New Article: Complexes for Fat Loss (and win AtLarge Nutrition Fat Burners)

[redbarr]

I started doing these about 2 weeks ago to replace the interval bike workouts I was doing and I love them. I haven't done this much cardio in years and I feel like I'm doing them for recreation. I've applied the concept to the whole gym and I just wander the gym looking for dynamic excercises to do in clusters, then take the 90 second break and continue. I was also able to get a workout in at home after the gym had already closed using a 75 lb sandbag. Bundled up, went out into the snow and gave it hell. These workouts are why the IPOD was invented.

I'm hooked on these.

[Joe Black]

I've been doing complexes after my workouts. Nothing crazy. Just 75lbs or so. This was today's effort. I'll try to rotate it and repost.

Send me your address via pm and I'll send you a free bottle of Nitor as I promised we'd pick a video and seeing as there was only one entry, you win!

[cjones5632]

Quick question about the push up-plank in the anywhere bodyweight complex. How long do you hold the plank?

[cphafner]

Send me your address via pm and I'll send you a free bottle of Nitor as I promised we'd pick a video and seeing as there was only one entry, you win!

Daniel, that is very generous of you, but I already know how kick ass your products are. I wasn't even posting for the free stuff, just to keep the discussion going. I'm in a nice mood since it's Friday. Give the Nitor to the next person that posts a vid (or best one if more people post over the next week). Hopefully even to someone that hasn't tried Nitor before. People should give these a try. I'm loving them. And they could get some free Nitor just for trying.

[meprathe]

When you say 3 sets of 8 reps, etc... do you mean to do the exercises one after the other and stop when you've finished doing all the exercises 3 times each? Or do you mean rest 90 secs after you've completed it one time and do it again then rest and do it again?

[TrainHardOrDie]

Great article. I've done the complexes for a week now and it really fits the bill when I get home from work and don't feel like hitting the cardio.

Plus it let's me get in some high rep work and saves the legs a bit when they're already sore.

[luigisacs]

Quick question in regards to recovery. Has anyone seen any considerable recovery issues when implementing these into their routines? I ma coming back from a long layoff (and consequently have about 30lbs to lose) and wondered if these would be acceptable to the cardio I have been doing. I do not want to overly exert myself and not be able to complete my strength training.

[cphafner]

I've had no recovery issues. The weights haven't been heavy enough to hamper my recovery.

[WiNGMaYNE 619]

I've been doing complexes after my workouts. Nothing crazy. Just 75lbs or so. This was today's effort. I'll try to rotate it and repost.

very nice video awnsered alot of my questions i am going to definetly add these into my training probebly on my cardio days i will do these,

[SMK41]

I was just looking at this complexes article and had a quick question to make sure I'm understanding it right.

The barbell complex says to do 3x8. So is it:

[ RDL x 1, BB Row x 1, Front Squat x 1, Push Press x 1, BB Rollout x 1 ] x 8 = 1 set.

OR

[ RDL x 8, BB Row x 8, Front Squat x 8, Push Press x 8, BB Rollout x 8 ] = 1 set.

[Joe Black]

http://www.wannabebig.com/forums/sho...=1#post2276403

[Astreocclu]

So just how intense should these be, and how many calories do they burn? im eating fairly over maitence, will adding two of these in negate any fat gain i could have?

[Joe Black]

To be honest it's not as simple as that - doing these in addition to what you are doing of course will burn more overall calories and switching them for normal weight training will burn more calories than weight training alone.

if your primary goal is to gain lean muscle mass, chucking in the odd one of these per week would be just fine.

[Joe Black]

Even though this is not a complex, this is something I did the other day and it rocked.

5 sets of the below with 2:30 mins rest between each set:

Treadsled - 15 secs on, 5 secs off, 10 secs on
30 secs rest
Goblet squat - 20kg dumbell for 30 secs
30 secs rest
Floor Press @ 40KG for 30 secs
30 secs rest
Romanian Deadlift @ 80KG for 30 secs
30 secs rest
DB Push Press @ 20KG DBS for 30 secs
30 secs rest
Farmers Walk @ 30KG DBS for 60M

[Off Road]

That looks cool Daniel.

[nature718]

Hey, I just wanna make sure I understand the second DB complex.

4 sets of 6 reps no rest in between. This is one circuit. Circuit should be done 3x.

So basically, 6 lunges (one each leg), 6 db rows (one each arm), 6 pushups, 6 burpees, 6db press (one each arm). .Repeat this 3 more times... then rest 90 seconds. This is one whole circuit.

Correct? Thanks in advance.

[SESbb30]

EDIT: nevermind, i found my answer.

[everready]

Hey, if I wanted to combine this and WBB 1.1. What would you suggest?

Monday - 1.1 day 1, Tuesday - 1.1 day 2, Wednesday - barbell complex, Thursday - 1.1day 3, Friday - 1.1 day 4, Saturday - dumbbell complex, Sunday - body weight complex

Monday - 1.1 day 1, barbell complex, Tuesday 1.1 day 2, Wednesday - dumbbell complex, Thursday 1.1 day 3, Friday - 1.1 day 4, dumbbell complex, Saturday and Sunday relax

Or something different?

