When it comes to designing our proprietary training program, it’s important to recognize that nothing is left to chance. Our methodology is built on proven principles drawn from the best strength training, conditioning, and functional fitness methodologies. We’ve studied and tested various methods for over a decade to develop a system that delivers real results for our clients.
As we begin, we’ll break down the key points of some of the major influences on our program design, the elements we value, and the elements that we ultimately decided not to include in our program. We’ll only scratch the surface here in this section, as we’ll dive deeper into each element when we delve into the Veneration Methodology below.
- The Conjugate Method – Louie Simmons
- The Conjugate Method is a training system designed to help clients become stronger and more powerful by joining together multiple qualities of fitness within the same week or cycle of training.
- Contrary to linear periodization, the Conjugate Method allows you to make training adjustments on a day-to-day basis based on your body and stress levels, not rigid reps, sets and loading. This method is suitable for various fitness levels and can be adapted to individual goals.
- The Conjugate Method pioneered the use of accommodating resistance – chains or bands to develop maximal tension throughout the full range of motion, rather than at your weakest point.
- Instead of doing the same exercises all the time, this method changes exercises frequently to target different muscle groups and improve various physical abilities. This approach helps prevent boredom and reduces the risk of overuse injuries.
- By rotating exercises and focusing on different aspects of strength and conditioning, the Conjugate Method ensures balanced development and continuous progress.
- In a typical week using the Conjugate Method, different types of training are used:
- Maximal Effort Days: Lift heavy loads to build maximum strength.
- Submaximal Effort: Lift heavy loads, multiple repetition maximums.
- Dynamic Effort Days: Plyometrics and lifting lighter loads quickly to develop velocity, speed and explosive power.
These 3 different efforts above make up about 20% of conjugate training. The remaining 80% consists of: - Accessory/Special Exercises: These are geared toward adding lean issues, improving limiting factors (lagging muscle groups), improving muscular imbalances, exposing and developing weak points.
- General Physical Preparedness (GPP): This is the foundation. GPP develops the ability to recover between sessions and the ability to handle high volumes of work capacity.
- What We Use and What We Don’t
- The Three Efforts: Max, Submax and Dynamic – We utilize all the types of efforts in our strength work. However, unlike the traditional Conjugate Method, we do not use upper and lower body splits for specific days of the week. Instead we apply the three efforts in full body splits.
- Variance – Following the traditional Conjugate Method, we place a large value on variance at both a micro (daily) and macro (multi-week) level. At a micro level, our different types of training days each week provide exposure to all necessary elements of training and provide necessary physical and mental relief. At a macro level – rather than running 6-12+ week cycles, we demonstrate variance by programming in 3 week blocks, allowing adequate time for adaptation while avoiding monotony.
- Non-linear – Following the traditional Conjugate Method, rather than prescribing rigid rep, set, and % loading, we utilize rep ranges, reps in reserve, rate or perceived exertion and working to heavy load for each given day. This is more practical long term for our clients.
- Accommodating Resistance – We utilize accommodating resistance on a regular basis.
- The CrossFit Methodology – Greg Glassman
- CrossFit is a fitness program that combines various types of exercises to improve overall health and athletic performance. It includes weightlifting, powerlifting, olympic lifts, aerobic exercises, and bodyweight movements/gymnastics.
- The program aims to develop the 10 general physical skills: accuracy, agility, balance, coordination, cardiovascular-respiratory endurance, flexibility, power, strength, stamina, and speed.
- CrossFit is defined as constantly varied functional movements, performed at high intensity.
- The goal of CrossFit is to improve your fitness. Greg Glassman was the first to define “fitness” beyond Webster’s definition of “the state of being fit” – which says everything and nothing at the same time. Thanks to the work of Glassman and his emphasis on the importance of measurable, observable, and repeatable data to establish a true science of human performance, we are able to define fitness as: Increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. Therefore, we can define “health” as sustained fitness – that is, fitness over many years.
- Key elements of the CrossFit Methodology:
- Workouts have considerable variance or unpredictability, if not randomness, to best mimic the often unforeseeable challenges that combat, sport, and survival demand and reward. A regimen that is not routine.
