Author’s Note: This routine was written as part of a conjugate training system, if you are not doing conjugate training that is cool too.  There is an option below of how to make it work as a standalone workout outside any conjugate framework.  If you are not super familiar with that kind of training I recommend reading this page for more information.  Article: How I Do Conjugate Training. 

This is the kind of routine we used to do back in the day.  This really hits the upper back with a lot of work.  Lower back would still be done on your lower body days with this kind of program.  I wanted to bring this program back into the fold so I brought it back with the tweak of doing all this back work after bench press work in a more strength based program.

When To Do It

This is a good program to do if you want to do a lot of volume to bring up your upper back.  The back can take a lot of workload and this program lets you really hammer your back with a lot of it.  This workout would typically be part of your bench press day or for a solo back day.  If its on a solo back day just leave out the pressing main lift.

Main Lift

If you are doing conjugate training follow the conjugate recommendations, otherwise you can bounce down to the non-conjugate recommendations for main exercises.

Conjugate

This workout can be used on either max effort or dynamic effort day for the upper body.  If you are in great shape you could do this as both days if you really want to bring up your upper back.  If you perform it twice a week make sure you are doing enough shoulder, triceps, and chest work in your free time.

Just perform your main lift as you would normally do it.

Non-conjugate

The bench press should be your main movement of the day with this workout.  Use whatever set and rep protocol you like for your bench pressing.

This workout can be done as a solo back day if you want to leave out the main movement.

Supplemental Movement

On this program supplemental movement is left out in favor of just building up the back like crazy.  If you feel like you need more pressing you could do a backoff set or two after your main lift if you’re doing this on max effort day.  You can also do dumbbell presses after your main back work.

Program

Perform a full warm up before starting with the main exercise.

Exercise	Sets/reps
Main Lift as you normally do. (Some sort of bench press typically.)	Whatever you normally do.
Bent Over Barbell Rows	4 sets for 10-12 reps
Pulldowns or Pullups	4 sets for 10-12 reps
1 Arm Dumbbell Rows	4 sets for 10-12 reps
Close Grip Pulldowns or Close Grip Pullups	4 sets for 10-12 reps
Barbell or Dumbbell Shrugs	4 sets for 10-12 reps
Free Time Extras – 10 minutes at end. Good Idea to do some abs.Some curls would be good.Some lateral raises would be good.Light facepulls could go here. Lighter DB pressesOther assorted upper body movements are fine.	Keep reps above 10.  Don’t do anything too crazy here.

Picking Weights

Pick weights that feel too easy and move up from there in following weeks.  If you cannot do a lot of pullups, just stick with pulldowns.  If you are very good at pullups then by all means do weighted pullups. 

Progression

Add a little weight each week or a few reps to the workouts.  You don’t have to do this across all exercises. 

You can also start adding in a couple extra sets each week.  This means 1 or 2 sets extra for the whole workout, not 2 extra sets per exercise.  The back can take on a lot of work and this works for some people. 

Length

Do this for 3 weeks.  If you like how it is going a second 3 week run would be reasonable.  During a second 3 week cycle feel free to add in intensity methods like strip sets and forced reps.  Use intensity methods sparingly and for only a couple sets.  Beyond six weeks, you can keep trying to run it until the wheels come off if that’s your thing.

Author’s Note: This routine was written as part of a conjugate training system, if you are not doing conjugate training that is cool too.  There is an option below of how to make it work as a standalone workout outside any conjugate framework.  If you are not super familiar with that kind of training I recommend reading this page for more information.  Article: How I Do Conjugate Training. 

This is the kind of chest workout we used to do a lot.  It’s all about the basics and really building the chest.  With all the pressing work you will also get a lot of work for your triceps.

This is a hypertrophy program and not concerned about working in the strength range.  Your main lifts for the day should cover the strength range if you are concerned with that right now.

When To Do It

This is to be done once per week for either upper body day if you are conjugate training.  This routine would couple well with a back specific program on the other upper body day.  This would maintain some balance.  If you are doing a conjugate program, this would probably work a bit better on a max effort day than a dynamic effort day.  You can try it with either type of day though and see what you like best.

If you are not doing conjugate this would be done as your primary bench press or chest day.  I would advise against doing it twice per week.  If you wanted to do a less intense second chest or bench press day that would be acceptable.

