Training Bench Press with Matt Wenning (conjugate training & what he learned from Westside Barbell)

Hey guys in this video I had the opportunity to train with Matt Wenning who is a legend in the powerlifting community and also strength and conditioning community. He is notoriously known for setting world records in the geared lifting category and also in raw powerlifting. He let me go through a conjugate bench press workout with him and his crew. To warm up we did his wenning warm up... then we did a close grip bench press with a pause and 200lbs of chain at the top for some accommodating resistance. We worked up to a top set of five, and then after did a fatigued single. For accessory work we smashed our weak areas which were triceps, and back. I had an absolute blast and got to learn more about how he programs and took away some pointers for me to try, We also talk a little bit about his experience at westside barbell and some things he learned while training there. looking forward to hanging with him more in the future and getting in some quality training!
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[@SzatStrength]

Check out matts channel... he knows stuff! kzbin.info

[@mattwenning2164]

You the man!

[@beefcakesensei]

"people over estimate what they can get done in a session and under estimate they can do in 5 months" that's gold

[@majormath019]

“Are you getting stronger or mastering a skill?” That cut me sooo deep!

[@stevewaters6679]

How did I miss this one...Matt is a fountain of knowledge...

[@aa7x3]

Matt's books are a great way to understand the conjugate system. He has the knowledge you look for from Louie without the written ADD that makes it difficult to understand. His powerlifting training manual helped me get past 5 on the bench and more importantly I stopped hurting myself on squat/deadlift once every 2 months.

[@pedroduarte5199]

Anything from Matt gets an instant like! You guys rock 💪👏

[@SzatStrength]

Awesome guy!!

[@dhirajchaudhary5999]

That disappointed smile on his face when Joe said just kidding on the casting couch thing

[@SzatStrength]

Haha

[@skaterforlife2]

any video with Matt Wenning in it should be paid with the utmost of attention.

[@isaaccintron2986]

I am 51 years young and have started conjugate training and this shit works. I have been training for 7 weeks now and have no knee pain and my joints are working great. I have been lifting since i was 18 and never felt better than I do today!

[@jamok3]

I had knee pain and it didn't go away until I focused on my hamstrings. Conjugate forced me to focus on my weakness and it helped me.

[@mattwenning2164]

Badass glad to have you!!!!!!

[@davidf7470]

Got to love that every single video of Matt training, he's rocking those damn sliders - awesome knowledge being shared here

[@SzatStrength]

Haha it works for him!

[@sunlightofspirt]

Listening to Matt talk about lifting/ training is AWESOME! .... so much experience and ability to communicate it super efficiently. Wow. Thank you for this interview.

[@santiagoperalta2038]

I absolutely love Matt. Thanks man, for having him here. He definitely needs more exposure so people can listen to his top class information

[@thasti07]

I’m so glad I stumbled on this video 5 months after it was posted. I have listened to a lot of Matt’s stuff and man is he smart. Somehow I have never heard him say focus on getting stronger not mastering the movement 🤯. Good stuff guys 💪🤛

[@Wo1fLarsen]

I ordered his powerbuilding program. Stoked to get some this spring! Thanks for this video. Matt is that dude.

[@SzatStrength]

Awesome!!!

[@danielpgoldstein]

This is such good info that I’ve really never heard before. Thanks for going to seek this out and Even more so, to share it with all of us!!

[@levilatham1977]

Im so excited about this!!! Love Matt

[@rodolfoavila466]

Matt Wenning has become synonymous with powerlifting, you're in good hands, this was a great video, looking forward to more videos like this.

[@SzatStrength]

Thanks for watching!

[@philipklisan9811]

Thank you for this interview awesome !

[@frankmorris2603]

Super intelligent approach from Matt.He nailed all the mistakes i've made in my lifting background. Pity this is about 20 years late.

[@HunterM6]

this was awesome to share!thank you

[@ONE-pg7wd]

This was a great ass video. Defintely learned some new things and understand training and what matters better now. Thanks man, thanks matt. A lot.

[@Seb4asti4n]

Our boy our there expanding and working with so many talented people! Kudos to you for brining so many people to your channel! You must put in alot of work behind the scenes, good job!

