The Conjugate System- "Understanding Max Effort Method"

Implementing the conjugate system into a  strength program can be very beneficial when striving  to improve athletic performance however, understanding the different efforts can be very challenging to some young strength coaches. I will help you understand how the max effort method can be implemented.

The max effort method is superior to the other common methods, and it improves intermuscular and intramuscular coordination because the body will adapt to the single stimulus placed upon it.1 Most of your max effort lifts will include variations of a strength lift. Concerning  my last blog about the different workloads;  remember that workload includes the one repetition max of the certain variation. When programing it into the week,  allow the athlete’s body a recovery period of 48-72 hours before transitioning into the dynamic effort method for that certain lower or upper body emphasis. Changing variations throughout the program is ideal, but necessary variations would need to be considered by your certain athlete’s training age. A good way to make sure you are training optimal efficiency with your athlete’s is to refer to Prilepin’s Chart2 while  understanding the guidelines of the chart..

Sample max effort variations for lower and upper body includes:

• Lower body:
• Back Squat, Front Squat, Barbell Good Morning, Barbell Romanian Deadlift, Lunges, or Step-ups.
• Upper body:
• Bench Press, Incline Press, Barbell Military Press (standing or sitting), or Board Press

Utilizing the max effort method for athlete’s can be very beneficial when wanting your athletes to reach certain strength goals. This is true in any style of programming, but this method has help not only Louie Simmons with his power lifters programs, it has also helped me with the Tarleton Track Throwers programs.

1. Max Effort Method. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://westside-barbell.com/index.php/the-westside-barbell-university/articles-by-louie-simmons/articles-published-in-2009/408-max-effort-method
2. Hristov, H. (2005, February 10). How to Design Strength Training Programs using Prilepin's Table. Retrieved from http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/files/prelipins.pdf