beam moment on conjugate beam properties of conjugate beam. Search the lift vault program library to find the exact program youre looking for based on many criteria e. Simmons calls his method of training the conjugate sequence system, such that it is not a single workout program but a combination of three workout systems that rotate. This is why tools like special bars, bands, and chains are used.
A guide to accessory work i outlined how to program and structure your individual training routine based on westsides conjugate method. Instead of block periodization, i prefer the conjugate method. Most write it off as only working for geared lifters, and instead turn to other types of programming that emphasize volume and simplicity in exercise selection. Westside for skinny bastards a modified lifting program for. What the explosive athlete program eap was designed by two division i strength and conditioning coaches from the university of san diego stephane rochet and matt couch and was built using the conjugate method. I incurred some great results with the bfs method, as there were many parallels between the bfs method and the conjugate method, but these results paled in comparison to what i would later experience. The conjugate method for football players box programming. This is louies mixture of the max effort method, the.
Mar 25, 2020 a conjugate method is the act of rotating your exercises in a weekly session. The length of a conjugate beam is always equal to the length of the actual beam. But first lets look at some terminology associated with this program. So pick a weight you think you can throw fast with but still isnt easy, and then adjust from there as needed. Oct 03, 2017 coach and powerlifter matt wenning, ms, discusses the benefits of conjugate periodization in this talk from the nscas 20 coaches conference. The westside barbell program should be looked at more as a set of training principles than a single workout program, a. For more info about strength and conditioning, visit. A conjugate method is the act of rotating your exercises in a weekly session. In writing this article i solely aim to provide a reliable source of information which outlines how to use the westsidebarbell conjugate method this article will not be devoted to explaining the science or methodology behind conjugate method periodization. So, every week, he changes the type of squat, bench, deadlift or uses a different bar, different band, and chain tensions, etc. The conjugate gradient method for solving linear systems of equations mike rambo mentor. Whatever method is employed, there must be some maintenance hypertrophy work included throughout and calories must remain high.
It makes heavy use of resistance bands and chains so it is recommended that these are used when following the program. There is a related video beneath that on strength, conditioning, and the conjugate method from brians pov. The wide variety of special exercises will perfect form. This is in essence the original conjugate method remember a method is not a system. My lab is the weight room and my lab rats are my athletes. If you ever watched a video of louie simmons speak, this book is no different. Before i begin its important for me to clarify what i aim to accomplish through writing this article. Oct 11, 2012 in my articles the westside barbell conjugate method. To this day, the westside barbell book of methods is one of the most interesting works ive ever read on powerlifting.
Since then i have become a strong believer in the conjugate method more than any other training program i have ever used. Brian alsruhes conjugate program is a 16 week, 4 day per week. Westside barbell book of methods simmons, louie on. The program affords coaches the opportunity to implement one program that every coach can support and implement with their athletes. The westside program was originally designed for advanced powerlifters lifting with powerlifting gear. The conjugate gradient method for solving linear systems. It avoids linear and block approaches to training in favor of diverse weekly schedules involving max and dynamic effort sessions. The method of conjugate gradients cgmethod was initially introduced as a direct method for. Conjugate method for the raw lifter rts methods results 1 to 9 of 9. Any raw lifters here mess with the conjugate method. Brian alsruhes conjugate program is a 16 week, 4 day per week strength program that utilizes conjugate methods dynamic effort, max effort to stimulate strength gains. This is the most effective method to gain strength continuously throughout the year, with no ridiculous offseason. If you dont have at least a couple years of consistent training under your belt, start with a basic weight training program to build your foundation and exercise form with traditional workloads see basic weight training guidelines.
His 4 day split with a task specific day is on point. Sep, 2018 the conjugate system is great at allowing the coach and athlete to design a program that fits the athletes specific needs. A users guide and the westside barbell conjugate method. This comes into play on the max effort day and with the special exercises assistance work. Westside for skinny bastards a modified lifting program for hardgainers by joe defranco this article originally appeared on. Strength, power, hypertrophy, speed, and agility can be progressively developed simultaneously in a conjugate multimethod program. I personally work with many military, leo, and firefighters.
Apr 18, 2020 this is a complex program, so it is highly recommended that you watch the overview video below. This isnt a westside template that you might find somewhere online, this is a conjugate program manipulated to suit my needs and goals, so it will differ from a standard template. Added volume to small movements, not big movements. Strength, power, hypertrophy, speed, and agility can be progressively developed simultaneously in a conjugate multi method program. My basic or shall i say my most notable approach is something i like to call combat block periodization. It took me about 2 months to realize that a traditional split was hard for my fire fighter to accomplish. Also note that the supplementary and assistance exercises are designed in a way to help me with my weaknesses, they will vary from person to person. Essentially what this does is take blocks of training modalities that have the highest rate of.
Before getting into the nuts and bolts of the program, it. Conjugate periodization the westside model catalyst. Med ball throw progression, box jump progression, 12week conjugate program, raw powerlifting, joe schillero, repetition work, dynamic effort, max effort. Conjugate gymnastics was developed out of a desire to share expert knowledge of gymnastics strength training to fitness enthusiast and gymnasts who want to put in the time to their practice to be able to become stronger using bodyweight movements using the conjugate method. The conjugate method is a term and methodology made most popular by louie simmons, owner of the westside barbell club and the creator of what has become known as the westside method of training. Burley hawk the westside method, also known as the conjugate method, is a program that is often times misunderstood in the raw. Conjugate training is simply a way of saying that you constantly rotate your exercises in and out of the program. This article is written for those out there who want to start a conjugate program, but are unsure where to begin. Begins with a lower body max effort day where the lifter will work up to a 1rm 100% or more in a variation of the squat. The following is based off what i did for 12 weeks to improve my strength for the squat, bench, and deadlift as a raw powerlifter. Your traditional conjugate method training week is based on a 4 day cycle and will take shape like the below.
The conjugate method, popularized by louie simmons of westside barbell, is a system of training that emphasizes variation in order to avoid the law of accommodation more on that in a moment. More specifically, as westside is a powerlifting gym the upperlower split can be more suitably defined as a squat and deadliftbench press split. Most write it off as only working for geared lifters, and instead turn to other types of programming that emphasize volume. The westside method incorporates 4 workouts per week, training. The conjugate method also improves spp special physical preparedness e. Westside barbell implements conjugate system where exercises are cycle frequently.