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Lift · Some talk

Conjugate / Westside

Also called conjugate method · westside barbell · max effort dynamic effort · westside conjugate

Community talk. May contain inaccuracies. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.

Conjugate / Westside is Louie Simmons's strength-training approach combining heavy lifting, speed work and accessory exercises within a week. Exercise variations rotate within a planned structure. Lifters seek stronger lifts and variety, but applying the method takes more judgment than following a fixed routine.

Westside Barbell

01

What a conjugate week involves

The usual split has four lifting days. Westside pairs heavy upper- and lower-body days with speed upper- and lower-body days. Accessory work follows each main lift; shorter schedules are adaptations.

Westside Barbell

Max effort means heavy work on a chosen variation. ME is the abbreviation. Simmons describes a top single reflecting that day's capacity. It need not beat an all-time record.

Simmons · 2016

Dynamic effort means lighter weights moved quickly. DE is speed work with controlled technique. Westside's 2026 beginner example uses bar weight alone at 50%, 55% and 60% across three weeks, before introducing chains or bands.

Westside Barbell · 2026

Accessory exercises supply much of the training volume. Repeated effort means additional sets for muscle development and work capacity: rows, presses and hamstring work. Westside includes this after heavy and speed work; the top lift is only part of the session.

Westside Barbell · 2026

Rotation still needs measurable progression. Baker's adaptation plans exercise menus and records heavy-lift results plus accessory weights, reps and sets. Returning to a comparable variation helps assess improvement; unrelated personal records make comparison harder.

Andy Baker · 2018

Rotation needs a way back to a comparable lift. Illustrative log: a box squat, a paused squat and a free squat each have their own entries. A heavier free squat than last week's box squat is not a record on the same task. Returning to the same box height, bar and squat variation allows a clearer comparison. The same principle applies to accessory work; variety can remain planned without treating every new setup as progress.

Illustrative log

02

Why lifters choose it

Strength, speed and muscle work share the week. These are Westside's training aims, with accessory work addressing muscles used in the main lifts. The method's own explanation does not establish superiority over other programs.

Westside Barbell · 2026

Variations can change which positions get challenged. Westside uses different grips, ranges of motion and bars to emphasize particular parts of a lift. The selection still needs a purpose and enough practice of the lifts that matter.

Westside Barbell · 2026

03

Good to know

Beginner adaptations keep technique ahead of variety. Westside describes establishing basic squat, bench and deadlift skills before adding complex variations. Its beginner speed progression introduces straight weight before chains and bands; copying an advanced lifter's week skips that preparation.

Westside Barbell · 2026

A percentage needs its exercise and resistance defined. Raw lifting means lifting without supportive suits or bench shirts. Baker distinguishes straight-weight loading from bands or chains, which change resistance during the lift. Different templates and percentage bases produce different workouts.

Andy Baker · 2018

Speed days and accessories can still accumulate fatigue. Westside's fatigue-management article describes adjusting main lifts or accessory demands when recovery deteriorates. A heavy single, fast repetitions and extra sets all contribute; constant exhaustion is not a requirement of the method.

Westside Barbell · 2024

Pain is a reason to stop an exercise. Mayo Clinic advises stopping painful exercise and learning correct lifting technique. Sharp pain, fainting or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician, as the STUDfit disclaimer states.

Mayo Clinic · 2026

04

From community discussion

One lifter enjoyed variety but had uneven results. Reviewing Brian Alsruhe's 12-week adaptation, tomkat41 reported stronger squat, bench and deadlift but unchanged strict press. Lower-back soreness was prominent early on. To manage the workload, running dropped to eight miles weekly before rising to twelve; speed or endurance improvement was not yet established.

Community · r/weightroom · 2025

Equipment access and gym time affected that experience. The same reviewer moved from a limited garage setup to a gym, reported paying $25 for the program at the time, and spent roughly 75–80 minutes per visit including warm-up and cool-down. They adjusted band tension to maintain speed. Those are one person's circumstances, not required costs or durations.

Community · r/weightroom · 2025

Learning to adjust the template took time. In a training discussion, BiteyMax22 described trying conjugate on and off before finding a workable approach. Becoming less rigid about accessory choices and removing volume or bands when fatigue rose helped them stick with it. Other replies valued flexibility but described the learning effort.

Community · r/weightroom · 2023

A straight-weight bench wave prompted debate. A discussion attributed to Baker described five weeks: ten sets of three at 60%, 65% and 70%, then eight sets of three at 75% and 80%. The original question is now deleted. This reported wave remains distinct from Baker's opened 2018 guide, which describes a three-week example.

