Hang Cleans Twice a Week?

Im thinking about doing this,

monday-15X3 Hang Cleans, Light squats 2x20-25
Thursday-Deadlifts 8x5, Hang Cleans 15x3

The rest of the week is typical stuff

any thoughts on this?

This looks terrible. Why would you do 15x30 hang cleans? Are you going to use a toothpick for those cleans?

[quote]krayon wrote:
This looks terrible. Why would you do 15x30 hang cleans? Are you going to use a toothpick for those cleans? [/quote]

my bad lol, imeant 15x3

Sounds okay to me. Do the cleans before the deadlifts, though. They’re more technically demanding.

Although, you might want to consider slightly different rep ranges (ie 15x3 one day, 8-10x5 the other)

[quote]Trenchant wrote:
Sounds okay to me. Do the cleans before the deadlifts, though. They’re more technically demanding.

Although, you might want to consider slightly different rep ranges (ie 15x3 one day, 8-10x5 the other)[/quote]

the cleans are more demanding, but i was thinking about doing them after the deads because my legs will be used to lifting a heavier load, then when i take the weight down to do cleans ill get more explosion from my legs

but good call on the rep scheme change i will do that for sure!!

What’s the point of using them twice a week and how does that relate to bodybuilding?

Hang cleans are a decent exercise, but I wouldn’t choose them over at least a dozen others if my goal was size and strength. And if getting bigger (bodybuilding) was my goal, I don’t know if I’d use them more than a few weeks throughout my entire training year.

high rep cleans are amazing cardio!!!

the low rep cleans are bad ass mass builders, they hav been forgotten because theyre so hard and exhausting

but deff use them to build total body size

look at the movement

theres a dead lift, an upright row, reverse curl, calf raise, front squat and miltary press and all the antagonist groups get hit hard too

you should add them in your routine, if not permanantly, then at least a few months, to add some explosiveness to your other lifts

I competed in Olympic lifting in the past so I have used them plenty of times.

Even after I stopped competing in Olympic lifting, I’ve still used them in and out of my training in the last 10 years. However, they are not better for building size and strength than squats, deadlifts, chins, rows, bench presses, overhead presses, etc.

Think about it: You have to use a lot less weight than you can actually squat or deadlift.

Sure, they are a combination of those exercises you listed above and they build some explosiveness (however, that’s debatable), and they are fun. But again, if bodybuilding is the goal, they are not an ideal choice.

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:
I competed in Olympic lifting in the past so I have used them plenty of times.

Even after I stopped competing in Olympic lifting, I’ve still used them in and out of my training in the last 10 years. However, they are not better for building size and strength than squats, deadlifts, chins, rows, bench presses, overhead presses, etc.

Think about it: You have to use a lot less weight than you can actually squat or deadlift.

Sure, they are a combination of those exercises you listed above and they build some explosiveness (however, that’s debatable), and they are fun. But again, if bodybuilding is the goal, they are not an ideal choice.
[/quote]

well, if not for size then high repping for cardio and fat loss is a way to tie them into bodybuilding,

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:
the low rep cleans are bad ass mass builders, they hav been forgotten because theyre so hard and exhausting

[/quote]

I won’t knock somebody for doing cleans, but they haven’t been forgotten by their difficulty.

For those of us who like difficulty in our training they have been replaced by better things.

Imo if a full body workout consisting of olympic lifts is your thing then go for it. If you want to train like a bodybuilder or powerlifter things will be different.

I generally train like a powerbodybuilder :stuck_out_tongue: lol I don’t do cleans because I use other movements in my arsenal. I also feel that injury is greater with the olympic lifts than with other types of training.

What are your goals for this program?

DG

Currently, I am a college wrestler and powerlifter, I want to begin bodybuilding soon

but

i still want my violent strength for wrestling, so i was thinking of doing the high rep cleans to cut fat and low rep to keep my strength

I want to combine all three sports, maybe dropping wrestling after the next couple seasons

i just notice how rapidly my body changed when i started doing cleans seriously, and thought i could get them to advance my bodybuilding

but i am deff doing all other muscle groups throughout the week

[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Ct. Rockula wrote:
the low rep cleans are bad ass mass builders, they hav been forgotten because theyre so hard and exhausting

I won’t knock somebody for doing cleans, but they haven’t been forgotten by their difficulty.

For those of us who like difficulty in our training they have been replaced by better things.

Imo if a full body workout consisting of olympic lifts is your thing then go for it. If you want to train like a bodybuilder or powerlifter things will be different.

I generally train like a powerbodybuilder :stuck_out_tongue: lol I don’t do cleans because I use other movements in my arsenal. I also feel that injury is greater with the olympic lifts than with other types of training.

