In the past, I have written several articles on barbell complexes and have also shown you a couple of sequences you can put together with kettlebells.
I am a big fan of these types of workouts, because they are quick, don’t require a lot of space and build up some good strength as well as create a great metabolic disturbance in the body leading to fat loss (YES!).
Some of the barbell lifts can be a bit technical. And, if you are training at home, you may not have two kettlebells of the same weight making KB complexes a bit tough.
But, there is a way around these challenges—The Dumbbell Complex.
What is a Complex?
It’s a series of exercises strung together in succession and done without putting the weight down. You can do anywhere from two to ten exercises in a complex and vary the reps from two to ten as well.
I like to focus on hitting a full body style workout with the complexes, and I usually use 4-5 exercises for 5-6 reps each. The rest time will depend on your current level of fitness—1-2 minutes between sets is ideal. You will want to shoot for 3-5 sets of work.
The great thing about the complexes is that you can vary the exercises and the reps. In this video, I wanted to show you one of the most basic complexes. However, basic doesn’t mean it’s easy.
The Dumbbell Complex
For this complex, I would recommend 5 repetitions of each exercise and do this for 3-5 total sets with 90 seconds rest between sets. The goal is to complete each repetition with speed and perfect technique. Make sure you know how to do each exercise on it’s own before you string them together.
Here are the exercises:
• DB Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
• DB Bent Over Row
• DB Clean & Press
• DB Squat
• DB Shoulder Press
[DB = dumbbell]
You can check out the demo video below, and give this workout a try on a conditioning or metabolic day, or if you are in a pinch for time.
