How High-Reps Entered My Bench Press Training and Why
Here is the story of how it started, how it developed, and why I believe the effect is far greater than most people imagine.
Background to High-Reps
More than fifteen years ago, I started training with more reps than what was considered normal in strength training. In 2010, I was stuck at 130 kg in the bench press for more than six months. For many people this might not seem strange, but for me, training three times a week solely to get stronger in the bench, it was frustrating. My best gym lift was 130 kg without a pause, and in competition I had, at best, managed 125 kg with a pause. Then everything came to a halt.
I had experienced plateaus before. It took me months to go from 96 to 97 kg. Going from 115 to 117.5 kg took almost half a year. I lifted 127.5 kg touch and go in January 2010, and a few months later I managed to press 130 kg a couple of times. It always felt heavy. It wasn’t until October 2010 that I broke that record, and at that point I was lighter in bodyweight than I had been when lifting 130 kg.’
After trying different principles, methods and programs, I eventually settled on doing more reps. My thinking was simple. Everyone agrees that if I can do 4 reps with a weight that used to be my 3RM, I’ve gotten stronger. The same applies if my 3RM goes up by 2.5 kg. It’s not always perfectly exact, but in general the rule holds. If you maintain technique and perform 92.5 kg x 3 with the same control as you previously did 90 kg x 3, you are stronger.
I took that principle further than what was considered reasonable at the time. I figured that if I increased my 10RM by 2.5 kg, or managed 11 reps where I previously managed 10, the same logic should apply. The more reps you do, the smaller the direct impact on your 1RM, but an increase is still an increase, and it can be measured.
The Results of High-Reps
I set a goal of doing 14 to 15 reps with 100 kg. I usually managed at least 10 reps, so I trained almost exclusively around 100 kg and focused on building a tolerance for higher repetitions. After a few weeks of attempts with 97.5 to 100 kg, I hit 14 reps with 100 kg on September 23, 2010. Just ten days later, on October 3, I benched 140 kg and then 135 kg with a pause in training. For me, this was a breakthrough and a huge relief. I had not only passed my 130 kg plateau, I surpassed it by 10 kg.
The development afterward wasn’t as straightforward. I hit 150 kg at the end of December, but the period leading up to October 2011 had both highs and lows. On October 31, 2011, I pressed 175 kg and was satisfied, although in hindsight I can clearly see that the progress could have been better. Shortly after, I became very sick and had a long road back.
Over the years I have tried to build a clear system around these principles. I’ve developed methods and programs that provide good conditions for success. I’ve been successful, but not as successful as I believe the system can be. When I found something that was “good enough,” I didn’t always continue experimenting, even though I probably should have. What started as a personal experiment fifteen years ago is now much more established and used by some of the world’s best bench pressers. I still use it myself, and it took me from 130 kg to 250 kg in the bench press.
How High-Reps Work
The biggest issue many people have with high-rep training is cultural, not physiological. I’ve spoken to people much smarter than I am who still can’t understand how high-reps can transfer to max strength. It has often been almost comical. I went from 10 to 14 reps on 100 kg and increased from 130 to 140 kg in the bench press. A 40 percent increase in reps resulted in a 10 kg increase in max strength. To me, this is perfectly logical. The principle is the same as going from 3 reps to 4 reps with a submax weight.
Over time I’ve realized that what holds people back is culture and “knowledge.” Many have decided to believe in one single truth. I have been told repeatedly, with physiological explanations, that the stimulus from high reps cannot transfer to 1RM strength. This despite the fact that it clearly does. To me, it has felt a bit like the old claim that “bumblebees can’t fly.”
For seventy years, people believed mathematically that bumblebees couldn’t fly. They knew they could, but the models were wrong from the start. Only when researchers filmed the wings with high-speed cameras did they understand how the bumblebee actually flew. I believe there was more interest in solving the bumblebee myth than in investigating high-rep training in strength sports. And honestly, the slogan lift heavy to lift heavier is hard to argue with.
In my experience, high-reps in bench press work the same way as low reps. There are differences, but they are mostly details. After fifteen years with high-reps, more than anyone else I know of, this is my clear conclusion.
Same Same
The biggest reason high-reps don’t work for some people is the way they perform the reps. Every repetition must be done with integrity and intention. No sloppy technique. Treat the weight as if it were heavy. Keep the body stable, maintain contact throughout the entire movement, and press from the bottom to the top with quality. Bouncing the bar off your chest, half-lockouts or wobbling around on the bench will not transfer to max strength.
If you’re training for 15 reps with 100 kg, there is no excuse to let technique slide. The same applies if you’re doing max reps, like when I performed 56 reps with 100 kg. For the work to transfer to your 1RM, the reps must be good reps.
How to Train High-Reps
I have spent fifteen years trying to shape these principles into structured training programs. In my app, Built Strong, you will find several programs based on these methods. For bench press only, I recommend the following programs:
Eric Spoto was born on October 22, 1976 on Long Island, New York. He started lifting weights at the age of 11 and learned about training through books and magazines. He was never afraid of hard work. A typical session often consisted of 35 working sets and at least 15 of those were bench press. At age 15 he benched 143 kg / 315 lbs and at 17 he benched 193 kg / 425 lbs at a high school meet.
Eric was not pursuing bench press or powerlifting at the time. It was simply training for him. Instead his interest in armwrestling grew and he competed in it for many years throughout his twenties. He still did a few bench press meets. His real interest in the lift was sparked after seeing Mark Bell and Stan Efferding on YouTube at Super Training Gym. He decided to travel there.
At his first session he warmed up and hit 3 reps with 265 kg / 585 lbs followed by 2 reps with 288 kg / 635 lbs. His reps and technique were done “his way”. There were two controversial elements in his bench press training. One was his execution and the other was his rep ranges. When it came to execution he stopped the bar one to two inches before touching the chest. What is now known as the Spoto press was back then simply called an “air pause”.
