Complexes: the Who, the What, the Why, the When, and the Where.

COMPLEXES: the Who, the What, the Why, the When, and the Where

Complexes are great, if they're used properly. Complexes are an absolute mess, if they're used improperly. Most people who have spent considerable time around strength and conditioning have probably seen them applied or used them themselves without ever really pinning them with a label. Some people don’t use them at all and others use them entirely too often. Today I’d like to talk a little bit about what complexes are, when they can be best utilized, who they may/may not be best for, why they can be a great addition to your programming, and why I think some coaches in our industry have let their use get out of hand.

What the hell is a complex?

First things first. The shortest definition I could give for a complex goes something like this: A complex is a series of exercises performed with a single piece of equipment (usually dumbbells, a barbell, or a kettle bell) seamlessly without changing out the resistance or allowing the resistance to leave your hands until the given sets and reps for every exercise is completed.

What are the pros of complexes?

There are a few things that can make complexes an awesome addition to your strength and conditioning programs. First and foremost, they are a great way to extend time under tension (TUT) and build mental toughness in your athletes. I try not to get too nit picky with my strength programs, and I think when coaches try to manipulate TUT in every single set, they’re flirting with micromanagement. That being said, if you would like an athlete/client to “grind out” sets that take a significant amount of time, complexes could be the way to go. As long as an athlete/client is able to achieve acceptable technique, a complex forces them to maintain voluntary muscle contractions and mental focus for an extended time frame. Because of the amount of oxygen deprivation experienced within each set, there are few applications that not only condition, but also strengthen your athletes.

What are the cons of complexes?

Complexes are not for everyone. There are a lot of variables to think about before you just apply them for anybody and everybody. Some of these variables include:

• Complexes are different and cool.

I know this sounds like it should be a pro, but one of the biggest issues we run into in the industry with complexes is that they are “really cool.” Because of that, I see them being applied entirely too often and they usually include movements that are completely contraindicated for certain athletes. If you’re working with a repetitious overhead athlete (baseball/softball player, quarterback, swimmer, volleyball player), any complexes that include a large amount of snatches, push presses, split jerks, or other overhead press variations should probably be modified. If the athlete you're working with has not been exposed to all the movements separately, expecting them to string them together safely is unrealistic. It's also important to note that towards the end of a set, an athlete is probably exhausted, so picking a weight light enough that proper technique is attainable through the entire set is imperative.

• They are complex/difficult.

This again, could be listed as a pro, but because of the complexity and difficulty of them… You guessed it, they’re used entirely too often. Some coaches love the fact that they can make their athletes completely exhausted in a short period of time while using some of the most advanced exercises in the industry. The problem with that, other than a lot of their athletes have no idea how to do most of the movements, is that this methodology is not sustainable. Running your athlete into the dirt every single day with complex movements might be fun for you and might even put a smile on their coaches face (for the one session per month they watch). Unfortunately, that coach probably hasn’t the slightest clue how to design a S & C program, and will probably wonder why their players are all either dragging ass or on the injured reserve by the middle of their competitive season. This is my best explanation as to why one of the largest advocates of complexes, CrossFit, has gained popularity, but is NOT a quality choice for the long-term training stimulus for athletes.

• Complexes rarely leave the sagittal plane.

Training athletes requires training in different planes of movement. The sagittal plane, for those who don’t know, is best described as “straight ahead.” I think we’ve all played with that guy. The straight line runner who can blow anyone away in a race, but when it comes time to cut, rotate, or display fluent athleticism, things break down quickly. For rotational athletes (baseball players, hockey players, golfers) who spend a large amount of time in and require power development in the frontal plane, a coach who relies solely on barbell complexes, Olympic lifts, and powerlifts, (cleans, snatches, deadlift, squat, bench press) may not be the best coach for them.

• How do we use complexes?

I know a lot of you are thinking, If there are so many more cons than pros to complexes, why do you use them? Well, my logic is this: If used in moderation with proper modifications for certain individuals, we can manipulate the pros to outweigh the cons. As a matter of fact, if you spend enough time thinking critically about them, you can almost completely eliminate all the cons I listed.

I personally use complexes in weeks that would be referred to most as “deload” weeks. I train my athletes in four week periodized training blocks. Because I run my structured programs in 10-week blocks, that allows me to apply at least two deload weeks and two periodized training blocks. The only issue that arises with that schedule is sometimes my athletes perceive a deload week as an “off week.” Unfortunately, in the privatized sector, off weeks don’t exist. It’s hard to explain to a parent or athlete that they paid good money for them or their athlete to stretch and foam roll an entire session. It’s just not applicable. So what’s most important is that we take some time to deload the spinal column. Because complexes are so long in duration, they force an athlete to use a much lighter resistance, and as a result reduce the stress on the spinal column while still giving us a good training stimulus.

What are some examples?

Here is an example of a barbell complex I like to use with my athletes during a deload week. It’s a great combination of explosive development and lower body and upper body strength stimuli. The string goes Traditional Deadlift/Hang Clean/Front Squat/Split Jerk/Back Squat with a rep count of 10/5/10/5/10. This is a series of highly complex barbell movements. It is imperative that your athlete has been exposed to ALL OF THESE MOVEMENTS SEPERATELY BEFORE APPLYING THIS COMPLEX TO THEIR TRAINING. I performed mine with 135 lbs. If it’s your first time attempting it, 95 lbs. might be a good place to start. Most of my junior high athletes use between 65 and 95 lbs. 3 – 5 sets of this complex should suffice.

Here is an example of a dumbbell complex I use with my athletes. It’s also a great combination of explosiveness, upper extremity and lower extremity stimuli. The string of exercises goes DB Triple Extensions/Biceps Curls/Single Leg Deadlifts/Bent Over Rows/Reverse Lunges/Push Ups. The set and rep count was 8/10/16/8/16/10. I used 50 lb. dumbbells. I think 30 lb. dumbbells are a good starting weight. If you are working with non-repetitious overhead athletes, feel free to substitute the push-ups for an overhead pressing variation. Just be aware, the most difficult part of this complex is the ability to grip the dumbbells, so ending with an overhead press could be sketchy. A spotter might be a good idea. You can see me add a little drama about half way through. Trust me, give it a try and you’ll understand why. My forearms felt like they were going to explode. 4 – 6 sets of this complex should be adequate. 

Here is my third and final example (I honestly didn’t have any energy left to demonstrate anymore this morning) of a landmine complex I will use with some of my athletes. The string of exercises goes Squat Thrusts/Split Stance Landmine Press/Reverse Lunges/Bent Over Single Arm Rows/Single Deadlifts. The rep scheme went 10/16/16/16/16. This complex can get a little goofy because the path of the resistance is much different than what most are used to. You can see me lose and regain my balance a couple of times. 3 – 5 sets of this complex would be plenty.

As a young strength coach I am not expecting those who use complexes on a daily basis to take my word to heart. Some people love them, some people hate them, and others use them every single day because they just don't know anything else. I hope this gives a little more insight into how to better utilize complexes in future programs.

Thanks for reading.

Caleb Heilman

"The only thing I know is i'll never know everything." - Jason Green