As promised, you can see my complete lack of skill, my wife’s aggressiveness and Jayden being more attentive than me!
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Great videos! It’s awesome to see the whole family getting after it
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Jayden was a bit tired, he had soccer practice right before (scored 2 goals and had an assist)
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Programing update…
After a weekend of reflection, I decided to change my plan. This is something that is pretty common for me. I tend to try a few approaches that I feel are adequate for my goal and pick the one that feels “just right”.
The BOSS system is awesome, and I figured that it would work well for my goal of regaining technical efficiency on my olympic lifts.
But it turns out that my shoulders don’t like to be stretched under load that often and that much. It also got boring. When I was competing I could handle the repetitiveness, but now my training needs to feel more fun and varied. I also want to improve my look, which what I was doing was not idea for.
I still have the goal of jacking up strength and power performance, Here’s the 3-weeks phase I have in mind:
Monday & Thursday
Gunthor Complexes (named after shotputter Werner Gunthor). The complex is applied to the squat and the bench. There are 4 “sets” in a complex with 2-3 minutes between “sets” (doing all 4 sets in a complex is called a “series”).
The series is as follows:
Set 1: Eccentric emphasis using weight releasers. Lowering 90% slowly and lifting 50-60% as fast as possible. This is done for 6 reps
Set 2: Stato-dynamic: 2 secs pause in the low position. Then do the concentric explosively. 60% for 5 reps
Set 3: Isometric: 70%, holding the mid-range position for 30 sec
Set 4: Explosive reps with 50%, doing both the eccentric and concentric as fast as possible, for 6 reps
Two series are done for the squat and the bench.
Then I’ll do 5-7 sets of 2-3 reps on the power snatch
Tuesday and Friday
Technique work on the snatch. This will basically be the power snatch for 8-10 sets of 1-2 along with 1 or 2 assistance exercises to work on a technical aspect of the snatch (e.g. snatch press, overhead squat, snatch pull, etc)
Wednesday and Saturday
Bodybuilding work. Likely emphasizing arms and back
My plan (if this feels good) is to do this for 3 weeks.
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This Gunther complex looks absolutely awesome. Thanks for sharing. For the first step of the complex weight releasers are utilized - is there any good way to replicate this step if someone does not have access to weight releasers?
Is there a way to replace them? Yes.
Is it a good way? No.
Well, it can be effective but it’s time-consuming and annoying.
Basically, you lift in a power rack and put the safety pins in the low position.
Load the bar with the 90% you need for your eccentric and then lower it (as a squat or bench) slowly until the bar is down on the pins. Then, remove weight so tht 50-60% is left on the bar. Get back under the bar again and lift it back up, rack it then add weight back to make it 90% again and start the new rep.
Here’s a video of an athlete that I train doing it. We typically use weight releasers, but he was visiting his family and did not have access to the releasers.
Honestly, I would not do it. Not because it doesn’t work, but because it would psych me out of my workout.
So you have 3 options:
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Do not use an eccentric overload. Use 70-75% on the bar and do 6 reps with a very slow eccentric.
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Use the method shown in the video, but only do 1 rep (so use 100-110% on the eccentric and 50-60% on the concentric)
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Buy weight releasers
(they are a great investment anyway_
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Here are some types of complexes
Note that complexes are my favorite performance-training method.
Gunthor complex (named after the freak athlete, shot putter Werner Gunthor)
A1. Eccentric emphasis: 6 reps with 50% of the 1RM on the bar and an extra 40% on weight releasers (so the eccentric is done slowly with 90% and the concentric at 50% as explosively as possible)
3 minutes of rest
A2. Stato-dynamic emphasis: 6 reps at 60% with a 2 second pause followed by an explosive concentric action (even trying to jump on a squat)
3 minutes of rest
A3. Yielding isometrics: 30 seconds hold at the mid-range of the movement with 70% of 1RM
3 minutes of rest
A4. Explosive reps: 6 reps with 60% done as violently fast as possible both on the eccentric and concentric.