Today the Spoto press is widely recognized as an effective bench press variation. Back then the internet mostly claimed he was cheating. Ironically the same people often lifted their hips or failed to lock out their own reps, even though neither of those techniques is recognized as good bench press form.
Eric never lifted his hips but he rarely locked out his reps. He called them 3/4 reps and it was his most common style. When he did lock out it was usually with heavier weights and fewer reps, but not always.
Some may think not touching the chest is cheating, but lifters who have trained that way know that it builds tremendous bottom end strength and you almost never fail at the chest. The tension required to control the weight rep after rep is extremely specific and valuable even for heavy singles. However not locking out means you do not train the triceps and elbow joint specifically for the final part of the lift. This became obvious later in his first world record attempt.
The second unusual part of his training was high reps. He often performed sets with more than 10 or 20 reps and sometimes far more than that. Many of those sets were done with Spoto style reps or 3/4 lockouts. Here is a list of some of his personal bests:
102 kg / 225 lbs: 80 reps (3/4) 143 kg / 315 lbs: 60 reps (3/4), 45 full reps 184 kg / 405 lbs: 40 reps (3/4) 225 kg / 495 lbs: 22 reps (3/4) 250 kg / 550 lbs: never attempted 265 kg / 585 lbs: 10 reps (3/4) 272 kg / 600 lbs: 6 full reps 288 kg / 635 lbs: 5 full reps 295 kg / 650 lbs: 4 full reps 306 kg / 675 lbs: 3 full reps 327 kg / 722 lbs: 1 rep 95 kg / 210 lbs dumbbells: 17 reps
After the 2010 Super Training Gym video Eric quickly became a hot topic. People wondered if he could bench 318 kg / 700 lbs or even better break Scot Mendelson’s world record. Shortly after this he started uploading his own YouTube videos. Clips of Eric bench pressing or doing bench related work spread quickly and his name grew in both bench press and powerlifting circles.
In 2012 he competed at King of the Bench 9 and made his mark by pressing 318 kg / 700 lbs. He became the third person ever to do so officially in competition. The conversation then shifted from if he would beat Scot Mendelson’s 324 kg / 715 lbs to when he would do it.
About a month later in November 2012 at Super Training Gym’s Backyard Meet of the Century Eric showed up to take a shot at 325 kg / 716 lbs. His warm ups were explosive with 288 kg / 635 lbs and 306 kg / 675 lbs flying up. Many believed he would not only hit 325 kg / 716 lbs but also exceed it. On his first attempt the bar rose about two thirds of the way before falling unexpectedly. For the second attempt he put on the belt he had forgotten. It was better but still not enough. On his third attempt he exploded off the chest, locking out one arm and getting the other to about 80 percent before stalling.
After that disappointment Eric trained harder and more intentionally for his next record attempt.
The next meet was in May 2013 again at Mark Bell’s gym. Eric trained with the same general structure but adjusted his technique. He finished heavy sets by fully locking out and holding the top to build the strength he lacked. He also used board presses, hitting 3 reps with 333 kg / 735 lbs to strengthen his top end.
On May 19, 2013 the record attempt took place at Super Training Gym. This time Eric approached the meet more professionally. His warm ups were controlled with 288 kg / 635 lbs instead of a rushed 306 kg / 675 lbs. His opener was 300 kg / 661 lbs instead of 325 kg / 716 lbs. This allowed him to build controlled momentum up to the record weight.
After easily hitting 300 kg / 661 lbs they jumped to 325 kg / 716 lbs. The lift flew up but was red lighted because he pressed before the command. Everyone could see the strength was there. Being excited and inexperienced with a long pause made the lift too fast. For his third attempt they increased to 327 kg / 722 lbs to set a clear new world record. Eric hit the lift and secured the all time world record he had been chasing.
After the record Eric continued to show impressive training performances in the gym. Many videos followed. Unfortunately he never returned to the platform. Years of heavy training had damaged his rotator cuffs. He had shoulder surgery and two years later he eased back into training. Not the same weights as before but still doing reps with 227 kg / 500 lbs. The dream of a comeback lasted for a while.
Now more than ten years after the record we know Eric will not chase new records. He has returned a bit to armwrestling and still possesses incredible strength and muscle mass. His competitive bench press career was short, only six months and three meets. Despite that he made a lasting impact on strength culture and especially the bench press in a way few others have. It was the right person in the right place at the right time doing the right things.
If you are interested in proven programs that include AMRAP and high rep bench press work you will find them in the Built Strong app. Programs like Junk Volume Kings and Queens have produced elite bench press lifters within the IPF.
Born: April 26, 1966 Height: 196 cm / 6’5’’ Bodyweight: About 145 kg / 320 lbs (during most of his career) Active: 1989 to 2020
Brad Gillingham is an institution in modern strength sports. With three Open World Championships in powerlifting, appearances at two Arnold Classic strongman contests, and an unbelievable 102 competition deadlifts of 800 lbs or more, he has left a lasting mark on the sport. He is also largely responsible for popularizing the hook grip in powerlifting.
The Gillingham Family
Brad Gillingham comes from an extraordinary strength family. His father, Gale Gillingham, played in the Brad Gillingham comes from an extraordinary strength family. His father, Gale Gillingham, played in the NFL from 1966 to 1976 and was known as a powerhouse. His brothers Karl and Wade were also serious strength athletes. Karl had a long and successful career in strongman and powerlifting, competing at the World’s Strongest Man and winning America’s Strongest Man. Wade specialized in grip strength. He also competed in strongman and powerlifting like his brothers, although with less success.
The Hook Grip
The hook grip has always been standard in Olympic weightlifting. It locks the bar so it does not rotate in the hands. Most deadlifters discover at some point that a normal double overhand grip eventually fails once the weights climb high enough. To handle heavier weights, lifters traditionally use a mixed grip or straps.
