Size, strength, and power are all intertwined-hence the tagline “Bigger, Stronger, Faster.” So let's talk about that last attribute.
If you've got some size and are decently strong, explosiveness is the tip of the spear and should be trained weekly. One of the best ways to do so is via the classic clean. If you've been avoiding cleans because “Olympic lifting isn't my thing,” remember that there are countless variations of the move aside from those at the CrossFit Games and international weightlifting competitions. And not all of them require a barbell, if that's your concern.
Here are six different cleans to rotate through your training program to make your big, strong muscles much more powerful.
When it comes to building bigger thighs, you're probably getting these things wrong.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Why Do It: “The power clean has a shallower catch position than the squat clean,” says Jeff Jucha, owner and head coach at West Little Rock CrossFit in Arkansas (westlittlerockcrossfit.com). “Since you can't use the large muscles in the legs to catch the weight and stand it up, you usually go lighter, but the upper body does more work.”
How To Do It: Stand behind a loaded barbell on a lifting platform (or the floor), with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart and your shins up against the bar. Bend at the hips and knees, and grasp the bar with an overhand shoulder-width grip. Start with your butt low, chest out, back flat, and core tight. Drive up explosively through your heels, extending your hips and knees and pulling the bar straight up your body. When the bar passes your waist (elbows bent, shoulders shrugging, and up on your toes), quickly dip your hips and knees into a quarter-squat to drop under the bar and catch it in the clean position-hands underneath the bar, elbows up high. Stand all the way up with the bar, then let it drop to the floor (if using a lifting platform). Get back into the start position and repeat.
Sets x Reps: 3-4 x 4-6.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Why Do It: “Pulling from the hang eliminates momentum gained by pulling from the floor,” Jucha says. “This builds explosive power through the hips and demands even more work from the upper body.”
How To Do It: Stand holding a barbell at arm's length in front of your thighs, with a shoulder-width overhand grip and your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart. Dip down into roughly a quarter-squat, then immediately pull the bar up your body to full extension at the hips, knees, and ankles. As with the power clean, dip under the bar, catch it in the clean position, and stand all the way up with it. Let the bar fall back down to the start position (in front of your thighs, arms extended), and repeat.
Sets x Reps: 3 x 6-8.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Why Do It: “This variation is a great way to vary your core training, as your non-loaded side needs to be more stable, and possibly work around an injury present on one side,” says Jucha.
How To Do It: Straddle a dumbbell sitting on the floor with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart. Bend at the hips and knees and grasp the weight in one hand. Starting with your hips low and back flat, explosively pull the dumbbell off the floor, straight up your body, until it passes your waist. Dip your hips to drop underneath and catch the dumbbell in a clean position, with your hand just above your shoulder and elbow up high. Stand up straight, then let the dumbbell fall back to the floor. Repeat for reps with that arm, then switch arms.
Sets x Reps: 3 x 4 per arm.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Why Do It: “This is the grand-daddy of all cleans,” says Jucha. “The muscles in the legs allow you to lift very heavy in relation to the other types of cleans. Since you have to perform a squat to stand the weight up, you're going to be asking more from your nervous and endocrine systems to grow muscle and strength.”
How To Do It: Start in the exact same position as with a power clean-butt low, chest out, core tight. Pull the bar explosively up your body, and when it clears your waist, drop underneath it by descending into a full squat. Catch the bar in the clean position by the time your thighs pass parallel with floor. Keeping your back flat and elbows up high, perform a front squat to stand up with the bar. Let it fall down to the platform, and repeat.
Sets x Reps: 3 x 6.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Why Do It: “The lateral clean/lunge combo emphasizes hip strength and stability,” Jucha says. “You retain the benefits of the dumbbell and kettlebell clean while adding a different stimulus to the legs by using them one at a time.”
How To Do It: Stand holding a kettlebell with arm extended in front of you so it's at your thighs. From there, drive your hips forward and pull the weight up your body to clean it up to your shoulder. Be sure that your abs are braced tightly. From there, you'll bring the same-side leg as the weight out laterally and descend into a side lunge position. Your other leg should be fully extended. Keep your chest up the entire time. Now reverse the position to come back up. Perform all the reps on one side before moving on to the other side.
Sets x Reps: 3 x 5 per side.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Why Do It: “You'll be able to train explosiveness, with the added benefit of coordination and your ability to handle odd objects,” says Jucha. “The catch position and press also develop flexibility in the shoulders and wrists.”
How To Do It: Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself down, and grab a kettlebell in each hand. Pull the kettlebells explosively up your body, palms facing you. When you reach full extension at the hips, knees, and ankles, drop underneath the weights and catch them in a clean position with the kettlebells on the outside of your forearms. Stand up with the weights, and then press them overhead. Lower the kettlebells back down to your shoulders, let them fall to the floor, and then repeat.
Sets x Reps: 3 x 5.
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