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What Are Barbell Complexes?Complexes are a series of circuits, usually with five to seven exercises in each circuit. All of theexercises are done with a weighted barbell. Instead of doing three sets of each exercise as youwould in a normal routine, you do one set of each exercise, without stopping, resting, or puttingdown the barbell. At the end of the circuit, you rest for ninety seconds to two minutes and thenstart all over again. Most barbell complexes are over and done within fifteen minutes or less, butthey’ll be some of the hardest minutes you’ve ever lived through.There are several variations on barbell complexes, and I’ll share some of those with you in afew minutes. But first I want to explain why barbell complexes are one of the best techniquesyou can use to turbo charge your metabolism, burn fat, increase endurance, stimulate the CNSand increase muscle fiber recruitment.Why Barbell Complexes are So Effective?Barbell complexes are about two things, really: taxing your lactic energy system and increasingyour EPOC (excess post workout oxygen consumption). In a way, it combines the principles andresults of high intensity interval training and supersets.First let me give you a brief rundown on how your lactic energy system functions and howcomplexes affect that process.There are two parts to your lactic energy system: the alactic anaerobic energy system and thelactate system. Both are anaerobic. In other words, they kick in when the work you’re doing istoo intense to be fueled aerobically.Our muscle cells store energy in the form of ATP, but they only store enough for a few secondsof truly maximal work, like your max sprint. But your cells also store creatine phosphate, whichcan work very quickly to replenish that cell’s store of ATP. This two compound process is whatmakes up your alactic anaerobic energy system. Together, ATP and creatine phosphate canpower you through about ten seconds of contraction. Once you’ve used that up, you have toreplenish the store, either aerobically or through the lactate system. If you’re still working at maxeffort, it’s up to the lactate system.Through the process of glycolysis, your muscle cells store carbs in the form of pyruvate. If yourmuscles have enough oxygen available, they can break the pyruvate down aerobically and useit to make some ATP. If you don’t have enough oxygen available, the pyruvate will have to beconverted into lactic acid, which then becomes lactate. That lactate can then be used to createmuch more ATP and faster than is possible through glycolysis.
The problem with lactic buildup, as you probably already know, is that it’s followed very quicklyby muscle fatigue. Your workout has to be quick enough to tap into that lactate system andutilize it before your muscles just quit. If you can do that, though, you end up with a workout thathas an extremely high mechanical workload (stimulating more muscle fiber recruitment) andvery high metabolic stress (for fat burning).Also, when lactic acid levels are elevated, hydrogen ions in your blood are also elevated. Thisstimulates the pituitary gland to secrete somatropin (human growth hormone) naturally. A lot ofbodybuilders illegally inject somatropin to get shredded for contests, but you can increase itnaturally and safely by doing barbell complexes.The normal rest periods are absent in barbell complexes and you never put the barbell down orpause between exercises. One flows right into the next until you’ve done a complete circuit. Theshort rest between circuits gives your body a chance to replenish just enough oxygen beforeyou move right on to the next circuit, but not enough that you can work aerobically for more thana few seconds once you start the next circuit.How It’s DoneLike I said, this workout is very flexible. You can do it with any exercises you choose, as long asthey are barbell moves and as long as one move can flow seamlessly into the next withoutpause.However, there are several different methods for doing barbell complexes. Some guys do 6 8reps each of six different exercises per circuit and repeat that circuit 4 6 times. Other guysprefer to reduce the number of reps with each circuit until by the last circuit they’re only doingone or two reps of each move.Either method (and several others) will achieve the same purpose, as long as the workout isdone correctly, with constant movement (and perfect form) until the proper rest period betweencircuits.I’ll mention here that barbell complexes are done with one load throughout. You can’t changeplates out between exercises, so you’re working with the same weight for several differentexercises. This means you need to use (at most) your normal max load for the most demandingmove. Even truly phenomenal lifters will do barbell complexes with a 95 lb max weight, includingthe barbell. And those guys will be dying by the end of the workout. I’ve seen guys close to tearsafter doing this workout with half that weight.
Example WorkoutA1. Hang Power Clean – 10 repsA2. Back Barbell Squats – 10 reps eachA3. Push Press – 10 reps95lbs5 rounds in 10 minutes with 95lbs as many as possible6 Week Progression Model Start with 45lbs if you’re a female and 65 75lbs if you’re a maleAim to add 10lbs to the bar each weekDo this at the end of any of your weight training workouts starting 1x per weekYour goal is to do as many sets in 10 minutes as possibleEvery 2 weeks you can add 5 minutes. Do not exceed 20 minutes (or else you’re notworking hard enough)What To Do NextI need to stress again that this is a grueling workout. It is not for the faint of heart and it is not forthe beginner. It is not an everyday workout, but something you can alternate in with your normalroutine, use during a deloading week or use short term during a cutting phase.Because there are so many right ways (and wrong ways) to perform a barbell complex, youreally need to have some supervision and guidance while you’re learning. Without it, you’reprobably not going to know how to maximize your results and you could very well overdo it.If you don’t have a personal coach who understands barbell complexes, I would reallyencourage you to check out our personal one on one training program. The annual registrationis going on right now and when places are full, that’s it for the year. There’s no pressure but Iwould just love for guys who haven’t experienced p rofessional one on one training to be able totake advantage of that this year.Guys, you will hate barbell complexes. Halfway through the workout, you’ll hate complexes.Three quarters through, you’ll hate me, everybody in the gym and even bodybuilding itself. Butit’s over in just a few minutes, and when you see the results, you’ll keep doing what you hate.
start all over again. Most barbell complexes are over and done within fifteen minutes or less, but they’ll be some of the hardest minutes you’ve ever lived through. There are several variations on barbell complexes, and I’ll share some of those with you in a few minutes. But first I want to explain why barbell complexes are one of the .