Brad struggled with grip strength for years. On max attempts he often lost the bar as it reached his thighs. At the 1999 Battle of the Giants in Örebro he saw the little-known powerhouse Maxim Podtynnyy pull 387.5 kg / 854 lbs hook grip conventional. Maxim was a physical phenomenon. That same day he squatted 400 kg / 882 lbs in what many still call the easiest looking 400 kg squat they have ever seen. Maxim later pulled 412.5 kg / 909 lbs hook grip conventional.
Brad pulling 400 kg / 881 lbs at the Arnolds
For Brad, it was a revelation that hook grip could work in the deadlift. He talked with Maxim and immediately began practicing it.
From that point on Brad became a lifter you could never count out in the total or the deadlift. In 1999 he finished fourth at Worlds, and over the next two years he won the World Championship largely thanks to the stability the hook grip gave him. In 2000 he used it to defeat Žydrūnas Savickas.
Even though hook grip remained rare in the 2000s and 2010s, the seeds of its growth in powerlifting were planted at that 1999 meeting between Brad and Maxim.
The Deadlift
Brad is best known for his deadlift. He has pulled 800 lbs or 363 kg / 800 lbs more times in competition than anyone else with a total of 102 such lifts. He also exceeded 400 kg / 882 lbs more than once. People might assume the deadlift came easily to him, but the truth is the opposite. He trained for many years before reaching elite numbers. When he started competing in the late 1980s he could not even pull 300 kg / 661 lbs. It was only after his junior years that he reached those numbers. This was despite coming from a strength sports family.
Brad first pulled 300 kg / 661 lbs in 1990. It took him until 2009 to finally break the legendary 400 kg / 882 lbs barrier. His story is one of patience and relentless hard work.
Brad pulls his first 800 lbs deadlift
His leverages for deadlifting were not great. His arms were slightly short and he locked out just below the hips. Deadlifting for Brad was about building brutal strength and creating the right positions. The hook grip helped him achieve better leverages and stronger grip. He also focused heavily on maintaining position and finding the correct bar path for his proportions: long legs, shorter arms, and a longer torso. His hips started relatively high and his legs were straighter than average.
Brad trained deadlift reps up to eight, along with many singles both from the floor and from elevated positions in the power rack. In his published programs only singles appear, but he often referenced higher rep training and there are videos confirming it. He also used hip thrusts long before they became popular.
The Bench Press
Even though Brad is best known for his deadlift, it was the bench press that truly separated him from his competitors in the total. Between 1997 and 2001 none of his opponents benched more than him at the Powerlifting World Championships. Bench shirts were not very developed at this time, so most lifters, especially those with less favorable benching mechanics, gained only 10 to 20 kg / 22 to 44 lbs from the equipment. During those years Brad was not necessarily the top deadlifter either. At the 1998 World Championships he finished fifth in the deadlift with 367.5 kg / 810 lbs.
If classic powerlifting had existed in its current form back then, Brad might never have been fully recognized for the bench presser he truly was. When bench shirt designs improved in the early 2000s, Brad’s bench numbers stalled because the new shirts did not benefit long armed lifters as much. As Brad lost a bit of raw bench strength over the years, the improved shirts of the 2010s gave him more support which allowed him to stay close to his all time best equipped numbers.
If classic lifting had been the standard during the late 1990s and early 2000s when Brad was at his peak, he would likely be known today as both a bench presser and a deadlifter. He probably would have delivered raw bench presses around 260 kg / 573 lbs in competition along with deadlifts around 390 kg / 859 lbs. A combination that is extremely rare.
The Squat
Even though Brad’s leverage disadvantages in the bench press held him back in the bench shirt, his legs were an even greater Achilles heel in the squat. Standing 196 cm / 6 ft 5 in and weighing 145 to 150 kg / 320 to 331 lbs on long legs did not make squatting any easier. He had a long range of motion with very little body mass to shorten the leverages. Many of his competitors were 10 to 20 cm / 4 to 8 in shorter while weighing the same or even more.
What Brad did gain from squatting was probably a stronger and more efficient deadlift. His squat relied heavily on hips, back, and posterior chain, something that likely helped him in the deadlift.
The same was true with equipment. Brad was among those who got the least out of squat suits and knee wraps due to his style and proportions. His equipped 395 kg / 871 lbs squat could very well have been around 350 kg / 772 lbs at his raw prime.
Competition Bests
Equipped (2000s)
Squat: 395 kg / 871 lbs Bench Press: 287.5 kg / 634 lbs Deadlift: 400 kg / 882 lbs Total: 1062,5 kg / 2342,4 lbs
Raw (as a Masters lifter)
Squat: 325 kg / 716 lbs Bench Press: 235 kg / 518 lbs Deadlift: 382.5 kg / 843 lbs Total: 937,5 kg / 2066,8 lbs
Brad was stronger raw earlier in his career, but he only began competing raw about ten years after his peak. Even so, he won the Open World Championship in 2013 in Russia.
Major Championships
2nd – 1997 World Powerlifting Championships (Equipped) 4th – 1998 World Championships (Equipped) 2nd – 1999 World Championships (Equipped) 1st – 2000 World Championships (Equipped) 1st – 2001 World Championships (Equipped) 2nd – 2002 World Championships (Equipped) 4th – 2004 World Championships (Equipped) 1st – 2006 World Championships (Equipped, Masters) 2nd – 2007 World Championships (Equipped) 3rd – 2010 World Championships (Equipped) 8th – 2011 World Championships (Equipped) 1st – 2013 World Championships (Raw)
Training Personal Bests
All of the following were performed without equipment.
