The TEAMJOSHHEZZA Method: How I Build Strength That Actually Works
Strength That Works: Why My Coaching Isn’t Just Another Template
The coaching space is flooded. Templates recycled from Instagram. Buzzwords borrowed from whoever shouted loudest that week. Linear plans pretending to be advanced periodisation. Lifters shoved into systems, not systems built for lifters.
And it’s easy to get lost in that noise.
But here’s the thing: Real strength training isn’t about trends. It’s about application. And what separates great coaches from good ones isn’t just knowledge — it’s knowing how to apply it to real people. In real circumstances. With real lives, bodies, histories, and demands.
This is my approach to doing just that.
I’ve spent over a decade and close to 15 years, coaching strength athletes — from complete novices to world champions, across tested and untested federations, and everything in between. My job isn’t to make you fit a program. It’s to build a program that fits you.
You can read more about my background, qualifications, and coaching experience here: 👉 Why Work With Me
Conjugate DNA, Without the Dogma - TEAMJOSHHEZZA Style
Yes, you’ll find Louie Simmons’ fingerprints all over my methodology. Max effort. Dynamic effort. Specialty bars. Band tension. Weak point training. GPP.
But this isn’t Westside cosplay. I’m not interested in dogma. I’m interested in what works. Conjugate is the foundation, but the house is custom-built every time.
Because the truth is this:
What worked for an elite geared powerlifter in 2004 doesn’t always work for a raw, drug-free lifter in 2025. What worked for your favourite influencer might not work for a 42-year-old with a rebuilt knee and two kids.
So I coach the individual. I adapt the method. I apply the principles. And I use everything I’ve learned — in the gym, in academia, and under the bar — to build strength that lasts.
This is The TEAMJOSHHEZZA Method. And it’s just getting started.
Training the Individual, Not the Ideal
There is no such thing as the perfect program.
There is no optimal split that works for every lifter. No universal intensity curve. No magical list of “must-do” exercises that builds everyone into a champion.
Because no two athletes are the same — and I don’t treat them like they are.
The Variables That Actually Matter
Some programs only account for bar weight. Mine account for real life.
Levers – Long femurs? Short arms? It all affects how you squat, press, and pull.
Injury history – Your movement patterns didn’t come out of nowhere. Neither did your pain.
PED use or natural – The training and recovery structure should reflect your physiology, not someone else’s biology.
Neurodivergence – Some athletes thrive on routine. Others need variation to stay engaged. I’ve worked with both.
Chronic Conditions & Pain - I know better than most how to deal with these kinds of issues as someone who suffers with EDS.
Training age – A lifter with 2 years under the bar and one with 12 aren’t “just scaling volume.” They’re speaking different languages.
Lifestyle – Job stress, kids, erratic sleep, shift work… these things aren’t excuses. They’re programming data points.
Mobility and movement – Before we load a lift, we have to own it. And before we chase performance, we need access to the positions that performance demands.
The Goal Is Not Perfection
Too many coaches try to jam lifters into a mould. They chase “perfect” programming. The perfect plan, the perfect peak, the perfect week.
But in the real world? You get interrupted. You get injured. You get tired. You plateau. And your body — and mind — change over time.
The job isn’t to force lifters into a “perfect” program. It’s to build the plan around them — and evolve it when it needs evolving.
💬 “I’ve coached everything from tested IPF World Championship winning athletes to PED-using strongmen, from new mums to BJJ black belts.” Every lifter is different. Every plan should be too.
Strength Coaching Is a Conversation
Coaching is not just about giving out sets and reps. It’s about communication. Trust. Honest feedback. Mutual accountability. And knowing when to change something, not just what to change.
I don’t just coach the lift. I coach the lifter.
Why Conjugate, and Why Not Dogma
There’s a reason I use the Conjugate Method as the foundation of my coaching. But there’s also a reason I don’t treat it like a religion.
Conjugate gives us a framework — not a prison. It’s a system built on principles, not rigid rules. And the key to making it work for real people in the real world? Contextual adaptation.
Max Effort. Dynamic Effort. Repetition Work.
Yes — all of these are in the mix. But if you’re just copying Westside from 2002… you’ve missed the point.