Community

Replies questioned whether the heavier weeks were speed work. Strong_Zeus_32 argued that work above roughly 70% changes the goal and may compete with heavy-day recovery. ShawnDeal also questioned the DE label while seeing potential benefit. Their opinions do not establish a universal speed cutoff or prove the wave works.

Community · r/WestsideBarbell · 2025

A garage adaptation brings equipment and safety tradeoffs. Discussion distinguishes Westside's training room from gym copies using bands, boxes and loadable variations. One X opinion emphasized rotating stress and weak-point work over owning particular gear. Reports describe staying with it for seasons when recovery permits, while warning against unplanned max attempts without a spotter or safe rack setup.

Community

Other strength programs have different progression rules. Community comparisons name 5/3/1, GZCLP and Starting Strength as alternatives. Their schedules should not be substituted for a conjugate rotation merely because all involve barbell lifting.

Community

References for this topic

Sources and context

  1. Training Tuesday: Conjugate ↗

    id
    fit-wave-conjugate-methodtalk — Training Tuesday: Conjugate
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    Post and selected visible replies returned by web search.
    scope
    Participants distinguish high-force max-effort work, speed-focused dynamic-effort work and repetition/accessory work; examples vary for raw/equipped lifting.
    limitations
    Community explanations of a method, not an official Westside prescription. Opinions about applicability and outcomes remain attributed.

  2. Program Review: Brian Alsruhe’s Conjugate ↗

    id
    fit-wave-conjugate-log — Program Review: Brian Alsruhe’s Conjugate
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-23
    locator
    Post and selected visible replies returned by web search.
    scope
    A specific 12-week template reviewer discusses ME/DE work, accessories, equipment limits, long sessions and recovery alongside running.
    limitations
    Selected public, self-selected reports and opinions; identities, outcomes and explanations are unverified. Not a representative sample, consensus, prevalence estimate, treatment recommendation or training prescription. This is Brian Alsruhe’s interpretation, not the complete official Westside method or a universal conjugate schedule.

  3. Strength Training Methods ↗

    id
    fit-guide-conjugate-methods-2016 — Strength Training Methods
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Louie Simmons, 18 October 2016, the three methods
    scope
    Max effort as a one-rep effort, dynamic effort as fast submaximal reps with bands or chains, low reps by lift, and repetition work taken near failure.
    limitations
    The page states a bar speed of about 8 meters per second, which conflicts with 0.75 to 1.0 meters per second on another Westside page. It does not prove a meet result.
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside

  4. Using the Conjugate System ↗

    id
    fit-guide-conjugate-system-2016 — Using the Conjugate System
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Louie Simmons, 18 October 2016, weekly max-effort and speed days
    scope
    The Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday arrangement, the 72-hour spacing, and the practice of rotating the max-effort exercise.
    limitations
    The workout lists are examples from Westside, often with gear, bands, and special machines. They are not a beginner's required week.
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside

  5. CrossFit Strength Training, by Louie Simmons ↗

    id
    fit-guide-conjugate-crossfit-2011 — CrossFit Strength Training, by Louie Simmons
    platform
    CrossFit Journal
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    February 2011, dynamic-effort waves and max-effort day
    scope
    The 50 to 60 percent contest-squat wave, the 75 to 85 percent box-squat wave, bench sets of three, 60-second rests, and the Friday-Monday and Sunday-Wednesday split.
    limitations
    Percentages depend on which max is used. The article is aimed at trained lifters and includes accommodating resistance. It does not set a result.
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside

  6. Periodization of Training ↗

    id
    fit-guide-conjugate-periodization-2016 — Periodization of Training
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-24
    locator
    Louie Simmons, 18 October 2016, dynamic-effort bar speed and three-week waves
    scope
    Bench bar speed of 0.75 to 1.0 meters per second, nine sets of three on the bench, sets of two on the squat, and the 50, 55, 60 percent contest-max wave.
    limitations
    This page and the strength-methods page do not agree on bar speed. The loading examples assume a trained, often equipped, lifter.
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside

  7. The Conjugate Method ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-method-overview — The Conjugate Method
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    locator
    What Is Conjugate Training?; Louie's Synthesis; The Three Methods; The Weekly Split
    scope
    Identity, three effort methods combined weekly, classic four-day upper/lower split and accessory work.
    limitations
    Undated commercial program-owner page. Claims of superiority and injury-risk reduction are promotional and are not accepted as demonstrated comparative findings. No universal program is inferred.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29