[@SzatStrength]

Tis a lot of work, but hopefully you guys enjoy it as much as I do!

[@DAatDA]

Matt is a strength wizard

[@StrengthCircusDD]

We’re not selecting just to do different shit that would be CrossFit! Matt is great! Nice collab with this one Joey.

[@michaelmarkku3348]

You have a new follower from Norway 💪 Benching is life🙏

[@The_Practical_Bond]

lovely content! people rarely look long term in this game. good stuff

[@MrSpaceToilet]

Amazing video, easily one of the best collabs on your channel!

[@SzatStrength]

Wow thanks

[@willwillisproductions159]

NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN. Matt’s awesome

[@SzatStrength]

But it did!!!

[@Ascending_Leo816]

So good to hear this type of understanding of lifting heavy is a big formula of change of direction of types of lifts we do.. ive been lifting for 40 years and competing in local powerlifting meets and work any one into the ground in the construction field at 57 years old because i lift in variations.

[@IgorKalember]

*_I'm just starting to powerlift, I train it on and off because "corona" but now I think I will stay consistent. Your channel helps me a lot_*

[@brianpropst4342]

Matt is one smart guy on training! Good video Szat strength!

[@nicopetrelli9720]

Thank you for this!!

[@SzatStrength]

Welcome :)

[@belaluddin5568]

This is why I had to buy Matt’s bench press program. 💎

[@toddhorton1599]

Great, thank you.

[@GraphicsFrosTy]

This video needs more engagement!

[@rebekah12reed]

Amazing video don't know how I missed this when it was posted, definitely going to go sub to his channel too

[@nilo7727]

Excellent content!! Ps coach Joe looking mad swole!!👏👍👌💪😎

[@ronin_9]

Thanks for the video Joey!

[@SzatStrength]

Welcome

[@1126robert]

Matt is awesome! 💪

[@TheMichaelx]

That was the best podcast

[@meatbasedvegan4859]

Quality content my dude! thanks a lot for this!

[@SzatStrength]

Thanks for watching

[@ArminEghdamiDrums]

Conjugate style training is really awesome. I was plateaued for a whole year. Once i started the wenning online coaching, i all my lidts went up like crazy

[@carpenterswsw]

I feel stupid. Been lifting for decades and after two years of listening to people talk about this training style and I still don't get it. Great content as always.

[@Reis_mit]

Dave tate has a great video on conjugate that's easy to understand: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKXCd617mM2gh7M

[@SzatStrength]

@Jack Owlpen ive never done it and I feel confused by it too ha!

[@Sophist98]

watch video by alpha destiny the power of three week waves, and others, he talks about concurrent/conjugate and is really into it. Big strong guy for a true natty

[@carpenterswsw]

I have watched alpha destiny for a couple of years. I agree with basically everything he says. I'm just so old school for some reason I am not able to totally put it into place.

[@enigmatic7665]

I fucking love this video! Do more content with this man he knows his shit and I appreciate everything I’ve learned from this

[@SzatStrength]

If he was closer I would ha!

[@2000grover]

@@SzatStrength then move closer to Matt - hahahahahahaha

[@marcusjefferson1024]

🔥 knowledge 💪🏽💪🏽

[@user-zx6nj2le4l]

Such a good video

[@AliceBradley]

Going to try this tomorrow

[@jarondavis9795]

Incredible video, I need that foam!

[@sabertoothwallaby2937]

wenning is too smart

[@GReick7919]

Good stuff. Thanks.

[@SzatStrength]

You are welcome !

[@DimaShinder]

Interesting stuff

[@ZukuseiStudios]

Good stuff, very useful

[@tommyrhoads7093]

Good stuff

[@Billyjack-Two-Crows]

Take the momentum out of the rep, when you train. And then bring it back when you do your one rep max. I'll remember that one.

