9-Week Olympic Lifting & Push Press Strength Program: The Power of Conjugate Principles for Explosive Strength

The Conjugate Approach to Olympic Lifting: 9 Weeks to Explosive Strength Without Wasting Time on Technique

Olympic weightlifting is often misunderstood in the world of strength sports. Many assume it’s purely about refining technique for competition-level snatches and clean & jerks. But for strongman competitors, powerlifters, and hybrid strength athletes, Olympic lifting serves a different purpose: developing explosive power, maximal strength, and efficient force transfer without getting bogged down in technical minutiae.

That’s why I designed the 9-Week Olympic Lifting & Push Press Strength Program—a conjugate-style approach to integrating Olympic lifting principles into a structured max effort and dynamic effort system. The program drew inspiration from Louie Simmons’ Westside for Olympic Weightlifting, applying speed work, rotating max effort lifts, and explosive overhead pressing cycles to make lifters stronger and more explosive without spending months refining weightlifting technique.

This article breaks down the program’s structure, methodology, and why it works, while offering insights on where to go next for those who completed it.

Why This Program?

For strongman and power-based athletes, Olympic weightlifting isn’t about mastering the snatch—it’s about using derivatives (like power cleans and push presses) to build force output, bar speed, and explosive lower body drive.

This 9-week program focused on:

✅ Developing a stronger squat foundation—because better squats = better cleans & presses

✅ Improving push press strength & lockout ability—a direct carryover to strongman pressing events

✅ Building explosive hip extension—through power cleans, hang cleans, and dynamic squats

✅ Using Max Effort & Dynamic Effort methods to ensure continuous progress

This wasn’t an Olympic weightlifting program for weightlifters—it was a power-building system incorporating weightlifting to make athletes stronger, faster, and more explosive.

Program Structure: How It Works

This was a 4-day-per-week program, following a Max Effort/Dynamic Effort (ME/DE) conjugate structure:

🔹 Day 1 – Max Effort Lower (Squat & Clean Focus)

💥 Goal: Develop absolute strength in squats and power cleans

🔹 Heavy 3RM → 1RM progressions every 2 weeks

🔹 Squat variations: Front Squat, High Bar Squat, Box Squat

🔹 Olympic lift variations: Power Clean, Jerk Dips, Hang Power Clean

🔹 Lower body & core assistance

💡 Why?

✅ Stronger squats = stronger cleans & presses

✅ Front squats reinforce upright posture for cleans & overhead lifts

✅ Power clean variations build bar speed and pulling power

🔹 Day 2 – Max Effort Upper (Push Press & Overhead Strength)

💥 Goal: Build maximal overhead strength & stability

🔹 Heavy 3RM → 1RM progressions every 2 weeks

🔹 Pressing variations: Strict Press, Push Press, Behind-the-Neck Press, Band-Resisted Push Presses

🔹 Assistance work: Bench variations, triceps, back & shoulder work

💡 Why?

✅ Push press develops leg drive for overhead lifting

✅ Stronger triceps & back = better pressing stability

✅ Band-resisted work improves speed & lockout

🔹 Day 3 – Dynamic Effort Lower (Speed & Power for Squats & Cleans)

💥 Goal: Improve bar speed, power output & technical efficiency

🔹 Box Squats (8x2 with progressive wave loading)

🔹 Power Cleans (Short rest doubles for fast-twitch activation)

🔹 Lower body & core accessory work

💡 Why?

✅ Box squats build explosive strength & hip drive

✅ Power cleans with resets improve technical efficiency & rate of force development

✅ **Short rest forces fast-twitch recruitment for power output

🔹 Day 4 – Dynamic Effort Upper (Speed & Explosive Pressing)

💥 Goal: Reinforce pressing efficiency & overhead speed

🔹 Axle Push Press (3-week wave loading: 55%, 60%, 65%)

🔹 Speed-focused overhead work (Z-Press, Incline Bench, 2-Board Press)

🔹 Upper back, triceps, and core assistance work

💡 Why?

✅ Faster bar speed = more efficient push presses

✅ Speed work reinforces technique & timing

✅ Stronger triceps & upper back eliminate weak points in pressing

Why This Wasn’t a Traditional Olympic Lifting Program

Unlike standard Olympic lifting programs, this one did NOT include:

❌ Full Snatches or Clean & Jerks – Because in this phase of training, the goal was to build strength & power, not master technique.

❌ Extensive Technical Drills – The focus was on force production, not refining competitive lifts.

❌ Endless Repeats at Light Weights – This wasn’t a weightlifting meet prep plan—it was about getting brutally strong while incorporating Olympic lifting principles.

This is where Louie Simmons’ approach influenced the program heavily. He understood that Olympic weightlifting isn’t just about skill—it’s about developing extreme levels of strength and speed. By cycling max effort lifts, incorporating speed work, and using variations that improve force production, he built a methodology that works for strongman, powerlifting, and functional strength athletes—not just weightlifters.

Where Do You Go From Here?

If you completed this 9-week program, you should now have:

✅ Stronger squats & overhead press numbers

✅ Improved bar speed & efficiency in power cleans

✅ More explosive leg drive for strongman & general strength sports

✅ A better understanding of how to use Olympic lifts for strength, not just skill

But what’s next?

1️⃣ Continue with More Variations

If this program worked well for you, you can repeat it with different squat & pressing variations:

• ME Lower Options: Zercher Squats, Front Squats w/ Chains, Safety Bar Squats

• ME Upper Options: Axle Push Press, Log Press, Strict Press w/ Chains

• DE Lower Variations: Box Squats vs Bands, Trap Bar Speed Pulls

• DE Upper Variations: Speed Log Press, Swiss Bar Overhead Work

2️⃣ Shift Towards Competition-Specific Training

If you’re heading into a competition phase, you should:

🔹 Reduce max effort squat frequency and shift to competition-style deadlifts & presses

🔹 Integrate strongman-specific overhead work (log, axle, circus dumbbell)

🔹 Modify cleans to be medley-style or loaded with heavier weights

3️⃣ Work With a Coach for More Personalisation

Want a program tailored to your weaknesses? Whether it’s getting stronger in cleans, fixing your push press mechanics, or integrating Olympic lifting into your strongman prep, I can help.

📢 Apply for coaching here and let’s build your next strength cycle properly.

The Power of Conjugate Principles in Weightlifting

This program wasn’t about turning you into an Olympic weightlifter. It was about making you stronger, faster, and more explosive using weightlifting-derived movements, max effort training, and dynamic effort cycles.

If you’re serious about taking your strength and explosive power to the next level, conjugate-style training is the way forward—and this was just the beginning.

Now, go lift some heavy f*ing weight.** 💪🔥