Intro
I have always enjoyed variety in my weight training. I simply want to train for a lot of goals and try a lot of things in the gym. Limited and strict programs bore me. I am training for the health benefits, to have some strength, and just to have fun. This system is for people like me. It is based around using a conjugate system to bench, squat, and deadlift heavy. There is room here to do a lot of other fun things.
This system is based around other conjugate systems that exist. I have been inspired by so many others out there, but this is all my take on things that works for me.
It is my hope that if you follow the programs outlined here that you will have a lot of fun and get a bit stronger.
This is how I do conjugate training, I hope it gives you an idea or two. The gym can be a playground, it’s ok to treat it that way.
WHO THIS IS FOR
This is for normal adults that are healthy and have no medical issues that would keep them pursuing a strength training and fitness program. You should consult with a doctor before beginning any exercise program.
This system and associated programs are just for normal people that want to be healthy, strong, and do cool stuff. There is room for specialization as you use the system but the scope remains general. This program can also help you look good if you keep your diet under control and stay lean.
You should have some training knowledge before embarking on this program. It is not a beginner program. Things like exercise technique will not be discussed here at any length. Some familiarity with the conjugate method would be useful as well, but you can look that stuff up if you are not experienced with it in detail.
The Philosophy
The core of this program is to improve the squat, bench press, and deadlift while doing a lot of other cool stuff. These three main lifts give you the base to do all sorts of other cool stuff and experiment and play. They are the foundation of everything and come first in the workouts.
The way this system works.
- Warmup
- Hit Main Lift(s) of the day.
- Have some fun
There is balance built into this system. All craziness you might engage in is tempered by things to keep you in balance.
Conjugate Basics
Conjugate training is simply the raising of multiple levels of fitness at the same time. In our context it allows you to be good at a lot of things at the same time. Some training protocols emphasize peaking one quality at the expense of others. For example a powerlifter might have a program that maximizes their strength in the competition lifts but completely disregards things like cardiorespiratory fitness. For a lot of people this is not ideal. Many of us normal folks want to be strong, have some cardio base, and be in good health at all times. Most of us are not as concerned with reaching an extreme peak of these things, we are not after all training for the Olympics. This is where conjugate training comes into play, we train multiple aspects at once.
Upper and Lower Split and Days
The core of this system is to have 2 upper body days and 2 lower body days per week. There are max or heavy effort days for both upper and lower body once per week. There are dynamic effort or repetition effort days for both upper and lower body once per week.
Max/Heavy Effort
Max effort work is generally done for a one rep maximal lift. This program gives you the option of having a heavy day rather than an all out max effort day. The key here is to lift something heavier than you would typically do for repetition work. On the max/heavy days you will move something heavy. You can also substitute in doing 2 or 3 rep sets instead of heavy singles on this day.
There are a lot of max effort exercise options, I encourage you to research and figure out what ones work best for you and are doable with the equipment you have.
Dynamic and Repetition Effort
Dynamic effort work is just moving the bar fast as possible. For the bench press you should use 3 different grips across the sets you do that do. A good way to do that is to do some normal width sets, some medium, and some close grip sets.
Dynamic squatting and deadlifts should be both done on your lower body dynamic day. Do 10-20 deadlifts for singles or doubles after your squatting protocol.
There are a lot of dynamic effort rep and percentage protocols out there. I encourage you to seek them out and find what works for you best.
Instead of speed work you can do repetition effort work as well. This is a good option if you need to add muscle to your frame.
Splits 3 day and 4 day
The 4 training days can be laid out across the week however works best for you. You do need 72 hours between training upper body and between training lower body. A sample training week could look like
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| ME Lower | Off | ME Upper | Offer | DE Lower | DE Upper | Off |
You could also do the four days across 2 weeks if you feel like a 3 day a week schedule works better for your lifestyle. This is a little less optimal but can still work. The third day in this outline would be for general full body accessory work. If you are going heavier on your accessory day make sure it is 72 hours away from workouts of the same type. Otherwise for lighter pump type work you can train 48 hours after your last big training day. This would look something like.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| ME Lower | Off | DE Upper | Off | Accessories | Off | Off |
| DE Lower | Off | ME Upper | Off | Accessories | Off | Off |
This is the basic outline of a conjugate system. This is how I run things myself. After the main exercises comes the supplemental and accessory exercises. This is where you can do all sorts of things and where the fun can into play with the system.
THE FUN BEGINS HERE!
I have always enjoyed doing a lot of exercise and a lot of accessory work. For me this is one of the more fun parts of training. It can be a lot of fun to try new things here too. This might mean doing 20 sets of one exercise and nothing else. It might mean doing 20 exercises for 1 set each. The possibilities are endless and that can be the fun of training.
The cool thing about accessory work is that it follows a main lift that is doing a lot of the work towards keeping you strong in general. If you are squatting and deadlifting hard, then you have so much freedom with the rest of your lower body work. This system is all about exercising that freedom.
It can be fun to do any number of things just to challenge yourself with your accessory work. The challenge and fun aspect is enough reason to do something. If you are driving performance a little bit more then you might want to use accessories specific to your weakpoints to bring those up. Your accessories are also the time to build muscle and get all huge, aesthetic, or whatever you want.
You are also able to switch out these accessory blocks at will. You can train for a few weeks to push strength up, then flip over to focusing on building muscle. Once you start thinking about the system this way you can do some really cool things.
The core of my system is you just do your main lift as normal in a conjugate program, then you drop in whatever workout routine seems fun.
