Exercise of the Week: Barbell Hang Clean and Press (BBCP)



I measure exercises by three main criteria:

1. Amount of muscles worked

2. How athletic the movement is

3. Fun factor

So whenever you judge something, you are picking out of a pack. Not all exercises are created equal and thus some are more suited in a resistance training program than others.

The first is self-explanatory. Not all exercises are created equal so the more muscles an exercise works, the better it is in terms of getting you results and out of the gym. More muscle damage occurs during these exercises, and provided your nutrition is on point, you will build more muscle and burn more fat. For example, for a healthy client, a back squat will always be better than a leg press in terms of amount of muscles worked. Now whether a back squat will build more muscle than a leg press is still up for debate, but suffice it to say that you can modify any exercise regime to match goals.

The second is the inherent athletic quality of a movement. Again, not all exercises are equal in terms of being athletic movements. Referring back to the above example, a squat is more athletic than a leg press because you are handling free-weights and mimicking a movement that is similar to something you will do in reality.

Training should be fun. If training is fun, then the exercises should also be fun. Find these exercises. One such exercise is called the barbell clean and press (BBCP).

In my opinion, this exercise meets all three criteria. The BBCP is a full-body exercise that works legs, hips, lower back, shoulders, and arms. It is an athletic movement because you use explosive power to move the weight overhead. Lastly, the exercise is madness. There is not a muscle in your body, heart included, that does not get pulverized if this exercise is done with maximum effort. Take a look at my wife doing the BBCP for reps.



When should you do the EOW?

There are different ways to incorporate BBCP.

1. You can do them as an exercise in one of your programs.
2. You can do them as a metabolic conditioner.

Whichever way you want to do them, enjoy. They are brutal and fun.

What is a good standard for the EOW?

There are different ways to measure this.

1. Done for reps at a given weight. For men under 200 pounds, 95 pounds done for 50 reps is a good standard, regardless of how long it takes you. For women, 45 pounds done for 50 reps is a good standard.
2. If you want these to replace one of your strength training exercises in a program, then you will invariably have to decrease the weight compared to what you can do as a stand-alone press since the clean takes your breath away. Regardless, for men, bodyweight clean and press for 6-8 reps is a solid standard. For women, 75% of bodyweight for 6-8 reps is a solid standard.

Questions? Comments? Drop a line.

SBL,
David