Guest Article - Joe Hashey: "3 Ways to Make Conditioning Complexes Effective"

Approximately a year ago, I came across Joe Hashey at Synergy Athletics. I was impressed by what I found. I began reading every article Joe posted on his website. I then started incorporating many of his ideas in my own training, and the training of my clients. I saw results.

What also impressed me besides Joe's knowledge was his character. Joe has always been willing to answer my questions and give me advice.

I approached Joe some time ago about writing a guest article for my blog. He quickly agreed. Below is his article on conditioning complexes. I encourage you not only to check the article out, but to visit his website.
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3 Ways To Make Conditioning Complexes Effective

Conditioning complexes are well known for their ability to burn body fat in minimal time. However, if they are done incorrectly, then they can really hurt your strength gains! Here are some guidelines to get you started with one of the most effective conditioning tools out there.

1. Perform Complexes AT THE END. The purpose of conditioning is to lose fat and fatigue your body. Next time you perform the complex, ideally you will take longer to fatigue (adaptation). Therefore, when you perform complexes at the end of a workout, there is no real detriment to being tired.



However, if you perform them at the beginning, then your strength gains will suffer because of the fatigue.

2. Plan Your Complexes. What are your training goals for the day? What body part will you be working out tomorrow? Is it a max strength day? These are just some of the questions you need to ask yourself when planning a conditioning program!


If you fail to ask yourself the important questions, then your lean muscle gains and your fat loss will suffer.

3. Work Smarter….and harder. Do not start with the hardest challenge complex you can find. Chances are you won’t be able to complete it and quit. Most people’s bodies just are not ready for that kind of stress.

Plan doable complexes in the 6-12 rep range with appropriate rest time. When you work, work hard, but be realistic especially at the beginning.
Here is an example of a simple full body complex that can be used before a rest day:

• Barbell Row x 8-10
• RDL x 8-10
• Hang Clean x 8-10
• Military Press x 8-10
• Back Squat x 8-10

Complete 3-5 sets with 60—90 seconds rest. If you are already well trained, you can start with a weight between 95-135 lbs on the bar. If not, start lower! No shame in progression.
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Joe Hashey is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and owner of Synergy Athletics, a popular strength training bog. Joe also just released the Bull Strength Conditioning Manual. BSC is changing physiques and teaching people the CORRECT way to condition!

Recovery & Restoration

I train hard. Because I train hard, I need to make sure I spend time recovering and restoring from my workouts. If you do not give your body time to recovery, and perform certain restorative methods, then you will not see the gains you desire and you will likely get hurt.

I ran across this article. I posted the full article below. It is by Joe Hashey of Synergy Athletics (http://synergy-athletics.com/). I recommend you read it. Enjoy.


5 Best Recovery and Restoration Methods
March 12, 2009 on 10:19 am | In Articles, Strength Training |
Here are the top 5 recovery methods that I recommend to my athletes. You MUST train hard, and recovery hard! Keep in mind, these are mostly high school and college age athletes that are often at the mercy of their school schedule. I also am not in the business of recommending any supplements to younger athletes. Here are some healthy ways to recover your body and restore your muscles!

Food. Its simple, when they are done working out, they have to eat a protein source. Muscles are made out of proteins, without consuming any quickly (in the first 45 min after a workout, the earlier the better) muscles won’t grow. Its like trying to build a log cabin without wood, just doesn’t make any sense. The body needs protein to build muscles. On top of that, eating quality meals with a protein source, carbohydrate, and additional vegetable will help your body feel better after training. Ever eat fast food after a hard lifting session? Your muscles will be feeling it the next day. I’ve done it with pizza, not pleasant. You’ve already done the hard wok in the gym, don’t sabotage yourself in the kitchen.

Self-Myofascial Release and Active Release Techniques (ART). This includes foam rolling which I have posted about extensively (Foam Rolling), using a lax ball, theracane, the stick, or any other massage tool. When a muscle stretches, near the point of injury, the Golgi tendon organ (GTO) tells the muscle spindles to relax. Foam rolling stimulates both the muscle and works the GTO so the athlete can work in a more complete range of motion without the muscles shutting down. Also, ART techniques have are helpful in fixing soft tissue adhesion and dissipate scar tissue buildup. Foam rollers cost around $10-20 and a lax ball is around $1. I came across a good article by Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson that explains foam rolling more in depth - Feel Better for $10.

Contrasting. The first few times a person uses contrast showers it may be uncomfortable, but still invigorating! I recall when John, new trainer here are Synergy Athletics, was getting ready for the NFL combines. He had his full day scheduled, including his time in the shower! There are different time sequences used, but I prefer 1 minute as cold as I can stand, followed by 2 minutes of as warm as possible. Also, you can isolate the contrasting to a body part, such as the hands. Use two buckets, one with hot water, and one with icy cold water. Perform the same contrasting and you will feel great! Contrasting relaxes AND excites the muscles, moves blood through, and shortens the restoration time.

Warm-Up, Stretch, and Relax. Stretching has been a hot topic in the training world lately. Stretching post workout and on rest days will help recovery. First, during a workout, muscles contract and shorten. Stretching them after the workout insures the muscles range of motion and length. Pre Workout you should be using (with a couple exceptions) a dynamic routine. For recovery, I recommend increasing the body’s core temperature with some light exercises such as jogging or jumping jacks, then performing a static stretching routine. I also snuck relaxing in here. I have some kids that want to stay up on their video games until 1 in the morning, then wake up at 6:30 to go to school. That’s not how it works! You must relax and get your sleep.

Hydrate. Drinking water is crucial, but I don’t use strict guidelines such as “drink 8 oz every 13 1/6 minutes.” I just tell the athletes to drink, bring water with them when they train, and keep a water bottle during the day. There are many recovery drinks out there, but to keep my demographic in mind, water is the most practical. Drinking on your rest days will help push toxins out and keep the muscles loose.

If you implement these recovery and restoration methods, you will feel better, and most importantly, you can train HARDER. We like to “train hard and recover hard.” I originally wrote a longer post, but it wasn’t saved! So, if you have any questions or additional thoughts, just post them in the comments!

- Joe Hashey, CSCS -