Max Effort means pushing your top-end output — with purpose.
Dynamic Effort means developing speed-strength — not just going through the motions.
Repetition Method means building muscle and movement — not fluffing volume.
But how that looks in practice? That’s where the coaching comes in.
The Four-Day Template Isn’t the Law
I don’t run the classic four-day Conjugate split for everyone. Sometimes it’s three days a week. Sometimes we train four days, but shift the emphasis based on recovery, work-life balance, or sport demands.
I’ve coached:
Fighters running two lifting sessions around sparring
Powerlifters on a rotating three-day split to manage fatigue
Strongman competitors with an extra GPP or event day
Gen pop lifters who need flexible templates they actually stick to
The structure adapts — the principles don’t.
Tools, Not Templates
Specialty bars, band tension, reverse hypers, sleds, chains — they’re tools. Useful? Absolutely. Mandatory? Never.
Just like GPP and aerobic work, just like movement prep and accessories — everything has a purpose. But that purpose has to fit your goals, not just the system.
Conjugate = Principles First
Dogma is easy. It’s easier to copy a program than to build one. But Conjugate done right is informed, dynamic, and athlete-led.
I can tell you exactly why I’m doing what I’m doing — At any given time, for any athlete, in any situation.
That’s not guesswork. That’s coaching.
If you’ve tried Conjugate and it felt like chaos… If you’ve heard it’s “too complicated”… If you’ve only seen one version of it on YouTube... 📩 Let me show you what it looks like when done right.
Building Athletes Who Last
Anyone can get strong for 12 weeks. That’s easy. Run enough volume, eat enough food, get enough sleep — you’ll move the needle.
But I’m not just interested in who gets strong fast. I care about who’s still training 12 years from now. Still progressing. Still learning. Still under the bar.
Because getting strong and staying strong are not the same skill set.
Short-Term Gains vs. Long-Term Development
Flashy programming will always sell. Smashing rep PRs. Constant maxing out. Intensity, intensity, intensity.
But if it’s not sustainable — what’s the point?
You don’t need a coach who burns you out. You need a coach who builds you to last.
And that means thinking beyond this week’s top set.
The Non-Negotiables of Longevity
1. Managing Joint Stress Rotating bars. Adjusting grip. Controlling loading. It’s not “being soft” — it’s setting you up for a longer career. You only get one set of elbows, knees, hips. Treat them with respect.
2. Varying Movement Patterns Squat. Box squat. Front squat. SSB. Belt squat. All squats — different stressors, different benefits. Keeping the stimulus high while rotating the strain? That’s programming.
3. Knowing When to Pivot Low back flared up? Shoulders cooked? Knees barking? You don’t “push through” — you pivot. Conjugate lets us shift the movement, maintain intensity, and keep progress alive.
The Real Skill: Staying in the Game
The best lifters I know aren’t the ones who trained the hardest. They’re the ones who trained the longest.
And they got there by:
Taking deloads when needed
Knowing the difference between pain and effort
Planning for decades, not just cycles
Understanding that health, longevity, and performance are all connected
If you’re serious about strongman, powerlifting, or strength training in general — you need a long-term plan.
Force–Velocity and Long-Term Progression
You can copy a program. You can follow sets, reps, and percentages to the letter.
But if you don’t understand the why — the force being trained, the speed being developed, the adaptation being chased — You’re just exercising. Not building performance.
I Don’t Just Program Reps. I Program Force Production.
Strength isn’t one thing. It’s a spectrum — built on how much force you can produce, and how quickly you can produce it.
Some days we’re building starting strength — overcoming inertia. Other days, it’s reversal strength — changing direction fast. And some days, it’s about acceleration — applying force rapidly through the whole range.
Each of these qualities sits on the Force–Velocity Curve. If you don’t train them all? You leave results — and resilience — on the table.
The Goal Is to Shift the Curve — Not Just Hit Numbers
It’s easy to chase heavier loads and call it progress. But unless those loads are moving faster, or being applied in different contexts, you're not expanding capacity. You're just chasing fatigue.
Real programming builds lifters who are:
Stronger at different speeds
Stronger from different positions
Stronger across different time frames (explosive → grindy)
This Is What Progression Actually Looks Like
💥 Off-season = build GPP, hypertrophy, restore joints, develop movement capacity.
