At Westside Barbell, Louie Simmons spent decades developing and refining the Conjugate Method to build the strongest, most explosive athletes in the world. This course teaches the system the way it’s meant to be taught—directly from the source.
At a Glance
Outcome: Learn how to utilize, adapt, interpret, and program the Conjugate Method for your athletes—or for yourself.
Not included: This is not Conjugate Club programming or monthly workouts.
Who This Course Is For
Built for coaches who want a credential that actually separates them from the norm—and for serious lifters who want to stop guessing and start programming with purpose.
Strength & Conditioning Coaches
Personal Trainers
Physical Educators
Athletes and lifters running their own training
What You’ll Learn
The origins and evolution of the Conjugate System
Key refinements made by Louie Simmons over decades of coaching
Maximal Effort, Dynamic Effort, and Repetition Effort methods (how and why they work)
General & Specific Physical Preparation (GPP/SPP)
Circa-Max phase (how to apply it correctly)
Special Strength Development
Identifying weaknesses and attacking them with the right special exercises
How to adapt the method to your athlete, your equipment, and your reality
How You Earn the Certificate
This is a certificate course. You earn it by completing the coursework and proving you can apply the system.
Step 1: Quizzes
5 quizzes (10 questions each)
80% passing score
Unlimited retakes
No final exam
Step 2: Culminating Project (Required)
You are expected to demonstrate a complete understanding of Westside methodology by submitting a detailed written plan that includes:
Athlete backstory: training history, injuries, equipment, and relevant context.
Long & short-term planning: ultimate goal, long-term outline, and a detailed short-term outline.
8-week training plan: exercises, sets, reps, and weights/intensities where appropriate—detailed enough that a lifter could run it for eight weeks without follow-up.
Justification: multiple paragraphs explaining your decision-making—why each major variable is there, why movements were selected, and why additional work was or was not included.
Review: Westside staff review your project. Typical turnaround is 2–4 weeks. If needed, resubmission is allowed. You earn the certificate after you pass the culminating project.
What’s Included With Your Registration
One Payment — No Renewal Fees
Instant access to all course materials, lifetime access to the course, and lifetime access to our internal coaches community. Learn at your own pace and revisit the material anytime.
Essential Westside Texts (Downloadable E-Books)
Special Strengths Development For All Sports
Book of Methods
Olympic Weightlifting Strength Manual
Explosive Strength Development for Jumping
Bench Press Manual
Strength Manual For Running
Squat and Deadlift Manual
The Iron Samurai
Throwers Guide to Strength Training
The Rule of Three
The Conjugate Method Guide
Templates & Examples
Programming templates and examples are provided at the culminating project stage to support how we want you to structure and present your work.
Support & Coach Access
You’ll have access to an internal coaches community for ongoing discussion and support. You can reach out to Westside staff at any time through that channel.
Video calls: Available by request. Scheduling is based on staff availability.
CEUs + Certificate
Westside-issued certificate upon successful completion of the culminating project.
2 CEUs from the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA)
10 CEUs from the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa)
CEU process: CEUs are submitted by the student after completion (not automatically applied).
Certificate delivery: A physical certificate is mailed after you pass. (No other physical shipment is included.)
Where This Fits in the Westside Conjugate Pathway
This course is Level 3 in our Conjugate coaching pathway. Level 1 and Level 2 are recommended before taking Level 3, and they are required if you want to become an Approved Westside Barbell Conjugate Method Coach.
Product
Purpose
What You Produce
Assessment
Level 1 — Coaching Fundamentals
Learn how Westside thinks and makes decisions.
Coaching framework + decision process.
Course completion requirements.
Level 2 — Online Practical Course
Train your coaching eye (identify, correct, assign).
Practical coaching application.
Course completion requirements.
Level 3 — Conjugate Method Certificate Course
Prove you can program, adapt, and justify the method.
A complete 8-week plan + written justification.
5 quizzes + culminating project (staff reviewed).
Conjugate Club (Subscription)
Monthly training content/programming.
Workouts to follow.
Not a certification pathway.
FAQ
Is this different from the Coaching Fundamentals (Level 1) course? Yes. Level 1 is learning how Westside thinks. Level 3 is proving you can apply the method through assessments and a staff-reviewed culminating project.
Is this different from Conjugate Club? Yes. Conjugate Club is monthly programming/workouts. This course is a certificate pathway and has nothing to do with Conjugate Club training subscriptions.
Is there a final exam? No. There is no final exam. Your certification is earned through quiz completion and passing the culminating project.
How long does it take? Self-paced. Some finish in 4 weeks, others take up to 12 months.
Refund policy? No refunds.
If you’re serious about implementing an adaptable, results-driven strength system that works in real environments—not just on paper—this course gives you the framework and the standard to do it correctly.