[@Dr_Footbrake]

just remember that being able to use the momentum is a skill in itself that probably needs to be trained as well (in most people at least)

[@smitty3301]

Matt's awesome bro! 💪

[@SzatStrength]

Very cool dude

[@maxxresults3974]

I have all of these guys at my gym who want to pr every week. lol what a joke. they are not making any headway but getting wore out. Matt thank you for sharing some incredible secrets with us. i have been lifting for 35 years still benching and squatting every week. military press all the time, no problems.

[@DNO_Fitness]

I'm close to a 500 raw bench at 195 but my elbows are feeling it. I need to get on board with Wenning's program. I've never felt limited by muscle it's the joints that halt progress. Every time I break a plateau I need to deload for 3 weeks.

[@Nik2555]

Did you get on it

[@DNO_Fitness]

@@Nik2555 I'm currently being coached by Ben Pollack. Peaking for The American Pro on July 30th. Bench is now over 500.

[@DNO_Fitness]

@ice I do not believe he is. He made an exception for me given my background and potential to break multiple records. I was on track to break 5 records at The American Pro prior to receiving tragic news 3 days before the meet which impacted sleep and digestion, nerfing my performance on the platform.

[@marcus11619]

hello, do you think you could make a video elaborating on the difference between a serotonin athlete and a dopamine athlete. your brief comments on it in this video was very interesting and would love to learn more about it from you!

[@DavidAbell26]

Are you Fing kidding me man? Almost 75k subs!!!! LETS GO!!!!! gonna hit the big 100k soon!

[@SzatStrength]

Taking awhile ha!! I’m trying hard though.

[@DavidAbell26]

@@SzatStrength that’s what separates you! You’ve earned your subscribers! Through blue collar work and dedication! We see that! Congrats on the continued success man! Huge fan

[@aresjerry]

Coach Joe you been killing it with these last collabs

[@SzatStrength]

Trying to keep the content flowing

[@aresjerry]

@@SzatStrength Thank you sir, I have learned a lot from you, john meadows, wenning, lol and I put a half inch on my neck with Arbic's banded neck work 😂

[@trevor3905]

matts a beast

[@SzatStrength]

Yes!

[@evertha.serna.m.6941]

Real Talk💯🤙🏻

[@SzatStrength]

Real fo sho

[@Artheam]

I find it interesting that he thinks you're getting stronger with a new variation for first few weeks and then only improving your technique. Whereas I would argue given it's a new lift the first few weeks are mostly just learning the technique and lifting more that way and once "good enough" is when you're getting stronger as lift more.

[@edschobs5204]

His reasoning that he explained is changing the variation for the exercise to keep the mileage down as well. So adding weight will benefit but the need to change it up is more important than adding weight to each specific exercise! If you come back to a variation in 3 months and you can do the same weight or heavier, you’re on the right path!

[@Silverback_S_and_C]

Great video and explanation. What's the purpose of the foam? Instability?

[@trenthinson7851]

Where could someone find the Foam pad that was used to do the floor press?

[@emacliftsalot]

Matt and sebastion are the best coaches in the 🌎!

[@SzatStrength]

Great person!

[@jusplayin3815]

Thanks for the video! Did Matt mention what he did to improve his squat so much, besides heavy squatting?

[@SzatStrength]

Lots of variations

[@rookendgame]

Me doing a wenning warmup with 10lb dumbells tomorrow

[@konversionfit]

Wenning is the best

[@SzatStrength]

Great guy

[@brandonbaldwin8567]

I wanna know where you get that big ass foam?

[@eliasthegreat8]

This is exactly why I test my deadlift bar max twice a year for 3 weeks in a row then do everything else on a stiff bar works wonders

[@mongofd260]

Joey looking big in the video. You bulking?

[@Barneyfithlawman]

4th ID hoorah

[@madness-89]

been training for years now.. here is good question ...is there a way to lift 180 kg from 140 kg without lifting 150 160 170...

[@scott7684]

looks like he might be coaching from here on out

[@agnidas5816]

this is just like easy runs for runners... those have to go at 115-120 bpm so that the runner is fresh for the speed and tempo training sessions

[@SzatStrength]

Yeassssss

[@danielpgoldstein]

Another question I have is what’s the difference between strongman and powerlifting? I may be really ignorant but as I listened I wanted to make sure I understood the difference.