Deadlift
365 kg / 804 lbs for 2 352.5 kg / 777 lbs for 3 340 kg / 749 lbs for 5 310 kg / 683 lbs for 8 (no belt)
Squat
250 kg / 551 lbs for 8 (no belt) 300 kg / 661 lbs for 5
Bench Press
Multiple sets of 215 kg / 474 lbs for 8 reps 272 kg / 600 lbs in training multiple times
Are you interested in training programs inspired by much of what Brad Gillingham did? In the Built Strong app you will find programs such as PL Building Block, a linear progression program for the main lifts with corresponding accessory work.
What is Westside Barbell training, or what even is Westside Barbell? In short, Louie Simmons was a powerlifter, inventor, and innovator in the world of strength training, almost as much of an extremist as you can get in that field. He started lifting scrap weights early, and from the 1970s up until 2022, he lived to make others strong. Of course, he trained himself as well, but when that was no longer possible, his entire focus was on pushing others to reach their potential.
His methods, and perhaps his way of expressing himself, were to say the least controversial, and still are today. So controversial, in fact, that I’d argue if a calm, well-spoken, and respected coach said the exact same words Louie did, people would probably take it to heart. But if Louie said it, many would dismiss it immediately.
I used to be one of those people. To me, Louie Simmons was just an oddball and a crazy old guy talking nonsense, until I started listening, and eventually, understanding.
Much of what you and I take for granted in strength training today is either directly or indirectly influenced by Louie. My favorite example is resistance bands. The idea of using bands in the gym, or attaching them to a barbell, didn’t really exist before Louie wrote about it and started selling them.
We will go through how to train using the Westside Barbell method.
The training method, or rather, methods. Or perhaps more accurately, the entire training concept. It’s broad, it’s complex, yet surprisingly simple once you understand it. It’s not a “program”; it’s a system. Programs are built from the system, packaged versions designed to make it easier for lifters to apply.
Westside-style training, or the training methodology itself, is classified as Conjugate Training. Even though there’s some debate about whether it should technically be called Concurrent Training, we’ll stick with Conjugate.
Whatever you think you know about it, I ask you to set that aside for now. I’ve studied this system deeply; we’re talking books, podcasts, interviews, articles, Q&As, and every piece of material Louie ever put out. I’ve studied and revisited it for over ten years. The first year was mostly spent being skeptical, but the deeper I dug, the less skeptical I became.
What is Westside Barbell Training (The Conjugate System)
Westside Barbell training is built on the Conjugate System, which in short means developing several physical qualities at the same time while addressing weaknesses. You train with maximal weights in different variations, perform explosive work, and include plenty of assistance exercises to strengthen specific weak points. If something stands out as a particular weakness, more focus will be placed there, and once it improves, the focus shifts to the next weakest link that shows up.
People who are somewhat familiar with the concept often think it’s all about using special bars, chains, and resistance bands, or doing box squats wearing multi-ply powerlifting gear. While that has become part of it, that’s far from the full truth. Having studied this system in depth, I can say that this side of Westside is actually more of a branch of the smaller, less refined part of the whole, if I can put it that way.
From these core principles, several specific methods were created. Two of these are probably the most well-known and popular, and the ones most commonly associated with Westside Barbell and Louie Simmons.
The first is the Max Effort Method, and the second is the Dynamic Effort Method. Later, we also have the Repeated Effort Method, which ties the system together.
Max Effort Method
During Max Effort sessions, the goal is simple: you lift heavy. You work up to a heavy weight and fight to complete it. When doing this, you can’t just lift however you want. The same rules for technique and execution always apply. You must use efficient technique and maintain symmetry and control throughout the lift.
If you reach technical failure long before physical failure, it might be a good idea to switch methods. An example of this is when your technique starts to break down around 85–90% of your max. If, for instance, your back starts rounding significantly in the deadlift as early as 60–70%, and it gets worse the heavier it gets, you’re too weak to get the intended benefit from Max Effort training. In such cases, lifters at Westside often switched to the Repeated Effort Method, which I’ll cover later.
What does a Max Effort session look like?
Max Effort training is done twice per week, one session for the upper body and one for the lower body. You warm up and work up to a 1RM for the day in a variation of the squat, bench press, or deadlift.
For example, if your best lift in the close-grip bench press is 120 kg, you might aim for 122.5 kg. Since you know your 1RM, you can make fairly large jumps during warm-ups. For example: 100 kg × 1, 112.5 kg × 1, 122.5 kg × 1.
If you complete 122.5 kg and feel like 125 kg might be possible, but 127.5 kg would be hopeless, save it for next time. If you’re completely sure you have 5 kg more in you, go for that extra attempt.
If you fail to beat your personal best, say you did 112.5 kg confidently but couldn’t get 122.5 kg, then drop down to a weight that lets you set a new 2–3 rep personal record. If you already have a 2–3RM, go slightly above that and test again. If you don’t, take around 90% of your best single and do 2–3 reps.
Sometimes you’ll realize early in the session that your form or focus isn’t there. Maybe 100 or 112.5 kg already feels off, and you know 122.5 kg won’t happen today. In that case, switch to a 2–3 rep goal instead. Base your weight on about 90% of what you think your best would have been that day. If you estimate 117.5 kg as your max, try 105 kg for 2–3 reps.
There will also be days when you walk into the gym and quickly notice your body or mind isn’t ready for a true 1RM. Then you can go for a 2RM or 3RM instead. Start around 50–60% and work up in triples until you can’t go any further.
If your body or head just isn’t cooperating with the exercise you had planned, you can modify it. This can be as simple as changing your grip width slightly or adding a board. For example, instead of a close-grip bench with your index finger on the smooth part of the bar, use a medium-close grip with your hands between the ring and the smooth section. Or keep the close grip but add a board, chains, bands, or lift with your feet up. There are many ways to adjust to find a useful variation.
