The conjugated method for team sports
What is Conjugated training?
Conjugated training means that several abilities (e.g. absolute strength, speed strength, rapid force development, muscular endurance, hypertrophy, etc) are trained together throughout the training week.
When athlete’s repeatedly use the same method (and exercises) of training to raise their strength level, they will eventually stall. Many of us have the belief that to squat bigger weights then we better squat more often. Louis Simmons believe this is wrong. He states, “if the same exercises are done longer than 3 weeks, the central nervous system will cease to adapt. How many of us who tried getting a bigger bench hit the wall after a few weeks and our weight’s stagnated I see this every time I go back to my old gym in Wales where guys I used to train with are benching what they did 10 years ago!!!
Louis got the conjugated method from his research on studying Eastern European methods of training and in particular the famous Dynamo Club in the former Soviet Union which was for Olympic Lifters. They were introduced to a system of 2-4 special exercises per workout and were rotated as necessary to make continued progress. They soon found out that when they became stronger in exercises like the good morning, glute ham raise, various extension work and pulls, so did their Olympic lifts even without Olympic lifting.
I remember having a conversation with Charles Poliquin a few years ago and him telling me about an athlete he had taken who had been Power Cleaning the same weight for a number of year’s and simply couldn’t improve - Charles stopped him from doing Power Cleans for around 12 weeks and the guy smashed his PB.
Louis also states” the more advanced the lifter-the more tasks he needs to stimulate further development. The training is linked together, and although the exercises change regularly (to prevent accommodation), similar exercises are done in many different ways. Special exercises are also done within a workout to work on weak muscles which are inhibiting your progress in the core lifts and these special exercises are also switched when progress halts.
Now how do I apply conjugated training with my players, firstly our season is 9 gruelling months and at this present time we are 6 month’s into our season. If we have played on a Saturday we will do our first weights program on Monday late afternoon (if the player is so beat up he won’t train on my recommendation) if he is still alive this will be a typical program which changes every Monday and also Backs & Forwards have different programs and if a player has a real weakness after he has completed the core lift he will then work on his weak areas.
A 8 X 1 - 3 CLEANS
B1 4 X 12 - 15 REVERSE HYPERS (HEAVY)
B2 4 X 20 STRAIGHT LEG RAISES
B3 4 X 50 M WEIGHTED WALKS
We will then do our second weights program Wednesday late afternoon which again changes every workout.
A 8 X 3 PUSH PRESS, PUSH JERK, SPLIT JERK
B1 4 X 20 BODYWEIGHT DIPS
B2 4 X 6-8 TOWELL CHINS
I used to use primarily the power lifts as my core exercises obviously having been influenced by Westside but like everything else if you want to keep improving yo have to keep evolving and I primarily use the Olympic lifts as my core lifts and have seen fantastic improvements in my players physicality and mentality.
Phil Richards
Worcester Warriors