Power Clean and Press 101
Being quick is fun but being powerful is much better. However, by merging them into a single movement, your training may become more than the sum of their parts. This all-purpose exercise incorporates weightlifting’s explosive, kinetic force as well as the sheer strength of an overhead press to create a powerful, versatile movement that will help you become stronger and bigger whether you’re in the weight room or on the field.
Power Clean and Press
One of the most effective full-body weightlifting exercises is the clean and press, which should be included in your training program if you want to see great results. It is also referred to as the barbell clean and press. The clean and press is a complex workout that works muscles all throughout your body. Lifting a weighted barbell from the floor into a front rack position on your shoulders will allow you to do clean and press exercises. Keep your back straight as you elevate the bar to your shoulder-height.
Power Clean and Press Biomechanics
The power clean is a strength-training exercise that engages all of your body’s muscles. Standing in front of a weighted barbell with your feet hip-width apart, lower yourself closer to the barbell by bending your hips and knees. Using a hook grip, grab the barbell (thumbs tucked under the rest of your fingers).
Lift the bar off the floor and do the initial pull using a deadlift movement pattern while maintaining your chest high. Standing tall, explosively press your feet into the floor once the bar has passed your knees to accomplish the second pull. As you complete the third pull’s range of motion, keep the bar close to your body by raising it to shoulder height and catching it in a front rack posture against your clavicles and shoulders.
How to Properly Execute the Power Clean and Press
Start with a weight that you can handle for 2–3 sets of 3–8 repetitions on cleans and presses to get a feel for the movement. Consider using a weight that will allow you to retain proper technique throughout all of your sets and repetitions.
- Place your toes beneath the barbell and stand directly in front of it. With your feet shoulder-width apart and a small bend in your knees, your posture should be tall. Your head and neck should be in a neutral position, with your shoulders precisely above your hips. Keep your chin tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg beneath your chin.
- To achieve a sturdy stance, evenly distribute your weight and grab the floor with your feet. With a small bend in your elbows, keep your arms long at your sides. Before descending toward the barbell, use a good inhale and exhale to pre-tension your shoulders, hips, and core.
- Hinge from your hips and drop your body toward the barbell by bending your knees. Your shins should be in close proximity to the barbell while keeping upright.
- Grab the barbell with a double overhand hold, or hook grip, with your fingers wrapped over your thumbs and your hands slightly wider than your hips. To engage your back muscles, rotate your shoulders outward. The height of your chest should be higher than the height of your hips, and the height of your hips should be higher than the height of your knees. The barbell should be slightly ahead of your shoulders. This is the starting position for all repetitions.
- Start your upward movement by pushing your feet through the floor to stand up, maintaining your shoulders above the bar and the barbell close to your torso. While maintaining your back angle, raise your chest and hips at the same moment.
- Forcefully press your legs into the ground as the barbell passes your knees and your upper body becomes vertical, as if you were jumping. Aggressively shrug your shoulders while straightening your hips, knees, and ankles. Your elbows should still be directed outward, and your arms should be long.
- Pull your body beneath the barbell when your shoulders reach their highest position, moving your hands around and under the barbell.
- To grab the barbell on your upper chest and shoulders, quickly slam your elbows forward and spin your wrists beneath the weight. As you grab the barbell, your legs should be in a quarter squat position.
- As if you’re finishing a front squat rep, stand tall to complete the exercise.
- Set up for another repeat by lowering the barbell to the floor under control.
Protective gear for power clean and press
To lessen the risk of injury while commencing an exercise program if you have a past or pre-existing health issue, visit your doctor and a personal trainer prior to beginning the program. In order to ensure the safety and efficacy of an exercise program, it is necessary to use proper exercise technique. However, depending on your unique demands, you may need to alter each exercise in order to achieve the best results. Make sure to choose a weight that will allow you to maintain complete control of your body during the action. One of the most crucial protective gears you can get for the power clean, and press is a belt for your lower back. You will also need a good pair of gym gloves which will improve your grip and lower the chances of the weight slipping and injuring you. Another protective accessory you can use is a knee or a wrist and elbow sleeve if you feel like those are necessary.
