Barbell Complexes Revisited

Barbell complexes are a component of my training plan for fall/winter this year. I have not done them in a while and I miss them! They were very effective for me. During my first use of them last spring, while working through Afterburn II by Alwyn Cosgrove, I experienced an increase in grip endurance and strength, upper body strength and muscle endurance gains, fat loss and improvement in my balance.

Basically, a barbell complex is a series of barbell exercises completed back to back without putting the barbell down. That phrase alone should tell you a lot. A typical complex might include approximately 6 exercises, ordered in such a way that they flow well, and transitions are smooth. For instance, a hang clean might be performed, then a push press, which is a natural flow, whereas a hang clean followed by a reverse barbell lunge might be a little awkward. The transitions being as smooth as possible allows for quick movement from one exercise to the next without any disruption in the flow. This is important because complexes are to be done fast without compromising form. Although loaded Olympic barbells are obvious to use, I found fixed-weight barbells very convenient. Generally they are sufficient in size but are shorter, which takes up less space in a crowded or small gym. In the barbell complex, every repetition of an exercise is completed before moving on to the next exercise without rest, pause or putting the bar down. You will feel relief in particular body parts when you move to the next exercise, but it will feel brutal way before you finish the last rep of the last exercise. I found myself questioning my sanity and trying to talk myself out of the last couple of exercises every time! You have completed the entire set when you're worked through the last exercise. That's one set! Now you can put the bar down!

Here are a few tips:

• Choose a weight you can handle on your weakest exercise
• Know how to do each exercise with proper form before you attempt a complex
• Find an open spot that gives you plenty of space for all your consecutive movements
• Make sure you're hydrated
• Know exactly which exercises you will do and in what order before you start
• Pre-determine the number of reps for each set, the number of sets, and the amount of time you will rest in between
• Wear a watch or have a wall clock within view for the rest periods
• Wear some gloves to protect your hands

Let's say you decide you're going to do these exercises in this order: bent over rows, hang-cleans, front squats, push presses, good mornings, back squats. Figure out which is your weakest move (mine would be good mornings) and choose your weight based on that move. It may feel light for your squats, but you're going to be fried by the end of your complex anyway. As you improve in stamina and strength you will be able to increase your weight. Check your ego at the door and remember that this is not about brute strength or how much you can lift, so go modest until you know how well you will do. If anyone says a word about a light weight on your barbell challenge them to join you! You can always work on your weakest move during other workouts. A complex will definitely highlight your imbalances. This is a good thing; for instance, a balanced back and chest will help protect your shoulder girdle, so use these to improve your training plan.

After I ordered Afterburn II, it occurred to me that I didn't know how to do some of the power moves, so I had to find some resources to learn them. Which reminds me of the time I decided I was going to make cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving and then I remembered I didn't know how to make cornbread...anyway, I had to learn these on-line because no one in my gym was doing cleans, snatches, high pulls, etc. One site that helped me was Hyperstrike Exercise Lab. You can see animated demonstrations of movement with narration of the instructions. Also, there are some videos on You Tube from reputable sources. Please do not just watch any random dude on You Tube doing a power move. It's a good way to learn something wrong and get hurt. In fact, be very careful about learning exercises from buddies in the gym too. One power lifter I really like at my gym brought someone in to work out with him and stood there letting him do deadlifts from the floor with a rounded back. Not cool. Do your homework on the moves, very important. Go obnoxiously light at first to completely understand the move. Practice it separately so you can continue adding weight. Sometimes a move like a clean is tough to learn until you get enough weight on the bar to actually have to get some power behind it. Once you do and you master it, you'll be ready to add it to your complex. But remember, you'll have to go a lot lighter with your complex weight than you would doing a single exercise. It will feel counterintuitive at first, but after you make it through all the sets of your first full complex it will make complete sense.

Using our six example exercises from above, in that order, I would start with 4 sets of 8 reps and about 90 seconds rest in between sets. You might come up with a couple of different complexes to rotate through over a period of time. You can also increase your number of sets and drop your reps. Do that when you're ready to go heavier in weight. At that time you may also need to bump up your rest to about 2 minutes between sets. Like any other training component your body will adapt in a period of time. That's good, but then you want to alter it to continue challenging your body to respond to a new stimulus.

Reminder: if you're this happy while you're still holding the bar, you're DOING THEM WRONG.

You will also need to determine where in your workout scheme you will place your barbell complexes. I like doing this type of metabolic work on Mondays to get my week revved up. They have worked well at the beginning of my workout, followed by specific push/pull and lower body exercises topped off with a little core stability work. However, you could use them as a finisher at the end of a hard workout. If you do that I'd be mindful of exercise selection, and definitely go lighter, because for some of the moves you need power and you don't want to risk injury.

Turbulence Training has a workout that incorporates a barbell complex called Hard Core Fat Loss. This would also be a good workout to familiarize yourself with complexes. It will not be as intense as Afterburn II.

