Saturday, December 31, 2011

Tough as Nails Barbell Fat Loss Complex

This week I've been a bit inspired to boost metabolisms everywhere as a result of the gluttonous holiday parties looming large in the rear view mirror.  And with the feedback coming in, these complexes (Bear Cub Complex and Grizzly Bear Challenge ) have been said to be enjoyable upon completion, but definitely not during. 

Finally, if you have survived the introductory Bear Cub, withered the punches that the Grizzly Bear had to offer, then you might be ready for the ultimate challenge:

POLAR BEAR CHALLENGE

First, it's called the Polar Bear challenge because after it, most people are usually a lighter shade of white than they were before.



Grab a stopwatch, and for beginners, just the 45 pound barbell will do.  More advanced lifters can start at 65 perhaps with bumper plates, but anything else is probably too aggressive.  Here's the complex:

  1. Deadlift
  2. Romanian Deadlift
  3. Bentover Row
  4. Clean
  5. Front Squat
  6. Push Press
  7. Back Squat
  8. Good Morning
Instructions: each exercise is performed WITHOUT setting the bar down, and continually moving to the next movement
Rep scheme: 8 for the first set, 7 for the second, 6 for the third, etc all the way to 1.
Rest: start with 1 minute rest between sets until you feel you can go before the 1 minute mark.
Example:
  • 8 reps of each, rest 60 seconds
  • 7 reps of each, rest 60s
  • 6 reps of each, rest 55s
  • 5 reps of each, rest 50s
  • 4 reps of each, rest 45s
  • 3 reps of each, rest 40s 
  • 2 reps of each, rest 30s
  • 1 rep 


Few thoughts:
  • This complex is NOT an excuse to use sloppy form and injure your back
  • If you are not familiar with the clean, do NOT attempt it, but rather, seek out a qualified Olympic Lifting Coach and learn the lift before adding it in
  • If you're losing your grip, be smart and set the bar down for a few seconds
  • the limiting factor for most people will be how much they can overhead press
  • Doing this in a squat rack helps the transitions, without a rack just makes things more interesting
  • My highest weight used is 89 pounds (45 pound plates with 10k/22 pound bumpers on each side) and the time it took was 18m57 seconds
  • My Fastest time with 65 pounds is 14 minutes 19 seconds
Good luck!

-Coach Kev

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