Main Lift

If you are doing conjugate training follow the conjugate recommendations, otherwise you can bounce down to the non-conjugate recommendations for main exercises.

Conjugate

Do your max effort or dynamic effort pressing as normal with this program.  Stick to doing a flat movement while running this for your main lift.  You’ll be getting incline and decline work later on.

This is a good program to run if you are dropping out dynamic effort work in favor of repetition effort work for a while.  In such a case, 4-5 sets of 10 repetitions for bench press would be a good main lift.

Non-conjugate

Perform 4-5 sets of bench press in a 10-12 rep range if you are focused on hypertrophy.  If you want to do strength work you could bench press for 3 sets of 5 reps.  

Supplemental Movement

You will not be doing a true supplemental movement in this program because all the pressing will serve this purpose.

Program

Do a comprehensive warm up as you normally would before beginning the main lift for the day.

Exercise	Sets/reps
Main Lift of Bench Pressing as outlined above	Whatever you normally do.
Incline Barbell Bench Press	4 sets x 10-12 reps
Dips (weighted if strong enough)	4 x 10-12
DB Flyes	3 x 10-12
Pushups	2-3 sets, as many as you can do without getting fired up.  Just pump some out to finish your chest off.
Free Time (Keep Limited and no more chest you did enough of that.) A few rows if you want.Lateral Raises would be ok.Hammer Curls would be ok.A few sets of abs is good idea.	Keep the reps high and weight low.  Anything you do here is just to keep a little balance in things.  Don’t try and push other lifts after all this chest work.

Picking Weights

Start on the light side with the weight and build up if you have not been doing a lot of training volume already.  It is best to start too light if you don’t know where to start and add weight each week.

You can pyramid the weight up or use the same weight for all sets of an exercise. 

Progression

Each week you can try and add more weight or more reps to the lifts. 

On the dumbbell flyes you might just stay with the same weight across the whole cycle.  These do not improve as fast as other lifts do.

Length

Run this program as listed above for 3 weeks.  After 3 weeks if you want to do another 3 week run at it that is good.  During the second 3 weeks start adding in things like drop sets, forced reps, and other intensity principles.  This is when you can start doing all that bodybuilder type stuff.  Only use those methods for a couple sets per workout.

If you were feeling good after 6 weeks of running the program you could try it for another 3 weeks.  If you are having good progress then you can just keep running with things indefinitely.

Program Tips

1. Make sure you are doing lots of back training on another day of the week.  Otherwise you risk becoming out of balance.

Author’s Note: This routine was written as part of a conjugate training system, if you are not doing conjugate training that is cool too.  There is an option below of how to make it work as a standalone workout outside any conjugate framework.  If you are not super familiar with that kind of training I recommend reading this page for more information.  Article: How I Do Conjugate Training. 

This program is for people that want an introduction to glute training.  A lot of people workout their lower body a lot but don’t specifically target the glutes.  This program will do that while still training the lower body in a comprehensive way.

The exercises selected in this program scale nicely so you can take it very easy and ramp up over time. 

This program can bring a host of benefits to you depending where your training is at.  It can help make your hips feel better.  It can improve glute strength and size.  It can help with speed for sports.  It can also help some with low back pain if your glutes are the cause of this. 

When To Do It

This program is meant to be done on two days of lifting per week.  You should squat and or deadlift before doing this work.  There are Romanian deadlifts on the one day, you do not need to do conventional deadlifting before those unless you are running a conjugate system and using that as a max effort movement for the day.  Squatting and deadlifting protocols to perform here are up totally up to you. 

Main Lift

Conjugate

On dynamic days make sure you are doing both squats and deadlifts.  20-25 squats and around 10 deadlifts seem to work well here.  On max effort days, do whatever you want.

Non-conjugate

I would recommend using deadlifts as the main lift of day one of the program.  Then you can use squats as the main lift on day two.  You can also perform squats as a main lift each day.  If you like squatting and deadlifting on the same days, then you can do squats and deadlifts as main lifts on day 1.  I would not do both squats and deadlifts before day 2.  You are pushing the Romanian deadlifts hard on day 2, and doing squats, deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts all in one workout would be overkill. 

Whatever you choose it is important to squat and deadlift hard while doing this program.  It is where the bulk of your glute benefit will come from.  The rest of the exercises supplement these bigger heavier movements.  Any rep ranges you like for squats and deadlifts can be used, just make sure you are doing work here.

