Strength Gaining Complex Video

I’m off to Chicago tomorrow morning at 5:15 am, I hope this video will hold everyone over!

It is a special video from 3 weeks ago, my brother’s “Get Your Muffin Top Right Workout.” 12 minutes of carnage!

Exercises:

• Dead lift
• Rope battling
• Prowler pushes
• Prowler rows
• Farmers walk
• Tire flip
• Reverse hyper med ball twists
• Blast strap sprinters
• Homemade wheel roll outs
• And all around mayhem.

Dead lift from a 3 inch mat was the only exercise performed individually, the rest were part of heart pounding complexes.  We proceeded this workout with a day of rest and followed it with another.  It was strenuous on the muscles and CNS, and extremely effective ONLY if performed correctly.

Get Your Muffin Top Right

I’ll be training at an MMA facility and more in Chicago until next Tuesday, I’m super pumped to learn more and share more with all the Synergy readers.

Make sure to get on the newsletter below to get an update from the trip!!!!!!!!!

- Joe Hashey, CSCS

PS.  Need more killer conditioning complexes?  HERE IT IS!  Bull strength conditioning.

Ultimate Guide to Barbell Complexes

John Cortese, from our Guide To Body Weight Training a few months ago, is back with a guide to barbell complexes. Check it out and leave any questions and comments for John!

Ultimate Guide To Barbell Complexes

Bar complexes have a variety of benefits a strength and conditioning program. If you are going to consider using bar complexes, understand your goals and where you are currently at in your training career. I say this because if you can’t do a proper squat, row, deadlift, etc without rounding your back every time, then you need to master the basic movements first! Also, younger/skinny/weak athletes ought to use simpler methods first before moving on to this type of work.

What is a bar complex?

A bar complex is a series of movements performed one after the other; normally you would pick 4-6 exercises that flow pretty smooth together, each performed 6-10 times. For example:

-Deadlift x 6-10

-Power Clean x 6-10

-Front Squat x 6-10

-Push Press x 6-10

-Back Squat x 6-10

Rest 60-90 seconds, repeat for desired goal i.e. max rounds in 15 minutes, 5 rounds for time, etc.

*The key to progression on these is to always break a record; either that be using more weight the next time around, another rep, another exercise, more rounds, more time, etc. It all depends on your goals! Feel free to get very creative with these, but be prepared for some brutal work!

Here’s another barbell complex from Dan John’s site (2)

Complex B: Deadlift, Clean Pull, Close Grip Snatch, Back Squat, Good Mornings, Row (sets and reps will be based on goals, training age, and experience of the athletes performing this complex). You can see just by glancing at this series of movements how taxing it can be! Looks easy on paper… Until you actually do it!

You’ll notice that this type of work truly hits nearly every single muscle group in the body. More muscle mass being used during exercise will have your burning fat around the clock due to the energy demand and EPOC that will occur after exercise. Depending on your strength and current conditioning levels, this could get very intense. 36 non-stop repetitions with a respectable weight fill put even the fittest of athletes on the floor. You’ll want to select a bar weight by finding your weakest link in the chain; i.e. if you weakest lift in the above complex is the Push Press, then you would use that weight to where 6-8 repetitions to push press will be fairly challenging.

This is a great way to involve strength and conditioning into a single workout; essentially killing two birds with one stone. You also get the added benefit of practicing form on many movements with a lighter weight. More practice with better technique = stronger lifts. Olympic lifters perform some form of squat, clean, and snatch 5-6 days per week, no wonder they are so strong!

Different Methods and Reason

They are fun, they are intense, and they get your heart rate up FAST. I once did a barbell complex workout with 115 lbs. on the bar; we performed Joe Hashey’s Barbell Complex workout via Bull Strength Conditioning. At the end of 4 rounds my heart rate nearly hit 175 bpm. Talk about some REAL conditioning!

If you aren’t on the floor after performing bar complexes for 10-20 minutes, you either went too light or you weren’t competing with yourself. These should be an all out BATTLE. Beat the clock or beat the weight; never let either take you out!

Another great reason for these is that they can be done year-round as a great way to keep fitness levels high when athletes and clients can’t get outdoors to do hills, speed work, etc. Barbell and dumbbell complexes are the most traditional means to do these (made famous by coach Istavan Javorek); you can also use a kettlebell, sandbag, heavy medicine ball, etc. Just make sure the movements are performed with excellent technique and the exercises flow relatively well from one to the next. Preferably these should all be done from a standing position; athletes play on their feet, so get used to being UP.