  8. Strength Training Methods ↗

    id
    fit-rebuild-conjugate-westside-methods-2016 — Strength Training Methods
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    role
    Official context
    accessed On
    2026-09-27
    published Or Updated
    2016-10-18
    locator
    Louie Simmons, dated 18 October 2016, the three methods
    scope
    True max effort as one rep, a set of three called a different and inferior method, dynamic effort with bands or chains stopped when the bar slows, bar speed of about 8 meters per second or more, and repetition work near failure.
    limitations
    This page's bar speed conflicts with 0.75 to 1.0 meters per second on the periodization page. It does not prove a meet result.
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside

  9. Introducing Dynamic Effort to Beginners ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-beginner-speed — Introducing Dynamic Effort to Beginners
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    locator
    Burley Hawk; The Crawl Phase, The Walk Phase, The Run Phase, Work Through the Process
    scope
    Baseline lift proficiency; initial bar-only 50/55/60 percent wave; later introduction of chains and then bands; technical demand of speed work.
    limitations
    Named coaching progression rather than a personal plan or proof of safe use. Full sets/reps and later percentages are not exported as a universal prescription; page does not clearly specify the max denominator in its crawl paragraph.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2026-08-01

  10. Westside for Raw Powerlifting: Conjugate System Overview ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-raw-overview — Westside for Raw Powerlifting: Conjugate System Overview
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    locator
    Burley Hawk; The Maximal Effort Method; The Dynamic Effort Method; The Repeated Effort Method
    scope
    Heavy, speed and repeated-effort aims; accessory work after main work; daily performance need not produce an all-time PR.
    limitations
    Program-owner coaching and promotion, not a controlled comparative study. Raw-lifter success stories do not prove everyone will respond or eliminate safety concerns.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2026-03-26

  11. A Simple & Complete Guide to Conjugate / Westside Training ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-baker-guide — A Simple & Complete Guide to Conjugate / Westside Training
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Professional context
    platform
    Andy Baker
    locator
    Published Nov 14, 2018; The Westside Method; Record Keeping; Dynamic Effort Bench Press Day
    scope
    A coach's distinct adaptation, tracking repeated exercises, changing accessory reps/sets/weights, raw-versus-equipped context, straight-weight versus band/chain percentage differences; three-week bench wave in this guide.
    limitations
    Commercial coach/program seller's own guide, not Westside's official rules or a comparative experiment. This opened page does not verify the preserved five-week wave attributed to Baker in a deleted Reddit question.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2018-11-14

  12. Max Effort Exercise Variations for Raw Powerlifting ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-raw-variations — Max Effort Exercise Variations for Raw Powerlifting
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    locator
    Burley Hawk; Introducing Max Effort Exercise Variations; Programming Max Effort Exercise Variations; It's Not About Weaknesses
    scope
    Variation changes joint-angle and muscle emphasis; beginners need foundational proficiency; competition lifts can stay in rotations; fatigue can mimic a weak point.
    limitations
    Westside coaching viewpoint and program marketing. Monthly PR and genetic-potential claims are not treated as established benefits. Exercise examples do not constitute rehab advice.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2026-07-13

  13. Starting Conjugate: Fatigue Management ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-fatigue — Starting Conjugate: Fatigue Management
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Official context
    platform
    Westside Barbell
    locator
    Burley Hawk; What is Fatigue Management?; main-exercise changes and accessory-volume adjustment
    scope
    Recovery is part of programming; Westside describes changing exercise intensity/selection and accessory demands when fatigue accumulates.
    limitations
    Commercial coaching explanation with confident recovery claims. Claims that the template ensures recovery or almost eliminates detraining are not adopted as guarantees.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2024-02-02

  14. Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier ↗

    id
    fit-rebuild-conjugate-westside-mayo-strength — Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier
    platform
    Mayo Clinic
    role
    Professional context
    accessed On
    2026-09-27
    published Or Updated
    2026-04-29
    locator
    Getting started, medical review dated 29 April 2026
    scope
    Stop an exercise that causes pain.
    limitations
    General strength advice. It does not describe conjugate training.
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside

  15. Program Review: Brian Alsruhe's Conjugate ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-alsruhe-review — Program Review: Brian Alsruhe's Conjugate
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit · r/weightroom
    locator
    tomkat41; overview, results, lifting background, observations, additional notes, and reply giving 1:15–1:20 gym time
    scope
    First-person 12-week adaptation review: enjoyment, stronger squat/bench/deadlift, unchanged strict press, back soreness, running reduction, equipment access, paid-program cost, band adjustment and gym duration.
    limitations
    Self-report by an experienced lifter, not controlled evidence or an official program manual. The reviewer changed gym access and nutrition; cost is a reported 2025 purchase, not a verified current price. Running outcome was not tested at posting.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2025-05-01