French contrast
A1.Heavy exercise: For example, a set of 3-5 squats at 85-90% of 1RM
1-2 minutes
A2. An explosive movement: For example, 5 jumps without added load and with maximum intent
1-2 minutes
A3. Loaded jumps: For example, 5 reps of trap bar jump squat with 20% of your max
1-2 minutes
A4. Overspeed jumps: Overspeed jumps use a band attached to the top of a power rack. You hold the stretched band with your arms and pull it down. Then jump up, using the band to jump higher and faster than normal.
Canadian descending complex
(You can also use the reverse order; it then becomes an ascending complex)
A1. Overload movement: For example, 3-5 reps of half squats from pins starting at a 100 degrees knee angle with 100-120% of you full-range1RM
2-3 minutes
A2. Heavy exercise: For example, 3-5 reps of squats at 85-90% of 1RM
2-3 minutes
A3. Strength-speed movement: For example, 3-5 reps of power clean from the hang or power snatch from the hang at 70-75% of 1RM
2-3 minutes
A4. Loaded jumps: For example, 5 reps of trap bar jump squat with 20% of your max
2-3 minutes
A5. Jump/plyometric: can be 5-10 normal jumps or 3-5 depth jumps
Russian complex
A1. Heavy exercise: For example, 3-5 reps of back squat at 85-90% of 1RM
1-2 minutes of rest
A2. Explosive movement: Can be either a jump/throw or loaded jumps
Litvinov complex (named after hammer thrower Sergey Litvinov)
A1. Front squat 5-8 reps
Rest 2-3 minutes
A2. Sprint 400 meters
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I appreciate the in-depth response! That method is interesting, but I’d probably get psyched out doing it, so I guess I’m left with slow eccentric with 70%-75% load and eventually buying weight releasers 
Thank you for sharing these!! These look absolutely awesome. That Litvinov Complex looks grueling 
For complexes and performance, how often would you use them for at a time? And would you save them for the end of a performance based cycle or no?
Do you mean I long I stick with one specific complex?
At first yes. But once you understand how to build complexes for various goals, then it becomes possible to use them in all phases, but with different methods.
BUILDING YOUR OWN COMPLEX: WHAT ELEMENTS CAN BE INCLUDED?
Plus, the more exercise you have in a complex, the lower is the amount of sets you can do. For example, a 5-exercises complex can be done for two work sets, maybe three. Whereas a 2 or 3-exercises complex can be done for 4 or even 5 sets. I feel that this leads to a higher quality of performance.
I personally like complexes of 3 exercises in most cases.
Ok, now that this is out of the way, let’s look at the various type of exercises you can use to build a complex.
Overload/supramax: The use of partial variations of a “big lift” with a load ranging from 100 to 120% (or even more!) of your maximum on the full range movement. This is especially useful for athletes (to focus on specific joint angles involved in their sport) and strength athletes (to get used to handling heavier weights). It can also be an activation tool at the beginning of a complex when paired with an explosive movement.
Heavy: Refers to using loads in the 85-95% range for 1-5 reps on a full range big basic lift. This is obviously meant to focus on strength development.
Eccentric emphasis: This is like the overload approach in that you will handle supramaximal (or maximal) loads for at least part of the exercise. I prefer to use weight releasers for this method. This tool allows you to use more weight on the eccentric phase of the lift. You can use supramaximal loads (e.g., 110% of max on the eccentric and 70-80% on the concentric) or near maximal loads for several reps (e.g., 5 reps with 90% on the eccentric and 60% on the concentric). We typically use a slow eccentric tempo with this method, ranging from controlled (3 seconds or so) up to super slow (as slow as 8 seconds).
Loaded carries: We can also use movements like farmer’s walks, Zercher carries, overhead walk, sled drags, prowler pushing, etc. These can be good additions to a strength complex when paired with a big basic lift and/or a heavy partial. For that purpose, heavier/shorter carries (10-30 meters) are favored. It can also be used a part of a hypertrophy complex with a “muscle building movement”, in which case carries of 50-80 meters are preferred.
