How to Make The Max Effort Method Work for You
We’ve written about the dynamic effort method here at The Lyons Den in the past and now we’re going to introduce you to the maximal effort method of training. This method of training was popularized by Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell in Columbus, OH and is responsible for an overwhelming number of elite totals in powerlifting. It’s a cornerstone of a Conjugate Method of Training and while it’s been used with great success in powerlifting, it oftentimes gets ignored in the world of sports performance and physical preparation for sport due to it’s high intensities and perceived risk to reward ratio. Today we’re going to educate you on the importance of this method, how it’s typically used at Westside Barbell, and how to incorporate it into your off the field training. I’m going to add a bit of a caveat here and tell you that I’ve never been fortunate enough to train at Westside Barbell and only the people within the walls of Westside Barbell train “Westside”, however I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my career to sit down with and train beside people who have trained there and I have a firm grasp and understanding of this method. The Conjugate Method of training was designed and created for powerlifters, but in my experience it’s by far the BEST method of training for athletes and you’ll find out why today.
Westside Barbell
Westside Barbell is The Mecca of powerlifting today much like Gold’s Gym Venice was for bodybuilding back in the 80’s and 90’s. Lifters want to train there and whether they’re athletes or not, they could honestly all benefit from spending some time in this gym. The gym’s founder and owner is named Louie Simmons and he spent a good portion of his life perfecting this method of training through various trial and error. He’s also the inventor of the reverse hyper extension which has become a staple piece of equipment in many gyms across the globe. For all intents and purposes Louie Simmons is a training guru, and I hate using that word but it absolutely fits when it comes to him.
Westside Barbell is responsible for over 140 world records in powerlifting which is a feat unmatched by any other gym in the world. If powerlifting was hockey, Westside Barbell would be the 2019-2021 Tampa Bay Lightning. The gym is THAT strong and THAT dominant. You know how they got that strong? Using the conjugate method of training. If you’re interested in reading more about it check out Westside Barbell Book of Methods (and please purchase it and don’t pirate it, Louie should get paid for his hard work). There’s also a documentary titled Westside Vs The World and the trailer is right above. It’s a really good watch and will give you some insight into what goes on at Westside.
The Conjugate Method of Training
The Conjugate Method of training was created out of Louie Simmons’ desire to no longer be slave to the laundry list of injuries he gathered from training, including a fractured spine. He took the time to go through various Eastern Bloc training texts from the Cold War era and was able to piece together this method of training. It involved programming for specific tonnages and workloads while bringing up weak links and increasing work capacity. It was also the first Western periodization model that focused on intensity AND bar speed as opposed to merely being concerned with overall intensities of the lifts. This method of training utilizes three different methods within the method (stay with me I know this sounds confusing) to help focus our attention on ALL physiological demands of training. They are the following:
Dynamic Effort Method
Lifting sub maximal weights with maximal speed.
Focuses on intensities between 30-70% with added accommodating resistance of roughly 15-20% in the form of bands or chains (bands are FAR superior to chains btw).
Total intensities for these lifts are between 50-90% and volume is typically 20-30 reps spread out over 7-12 sets.
This method is used for speed and as an added bonus with the accommodating resistance equalling a high enough intensity, we can go after strength adaptations as well.
Repeated/Repetitive Effort Method
Lifting a sub maximal weight to failure.
Focuses on intensities between 50 and 80%.
High volume work that is intended to create enough damage to allow growth of the protein structures of the muscle cell.
Can be done to failure, or with reps of 6-20ish.
Great for growth, work capacity and in a roundabout way, strength.
Max Effort Method
Lifting maximal weights.
Focuses on intensities at and above 90%.
Volume is low, between 6 and 10 total reps.
This method helps to increase absolute strength and keep us free from injury through creating more resiliency in the tissue.
Westside Influenced templates (Conjugate Method programs) utilize the above three methods to help create strength, work capacity, speed and to help increase resilience to help us stay injury free. It was developed for powerlifters but in all reality I believe when Louie created this model he stumbled upon the greatest method of training for athletes that the world has ever seen. I imagine there will be a lot of butthurt coming from this comment however it needs to be stated: The Conjugate Method of training was NOT created for geared lifters. Detractors of this method will often state that “WeStSiDe Is FoR gEaReD lIfTeRs!” so it can’t possibly be beneficial for athletes, but the guys who trained there had a different experience. Dave Tate and Mark Bell had a conversation about this not long ago and I’ve included that here in the article. Westside templates ABSOLUTELY work for the non geared athlete and if you don’t utilize these methods (or variations of these methods) in your training you’re definitely missing out.
