When spring rolls around, I encourage people to take advantage of the good weather and train outdoors. But sometimes, the weather doesn’t cooperate. When that happens, here’s a barbell complex you can do at home. It’s so effective that you’ll be praying for better weather next time!

This complex consists of eight exercises performed back to back without rest:

1. Bent-knee deadlift – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, no rest
2. Semi-stiff-leg deadlift – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, no rest
3. Bent-over row – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, no rest
4. Hang clean – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, no rest
5. Front squat – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, no rest
6. Push press – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, no rest
7. Back squat – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, no rest
8. Good morning – 4 x 6 @ 1-0-X-0, 60–90 seconds rest

Here’s how it works: Do six reps of the first exercise, then immediately move on to the next, continuing this way until you’ve completed all eight exercises. Rest 90 seconds, then repeat the sequence three more times for a total of four sets.

With every workout, reduce the rest interval between each complex by five seconds until you reach 60 seconds. Once you’ve achieved that, increase the load slightly and restart the process with 90-second rest periods.

The weight on the barbell is determined by the weakest link in the sequence. In this case, the push press tends to be the limiting factor and will dictate the load.

This method allows you to accomplish a lot of work in a short period of time. In fact, with just 95 pounds on the bar (a 25-pound plate on each side of an Olympic bar), you can achieve a total workload of over 18,000 pounds in under 11 minutes! To see the math behind it, check out page 121 of The Elite Trainer.

This is a grueling fat loss complex I picked up years ago from fellow strength and conditioning coach Alwyn Cosgrove. There are several ways to incorporate it into your training:

• Use it at the end of your weight training workouts to maintain body composition and work capacity—especially during a maximum strength phase when training volume is lower.
• Substitute it for an outdoor conditioning session when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

No excuses—weather or not, get the work done!