Programming for Success 2026
Ashley Jones
As Louie has said on numerous occasions, “everything works, but nothing works forever,” and when you see the plethora of different programming techniques available over the last 30-odd years, they all produce results. Here are a few to consider:
I have trialed a fair few of these over the last decades and would like to suggest a hybrid program to you all to try and see what you think, a combination of conjugate and Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 major movement exercises. In this hybrid, you can train 3 or 4 times a week, depending on your movement category selection. The element in consideration here is whether you separated vertical and horizontal upper body pushing movements, bench press, and military press, as in Wendler’s programming, or you simply have an upper body push category. This will become self-evident as I detail the program structure below.
In this hybrid, the words of Louie are paramount: “whatever you do not train, you lose.” Hence, the program considers Power (neural), Strength (mechanical strength), and Hypertrophy (mechanical size) for each movement category in each workout.
Squat: Band Box Squat, Safety Bar Squat, Belt Squat or KB Goblet Cyclist Squat
Hinge: Power Clean, Deadlift, Hip Thrust, or Good Morning
Upper Body Push: Push Press, Bench Press, Machine Press
Or
Upper Body Horizontal Push: Chain Bench Press, Bench Press, Machine Bench Press
Upper Body Vertical Push: Push Press, Military Press, Seated Z single arm Z Press or machine
As for sets and reps, I would recommend a three-week pendulum cycle for the Power (neural) element on each training day as follows:
Week One: 40% Bar weight & 33% Band or Chain weight or 70 – 79%, 4 x 6 or 12 x 2
Week Two: 50% Bar weight & 33% Band or Chain weight or 80 – 89%, 4 x 4 or 10 x 2
Week Three: 60% Bar weight & 33% Band or Chain weight or 90+%, 4 x 2 or 8 x 2
For the Strength and Hypertrophy exercises here is a selection of options to use depending on your training age and time availability:
Here are a few more ideas as to how to structure the sets & reps for each of the three training types within the training session:
On all upper body days, I would add specific upper back work to compliment the direction of the push movements one exercise in the strength range of sets & reps and one exercise in the hypertrophy (size) range as well, for example Upper Body Vertical Pull: Chin Ups or Pulldowns and Shrugs and for Upper Body Horizontal Pull: a Bent-over row variation and a single arm movement. If you need to super-set the upper body push and pull variations to increase intensity and also to save time in your workout, you can easily adjust the program to meet this requirement. You may also like to add a specific hamstring movement to each lower-body day. As with all my programs I would add both upper and lower body CARE exercises at the conclusion of each training day.
Here is a fully programmed week, complete with sets and reps as an example of what the program would look like:
Ashley Jones is a strength & conditioning coach with 30+ years in professional sport across seven countries, best known for his work in rugby from club to international levels—including two Rugby World Cups with teams from both hemispheres. He was named NSCA Professional Coach of the Year (2016) and received the NSCA Boyd Epley Lifetime Achievement Award (2023). He’s also a long-time Elitefts columnist.