Conjugate Programming (Modified)
One of the greatest accomplishments I’ve put under my belt is learning to program for athletes, and do it effectively. As we head into 2016, I am personally into the 3rd year of programming for the gyms.
Previously, I farmed out the programming and took control back a few years ago. Since then, I have seen the athletes at CrossFit 858 take their strength and conditioning to new levels. To get them there, there has been a fair share of trial and error. Constant learning, research, practice, and application is the key to growth as a programming coach.
With that said, a program that I’ve always found interesting was the Westside Barbell Conjugate Program by the legendary Louie Simmons. Under this program, and with dedicated lifters, this program has produced athletes that can bench over 700lbs and squat over 1,000 lbs
Now, is the plan to turn you all into powerlifters? No. Absolutely not. The plan is to take the learnings and benefits of the Conjugate Method and apply them to OUR programming. Programming for the masses, intended to make you stronger outside of the gym in our every day lives.
For the next 9 weeks, taking us into the Open, we will be on a modified version of the Conjugate Method. We will be taking on a “max effort” style lift every Monday with a “Dynamic” Friday strength session. The box squats we’ve been doing for the past few weeks laid a foundation for this program. Every 3 weeks, we’ll be changing the movements on the dynamic days to prevent CNS (Central Nervous System) burn out.
The take home of this next phase is this: You will be getting much stronger than before, but not just in one particular lift. This increased strength will transfer over to your metcons and overall fitness.
To learn more about The Conjugate Method, follow these links:
- The Conjugate Method by Louie Simmons
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The Westside-Barbell Conjugate Method: A Users Guide by Jordan Syatt
- Bodybuilding.com’s write up of the Conjugate Method
Special thanks goes to Rich Estes, briefly a CrossFit 858 athlete prior to moving to Texas, but formerly a coach and programmer for Socal Strength Club. I’ve spent some time with Rich bouncing questions off him and learning from him as he’s spent considerable amounts of time learning this system.
If you have any questions, email me at coachmark@crossfit858.com