3x Per Week Conjugate

 There are plenty of attempts to modify a traditional 4x a week Conjugate split for the more convenient 3x a week split, but the question that invariably remains is, what does that third day look like? Is it dynamic effort lower or upper or both? What assistance exercises should on prioritized? 

Another question that can be asked is what if someone has the ability to train 4 sessions a week, would the 4x per week split be more optimal for them? Of course, the answer is always, ‘it depends.’ I’ve come to know many fit pros that hate this saying, but I’m not one of them. Why does it depend?

Because the chances of you being identical to someone else or one of your clients being a mirror image of another client is slim to none and it’s more realistic to think that the factors that drive programming decision making will depend on the individual. So..’ it depends’ isn’t a bullshit answer. 

Advantages Of 3 Strength Sessions Per Week

I don’t have to tell you the obvious and how utilizing 3 strength sessions a week is likely more convenient for most, but there are some unforeseen benefits here that may not be as obvious.

For instance, albeit the title of this article hints at a 3x a week training approach, what I’m suggesting will actually span beyond 3x a week to include conditioning, but many of these sessions can be done outside of the gym which is nice for a change of pace & scenery.

Moreover, conditioning is certainly a vital aspect of any great program so I’d be remiss to not mention it (although I will provide an option if an individual truly does not have more than 3 days to devote to their training.)

Another important thing to consider is stress. That’s right, the stress of life and having responsibilities (not necessarily the stress of their training program.) We all know that stress is a silent killer so piling on more stress is likely not what you or your clients need.

Utilizing a 3x a week Conjugate split offers more ‘destressing,’ (more on this in a second.) As previously stated it gives people more options to get outside of their bubble and focus on things that will likely have a bigger impact on their overall results & longevity.  

So instead of just giving you, one 3x a week option for utilizing the Conjugate system, I’m going to provide options with regards to the other 3 days. These days are NOT mandatory but highly recommended - performing 1-2 of these optional conditioning sessions will go a long way for a small investment of your time.

The below sample prioritizes three main strength sessions per week. The conditioning aspect of what I’m going to provide should be utilized, but if 3 sessions are the most one can devote time to each week then you'll still be able to make great progress.

Conjugate 3x Sample Programming

Closing

Now that I’ve outlined why the CxC 3x split can be effective and more convenient for those with a limited training schedule, Conjugate Method in a 3x a week training split should help shed some light on how to utilize this training split and still make great gains similar to a 4x split.

More intensity or training is NEVER the answer. In fact, in almost two decades of working with clients, I’ve yet to find one person that required more volume or intensity to get where they wanted to go. The reality is that the inverse (less intensity/frequency) is often the answer.

Something to think about! Thanks for reading.