5 Best Barbell Complexes to Build Raw Power and Strength With One Piece of Equipment

There are a million and one ways to build muscle and brute strength. But there’s one that drastically simplifies the process: the barbell complex. Simply put, a barbell complex is a series of barbell movements performed back to back without ever letting go of the bar. While a complex typically sticks to five movements in a row, you can really do any number of exercises as long as the bar never leaves your hands. 

Barbell complexes are great for building endurance, adding strength-based cardio to your workouts, and torching fat, says Alyssa Ages, Toronto-based personal trainer and author of Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength.

Given the intensity of this kind of training, barbell complexes are not usually recommended for beginners. But if you’re an advanced lifter, try these routines from Ages below to mix up your go-to circuit workouts and build huge muscle.

5 Best Barbell Complex Workouts

Directions

To choose your weight for each complex, figure out a weight you can feasibly use for the prescribed number of reps of your weakest lift. That will be your weight for the entire complex. Keep your rest short between exercises (you’ll have some rest between rounds), and don’t drop the bar until a full round of the complex is complete.

There are multiple ways to perform these complexes. Choose 1 complex, determine your weight, then select the protocol.

• Protocol 1. Complete 1 rep of each exercise 2 to 3 times without putting the bar down. For example: In complex 1 you would do 1 rep each of the deadlift, row, clean, thruster, and squat, then immediately repeat those 5 movements 2 more times before putting the bar down. Try 4 sets like that.
• Protocol 2: Complete 4 to 6 reps of each movement before moving on to the next, resting only when you’ve completed all the movements. In complex 1 that would mean you complete 4 to 6 reps each of deadlift, row, clean, thruster, and squat before you put the bar down. Work up to 4 rounds.
• Protocol 3: Change the rest time. Begin with 2 minutes rest between rounds, and gradually reduce to 60 seconds to increase the metabolic burn.
• Protocol 4: For all complexes (including the fifth), vary the weight. Start with an empty bar to make sure you know how to execute each lift, and add weight as you feel comfortable.

Related: 10 Best Chest Exercises You Can Do Without a Bench to Blast Your Pecs

Complex 1

1. Bentover Row

How to Do It 

1. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip at shoulder width and let it hang in front of your thighs, to start. 
2. Bend at the hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. 
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar to your belly.
4. That’s 1 rep. 

2. Deadlift 

How to Do It

1. With a barbell in front of you, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Roll the barbell up to your shins, to start.
2. Bend down to grasp it outside your knees.
3. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, push through your heels and extend your hips until you’re standing with the bar in front of your thighs. 
4. Lower the barbell down with control, keeping the bar close to your body throughout the movement.
5. That’s 1 rep. 

3. Hang Clean

How to Do It

1. With a barbell in front of your thighs, bend your hips and knees so the bar lowers just above your knees, to start. 
2. Now explosively extend your hips as if jumping while at the same time shrugging your shoulders and pulling the bar straight out in front of your torso. 
3. As the bar reaches chest level, bend your elbows so your palms face the ceiling and catch the bar at shoulder level. 
4. Bend your hips and knees as you catch the bar to absorb the impact. 
5. That’s 1 rep. 

4. Thrusters

How to Do It

1. Hold a barbell in the front-rack position, feet shoulder-width apart, to start. 
2. Lower into a squat, then explosively stand to rise, activating glutes, pressing hips forward, and locking out knees; use the momentum to help drive the barbell overhead.
3. Immediately reverse the motion, lowering the bar to a front-rack position.
4. That’s 1 rep. 

5. Overhead Squat

How to Do It

1. Grasp the bar with hands double shoulder-width apart and press it overhead, to start. 
2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly out. 
3. Bend your hips back and squat as low as you can without losing your back’s arch. 
4. That’s 1 rep. 

Related: How to Do ‘World’s Greatest Stretch,’ the Single Best Dynamic Warmup

Complex 2

1. Squat Clean

How to Do It 

1. Hold a barbell with hands shoulder-width apart and stand with feet shoulder-width apart. 
2. Bend your knees and slightly at the hips, lowering the bar to just above your knees. 
3. Now extend your hips and knees until the bar reaches pocket-level on your pants. 
4. From there, jump and shrug the bar explosively so it rises up your body, and then pull yourself under the bar and catch it at shoulder level. 
5. Follow the momentum by descending into a squat. 
6. Stand back up, lower the bar to your knees again.
7. That’s 1 rep.

2. Bentover Row

How to Do It 

1. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip at shoulder width and let it hang in front of your thighs, to start.
2. Bend at the hips and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull the bar to your belly.
4. That’s 1 rep. 

3. Strict Press

How to Do It 

1. Set the bar up in a squat rack or cage, and grasp it just outside shoulder width, to start.
2. Take the bar off the rack and hold it at shoulder level with your forearms perpendicular to the floor.
3. Squeeze the bar and brace your abs. Press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward and shrugging your traps as the bar passes your face.
4. Lower the barbell to your collarbone with control.
5. That’s 1 rep

4. Reverse Lunge

How to Do It

1. Unrack a barbell set across your traps, to start. 
2. Keeping a neutral spine, take a step backward—exactly the same width as you would take moving forward in a walking lunge.
3. Once your knee almost touches the floor, push back up and forward to your starting position, trying to maintain level hip alignment throughout and keep your weight in your back leg.
4. That’s 1 rep.  

5. Back Squat

How to Do It 

1. In a squat rack step under the barbell and place it high on your trap muscle across the top of your shoulders, to start.
2. Place your hands a few inches outside shoulder-width to keep the bar stable.
3. Step back and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly outward.
4. Take a deep breath then bend your hips and knees to lower your body as if you were going to sit down in a chair.
5. Aim for your butt to go lower than knee level while maintaining a tall, upright posture with your upper body.
6. Extend your hips to come back up, continuing to push your knees outward.

