The use of bands and chains attached to a barbell, also known as the combination of resistance method, is a training approach popularized by Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell. This training is utilized to manipulate the strength curve of an exercise, typically a variation of the squat, bench press, or deadlift.
This accessory work is one of an athlete's most critical training tasks. Not only will this training help to improve work capacity, but it will also allow an athlete to develop optimal levels of muscle mass. While max effort work can certainly help from a tissue density perspective, our repeated effort training drives the volume that allows for meaningful hypertrophy.
Time is valuable, especially in the gym. Whether an individual is focused on strength or conventional sports, it is important to ensure that training allows for improvement as efficiently as possible. This is what max effort offers: improvement in absolute strength in the most efficient manner possible.
The Conjugate Method provides a coach or athlete with many different options when designing a training program. Whether we are dealing with a strength athlete or a conventional sports athlete, we can find ways to manipulate training further to bring about further training adaptations, allowing for continual improvement.
While the standing good morning movements target the upper and lower portions of the posterior chain, the seated good morning exercise focuses on developing the lower, mid, and upper back and trunk. The primary focus is the improvement of spinal erector and trunk strength, with other muscles such as the hip flexors, rhomboids, lats, and mid/lower traps also being involved.
The sport of strongman requires an athlete to develop multiple special strengths and athletic traits. This makes the Conjugate Method the ideal method for a strongman athlete. When looking for the best training method to improve various special strengths and athletic traits simultaneously, there is only one answer – the Conjugate Method.
The Conjugate Method is not a "program" but a strength training operating system. What begins as a basic template and three primary training methods can become training plans capable of improving sports performance in every sport. The only thing that limits the effectiveness or efficiency of the Conjugate Method is the knowledge possessed by the coach or athlete managing the training.
An athlete's grip strength will dictate their success with the deadlift. Unlike the squat or bench press, where the weight is loaded onto the body, the deadlift requires an athlete to lift the barbell off the ground. Without proper grip strength training, athletes risk slowing their deadlift progress.
Accessory exercises are a significant part of Conjugate Method training. Each training day, 20% of our volume will come from our main exercise, while the remaining 80% will include accessory exercises. Our strategy is to use these exercises to resolve identified weaknesses and bring up lagging muscle groups so the selected accessory movements can vary from athlete to athlete.
When combined with other back exercises, such as barbell rows and cable pulldowns, shoulder shrug variations will help ensure the back is properly trained. This attention to detail will lead to direct improvements in the competition lifts when training the mid and upper back. Whether squatting, benching, or deadlifting, the mid and upper back play a crucial role in completing the lift.
While exercise selection certainly plays a role in accessory exercise training success, the most critical aspect of this training is how the sets and reps are programmed. Appropriate set and rep programming selections will dictate the training adaptations that occur and, when selected correctly, can lead to significant increases in training efficiency.
One type of back exercise we often include is the chest-supported row. While there are many variations of chest-supported rows, the idea behind the exercise is generally the same. Our goal is to limit the amount of momentum achieved using excess leg or torso movement, which places greater emphasis on the mid and upper back along with the rear delts to do much of the work.
The conventional deadlift is one of the two primary stances used when performing a competition-style deadlift. This stance emphasizes the posterior chain and helps strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and mid-back. Essentially, the conventional stance deadlift trains the posterior chain from the ankles to the ears and even helps address some anterior chain muscles as well.
The front squat is a multi-joint exercise that emphasizes the anterior chain while remaining capable of adequately training the posterior chain muscles. This movement helps to improve the strength of the quadriceps, hip flexors, back, and trunk. This variation is often one of the first squat variations we use when training athletes, as it helps to improve strength and technique in the competition squat directly.
Whether an athlete wants to improve their upper body strength, or a powerlifter seeks to improve their competition total, the bench press is an exercise that should be performed regularly. This exercise can be performed in various ways, including special exercise variations that utilize different specialty bars and accommodating resistance setups.
A proper speed bench workout comes down to execution and programming. Execution is most important, considering the intent at which each rep is performed is what separates dynamic effort training from repeated effort training. Additionally, athletes must develop proper form to ensure injury does not occur when training at higher velocities.
Unlike other approaches to powerlifting, we do not exclude exercises due to a lack of specificity. We understand that the greatest level of training specificity is when the exercise selection and programming directly match the athlete's current needs. There is much more to specificity than the use of competition-relevant equipment.
No training method compares to the Conjugate Method. Lou's approach to training can develop all aspects of strength, speed, and athleticism at a rate that cannot be matched by other training methods. Whether we are training strength or conventional sports athletes, the results remain the same—stronger, faster, and better conditioned.
At Westside, we understand that energy levels must be appropriately managed for a training day to be effective. This means that we select and organize exercises in a way that ensures the athlete performing the movements will have adequate energy to execute each exercise properly without missing any sets or reps.