When your main lift is done, you move on to accessory exercises that target your weak points. These are movements that directly address the muscles holding you back.
If your hamstrings are weak in the deadlift, you’d prioritize Romanian deadlifts, Glute-Ham Raises, leg curls, or similar exercises. If your upper back or rear delts are weak in the bench press, you’d prioritize bent-over rows, reverse flyes, or face pulls.
Example of Max Effort sessions
Max Effort Upper Body
Bench Press – Close Grip 3–5 warm-up sets 50 kg × 10 70 kg × 5 85 kg × 3 100 kg × 1 112.5 kg × 1 122.5 kg × 1 (previous PB: 120 kg)
Lying Leg Curl | Rest: 1–2 min 0–1 warm-up sets 3 sets × 12–20 reps / 1–3 RIR
Lying Leg Raises | Rest: 1–2 min 0–1 warm-up sets 3 sets / 1–3 RIR
Back Extensions | Rest: 1–2 min 3 sets × 10–20 reps / 1–3 RIR
Purpose of the Max Effort Method
The purpose of Max Effort training is to build your ability to strain and stay technically solid under heavy loads. When things get hard, you must still be able to grind through, finding the right position and path to complete the lift. This develops both your neuromuscular system and your mental toughness to push when it’s difficult. It also exposes weaknesses, and that information is crucial to carry over into the rest of your training.
Dynamic / Speed Effort Method
The second commonly used method, and one of the two main pillars of Westside training, is the Dynamic Effort Method. This method is all about moving a weight as fast as possible. Explosiveness and intent are the key factors here. You should push with everything you have, and then some.
Many people think they already do that, but once they actually try this method, ideally under supervision, they quickly realize they’ve never truly done it. Especially when the weights are light.
In squats and bench presses, where the lift starts with an eccentric phase, you want to drop down fast. The goal is to descend as quickly as possible while staying in control, so you can take advantage of the body’s stretch reflex to explode up. But this has to be done under control. You should never drop the weight recklessly, nor try to move faster than you can handle technically.
In the deadlift, you start with the concentric phase right away. This makes it especially important to lock in a strong starting position so you can push hard from the floor without losing form.
To generate maximal force into the bar, your technique must be efficient. If you move around too much or get out of position, that force won’t go where it needs to. Keeping everything tight throughout the entire lift is crucial to get the best possible result.
The goal is to descend fast in the eccentric phase and push as explosively as possible in the concentric phase, but never at the cost of control. If you struggle to stay tight, slow down slightly on the way down to maintain stability, or start the lift a little more controlled and accelerate through the motion. If you just throw yourself into every rep without control, the quality will drop fast, and you’ll lose the purpose of the method.
What does a Dynamic Effort session look like?
Dynamic Effort sessions consist of multiple sets with few reps and short rest periods. In the squat, you use the box squat with a slightly wider stance than your regular squat and place the bar in a high-bar position. In the bench press, you rotate between three grip widths: Narrow (index finger on the smooth part of the bar) Medium-narrow (hand between the smooth part and the ring) Medium (little finger on the ring)
In the deadlift, you lift using the same stance and style that you use for your max or competition lifts.
You warm up to the target percentage of your max and complete the main lifts before moving on to assistance work. Just like with Max Effort training, the accessories focus on your weak points. For consistency, let’s stick with the same example as before: a lifter with a weak upper back and hamstrings.
About weights and percentages
The weights are based on your maxes in the box squat, bench press, and deadlift. When it comes to the box squat, there are a few interpretations. The most common is to base it on your competition-style squat max. However, since many lifters perform their max squat with a belt, knee sleeves, and low-bar position, while the box squat is typically done beltless, sleeveless, and high-bar, the numbers are often lower.
Many lifters, especially beginners, have a significant gap between their competition squat and their box squat. I’ve found that the box squat is usually around 80–90% of the regular squat.
For example, a lifter who squats 200 kg with a low-bar stance, belt, and knee sleeves might box squat around 160–180 kg. If you’re below that range, you likely have a lot of strength to build. If you’re above 90%, it might be time to check your form.
Ask yourself: Is the box low enough (just below parallel)? Do you actually sit back and down properly? Are you driving hard out of the hole?
If you’re new and don’t know your 1RM for the box squat, start by estimating it at 80% of your competition squat until you’ve tested it properly.
Lifting fast reps with relatively light weights might sound a bit soft. I thought so too for many years, even while studying the method in detail. But everything changed once I actually went through a session myself. Mentally and physically pushing full throttle through about ten sets, even when the weight feels light, is incredibly demanding. And that’s coming from someone used to doing high-rep sets in the squat, bench, and deadlift.
You quickly learn that you can push much harder than you think. Often, even when you should be exhausted halfway through, you realize you can still push more. That shows most people have never truly learned to give 100%.
The purpose of the Dynamic Effort Method is to make you more efficient and capable of generating maximum force under controlled, technical conditions. This directly carries over to your heavy lifts, teaching you how to go all-in even when the weight is heavy.
You might not be able to exert 100% effort on 60–70% of your 1RM, but most people only give about 65–70% effort when lifting that weight. The goal is to raise that to as close to 100% as possible.
Repeated Effort Method
The Repeated Effort Method, sometimes also called the Repetition Effort Method, is in many ways the classic strength training approach popularized by Joe Weider’s 3×10 or Bill Starr’s 5×5. It’s a system built on sets and reps designed to develop strength, muscle mass, and coordination.
This method is primarily used for accessory movements but can also be applied to the main lifts during certain training phases. For example, if you’re doing lat pulldowns, you might go with 3 sets of 10 reps, but there are several ways to structure that work.
Step / Pyramid approach
Here, you build up to a heavy or near-max set for the chosen rep range. Let’s say you know you can do 50 kg × 10 on lat pulldowns, maybe 52.5 kg on a good day. Then your session could look like this:
40 kg × 10 45 kg × 10 50 kg × 10
Next time, try to increase the weight on one, two, or all three sets depending on how it feels.
