Complexes for Fat Loss - Alwyn Cosgrove

Complexes for Fat Loss A Better Way I'm a huge believer in using the "alternating set" system when training. For time management reasons, I tend to do exercise one for a set, rest 60 seconds or so, exercise two for a set, rest 60 seconds or so, and continue. This allows me to increase wor density while still getting "true" rest. In other words, I !erform a set of suats, rest 60 seconds, !erform a set of !ush#u!s, rest 60 seconds, and re!eat. $o, in effect, I've almost tri!led the rest !eriod between suat sets %60 seconds !lus time taen for !ush#u!s !lus 60 seconds& as o!!osed to using a straight set system. nd for fat loss training, it's un!aralleled. (owever, the biggest !roblem or com!laint I get from clients who use commercial facilities is that it's really hard for them to tie u! two !ieces of gym eui!ment at !ea hours. I have my own facility, but I reali)e this can be a real !roblem elsewhere. $o I started ex!erimenting with a few things * doing dumbbell lunges and !ush#u!s for exam!le, or ste!#u!s and dumbbell bench !resses * where I could use one set of dumbbells and one !iece of eui!ment. It was an oay com!romise, but it started to somewhat limit my exercise selection. nd nd to be honest, it still had the issue of !eo!le woring in and !ossibly disru!ting your rest !eriods. $o I went a ste! further. +hat if I created a fat loss or conditioning !rogram based around one !iece of eui!ment * where you stayed in the same s!ot, using the same load for the entire duration.

$o I tried it. t first it was awward, but after reading $teve avore's stuff and taling with -ber#strength#coach obert /os emedios, I started to im!lement different variations of combination lifting. I ust ho!ed that it would wor as well as alternating sets for fat loss and conditioning, or at least close enough that it wasn't too much of a tradeoff.  s it turns out, it wored better1 In fact, it wored so well that it became a cornerstone of my conditioning !rograms with several athletes.

The Definitions 2ow I'm not the first !erson to ever use com!lexes. 3ut after taling to /os we couldn't find any formal classification of what constituted the difference between combination lifts, hybrid lifts, and com!lexes. $o we felt the need to define the term4 5ombo lifts are broen down into three categories4 . True 5ombinations4 This is when two or more lifts are done together with a distinct !ause between each. %$till, never !ut the bar down.& 7xam!le4 8ower clean 9 front suat. :. (ybrids4 In this category, there's no !ause or se!aration between the lifts. The movements flow into one another. In fact, the !revious movement sometimes isn't com!leted before the next starts. 7xam!le4 Front suat into !ress. ;. 5om!lexes4 $till doing two or more exercises and still not !utting the bar down, only now you com!lete all your re!s with one movement first, then com!lete all your re!s with the next movement. 7xam!le4 +hen combining a suat with an overhead !ress, !erform < re!s of suats first, then < re!s of overhead !ress without dro!!ing the bar.

$o why do they wor= +ell, uite honestly, it's because they're hard as hell1  five#movement com!lex x 6 re!s has a total volume of ;0 re!s !er set1 3ut rather than do a ;0#re! set of one exercise %and have to use the !in dumbbells&, you're only doing 6 re!s before changing the exercise, so you can stay %relatively& heavy.  t only 00 !ounds, that comes out to ;000 !ounds of total wor !er set. /o four sets with about >0 seconds rest between sets and you'll have moved :,000 !ounds in about eight or nine minutes.

Using Complexes ?5ombo lifts are great for those who lac eui!ment or s!ace. They can mae good warm#u!s, or can be used for metabolic wor or for in#season athletic training because they're time efficient. ?If you want to try combos, use familiar movements. /on't !ut unfamiliar exercises together. ?The weaest exercise in the seuence determines the load you'll use. /on't use exercises lie trice!s icbacs because the small load reuired is too limiting for the other movements in the combo. ?@se exercises that flow well together. 8erforming a deadlift to a omanian deadlift to a high !ull flows very well as the end !oint of one exercise overla!s with the start !oint of another exercise. /oing bac suat to floor !ress clearly doesn't flow. 7asy rule4 If you have to re#gri! the bar or adust your gri! at all, it has to be seamless and easyA otherwise the com!lex breas down. The ey is to be sensible. Bou can't do a hybrid of deadlifts and curls for exam!le * the difference in loading is too great.

To summari)e, here are the four main reasons to consider combos or hybrids4

1.Time / Space / !"ipment • • •

$mall facility 9 large grou! Cac of eui!ment * Dot dumbbells andEor barbells= nly have your clients or athletes for limited time !eriods or sessions !er wee

#.$ncrease Training %ol"me • •

 dd volume to your lym!ic variations   five#movement com!lex x 6 re!s has a total volume of ;0 re!etitions !er set. t only 00 !ounds, this comes out to ;000 !ounds of total wor !er set 1

&.Change'"p( Brea)'"p *onotony +this is more for athletes, • • • •

Cong in#season cycles ff#season loss of focus 3rea#u! a long microcycle !hase %i.e. hy!ertro!hy, high volume& @nloading !hase

-.*etaolic / Conitioning ffect • • • • •

Increase wor demand, use more muscle grou!s Increase caloric ex!enditure in fat loss !rograms Increase 785Efterburn effect massively Increase wor ca!acity 5om!lexes for Fat Coss 3e warned, these are !retty grueling. 8erform the com!lexes at the beginning of your worout when you're fresh. They'll elevate metabolism beyond anything you've ever ex!erienced before. The most freuently ased uestion about com!lexes is how much load to use. emember, it's a metabolic stimulus, not  a strength or hy!ertro!hy

stimulus, so be conservative. GG !ro /avid Coiseau uses only H< !ounds when doing the com!lexes I !rescribe for him. 2ow don't go too light either.  good "5osgrove rule of thumb" is that if you're not uestioning why in the hell you're doing these exercises, or convincing yourself that twice around is enough, you're not going heavy enough.

The Wor)o"t Cet's get into it. 8erform each com!lex once !er wee for four training sessions !er wee. @se the following !rogression4 +ee ne4 sets of < re!s of each * >0s rest +ee Two4< sets of < re!s of each * J