Conjugate Program (In Progress)

[Gazhole]

Been working on a conjugate program after looking through MILO journals this week. Seems i've done a few similar things in the past but haven't actually come up with anything original, haha.

Thinking of doing this as my next program, but also just want to get some input on the program in general (may write it up for blog or something). Its just a general strength-oriented program using some elements from the Block training im doing at the moment.

Day 01 - Strength Day (Lower Pull/Upper Push)
Day 02 - Power Day (Lower Pull/Upper Push)
Day 03 - Off
Day 04 - Hypertrophy Day (Lower Push/Upper Pull)
Day 05 - Off
Day 06 - Strength Day (Lower Push/Upper Pull)
Day 07 - Power Day (Lower Push/Upper Pull)
Day 08 - Off
Day 09 - Hypertrophy Day (Lower Pull/Upper Push)
Day 10 - Off


Strength Day =
4 Movements (2 Per Muscle Group)
Primary movements are a warmup set or two, then 4-6 Singles working towards 1RM/PR
Secondary movements are heavy Triples (3x3)


Power Day =
2 Movements (Olympic/plyometrics/explosive)
Both are done high sets, low reps for power (8-10 sets of 1-3 reps)
Cardio/circuits/complexes performed here (HIIT/tabata etc)


Hypertrophy Day =
3 Movements
2 Compounds (10x5)
1 Isolation (2x14)

So yeah, any comments/suggestions etc? I don't think it looks too bad, but for some reason it's just not sitting right at the moment. I guess the only way to be sure is to try it out. I don't think the volume is excessive, and power training is obviously an important component in increasing strength. The hypertrophy training is pretty high in volume though, hence the high amount of rest surrounding that day.

EDIT - Rest is cut down!
EDIT - 10x5, baby!

 

[Stewart14]

I think there are way too many days between each exercise day. I think you could probably get away with taking only one day off wherever you have two listed and still be ok, you are afterall going to be doing different things on all those days.

 

[Gazhole]

I think there are way too many days between each exercise day. I think you could probably get away with taking only one day off wherever you have two listed and still be ok, you are afterall going to be doing different things on all those days.

This is true. I guess the hypertrophy day isn't TOO excessive to warrant that much rest. It only seems like that because i've been doing 10-14 sets a session lately, haha.

Thanks for the input

 

[Stewart14]

if you want to take it a step further, I don't even think you should do the 10x10 scheme, I think it's a ridiculous set/rep scheme that probably only works if you are juicing or genetically gifted. The weights would be so low that I think you would have an "unsatisfying soreness feeling" the next day, meaning you got really sore from it, but didn't do much in the way of long term growth.

If you want to go high volume, why not try a 10x3 or at most a 10x5 scheme, this way you can go heavier, still get a pump with all those sets, and get some meaningful growth out of it. I can tell you I tried the advanced german volume training routine in the past (well before I had two little kids at home and was able to sleep normally every night) and it worked great, I remember I blew up on that program, so I can tell you it works, and since you are only doing one day of it, it might be the best route for you.

 

[Gazhole]

If you want to go high volume, why not try a 10x3 or at most a 10x5 scheme, this way you can go heavier, still get a pump with all those sets, and get some meaningful growth out of it. I can tell you I tried the advanced german volume training routine in the past (well before I had two little kids at home and was able to sleep normally every night) and it worked great, I remember I blew up on that program, so I can tell you it works, and since you are only doing one day of it, it might be the best route for you.

I thought GVT was 10x10? Or did i read a bum article?

10x5 sounds cool though, definitely prefer going heavier rather that 10 reps. Just wanted to have something in there that was really high volume like you said.

On the whole i think this could be a fun program. I like doing two days in a row of the same muscle groups on the program im following right now, its interesting! Conjugate style programs have always gotten me great results, too.

 

[Stewart14]

I thought GVT was 10x10? Or did i read a bum article?

10x5 sounds cool though, definitely prefer going heavier rather that 10 reps. Just wanted to have something in there that was really high volume like you said.