⚙️ Prep phase = shift toward velocity, bar control, top-end coordination.
🔥 Peak = specificity, timing, precision — not max fatigue.
That’s long-term planning.
That’s strength with purpose.
Fatigue ≠ Progress
If you’re not:
Rotating movements
Managing fatigue
Applying volume with intent
…then you’re just getting tired, not better.
This is where Conjugate principles shine. You don’t burn out chasing arbitrary volume. You rotate effort across zones of the curve. You build, consolidate, and express strength — when it matters.
When to Push, When to Pull Back
“Work harder” isn’t coaching. It’s wallpaper.
Most lifters already want it. They already try hard. They already train with intent.
So no — effort isn’t the missing piece. Knowing when to apply that effort is.
“Hard Work” Is a Given. Smart Work Is the Difference.
Coaches love to post about grit, grind, and intensity. But intensity without strategy? That’s just ego in disguise.
True coaching is knowing when to hit the gas — and when to pump the brakes.
Sometimes the best training session of the week is the one you cut short. The one where you walk away with more in the tank. The one where you protect the long game instead of chasing the short win.
I’ll Push a Lifter — But Only When They’re Ready
Context is everything. If you’re sleeping 4 hours, living on caffeine, and fighting through a joint flare-up — You don’t need more volume. You need a smarter plan.
If you're healthy, recovered, focused, and moving well? Then we push. We take big swings — but only when they’re worth taking.
This Isn’t Auto-Pilot Programming
Some days call for a PR. Some days call for a technical rep at 85%. Some days call for ditching the deadlift and dragging a sled.
And some days? You just need to get the blood moving and go home.
That’s not weakness. That’s athletic maturity.
I Program for Real People — Not Robots
Your training log doesn’t live in a vacuum. Life, work, stress, pain, emotions — they all feed into your performance. So why would your program ignore them?
This is where experience matters. Knowing how to read between the reps. Knowing when to pivot without panic. Knowing how to keep the plan moving forward — even when today takes a left turn.
Progress Isn’t Linear. But That Doesn’t Mean It’s Random.
What separates great lifters from inconsistent ones?
🟢 Autoregulation
🟢 Clear priorities
🟢 The ability to make smart decisions under pressure
This is what I build with every athlete. Because anyone can train hard. But not everyone knows when to hold the line — and when to push it.
The Blend of Art, Data, and Coaching Instinct
Coaching isn’t a science. Coaching isn’t an art. Coaching is both — or it’s neither.
You can’t build world-class athletes from spreadsheets alone. But you also can’t build them from vibes and guesswork.
The job is to understand the data — and know when to look past it.
Coaching Is Not Binary
“Science vs instinct” is a false choice. The best decisions live in the grey.
I track what we can measure:
Bar speed
Volume
Max effort variations
Progressions over time
Recovery metrics
But I listen to what we can’t measure:
How a lifter talks before their top set
That 2% change in body language
What the bar feels like, not just what it weighs
The spreadsheet might say go. But the lifter in front of you might say not today.
That’s the instinct. That’s the art.
Numbers Don’t Win Meets — Athletes Do
You could have the most beautifully optimised volume progression in the world — but if the athlete’s nervous system is fried or they’ve just had the week from hell?
It doesn’t matter. The right call is the one that balances outcomes with wellbeing. And that call isn’t made by Excel — it’s made by the coach who knows the athlete.
The Longer I Coach You, The Smarter the Plan Gets
Every week gives me more information:
How you move
How you recover
How you respond to load, fatigue, and stress
The relationship compounds. Patterns emerge. And over time, I know exactly when to push, when to pivot, and when to pause.
That’s why real coaching always beats templated programming.
Because instinct isn’t random — it’s informed by experience, by trust, by time in the trenches.
This Is Why Coaching Works
We’re not building robots. We’re building adaptable, high-performing, injury-resistant athletes. That takes more than sets and reps.
It takes feedback. It takes conversation. It takes a coach who wants to learn from you — not just tell you what to do.
How My Articles Shows This in Action
Conjugate principles in the wild — no theory without proof.
