Sophistication is simply defined as "increasing motor complexity". There are many exercises that can be done for strength & conditioning. Some easier some harder. Some simpler some more complex. In fact there can be an infinite number of variations of an exercise. The limit of the number would depend only on your imagination.
So what is a beginner to do when presented with an encyclopedia of strength training exercises? He gets confused. So many variations of squats: back squat, front squat, dumbbell squat, one legged squat, bulgarian squat ad nauseum. And then there are variations designed by the "functional training" community: squats on a swiss ball and the like.
And then there are people who say that you need to change your routine every now and then. The reason being your body would get stale from doing the same movements over and over. Who wouldn't get bored doing squats after squats after squats year in year out? The common recommendation ranges from 3-4 to 4-8 weeks. But what to change? How to change? How to determine when to change?
Let's look at how sophistication can answer all these questions and stop all those confusion.
Why sophisticate
In CST, our goal is not only to avoid staleness as defined above. But also a plan to increase our neuromuscular efficiency. The idea is that you don't want to be stuck doing the same basic exercises all the time. As you get proficient in the basic exercises, you need to add more stimulus to your nervous system to keep progressing.
A common progression used by most systems obviously is the protocol, ie time, reps, sets, rest periods etc. Another commonly used is the resistance. But these do not change the motor complexity of the exercises.
In the movement disciplines of gymnastics, dances and the martial arts, sophistication is a highly sought after progression. Beginners and veterans are easily recognizable by the grace they have (or lack thereof) in executing simple and complex skills.
In these disciplines, points are rewarded for more complex movements or combinations. The reward doesn't go to "who can do the most push ups" or "who can do the most handstand push ups", but "who can do the most complex skills and make it look easy".
And indeed when you master the more complex skills, the more basic and easier skills would feel...easier. Much more than if you only practice the basic skills.
Not only your motor skills improve, by training more sophisticated exercises, you get a greater training effect compared to training the simpler variations. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. You save time and effort while getting a greater stimulus.
How to sophisticate
I'll give you some examples first then give you the explanation. For simplicity sake, i'll use conventional exercises (and programs) as examples and separate them according to different sophistication needs.
Original exercises (if applicable) are highlighted in blue.
Pavel's Power to the People
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
| 2H BB Military Press | 1H BB Military Press | BB Side Press | BB Bent Press |
| 2H Deadlift | 1H Deadlift | Suitcase Deadlift | 1L Suitcase Deadlift (opposite arm) |
Weightlifting based a big push and a big pull
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
| BB Military Press | BB Push Press | BB Jerk | BB Clean & Jerk |
| BB Deadlift | BB High Pull | BB Clean | BB Snatch |
Pavel's Enter the Kettlebell Rite of Passage
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
| Goblet Press | Military Press | Side Press | Bent Press |
| Deadlift | Swing | Clean | Snatch |
Pavel's Enter the Kettlebell Program Minimum
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
| Floor Press | Get Up Sit Up | Half Get Up | Full Get Up |
| 2H Deadlift | 1H Deadlift | 2H Swing | 1H Swing |
KB Sport based a big push and a big pull
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
| Goblet Press | Press | Push Press | Jerk |
| Deadlift | Swing | Clean | Snatch |
There are many ways of sophisticating exercises, some of these are:
Adding explosiveness, eg: squat -> squat jump
Adding/changing a different degree of freedom, eg: press -> side press
Adding *instability, eg: front squat -> overhead squat
*By adding instability, i don't mean doing everything on the swiss ball.
Adding range of motion, eg: box squat -> full squat
Increasing leverage, eg: push up on knees -> push up on feet
Combination movements, eg: clean + jerk = clean & jerk
This list is by no means exhaustive. As mentioned above, the limit is your imagination.
When to sophisticate
The general guideline is to increase the sophistication when RPE drops to =< 6 while keeping RPT => 8 and RPD =< 3.
Another guideline is to increase the sophistication every month. Go through a full 4x7 cycle with Level 1. The next time you come back to the same program, start over at a Level 2, and so on.
You need to spend time on the lower sophistication levels before moving up. So even though we are a big advocate on sophistication, the importance on the basic exercises cannot be overlooked. Sophistication is powerful medicine. Used improperly, like progressing too much too soon, can cause residual tension and injury. Used properly, after mastering the lower levels, can be one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox.
Check out TACFIT Mass Assault to see how to sophisticate conventional dumbbell-based exercises:
Or TACFIT 26 on how to sophisticate a variety of bodyweight and weighted exercises:
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