Benefits of The Maximal Effort Method
Now that we have a fairly good idea of what the conjugate method is we’re going to focus our efforts on the maximal effort method. In it’s simplest form the max effort method is training at or above 90% of your one rep max. For the majority of us 90% is roughly your four rep max, so we’re talking about something that is fairly heavy relative to your strength levels. At Westside Barbell, the max effort method is working up to a new single rep max every single time you walk into the gym. This idea was born from the Bulgarian Method of training, where you’ll train to a new one rep max upwards of three times per day, seven days per week! Obviously this kind of training load isn’t for everyone (and definitely not for athletes who have to practice and play games as well), and the ones who were successful utilizing this kind of programming were the ones who were able to get through it, and oftentimes the ones who were able to dose themselves through it (amphetamines and steroids). Louie realized that there was a trail of bodies behind the successes with the Bulgarian Method, and decided to tweak it utilizing the maximal effort method within the Conjugate Method.
There are a ton of benefits in training at and above 90% of your 1RM. But it all basically boils down to two things: increases in intramuscular and intermuscular coordination. Vladimir Zatsiorskiy said it best when he stated “The maximal effort method is considered superior for increasing both intramuscular and intermuscular coordination.” What are these two qualities you ask?
Intramuscular coordination is the ability to apply the motor units of a single muscle at the same time.
Intermuscular coordination is the ability of different muscles to coordinate together to create efficient movement.
These two qualities will absolutely help you perform at a higher level on the field of play whether it’s on the platform, the field or the ice. But one overlooked aspect of these two qualities of movement is the resiliency that’s created within the tissue. Being stronger will allow many things:
Increased force production - more speed and strength
Increased force transfer capabilities - less disconnect between the ground and your torso/stick/the ball/bat/etc.
Decreased likelihood of soft tissue injury - stronger tissue is a more resilient tissue
Decreased likelihood of bone fractures - increased load forces the body to lay down more calcium within the bones
All of the above things sound great for both power sports and regular sports so why is there such reluctancy to utilize this method within one’s training? Perceived risk! Too many coaches don’t understand how to implement this method and tweak it for their clients so they throw their hands up in the air and refuse to use it. We’re here to change that today! From understanding special exercises, to load variation, and even intensity variation we’ll make sure you’re ready to program using the maximal effort method!
Main Lift Variations and Their Role in the Max Effort Method
People simply cannot consistently add weight to their lifts every time they enter the gym, otherwise anyone and everyone could be a 1000lb squatter with enough progressive overload. This is where rotation of exercises comes into play. While the Conjugate Method of training revolves around the bench press, the deadlift and the squat, we often forget that there are variations to these movements that offer slight tweaks. We have various barbells we can incorporate, different heights of boxes that we can incorporate, and a plethora of different modalities we can put into our training that are still squatting/benching/deadlifting without having to hit the traditional lift every time. Rotating these movements offer a few benefits that include:
They emphasize different parts of the movement
Think of the difference between a front squat and a back squat. One is much more hip dominant and the other is much more knee dominant.
They help vary the load of the movement
We’ll go back to the front vs back squat. We can all (hopefully) back squat much more than we can front squat. If we work at 90% of our front squat we’re still putting maximal effort into the bar, but the load is much lighter than 90% of our back squat. We can get the same benefits of training maximally, without putting our body through the same amount of damage caused by the higher load of the back squat.
They keep training interesting by providing new challenges
Adding in new movements allows for more growth as a lifter/athlete and can provide a much needed push as we can see the numbers crawl up in our new movement after hitting a plateau in our traditional movements.
They allow us to work around nicks and dings we tend to develop with enough training
Can’t front squat because of lack of wrist mobility? You can safety squat bar squat and get the same benefits. Shoulders feeling a little rough? We can use a cambered bar instead of a power bar so we don’t have to externally rotate the shoulder to such extreme positions. Same goes for the bench. Shoulders bothering you? We can board press instead. Wrists taking a beating with all the intensity of your lifts? Let’s use a Swiss Press bar and alleviate some of that stress and allow you to heal.