Volume approach
In this approach, you keep the same weight for all sets. If 3 sets of 10 reps at 50 kg are too heavy to complete, you could instead do 3×10 at 45 kg. Then, next session, try 47.5 kg or 50 kg, depending on how the previous one felt.
HIT style (High Intensity Training)
If the set and rep structure isn’t fixed, you can follow a more classic HIT-style progression. That means working up through a few warm-up or lighter work sets toward one truly hard set.
For example, in the lat pulldown: You know that 52.5 kg × 10 is your best and that doing 11 would be a real challenge. So the session could look like this:
35 kg × 10 (warm-up) 45 kg × 10 (moderate work set) 52.5 kg × max reps (push to failure)
On the final set, you push yourself hard, even using a bit of momentum or controlled cheating to get 1–2 extra reps. The goal is to push beyond your comfort zone.
Using the Repeated Effort Method for the main lifts
Even the main lifts at Westside Barbell were sometimes trained using the Repeated Effort Method, especially during phases focused on building muscle mass and general strength.
Louie Simmons himself used 6×6 bench press routines during the 1970s to build his pressing strength. JM Blakley, who was partially associated with Westside, used 6×6 instead of Max Effort work at times. George Halbert used 6×6 and 5×5 cycles to increase his bench, and another iconic Westside lifter, Greg Panora, primarily trained with 6×6 when he first joined the gym, since he needed to build size before increasing his absolute strength.
There are also accounts of periods when lifters used 8 or even 10 reps per set with this method.
How to start with the Repeated Effort Method
If you want to implement the Repeated Effort Method, you’ll need a starting point. A good rule of thumb is to begin with 6 reps at around 75–80% of your 1RM.
From there, work your way up gradually until you can complete 6×6 with that same weight. If you fail to hit 6×6, say you get 4×6 and then only 1×5, repeat the same weight next time. You can also extend your rest periods slightly if needed. The goal is to complete all 6 sets of 6 before increasing the load.
Example – Repeated Effort Upper Body
Bench Press – Medium Grip | Rest: 3–5 minutes 4–6 warm-up sets 100 kg × 6×6
This phase of training should not be underestimated. Since the volume in the main lifts is often relatively low, this is where you build the broad foundation. It’s important not to perform the assistance exercises half-heartedly. Their purpose is to actually assist your main lifts, to strengthen and fill the gaps that appear during heavy lifts.
If your knees cave in during squats or deadlifts, or if your elbows flare out in the bench press, these exercises are there to help you maintain proper position and lift more efficiently.
If you’re relatively new to strength training, or feel that you lack specific strength or muscle mass in certain areas, this is a very effective method to use in various ways.
The method also works excellently for the main lifts. You don’t need to push yourself to failure every time, the focus is on creating the right conditions to perform the movement well, with control and efficiency.
The goal is to grow into the movement, neurologically, muscularly, and in overall strength.
Weekly Structure
When running a week of Conjugate training, you perform two upper body sessions and two lower body sessions. Depending on your available time and needs, you can also add smaller sessions focused on specific strength work, mobility, or conditioning. These extra sessions will, over time, help you become stronger and more well-rounded.
The main sessions always include Max Effort training for both upper and lower body, or, depending on your current phase, Repeated Effort Method as a substitute. The other two sessions of the week are Dynamic Effort training for upper and lower body.
And that’s how it rolls, week after week. The intensity and volume fluctuate over time, and before competitions, both are reduced to allow for optimal performance. After a meet or testing phase, you start again based on your new 1RM numbers, which are constantly updated throughout training via the Max Effort sessions.
Conjugate Programs in the Built Strong App
In the Built Strong App, there are now several pre-designed Conjugate programs, adjusted to your equipment and training environment.
This program requires no bands or chains, and not even dumbbells or machines. It is designed for those training in a basic home gym setup. What you need is a bench, a rack, a barbell, and weights. As complements, a box for box squats and a board for pressing are recommended.
This program uses resistance bands but does not require specialty bars or chains. However, it includes exercises using dumbbells, machines, and other gym equipment. This makes it ideal for those who want a bit more variation and train in a fully equipped gym.
This is the same program as Built Strong Conjugate, but it includes smaller extra workouts. Louie Simmons, the founder of Westside, often talked about small additional sessions to strengthen weaknesses. This program includes two such sessions: one for the upper body and one for the lower body.
All programs follow the same foundation, but the setup adapts to your available tools. The important thing to remember is that even though Louie Simmons and the lifters at Westside Barbell eventually used bands, chains, and specialty bars, they all started with a regular barbell and basic equipment. Louie himself began with nothing more than a straight bar and weights, and that’s still enough to build incredible strength if the system is applied correctly.
If you want to learn more about Louie Simmons, Westside Barbell, and the conjugate system, you can go straight to the source. On https://www.westside-barbell.com you’ll find a huge amount of articles, podcasts, books, and videos to learn from. You can also join the Conjugate Club at https://www.conjugateclub.com.
Multiple World Champion and World Record Holder in Bench Press
Athlete Profile
Name: Fredrik Smulter Born: June 1983 Height: 181 cm Wingspan: 186 cm Weight: Approximately 130 kg (competed around 150 kg) From: Malax, Ostrobothnia, Finland Lives: Malax, Ostrobothnia, Finland Started strength training: 1997 Started competing: 2000 (retired 2017) Favorite movies:The Unknown Soldier (latest version), The Shawshank Redemption
Early Strength and First Competitions
What did you bench the first time you tried it, and how old were you? “105 kg at 14 years old.”
How soon did you realize you had what it took to become the best in the world? “I understood right away that my 105 kg was something special. Others my age with better technique could only manage around 50 kg. But it wasn’t until 2007–2008 that I truly believed in winning a World Championship.”
