What is the Bear, what does it accomplish, and why is it necessary?
Member
Thoughts on Barbell Complexes
Rip:
What are your thoughts on using barbell complexes for conditioning as an intermediate lifter? I am doing The Bear twice a week and it seems to be working well and not interfering with my lifting. I'm trying to move the weight used in the complex up every week.
Do you like them, hate them, no preference, what?
TMPHBITEU
What is the Bear, what does it accomplish, and why is it necessary?
Starting Strength Coach
Barbell Complexes are good forms of conditioning for athletes in certain sports where there is constant motion, continuous time under tension, and brief explosive displays of power. Grappling/MMA/Wrestling come to mind.
If you NEED this type of conditioning for your sport then they are good if you structure them right. If you don't have a sport that is metabolically similar to whatever complex you are doing then you are probably just unnecessarily tapping into your recuperative abilities for your strength training.
It is generally helpful to include what your TRAINING GOALS are when you ask questions about training. What might be a good idea for me, may be a terrible idea for you. Things don't always just fall into blanket categories of good or bad.
One interesting note: I read somewhere that Louie Simmons had Kevin Randleman (former UFC champ) perform 2 225 lbs clean and presses every 30 seconds for 10 minutes straight to prepare him for his fights. Sounds hard.
Member
My mistake, I should have explained. This is the bear: you take a very light weight, and do in order, clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press. Repeat that sequence 7 times and call that a round. Rest, and repeat five times. Each round takes a minute or so, I usually rest two in between.
It really causes a quite incredible oxygen debt - similar to running 200m sprints, but more whole body. I started using the bar only and am adding five lbs each time I do it.
I'm trying to improve work capacity, basically. Looking to train for short, intense bursts of high intensity work. It is a conditioning tool, and I do it after my workout twice a week. Seems to be working well, but I was curious about your (or others) experience with barbell complexes used in this manner and any problems to look out for.
I'm using it because I don't want long, slow distance (endurance) work, but need conditioning for my sport. By way of explanation, my "sport" is Search and Rescue work, with a lot of heavy backpacking, off trail hiking and scrambling, rope work, heavy lifting of a basket with a patient in it, that kind of thing. At this point I'm plenty strong, but conditioning could be improved. I'm an intermediate lifter (not a novice) and am making good progress on my lifts - should be at 200-300-400-500 in the next few months. Age: 44 years, 6'2", 210. Lifting heavy on SS for about 9 months then intermediate programming.
Thanks for your time - I chuckle at all the skinny kids in the gym going wide eyed when I deadlift - fun. If anyone approaches me I tell them about SS and I've got a few converts. Good stuff.
Member
I would also like to hear your thoughts on this as I will be starting barbell complexes soon. I'm assuming 'The Bear' is just a complex involving combinations of movements such as power cleans, front squats and overhead presses. As much as I hate cardio, after 6 months of GOMAD unfortunately its time to cut down a bit and I've chosen to do complexes- it just seems like a very effect and yet badass way to do cardio.
Member
Here's a video of the 'Barbell Bear Complex':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09PCjad0nNA
Except this time its 1 round of 7 times through w/ a relatively heavy weight and not dropping the bar. Its on my list of random challenges to try in between training cycles.
Starting Strength Coach
Going too heavy, i.e. confusing strength work with conditioning work. If you feel like you really get alot out of these for your job and want to make these a priority in your training and really work them hard, then you may consider making them their own day and really trying to push the weight. Otherwise, keep doing what you are doing if it is working.Originally Posted by Skuhr
Search the for my hybrid template that I laid out in here a few years ago. Its got a place in there to insert some dedicated complex work if you wanted to.
TMPHBITEU
I have never used complexes like this. Conditioning work of this type is fashionable now, largely unnecessary at the volumes it is frequently used with, and can seriously interfere with strength training. It doesn't take very long to determine whether this is occurring, so pay attention and you'll have all the info you need.
Member
Ok, thanks for the responses everyone. I would certainly agree that confusing this kind of conditioning with strength work would be very bad. A lot of the youtube vids showing folks struggling through a complex with big weights are pretty stupid.
I'm going to keep it light, keep at it for a few more weeks and then evaluate whether or not it is worth keeping.
A few other ideas along these lines are sledgehammer work on a tire, sled pushes and drags, sandbag carries, that kind of thing. I will probably try a few of them. In my specific situation, for Search and Rescue, loading up my backpack heavy and hiking around has worked well in the past and I'll do that too.
Thanks all.
Member
For any of you interested, a guy at our gym went up a weight class in Judo over the past six months because of his 70's Big enthusiasm (went from 90kg to 100kg). His first tourny, he sucked wind pretty hard (combative sports demand that you condition yourself at your new bodyweight pretty thoroughly, and he hadn't been able to do so).
However, his only forms of conditioning have been barbell complexes (most ideas come from Dan John, if I'm not mistaken) and pushing the prowler. He has not had any problems with conditioning in the last two tournaments, and he won both (the second being the Texas State).
Prowler + Barbell Complexes = Good conditioning for him to compete in Judo
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