They help lower the need for deload weeks and help with recovery
If we can lighten the loads while maintaining intensity we can reduce the stress put on the body, leading to less need for recovery time. It can also mitigate many overuse injuries due to the fact that these variations are slightly different and will stress different parts of the body.
Rotating exercises is a great idea in general, but with the maximal effort method it’s necessary. We cannot consistently train at the same intensities/loads every week or our bodies adapt and we’ll start to regress. I know that sounds weird because we’ve been taught that adaptation is a good thing and it’s literally the basis of why we train, but it’s true. To adapt to training is to never adapt within training. Changing these loads while maintaining the same intensities allows us to make continuous progress, oftentimes without needing to deload or take a step back. I know this may all be relatively confusing so here’s a list of special exercises we use here at The Lyons Den with our main movements:
Bench Press
Board press, incline bench press, close grip bench press, fat bar bench press, Swiss bar press, cambered Swiss bar press, pin press, dumbbell press, incline dumbbell press, neutral grip dumbbell bench press, floor press, etc.
Squat
Box squat, cambered bar box squat, safety bar box squat, front squat, back squat, goblet squat, low box squat, high box squat, etc.
Deadlift
Sumo deadlift, rack pulls, hex bar deadlift, hex bar rack pulls, block pulls, deficit deadlifts, good mornings, etc.
All of these movements have the bones of the traditional lifts, but they offer slight tweaks that allow for various adaptations and load placement. This allows us to continuously progress while simultaneously lowering the risk of injury. It’s an absolute win! At Westside Barbell, these movements are changed weekly, however with the average gym rat or athlete you’re probably better off changing these movements bi-weekly to monthly and in beginners we want to work with the traditional lift as long as we’re making progress before we introduce new movements into the equation.
Intensities and Loading Parameters of Maximal Loading
As stated above maximal effort training typically involves training at or above 90% of your 1RM and at Westside it’s working up to a 1RM which is always 100% of what you’re capable for the day. If you’re a powerlifter or a competitive olympic weight lifter then training in this space works for you as that’s your job. If you’re an athlete you more than likely cannot spend too much time in this space as you have to account for training, practicing and playing games. There simply isn’t enough in the tank to be able to get all of this done. So what’s the solution? There’s two ways to tackle this:
Train at maximal intensities for submaximal volume (not to failure)
We can still hit 90-93% for sets of 1-2 or 95-97% for singles. Given enough overall volume in the training session we can still make strides towards higher totals. Total volume should not exceed 10 reps, and should be no lower than 4 total reps. Prilepin’s chart also dictates that 7 reps in this range is “optimal” for long term strength gains.
The modified max effort method/hitting rep PRs
Hitting 87-97% to failure can accomplish roughly the same thing as hitting a new 1RM can. The size principle dictates that we’ll exhaust and recruit more muscle fibers (much like a 1RM) even with this higher volume/”lower” intensity.
Both of these loading parameters are still utilizing the max effort method, however the perceived risk to reward ratio is better for most coaches and athletes. We’re still recruiting maximal muscle fibers but we can rotate the intensity in much the same way that we rotate variations of our main lifts. This allows for even further variation that will allow us to not adapt and instead make continuous progress. Furthermore rotating your training intensities between 87 and 97% will give your body a little bit of needed rest. Consistently training above 90% isn’t for everyone and for athletes who also need to play and practice sport skill it’s almost out of the question. You just can’t recover.
Rotating Movements and Intensities
I’m going to preface this section with the fact that beginners and those with a low to moderate training age need to spend time with the traditional lifts. You need to learn to perfect these movements and get all that you can out of them before deciding to add new movements into your programming. A year or five of progressive overload will give you a sound base of both strength and movement proficiency which you’ll need in order to get the most out of the max effort method in the long run.
With that out of the way let’s take a look at how we should be rotating intensities and movements. First thing you’ll want to do is figure out which movements are going to give you the most bang for your buck, and pick 3-4 of them for each lift. Here’s an example of someone rotating three different movements within their programming:
Bench press
Close grip bench press, 3 board press, incline bench press
Squat
Back squat, front squat, safety bar box squat
Deadlift
Sumo deadlift, deficit deadlift, safety bar good morning
The above movements aren’t necessarily the movements you’ll decide to choose, they’re merely an example of different movements that you can use. You need to find the movements that help drive your strength and totals up and these movements will be different for everyone. Decide which movements you’re going to use and STICK TO THEM! There will be days where you want to revert to the traditional lift to try to see where you’re at, fight that urge and stay the course!
