My Conjugate Conditioning Max Effort Lower Body Circuit

MAX EFFORT LOWER BODY CIRCUIT 

-*Lower Body Main Movement
-GHR
-Single-Leg Movement (Presently Cossack Squats)
-Calf Raise
-GHR Crunch

HOW THE CIRCUITS WORK

First, I start with no more than a five-minute general warmup. I’d tell you mine, but it’s based on what my body needs as far as prehab/rehab movements.

While I am setting up each exercise for the circuit I will do a few reps of each movement with little or no weight as part of warming up.

Once the circuit is set up, I get going. The only stop I really make is to add weight to the main movement. Those sets in the circuit serve as part of the warmup for the Max Effort sets to follow.

WEEKLY PROGRESSION

Week 1 - 3 circuits 10 reps per exercise **5 reps for lower body main movement
Week 2 - 3 circuits 12 reps per exercise **5 reps for lower body main movement
Week 3 - 3 circuits 15 reps per exercise **5 reps for lower body main movement
Week 4 - Deload 

With the exception of the Max Effort movement, the assistance exercises are done with the same weight for all sets. 

*Upon completion of the 3 circuits, I continue with warm-up sets on the Max Effort exercise of 2-3 reps each by feel. Once the weight feels like an RPE of 8 I drop to singles.

**After completing a Max Effort Single, I drop the weight 10% for one set of 2-3 reps

For my lower body, I will use the trap bar at least 2 of the 3 weeks of each cycle. I’ll usually use the belt squat once a cycle. I change things up weekly by adding a variety of straight weight, bands, chains, a box, or blocks.

That’s it, nothing revolutionary. It helps me work on my conditioning a little through training and I get to have a little fun by keeping in max effort singles. By pre-exhausting the muscles I know I cannot chase down the same numbers I used to. As a result, I am recovering much better which allows me to keep up with my running 3 days a week.