CONJUGATIONs aka MUSCLE CONFUSION
Why I think it is subtoptimal and when I think it is acceptable to program it:
Do you make the best gains learning to ride the bike or riding that bike up the mountain?
If you are trying to get good at riding a bike can running possibly increase your bike abilities? Will that time and effort be more effectively spent riding a bicycle or running?
But I have a Quad injury that doesnt allow me to Ride a bike but I can still run safely and pain free.
But I know that if I run I will prevent an injury from riding a bike.
But I am just super bored of riding a bike.
That was the Short Version…LONG VERSION:
Conjugation is Muscle Confusion but for PLing.
Muscles dont work differently. They do the same job they have evolved over millions of years to do each and every single time.
So doing something like a Board Press or Dips you arent working different muscles or getting the muscles to do anything but what they have evolved to do. The Chest is Still pressing, the Triceps is still extending the Elbow and the Delt is still getting injured (jk, hopefully…keep those elbows in people)
You may change what percentage of work each muscle is doing. Like in the Board Press that part of the ROM does use a higher percentage of Triceps than what a ful ROM would. But you know what works even more Triceps than a partial ROM? A longer ROM.
WHERE and HOW I implement Conjugations:
Basically I use it to adjust the workload for what can be recovered from.
Assistance: After the Comp work is done and if you are too exhausted or you wont be able to recover from more of the main lift but you can do some Partial ROM work. Lets say your shoulders are fried but you still want more volume. OK, add in that Board Press to take some stress off the shoulders.
Increasing Frequency: I will always baseline Squat, Bench, Pullups and Barbell Rows 2x a week and Deads 1x a week regardless of your goals.Lets say you want to Deadlift a 2nd day but you just cant recover from it. Then how about RDLs, Box Deadlifts, Trap bar Deadlifts or Pause Deadlifts. All of those will either be lighter in weight or a more favorable ROM to recover from. For a 3rd bench probably some variation of a dumbell press. For Squats, Pause Squats or Front Squats.
If you cant recover from that baseline then there is something wrong and in order: Injury, Form, Head (you think overtraining is a thing) or Program (8 bazillion sets)
Prehab/Rehab: Coming back from an injury maybe you cant Squat but you can Belt Squat. Maybe you find if you keep up on Front Squats your mobility is better and you stay healthier.
You are just FKN BORED OK, this happens even to me Mr. Boring All Day ERDAY himself. If you are in prep, suck it up. If not then do what you want.
The Muscle Confusion Phenomenon:
People who frequently change exercise selection always note the great gains they are getting. Simply put they are learning to ride a bike over and over again.
The mind is adding new wiring to more efficiently execute the movement. I believe the technical term is Learning Motor Patterns.
