Looking for Examples of Conjugate with Gear

Thinking about switching to some geared lifting, and would like some input on what you geared lifters use for your ME variations, as well if you do anything different on dynamic vs you would for raw training…

Dynamic lower days wear briefs, everything else is ( %s, accommodating resistance, etc is the same )

Do more triples in gear when first learning it, stick to easy variations like SSB, duffalo/buffalo bar, cambered bar.

Don’t go full gear too fast. Do your raw ME work, add briefs, add 10-20% for 2-3 sets of 2-3 reps.

Go shirted every 3rd week, don’t use boards, just work on triples while holding 1 breath and trying to touch.

No gear for DE upper days.

After every full geared lower day do a raw week ( except deadlifts, as it should be DE deadlift the following week then you can just do briefs )

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Feel free to browse my log Multiply Lifting and My Inevitable Death - #334 by corstijeir to see some of my training with gear and conjugate.

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How often are you doing ME deadlifts on Dynamic day? Do you only do squat on ME Lower?

I alternate ME deadlifts on DE lower every other week.

So Week 1 DE squats DE deads
Week 1 DE Squats ME Pulls

ME lower I only do squat variations.

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@corstijeir I’ve always wondered this about raw/equipped percentages on DE days… maybe you could clarify. Going between raw and geared, it seems like Louie suggests using the same percentages for DE work, weather you’re a raw lifter using your raw max, or a geared lifter using your geared max. This would make sense to me if a geared lifter is performing your DE work in gear, but like you say generally only briefs are used.

So a raw lifter with say, a 400 lb bench max running WS conjugate would use 50-60% 200-240 lbs straight weight for DE days, but if they decide to go equipped and find their shirted max to be, say 550 lbs, now they use 50-60% of 550 lbs on DE days, even though these days are still performed raw?

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  1. Happy Cake day

  2. I use 40,45,50% because I’m slow but I’m also using 25% accommodating resistance.

For DE lower I’ve found in briefs that I should probably base my %s off say 90-95% of my meet number ( currently )

For DE Upper I base my %s off of my RAW numbers.

Since I’m using no gear.

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What do you think of this basic layout without going into the variations etc…

DE Upper

8x3 50%+Bands Comp Style Bench

OHP 5x5 + Pull ups 3x10

BB Rows 5x5 + Lateral Rases 3x10

Skull Crusher 4x10 + BB Curl 4x10

Dips 4x10 + Facepulls 4x10

V grip cable pushdown set of 50?

ME Lower

Main movement 3 total reps above 90% – 2 weeks of Squat variation to 1 week ME deadlift 6 week rotation. Full suit 1 week out of the 6, straps down multiple weeks.

Sumo deadlift 3x10

Leg Press “high foot placement” 3x10

Good Mornings 5x5

Abs 50 total reps

ME Upper

Main movement 3 total reps above 90% + 2x3 backdown sets at 90% of days 1rm 3 out of 6 weeks in a shirt

Db incline 2x8 + overhead tricep 3x10

BB Row 3x10 + DB Side Raises 3x10

Lat Pull down 3x10 + Dips 3x10

Hammer curl 5x10 + Cable pushdown 5x10

DE Lower

8x3 50%+Bands alternate between straight bar and ssb bar each week.

Deadlift speed pull 8x2 50%+Bands Alternate stance each week.

Stiff Leg / RDL Variation 5x5

Leg Press 3x10 + Leg Extension 3x10 + leg curl 3x10

Rear Hyper / GHR 3x10 / Abs

You’re not addressing the correct builders or accessories.

The order should be something like

Main movement ( whether ME or DE )
Builder
Possibly Builder number 2
Acessories targeted towards increasing the builder movement.
2-4

Geared squats for most people is going to require a ton of posterior chain work.
Bench will be lats and triceps.

Make sure DE is being waved in % every 3 weeks whether that’s 45/50/55 or 50/55/60, etc

You can’t do bands every week for a long period of time, work them in for 3 weeks at a time

Builders are usually in the 6-10 rep range for either a heavy top set or 2-3 sets total.

Accessories can be anywhere from 10-100 reps for 1-4 sets.

Conjugate is designed so that you can tailor it to your needs. I will say that if you write out a 3 week block and it sucks, change it up and try something else out.

Essentially you want to hit a max weight for the day, then do a movement that should help build the main movement, then hit a bunch of accessories for muscle growth that’ll build up the builder.

hmm could you write a sample week 1 routine by chance? I was going off a westside template I found…So maybe I am not fully understanding conjugate yet.

I was using this as a guide

for learning gear

ME Squat variation triple ( briefs )
Hack squats 3x10
REverse Hyper 3x20
Seated leg curls banded 100 reps total
AB 4x15

ME bench variation ( shirt ) hard triple to a 2 board, same weigh to a 1 board for 2 singles
Medium grip pin press 3x3 ( half your normal rom )
Skull crushers 3 x10
Tate press 4 x10
Single arm press down 100 reps per arm, alternate arms until100 total
super set these next 3
DB front raise 3 x15
Lateral raise 3 x 15
Rear delts 3 x 20

DE Lower
box squats 40% 12x2 25% resistance ( bands chains )
3" block pull in briefs for a hard triple
Stiff leg deadlifts hard set of 10
GHR 4x8
Reverse hyper partials 5x20 glute focus
Abs 3x30s hold of some kind

DE Upper
speed bench 40% 9x3 25% chains/bands
CG 2 boar 25% chains/bands hard set of 10
DB Floor press 3x12
chest supported rows 3x10
bent over rows 4x10
wide grip lat pull downs 4 x10
150 rep band pull aparts.

I keep my builders the same for 3 weeks usually but rotate accessories in and out weekly.

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There’s a million ways to learn gear, you can even do heavy raw work, add 10-15% then add your briefs for some doubles/triples.

Can do the same in the shirt, except depending on tightness you might never touch.

Best thing would be to pay someone to do your programming starting off.

I got ya fairly straight forward, My good morning is super weak so clearly I need to use it quite often, After ME Squats are you always doing a hard back down set? btw thanks for all the advice

No - most of the time I’m not doing a hard back down set.

There’s plenty of use for them for sure but I don’t always use them.

If your GM is weak but that has not affect on your squat who cares? I’m not saying you don’t need to focus on weaknesses but don’t lose sight of what the goal is.

The goal is to have the highest total on the platform you can have. If a strong GM doesn’t directly affect your total who cares? I know a guy that can GM 405 but can’t squat 405 due to his other weaknesses.

Dont let your strength be a weakness and don’t let your weakness be a strength.

I can squat 530 ish raw but struggled on 185 GM lol

That does sound off.

Box Squatted 505 today for a top single, and worked up to a set of 8 ssb 135lb good mornings lol I’ll get there but trying not to get hung up on the numbers

Video your goodmornings and lets see it.