Programming Complexes and Combinations for Improved C&J and Snatch
I've been using barbell complexes regularly and systematically for the last month to make steady and consistent progress in my performance with Clean & Jerk, and Snatch. I've read a lot of articles that simply give you a menu of complexes and combos to choose from to make a killer finisher.
It doesn't take a genius to figure string together random combinations of barbell movements performed for 5-8 reps each. Any combination will leave you sucking wind and sweating buckets. This random approach to exercise selection, rep ranges, and load progression won't make you any better and will likely lead to plateaus or possibly injury.
So what's the difference between a combo and a complex?
Coach Dan John summarizes a Complex best:
A complex is a series of lifts back to back where you finish the reps of one lift before moving on to the next lift. The barbell only leaves your hand or touches the floor after all of the lifts are completed. Although you can do them with dumbbells or kettlebells, I argue that we only use barbells. Certainly, there's great value in the other tools, but for getting athletes bigger, I like to use the heavier bar.
A Combo Lift, on the other hand, is a combination of several movements into a single "rep". At it's most basic, you do 1 rep of each movement prescribed to complete a single combo "rep". Combos lend themselves to strength development better than complexes, as you can handle much heavier loads.
12 weeks of Complexes and Combos:
Here is a very solid, and logical framework for load progression to make rapid increases in your Clean & Jerk and Snatch 1 rep maxes.
One important thing to point out: THIS IS NOT THE ENTIRE WORKOUT!!! You'll have plenty of time to do whatever else is important to you in those thrice weekly training sessions. Maybe it's leg day. Maybe you need to focus on rows, or chinups. Maybe you need to do some core work. You decide what's important to reaching your goals and get after it. By starting with these complexes, and following this progression, you'll CNS will be fired up for whatever is next and you'll make steady increases in everything that matters: mobility, strength, power, anaerobic endurance.
Weeks 1-6: Build Volume. Very little variety here. You'll use one Clean-centric Complex and one Snatch-centric Complex. The first workout will be 4 x 6. When you reach 4 x 8 (in week 3), you'll add 10-20 pounds and start over at 4 x 6. The Combos will start with a weight that is 85% of your 1 rep max for C&J, and Snatch. You'll add a rep each time you perform that combo. No load increases for the combos over the 6 weeks.
Weeks 7 - 12 follows the Russian "Medium, Light, Heavy" schedule, relative to 1RM percentages. Monday is a medium day, Wednesday is light, and Friday is heavy. This phase requires weekly increases in load. A 5 or 10 pound increase each time you repeat a specific Complex or Combo is plenty.
The Complexes and Combo:
I'm especially fond of the 1-2-3-4 rep scheme for Snatch Complex #1 and Clean Complex #1. It enables you to use a relatively heavy weight for a total of 10 reps before completing the set. Progression here creates balanced improvement in power, strength, and size all in one neat package.
It doesn't take a genius to figure string together random combinations of barbell movements performed for 5-8 reps each. Any combination will leave you sucking wind and sweating buckets. This random approach to exercise selection, rep ranges, and load progression won't make you any better and will likely lead to plateaus or possibly injury.
So what's the difference between a combo and a complex?
Coach Dan John summarizes a Complex best:
A complex is a series of lifts back to back where you finish the reps of one lift before moving on to the next lift. The barbell only leaves your hand or touches the floor after all of the lifts are completed. Although you can do them with dumbbells or kettlebells, I argue that we only use barbells. Certainly, there's great value in the other tools, but for getting athletes bigger, I like to use the heavier bar.
A Combo Lift, on the other hand, is a combination of several movements into a single "rep". At it's most basic, you do 1 rep of each movement prescribed to complete a single combo "rep". Combos lend themselves to strength development better than complexes, as you can handle much heavier loads.
12 weeks of Complexes and Combos:
Here is a very solid, and logical framework for load progression to make rapid increases in your Clean & Jerk and Snatch 1 rep maxes.
One important thing to point out: THIS IS NOT THE ENTIRE WORKOUT!!! You'll have plenty of time to do whatever else is important to you in those thrice weekly training sessions. Maybe it's leg day. Maybe you need to focus on rows, or chinups. Maybe you need to do some core work. You decide what's important to reaching your goals and get after it. By starting with these complexes, and following this progression, you'll CNS will be fired up for whatever is next and you'll make steady increases in everything that matters: mobility, strength, power, anaerobic endurance.
Weeks 1-6: Build Volume. Very little variety here. You'll use one Clean-centric Complex and one Snatch-centric Complex. The first workout will be 4 x 6. When you reach 4 x 8 (in week 3), you'll add 10-20 pounds and start over at 4 x 6. The Combos will start with a weight that is 85% of your 1 rep max for C&J, and Snatch. You'll add a rep each time you perform that combo. No load increases for the combos over the 6 weeks.
Weeks 7 - 12 follows the Russian "Medium, Light, Heavy" schedule, relative to 1RM percentages. Monday is a medium day, Wednesday is light, and Friday is heavy. This phase requires weekly increases in load. A 5 or 10 pound increase each time you repeat a specific Complex or Combo is plenty.
The Complexes and Combo:
I'm especially fond of the 1-2-3-4 rep scheme for Snatch Complex #1 and Clean Complex #1. It enables you to use a relatively heavy weight for a total of 10 reps before completing the set. Progression here creates balanced improvement in power, strength, and size all in one neat package.
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