8 Barbell Complex Tips to Build Strength and Muscle Mass
In the fitness world a “complex” is several exercises strung together to move your entire body in one non-stop routine. As you’ll find out, when combined with a barbell, this type of training not only benefits your overall muscle mass but pushes the limits of your endurance, coordination, mobility, athleticism, and general strength.
Brock Armstrong
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8 Barbell Complex Tips to Build Strength and Muscle Mass
IN THIS ARTICLE YOU’LL DISCOVER
- What makes up a barbell complex
- Why this simple weight lifting process is so effective
- 8 pro tips to maximize your barbell workout
- 4 sample workouts
Istvan Javorek is said to be the brains behind this type of barbell training. It’s fabled that he first brought his complex routines to North America in the 1980s after he defected from Romania. Word has it that he initially developed it as a way to “find an efficient and aggressive method of performance enhancement that saves time and makes the program more enjoyable.” Let’s take a look at barbell complexes and see if he hit the mark.
What is a Barbell Complex?
A barbell complex is any series of movements done back-to-back using a barbell. A set number of repetitions (or reps) is completed for each movement before shifting immediately on to the next. What makes a barbell complex unique, difficult and effective is that the weight never leaves your hands until the entire series is complete.
For example, a simple and very common barbell complex is called a clean and press. In this exercise, the ending movement of the clean (pulling the barbell up to your chest) is the starting movement of the press (pressing the barbell over your head and straightening your arms and legs.)
One of the biggest reasons people include barbell complexes in their workout regimen is that they are a great way to include some cardio in your training program without the need to do traditional cardio (like running, cycling, or aerobics). Cardio is something most weightlifters and bodybuilders see as their enemy. Complexes allow you to raise your heart rate, get out of breath, do a series of movements that last a few minutes each, and throw some heavy weights around … all at the same time.
Another reason people like them is that barbell complexes are quick and do not take a lot of time to bust out. All you need is 20 to 30 minutes to do an effective barbell complex workout. They can take longer, but with this type of high output workout, it is often true that less is more.
Because of their ability to effectively boost your heart rate, barbell complexes make “doing cardio” more interesting and less repetitive. If you are tired of your usual heart-rate-raising routine, this can be an exciting way to mix it up.
Also, when you do a barbell complex, you use a lighter load than you would if you were doing just one lift. This has a few benefits, but one of the biggest is that you can work on your technique and form while stimulating neuromuscular coordination.
Let’s look at the ways you can use barbell complexes in your workout. I’ll also give you some quick and dirty tips.
Barbell Complexes are Versatile
There are a number of ways you can use barbell complexes in your workouts.
- Warm-up. If you are doing them as a warm-up, make sure you use a very light weight and choose a complex that moves your body through a full range of motion. Also, choose movements that will prepare your body for the workout ahead. For instance, don’t do a complex that focuses on the shoulders and chest if your main set is going to be mostly legs. Be specific. Use a light weight (or an empty bar) and you will be warm in no time.
- Accessory Lift. If you are doing barbell complexes as accessory lifts to enhance the workout in any areas you may not have hit as hard as you wanted, make sure you choose a complex that includes complimentary lifts to the rest of your workout. If it’s leg day and you don’t feel that you hit your calf muscles hard enough, make sure to choose a complex that involves the lower leg.
- Finisher. If you are doing the barbell complex as a finisher (the last thing you do before you start your cool-down), choose a high-rep complex for a few rounds to make sure you haven’t left anything on the table.
- Stand-alone Workout. Using a few barbell complexes as a stand-alone workout can save you some time, especially if your goals include improving your overall conditioning and body composition. I will give you some complexes to choose from later.
Barbell Complex Tips
When you are preparing for a complex lifting session, especially if you haven’t done them before, here are some tips to keep in mind.
#1 – Choose the appropriate weight.
Remember that you will be using the same barbell for the entire complex, so choose your weight based on your weakest lift. For example, if you have both an overhead press and a bicep curl in the complex, make sure the weight you choose allows you to perform both movements correctly. Personally, I can press a lot more than I can curl, so choosing a dumbbell based on my press would be a mistake.
