Sunday, March 8, 2009

"666" Barbell Complex

It's Satanic, I tell you :)

Actually, it isn't that bad, but it will seem so to the client for whom I created it:

6 deadlifts
6 bent-over rows
6 front squats
6 military presses
6 static lunges, L
6 static lunges, R

Rest and repeat for a total of 6 rounds.

Then if he's still alive after that we'll do the following:

jump squats, 30 seconds
rest 15 seconds
running pushups, 30 seconds
rest 15 seconds
SB rollouts, 30 seconds.
rest 15 seconds

Repeat 5x :)

Am I awful or what?

Actually, I don't expect him to be able to do the workout exactly as written the first time through. I think 4 times through the complex will be about right, and I think he's going to need more than 15 seconds rest between exercises in the final circuit. But that's okay. With this particular client, what he likes to do is hire me to put together a program for him that he can't quite do at first without modifying. Then when he's able to sail through it as written, he comes back for an upgrade.

I plan to try it out myself later today just to make sure it's not harder than I think. I want my client to feel challenged but not demoralized!

Update: yeah, it'll do. I used 45 lbs--couldn't have gone much heavier because of the militaries. If I'd created this workout for myself I probably would've made them push presses. Complexes are harder to put together than you'd think because the exercises have to flow well and they also have to be appropriate for the individual. Upright rows are a good fit in terms of choreography, for instance, but I almost never include them because most of my clients if anything are overdeveloped in through the upper traps.

The bodyweight finisher was fun :)