The simultaneous improvement of multiple strengths and athletic traits sets the Conjugate Method apart from all other strength and conditioning methods. Using our system, athletes can rapidly improve their absolute strength, rate of force development, work capacity, physical composition, and conditioning. We waste no time on phases; we train efficiently and effectively year-round.

While the Conjugate Method was popularized in powerlifting, the truth is that our methods work just as well for athletes in any sport. Why? Because we have the freedom to design comprehensive training programs that meet athletes where they are and elevate their performance to the next level, no matter the circumstances. 

If a coach or athlete has a sound understanding of strength and conditioning science, the methods can be manipulated to target specific traits, sports skills, or weaknesses. There are no limitations to the Conjugate Method; the only thing that limits success with our methods is the coach or athlete designing the training program.

The Basic Conjugate Training Advice series aims to provide coaches and athletes with a variety of tips and perspectives on Conjugate training to allow the methods to be successfully implemented. Below, we will cover a few topics to help coaches and athletes achieve consistent positive training adaptations and results. 

Absolute Strength and Technique

One of the most common topics on powerlifting social media is the development of proper technique in the barbell lifts. While technique is no doubt an essential aspect of successful training outcomes, the belief that athletes must obsess over their technique throughout their lifting career is a lie perpetuated by social media coaches. 

With the sport of powerlifting gaining popularity, many beginners are looking for information online. Ultimately, they run into one of these coaches, and it makes sense; if I want to be a successful powerlifter, I must have good technique. And so begins a career of mediocre lifting, where every slight breakdown in technique sends them back to training with light to ultra-light weight, thinking this is how proper technique is developed.

The truth is, the level of absolute strength an athlete possesses ultimately dictates the amount of control they can exert over the musculoskeletal system during high-intensity training or competition. It has nothing to do with how much tempo or pause work they've done, nor how many times they squatted with a broomstick. The key to developing sound technique is simple - get stronger. 

However, you will have those who believe their technique work has been the sole driving force of success, while they ignore all the actual quality strength training they have accomplished outside of the technique work. Is it the time spent squatting with a broomstick that improves technique, or is it the sets of 1-3 or 3-5 repetitions at appropriate intensity that improves technique? Did your pause deadlift fix your positioning, or was it the training intensity and absolute strength development that strengthened your posterior chain, reducing the immediate rise of the hip hinge? 

Absolute strength is the horse that pulls the technique wagon. 

As athletes get stronger, their technique improves. Any coach who has worked with true beginners knows that right off the bat, technique is generally bad if the athlete has no training history. Why? Because they have done nothing up to this point to develop their absolute strength or coordination. 

If you start with an athlete who may have lifted for sport or has any training background, their technique at the start of training will generally be acceptable, with only a few tweaks. Why? They have improved absolute strength and coordination to some degree through their sports training. 

Another thing to consider is that, beyond basic movement parameters, technique varies among athletes. If you look at the best athletes in the world, you will see a variety of techniques and lifting styles. 

Why do these athletes attain this level of success? They focus on getting stronger and developing a biomechanically optimal lifting style. They spend time improving absolute strength and finding ways to move the barbell more efficiently based on what works for them personally. 

In the sport of powerlifting, you have two choices: worship at the altar of social media technique turds in need of likes and shares, or focus on getting stronger and developing technique that best suits you personally.  

Coaching Cues

Continuing on the topic of social media trends, we move on to the rise of the almighty cue. Now, I am not saying that athletes do not need cues, but the extent to which they need them is being exaggerated on social media for likes and shares. In my opinion, the overuse of cues leads to a lack of confidence and prevents the athlete from entering an autopilot state during competition.

Now, why would autopilot be a good thing? By the time you reach the platform, technique and confidence should be to the point where you perform the sport skill as if it were second nature. If you are in the midst of competition, you should have your sports skills dialed in so that one or two cues can be helpful IF you are displaying improper or lackadaisical technique. 

However, you often hear social media coaches giving overly complicated cues, as if they were football coaches calling a play. These coaches use things like excessive cues or technique adjustments to validate their existence and make athletes think they are some wizard. 

Truthfully, cues can help to some degree, but won't solve issues related to a lack of absolute strength. Often, when a competition lift fails, it is not because a coach's cue was not listened to; it is because the lifter lacked strength or energy.

Unfortunately, as the lifter walks back to the warm-up room, the coach will hammer home the importance of listening to the cues. They won't acknowledge that the training they put together left their athlete unable to meet competition goals. It couldn't be that the training is lackluster; it must've been the athlete's fault and their inability to listen like a trained dog. 

If you are a coach, keep cues sensible and timely. Don't just shout a bunch of useless cues so that you can say you did something. Every time I hear a coach shouting tons of cues as their athlete walks to the platform, I think of the Ralph Wiggum "I'm helping" meme. 

At Westside, we would have guys shouting "head up," "chest up," "big air," and every time I would think to myself, "No shit." If I have gotten to the point where I am training at Westside Barbell and need to hear how to properly brace and maintain posture during a barbell squat, maybe I shouldn't be training there. 

Simple cues can be helpful, but don't let your coach turn you into a puppet, pulling your strings with a bunch of useless suggestions that only create confusion or a lack of confidence. By the time you reach the competition platform, you should already know what needs to be done and how to do it. 

Understanding Max Effort

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the Conjugate Method is maximal effort training. The uninitiated believe this training day is the same as what they refer to as a "max out", which is what we would refer to as a competition max. This leads to foolish opinions about Conjugate Method training, perpetuated by folks with a limited understanding of strength training science. 

At Westside, we aim to break training PR's. These are PRs established amid fatigue, meaning we are not intentionally peaking for these lifts. When an athlete competes, the goal is to rest strategically to maximize supercompensation. 

The only way to improve absolute strength is through adequate loading. Optimal improvement in absolute strength requires athletes to train at least at 90% intensity, aiming to break a former PR (100%+). This not only leads to rapid development of absolute strength but also improves bone and tissue density, helping better prepare an athlete for the rigors of high-intensity training and competition. 

The most critical aspect of max effort training is evaluating the work-up and top sets. We want to look for signs of excess fatigue or technique breakdown that could lead to missed lifts. If we notice excess fatigue or significant technique breakdowns, we end the exercise and move on to accessory work. 

The secret to successful max effort training is possessing the ability to judge work-ups and top sets to avoid missed lifts. Not only are missed lifts risky from an injury standpoint, but they also can become habitual. 

The Westside Barbell approach to maximal effort training is to lift the heaviest weight an athlete can manage on that specific training day. We want to train at the highest intensity level our current fatigue allows, without risking injury from mismanaged jumps or attempts.

Missing lifts can also become a habit. It is important for athletes to assess their performance on each maximal effort day honestly. 

Do not lie to yourself or try to will your way to success if you know excess fatigue is present and technique is breaking down. You can live to lift another day. No athlete should feel like they are laying it all on the line on a maximal effort training day. 

Our goal with max effort is simple: get in, attain adequate stimulus (90%+), and get out unscathed. We are developing absolute strength, not lifting as if it were the last competition of our lives. 

Check out the WSBB blog for more Basic Conjugate Training Advice articles.