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Praise for the Clean & Press and Shrug Bar Deadlift
Have you no time for a full workout? Do you want real lifting efficiency? Are you a fan of “Old School” lifting? If you answered “yes” to any one or all of those three questions…The Clean and Press is for you.
You don’t often see the clean and press being performed in many gyms and there are a few good reasons for this. First and foremost, the movement is hard. When it is done in sufficient sets and reps with even moderate weight, it can provide a whole body workout that will tax the most of the body. It doesn’t take much examination to see that the legs, lower and upper back, biceps, triceps and deltoids, as well as the cardiovascular system will be worked quite well by the movement, especially if you are doing the movement “full cycle.” (This means that you clean and press for each repetition.) The movement requires (and develops) strength and balance. You can’t sit comfortably in a seat and do the movement.
Second, it is not a glamorous movement. Rather, it is basic and primitive. Pull the weight to your shoulders and shove it overhead. Repeat. You can’t be casual while you clean and press. You can’t hold a conversation, talk on your cell phone, nor can you check the gym’s “eye candy.” You have to devote your full attention to struggling to overcome gravity. Simple, basic and demanding equals “not popular.”
Third and finally, the movement is perceived as dangerous. The lower back is at risk when you bend over to clean. The clean subjects your attachments to “unnatural” forces. Your shoulders and lower back are dangerously loaded while the weight is overhead. Why would anyone want to do such a dangerous movement?
Why?
Because you will be in danger of developing coordinated bodily effort and a strong, muscular physique if you devote honest effort to the clean and press. That’s why.
I recommend that you do the movement “full cycle” as mentioned above. However, that may be too taxing for a beginner so feel free to clean every second or third press if you wish. Once you’ve built up some conditioning, you can do the movement full cycle. You should start with moderate weight, especially if you haven’t done the movement before. You can use a barbell or dumbbells - though the beginner will be better served by the barbell initially. A barbell is a little easier to control than are dumbbells - which require that you divide your concentration and control each ‘bell. If using dumbbells, a good starting weight is the same weight that you use for standing lateral or front raises. (Yup, you heard me…start that lightly!)
It’s not necessary (nor even desirable) to completely lock out the elbows and shoulders each rep, since by doing so you transfer the loading from the muscles to the bones and joints. Just ensure that you completely lock out a few reps of each set, to guarantee full range of motion and to make a “complete” lift.
Give the clean and press and honest try…the movement will surprise and reward you.
Recently, I purchased a shrug bar. I’ve worked with it a number of months now and I consider it one of the more intelligent purchases I’ve made. Simply put, it allows me to squat and deadlift in greater safety and comfort than does a conventional bar. There are a couple of reasons why this is so. First, during the lift, your hands and arms are in a more natural position, just like when they are hanging relaxed by your side. Second, as you lift, the weight is free to move to the centerline of the body, rather than remaining in front of the body…lessening the stress on the lower back and making the lift more mechanically efficient. Also, since the weight is lower, there is less stress to the lower back, because the distance to the fulcrum or the movement arm is shorter. Third, the lift is safer to perform with the weight held in the hands. It is much easier to “dump” a bad lift, when the weight is near the hips and hand held, than it is when supported across the upper back. With the low center of gravity, balance is easier for me, also. The grip work is a nice bonus that goes almost unnoticed…until the latter reps of the set!
With the use of this bar, I’ve been able to incorporate into my workout what is a fairly intensive compound movement, without the disadvantages of the conventional squat and deadlift. It’s a “win, win” situation for me. Purists will decry that this is neither a “true” squat or deadlift…but there is a simple answer to those objections:
I don’t care.
The above movements are a good fit for me. I often find myself constructing “quickie” workouts using these two movements and find that they work nearly the entire body in a most pleasing fashion. Give these two movements a try and enjoy your training.
Bill Peel
on October 24th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
The clean and press was the backbone of the real oldtimers training. Sometimes the only thing they did.
on October 24th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
The Clean and Press is my favorite movement Bill. There is nothing like taking a weight from the floor to overhead. However, I find it almost impossible to rack a barbell these days so I use my 10″ metal Log instead. I’ll have to add the Trap Bar to my wish list.
on October 24th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
BTW .. that was me (Barney Shannon) above.
on October 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Bill,
I bought a shrug bar a year or so ago but just began to use it. I’m doing 5×5, working up in weight each set. I’ve been doing this only once per week for three weeks now. Two observations/questions.
First, i seem to be recovering from the workout much quicker than I do from a similar squat or deadlift workout. Have you experienced this at all?
