Dumbbell/KB complexes

[Steve Shafley]

Yeah, I found the 32kg kb hard to hold

[Allen Yeh]

On the downward motion I felt holding the kb by the handles was ab out to rip out of my grip, I thought it was because I wasn't holding it correctly. When I went heavier I also felt like I wasn't able to keep the "swing" controlled.

I know you commented it on your vblog but I definitely felt a huge difference when doing it with a flat back and not.

[James Evans]

Here's one I like based upon one of Ross Enamait's articles:

1. One armed clean from ground
2. Strict one armed press
3. Push press
4. Snatch from ground
5. OHS
6. Overhead lunge

Repeat on other arm. I use a fairly heavy db and do 10 reps of the complex per side. The Press/Push Press/Snatch bit comes from Ross and he is going heavy in the accompanying video.

You could use a lighter weight or KB and storm through this.

[Allen Yeh]

Alwyn Cosgrove Barbell complex #1
Deadlift
Romanian DL
Barbell Row
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Good Morning

I did it with 95# and method #1.
2 ways to do it:
1. 90 seconds rest between sets, 6,5,4,3,2,1
2. 6 reps with 4-5 set along with decreasing rest from 90s to 45s in following workouts. (You really don't want to decrease that precious 90 seconds the first time you do this!)

This destroyed my grip after the first 2 rounds.

[Derek Simonds]

I am so trying this one tomorrow.

[Derek Simonds]

I did it with method 1 and 75 lb's. I loved it. I wanted to try it with lower weight to get the feel of it and use it for my workout warmup.

I am going to add this one to the arsenal. Nice pick Allen!

[James Evans]

That's not far off the Javorek stuff that Yael refers to on page one of this post.

Off the top of my head:

1. Upright Row
2. Snatch (Muscle or power)
3. Back Squat/Push Press (so a thruster)
4. Good Morning
5. Bentover row

Complexes #1 and 2 are with a barbell and for 3 and 6 reps each respectively.

When substituting dbs for a bb replace good mornings with a second set of snatches. I've only ever used a barbell. I do the snatches from the ground. Good warm up, good finisher. 3 sets of #1 with 45kg and your in business

[Rick Deckart]

If you watch the videos on Javoreks page you will notice that the snatch high pull how he calls it, is a jerk grip muscle snatch. I once did his complex 1 with an empty bar and two 9kg chains and two small ironwoody bands which were crisscossed (right shoulder left foot, left shoulder right foot).
That was after some light overhead squat sets (45kg x 12 reps x 12 sets) but in my memory this complex was one of the most brutal workouts I tried so far... The bands take away most of the leg power during the high snatch pulls and the chains certainly don't help either. I always wanted to max that out, with say two strong bands, 40kg and two 9kg chains but that would need some preparation.

I have also done a Javorek complex 1 style complex with two 24kg KBs:

upright row x 5 reps
snatch high pull x 5 reps
thrusters x 5 reps
RDL x 5 reps
bent over row x 5 reps

this was also pretty taxing.

[Brian Amundsen]

Here are two complexes I've been using quite a bit lately.

All done 1 arm-5 swings, 5 clean+push jerk, 5 front squats, 5 snatches, 5 overhead squats. Switch arms and repeat.

This is the one I've been doing lately to really up my GPP, All done double kb style-5 swings inside legs, 5 thrusters, 5 swings outside leg. Rinse and repeat as needed.

For reference I only have two 53's.

If you could get up to 7 sets of the second grouping, as a male, with in 20 minutes you'd be in phenomenal shape. If you could bump the bells up two 32 kg's and still make it through it I don't know how much of anything else besides hitting a few heavy barbell lifts that you would need.

[James Evans]

Damn Brian, you've got me all 'I want to go home and give that a try'.

Away for the weekend so it will keep for now.