On the whole i think this could be a fun program. I like doing two days in a row of the same muscle groups on the program im following right now, its interesting! Conjugate style programs have always gotten me great results, too.

the original gvt is 10x10. I was refering to the advanced gvt, which is 10x5, then 10x4, then 10x3, back to 10x5, etc. It's cool cause when you go from 10x5 to 10x4, you are upping the weight as you go, so you're not waiting to complete all 10x10 like in the original, you are always shifting the weights around

 

[Gazhole]

the original gvt is 10x10. I was refering to the advanced gvt, which is 10x5, then 10x4, then 10x3, back to 10x5, etc. It's cool cause when you go from 10x5 to 10x4, you are upping the weight as you go, so you're not waiting to complete all 10x10 like in the original, you are always shifting the weights around

No, that does sound better. 10x3 must be hard going, i've done a lot of 6x3 and found that tough! Gonna have to read up on AGVT for sure. Reccomend any good articles?

 

[Stewart14]

TMUSCLE.com | Advanced German Volume Training

 

[AKIRA]

if you want to take it a step further, I don't even think you should do the 10x10 scheme, I think it's a ridiculous set/rep scheme that probably only works if you are juicing or genetically gifted. The weights would be so low that I think you would have an "unsatisfying soreness feeling" the next day, meaning you got really sore from it, but didn't do much in the way of long term growth.

If you want to go high volume, why not try a 10x3 or at most a 10x5 scheme, this way you can go heavier, still get a pump with all those sets, and get some meaningful growth out of it. I can tell you I tried the advanced german volume training routine in the past (well before I had two little kids at home and was able to sleep normally every night) and it worked great, I remember I blew up on that program, so I can tell you it works, and since you are only doing one day of it, it might be the best route for you.

Like with shitting as Shoulder raises!

I read an article years ago about doing a movement for 100reps and yes, it had to be super low and all it did was burn. 50 is still pretty high, but for all the reasons Stewart already said, add in the fact that it wont take as long and wont be as boring.

 

[Gazhole]

Like with shitting as Shoulder raises!

I read an article years ago about doing a movement for 100reps and yes, it had to be super low and all it did was burn. 50 is still pretty high, but for all the reasons Stewart already said, add in the fact that it wont take as long and wont be as boring.

Yeah, i see what you guys mean. Too many reps is just going to be needless and counter-productive overkill. 10x5 should be legitimately more difficult, aswell.

 

[Stewart14]

Yeah, i see what you guys mean. Too many reps is just going to be needless and counter-productive overkill. 10x5 should be legitimately more difficult, aswell.

yeah, try 10x5 with 75% of 1rm, you may or may not get through the whole thing, it's tough, especially on squats....it's walking death!

 

[danzik17]

You should try the routine I just made up/ran. It was a lot of fun and I made some great gains on it

For you it would basically be:

M - Low Rep Power / HIIT
W - Low Rep "Mental"
F - High Rep / High Weight / 1 set

Alternate Push / Pull / Push with Pull / Push / Pull weeks.

There was a LOT of rest in-between my heavy pushes and heavy pulls which was absolutely great for keeping the gains rolling in.

The mental day is something that I made up - whether it's been used before or others use it, I don't know. It was basically high weight quarter squats or rack pulls depending on the week in order to prepare myself for the heavier full ROM movements the following week.

 

[Gazhole]

You should try the routine I just made up/ran. It was a lot of fun and I made some great gains on it

For you it would basically be:

M - Low Rep Power / HIIT
W - Low Rep "Mental"
F - High Rep / High Weight / 1 set

Alternate Push / Pull / Push with Pull / Push / Pull weeks.

There was a LOT of rest in-between my heavy pushes and heavy pulls which was absolutely great for keeping the gains rolling in.

The mental day is something that I made up - whether it's been used before or others use it, I don't know. It was basically high weight quarter squats or rack pulls depending on the week in order to prepare myself for the heavier full ROM movements the following week.

I like the idea of the quarter squats/rack pulls with a really heavy weight to get ready for the proper lifts, that was a cool idea! Did you find it worked well for strength gains? It looked to be that way from your journal.

 

[Gazhole]

yeah, try 10x5 with 75% of 1rm, you may or may not get through the whole thing, it's tough, especially on squats....it's walking death!

Good! Thats exactly what i want from the hypertrophy day

High volume squats are great. I've done the 20 rep squat and smolov squat programs and loved it.

 

[danzik17]

I like the idea of the quarter squats/rack pulls with a really heavy weight to get ready for the proper lifts, that was a cool idea! Did you find it worked well for strength gains? It looked to be that way from your journal.

Absolutely. Back when I first started lifting, my friend would have me unrack a new weight at times (he was a bench monkey) just to feel the weight for the next workout. This was kind of an adaptation of that idea - putting like 260 on your back for squats doesn't seem nearly as heavy when you just put 300 on your back for quarters.