041 : 020 Complexus XIV

Session 14

‘Organise the chaos’

Breathing ramp up

Warm-up

Then...

In a 20 minute window:

Pick an ‘odd object(s)’ of your choice and work to the heaviest weight and/or highest reps possible of the following complex

-1 x ground-to-overhead -2 x ground-to-shoulder -3 x squat
-4 x deadlift

Eliminate movements as you can no longer perform then and continue to add weight. Then...
Using the last weight you could perform a full complex with:

EMOM
-1 round of complex
-20m odd object carry
-Max push-ups inthe remainder

Workout ends @ bodyweight in KG in push-ups Immediately into...

Walking or seated down-regulation Until you reach a comfortable nasal: 4-6-8-0 breathing cadence.

The Ramp Up

3 rounds of-
5 x Triangle breathing 7:7:7:0 20 x Power breathing 1:0:1:0 1 x Full inhale
1 x Max hold
1 x Full exhale
1 x Max hold

The carry portion of the complex conditioning is going to be your prime time to recover before the push-ups, so as in previous weeks, consider performing the triangle breathing with a weight on your abdomen or laying prone to add resistance. Use this as a tactile cue to teach yourself how to maximise your breathing when your diaphragm is compromised.

Inhale, focus on filling from the bottom up; use your nose an breathe deep into the bottom of your trunk and lower back, before working your way up into your chest and then your upper back. Your rib cage should expand in all directions. For power breathing execute a quick but full and powerful inhale through your nose, then simply open your mouth wide and ‘dump’ the air out on the exhale. Get into a quick rhythm. After 20 reps perform 1 final full inhale through the nose,

filling your trunk, and then hold. Pay attention to air hunger cues— little tremors, swallowing, fidgeting. Before they get too strong, perform a long exhale under control through your nose, completely emptying the tank, then hold until you feel strong air hunger. Return to triangle breathing and repeat for 3 rounds

The Complex

Don’t feel obligated to stick to one type of object here, your goal is to find the heaviest and most awkward object with which you can complete the complex, then continue going heavier and eliminating movements until you find the heaviest ‘thing’ whatever that may be, that you can deadlift four times. If you are limited on objects (sandbags, d-balls etc.), ramp up to the heaviest weight you have, then in the remainder of the 20 minute window attempt to complete as many unbroken complexes as possible, back-to-back (ie. once you finish the deadlifts, go immediately back into GTOH). Once you have to drop your object, consider that ‘volley’ done, rest, and start again from the beginning.

One suggestion that I have, if your gym doesn’t have many (or any) ‘odd objects’, is to use a strap(s) to lash bumper plates together. 2 to 3 20kg plates lashed together soon begin to add up to make an incredibly unwieldy beast that’s difficult to grip, has a pig of circumference and requires a lot of organisation to manoeuvre in order to perform the different lifts. They’re also quantifiably ‘loadable’, which is great. Bumpers lashed together are a very underrated ‘odd object’. So pervert those plates.

The complex itself is very simple and the details will very depending on what you’re using but in short— GTOH equals ‘from the ground to securely locked out overhead’. Ground to shoulder equals ‘secure on your shoulder, standing tall, to the point you could walk around with your object on your shoulder’. Squat equals ‘holding the weight somewhere above your hips (preferably bear hug but shouldered is fine, just alternate sides each round) squat down to the very best of your mobility and stand tall again’. Deadlift equals ‘weight makes contact with ground, arms at full length if possible, stand tall until your hips are fully extended. Do not drop the weight from the top or lose contact with it at any point, this is a complex.’

Once again we’re using the formula of ‘most mechanically challenging movement to least, reps and central fatigue rising throughout to offset mechanical advantage’. It’s my hope that you’ve had enough experience to this formula being deployed in a variety of circumstances that you’d be able to knock up you own effective complex, easily. (Or at very least that you can now spot a bullshit, unholy mash-up of movements from a hundred yards away).

The Conditioning

Rest as necessary, grab the heaviest weight with which you could perform a full complex, start a running clock and perform one unbroken round, then carry your object (in any fashion) 20 metres. In the remainder of the minute perform as many perfect push-ups as possible, keep count. At the top of each new minute perform another round of the complex and carry on your push-up tally. Only unbroken rounds of the complex count. If you break the complex at any point (including the carry), you cannot perform any push-ups in that minute. However, you may attempt the complex again, if you’re successful you can continue on with your push-ups. You must weigh up whether or not this is skilful though, you may tick off a few more push-ups, but are you just increasing fatigue and at risk of missing the next complex? Perhaps zero push-ups in this round is worth ten in the next...

Keep the push-ups impeccable— controlled eccentric down, biceps turned out at the top, body a straight line from ankles to shoulders, throughout. Push-ups are an input not an output; the goal here is hypertrophy, this is not a push-up competition. (Well, it kind of is, but let’s prioritise hypertrophy, even if the workout takes longer as a result).

Continue until you reach your bodyweight in kilograms in push-ups.

Recovery/ Down Regulation

Immediately after you final push-up, come into laying or seated position with your hips raised above your knees if you can. If not, simply move slowly and deliberately as you transition into whatever’s next in your day. Wrap your full attention around your breath, observe where it’s at and begin to slowly nudge it downwards with a gentle but deliberate inhale, creating a little bit of space at the top of the breath, before slowly letting it back out under full control. Aim to work towards a breathing cadence of 4-6-8-0 and spend as long here as you can spare.