Power Clean and Press Variations
Dumbbell Clean and Press
The dumbbell clean and press may be performed with one or two dumbbells, and it can also be performed in a manner similar to the circus dumbbell press, which is a typical strongman move. This is a fantastic activity that can also be used to develop unilateral strength and power. It can also be utilized to train the clean and press if a lifter is unable to do the action with both arms due to an injury or other external circumstance.
Fat Bar Clean and Press
This is quite similar to the clean and press using a barbell. With the circle of the bar increasing in demand, it becomes a two-for-one stimulation and a terrific overall performance booster all at the same time.
Log Clean and Press
An important part of this log bar clean and press variation is the log bar, a huge training item that was traditionally utilized in strongman contests but has recently made its way into functional fitness training. The log is far larger and more unwieldy than a barbell, which makes it an excellent tool for injecting some variety into your program provided you know how to use it properly.
Clean and Jerk
The clean and jerk is a variation of the clean and press where the athlete can do a jerk to lift the weight above. The jerk is a fantastic alternative for lifters who are able to generate more power while also demonstrating superior technique, as it is a more intense technical exercise than the press or push press, respectively.
How Much Weight to Start With
The amount of weight which is appropriate for you to start with will depend on your sex, body weight and current strength level as well as experience lifting weights. Start with 80 pounds for males and 60 pounds for women. It may be useful to try some of the variants before attempting the power clean and press, so start with a dumbbell and progress from there. The dumbbell and kettlebell are more forgiving for beginners. Keep in mind that the bar’s average weight is 44 pounds while loading it.
The diameter of the 20kg plates is the one you’ll be pulling with the most. Smaller plates, such as those weighing 5 to 15 kg, are too near to the ground and put you in the wrong posture from the start. The competition and bumper plates have the same diameter. You will be able to work out with perfect form even if you start with less than 60kg. Also, keep clear from hex plates if at all possible because getting near to them is tough.
Weight Progression
For an average man weighing 190lb the correct starting weight would be the following:
- Untrained – 89lb
- Novice – 130lb
- Intermediate – 182lb
- Advanced – 241lb
- Elite – 306
For an average woman weighing 170lb the correct starting weight would be the following:
- Untrained – 41lb
- Novice – 67lb
- Intermediate – 100lb
- Advanced – 140lb
- Elite – 185lb
Benefits Of Doing Power Clean and Press Big Lifts and One Rep Max
Because it involves a number of the posterior chain muscles, such as your glutes, hamstrings, and back, this exercise provides a full-body workout. When doing the power clean and press, they are significantly engaged, but the anterior component of your body is tightly roped in during the “catch” position. As a consequence, you’ll get a great exercise that works a lot of muscles.
Because the demands exerted on your body while doing this action are so great, it also develops anaerobic endurance.
Another advantage of the power clean and press is that it burns a lot of fat because the exercise requires a lot of force.
This exercise will also improve your muscles since it creates a lot of damage to the muscular tissue, causing a hypertrophic reaction, which means the muscle will grow bigger and stronger.
The action also improves posture by dominating the muscles on the backside of the body, which restores equilibrium and corrects your posture.
The power clean action causes “epiphysis loading,” which causes micro-fractures along the bone shaft. Through a process called calcification, the bone thickens, preventing degenerative illnesses like osteoporosis.
The exercise also requires a significant degree of muscle activation, as well as a succession of complicated movement patterns, which increases synergy between the two, lowering the risk of injury.
Power cleans, for example, are excellent for releasing growth hormone. Growth hormone, a tiny protein produced by the pituitary gland, offers several advantages, including younger-looking skin and hair, quicker recovery, increased muscular mass, and higher bone density.
Aside from doing big lifts of the power clean and press, doing 1 rep max of this exercise is also beneficial for the same reasons we mentioned above. However, you need to be very careful doing 1 rep max and always have a spotter to help you out because it can be dangerous due to the heavy weight.
It’s an extremely beneficial movement that needs to be included in your training regimen and even dedicate an entire long day at the gym to master it.
Conclusion
The power clean and press is a fantastic exercise that should be included in everyone’s fitness routine. Because you must focus on several things while lifting something heavy, the method is difficult for many individuals to master. However, in order to avoid injuries and get the most out of this exercise, perfect technique is essential. Because this is a challenging workout, pay special attention to your body and stop immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort.
In order to witness ongoing progress and increase bodily strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your training plan. Your ability to thoroughly recover from exercises will ultimately decide your results. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow for sufficient recuperation.