Now that you’ve got the movements you’re going to utilize it’s time to decide on how you’ll load and rotate these movements. You’ll need to know your 1RM for each movement in order to utilize this method which is another reason why you need a solid amount of training under your belt to get anything out of the max effort method. We’re going to use modified max effort loading parameters for this cycle. Here’s an example for the bench press movements chosen above:
Week 1
Incline Bench Press - 88% to failure
Week 2
Incline Bench Press - 93% to failure
Week 3
Close Grip Bench Press - 88% to failure
Week 4
Close Grip Bench Press - 93% to failure
Week 5
3 Board Press - 88% to failure
Week 6
3 Board Press - 93% to failure
Week 7
Test Traditional Bench Press
Week 8
New training cycle based on how the previous 7 weeks went
The above parameters only show the intensities and volumes for your main lift. The rest of the training session needs to be based on your weak links within your training. Triceps need work? Hammer them! Shoulders lacking? Incorporate some overhead work! Back not up to par? Even if it is hit the upper back hard! Work capacity lacking? Hit a ton of volume to help increase your capacity for work, and just as important recovery. Also of note, the movements above are based on increasing overall intensity within the lifts themselves. The incline bench press is a “more than full range of motion” exercise when compared to the bench and you’ll more than likely be weaker in this movement. The close grip bench press is also a longer range of motion exercise so it will more than likely be less than your traditional bench press, but you’ll more than likely be stronger in it than your incline bench press. The 3 board press is a shortened range of motion lift and you’ll more than likely be stronger than your traditional bench press. So in this example we’re consistently increasing the load which allows for true progressive overload. This SHOULD lead to an increase in your bench press numbers in week 7.
Now we’ll take a look at training with maximal intensities while loading with sub maximal volumes. We’ll use the same movements above, but the loading parameters will change.
Week 1
Incline Bench Press - 90% for 4-5 sets of 2 reps. Total volume = 8-10 reps
Week 2
Incline Bench Press - 95% for 5-6 sets of 1 rep. Total volume = 5-6 reps
Week 3
Close Grip Bench Press - 90% for 4-5 sets of 2 reps. Total volume = 8-10 reps
Week 4
Close Grip Bench Press - 95% for 5-6 sets of 1 rep. Total volume = 5-6 reps
Week 5
3 Board Press - 90% for 4-5 sets of 2 reps. Total volume = 8-10 reps
Week 6
3 Board Press - 95% for 5-6 sets of 1 rep. Total volume = 5-6 reps
Week 7
Test Traditional Bench Press
Week 8
New training cycle based on how the previous 7 weeks went
The above training cycle still utilizes the max effort method but can still leave some in the tank for training outside of the gym. The only real issue I have with this set up is that it doesn’t account for increases in strength over the course of the 6 weeks. For example, your first wave of training (weeks 1-2) should lead to slight increases. This would more than likely make weeks 3-4 and 5-6 submax now. While this is somewhat nitpicky, I still contend that you’ll more than likely not get the most out of your training loading with these parameters. This is why at Westside Barbell they work up to a true max every max effort session, they KNOW they’re training to their highest capabilities for the day and there’s no guesswork. I will say however that with athletes, due to their other work on the field of play, can still see tremendous benefits with these parameters.
Loading matters in your training, and it especially matters when utilizing the max effort method. The goal here is to increase absolute and relative strength so we need to make sure we’re operating within the parameters that will lead to those adaptations. Can you get stronger without using maximal intensities? Sure, but you’ll never get as strong as you can be without them.
Confused? That’s ok!
The above loading parameters aren’t overly complicated for a strength coach with a solid education and understanding of physiological adaptations, however I can understand struggling to wrap your head around utilizing movements that aren’t the traditional lifts to increase your traditional lifts. Just try to understand that the goal is to make continuous progress and hitting the same lifts over and over again at the same intensities won’t get you to where you’re trying to go. Using the max effort method isn’t for everyone, however the above loading parameters and rotation of movements WILL help you to bust through whatever plateaus you’re currently in. Give it a chance and you’ll be surprised at how high your strength ceiling is!