Related: What Really Happens to Your Body When You Stop Working Out

Complex 3

1. Snatch Grip Deadlift

1. With a barbell on the ground in front of you stand slightly wider than shoulder width and angle your toes out slightly, to start. 
2. Grip the bar outside of shoulder-width and dip your hips until you’re nearly in a squat position. 
3. Slowly rise from the squat position while you hold the bar. 
4. Keep your back straight and your arms extended throughout the move. 
5. Slowly lower the bar back down to the starting position. 
6. That’s 1 rep.

2. Hang Snatch

How to Do It

1. Start by standing with a barbell at your hips with your grip slightly wider than shoulder width. 
2. Push your hips back and allow the barbell to slide down your thighs as you would in a deadlift. 
3. Now explosively extend your hips and in one fluid motion shrug your shoulders and pull the bar straight overhead while you sit down into a squat position. 
4. Return to a standing position with your arms still overhead. 
5. That’s 1 rep. 

3. Overhead Squat

How to Do It

1. Grasp the bar with hands double shoulder-width apart and press it overhead, to start.
2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed outward.
3. Bend your hips back and squat as low as you can without losing your back’s arch.
4. That’s 1 rep. 

4. Behind-The-Neck Press

How to Do It

1. Stand holding the bar with hands just outside shoulder width so your forearms are perpendicular to the floor, to start. 
2. Press the bar straight overhead, then lower it behind your head, stopping halfway down your neck. 
3. Press back up to begin the next rep. 
4. That’s 1 rep. 

5. Good Morning

How to Do It

1. Stand with a barbell across your upper back and feet hip-width apart, to start.
2. Brace your core and maintain a slight bend in your knees.
3. Push your hips back while keeping your spine neutral until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
4. Squeeze your glutes to return to the starting position.
5. That’s 1 rep.

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Complex 4

1. Sumo Deadlift High Pull

How to Do It 

1. Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder-width, to start. 
2. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grasp the barbell with your arms between your legs. 
3. Keeping your lower back flat and chest facing forward, stand up with the bar, then bend your hips back to lower it until it’s just above the knees. 
4. From there, explosively extend your hips, then jump and shrug letting your elbows come out wide.

2. Hang Clean

How to Do It

1. With a barbell in front of your thighs, bend your hips and knees so that the bar lowers to just above your knees, to start.
2. Now explosively extend your hips as if jumping while at the same time shrugging your shoulders and pulling the bar straight out in front of your torso.
3. As the bar reaches chest level, bend your elbows so that your palms face the ceiling and catch the bar at shoulder level.
4. Bend your hips and knees as you catch the bar to absorb the impact.
5. That’s 1 rep. 

3. Front Squat

How to Do It

1. Set a barbell on a power rack at about shoulder height.
2. Grab the power with an overhand grip at shoulder width and raise your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Take the bar out of the rack and let it rest on your fingertips.
4. Your elbows should be all the way up throughout the movement.
5. Step back and set your feet at shoulder width with toes turned out slightly.
6. Squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.

4. Push Press

How to Do It 

1. To start, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip a barbell with your fingertips, elbows pointing forward like you would in a front squat. 
2. Rest the bar on the front of your shoulders. 
3. Drop down into a squat. 
4. Press up through your heels and drive the bar directly above your head until your arms are straight. 
5. Lower the bar back down to your chest. 
6. That’s 1 rep. 

5. Overhead Lunge

How to Do It 

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms locked overhead, holding medicine ball.
2.  Keeping core tight, step right foot forward and bend knees, dropping hips toward the ground until front leg forms a 90-degree angle. 
3. Activating glutes, press through right heel to rise, and draw left foot forward to meet right. 
4. Repeat, starting with left foot. 
5. Alternate sides as you walk forward.

Related: 50 Best Chest Exercises of 2025 to Build Your Pecs and Pushing Power

Complex 5

1. Power Clean

How to Do It 

1. Begin as you did the clean pull, but when you come to the explosive shrug and hip extension, continue pulling the bar up to shoulder level as described in the hang clean and jerk above. 
2. Catch the bar at your shoulders and immediately begin the front squat.
3. That’s 1 rep. 

2. Front Squat

How to Do It 

1. Set a barbell on a power rack at about shoulder height.
2. Grab the power with an overhand grip at shoulder width and raise your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Take the bar out of the rack and let it rest on your fingertips.
4. Your elbows should be all the way up throughout the movement.
5. Step back and set your feet at shoulder width with toes turned out slightly.
6. Squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.

3.  Push Press

How to Do It 

1. To start, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip a barbell with your fingertips, elbows pointing forward like you would in a front squat.
2. Rest the bar on the front of your shoulders.
3. Drop down into a squat.
4. Press up through your heels and drive the bar directly above your head until your arms are straight.
5. Lower the bar back down to your chest.
6. That’s 1 rep. 

4. Back Squat

How to Do It 

1. In a squat rack step under the barbell and place it high on your trap muscle across the top of your shoulders, to start.
2. Place your hands a few inches outside shoulder-width to keep the bar stable.
3. Step back and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly outward.
4. Take a deep breath then bend your hips and knees to lower your body as if you were going to sit down in a chair.
5. Aim for your butt to go lower than knee level while maintaining a tall, upright posture with your upper body.
6. Extend your hips to come back up, continuing to push your knees outward.

5. Behind-the-Neck Press

How to Do It 

1. Stand holding the bar with hands just outside shoulder width so your forearms are perpendicular to the floor, to start.
2. Press the bar straight overhead, then lower it behind your head, stopping halfway down your neck.
3. Press back up to begin the next rep.
4. That’s 1 rep. 

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Source
Las Vegas News Magazine