The Conjugate Method trumps all other training methods when it comes to effectiveness, efficiency, and specificity. You might see the word specificity and immediately think that our training lacks specificity because we use specialty bars, accommodating resistance, and special exercises. Our critics often mention this when attempting to disparage the Conjugate Method.

However, the Conjugate Method can be programmed to deliver a more significant degree of specificity than any other training method. 

When using the Conjugate Method, we consistently acquire training data that shows the athlete's current state in terms of absolute strength, explosive power, speed, work capacity, and overall conditioning. This data allows us to constantly refine our training approach daily or week-to-week to deliver specific training stimuli to the athlete based on current needs. 

Our training allows athletes to improve all sport-relevant strengths simultaneously, unlike the linear-based approach, which requires athletes to focus specifically on one strength per training block. We can adjust training with Conjugate to enhance special strengths, target specific weaknesses, and improve sport-relevant athletic traits. 

We are not beholden to a specific training phase; we adjust based on the athlete's training needs and competition schedule. Also, since we do not use specific training phases, we do not have to worry about detraining or skill loss. This allows athletes to make improvements that chart in a stair-step pattern versus the peaks and valleys seen within linear-based training plans. 

Below, we will go over a few tips that can help improve the effectiveness of your Conjugate Method training plan.

Avoid Failure

One of the quickest ways for someone to fail when using a Conjugate-based training plan is to train to failure when executing max effort work regularly. Consistently training to failure during max effort work will cause extreme fatigue and place a significant demand on the athlete. The end result is always the same: burnout or injury. 

During max effort training, we aim to lift the heaviest weight possible for that training day, hopefully exceeding 90% for a top set of 1-3 repetitions. If we feel a PR is possible, we typically go for it. If energy is limited and fatigue is high, we aim to reach or slightly exceed 90% intensity. 

The ultimate goal of max effort training is to improve absolute strength. This means we want to meet or exceed the 90% intensity threshold for a successful top set of 1-3 reps and then move on to accessory work. We do not want to risk failed reps and injury constantly chasing a PR lift when it isn't in the cards. 

Too often, athletes new to Conjugate hyperfocus on attaining new PR lifts and drive themselves off a cliff with failed max effort reps that cause excess fatigue and can lead to serious injury. Whether the injury is catastrophic or due to overuse, consistently failing max effort reps will take a toll on an athlete without mercy. 

The answer to avoiding this problem is simple: train with discipline, learn how to judge your capabilities, and make responsible training decisions based on your current energy levels and capability. Be honest with yourself because poor training choices will lead to injury that can totally change the trajectory of your athletic career. 

Get Your Weight Up 

Dieting and cutting weight to reach specific weight classes has always occurred in sports. In strength sports, this is done to give an athlete the greatest advantage in terms of relative strength or to target the records of a specific weight class. However, too many beginner—and intermediate-level athletes buy into the idea that they need to cut weight as well.

However, this is generally a poor idea for someone not competing at a high level. The primary reason beginners and intermediates want to avoid fixating on specific weight classes is that these athletes often have a lot of progress left to be made. If these athletes focus on staying in a particular weight class and avoid increasing their body mass, they will ultimately rob themselves of progress and potential success. 

Instead of focusing on a specific body weight, the best practice is to eat a well-rounded diet without caloric restrictions, train with discipline, and see where your genetics take you. An athlete in the top 100 in the 242lb class could be the next 275lb or 308lb world record holder and never know it because they're too worried about keeping their calories in check to maintain a certain body weight. 

Another issue that can occur when beginners or intermediates attempt weight cuts is excessive dehydration and mismanaged recomposition periods. This results in athletes showing up to competition feeling like trash and placing themselves at greater risk of injury. You should show up to competition day feeling satiated and ready to go, not emaciated and prepared to nap. 

If you are a beginner or intermediate, focus on eating enough healthy calories to support muscle growth, staying hydrated, training with discipline, and letting genetics decide your fate. 

One Method's Failure is Another Method's Success

Many folks new to Conjugate worry about meeting the specific demands of each training day. This could mean they are concerned they are not training at proper levels of intensity during max effort training or are missing velocity targets during dynamic effort training. 

However, just because an athlete fails to meet the exact requirements of a certain training method, this does not mean the training is rendered useless. 

For instance, a failed partial rep during max effort turns into isometric training. This will also provide relevant training data showing the joint angles where loss of force production occurs. While we do not advocate training to failure during max effort training, it is important to note that there is still a win to be had if failure does occur. 

Dynamic effort training requires athletes to reach specific velocity targets. Unfortunately, due to fatigue, athletes are sometimes unable to meet the .8m/s bar velocity we generally aim for. In this case, the training becomes repeated effort work and can still help improve absolute strength, rate of force development, and work capacity. However, it is important to note that this work will not be as beneficial as properly executed dynamic effort training. 

When training Conjugate, it is important to have proper perspective. Too often, athletes begin believing they are failing with our methods when, in reality, the issues they are dealing with are no big deal or easily resolved. Just because you didn't perfectly execute a day of training does not mean that the training day was completely useless. 

Often Imitated - Always Irritated

The Conjugate Method, as it is known today, is a product of the field research executed by Louie Simmons over the past four decades. He is the architect of what is considered the standard Conjugate Method, and it is safe to say no coach will have the impact on strength and conditioning that Lou did. He is in a class of his own and will remain so. 

Every year, some aspect of training is considered "new" by the strength and conditioning world at large. However, if you know Lou and Westside, you likely have heard of these "new" approaches to training ten or twenty years before you saw it on social media. Whether content creators know it or not, the ground they believe they just discovered has Lou's tracks all over it. 

This just goes to show how forward-thinking Lou was. He was always looking for the best ways to train his athletes and never let dogmatic training beliefs get in the way of advancing his training methods and techniques. I can say with confidence that you will never see another individual as impactful to strength and conditioning as Louie Simmons. 

Love it or hate it, Westside still rules.

Sources:

Simmons, L. (2007). Westside Barbell Book of Methods. Westside Barbell.

Verkhoshansky, Y., & Siff, M. C. (2009). Supertraining. Verkhoshansky.