Is nine weeks of complex training effective for improving lower body strength, explosive muscle function, sprint and jumping performance?

There is currently minimal evidence from training studies that document the effectiveness of complex training to elicit gains in explosive muscle function that are greater than those obtained from a more conventional approach. Over nine weeks of training, 20 recreationally trained athletes with a minimum of one year of resistance training experience were randomly assigned to either a complex training group (n = 9) or a conventional training group (n = 11). In an attempt to capitalise on muscles post-activation potentiation response, the complex training group performed all sets of ½ back squats prior to sets of jumps squats, while the conventional training group performed jump squats prior to sets of ½ back squats. Lower body explosive muscle function and jump performance improved significantly in both groups. The complex training group’s improvement in running vertical jump performance was significantly greater than in the conventional groups. Sprint performance was not significantly improved in either training group.