Also, I don’t seem to get much glute/ham involvement, but my quads are hit fairly heavily… (I’m short legged).
on October 26th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Woops, I hit “post” before I meant to.
Anyway, Due to the seemingly faster recovery, I’m thinking of adding another day of trap bar deadlifts. Maybe 85% of the heavy day?
on October 27th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Dempsey:
Yes, I’ve experienced what you’ve described. Since there is less lower back involvement, there is less systemic stress. You can recover more quickly. As to your thought regarding adding an additional day of trap bar deadlifts…personally, I wouldn’t recommend it. But since we are all different and have differing constitutions and recovery systems…the only way to know is to experiment.
Again personally, there is nothing wrong with limiting your workload and enhancing your recovery. Save your energies for when they are really needed and train with just a percentage of your available resources.
on October 31st, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Here’s a link to our wiki page on clean and press, where you’ll find instructions on performing this great exercise.
And here’s one to our trap-bar deadlift page.
on November 1st, 2007 at 2:27 am
I have a grandson who started lifting recently. he was 18, 5ft 11, and 135 lbs……. for a month, his father had him doing NOTHING ELSE but CLEAN & PRESS.
he also upped his carbs-intake…………
.in a month, he put on 10 lbs, and doubled the weight he was using…… how’s that for progress????? do i need to say that both my son and i are seriously clean& pressing big time ???????
roger.
on November 1st, 2007 at 2:32 am
I have a grand-son who started training recently. He was 18, 5ft 11 and 135 lbs of lean bone and skin. His dad had him doing nothing else but CLEAN AND PRESS. he upped his carb-intake but no specific diet-regimen…….
In one month, he put on 10 lbs, and doubled his c & p weight…..
Do i need to say that both his dad and I are now seriously into clean and presses??????
Roger
on November 1st, 2007 at 4:46 am
The clean and press is the Swiss Army Knife of exercises -a multi-purpose, whole-body, global, multi-joint, systemic movement!
It works pretty near every muscle group in the body, and can be learned starting with a bare bar, and working your way up.
So glad to hear that the C&P is Dave’s pick for a single most effective exercise. I’ve said it for years as a professional trainer. Great minds think alike!
on November 1st, 2007 at 9:36 am
I added the clean-n-press earlier this year. The best exercise I’ve ever found! If you’re not cleanin’-n-pressin’, you’re missing out.
on December 31st, 2007 at 11:38 am
I am the only person at my gym that I’ve ever seen doing the clean and press!
on January 8th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
KLEANPRESS is DEFINITELY a great all’round exercise of which generally do not see anybody ELSE in gym doing and works wonderfully with my K’NPO and happy BELATED CHRISTMAS;I am into EQUALITY &FEMINISM+HUMANITY.Triple double-u dot giantesszon dot com is a website I do like. Www dot ask dot com too.Cleanpressing works your whole body ,esp. upper whereas Dead-Lift works whole body,esp. Lower.Here is a Four-Day Split= M=KLEANPRESS,TUESDAY=JUMPROPE,WEDNESDAY=JUMPJAX JESUSWEIGHTS,THURSDAY=ABSITUPS@125X,M,T,W,TH=DOWNWARD INTERJECTIVELY DOGSTRETCH@30 SECONDS EACH BETWEEN SETS;KLEANPRESS=8,9,10,11,+& 12X and then 50x with RELATIVELY LIGHTWEIGHT;DEADLIFTS=9 SETS OF 11,+& one time at Maximum weight.JUMPING JAX=5SETS AT 25REPS WITH LIGHT DUMBELS,PYRAMID EFFECT;JUMPROPE TILL FAILURE.
on February 19th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Jack…
I love the info and have bookmarked your blog. Haver you thought of doing a vlog describing this stuff?…
on February 26th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I actually do the clean and press in order to do my back squat though the weight isn’t as high as I liked to squat I am getting the benefits of a whole body workout and my gains have been progressing.
Billy
on May 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Hi ive started doing the clean and press seriously.ive built up to a 110kg single.but im stuck.i can press stronger than clean.any tips to up my clean.my dlift is 210kg.i seem to be weak in pulling exercises bt stronger in bench and press.any tips?thanks.ryan
Hi, Ryan, why don’t you ask your question here in our forum. We’d love to help you sort this out — the forum is a better place for discussion. Laree
on May 24th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I have always heard of the excellent workout with clean and press , and have tried it just as an experiment. You put more confidence in the implementing the exercise despite all the negative feedback i too have heard. But when done proper, optimum benefits. Very informative , and it will now be a part of my programs.