#2 – Mind your form.
Keep a close eye on your form. Although you’re lifting a lighter load during a complex, that doesn’t mean you can throw technique out the window. Good form and proper technique is always a must to prevent injury or strain.
#3 – Increase the challenge.
Over time, as you get stronger and more proficient, you can increase the weight that you are lifting. But increasing weight isn’t the only way to make your complexes more challenging. You could also add more sets per round, do more reps, or shorten your rest periods. Any or all of these will take a complex that has gotten easy and up the ante.
#4 – Work your entire body.
For the biggest bang for your buck, choose full-body complexes that work many joints, limbs, and planes of movement. The Dan John complex I’ll talk about in a moment is a perfect example of this. By alternating between movements such as the clean, the overhead press, and a weighted squat, you can maximize your workout.
#5 – Pay attention to strength versus conditioning.
Choose your rep number based on whether you want to perform a strength set or a conditioning set. For strength, keep the reps low (three to five) and the weights heavier. For a conditioning set, you can go up to eight or maybe ten reps, but you will want to use a slightly lighter weight.
# 6- Make your rest periods a 1:1 ratio.
For example, if a complex takes you three minutes to perform, then your rest break should also be three minutes. However, as I mentioned earlier, this factor can be altered to raise the difficulty level of your workout.
#7 – Keep your sets to three or fewer.
If you are doing a complex properly, it should be challenging. When you finish, you should be feel pretty wiped out. If you have completed three sets and you think you can still do more, that’s a good sign you need to increase the weight, increase the reps, or shorten your rest periods.
#8 – You can mix complexes and drop sets.
A drop set is when you lift one weight until you can’t lift it anymore, reduce the weight slightly, and continue lifting. Unlike in the last tip, for this exercise you may want to do four or five sets, each set with a progressively lighter weight. This version is not for the faint of heart, so don’t attempt it until you have perfected barbell complexes first.
Now let’s look at some barbell complex examples.
Barbell Complex Examples
Before you do any of these example workouts, remember to choose your weight for each complex. Figure out what weight you can lift properly for the prescribed number of reps in your weakest lift in the complex. That weight will be the weight you use for the entire complex.
When you try barbell complexes for the first time, I highly recommend you go through the entire complex using a bare bar or even a broomstick.
You want to know what is coming next and how to transition between each lift before you have a heavy weight in your hands. Practice the movements until they are well ingrained and fluid.
Dan John’s Complex A.
This complex is the bread and butter of Dan John’s Mass Made Simple program, which I highly recommend. You can watch it on YouTube to get an idea of how it should be done.
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Standing Row x 5
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Clean x 5
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Front squat x 5
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Military press x 5
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Back squat x 5
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Good mornings x 5
Javorek’s Barbell Complex #1
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Barbell upright row x 6
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Barbell high pull snatch x 6
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Barbell behind the head squat and push press x 6
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Barbell behind the head good morning x 6
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Barbell bent-over row x 6
CrossFit Bear Complex
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Power Clean x 1
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Front Squat x 1
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Push Press x 1
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Back Squat x 1
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Push Press x 1
SEAL Fit Barbell Complex
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Deadlifts x 6
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Upright row x 6
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Squat Cleans x 6
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Front Squats x 6
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Push Presses x 6
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Back Squats x 6
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Burpees x 6
If this style of workout appeals to you, start by doing a barbell complex workout two or three times per week with adequate time between to make sure you are rested and recovered. If you do them correctly and consistently, you should see some dramatic improvements quickly.
Complexes have been called the Swiss-Army knife of the workout world. After you have tried them, you will understand why. Once you have a few under your belt, I bet you can find a use for them in any exercise program for almost any fitness goal.
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About the Author
Brock Armstrong was the host of the Get-Fit Guy podcast between 2017 and 2021. He is a certified AFLCA Group Fitness Leader with a designation in Portable Equipment, NCCP and CAC Triathlon Coach, and a TnT certified run coach. He is also on the board of advisors for the Primal Health Coach Institute and a guest faculty member of the Human Potential Institute.