Table of Contents
The Conjugate Method, when programmed correctly, addresses all strengths and sport-relevant traits both efficiently and effectively. A properly organized Conjugate Method training plan can rapidly improve sport performance, allowing the athlete to develop multiple strengths and traits simultaneously. Unlike linear-based programs, we can make stair-step progress, avoiding regression and detraining altogether.
Unfortunately, some still question whether the Conjugate Method works. How can one believe that? I do not understand. If you know the system, you recognize it as a strength-and-conditioning operating system that can be manipulated in many ways to deliver results, no matter the sport or circumstances.
For instance, in the raw powerlifting world, many question whether the Conjugate Method is a viable training approach. They often cite the lack of top-level competitors using the methods as evidence that they don't work for raw powerlifting. However, it is important not to conflate a lack of use with a lack of effectiveness.
The truth is, the Conjugate Method can be tough for an uninitiated coach to understand and implement. To wield the methods effectively, one must have a solid understanding of foundational strength and conditioning science. Additionally, the coach must understand the history of Westside Barbell training and have experience running the methods personally.
Our methods are not made for the beginner-level coach who lacks both knowledge and experience. However, through study and experience, coaches can gain the knowledge needed to use our training system to its full potential. This is why we have made education one of our primary goals at Westside Barbell HQ. Our mission is to provide useful information and consultation so any coach or athlete can use our methods successfully.
In this article, we will discuss the learning pathways available to help coaches and athletes learn and effectively use the most effective and efficient strength and conditioning operating system.
Westside Barbell Books and Blogs
As a coach beginning to learn the Conjugate Method, it is important to understand the methodology's foundation. This is where the Westside Barbell Book of Methods comes in. The Book of Methods provides insight directly from Louie Simmons and gives coaches the foundational knowledge needed to begin using the system.
The next step after completing the Westside Barbell Book of Methods is to read Special Strength Development for All Sports. This book, authored by Louie Simmons, gives coaches the knowledge and insight to use the Conjugate Method correctly when working with athletes. Even if you only plan to work with powerlifters, there are principles and ideas in this book that apply to any athlete.
After reading the Westside Barbell Book of Methods and Special Strength Development for All Sports, I recommend obtaining Lou’s training manuals. This includes the Westside Barbell Squat and Deadlift Manual, and the Westside Barbell Bench Press Manuals. These manuals will provide additional insight into the programming and execution of the three most prominent main exercises within our training system.
Finally, I recommend checking out the Westside Barbell Bloghttps://www.westside-barbell.com/a/blog. This is where we regularly post articles covering a wide variety of Conjugate Method and general training topics, providing insight that helps coaches learn how to successfully apply and manipulate Conjugate Method training for a plethora of sports.
Whether you are a powerlifter, strongman, MMA fighter, grappler, lacrosse player, or track and field athlete, the Westside Barbell Blog will have articles that can be used to improve your strength and conditioning plan and help take your sport performance to the next level.
The Conjugate Club
For over 8 years, the Westside Barbell Conjugate Club has provided access to monthly Conjugate Method programming, as well as the Westside Barbell library of books, VHS tapes, and DVDs Lou has produced over the years. Recently, we updated the club to give members an even better experience accessing the most comprehensive collection of Conjugate Method information available anywhere.
The Westside Barbell Conjugate Club is more than just monthly programming. It is the Westside Barbell Exercise Programming and Educational Resource Library. Within the club, members will have access not only to exercise programming but also to educational materials that provide unprecedented insight and knowledge into our training system.
Whether an individual prefers reading or learning visually, the club offers content for everyone. Our goal is to preserve Louie Simmons's work and ensure that future generations of athletes and coaches properly understand the training methods he made famous.
The Conjugate Club gives us a platform to connect with coaches and athletes worldwide, ensuring that anyone interested in our methods has the opportunity to learn them correctly. While not everyone can travel to Columbus to visit Westside, the Conjugate Club lets us teach the methods regardless of location.
If you can’t train at Westside Barbell, the Conjugate Club represents the next best option to attain knowledge and experience with our training methods.
Here is what is included with a Conjugate Club membership:
New Thinkific Learner's Hub update to make navigating the club and finding programming and resources much easier
Instant access to new programming (Powerlifting, Strongman, Olympic Weightlifting)
Free Consultation Calls (Google Meet or Phone Call)
The Louie Simmons Archive
The Westside Barbell Resource Library (All WSBB Books, VHS Tapes, and DVDs)
The Exercise Programming Archive
The WSBB Exercise Index
8 Week Specialty Programming
When it comes to Westside Barbell and Conjugate Method content, no platform can come close to matching the Conjugate Club. Club members not only have immediate access to all the content listed above, but they will also continue to gain access to new content as I update the club each month.