Do you remember your first competition? “February 19, 2000 in Jakobstad. I lifted 132.5 kg in the 90 kg class. Before the year ended, I had done 175 kg.”
First competition you were proud of? “The 175 kg as a 17-year-old at 99 kg bodyweight. I did 175 kg raw in warm-ups and the same in the shirt on the platform. But it wasn’t until 2004–2005 that I reached close to my potential in competition.”
Highs, Lows, and Memorable Moments
Worst competition and why? “The World or European Championships in Rødby, Denmark in 2007. My shirt tore, and I ended with no result. Tough to travel there for 0 kg.”
Most memorable lift? “In Rødby again, 2014, becoming the first drug-tested lifter to bench 400 kg. The atmosphere was magical. Even the Swedish national team liked me then.”
Weight Cuts, Eating, and Training Style
Cutting to –125 kg in 2010: “Strength-wise it went fine. I even muscled up 250 kg raw. But with the shirt it didn’t work. At 120 kg I didn’t have enough padding left, which made shirt benching very difficult.”
Eating during peak years: “I ate a lot and everything I could find, plus some creatine. Three hot meals, pastries, candy, and a burger on top of that.”
Raw vs Shirted Lifting
Would you have focused on raw lifting if it was as big back then as today? “Hard to say. Classic bench is the real test of strength and the version most people can relate to. Shirt benching is a circus, but it still requires strength, technique, and courage. I’d be a hypocrite to say it doesn’t have its charm.”
Best and worst bench variations: “Best: A raw training bench with the butt slightly off and a small sinking pause. Worst: A raw competition bench with a nitpicking head judge.”
Origin of the term ‘Smultra’: “Someone on Kolozzeum said it because I often deviated from the program to max out instead.”
Other Sports and What Could Have Been
If SkiErg or bench press became an Olympic sport: “SkiErg definitely. If bench press became an Olympic sport, I’d probably make a comeback just to participate.”
Armwrestling as an alternative path: “I’m a big fan and compete 3–4 times a year. As a youth, it could’ve been an option, but I think bench press would still have won because I had such talent for it.”
Standout Training Sessions
Training PRs in a fairly strict gym bench:
1 × 301.5 kg
2 × 290 kg
3 × 281 kg
5 × 271 kg
9 × 251 kg
19 × 220 kg
28 × 200 kg
Advice, Legacy, and Retirement
Best tip for getting strong in bench press: “High reps, high volume, mixed with heavy lifts in short periods.”
Will we ever see a comeback? “I don’t think so, unless bench press becomes an Olympic sport.”
How do you hope to be remembered? “For the 400 kg lift, my combination of raw and shirt strength, my training sets, and that I trained harder than 99% of my peers. I know opinions about me vary—some think I’m cocky, others that I’m humble and humorous. I hope it’s the latter.”
Do you want to become monstrously strong in bench press like Smulter? In the Built Strong Training App you’ll find several bench press programs that have helped lifters reach world-class level.
Louie Simmons was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 12, 1947. It was a different time to grow up, and his father, based on what Louie himself described, was strict. Not cruel, but strict. He also had a sister, but he does not seem to have been very close to his family since he almost never mentioned them. He played baseball as a kid, and that is where his athletic drive came from. As a boy he got his first barbell set and started strength training early, later competing in weightlifting. In 1966, before joining the Army, he attended a powerlifting meet. Powerlifting was very new at the time. He got hooked, and during his military service his focus shifted.
Early Education in Strength Training
He began reading everything about strength training. Back then, Olympic weightlifting consisted of the snatch, the clean and jerk, and the press. Powerlifting was done without supportive equipment. It was also then that he first read about Bill “Peanuts” West and his crew in Culver City, California. They were innovative in their training. They came up with many new exercises and methods to boost strength. The gym they trained at is what is now called “The Original Westside Barbell.” That is the group Louie honored when he officially took the name in 1987, to pay tribute to the men and the club he had learned so much from.
Influences From Culver City and Training Inspirations
Louie took a lot from the Culver City lifters, which he learned through magazines. Exercises like good mornings, box squats, block pulls, and board presses. He also adopted how they organized training and used variations. Among other things, Louie learned that box squats were extremely effective for him.
Westside Barbell Culver City lifters
Return From the Military and Introduction to PEDs
When Louie came home from the military in 1970, he started doing two things: competing in powerlifting and taking testosterone. He is said to have been on testosterone from then until the day he died. It is worth noting that testosterone was not banned in powerlifting at that time. That happened in 1981. With today’s view on doping in Sweden it is easy to look down on this, but it was a different time, in a different culture, and he was a very particular man. The first athlete in Olympic history to be disqualified for banned substances was also a Swede. Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall lost his bronze medal at the 1968 Olympics for using a prohibited substance. The substance was alcohol.
Rise of Westside Barbell
Competitive Success in the 1970s
In the 1970s Louie began competing actively in powerlifting, and he climbed the rankings. The lift that worked best for him was the squat. As early as 1971 he set a junior American record of 256 kg in the 82.5 kg class. Later, in 1973, he squatted 285 kg in the 82.5 kg class without any equipment. Around that time the IPF was founded, in late 1972, and belts, knee wraps, and wrist wraps were not allowed. Louie’s lift was above the world record then, which stood at 272.5 kg. Throughout the 1970s he trained at home in his basement. Others from his hometown joined him to train and compete. Many became successful, and eventually there were so many that they moved out into the garage. Over the years the gym changed locations and focus and became the Westside most people know.
