Conjugate System™ - Circa 2016

I have been asked many times what made me write a strength book about Olympic weight lifting.

It has been pointed out to me that I have been a powerlifter for fifty years, and I’ve been asked why then did I write this book. I am happy to answer this question.

First of all Westside has made more all-time world records then any powerlifting gym in the world.

The methods I used are the methods used by the former Soviet Union weight lifters. The Chinese also adapted the same basic system and are doing great things. Much of our M-E training is based from the Bulgarian System. Many people don’t know that much of the Bulgarian training came from the Soviets.

Much of their research came from men like Felix Verikovsky, L.N. Sokolov and N.I. Luchkin, the father of Soviet weight lifting biomechanics.

It is not a completely new and different system that is discussed today in the United States.

On a six-day system, special barbell exercises were more than the classical lifts’ three-days-a-week system.

Like Westside the Chinese and the Soviets’ special exercises were the way to consistently raise total volume, which is necessary to reach the top.

This is shown in my strength book when L. Ihrbotinsky’s progress stopped after winning the 1960-64 Olympics. After some research it was found his average weight by percent and total volume were somewhat less. After knowing this, it was pushed back upward and once again he started to make progress.

The controlling of intensities, volume and lifts per workout is constantly shown in 50 pages of managing the training in a weekly, monthly, yearly and, of course, a multi-year periodization in our strength book for weight lifting.

I am asked many times by Olympic weight lifters if the conjugate system will work for a weight lifter. I answer yes, it came from Olympic weightlifting. It was an experiment at the world famous Dynamo Club. (By the way, it means power in motion. It was made up for Physical Education including 45 sports team.)

Many renown sports scientists tried an experiment called the Conjugate System for weight lifting. It used 20 to 45 classical and special lifts and exercises to enhance weight lifting with 70 high-skilled weight lifters.

After the initial cycle one lifter was satisfied, but the rest wanted more.

It would grow to 100 weight lifting exercises.

It was common to have all the lifters use basically the same program. The Conjugate system’s purpose was to use many special exercises that were based on the phasic structure of the lifts.

This was designed by A.A. Lukashev in 1972.

By choosing the correct special exercises for the lifter, strength could be emphasized at a certain phase of the classic lift. This also brought about an improvement in speed strength abilities.

Many of the special exercises were, of course, much different by standing on a box to clean or using a closer grip to snatch.

This would cause one to emphasize strength development in certain muscle groups.

The theory was to build strength in individual muscle groups and increase mobility, and flexibility this would lead to an increase in technique.

To enhance mastery of technique is measured by many methods.

By using many special exercises, it is then possible to raise volume, not only in the beginning of the training, but continued close to double the volume at high intensity.

This made training more enjoyable and more interesting.

This did many things, first raising work capacity, which is lacking in the U.S.

Also, it showed that because of the effect of direct single muscle group strength improvements it improved speed strength and coordination in the classic lifts.

At Westside the powerlifters do special exercises 80 percent of the time. Westside has the greatest coff squatters male and female, the greatest bench pressers male and female, plus the current best all time male and female lifters of time by using the system made for Olympic weight lifters. How? By choosing the correct exercises for the powerlifters.

In the strength manual you find many programs to choose from and rotate as you see fit. The ones that are most difficult are the ones that will contribute to raising the Olympic lifts.

Special Notes:

Westside has seen that the squat lacks front and back as well as high degree of back strength in the weight lifters that visit Westside.

On special leg and back exercises the Olympic lifter falls far behind our powerlifters.

This should not be the case. Monkey see, monkey do. Watch the web and watch the Russian and Chinese workouts.

You will note that they all have a large squat. The front squat is always at least 100l pounds above their clean. Why? Because it requires a very strong squat to not only recover from a heavy clean, but be able to have the reserve to jerk the bar overhead.

The manual shows how to improve the squat and has countless special back exercises to improve your back strength to lift new records.

One should be as strong in the special lifts as possible.

Try to increase your GPP by pulling a weight sled 60 yards a trip for up to 10 trips. This will build all lower body muscles and help recovery. I will leave you with this: The SHW Alexis who broke more world records then any other Olympic weight lifter‑‑80 in all‑‑did the following at times: Power snatch 100kg for 100 times. Stand in waist high water and pull weights from the bottom to the top. And for GPP would walk in a pool for 1000 steps to build his abs, and condition his legs.

Why? Because they help his lifts.

Please Read:

A System of Multi-Year Training in Weight Lifting‑‑A. S. Medvedyev

Super Training‑‑Mel Siff

Fundamentals of Special Strength Training in Sport‑‑Y. V. Verkoshansky

Managing the Training of Weight Lifters, N. P. Laputin‑‑V. G. Oleshko

This will help your education in weight lifting.

Louie Simmons