These routines can be to accomplish any number of goals. The following are some of my favorite workout routines to put into the system.
You should pick workout routines that help you towards your goals, or seem fun and interesting to you. Try and keep some balance in there too.
Base Routines
This is a good home base for lifting. Sometimes you just want to do a general workout and get out. Sometimes you want to have a gap before starting your next routine. Whatever you decide this can be done as long as you want. If you run these base routines its good to rotate exercises every few workouts to keep from growing stale. It’s a choose your own adventure type thing. So have fun.
Upper Body Base Routine
| Exercise | Sets/Reps |
| Main Lift. Your Max Effort or Dynamic Effort Bench Press for the day. | Follow the protocol you’re using. |
| DB Presses – Do one on ME Day and other on DE Day DB Bench Press (Any Angle)DB Shoulder Press | 2-4 sets for 5-12 reps Go lower reps for strength. Higher reps for hypertrophy. |
| Back (Choose 1) Barbell RowsChest Supported Machine RowsChest Supported DB Rows1-Arm DB RowsPullups (Only if you can do a lot of good ones) | 4 sets for 10-12 reps |
| Triceps Extensions (Choose 1) Tate PressesDB SkullcrushersSkullcrushersJM PressRolling Triceps Extensions | 3-4 sets of 5-12 Reps. Go lower reps for strength. Higher reps for hypertrophy. |
| ABS | Do Something |
| Free Time – Do Whatever You Want No barbell pressing.Would be good to do some curls.Delt Work is good.More rows are good.Facepulls would be good.Machines and cables are good here. | 15 Minutes tops. Sets should be 10 or more reps for everything. Not required, you can just leave if you want. |
Lower Body Base Routine
| Exercise | Sets/Reps |
| Main Lift(s). Your Max Effort or Dynamic Effort Lower Body Movements for the day. | Follow the protocol you’re using. |
| Hamstrings (Choose 1) Pull throughsRomanian DeadliftReverse HypersGood MorningsGlute Ham Raises | 4 sets. Reps will vary, don’t do heavy singles here though. Triples and 5’s can be good. Reverse hypers should be more in the 10+ rep range. You’ll need to do homework on best rep ranges depending what exercises you pick. If just starting Glute Ham Raises you might be doing singles. |
| Lower Back (Choose 1, something different than you did for hamstrings) Reverse HypersBack RaisesGood mornings45 Degree back Raise | 3-4 Sets, 10 or more reps |
| ABS | Do Something |
| Free Time – Do Whatever Lower Body Stuff You Want Quad Work now and then is good here.CalvesLeg pressesSingle leg work.More back stuff can fit in here.GlutesMachines are good here. | 15-20 Minutes Sets should be 10 or more reps for everything. Not required, you can just leave if you want. |
The exercise options listed here are some of the better options. If you have more specialty equipment or other exercise you really like, feel free to add and substitute those in. If you do that though make sure you are trying to maintain some balance. Once you deviate from the program you’re on your own as far as balance goes.
Note On Supplemental Movements
Traditionally in a lot of conjugate programs after the main exercise there is a heavy supplemental movement. This movement is used to bring up a weak point in the main lift. The second lifts in the programs here tend to serve as supplemental movements. Choosing the right routines will ensure you are hitting your weak points with some work and building them up.
If you are running the basic program, feel free to rearrange the order of your exercises so that you are hitting a lift that addresses your weak point immediately after your main lift or lifts. For example if you have weak triceps, you could do JM Presses immediately after your bench press. This is so you are hitting your weak point with as much energy and focus as possible.
Specialty and Fun Workout Routines
The Base Workout Routine is a good routine that can take you far. You may find yourself wanting to specialize more or just getting bored with that routine. You also might just want to try and do some cool things that are not as focused on the squat, bench, and deadlift. These routines are a place to play and have some fun.
My Favorite Routines.
| Upper Body Routines | Lower Body Routines |
| The Old School Back Workout | The Old School Leg Workout |
| The Old School Chest Workout | Intro To Glute Training Program |
| MORE ROUTINES COMING SOON! | MORE ROUTINES COMING SOON! |
Putting it all together.
There can be a bit of an art to choosing your workouts in this framework. I would advise you not to do high volume workouts for all days in your program unless you are used to a high work load. If you are pushing your lower body hard with what you pick it might be a good idea to just do upper body base routine and vice versa.
Everything is set up to run in 3 week waves or blocks since that matches a typical dynamic effort cycle. Many of the routines can be pushed out to 6, 9, 12 week blocks depending on your conditioning and experience. 3 weeks is just a good base to keep you from getting too burned out or give you a chance to change if you want.
You can quit doing any workout routines outlined here anytime you want. It is your life after all. If you are feeling very burnt out by a high volume routine it would probably be best to back off and reset with something less intense. You must use good judgement here.
Examples
I feel like this article wouldn’t be complete without a few examples of how I lay things out. Hopefully this all gives you some inspiration to have some fun, and some ideas to follow.
Case: Individual wanting to increase upper body mass.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| ME Lower: Lower Body Base Routine | Off | ME Upper: Old School Chest Workout | Offer | DE Lower: Lower Body Base Routine | DE Upper: Old School Back Workout | Off |
Case: Individual wanting to specialize in lower body mass.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| ME Lower: Lower Body Base Routine | Off | ME Upper: Upper Body Base Routine | Offer | DE Lower: Old School Leg Workout | DE Upper: Upper Body Base Routine | Off |