By now, you’ve heard the philosophy. Individualisation. Conjugate without dogma. Contextualised volume. Real-life programming decisions made in real-time.
But this stuff isn’t just theoretical. It shows up in the training I write — every week, for real athletes.
Let’s walk through how the articles and free programs I’ve published show the actual application of the principles we’ve been talking about.
The Conjugate Method for Strongman — Evolved, Not Worshipped
These two articles lay out the full framework of how I use Conjugate with strongman competitors:
Max Effort work designed not just to strain, but to identify weak points specific to events
Dynamic Effort sessions that actually carry over — speed pulls, banded squats, and push press EMOMs that mean something
Repetition Effort used strategically — not just for junk volume, but to plug structural gaps, build muscularity, and enhance recovery
Rotating specialty bars, movement planes, and energy systems
Event work integrated into the DE and RE structure, not bolted on top
If you want to see how I blend Westside principles with real-world strongman constraints — that’s where to start.
The Free Programs: More Than Just Spreadsheets
These aren’t cookie-cutter. They’re blueprints built on the philosophy I’ve outlined in this very series.
This program shows:
How to attack weaknesses without the fatigue of comp lifts
Hamstring, low back, and upper back dominance
Strategic volume + variation to drive carryover, not burnout
A classic Conjugate “if it’s broke, don’t repeat it” solution
This one shows:
Smart offseason structure for strongman athletes
Volume manipulation based on time of year
Blend of GPP, movement quality, and hypertrophy to prepare for the next phase
True Conjugate adaptability — even with minimal equipment or constraints
Here’s how peaking looks in the TEAMJOSHHEZZA world:
Targeted movement selection around event demands
Weekly shifts in DE emphasis to sharpen specificity
Higher CNS load managed, not misused
Built for a real comp, with real coaching logic
Perfect example of how I take the force–velocity curve seriously:
Speed-strength emphasis in movement selection
Rotation of push press variations and Oly lifts for long-term adaptation
High-rep posterior chain work structured around the athlete’s needs
Proof that Conjugate isn’t just for powerlifting — it’s a toolbox for strength sport
These Programs Are Just the Surface
What you’ll find in every one of those plans is this:
👤 Individualisation: Even when written for groups, they assume variation is needed
🔁 Movement Rotation: Not just variety for variety’s sake — purposeful change
📈 Progression That Builds: You’re not just doing more — you’re getting better
🧠 Coaching Instincts: Built-in autoregulation, modification pathways, and deload logic
These are the very principles I’ve written about in the rest of this series:
Form follows function
Volume with purpose
Pushing at the right time
Backing off before it breaks you
Blending data, art, and instinct
If you want to see how this all fits together, these programs are it.
It’s Not Just Strength. It’s Strategy.
Strength isn’t just about lifting heavier weights.
It’s about solving the right problems at the right time — and knowing how to shift gears when the situation calls for it.
That’s what real coaching looks like.
Programming Is Problem-Solving
Anyone can copy a program. But can they diagnose what’s actually going wrong? Can they change the plan when life hits hard? Can they build around an injury, an awkward lever, a PED cycle, a chaotic job, or a messy competition calendar?
That’s not just programming — that’s strategy.
Conjugate Is My Base. But The Athlete Is The Blueprint.
I use the Conjugate Method because it’s flexible, proven, and powerful. But I don’t force people into it.
Everything — from your movement selection to your weekly structure — has to match you.
It’s not about building lifters who fit the program. It’s about building programs that fit the lifter.
The Right Tools + The Right Lens = Real Progress
Programming isn’t about perfect spreadsheets. It’s about combining:
The right methods
The right eyes
The right feedback
At the right time
That’s when it works. That’s when people actually get better. That’s when you stop spinning your wheels and start building something real.
If You're Tired of Guessing — Let’s Build Something That Works
You’ve seen the philosophy. You’ve seen the programs. You’ve read the breakdowns.
Now it’s time to make it personal.
If you want a coach who knows how to adapt, program, and push you — Not just for one lift, not just for 12 weeks, But for long-term progress, resilience, and performance...
📩 Coaching slots are currently open. Apply now at TEAMJOSHHEZZA.com
Let’s get to work. The real kind.
Comments