I will continue to explore good resources for videos, instructions and pre-designed barbell complexes in order to highlight more information via this blog. Please add your own ideas and questions via comment and always feel free to email me.

This post includes affiliate links for Turbulence Training. Please see my disclosure statement.

Related posts:

Barbell Complexes

Complexes for Fat Loss - Part II Sample Complexes

Meal Plans or Guidelines?

When you focus on optimizing your nutrition, do you like to use exact meal plans or nutrition guidelines? I have used both methods and think there are arguments for and against each of them.

Meal plans tell you exactly what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat it over a certain period of days, weeks or months. Nutrition guidelines give you the basic structure on what, when and how to eat but require you to make your own eating choices within the suggested parameters.

Why I like meal plans

The true beauty of a meal plan is that it takes the guesswork out of eating. Everything is mapped out for you down to the precise portion. If you don't know how to structure your nutrition to match your goal (for instance for fat loss), you can't beat a done-for-you meal plan. The same is true if you just need to spend your time focusing on compliance. You refer to the meal plan, go to the grocery, do your food prep and you're ready. It takes the guesswork away and makes it fairly brainless. You pull out your plan, look at the date and time, prepare your meal by the book, eat and wash the dishes. It's exciting when you see results and you didn't really have to think through it. What a relief. You're working toward your goals but you can focus your brain on other things at the same time. Another reason I like meal plans is that if they are well designed and you stick with it, you will likely celebrate some victory quickly in terms of weight loss.

Why I don't like meal plans

Meal plans that are purchased may be a general one-size-fits-all approach. It's difficult for widely available programs to factor in consideration of individual taste and food availabilities, even when they attempt to offer suggestions for food substitutions. Figuring out portions for food substitutions can be tricky too. Meal plans also cannot address individual health and related dietary issues. In addition they may not offer good instruction on altering the plan based on needed calorie intake for weight gain, maintenance or loss. This again can be attributable to a lack of adequate individualization and leaves a common problem unsolved for many people. The flip side of the enticement of it being brainless is that when the plan is over, there is still a problem of not knowing what to do next. Another thing to realize is that meal plans are only as good as the compliance of the person following them. It's easy to get bored with these, have a freak out and jump the tracks like a runaway train. Restless people beware.

Why I like nutrition guidelines

Nutrition guidelines generally require you to make your own decisions within given parameters of suggested food, portion sizes, and timing of meals. This means they teach you the basics on what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat it. Because of that, you become accountable to apply the knowledge and make the best choices. It makes it easier when faced with social events, ordering in a restaurant, explaining to your support system what you're trying to accomplish with your eating, allowing some flexibility. Since this method fosters application of knowledge and accountability, it has a greater chance of long lasting impact.

Why I don't like nutrition guidelines

If the nutrition guidelines do not come with some detailed explanation the educational opportunity regarding balanced nutrition is lost. While it may feel less restrictive than a meal plan, the freedom of a nutrition plan can't be realized if there is no true understanding of the rationale behind the structure. If a nutrition guideline program doesn't provide enough information or support a person can still feel overwhelmed by all the choices and struggle unnecesarily.

Two different times I have used exact meal plans and had great success. Both times I needed that much structure around my eating. The meal plans helped me regain control and detox myself from haphazard or sloppy eating habits. They were positive experiences for me. However, I did flop around a little trying to wean myself to making my own conscious choices. This process stimulated me to seek out nutrition guidelines for every day living because I wanted to learn how to structure my own healthy eating. I still use various nutrition programs that offer guidelines for this purpose because I am not a perfect eater!

Warp Speed Fat Loss is one program that I used that contains exact meal plans for 28 days. Food substitutions are offered for personal preferences. Portion sizes are detailed and a variety of preparation methods are shared. Information is provided on daily calorie and serving adjustments. It also includes a helpful networking and forum opportunity on-line. Important to keep in mind is that its design does not allow for cheating because it's a precise 28 day program to maximize weight loss. That said, I would recommend this one because of the detail behind it and the accessibility and support of the author.

I have used more programs that provide helpful nutrition guidelines. Without a doubt Precision Nutrition is the most comprehensive both in the program materials and on-line support and is the foundation of the way I eat. Afterburn II offers tough but effective, no-nonsense guidance with a very tight initial 3 week time period. Fat Loss Action Blueprint offers not only rock solid nutrition principles and help, but you get daily emails from the creator reminding you of key factors and encouraging you, which goes well with the on-line support provided. Cheat Your Way Thin is a more recent program presenting carb cycling in a unique way with a very active blog by its creator. I feel all of these programs are sound because they are built on lean protein, generous amounts of veggies, fruit, whole grains and good, old-fashioned water.

I'd love any comments on what you have found that works best for you!

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement.