Strength-speed: Here we are talking about explosive movements with moderate loads. The best examples being the “power” variations of the Olympic lifts (I favor from the hang or blocks above the knees). We could also include traditional strength lifts (like squats, benches and deadlifts) with loads in the 50-70% range lifted with maximum acceleration.
Speed-strength: These are very explosive movements performed with low loads. Good examples include loaded jump squats/trap bar jumps with 10-20% of your 1RM on the full movement, loaded single leg or split stance jumps (e.g., Bulgarian split squat jumps, jump lunges) with 10-20% of your body weight and medicine ball throws. Typically, we keep the reps low (around 5) to avoid a significant decrease in speed.
Speed/agility: We can also do various sprints (starts up to 100 meters) and sprinting drills (e.g., sprints from half kneeling position, sprints from a low push-up position, etc.). This category can also include loaded sprints, like sled sprints, which are best done over distances of 30 meters or less and with 10-30% of your body weight. Longer than that is ineffective because sled sprints train. Position like the initial acceleration phase (torso more parallel to the floor) whereas the” top speed” and speed maintenance phase uses a more upright posture (that’s where the speed parachute can be useful).
Plyometric/jumps: A very popular type of exercises for complexes are the various jumps (vertical, horizontal, lateral, unilateral, bilateral, over hurdles, etc.) and shock exercises (depth jumps, depth landing) and their upper body equivalent (like push-up projections). Depending on the type of jumps we can do anywhere from 5 reps/set (for max power exercises) up to over 30 (low intensity bounding).
Maximal overcoming isometric: Pushing or pulling against the safety pins in a power rack with an empty barbell. This method can be used to address a specific weak point in the range of motion or as a potentiating tool prior to an explosive movement or a strength lift. I particularly like a complex of overcoming isometric squats at a 90 degrees knee angle and either maximum vertical jumps or loaded jump squats.
Stato-dynamic emphasis: Stato-dynamic refers to including isometric holds during regular repetitions. For example, you squat and, on the way, down you pause at the 90 degrees position for 2-3 seconds. You can perform 1 to 3 pauses on each repetition. There are various ways of using this method. You can hold at a position and immediately lift the weight back up from that position, this is great to strengthen a specific position in the range of motion (because you must overcome inertia from that position), or you can hold the weight in the position(s), finish the eccentric then lift the weight, which would have more of a positional strengthening effect.
Long duration isometric/positional isometrics: Here we are holding a position for a longer period. It can be as long as 2 minutes but it typically for 30-60 seconds. The main application of this method is as a skill acquisition technique: you hold a key position of your sport action against as resistance (I like to use bands as a source of resistance). The resistance is not so much to strengthen the muscles involved in that sport action but to increase positional awareness (enhanced feedback). For example, you could hold the impact position in the golf swing against a resistance band trying to pull your arms back. Or using a specific strap with a pulley station that try to force you back into your “backswing”.
Another application of this method is more as a hypertrophy tool: holding the position of highest tension in an exercise for 30-60 seconds to provide a certain growth stimulus to the body.
One more is to perform the hold in the “stretched” part of the range of motion with extra load. This is called “loaded stretching”. You can learn about all the benefits of loaded stretching here: https://thibarmy.com/loaded-stretching-one-powerful-versatile-training-method/ and here: The Vital Whole Human - T NATION
I have also a series of videos on loaded stretching here:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/BcSPoDZeJnI
Part 2: https://youtu.be/6xHiec-GGh8
Part 3: https://youtu.be/1XP0scw3QfA
Part 4: https://youtu.be/1WKQcEdVl0o
Overloaded sport skill: This is when you perform a specific sport skill (e.g., sprinting, throwing, jumping, golf or baseball swing, etc.) with added resistance. The added resistance can serve several purposes. For example, in a swing or throw, its purpose is to slow down the upper body. Why would you want to do that? To improve sequencing. In a throw or swing the more you can dissociate the lower and upper body, with the lower body moving earlier and faster than the upper body to create a powerful dynamic stretch reflex in the core musculature and fascia, the more power you can create. Someone who tends to use the arms too early will benefit from overload work to learn proper sequencing: 1. Force application on the ground, 2. Leg and hips, 3. Torso. 4. Arm(s), 5. Hands. For linear movements like sprinting and jumping, the value is more about improving your capacity to apply force into the ground. Be careful not to slow down the action too much. Charlie Francis talked about a maximum speed decrease of 6%.
