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.
As a powerlifter, it is crucial to use a powerlifting-based training plan. If you are new to powerlifting, you will likely discover many different approaches to strength training. Fortunately, all of these approaches essentially follow one of two operating systems: linear or conjugate-based training.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The level of success an athlete achieves with their strength training program is dictated by a few key things: exercise selection, intensity regulation, volume regulation, training frequency, and fatigue management. Fortunately, a well-written training plan should be able to dial in the first four aspects of training. Still, it can be difficult to predict how fatigued an athlete will become when progressing through a training program.
