MVMNT Barbell starts next week! Registration is open now. Please sign up just like you would for CrossFit classes. Classes are FREE all month long. Whether you’re interested in improving your Olympic lifts for CrossFit, thinking about the sport of Olympic Weightlifting, or just curious; we highly recommend coming Tuesday night at 7pm to hear what the program is all about and how it will work going forward. See you there!

Barbell Complexes from 70’s Big

What is a Barbell Complex
A barbell complex is one large superset of various exercises completed without stopping or setting the bar down. The number of exercises and reps can vary, but four to six exercises with five to ten repetitions each is standard. Running through all of the exercises once would constitute a set and is usually followed by a rest period. Multiple sets would be completed in a given session — typically at least three. When ability improves, more than one set can be completed before resting. For example, one round can consist of running through the exercises twice. Doing three rounds would result in six sets overall, but grouped in twos.

Endurance Capacity
Conditioning the energy systems occurs when lots of musculature is worked to the point of having a deficit in substrates. That deficit acts as the stress, and the body adapts so that can handle that same stress easier in the future. This capacity is best done with high intensity since it’s more effective than low intensity. If you haven’t been doing any conditioning work, then barbell complexes will have a high intensity effect because the stress is relative to your current adaptation.

Good barbell complexes will hit up several large movements that move multiple joints through a full ROM and subsequently work lots of musculature. The more musculature working will establish that deficit of substrates to provide a good stress. Using movements like back squats, front squats, deadlifts, presses, jerks, and rows are ideal. By doing more sub-maximal reps, you can improve muscular endurance as well as overall endurance (the uptake and delivery of energy substrates).

Swollertrophy and Muscle Mass
It’s possible to maintain and even improve musculature by using barbell complexes (even when on a body fat loss program) because of the number of reps done at one time and the total number of reps done in a session. By doing eight to twelve reps of each exercise, the muscles will receive a hypertrophy rep range. Now compound that with the muscles receiving upwards of fifty additional sub-maximal reps in a hypertrophy range and you can see why muscle mass can improve (it’s like big rest-pause sets). Since good complexes use the big exercises (think squats, pulls, rows, and presses), they provide a systemic hit that is significantly more effective than circuit training done with isolation exercises. Finally, take into consideration that this is done after a strength training session and you can see how barbell complexes would be a good compliment for muscular growth. Read more here and watch the video (NSFW..music lyrics. Just throw your headphones on)

Warmup
Dynamic Athletic Movement

3 Sets
2 Getups per side
5 Down dog Push-ups
10 Kettlebell Swings

 Lift
Levels 3/4
5 Sets of the following COMPLEX at 85% of 1RM power snatch:
Snatch Pull
Hang Power Snatch
3 Overhead Squats

Every time we do a complex there seems to be some confusion regarding how it works. It’s simple: if you have to put the bar down before the last exercise is complete, you haven’t done the complex. I’m not sure if it’s due to ignorance, complete lack of focus, or willful defiance, but I’m making it clear now–when we do complexes you are NOT to put the bar down until the entire set of movements is complete.  So select your weight accordingly.  Those of you training at Level 3 and 4 are expected to know your capacity and how to estimate the proper training loads for this kind of work.  If you can’t, your workout follows below. 

Level 2 
Snatch Progression
Hang Power Snatch Practice 

Levels 0/1
Snatch Progression
Empty Bar Overhead Squat Practice 

Conditioning 
6-8x
Sled Push