First Major Injury and Reverse Hyper Invention
Things went well for Louie, and in February 1973 he totaled 750.5 kg in the 82.5 kg class. This was done completely without equipment. That result was 9 kg better than Vince Anello’s total at the World Championships a few months earlier. Anello used a belt and knee wraps at that meet. Louie had momentum and pushed hard, a little too hard. During a heavy set of good mornings he lost concentration and focus. The bar drove him down and he broke his back. He was on crutches for a long time and could not find a way to train that made him better. He experimented and noticed that if he lay on his stomach and raised his legs backward, he could feel his back working and get a pump with no pain. This became his way back and what would later become the reverse hyperextension.
Competing in the 1980s and Switching Federations
At the American Nationals in 1979 he was very close to placing second behind Larry Pacifico, but the venue was hot and the bar was slippery. It slid out of his hands and, in an effort to squeeze it, he tore his biceps. The following year at the YMCA Nationals he won instead. It did not carry the same prestige as the regular Nationals, but it drew strong lifters like Dave Waddington, Steve Wilson, and Roger Estep. Louie pushed on through the 1980s and moved from USPF to APF. One reason was that USPF, the IPF-affiliated federation, started drug testing. Since Louie knew he had no interest in stopping, he switched federations.
Second Back Break and Birth of the Conjugate System
Unfortunately, the success did not last. In 1982 he attempted 329 kg on a low box squat. He had two female spotters who could not handle the weight, and the safety pins were set too low. He missed the squat and was forced forward with the bar on his neck. With his hips stuck on the box and 329 kg pressing down on his neck, he broke his back again. After this came the second major turning point. Now it was not only the exercises that would change, but the system behind the training. He began to study what is now called the conjugate method.
Comeback and Later Competitive Years
Return to Powerlifting in the Late 1990s
At the end of the 1980s Louie stepped away from powerlifting, then returned in 1997 as a 50-year-old. The sport had evolved with specialty bars, monolifts, 24-hour weigh-ins, and multi-ply gear. He became competitive quickly again.
Notable Lifts and Rankings in His 50s
He was ranked 12th in all-age powerlifting with 868.6 kg total at age 50, and benched 258.5 kg, ranking above JM Blakley. At age 52 he squatted 417.5 kg. In 2003 he deadlifted 324.3 kg.
Legacy Beyond Competition
Media, Influence, and Digital Era
In the 2010s he retired from competing but expanded Westside through the internet. He appeared on major podcasts including The Joe Rogan Experience. Tom Barry helped modernize Westside’s media and launch Conjugate Club.
Final Years and Passing
In the 2020s his health declined. On March 24, 2022, he passed away at home with his wife, Doris. His final interview was on Power Athlete Radio episode 600.
Tom Barry came to Westside and worked alongside Louie for several years before Louie passed away. Together with the lifters and athletes at the gym, and with all the knowledge Tom gained from Louie over the years, he continues to carry the club forward.
Best lifts in competition
Louie’s best lifts throughout the years with different equipment.
Classic (RAW)
Class -100 kg / 220 lbs Bench Press: 225.0 kg / 496 lbs (1984)
Single Ply
Class -100 kg / 220 lbs Squat: 347.0 kg / 765 lbs (1980) Bench Press: 217.7 kg / 480 lbs (1980) Deadlift: 319.7 kg / 705 lbs (1980) Total: 884.5 kg / 1,950 lbs (1980)
Class -110 kg / 242 lbs Squat: 372.5 kg / 821 lbs (1987) Bench Press: 240.4 kg / 530 lbs (1990) Deadlift: 319.7 kg / 705 lbs (1986) Total: 922.5 kg / 2,033.7 lbs (1987)
Class -125 kg / 275 lbs Squat: 362.9 kg / 800 lbs (1987) Bench Press: 235.9 kg / 520 lbs (1987) Deadlift: 294.8 kg / 650 lbs (1987) Total: 892.9 kg / 1,970 lbs (1987)
Multi Ply
Class -100 kg / 220 lbs Squat: 319.7 kg / 705 lbs (2010) Bench Press: 274.4 kg / 605 lbs (2008) Deadlift: 324.3 kg / 715 lbs (2003) Total: 855.3 kg / 1,885 lbs (2010)
Class -110 kg / 242 lbs Squat: 417.3 kg / 920 lbs (2000) Bench Press: 263.1 kg / 580 lbs (1999) Deadlift: 299.4 kg / 660 lbs (1999) Total: 952.5 kg / 2,100 lbs (1999)
Class -125 kg / 275 lbs Bench Press: 272.1 kg / 600 lbs (1998)
* Pulled 327.5 kg but bombed out in squat so it did not count.
Other results: he is said to have box squatted around 330 kg to a box below parallel at a bodyweight of about 100 kg, wearing at most a belt. In the bench press he reportedly did as much as 233.6 kg touch-and-go in the gym.
You can read more about Westside Barbell Training and the Conjugate Method here:
If you really want to get to the core of Louie Simmons and Westside Barbell, you should visit their website and purchase The Book of Methods and The Iron Samurai.
This program requires no bands or chains, and not even dumbbells or machines. It is designed for those training in a basic home gym setup. What you need is a bench, a rack, a barbell, and weights. As complements, a box for box squats and a board for pressing are recommended.
This program uses resistance bands but does not require specialty bars or chains. However, it includes exercises using dumbbells, machines, and other gym equipment. This makes it ideal for those who want a bit more variation and train in a fully equipped gym.
This is the same program as Built Strong Conjugate, but it includes smaller extra workouts. Louie Simmons, the founder of Westside, often talked about small additional sessions to strengthen weaknesses. This program includes two such sessions: one for the upper body and one for the lower body.
All programs follow the same foundation, but the setup adapts to your available tools. The important thing to remember is that even though Louie Simmons and the lifters at Westside Barbell eventually used bands, chains, and specialty bars, they all started with a regular barbell and basic equipment. Louie himself began with nothing more than a straight bar and weights, and that’s still enough to build incredible strength if the system is applied correctly.
