3x3 Conjugate Log

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

I am going to try out a conjugate 3x3 type program for awhile as opposed to the WS/MM I have been doing. I am doing this because I want to try something different and because I prefer 3 day a week workouts for various reasons.

So here is the template me and my training partner will be using. Feel free to make comments or suggestions as I am sure we will make changes here and there as we go along.

We will be squatting, benching, and deadlifting 3 x a week with some minor assistance work mainly rows, abs, and some reverse hypers. Each lift will have a max day, speed day, and rep day.

We will be following a 3 week wave working to a heavy 3 the first week in 8 sets or less and max singles for weeks 2 and 3 with a back off single or double around 90-95% (of new max) on week 3.

Week 4 will be recovery/assist/BB work in the 8-20+ rep range also waved. Then repeat cyle.

Some chain and band work will also be utilized.

Here’s the general idea:

Wk1 day1 day2 day3
Sq 3rm/6-8sets Speed 6rm/4-5sets
Bp 6rm (pause) 3rm Speed/3x3
3brd CG Dl* Speed 6rm (deficit) 3rm

*Dl’s will be pulled for cluster sets.

Wk2 d1 d2 d3
Sq 1rm Speed 3x6/2x3+chain
Bp 6rm 1rm Speed+3x3 3b cg
(pause)
Dl Speed+4x1 6rm(def) 1rm
@75-80%
Low pin

Wk3 d1 d2 d3
Sq 1rm Speed 2x6/3x3+chain
Bp 6rm(P) 1rm Speed+3x3 3b cg
Dl Spd+4x1 6rm 1rm
@85% (6rm)
Low pin

Also week 2 we will work to non-belt max with week 3 being belted.

We will try to work in some assistance in the lats, abs, rev hypers for a couple of sets of 5-8 either by supersetting or after main lifts.

Wk 4 will be waved over 3 days of various assist/recovery work like so:

Day 1 3x15-20
Day 2 3x12-15
Day 3 3-5x8-12

That’s the blueprint. I am excited to see what REALLY happens. We start tonight.

2

Mon

Squat to 275x2*, 245x3

  • Max was 365 so this sucks!

Bench (3 sec pause) 135x6, 155x6x3

Speed Pull 6x1@225+light band,
3x1@225+LB

rev hyper 200x8x2

seated rope abs 30x8, 45x8

machine rows 180x8x2

Notes

Definitely need to free squat more. It feels so weird after box squatting so much. Actually need to bring the two together. Also need to work on deadlift form.

Both my bench and squat are way down.

3

wed day 2

speed box 115+green+purple 6x2

bench to 225x2, 185x3, 205x3

deadlift 4x6 clusers off 2 plates
sumo 225x6, 185x6, reg 225x6x2

chins 3x5
cable side bends 2x5 med cluster

4

fri d3

sq 185x6,225x6x3

bp 6x3@95+mini band

close grip mid pin press w/mini 3x3@135,155,185

dl 225x3 sumo, 315x3 sumo, 405x1 conv, 375x1 conv, 335x3 conv

hammer curls 2x12@30,35

rev hyper 210x8x2

seated rope abs 50x8x2

5

mon 5-2

speed dl+purple 6x1@225

mid-shin pin pull 4x1@315

sq 155x3,235x3,275x1,315x1,325 miss

squat is down 50lbs!

Start experimenting with closer stance.

bench 165x6x4 3 sec pause

db swings 2x8@55

pikes 2x8

rev hyp 2x8@210

6

wed 5-4

speed sq 155+grn+prpl 6x2

bp to 245x1, 250 miss

5lbs under old pr

dl cluster reps 4-6" block 225x6, 295x6x2, 275x6

cable side bends 2x5 med cluster

reverse curl 2x5 med cluster

7

[quote]snippdawg wrote:

sq 155x3,235x3,275x1,315x1,325 miss

squat is down 50lbs!

Start experimenting with closer stance.

[/quote]

What’s your height and weight, Snipp? I’m 5’6 and 200 and I use a close stance on my squats. They are almost Olympic squats except for the bar placement and how far I descend. You always read about how widening your squat stance helps but if you’re a short guy with strong quads… why not move your stance in?