What are your goals for this program?

DG

[/quote]

SO THE POWERBUILDER HYBRID WOULD BE MY GOAL

I personally don’t think cleans are a good bodybuilding tool.

As far as using it as part of an athletic regime I think it’s a good exercise.

Just be careful, thats an exercise where form ALWAYS means more than weight lifted.

DG

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:
Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Ct. Rockula wrote:
the low rep cleans are bad ass mass builders, they hav been forgotten because theyre so hard and exhausting

I won’t knock somebody for doing cleans, but they haven’t been forgotten by their difficulty.

For those of us who like difficulty in our training they have been replaced by better things.

Imo if a full body workout consisting of olympic lifts is your thing then go for it. If you want to train like a bodybuilder or powerlifter things will be different.

I generally train like a powerbodybuilder :stuck_out_tongue: lol I don’t do cleans because I use other movements in my arsenal. I also feel that injury is greater with the olympic lifts than with other types of training.

What are your goals for this program?

DG

SO THE POWERBUILDER HYBRID WOULD BE MY GOAL

[/quote]

OK…in my powerbuilder hybrid.

I go heavy. 12 reps is my highest for all bodypart but legs which go insanely high volume on occasion.

Heavy Pressing, Deads, ATG squats are always in my routine.

Isolation exercises are always done after compound lifts. Basically train to get strong as hell, then use some isolation stuff as finishers.

Being that the clean is pretty much a full body exercise I don’t use it. When I train I train a few bodyparts at a time and want to hit just those. Squats and deads I know work almost full body, but its targeted muscles are obvious.

As I said before I think they are great as part of a full body workout, and in your situation being an athlete where strength, speed, and power is crucial I think they are good.

When you want to powerlift and bodybuild I think you will find better splits and exercises to your favor. Who knows, maybe these work for you and not for me. If your getting results keep it up.

Good luck man.

DG

[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Being that the clean is pretty much a full body exercise I don’t use it. When I train I train a few bodyparts at a time and want to hit just those. Squats and deads I know work almost full body, but its targeted muscles are obvious.
[/quote]

Do you think they’re useful for a beginner to build a strong base? Whereas someone more experienced could pass on them?

[quote]debraD wrote:
Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Being that the clean is pretty much a full body exercise I don’t use it. When I train I train a few bodyparts at a time and want to hit just those. Squats and deads I know work almost full body, but its targeted muscles are obvious.

Do you think they’re useful for a beginner to build a strong base? Whereas someone more experienced could pass on them?

[/quote]

I think that if somebody where using them as part of maybe a 3 day split then yes.

I’m not against them at all, I just don’t think they are the best for bodybuilding. From a strength training/athletic standpoint I think they are great.

I just wouldn’t incorporate them in a bodybuilding split unless it was part of a full body, or maybe an upper/lower split.

To answer your question, I wouldn’t advise them to a beginner unless they had somebody who was there correcting their form. I honestly think Olympic lifting is something that needs STRICT form to stay injury free. If the beginner knew how to do them, was using them as part of a split that I mentioned, then I’d say yes. I think an advanced person could use them as they please. The more advanced you get as a bodybuilder the less you do lifts like these imo. How many pro videos do you see of them using olympic lifts.

I see a lot of isolation/powerlifting moves.

Hopefully somewhere in there I answered your question :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: lol

DG

There is no doubt some benefits to cleaning/oly lifting. I can’t remember the article, but it wasn’t too long ago it was posted and said the upper traps were prone to growth at a higher weight/low rep range (I may be wrong, somebody help me out).

But if you’re beginning the bodybuilding stage of your career, I would say go for it. Lots of big traps and shoulders have been built with cleans. Also, if you’re doing squat cleans, as DG mentioned above, you’re getting a full body movement (HATER!), not to mention a thigh builder.

Ok, I think hangcleans and power cleans are a great way to “wake you up” on heavy lifting days. As long as you don;t go too heavy or fatigue yourself. I once experimented with clean high pulls to warm up before heavy deadlifting.

[quote]martyh wrote:

But if you’re beginning the bodybuilding stage of your career, I would say go for it. Lots of big traps and shoulders have been built with cleans.[/quote]

Even more have been built without doing cleans. I really think you need to decide what your goals are. If you want to become an Olympic lifter, then have at it. Otherwise, doing some of these movements just to do them makes little sense. It isn’t like cleans are outdoing shrugs, lateral raises and overhead presses for maximum shoulder development.

While you may be able to pick out one or two Olympic lifters who have a little size on them, the vast majority are NOT that big at all in terms of muscularity.

I only use Hang Cleans for explosive training for the track season, for bb purposes not so much, as said before, there are MANY exercises that are better suited to size gain.