  16. Training Tuesday: Conjugate ↗

    id
    fit46-conjugate-westside-training-discussion — Training Tuesday: Conjugate
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside
    role
    Community discussion
    platform
    Reddit · r/weightroom
    locator
    BiteyMax22 reply to jakeisalwaysright on adjusting a framework; replies about flexibility and learning effort; main fatigue-management comment
    scope
    First-person difficulty implementing conjugate, finding less rigid adjustment useful, accessory/volume changes, and the appeal and effort of tailoring the framework.
    limitations
    Narrow discussion among self-selected lifters. Some main commentary is from an equipped lifter. No universal no-deload rule, diagnosis or success rate is inferred. Thread date is available in indexed text; exact comment dates were relative in the opened body.
    accessed On
    2026-09-29
    published Or Updated
    2023-04-18

  17. Thoughts on heavier percentages for DE work? ↗

    id
    fit-rebuild-conjugate-westside-reddit-baker-wave — Thoughts on heavier percentages for DE work?
    platform
    Reddit · r/WestsideBarbell
    role
    Community discussion
    accessed On
    2026-09-27
    locator
    Doomgron's post and replies by Strong_Zeus_32 and ShawnDeal, read in the PullPush archive
    scope
    Andy Baker's straight-weight five-week bench wave from 60 to 80 percent, and disagreement about whether the heavier weeks are still dynamic effort.
    limitations
    Two replies on one programming question. Direct reddit.com was blocked. The 0.8 to 0.9 meter figure is a comment, not a Westside page.
    slugs
    • conjugate-westside

Keep this topic in view

Preserved original record

Earlier public profile and reader notes are preserved separately from the current article. They may contain superseded wording and are not newly checked material.

