ABOUT

IT STARTED
WITH ONE
STRONGMAN.

THE STORY BEHIND
CONJUGATE CANADA.
Craig Bongelli pressing a log overhead in strongman competition
WHERE IT BEGAN

THE BEGINNING

Heavy events at the Highland Games

At 17, Craig Bongelli was a boxer: 6'2" and 150 pounds. His history teacher, Lynn Richardson, was involved in the Highland Games and invited him to volunteer at the heavy events. There he met Jamie Barr, Scotland's Strongest Man and a World's Strongest Man finalist. Barr stood 6'2" and weighed nearly 300 pounds, and Craig had never seen anything like it.

Heavy events at the Highland Games
“Meeting him felt like getting struck by lightning.”

Craig called his boxing coach and quit the next day, with a single mission: turn himself into a strongman. From then on, every hour went into eating, learning to lift and reading everything he could find about getting stronger. That obsession led to competing as a professional strongman, and ultimately into coaching.

After retiring from strongman, he rebuilt himself again. He lost 100 pounds, had three amateur fights, ran a marathon and served in the reserve infantry with the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada.

THE PATH SINCE

FROM STRONGMAN TO SCHOOL OF STRENGTH

  1. AGE 17 THE HIGHLAND GAMESMeets Jamie Barr, quits boxing and starts training to become a strongman.
  2. 2008 PROFESSIONAL COACHBegins coaching athletes, lifters and everyday people.
  3. 2012 LIL'S GYMOpens Lil's Gym.
  4. 2015 WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITYStrength and conditioning coach.
  5. 2020 ONNITConjugate Coach.
  6. 2023 WESTSIDE BARBELLDirector of Education. Builds an NSCA-recognized certification and runs seminars at Westside.
  7. 2026 THE TORQUE GRIPCreator of the Torque Grip, licensed to Rival Boxing Gear.
  8. TODAY CONJUGATE CANADACoaching and coach certification, under one name.
WHY CONJUGATE CANADA

CONJUGATE CANADA EXISTS BECAUSE LIFTING CHANGED CRAIG’S LIFE.

“There is no more visceral way to understand that you can create the life you want, and the person you want to be, than by lifting weights. You can literally forge yourself into something that exists at first only in your own mind. That power, once you learn it, extends into every other area of your life.”
CRAIG BONGELLI, FOUNDER

CONJUGATE CANADA WAS BUILT TO SHARE THAT POWER WITH ATHLETES, LIFTERS, EVERYDAY PEOPLE AND THE COACHES WHO TRAIN THEM.

LEARNED FROM THE SOURCE

THE MENTORS

Craig Bongelli with Louie Simmons
LOUIE SIMMONS

The foundation. Louie referred Craig his first elite athlete client, and Craig turned to him for questions and advice.

Craig Bongelli with Bill Kazmaier
BILL KAZMAIER

Taught Craig personally and shaped his approach to training volume and nutrition.

Craig Bongelli with Josh Bryant
JOSH BRYANT

Influenced every part of Craig's coaching, especially the mental side of training.

HOW IT ALL COMES TOGETHER IN THE METHOD →
THE RECORD

CREDENTIALS

  • WESTSIDE BARBELLDirector of Education
  • ONNITConjugate Coach
  • WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITYStrength and Conditioning
  • PROFESSIONAL STRONGMANFormer Competitor
  • LIL'S GYMFounder
  • RIVAL BOXING GEARCreator of the Torque Grip
  • ANDY BOLTONCoached by the first man to deadlift 1,000 pounds
  • ROYAL HIGHLAND FUSILIERS OF CANADAReserve Infantry
PUBLISHED IN
  • MEN'S HEALTH
  • BODYBUILDING.COM
  • ELITEFTS
  • MUSCLEMAG
  • INSIDE FITNESS