- There is a loose theoretical template for program design. The model allows for a wide variance of exercise, metabolic pathway, rest, intensity, sets, and reps. In fact, it is mathematically likely that each three-day cycle is a singularly unique stimulus never to be repeated in a lifetime of CrossFit workouts.
- For a deeper understanding, view the Theoretical Template for CrossFit Programming here.
- What We Use and What We Don’t
- Definition of Fitness and Health: Glassman revolutionized the fitness industry by finally defining what it is we are striving for.
- 10 General Physical Skills: Our program design develops all of the 10 general physical skills.
- Constant Variance: While we place a large value on variance at both a micro (daily) and macro (multi-week) level and do not use linear periodizations, contrary to traditional CrossFit programming we do program in 3 week blocks, allowing adequate time for adaptation while avoiding monotony. Nothing that we do appears random. We utilize progressions through systematic repetition, proper exercise order (main lifts to accessory movements) and train all movement patterns and energy systems every single week. Rather than training for “the unknown and the unknowable”, we know exactly what our clients need, what the demands of their lives are, and how to train them accordingly.
- Intensity: CrossFit has been subject to immense criticism for the use of high intensity in every workout, every day. While this is fundamentally untrue of the program from its onset, it’s important to recognize that the misunderstanding has tainted the reputation of the program. The largest problem with this inherent misunderstanding that is baked into the CrossFit brand is the effect it has on the client who does adhere to the program that improperly approaches every workout with maximum intensity. In the Veneration program, the intensity and stimulus of each session is clearly conveyed prior to any other element of the session through reps in reserve and rate or perceived exertion. Our frequency of lower intensity aerobic training is higher and more consistent than that of a traditional CrossFit program.
- High-skilled Gymnastics and Olympic Weightlifting:
- In our baseline program design, we don’t include high-skill gymnastics and olympic weightlifting because our focus is on movements that deliver the biggest return on investment of time for high achieving adults.
- For the typical high achieving adult who is executing three to four one-hour sessions per week, movements like muscle-ups, handstand walks and barbell snatches are an inefficient use of their valuable limited training time. If an individual is training three to four hours each week, in order to develop the specific strength and skill needed to properly and safely perform these high level movements, the vast majority of their session would need to be dedicated to them. This would yield minimal returns on their investment.
- Additionally, it’s tempting for high achieving adults to reach for an inappropriate level of movement that they have not yet earned because it was prescribed. This is the fastest path to injury.
- Instead, rather than programming inappropriate workouts and spending our valuable coaching expertise convincing and pleading with clients to scale everything they do in our program at an extreme level, we prioritize exercises that build strength, improve mobility, and enhance cardiovascular health – helping them move, feel, and perform better in their life.
- Our baseline program is world class for clients of all skill and strength levels to help them build the foundation they actually need and continue to strengthen that foundation over the course of their life. For those that dedicate the required time and commitment to develop an extraordinary base, high-skilled movements are pursued in the appropriate personal training, base programming bonus work, and/or a specialty offering environment.
- Traditionally, CrossFit programming includes a lack of isolated posterior chain development without compromising strength adaptation. We do utilize compound movements like devil’s presses and dumbbell snatches, but in order to increase posterior chain strength development, we include a high volume of isolated work such as Romanian deadlifts, glute hip thrusts, and hamstring accessory work.
- Tracking Results vs. Keeping Score: Our focus is on long-term progress and measurable improvements in strength, endurance, and overall health. Our clients value consistency that leads to real results, whether it’s lifting more weight, moving better, or feeling stronger in daily life. By tracking key metrics over time, we ensure that our client’s training is effective and moves them toward their goals, rather than just chasing a number on the whiteboard.
In summary, we are not a Conjugate program or a CrossFit program. Rather, our methodology is built on proven principles drawn from the best strength training, conditioning, and functional fitness methodologies, including Conjugate and CrossFit.
This is the Veneration Method that is utilized to develop the Veneration program.