Overspeed sport skill: Overspeed work is very popular for the improvement of high velocity sport skills like a golf or baseball swing, throwing a ball (e.g., baseball or cricket), shot putting and sprinting. It refers to using either lighter implements than those used in competition (golf club, baseball bat, ball, shot, etc.) or an apparatus that allows you to go faster than you normally could go (e.g., a 1080 device for sprinting, elastic overspeed band/traction system, slightly downward track, etc.). The principle is that by performing a high-speed sport skill even faster than you normally can you can gradually improve your capacity to reach that speed in the “normal” sport skill. To give you an example, by using the “Superspeed golf system” I increased my driver wing speed from 112mph to 130mph.
*Important: when doing overspeed/overload work it is KEY to do it along with the normal sport skill to avoid polluting the motor pattern and facilitate transfer. That’s why I like to do both as a complex:
A1. Overloaded movement set
Rest 2-3 minutes (depending on the skill)
A2. Overspeed movement set
Rest 2-3 minutes (depending on the skill)
A3. “Normal” sport skill set
Sport skill: This is straight forward: you perform a sport skill as the last exercise in a complex. This is used either as a transfer method (e.g., performing more general strength and power exercises earlier in the complex then doing the sport skill) or as a motor learning tool (e.g., starting with a position long duration hold followed by your sport skill, or the overload/overspeed complex mentioned above).
Hypertrophy movement: Complexes are mostly a performance tool, but they can still be used to trigger more hypertrophy, although in that case it almost has a “superset” feel, even though you do have a rest period between exercises (1 to 3 minutes). The combinations that I like are:
- Hypertrophy exercise + Loaded carry (involving the muscle trained in the first exercise)
- Overload movement + Hypertrophy exercise
- Overcoming isometric + Hypertrophy exercise (in which case the iso serves as an activation tool)
- Long duration isometric + Hypertrophy exercise (to increase sensitivity of a muscle to the neurological drive, build better mind-muscle connection).
LIMITATION OF COMPLEXES
Complexes are one of the most powerful training tools you can use, especially with athletes. And they are among my favorite training approaches.
But it is still important to talk about their limitations and potential drawbacks.
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More demanding on the nervous system than traditional exercises set-ups. That’s because of the variation in motor task when you change exercise, even though the movement patterns are similar. The positive is that this leads to a higher adrenaline level and more neurological activation (part of the benefits of complexes), but the downside is that it is easier to create central fatigue and a downregulate of the beta-adrenergic receptors (the main cause of what we call “overtraining”). Therefore, volume and frequency have to stay conservative.
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Some people (especially those with lower acetylcholine and serotonin levels) might lose focus, especially if using complexes with more than 2-3 exercises: they will have a hard time focusing on each movement in a complex, their mind sticks with only one and performance suffers on the other one(s).
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Therefore, I now prefer to stick to complexes of 2 or 3 exercises.
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If the adaptative demands of the exercises in a complex are too different, they can interfere with one another by telling the body to adapt in two different directions. Power and strength movement go well together. But something like a power and a hypertrophy or resistance exercises are not a good fit.
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In some cases, it can require a lot of equipment or space. Or the equipment needed for the 2-3 exercises in a complex might be in different places in the gym. Complexes aren’t always well suited for a commercial gym.
