Barbell Complex Challenge Results
We wanted to see who could meet the standards of our Barbell Complex Challenge. This is a tough one…
The lift consists of the following movements…
6x reps of each:
- Dead Lift
- Bent Over Row
- Hang Power Clean
- Front Squat
- Push Press,
- Back Squat
- Push ups
You can’t put the barbell down during the complex – it has to be completed in one go. Full hip extension at the top of the deadlifts, front squat, and back squat, – thighs parallel or below on the bottom of the front squats and back squats, full elbow extension, and arms in line with the ears at the top of every push press. No bullshit!
Load Prescription
- Men: 80% of bodyweight
- Women: 70% of bodyweight
Example: A 200 lbs male must do 160# or greater Barbell Complex
Check out these beasts making the Barbell Complex look easy. Kudos to Andrew with the highest percentage of bodyweight lift.
- Bodyweight: 222
- Load: 195
- 88% Bodyweight
Bodyweight: 151
Load: 125
83% Bodyweight
Bodyweight: 150
Load: 120
80% Bodyweight
Bodyweight: 214
Load: 195
91% Bodyweight
Bodyweight: 226
Load: 180
80% Bodyweight
Bodyweight: 226
Load: 185
81% Bodyweight
Bodyweight: 213
Load: 187
87% Bodyweight
Bodyweight: 170
Load: 135
80% Bodyweight
The Reward
The first 10 athletes to successfully complete the challenge and submit a verified video will receive an exclusive MTI Barbell Complex Challenge T-Shirt.
About the Barbell Complex
I had seen other barbell complexes before but all had stupid choreography … for example dead lifts, followed by push presses, then back to hang cleans …. – they just weren’t efficient. So I designed MTI’s so that the barbell started on the ground, in front of the athlete, and then progressively moved up the athlete’s body to overhead and finished behind the neck …. deadlifts to bent over rows, to hang cleans to front squats to push presses to back squats.
I can’t remember why I went with 6x reps for each exercise – but it worked.
It wasn’t long before the Barbell Complex proved it’s versatility.
10 Rounds, every 2 minutes of the complex at 75# for men, 45# for women was a great, extended, work capacity effort.
Bump the loading to 95/65 and decrease the rounds to 5 or six and you’ve got a short, super intense work capacity effort.
But perhaps the best application of the Barbell Complex over the years was as a warm-up for strength training sessions. In about 1-minute, everything gets warmed up ….and the athlete is ready to work up to any 1RM lift. As well – it’s a great exercise training tool for new lifters – in one complex they get squat practice, deadlift practice, push press practice, etc. Plus, movement wise- the BBC hits all these movement patterns:
- Lower Body Pull – Deadlifts
- Upper Body Horizontal Pull – Bent over Row
- Power/Vertical Pull – Hang Power Clean
- Lower Body Push – Front Squat
- Upper Body Vertical Push – Push Prett
- Total Body Strength – Back Squat
- Horzontal Upper Body Press – Push Ups
Heavy …. 6 rounds of the Barbell Complex until 1 full complex is “hard but” doable loading – and you’ve got a fantastic strength-building tool – in fact, we’ve done this and found 1RMs on multiple lifts – the back squat, dead lift, etc. all increased and to this day, the complex is deployed in as primary strength progression for Gladiator and Valor.
Going “heavy” – esp. when you approach 80% of body weight for men, and 70% for women … is killer. The push presses are the “crux” of the complex when it’s heavy … you are beaten by the time you get to them, and at this load, just holding the barbell is hard.
In my experience, experienced, multi-modal mountain and tactical athletes with solid relative strength can complete a full barbell complex at 80% of body weight for men, and 70% for women – but it’s hard. This 80% of body weight is the heaviest I’ve ever completed with this complex … and I’ve never seen a male athlete lift his bodyweight.
My advice …. don’t linger! Sprint through the exercises and the reps to the push presses. If you pace yourself the cumulative effect of holding the weight will tax your body and grip … You’ll need all you can muster to make the 4th, 5th, and 6th push press. Once done with those, the finishing back squats are relatively easy.
Good luck – Rob Shaul
How to Compete
Competition Window
CLOSED
Submission Guidelines
Video Requirements:
- Must be a single, unedited, continuous video (no cuts).
- Bodyweight must be verified on a scale in the video.
- Barbell load must be shown and verified before the attempt.
- Winning efforts will be published to MTI’s website and social media accounts
Submission:
Send your video directly to charlie@mtntactical.com