Read the full original profile
slug
conjugate-westside
name
Conjugate / Westside
aliases
  • conjugate method
  • westside barbell
  • max effort dynamic effort
  • westside conjugate
family
lift
heat
mid
talk
Some talk
most Discussed
false
first Line
Westside-style conjugate training combines heavy max-effort work, fast dynamic-effort work and repeated accessory work, often with rotating lift variations.
why Line
Lifters compare adaptations for their equipment and goals, and debate how a specific template differs from the methods used at Westside.
feel Words
  • conjugate
  • westside
  • max effort
  • dynamic effort
common Picture
  • lead
    ME abbreviates max effort; DE abbreviates dynamic effort
    why
    The labels distinguish heavy work from speed-focused work. [community]
watch For
Weekly maximum attempts with deteriorating technique or sharp pain. Conjugate training follows different progression rules from Starting Strength.
what People Say
  • The job: get strong with rotating maxes and speed work. [community]
  • r/weightroom still fights ‘real Westside vs Instagram conjugate.’ [community]
how People Run It
  • They pick variations they can actually load. [community]
amounts People Use
  • 4 days is the classic talk. [community]
how People Keep It
  • A planned variation list, rather than a week of unrelated personal-record (PR) attempts. [community]
how It Feels
  • A template can feel varied and demanding: one review described enjoying variation while also managing lower-body fatigue and concurrent running. Being wrecked is not the definition of the method. [community]
how Long People Run It
  • Seasons, if the room can recover. [community]
deep Dive
  • 5/3/1 and GZCLP are other named strength-programming systems. Their progression rules differ from rotating max-effort and speed-work variations. [community]
watch For Long
  • Weekly maxes without a spot or a brain. [community]
related
  • five-three-one
  • gzclp
  • powerbuilding
  • progressive-overload
research Pointer
    house Pointers
      play Pointer
      —
      sources
      • r/weightroom conjugate threads
      • Westside vs spreadsheet 2026 talk
      disclaimer
      Community talk. May contain inaccuracies. Not medical, training, or diet advice. Sharp pain, fainting, or disordered-eating concerns need a clinician.
      quick Answer History
      • field
        definition
        rows
        • Conjugate / Westside means rotating max-effort and dynamic-effort work rather than the same squat every session.
      • field
        communityPicture
        rows
        • Rooms argue garage-gym copies of a famous method, bands, box squats and whether weekly maxes belong outside a prepared gym.
      • field
        howItFeels
        rows
        • Heavy, then speed, then wrecked posterior chain. [community]
      • field
        firstLine
        rows
        • Conjugate / Westside is max-effort and dynamic-effort days with rotating lifts — a method, not a 5/3/1 spreadsheet.
      • field
        whyLine
        rows
        • Conjugate / Westside is max-effort and dynamic-effort days with rotating lifts — a method, not a 5/3/1 spreadsheet.
      • field
        commonPicture
        rows
        • lead
          ME / DE days
          why
          The skeleton people name. [community]
        • lead
          Rotating variations
          why
          Not the same squat every session. [community]
        • lead
          Not 5/3/1
          why
          Different religion. [community]
      • field
        howPeopleKeepIt
        rows
        • A variation list, not a random PRs-only week. [community]
      • field
        deepDive
        rows
        • 5/3/1 and GZCLP are the spreadsheet neighbors. [community]
      Read the preserved reader notes
      definition
      Westside-style conjugate training combines heavy max-effort work, fast dynamic-effort work and repeated accessory work, often with rotating lift variations.
      community Picture
      Lifters compare adaptations for their equipment and goals, and debate how a specific template differs from the methods used at Westside.
      additions
      • text
        ME means max effort: heavy work in the selected variation. DE means dynamic effort: work organized around moving the load quickly. Repetition/accessory work is another part of the method people discuss. In a May 2025 review of Brian Alsruhe’s conjugate template, the writer valued variation but described equipment limits, lengthy sessions and recovery demands alongside running. It was that particular interpretation of conjugate, not a description of every Westside program. Naming the template and available equipment makes the report usable.
        sources
      guide
      what
      • The moving part is the rotation. Louie Simmons, writing for Westside Barbell, uses three methods in the same week. Max effort is a heavy single, or sometimes a heavy double, on a special exercise: the most that can be lifted that day, not always an all-time contest record. Dynamic effort is a submaximal weight moved fast, with bands or chains, stopped when the bar slows. The repetition method is higher-rep work taken near failure on smaller exercises.
      • His 18 October 2016 article Using the Conjugate System puts max-effort squat and deadlift work on Monday, dynamic bench on Sunday, max-effort bench on Wednesday, and dynamic squat on Friday, with about 72 hours between extreme sessions for the same region. His February 2011 CrossFit Journal article uses that same split. A week that keeps the three methods and moves the days is an adaptation. It is not automatically the week he wrote.
      • This is not a beginner plan that repeats one squat and adds a fixed load. Simmons writes that the same core lift, trained above 90 percent and repeated, is where he saw lifters regress. The published math often includes boxes, bands, chains, and gear. The lifter still has to pick variations that can actually be loaded.
      how
      • Use four days if the classic clock is the one being run. On a max-effort day, warm up, then work up in singles on one special exercise: a box squat, a rack pull, a floor press, a board press, or another variation from the lists he published. The 2016 strength-methods article says one rep is the true max-effort set, and that a set of three is a different method. The 2011 Journal piece also shows some max-effort choices taken for a three-rep max. Read the line for that day. After the top single, add a few special exercises for the weak point and stop.
      • On a dynamic squat day, the 2011 article sets a three-week wave at 50, 55, then 60 percent of a contest squat, sets of two, rest about 60 seconds. Off a box-squat record, the same article uses 75, 80, and 85 percent. Bench speed work there is nine or more sets of three, three grips, bands or chains, rest 60 seconds. The periodization page on westside-barbell.com sets bench bar speed at 0.75 to 1.0 meters per second. A different 2016 page says about 8 meters per second. Those figures disagree. Use 0.75 to 1.0, and stop if the bar slows.
      • Speed pulls in the Journal article follow the squat speed work. Deadlift variations sit around 60 to 70 percent, and cleans or snatches around 65 to 75 percent, for sets of one or two, with about 60 seconds of rest. Choose variations the rack and the body can load. A raw lifter copying an equipped percentage is doing a different workout from the table. Write the exercise, the top single or the speed load, and whether the bar stayed fast. Next week, change the max-effort exercise. Keep the dynamic wave until its three weeks end.
      understand
      • The rotation is there because Simmons says three weeks on the same lift was where progress stalled. He calls that accommodation. Max effort trains a heavy skill on a new variation. Dynamic effort trains a lighter bar moved fast so the heavy day is not the only stimulus. The repetition work targets the muscles that limit the contest lifts. Drop one of the three and the week is no longer the system he described.
      • The common miss is a weekly max on the contest squat with loose form and no rotation. That is a testing habit. Another miss is calling any varied week Westside. The published clock, the three methods, and the percentage base are the check. His own pages also disagree on bar speed and on whether dynamic percentages come off a contest max or a box-squat max. Name which max the math uses.
      • The wrong tool is a new lifter without a stable squat, bench, and deadlift, or any session with sharp pain, fainting, chest pain, or disordered eating. Those go to a clinician. A heavy single is not the place to find that out. Community notes argue equipped Westside against gym adaptations. The method still has to name the variation, the effort, and the wave.
      sources
      summary Sources
      note References
      Download original public profileDownload complete article

      End of Conjugate / Westside