The cost of complexity

Every human being is a complex matrix of interconnected relationships that together reflect their overall health and performance.

Because of this complexity, it can be challenging to know where to start.

However, recent research consistently points to the most crucial contributors to human health: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, social connections, and avoiding risky substances.

Six simple pillars.

As coaches, we are responsible for assessing these pillars and guiding clients on a journey of behavior change. It’s our role to understand the complexity and then develop straightforward, sustainable solutions.

The challenge with simple solutions is that they can be difficult to market and sell. One of our Achilles' heels as humans is our attraction to shiny objects and complexity.

I’ve concluded that this is because simple solutions often seem too easy. Yet, I’ve seen countless clients struggle with behavior change, even at the most basic level.

This has reinforced my belief that it’s also our responsibility to distinguish between genuinely helpful information and complexity disguised as a product or service pitch.

In this blog, I want to discuss the need for simplicity, the cost of complexity, and how I use variation to maintain sustainable behavior change.

1. THE COST OF COMPLEXITY (Ferro,2018) 

This graph, sourced from a financial journal (Ferro,2018), discusses optimizing the number of SKUs in a business to maximize profit.

An SKU represents a product offering or variation. The analysis found that beyond a certain number of SKUs, profitability starts to decline—essentially, the more you add, the less you profit.

When applying this concept to behavior change and human health, the same principle holds true: the more complexity you introduce, the less return on investment you can expect.

That’s why I keep my tools, programs, and interventions as simple as possible.

2. THE FOUR QUESTIONS 

When teaching an exercise, writing programs, or coaching behavior change, I ask myself four key questions before choosing a method:

1. How long does it take to teach?
   Adding complexity requires a higher level of expertise to grasp the system. In a time-constrained environment, you can only teach a limited number of skills at once. Therefore, simplicity is crucial.
2. Can the client perform it independently?
   Strength is a skill, and skill acquisition depends on time and repetition. My goal is always for clients to perform the skills we train on their own. Introducing complexity prolongs the time it takes to achieve mastery.
3. Is there a measurable adaptation?
   Significant adaptation occurs only after a trainee has acquired the skill. In the early stages, repetitions are often unrefined and lightly loaded. The more complex the skill, the longer it takes to develop effective adaptation.
4. Is the practice intentional?
   A common misconception is that doing more automatically leads to better skill acquisition. However, the quality and quantity of repetitions determine how effectively a skill produces adaptation. Intentional, focused practice always yields better results.

If I can’t teach it in a short time, the client can’t perform it independently, and there isn’t measurable adaptation, then it’s a no for me, dog.

3. VARIATION VS COMPLEXITY 

It's important to call out the difference between variation and complexity. I like them both, and use them at separate times. 

Variation
Variation refers to differences or changes within a system—whether in physical appearance, behavior, or any other measurable characteristic.

Example: A snatch is a variation of a strict press. Teaching the strict press first, then introducing the snatch, builds on an already established pattern. This approach leads to a deeper understanding of a similar movement.

Complexity
Complexity describes a system made up of many interconnected parts, relationships, and interactions, making it difficult to understand, predict, or control.

Example: Combining movements like a clean, strict press, lateral lunge, and snatch into a single complex adds complexity. It involves many interconnected parts and can be challenging for the user to predict and control. The potential benefits include improved motor coordination and exposure to more chaotic environments.

I never pursue complexity for the sake of making things more complicated. However, I often see other coaches in the industry selling complexity as the primary solution, which doesn’t make much sense to me.

4. APPLICATION 

Variation is a powerful stimulus for increasing enjoyment and sustainability in a training regimen. I incorporate variation when someone is ready for a new challenge and has built a solid foundation to support it.

Complexity, on the other hand, is a valuable stimulus for intermediate and advanced trainees. Once a strong foundation is in place, enhancing coordination between skills in more chaotic environments can be highly beneficial.

The key takeaway is to understand when you’re using variation versus complexity—and why. In my experience, it’s all too easy to introduce complexity too early and too often, which can hinder a trainee’s ability to acquire and master skills.

5. CONCLUSION 

Human health is complex.

If we don’t simplify, we risk getting lost in the endless options.

Our role as coaches is to focus on the six pillars and provide simple, effective solutions so that our clients can acquire and master skills over time.

In the end, the only variables that truly matter are repetitions and time.

You will set yourself apart by staying rooted in simplicity and maintaining high levels of execution.

One thing I know for sure: those who build their business on complexity won’t be around for long.