Giving Credit where Credit is Due

It only is right to give credit to the originator of barbell and dumbbell complex training- Istvan Javorek. From his website “My Original Goal with the Complex exercises was to find an efficient and aggressive method of performance enhancement that saves time and makes the program more enjoyable. “ (1)

Although complexes may not be the most “enjoyable” thing to do, they surely are an effective way to kill two- or three birds with one stone! Another important thing to remember about complexes here:  “What is most important to remember is not to abuse these exercises, but to figure out the best period to utilize them as a special preparatory and conditioning exercise.  It is also very important to find the optimal weight for each athlete to have the required benefit of these exercises.  Like for any other combined exercises the intensity must be taken from the most difficult exercise.  One other thing to remember is that it is essential to have perfect body posture, perfect technique of execution, full range of motion, when performing these exercises.  It is important not to change the order of the exercises or to do them with too fast a rhythm.(1)

Many of the top coaches out there swear by using complexes in their programs, including: Dan John, Alwyn Cosgrove, Joe Hashey, etc. It is really no coincidence that the athletes that do these religiously and get good at them are usually the strongest, both physically and mentally.

Keep It Simple

If you’d like to incorporate these into your current routine, don’t wait- start right now! Instead of your traditional “Cardio” or conditioning, perform some light bar complexes at the end of your workout AFTER you have hit necessary strength work, speed drills, sprints, etc. You can also add these on a day on its’ own strictly devoted to conditioning. I have performed many complex workouts in 20 minutes and got my ass kicked thoroughly. Don’t underestimate the power of short, brief, intense workouts like these!

The greatest thing about bar complexes is that they challenge your mental attitude. It takes a serious athlete to test their fortitude on this type of work. You must get completely physically and mentally focused to get the real benefit that you can experience.

Many of my “regular-Joe” clients also perform bar complexes on a regular basis and all are losing body fat, getting stronger, and watching their fitness levels skyrocket. Many of these guys have old, nagging injuries of the knee, ankle, or whatever, so these are an excellent way to get the heart and lungs pumping while adhering to training economy.

It may be the method and tool you are looking to for that extra edge in your training!

Thanks Joe!

John Cortese, BS, YFS

About the Author

John Cortese BS, YFS, is the owner of Cortese Training Systems LLC in Napa, CA and http://corteseperformance.com. He works with a variety of athletes and clients who are looking for training programs that will finally enable them to build real-world muscle and strength and build explosive speed and power. Get 3 FREE training reports when you sign up for the Cortese Performance newsletter today! Visit http://corteseperformance.com

Resources:

1.)    http://istvanjavorek.com

2.)    http://danjohn.net

3.)    http://staff.jccc.net/ijavorek/bookdb.html

Quitters Are Soon Forgotten

It is late on Saturday night and I have been stewing about something on my mind this entire week.

People that accept bring average have no place in our facility or taking up space in my brain.   Over the last month I have had to speak with three athletes individually about quitting during conditioning.  One athlete turned a complete 180 and will not accept anything more than his best.

He has earned my respect.

The other athletes have not and it is time to show them the door.  I don’t give damn if it is going to cost my gym income.  There are some things money can’t buy, and respect is one of them.

I don’t care about the total weight an athlete moves, any good program is based on progressions.

I WILL NEVER ACCEPT BEING AVERAGE.

Not for me, or anyone that walks in the front door at the gym.  I am enraged by anyone that can accept quitting.  That’s what the average person does in the face of adversity – pack it up and do what is easiest.

Forget that!

Get your ass in gear and kick someone else’s.

Oh, and the two athletes that haven’t turned around?  They will be joining one more guy this week  for their day of reckoning.   Before the gym opens they are coming in and they will push the prowler until they quit or earn my respect.

I’ll be pushing it right next to them with fire in my eyes.

Anyone that quits is out of the facility and soon forgotten.

- Joe

PS.  I cannot apologize if this post sounds harsh, it is time to get serious or get out.

Easy Squat Setup – Poor Man’s Monolift

Walking out weight, resetting the feet,and re-concentrating can really effect a heavy squat.  Instead of purchasing a $2-4,000 monolift, we had to improvise.

My first experience with a monolift was 2 years ago when we went out and squatted at Westside Barbell….and Elitefts in the same day.  Ouch.  Monolift – meaning “one” lift – allows the lifter just to stand up with the weight then perform the squat instead of walking it out as pictured in this video (if you watch to the end you will see a FREAKY feat of grip strength).

Westside Barbell Monolift

Unfortunately these items are expensive and specific to powerlifting.  So when we have to go heavy (just a demonstration in the next video), it is time to improvise.

Poor Man’s Monolift

• Set the spotter bars up high where the hooks usually go.
• Have your partners slide them out after lift off
• Do not move your feet and squat!

It is really simple, and fortunately I took the spotter arms off of our half rack so you can see the gray bars set up lower just in case.   Also band assisted is just how we were squatting during this specific workout, they are not needed to set up a poor man’s monolift.

Poor Man’s Monolift Set Up

The power rack style we used is pretty common, so hopefully it helps you out!

- Joe Hashey, CSCS -

PS.  The second video is larger because of the HD camera.

=>PPS.  Get Bull Strength and receive a free copy of Mobility 2.0

DEAL ENDS FRIDAY AT 8 PM

Intern Conditioning – Feedback Needed!

From the Intern’s Desk:

No, your boy hasn’t lost his way, the bowflex was a gift that I stole the carabiners off of and make kids sit on if they aren’t giving it their all – oh and as Jeremy’s desk.

Continue reading Intern Conditioning – Feedback Needed!…