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A complex typically gives you very rapid improvements. However, their “effective life” is short. A neurological-based complex will be most effective for 3-5 weeks (you can, however, keep progressing by changing the complex type).
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A lot of people go overboard when programing complexes: they use too many complexes in a session and in a week. For best results, stick to one or two complexes per session. Don’t see complexes the same way as you would see regular strength work where you must do quads work, posterior chain work, pressing work, pulling work, arms work, etc. Ideally pick something like two “regions/patterns” per micro cycle. The rest of the work is not in complex form.
PARTING WORDS
I’ve always been notoriously bad at writing conclusions. So, I’ll finish this article with bullet point recommendations.
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In most cases, stick to 2 or 3 exercises per complex and avoid redundancies. For example, a maximal overcoming isometric and partial overloads would be redundant in the scope of a complex as they both serve similar purposes in a complex.
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Do not underestimate the importance of the rest period between exercises within a complex (and between sets). Complexes are very demanding neurologically and physiologically. The fact that they spike adrenaline significantly can mask fatigue and give the illusion that you can go immediately. But cutting your rest periods too short will negatively impact both performance and post-session recovery. Plus, neurological potentiation after an exercise reaches its peak at the 2 minutes mark and remains very high for 4 minutes. There is no reason to rest less than 2 minutes between exercises if the complex is neurological in nature (hypertrophy would be different).
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I highly recommend visualizing your upcoming set 30 seconds prior to doing it. This is especially important for those who tend to lose focus when they must do more than one motor tasks together.
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Don’t use a specific form/type of complex for more than 4-5 weeks.
That’s it… now go have fun, experimenting with various forms of complexes is one of the most fun parts of being a strength coach!
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Wow thank you so much! That is so incredibly helpful! And you answered my other question in your message “best to use each complex for 4-5 weeks” - appreciate it.
I never realized there were so many ways and combinations to use complexes.
I can’t wait to implement complexes for my sprint training this year!
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Pretty good session. It’s weird but my shoulders hurt more and feel stiffer after days off from lifting.
I didn’t train (well, I boxed) for 2 days and my shoulders felt worse, and took longer to loosen up than last week when I snatched and squatted every day!
Jayden trained with me and hit some solid front squats at 50lbs (which is around 8lbs over body weight).
Here’s my progression sheet for the basic movement pattern when introducing kids to weight training.
Some notes:
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This is the standard progression that I use. In some specific cases, I might change the order of two exercises or even skip a step if I see it as unecessary.
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The younger the kid, the longer we stay at a specific step in the progression. Even if the kid has mastered that step.
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I tend to stay with low reps, even with kids. But that doesn’t necessarily mean using maximal weight. I simply find that young kids don’t have a very long attention span and with anything over 5-6 reps, they lose focus on the last reps and that can hurt motor learning.
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Don’t introduce all the patterns at the same time. Focus on 2, maybe 3 before working on something else.
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You can never go wrong on focsing on fewer things at a time, for longer.
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Amazing!
Do you have any “rules” for combining patterns? For instance, maybe it makes sense to not do squat and hinge at the same time so they don’t interfere?
Well, they can do both in a session once both are mastered at a pretty high level.
But yeah, I first focus on the squat. Once a kid as able to do a resisted squat in good position we start working on the hinge,
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For example, this is Jayden’s progression:
The squat, hinge, and press (note, that Jay can do push ups with the hands slightly elevated, he has the skill but not yet the relative strength to do full push-ups) are well mastered, and as such these can be included at the same time in a session as the bulk of the motor learning has been learned.
The pull and carries are also fairly well mastered. The carry can be included with other patterns because it is a lower skill pattern. It’s also one of the first thing that a kid can learn.
When we are doing single-leg work it is only done by itself as a skill session. Maybe adding a loaded carry after the single-leg work.
We started learning the squat and carry. Hinge was next. Then press and pull. Then, finally, the single-leg work.
Note that we also have a jump and olympic lift progression.
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