[@lukas_3316]

Powerlifting is squat, bench, deadlift. Strong man is an assortment of all kinds of strength events.

[@nicholashonken8572]

You could tell Joey just got done lifting because the first 3 minutes he’s just trying to catch his breath lmao

[@SzatStrength]

We literally finished our set walked into the office and I pressed record.

[@paulfontana5741]

Love Louie and westside. But matt explains conjugate better than Louie

[@steezyg23]

Louie can be all over the place sometimes

[@ericy1]

Not to take away from Matt, but when he was saying he had the all time highest total under 300 at raw unity in 2014, its kinda nuts that fucking john haack, a 198, is 60 lb away from that.

[@WenningStrength]

I’m also 6-1

[@nathans4062]

Did he make you sub to his Patreon for all this information?

[@mattwenning2164]

Good one smartass!!! Lol

[@2000grover]

@@mattwenning2164 everybody wants something for nothing - hahahahahahaha If you wanna play, you gotta pay 💰

[@thebeast-vn5hn]

So youre basicly saying stop bench pressing to get stronger in the bench press it dont make any sense for me i do the same thing every single week but i have lichter and heavier weeks if my bench get stronger by doing jm press then why the f should i stop doing this exersize i Just do it every week to get better and stronger in it

[@Cloud29065]

Are you ok you breathing heavy ; your blood pressure good my dude ???? 0:02

[@SzatStrength]

We literally just finished training and shot the video

[@obeideldick4664]

What about Lifting in gear.... ON GEAR?! dun dun DUUUUUUN! (No accusations, just goofing)

[@Pedriger]

Oh I always loved this. He realised that he isn't fit (=isn't used to, duh) enough to bench after squats. His conclusion? Yeah instead of doing what every sane person would do, ditching the upper-lower bullshit and just benching after squats in training, he invented a completely unnecessary warmup system. Genius👏

[@KillianDefaoite]

Well, he took the world record after implementing this in his training. Seems like it worked.

[@mattwenning2164]

I’ll tell Ya something I learned long ago. Take note of people stronger and smarter than you . Maybe you will get somewhere in life. Doubtful for you tho lol!!! lol

[@Pedriger]

Matt Wenning "You have to discern if someone is teaching you something or marketing something. If his ideas are outlandish [...] they are so different from everybody else that you start to wonder: is it a marketingy thing? Like, is he teaching that because he wants to look like he knows something that somebody else doesn't know?" Your exact words. Don't you sense some irony? Here you are, with YOUR ideas being outlandish comapred to the ideas of the mainstream powerlifting/strength community. And your channel, which is all about making people subscribe to your top tier patreon, buying this and that manual, getting this and that merch, enrolling in online coaching and purchasing equipment. Literally everything you do comes down to marketing yourself and your business. So yeah I'll make sure to take notes and learn some hypocrisy from you, big chief! "lol" Besides, you are always trying to argue from the point of authority. Basically the same thing as "respect me 'cause I'm older". Which might be the only thing I hate more in this world than hypocrisy... Ps.: When you invented your warmups, did you go out there and did you take notes and did you learn what to do from somebody else? No, you didn't. You had an idea and went after your own head. Which is exactly how I achieved everything in my life so far. But thanks for the lesson.

[@2000grover]

@@mattwenning2164 obviously what you did worked !! 💪

[@WenningStrength]

Ur such an expert. Please fill us in on your awesome ideas

[@stephendodds7257]

Bro sounds like you are out of breath just doing the intro.... Yoked though

[@SzatStrength]

Cause we literally finished training our last set and I hit record

[@mattwenning2164]

Come over I’ll show you outa breath

[@REPSDirect]

Muddy audio.

[@patrickmcdonagh539]

Ease up on the roids szat before your traps explode

[@harryangel4822]

It’s pretty sad that Matt winning just like all the other lifters whoever trained under Louie Simmons could never get their squats below parallel. Doing half squats just doesn’t cut it. 👎 It’s just not real powerliflifting. Fake squat records. 🥴 👈🏻

[@WenningStrength]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@JohnWickIsAlive]

Boi you a fool lmaoo