The Conjugate Club is the only resource library of its kind, dedicated solely to teaching the Westside Barbell Conjugate Training System. I consider this club a necessary resource for any coach or athlete using our methods. These resources aren’t just for reading once; they are resources you can reflect upon throughout your entire athletic or coaching career.
Additionally, contacting us for a free consultation ensures there are no misunderstandings. Run into an issue, and progress stagnates? Call us. Hear something goofy about Conjugate online and need clarification? Call us.
Our goal with Conjugate Club is to provide our members with Westside Barbell-approved exercise programming and access to all of our educational content, so coaches and athletes know the what, why, and how behind the methods. We do not just send you a program and throw you to the wolves; we are with you every step of the way, teaching and providing insight into our training style.
Interested in becoming a member of the Conjugate Club? Click here to join now.
The Conjugate Coach Pathway
Once you have attained the knowledge required to understand the Conjugate Method and its application, it is time to take your learning experience to the next level: The Westside Barbell Conjugate Coach Pathway. This is our official certification course that provides coaches with the credentials needed to use the Conjugate Method at the highest levels of strength and sports performance.
This certification course features three levels:
Level One: Coaching Foundations Course – Theory, Decision Making, and Culture
Learn how Westside thinks. Conjugate as a decision-making process — choosing the right tool for the goal, not following a template.
1-on-1 video coaching calls from day one. Private Discord community access. Lifetime access to all course material.
Develop a coaching framework and decision process you can apply immediately — with any athlete, any sport.
Self-paced modules. Video + written transcripts. No enrollment window — start today, finish on your schedule.
Level Two: Practical Execution – Coaching the Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift
Learn how to observe a lift, diagnose where and why it breaks down, apply the right cue, and select the right accessory to fix it.
Obtain three 50+ page coaching manuals (one per lift). Video call review of your practical assignment with direct feedback.
Produce a practical coaching assignment: analyze a real lift, identify the weakness, recommend the correction. Reviewed on a video call.
Self-paced format. Module exams before advancing. Bands & chains setup covered in depth. Can be taken without Level 1.
Level Three: The Conjugate Coaching Certificate
Learn maximal effort, dynamic effort, and repeated effort methods in depth. Circa-max phase. Special strength development. How to adapt the system to your athlete and circumstances.
Obtain 6 total modules. 11 Westside e-books. Lifetime access to the internal coaches community. Programming templates & examples.
Produce a complete 8-week training plan with written justification — reviewed by Westside staff. This is how you earn the certificate.
Physical certificate mailed. 2 NSCA CEUs. 10 CSCCa CEUs. Submitted by the student after passing.
Once completed, coaches will have obtained the knowledge, experience, and resources necessary to become a Conjugate Method coach. These coaches also become members of the Westside Barbell coaching network, which verifies their experience and expertise. If you want to take your coaching career to the next level, the Conjugate Coach Pathway is the way.
Many talk Conjugate, few understand it. The Conjugate Coach Pathway separates the experts from the pretenders.
An Option for Any Coach or Athlete
At Westside, our goal is to empower all coaches and athletes to utilize the Conjugate Training System effectively. This system is the most effective strength and conditioning operating system bar none, and it is our mission to ensure it continues to be used effectively at all levels of sport performance.
Whether you are working with youth athletes, strength athletes, or collegiate and professional athletes, the Conjugate Training System can help improve all aspects of strength, speed, and overall athleticism. We encourage anyone reading this to use the resources mentioned above. These resources represent years of hard work, knowledge, and experience that we now use to educate the public on how exactly Westside Barbell trains.
It has been said that you are only training Westside if you’re at Westside. While this may be true, the options listed above represent ways to get as close to the source as possible.
The WSBB Library and Blog provide resources you can read and review to develop a full understanding of the methods and their application. The Conjugate Club provides exercise programming for countless sports, along with access to the entire Westside Barbell book and digital media collection. The Conjugate Coach Pathway provides coaches with the opportunity to become certified by and affiliated with Westside Barbell.
We appreciate all of the support we have received and continue to receive. We intend to remain in the gym, experimenting and learning, and to continue bringing cutting-edge approaches to the world of strength and conditioning.
