This is a twice per week, 9 week conjugate strength program that only programs for the squat and deadlift. It was put out by Nick Spataro and you can see his video overview of the program below. [Read more…]
Conjugate Periodization Powerlifting & Strength Training Programs
Below you'll find powerlifting and strength training programs that utilize conjugate periodization.
If you don't find the conjugate periodization program you're looking for, check out the Lift Vault Program Library, which lets you search based on periodization type, training days per week, and much more.
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Brian Alsruhe Conjugate Program
Brian Alsruhe’s conjugate program is a 16 week, 4 day per week strength program that utilizes conjugate methods (dynamic effort, max effort) to stimulate strength gains. It makes heavy use of resistance bands and chains so it is recommended that these are used when following the program.
Max effort days [Read more…]
Westside for Skinny Bastards Program Templates (WS4SB)
Westside for Skinny Bastards (WS4SB) is Joe DeFranco’s hybrid, Westside-style program for skinny lifters and hard-gainers who want to add size and strength at the same time. It’s built around a primary heavy lift plus supplemental and accessory work, and DeFranco published it as two different templates: the original 3-day version (Part 1) and a later 4-day revision (Part 3). Pick the one that fits your schedule and how much you want to train.
The program borrows the Westside Barbell idea of rotating a max-effort lift and a repetition (higher-rep) lift, but it trims the conjugate method down into something a high schooler, athlete, or working professional can actually run. You train the upper body twice a week and hit the lower body hard, with the max-effort method building strength and the repetition method adding muscle. It’s a loose template, not a strict percentage-of-1RM plan, so you’ll rotate exercises every few weeks and do a little interpreting as you go.
WS4SB is geared toward ectomorphs and athletes who want general size and strength rather than a competition powerlifting total. If you’re brand new to lifting and want something simpler to start with, a straight linear program like Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5×5 is an easier on-ramp. Inspired by Westside, this program is not affiliated with Westside Barbell or Louie Simmons, and it is not a powerlifting program.
[Read more…]Brian Alsruhe Programs (Dark Horse + 4 Horsemen)
Two free strength programs from Brian Alsruhe: Dark Horse and 4 Horsemen. Both were published on his YouTube channel, and he walks through each one end to end on video rather than handing out a PDF.
Brian coaches out of Never Sate Athletics and comes at strength from a strongman and conjugate background, so both programs lean on max effort work, heavy carries and conditioning rather than a straight percentage progression. They are demanding programs, and neither is a good first template.
If you want a written breakdown before committing, watch the overview video for whichever program you are considering. I have kept the vlog series at the bottom too, because watching somebody actually run Dark Horse week to week tells you more about the workload than any summary will.
[Read more…]