Starting Conjugate: Main Exercise Selection for Beginners
Effective strength training relies heavily on a few key factors; the proper regulation of intensity, volume, and frequency, optimal exercise selection, and correct exercise execution. Failure to control any of these aspects of training will reduce the effectiveness of the training and can potentially cause injury. In this article, I will focus on selecting exercises for a beginner new to the Conjugate Method.
When first designing a Conjugate Method program, many individuals get lost in exercise selection. A common misunderstanding many have with the Conjugate Method is the method to the madness behind exercise selection. To the uninitiated, it could look as if we randomly select exercises. However, when you begin to understand Conjugate, you realize all exercise selections and programming choices always serve a higher purpose.
To maximize the effectiveness of a Conjugate Method program, it is vital to have a general idea of the intent of the training and the training goals of the athlete. This could be an athlete who wants to get stronger for football, focusing on improving 40-yard dash time, or a powerlifter looking to improve their total while specifically focusing on bringing up the bench press.
One of the first steps to building a successful Conjugate Method program is selecting main exercises that match both your training goals and your level of experience.
Below, I will go over the recommended main exercise selections that athletes can make each training day to ensure all strengths and muscle groups are effectively trained. By the end of this article, you will have a basic list of exercises to assist you in making better exercise selections when beginning a Conjugate Method training program.
Main Exercises for Beginners
Each training day's main exercise will focus on developing a specific strength. Following the basic Westside Barbell template means our main exercises will focus on developing absolute or speed strength.
The exercises we select will almost always be a variation of the squat, bench, or deadlift, with the added option of good mornings. However, we do not typically program good mornings as main exercises for beginners.
This is not to say that good mornings are absolutely not an option as the main exercise selection for a beginner. Nevertheless, it is often better to include good mornings as an accessory exercise to master the good morning technique before increasing the intensity.
Here are the basic main exercise variations we recommend beginners use for each training day:
Max Effort Lower
- Competition Squat
- SSB Squat
- Bow Bar Squat
- Cambered Bar Squat
- Box Squat (w/ any specialty bar)
- Competition Deadlift
- Mat Deadlift (bar elevated 2-4")
- Deficit Deadlifts (athlete elevated 2-4")
Max Effort Upper
- Competition Bench Press
- Close Grip Bench Press
- Incline Bench Press
- Floor Press
- Swiss Bar Press
- Pin Press
- Push Press
- Strict Press
- Seated Overhead Press
- Standing Overhead Pin Press
Athletes should work up to a top set of 1-3 reps when choosing any of these exercises as the main exercise. We occasionally work up to a top set of 5 reps if fatigue becomes an issue, but this is not standard practice. Accommodating resistance can be added to any exercise.
Athletes will perform a total of eight max-effort exercise per month; four exercises for ME upper and four exercises for ME lower. We do not perform the same max-effort exercise two weeks in a row. It is often recommended for beginners to stick with the same four upper and lower exercises for at least 8-12 weeks. This allows the athlete time to develop technique and provides useful data regarding strength gained each time the exercise is retested.
For more information regarding max effort programming, check out this article.
Dynamic Effort Lower
- Box Squat (w/ any specialty bar)
- Competition Squat (w/ any specialty bar)
Athletes will follow a three-week wave training plan. This will be executed in one of two ways; either following the two-rep per set scheme or the 5-rep per set scheme. Here is how a beginner would program their squats following each scheme:
First Wave
Week 1 - Bow Bar Box Squat, 12 x 2 at 75%
Week 2 - Bow Bar Box Squat, 10 x 2 at 80%
Week 3 - Bow Bar Box Squat, 8 x 2 at 85%
Second Wave
Week 1 - SSB Competition Squat, 5 x 5 at 70%
Week 2 - SSB Competition Squat, 5 x 5 at 75%
Week 3 - SSB Competition Squat, 5 x 5 at 80%
Each week will feature 25% accommodating resistance, with the remainder of the weight loaded onto the barbell.
Dynamic Effort Upper
- Competition Bench Press
- Close Grip Bench Press
Athletes will follow a three-week wave training plan. This will be executed one of two ways; either following the three-rep per set scheme or the 5-rep per set scheme. Following the three-rep per set scheme, we will always perform nine sets each week. Here is how a beginner would program their speed bench following each scheme:
First Wave
Week 1 - Competition Bench Press, 9 x 3 at 75%
Week 2 - Competition Bench Press, 9 x 3 at 80%
Week 3 - Competition Bench Press, 9 x 3 at 85%
Second Wave
Week 1 - Close Grip Bench Press, 5 x 5 at 70%
Week 2 - Close Grip Bench Press, 5 x 5 at 75%
Week 3 - Close Grip Bench Press, 5 x 5 at 80%
Each week will feature 25% accommodating resistance, with the remainder of the weight loaded onto the barbell.
The Basics Always Work
Today, athletes are fortunate to have access to endless amounts of strength training-related information online. However, it is crucial to understand what is relevant to your current situation and what is not. As a beginner, it is important to understand what is necessary to improve and what is a waste of time.
Do you need a diverse selection of exercises to ensure you are strong in all aspects of a lift? Absolutely. Do you need to follow every new exercise you see an influencer pushing? No. You can have a wide selection of exercises without disrupting your training to perform the latest popular exercise immediately.
The exercises we choose need to be relevant to our current situation, performance levels, and what we need as athletes to improve, not to some social media trend.
The exercises I listed above qualify as basic selections for an individual new to the Conjugate Method. These exercises have been used for years at Westside Barbell and have been proven time and time again to be effective.
Work through the lists, find what works best for you, and program those exercises on a regular basis. As long as the exercises are programmed and executed correctly, the training will deliver the intended effect - absolute and speed strength improvement. The basics always work.
Sources:
Simmons, L. (2007). Westside Barbell Book of Methods. Westside Barbell.
Verkhoshansky, Y., & Siff, M. C. (2009). Supertraining. Verkhoshansky.