Curious, have you ever tried the actual Korte 3x3… I started it but dropped out in the second week 'cause I suck at repping out deadlifts (even at 60% five reps kicks my ass.)

8

Height 5-9 weight around 170

Recently I’ve found my strong stance to be a little past shoulder width.

My training partner squats closer though.

The most I ever squatted so far has been 365. Then I left the country for a week to work on a reality show, 20hr days, barely slept, came back and my sq and bench were both down.

I didn’t want to use Korte’s 3x3 because I don’t want to drop dynamic work, want to stay with conjugate periodization, also I don’t like repping deadlifts, I prefer to do short clusters with them were you reset your form each time between singles so actually like a 5-10 sec rest between singles.

9

5-6
fri

speed bp+mini 95x3x2,135x3,115x3x3

close grip 3x3+mini+1 chain@135,155,155

dead 225x3,315x3,425x1,435xmiss,365x3

squat 225x6,235x6x2,275x2,275x3-belt

rev hyper 2x15@100

prpl incline sit-up 2x8

hammer curls 1x8 tempo contrast

10

Snipp, I train WS style but I do it over an 8-10 day period as opposed to a week so you can still do your 3 day a week workouts.

My lifts have all gone up since allowing myself more time for recovery. I also cut back on the assistance work.

I read on the elitelifts website others have had success doing that as well.

How long had you been training WS and what improvement have you seen?

11

I started a WS based program in Mar 04. I gained about 125lbs on my sq, 30lbs on bench, 150lbs on dl in a year. I have used the 3-day rotating WS split before and may do it again, but I am liking this 3x3 conjugate right now and am going to try to do it for a least 2 three week cycles to test it out.

12

mon 5-9

speed dl 6x1@225+purple band

pin pull 315x1x3

squat 135x3,225x3,315x1,325x1,330x1,335xmiss

sq is starting to come back up.

bench 3 sec pause 2x6@180,2x3@195

revers curl 4x4
rev hyper 2x8
seated rope abs 2x8
machine rows 2x8

Side note: starting doing 100m sprints on off days. Sunday 100mx8 in 15 min.

13

wed 5-11

speed box 135+grn 5x2, 155+green 1x2

bench 135x3,185x3,245x1,250x1,255xmiss,215x3

bench coming back up.

deadlift off box 2x6@305,1x6@275,1x6@255

Wasn’t feeling it tonight on dl’s.

band bb curls 60+mini 2x8 tempo contrast

saxon side bends 2x8@60

pull-ups 8,7

14

[quote]snippdawg wrote:
wed 5-11

speed box 135+grn 5x2, 155+green 1x2
[/quote]
How do you setup the bands for the squat? Are they choked or doubled?

What do you think your weakness is in the bench press? I noticed you have some heavy tricep exercises in your cycle… is lockout your weak point?

What’s your DL max? And how high was your box? You can use 25 or 35# plates to lower the bar instead of standing on a box.

15

[quote]aggro-iron wrote:
snippdawg wrote:
wed 5-11

speed box 135+grn 5x2, 155+green 1x2

How do you setup the bands for the squat? Are they choked or doubled?[/quote]

We double the mini bands for bench and choke the purple or green bands around a dumbell and the pin 1 in the rack (wider base gives more tension).

[quote]
bench 135x3,185x3,245x1,250x1,255xmiss,215x3

bench coming back up.

What do you think your weakness is in the bench press? I noticed you have some heavy tricep exercises in your cycle… is lockout your weak point?[/quote]

I was weak off the chest but the pause rep presses have been helping that. The heavy close grip 3 board pressing is there to work the lockout some but mainly to get some more direct tri work that you don’t get from a normal 3x3 program. I would say my sticking point has moved to about a 2-3brd level right now.

My dl max is 425 right now. I pull for max tonight so well see if I can hit 435-445. I don’t like to use plates cause they slip on me. I take the top of one of those aerobic steppers and stand on it. I think is between 6-8" thick. Not really sure.

16

snippdawg,

I notice you haven’t posted any results on this thread in a while. I’d been keeping my eye on it because I’d thought you’d designed a very sensible program, and I was curious about your success with it. Are you still training this way, or have you moved on to something else, and if so, why?