Afterburn II Review

I am a crazy fan of Alwyn Cosgrove. So much so, if I saw him in person I would probably not be able to say one thing that sounded intelligent. He puts together some mean, fat-blasting programs. The most recent one I have tackled is Afterburn II. I'm going to give you a review and suggestions so you can determine if it's right for you (it probably is).

Afterburn II is a sequel of sorts to the original Afterburn program. No-nonsense and no hype, just hard work and focus. It's a 12 week program and really not for beginners, due to the exercises chosen and the intensity of the program design. The nutrition is very straight-forward and not fancy. The first section of the program involves a very strict plan with a clear list of food choices and advances to specific guidelines that make sense. The training is planned in 3 stages, each lasting a month. For each stage you either get 2 or 3 full days off a week. You will need them! Resistance training and interval training protocols are mapped out in full detail, so there is no question about what to do and when. Periodization is incorporated, so if you're concerned about strength, hypertrophy and endurance you are covered. The program includes barbell complexes and strength training circuits and of course a true-to-style Alwyn surprise, which I won't tell you. Overall the program is pretty amazing and I had comments in the gym from men and women alike regarding the workouts. In my opinion it's not really conducive for home as you will need access to barbells, dumbbells, some cable equipment and a way to do inverted rows.

Beware, you must go into this with determination and commitment. It will highlight any issues you have with nutrition compliance or short attention span. It doesn't let up and if you've been stuck in a rut with the same number of reps/sets you will immediately realize it.

I learned to love barbell complexes and hate bulgarian split squats. I mastered T-push-ups and figured out how hard plank can really be. I discovered the inverted row is one of my new favorites. It confirmed my love of workout intensity. I advanced my skills, increased my endurance, gained strength, blasted some fat and figured out some of my personal challenges. Overall, this is an absolutely solid training program that incorporates everything I believe to be true right now about training for fat loss. I will be doing this program again in the future.

So what do you suggest for those contemplating the purchase of, or just beginning this program?

Do it! Get your mind around it, ratchet down, take a day at a time and just do it! Post the workouts and food list on your fridge, and put a big red X through each day. Make sure you are ready to commit and work hard. It will pay off!

What do you suggest for those that are new to Alwyn Cosgrove programs?

Plan of attack:

• Go to Alwyn's website and read every article available, read through his blog archives and sign up for his newsletter. You will learn and appreciate his style and knowledge.
• Buy the book(s) by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove, New Rules of Lifting and/or New Rules of Lifting for Women (hint: if you're a woman, get both).
• Do Afterburn I. You'll be ready for it.
• Do Afterburn II. It will be a challenging, natural progression.
• Do WarpSpeedFatLoss by Alwyn Cosgrove and Mike Roussell as a top off to seal the deal on that last bit of fat.

Of course if you are in a hurry for swimsuit season you could always start off with WarpSpeedFatLoss and then continue progressing with Afterburn. Hmmm...that would be quite an adventure, if you try either I'd love to hear about it.

This post contains affiliate links for Warp Speed Fat Loss. The New Rules of Lifting and The New Rules of Lifting for Women can be found in my Amazon Store. Please see my disclosure statement.

Barbell Complexes

I've probably lost my mind but right now I am very into barbell complexes in a masochistic kind of way. They are a part of the Afterburn II program I am doing this quarter and they completely wear me out.

This type of workout component includes a barbell, your body and a small section of space. Choose about 5 exercises requiring a barbell and arrange them in an order that flows smoothly. For instance, you might follow a front squat with a push press because it transitions well. You probably wouldn't choose a bent over row followed by a reverse lunge since the transition would be awkward. That is an important part of the structure because the tempo is fast without losing form so transitions should be neat and quick. You will complete each exercise for the desired number of reps (say 6) before moving on to the next exercise. You work through all 5 exercises without resting and without putting the bar down. That's one set. Then put the bar down, rest for about 90 seconds and repeat for a total of 4 or 5 sets with 90 seconds rest in between each set.

It will take your breath away and get your heart rate up. Your rest period is your recovery time, so it's like doing intervals. Another important part of barbell complexes is to choose a weight that is manageable for your weakest move. You likely can squat much heavier than you can manage on a row or a good morning. The point is not how much you can lift, the point is shaking your body up metabolically. Choose a weight that allows you to get all the reps in at a fast tempo without putting the bar down. You should need every second of that 90 second rest period to recuperate and you should be working hard enough that you're trying to talk yourself out of the last couple of sets. If you go too light the first time choosing your weight, keep the tempo up and go heavier the next time. Switching weight between exercises defeats the purpose.

If you've never done barbell complexes, give it a try! I'd love to hear about the experience.

If you'd like more information, here's a great article by Alwyn Cosgrove, Complexes for Fat Loss.

Related post(s):

Complexes for Fat Loss Part II - Sample Complexes

Barbell Complexes Revisited