Block vs Conjugate Periodization

So I have been receiving a lot of questions lately regarding different styles of periodization used for training. For those who don’t know what periodization is you haven’t learned anything from me over the past couple months! Periodization in exercise is key to reach maximum potential while limiting those awful plateaus. What periodization means is breaking up your training into 3-4 week cycles rotating through different exercises to keep the body in shock and the results coming. As many of you may know I am a big fan of conjugate periodization, which was created by the Russians, and spread by Louie Simmons and the Westside Barbell Crew. While using this style an athlete will work on all aspects of training throughout each session. A normal conjugate workout may be starting with a heavy squat building up to a 1-3RM and then working through supplemental lifts and supersets to achieve muscular endurance and hypertrophy as well. The reason I am big on this style of training is because it will help an athlete achieve the greatest gains in short periods of time. Being a Personal Trainer a normal athlete I will receive I have very limited time to obtain very lofty goals. With that being said Conjugate Periodization is the ONLY way to train an athlete if they will be training for 12 weeks or less.
Block Periodization is the most favorable way to train if an athlete will be on a program for over 12 weeks. During Block Periodization athletes will focus on specific goals for 3-4 week periods and will structure there program accordingly. This may me working strictly GPP for a four week period followed by Muscular Endurance and so on. The reason this style is more beneficial for long periods of training is because your body will hold up much better. Think of the amount of stress on the body for an athlete if they are doing max effort lifts 2x a week on top of all there sports training sessions.
Personally I am not a big fan of block periodization. I do not understand why you would spend an entire month building up your strength to then go away from it for extended periods of time. I have heard this argument from many top sports trainers, yet many of the top level D1 colleges are utilizing this style of training with great success. Personally I like utilizing the Conjugate method with deload weeks to help the body recover from the strain of constant max effort days. I have seen great results utilizing this style and do not plan on changing my methods up at this current time. This might have something to do with me having lifting heavy shit in my DNA!

The crew at Westside Barbell that made the Conjugate method famous