Supplemental Movement

On day 2 you will do Romanian Deadlifts as a supplemental movement to your main lift.  These should be pushed hard.

Program

Day 1

Exercise	Sets/reps
Main Lift of squats and deadlifts as outlined above	Whatever you normally do.
Reverse Lunges	2 sets, Start with bodyweight, when the reps get high start adding weight.
Back raises (hyperextensions) -Weighted	3 sets, 10+ reps, add weight weekly.
Hip Thrusts	3 sets, 10+ reps, do weighted on unweighted, up to you.
Seated Hip Abduction Machine	3 sets of 10-20 reps each.
Accessories- Do the following as desired Leg curlsQuad work (take it easy here, but a little is ok.CalvesAbs	Do whatever you want of these, just don’t take away from your recovery since you have already done a lot of work here.

Day 2

Exercise	Sets/reps
Main Lift of squats and deadlifts as outlined above	Whatever you normally do.
Romanian Deadlifts	3 sets 5-10 reps.  Add weight or reps weekly.
Step Ups	2 sets, Start with bodyweight, when the reps get high start adding weight.
Back raises(hyperextensions)	3 sets, higher reps, no weight.
Cable Pull Throughs	3 sets, 10+ reps
Seated Hip Abduction Machine	3 sets of 10-20 reps each.
Accessories- Do the following as desired Leg curlsQuad work (take it easy here, but a little is ok.CalvesAbs	Do whatever you want of these, just don’t take away from your recovery since you have already done a lot of work here.

Picking Weights

You should start very light on these movements and progress slowly.  The point of this program is an introduction to glute specific training.  This program is all about building up some workload for the glutes as a base.  With this base you can stay at this level or build to more extreme workouts in the future.

Do whatever you would normally do for progressions regarding your main lifts. 

Length

This program can be run in 3 week blocks with as many blocks back to back as you feel is useful.  As you get up to speed you will likely want to add more intensity to the workouts because these movements can get easy fast if you don’t load up the weight on them.  This could be ran a very long time provided you are properly cycling your main movements and their intensity. 

Author’s Note: This routine was written as part of a conjugate training system, if you are not doing conjugate training that is cool too.  There is an option below of how to make it work as a standalone workout outside any conjugate framework.  If you are not super familiar with that kind of training I recommend reading this page for more information.  Article: How I Do Conjugate Training. 

This is the kind of leg program we used to do back in the day.  It would start with regular squats and was followed by the exercises below.  This program is good for building some good quad mass and building up the lower body in general.  It is light on posterior chain work, so having another leg day each week to address that would be wise.

This program would be good for anyone looking to pump up their quads and do a lot of basic leg training.

When To Do It

This workout can follow your max effort or dynamic effort work or as standalone leg day if you’re not on conjugate.  This is best done for 1 day a week.  It would pair well with a more glute or hamstring focused day on the other lower body day.

Main Lift

Conjugate

If this is done on dynamic days just do what you normally do for your speed squats and speed pulls.  If done on a max effort day, stick to squat and deadlift variations for you main movements.  It would be best to avoid good mornings and rack pulls as your max effort movements while running this.

Non-conjugate

I would perform 3 sets of 5 repetitions of traditional squats as your main lift.  If you have a squat protocol you like you can use that.  Just make sure you are not going too high on the volume.  Any more than 3-5 sets of squats as a main lift would start to be overkill.

Program

Exercise	Sets/reps
Main Lift, Use a Squat or Deadlift Variation, Not a front squat you’re doing those later.	Whatever you normally do.
Front Squat	3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Leg Press	3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Romanian Deadlifts	3 sets of 8 reps.
Leg Extensions	3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Leg Curls (whatever variation you have available)	3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Standing Calf Raise (can substitute if you don’t have this machine)	3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Abs (whatever abs you like doing.)	2-3 sets, around 20 reps.

Picking Weights

Start on the light side with the weight and build up if you have not been doing a lot of training volume already.  It is best to start too light if you don’t know where to start and add weight each week.

You can pyramid the weight up or use the same weight for all sets. 

Progression

Each week you can try and add more weight or more reps to the lifts. 

Length

This can be ran 3, 6, 9, or even longer numbers of week.  As long as you are not getting too fatigued and are seeing progress in both weight lifted and leg size you can go far with this program.  If you increase weights slowly you can run this program for a good long time if you start light and just improve each time.