T Nation

Plate Clean and Press

Conditioning
#1

Hi. I have three questions.

  1. Correct me If I’m wrong: Clean and press is an exercise witch in a way combines Deadlift and Military Press and there fore it stimulates almost whole body /i.e. almost every muscle/?

  2. Witch muscles are not worked during a Clean and Press? It doesn’t say in the link:
    exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/CleanAndJerk.html

  3. Can a normal Clean and Press, i.e. done with a barbell etc., be substituted / replaced by a “plate clean and press” - i.e. Clean and press done with only a plate, like in this link:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iReSQHJHoA
    Is it equally effective?
    Due to some technical problems I have to forget about an exercises with a bar / barbell.

Thx

Jack

#2

No it is not just a deadlift and a military press.

Do an article search on this site for the clean and press. It will discuss your question about which muscles are triggered.

Yes in theory you could do it with a plate but odds are it will be too easy.

#3

[quote]Jack Black wrote:
Clean and press is an exercise witch in a way combines Deadlift and Military Press[/quote]
In the same way that a pizza combines bread and tomatoes. There’s quite a bit more to it than that.

Almost, yes.

Legs and chest, mostly. The rest of the body pretty much gets hit to some degree.

I wouldn’t use a plate because it’s too awkward. I’d be worried about either taking a shot in the teeth or hyperextending my neck back to avoid the plate in the “rack” position. Also, once you can handle the 45 pound plate, it’s a big jump up to the 100, so it doesn’t lend itself to more consistent progression.

Are dumbbells not an option?

Details? Technical issue as in the equipment available, a joint health issue, or something else?

#4

Technical meaning equipment.And for a while dumbbells are not an option too.

And basically that’s what I’m asking - the awkwardness of it. Does it change effectiveness of the exercise - i.e. takes or adds to effectiveness of the original?

I’m not worry about the weight - I’m not that strong and I have o way to keep two plates together so progression is possible.

#5

[quote]Jack Black wrote:
And basically that’s what I’m asking - the awkwardness of it. Does it change effectiveness of the exercise - i.e. takes or adds to effectiveness of the original?[/quote]
It’s awkward to the point of no longer being what I’d consider a worthwhile option.

Double-check the video you posted. The dude is pretty much leaning his head all the way back and looking straight up during the press, which is not an efficient or powerful pressing position, and does expose the neck/upper back to an increased chance of injury.

I get the feeling you’re overinvesting in this one exercise. If the only equipment you have is a pile of plates and no barbell or dumbbells, you might want to look into a bodyweight program, and use the plates only for the most basic of exercises (row, squat, Romanian deadlift, etc.).

#6

if you’re thinking that you’re going to get progression moving a plate around its time to start doing plyometrics. Then when you can afford a gym membership or can build your own gym do so.

#7

youve got it all wrong thinking u can mimick the clean and press action with a plate . just because the movement is kind of the same does not mean you are getting the same training effect. The purpose of the clean and press and why it is so popular amongst track and field atheltes is due to the fact that it forces the body o perform co ordinated powerful activities in an explosive manner and thereby improving the whole musculature.

The clean and press with a plate is almost useless. With a barbell in the 2nd clean aspect of the lift you are forced to accelerate with speed and get under the bar forcing the hip musculature ie glutes and the entire lower limb to work at speed with force, the same can not be replicated with a plate for obvious reasons. Clean and press done properly is a power exercise and one which seperates the athlete from the rest because no mater how much strength you have you can not move any considerable weight in the clean and jerk UNLESS you have adequate power co-oridnation and of course competent technique is of central importance because without technique you cant apply your power.

What I would do if you have technique problems is start with hang cleans,and push presses hence getting tension throughout the whole body and get to a point when your hang cleans are sound THEN I would get into the clean and jerk. Hope this helps man , let me know

#8

do pullups pressups tricep dips, hill sprints,flat sprints, skipping , and get a mate and wrestle with him if you have to! u need barbells for power cleans bro so dont beat rd the bush!

#9

I see it is difficult for these gym goers to realize that a clean and press movement has been performed since the dawn of man rather than the last 100 years that there has been a bar with round weights on each end.

So get yourself a heavy duffel bag and put bags of sand in it.
or get a stick of wood
or get a piece of metal and fill with concrete
or buy a bag of concrete mix
or buy an old tire

Otherwise just stick to some bodyweight movements as mentioned above