My goal is to be as healthy as possible.

[SESbb30]

both of those could work if you could handle it. i do this.

ABAB workout

monday-A and DB complex, tuesday-B, wednesday-bodyweight complex, thursday-A, friday-B and BB complex, sat. and sun. rest. i do the complexes after my workout

[fussyjim]

Old thread but starting these tonight

My training partner has a guff knee so can't do ab rollouts, any suggestions what he can swap for this?

Essentially just a cardio workout so exercise selection not really relevant or should he be aiming for an ab based exercise?

[Off Road]

Hanging leg raises?

[fussyjim]

Yeah could do. I probably didn't make it clear, I was really meaning should he do an ab specific exercise like your example leg raises or another barbell exercise such as a good morning?

[Off Road]

Ya, there are probably a ton of different things you could throw in there, I was just trying to find an ab replacement that would be simple to throw in and be demanding enough to fit the goals of the routine.

There are a couple in the bodyweight complees that you could use; like the push-up to planks or the mountain climbers.

[nhernan1986]

I'm a military police officer and a navy Command Fitness Leader (CFL), and I use this style of exercising (slightly different workouts) often to train my sailors and they love it because its a change and they prefer it to cardio. Its proven to be a success and it definitely gives them an intense workout.. I still have them do cardio in order to burn calories because I wasn't aware that complexes are actually more effective than cardio for weight loss. If anyone wants more routines (cross-fit style) let me know and I'll post some. So here is my current lifting routine. When would be the best time to add these???

*last 2 sets of all exercises are my heavy sets which fail by said # w/ use of spotter.
**Everyday begins with 15min Cardio followed by a short circuit then the lift**
-Pre-workout Circuit- 50 push-ups (varying reg/wide/close grip)/15 pull-ups (varying reg/wide/close grip)/ab routine of choice x3 no rest…

-Monday (Chest) Barbell Bench- 135 1x10, 185 1x8, 225 1x3, 275 2x4. Barbell Incline- 185 1x6, 225 2x6. Dumbbell Flat Bench- 85 1x6, 100 2x6. Barbell Decline- 185 1x6, 225 2x6. Cable Crossovers. Dips 2xfailure

-Tuesday (Back) Seated Cable Rows- 140 1x10, 160 1x8, 200 2x6. Lat-Pulldown- 140 1x10, 200 2x6. Seated Machine Row- (alternating arms) 115 1x10, 160 2x6. Dumbbell Bent-over Row- 85 2x10. Standing Barbell Curl- 45(bar) 1x10, 95 1x8, 115 1x3, 135 2x6.

-Wednesday (Legs) **Suffered a closed patella (kneecap) fracture (actually shattered) in 08, 2 surgeries later if have recovered since, but I can only do light weights and no more than 45 degree squats for my legs. I do physical therapy exercises on this day, but it will be controlled weights from now on (squats, lunges...)

-Thursday (Shoulders) Seated Dumbbell press- 55 1x10, 70 1x8, 80 2x6. Smith Machine Upright Row- 95 1x10, 115 2x10. Machine Military Press (alternating arms) 115 2x8 *Superset* 80lb dumbbell Farmers Walk (around gym). Shrugs. Machine Chest Press- 180 1x10, 240 2x6.

-Friday (Arms) Standing Barbell Curl- 45(bar) 1x10, 95 1x8, 115 1x3, 145 2x6. Weighted Dips- 25 1x10, 45 2x8. Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl- 55 2x12 (alternating arms = 6ea) *SuperSet* Single 70lb dumbbell curl 2x10 (Same form as concentration curls but 2 hands on 1 dumbbell). Barbell Bench Close-Grip- 135 1x10, 185 2x8. Standing Cable Curls- 50 2x10 (alternating arms). Skull-Crushers- 75(incl. bar) 1x10, 115 2x6.

*I go 8 weeks on this routine and then take a week off to give my body rest/recovery and just do cardio/cross-fit in order to stay active that week. When I start cutting I keep this routine for weightlifting but just add more cardio... It would be nice to supplement the additional cardio with these complexes- more fun and better form my knee...

[r2473]

I'm a military police officer and a navy Command Fitness Leader (CFL), and I use this style of exercising (slightly different workouts) often to train my sailors and they love it because its a change and they prefer it to cardio. Its proven to be a success and it definitely gives them an intense workout.. I still have them do cardio in order to burn calories because I wasn't aware that complexes are actually more effective than cardio for weight loss.

Personally, I do a combination of steady state cardio, intervals, and basic maintenance weight training for fat loss and have had great success (I've lost 26 lbs. in the past 2.5 months) and I'm also in much better shape because of the running.

I know that this site really hates anyone that dissents, but does anyone have personal fat loss stories from using complexes? Are there studies available that compare complexes, cardio, and a combination for fat loss? This is a pretty old thread. Surely someone must have had some really good success with this stuff.

I'm sure that the complexes are good, but I guess I'm not prepared to go along with the "cardio is dead" message in the article. It seems unnecessary.

I'm also curious about how real EPOC in fact is. It has been all the rage for the past few years, but several articles I've read say that it is really more myth than reality. Here is just one I found from a quick search:

http://humankinetics.wordpress.com/2...fter-exercise/