The clean and press is a classic movement that builds strength and speed while at the same time stimulating ultimate muscle growth over the whole body – so why aren’t we seeing more of it in our modern gyms?
This exercise has everything that the deadlift, upright row and overhead press have to offer squeezed together in one powerful movement that will help you build lean muscle like a pro.
Clean and press for muscle mass
If you are like most bodybuilders, you want the best results in the shortest time possible. You want to build strength and muscle mass. The best way to do is by making the clean and press the star of your routine, and here are the top 5 reasons why the clean and press is an amazing exercise for building muscle mass.
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Keeps it simple
You can use whatever you want for this exercise. Don’t cling on the barbell – look around in your own home. You’re not confined to the gym and its fancy equipment for the clean and press – You can also use dumbbells, kettlebells, a sandbag or heavy objects like big stones or rocks. Just make sure your back is straight and go for it.
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Clean and press – muscles worked
The best thing about the clean and press is that it helps you put on size over the entire body. It utilizes every muscle and joint from head to toe and helps you develop real, explosive strength.
Furthermore, it incorporates upper body pull and push in one single exercise. Lower back? No problem. Quads? It’s done. Arms? More than any other exercise. Here are the muscle groups involved in the movement:
– It works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes during the “clean” part.
– It works the shoulders, upper chest, and triceps during “pressing” part.
– Glutes, Lower Back, and Abs are active during the whole exercise as stabilizing muscles.
– Biceps, Traps, Latissimus Dorsi, Calves, Forearms are active during the entire lift as well.
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It trains the body as a whole
Instead of training different body parts separately with deadlifting, squatting and pressing, with the clean and press you’re forcing all of your major muscles to work together in a collaborative activity, which results with improved coordination, increased power and greater overall growth. After all, your body works as a system, and you need to make the best use of this fact for optimal results.
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Clean and Press develops functional strength
Perhaps this is not a goal for many bodybuilders out there, but it sure is a nice addition. If you use the clean and press to build muscle, you can be sure that your size equals real strength (especially starting strength), which will easily improve your overall athletic performance.
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It’s time-efficient
Opting for a shorter, high-intensity workout can be very important if you have a busy schedule that doesn’t leave you room for long gym sessions every day. With this exercise, you’re performing the most work possible in the shortest period of time possible. In fact, within 15 minutes you’ll find yourself to be completely exhausted and your heart rate will be through the roof.
Need any more convincing? Just incorporate a heavy clean and press session with proper form and technique in your standard routine and you’ll be thanking us in no time.
