Get strong and muscular with a 3 day routine
Learn how to make a 4 day routine into a 3 day beastmode workout!
I love being strong. I love powerlifting. It’s my passion. Anyone who trains with me will have three cornerstones of training. Conditioning, strength, and mobility. Most of my clients will get a variation of the conjugate method but it is suited to their needs.
The conjugate method is by far one of the best training systems I've ever used. Many lifters swear by it and Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell has developed some of the most powerful lifters on the planet. Once the setup of how the days should be done are understood, setting this up as a four-day split is easy, but cramming the four days into a three-day routine is like stuffing ten pounds of potatoes into a five-pound bag.
Notes: I will, on occasion perform back off work, but I am not completely glued to it. It depends on how I feel that day or if I am in a rush. If you can find bands and you can anchor them for speed work, the percentages change to 40/50/55%.T Try to include an active rest workout, especially after a leg day, see the end of this post.
Day 1:
Pick a squat variation. Work up to a heavy single, double or triple. RPE 9; optionally, you can then deduct 30% of the day’s 1RM and complete 1-3 sets of 6 reps. 5 minute rest on the last set.
I like speed work. Your speed work for the deadlift, every week you’ll cycle 60/65/70% of your true 1RM, 8 singles. Do this every minute on the minute (EMOM).
Pick a single leg exercise. Perform 3-4 sets of 10. RPE 7; For example, Bulgarian split squat with a barbell, pistol squats, step ups, or walking lunges with One leg wall stiff leg deadlift, or single leg landmine stiff leg deadlift, reverse lunge.
Glute work: RPE 7, 2-4 sets of 12-15. Choose a variation.
Hip thrust, GHRs, band resistance reverse hypers, good mornings, high heel leg press, SHELC. Heavy ab work with calf work RPE 8. 4-5 sets of 12, Don’t neglect these two areas. They help keep you "planted to the floor" and with remaining braced out of the hole.
Examples: heavy farmer walks, weighted standing crunches, med ball spread eagle situps, weighted or band resistance leg raises with My favorite developer for calves, the calf press on the leg press, or standing calf raises, seated calf raises. Pick one and complete all the sets, or do a medley.
Day 3:
Choose a bench press or do the overhead press variation. Work up to a heavy single; RPE 9; , you can then deduct 30% of the day’s 1RM and complete 1-3 sets of 6 reps.
Speed bench work, 8 x 2 and cycle your grip every two sets. Every week you’ll cycle 50/55/60% of your true 1RM, as fast as possible, every minute on the minute (EMOM).
Horizontal or lying chest supported rows, 4 x 6, paired with flat dumbbell bench press, RPE 7.
If you don’t have a shoulder issue, perform the reverse overhead press, 4 x 12. You get enough anterior deltoid work from the heavy bench, so let’s switch the movement pattern).
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown. Training economy here, so use this for both vertical back work and for emphasizing bicep work. Pause and squeeze hard at the bottom part of the pulldown. You’ll pair this with tricep work.
Examples: JM Press, skull crushers, close grip bench press (be careful of shoulder sensitivity). You can do chest dips if your shoulders can take it.
Day 5: Deadlift variation, work up to a heavy single; RPE 9; , you can then deduct 30% of the day’s 1RM and complete 1-3 sets of 6 reps.
For your speed work for the squat every week you’ll cycle 60/65/70% of true 1RM, 8 singles. Do this fast as possible with an emphasis on form. Every minute on the minute (EMOM).
Choose a single leg exercise 4 sets of 10, RPE 7.
Examples: Bulgarian split squat with barbell, pistol squats, step ups, or walking lunges. Try treadmill lunges if you dont have room. You can also walk the room by going in circles. with One leg wall stiff leg deadlift, or single leg landmine stiff leg deadlift, reverse lunge.
Choose a glute variation. RPE 7, four sets of 12-15. Your lower half can take the volume and the higher reps.
Examples: Hip thrust, GHRs, band resistance reverse hypers, good mornings, high heel leg press, SHELC.
Heavy ab work with calf work, RPE 8.
Examples: heavy farmer walks, weighted standing crunches, med ball spread eagle situps, weighted or band resistance leg raises with Calf press on the leg press, or standing calf raises, seated calf raises. Pick one and complete all the sets, or do a medley of all of them, splitting the sets by 2+2+2.
Active recovery workout
PERFORM THESE IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER.
1) 5 minutes warning up on either bike, elliptical or walk outside.
3) 5 rounds intervals of 30 seconds work and 1 minute rest. Choose your own modality. Stairs, bike, elliptical, running in place, jumping jacks, mountain climbers. Choose one and perform that time frame.
Lower body stretching.
10 minute cool-down on either bike, elliptical or walking.
FINAL NOTES Stay with a primary variation for no more than 3 weeks. the more advanced you are, the less time you want to spend on the lift.
There's a huge list of main lift variations on exrx.net. You probably don't need to repeat the same exercise twice within 2 or 3 months. It’s important that you add variations with Fat Gripz or chains, or by adding different angles. These a different grips and angles will help you avoid accommodation and can grow new muscle. For example, one week can be an incline barbell press with a high incline and a few weeks later use a very low incline.
