Conjugate Max-Effort Upper
Westside max-effort upper day. Work up to a heavy 1-3RM single on a rotating press (floor / board / pin / close-grip), then heavy triceps, upper-back and rear-delt supplements. ~17 working sets, ~75 min.
Estimated session
- Movements 5
- Loads Coach-filled
- Progresses Every session
Every movement, in order
Each lift with its working sets and target, in the order you run them. The coach sets the loads from your training and moves them up as the work gets easier.
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Floor Press Rotating ME press (week-1 = floor press). Ramp ascending singles to a top 1-3RM at RPE 9-9.5. Pause briefly on the floor, no leg drive bounce. The program rotates this lift across weeks. 4 warm-up sets first 3 × 1 · rest 3:30–4 min | 3 | 1 | 3:30–4 min |
| 02 | JM Press Heavy triceps supplement — the lockout driver. 4 × 6-8 RPE 8-9. Keep elbows tracking, lower toward the chin/upper chest. Sub Tate press or close-grip if elbows complain. 4 × 8–6 · rest 2 min | 4 | 8–6 | 2 min |
| 03 | Bent Over Barbell Row Upper-back mass for bench stability. 4 × 8-10 RPE 8. Strict, no heave — back thickness holds the bar path tight. 4 × 10–8 · rest 2 min | 4 | 10–8 | 2 min |
| 04 | Chin-Up Lat volume. 3 × AMRAP 6-12 RPE 9. Add weight once you clear 12; lats stabilize the bench off the chest. 3 × AMRAP · rest 2 min | 3 | AMRAP | 2 min |
| 05 | Face Pull Rear-delt / external-rotation restoration. 3 × 15-20 RPE 7-8. Shoulder health work — high rep, controlled, squeeze at the back. 3 × 20–15 · rest 1 min | 3 | 20–15 | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Rotate the ME press per the program week (floor, 2-3 board, pin, close-grip) — each hits a different sticking point and resets staleness >90%. Ramp singles to one 1-3RM at RPE 9-9.5; chase a PR only if the prior single moved at RPE <9. Triceps are the bench's engine — train heavy (5-8 reps RPE 8-9), not a pump finisher; upper-back/rear-delt is high-rep restorative. Sub JM press for the triceps lift if elbows are cranky. Bands (if available) add tension to the ME press; the barbell prescription is complete without them.
Every workout
The coach reads your log, tunes the loads and volume to where you are today, and tells you when to add weight.
Programs that use this template
This session is scheduled across a week and progressed over the mesocycle in the programs below.
Common questions
The facts most people check before they drop this session into a week.
01When should I use the Conjugate Max-Effort Upper template?
Rotate the ME press per the program week (floor, 2-3 board, pin, close-grip) — each hits a different sticking point and resets staleness >90%. Add it to your week in Squatly and the coach schedules it, sets the loads from your training, and tells you when to move up.
02How many working sets is Conjugate Max-Effort Upper, and how long does it take?
Conjugate Max-Effort Upper runs 5 movements and about 17 working sets, roughly 80 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
Built on the Squatly method
Every set count, rep target, and rest period here comes from how the coach weighs volume, intensity, and fatigue. See where the numbers come from.
Read the methodVolume, intensity, and fatigue — read per lift, every session.
Last updated: June 2026
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Add this template to your week. The coach reads your training, sets the loads, and tells you when to push.
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Aleks · Coach
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