clean & press | Lifting 101 | Forum

Any type of power lift shouldn't be done really more than twice a week tops.  they require low reps, high weight, and MASSIVE recovery time, if done properly, to achieve the disired purpose of doing a rapid movement lift.

Lol, you are like me Greg, I can't press NEARLY what I can clean.  At my highest I ever was (in high school) I could HANG clean 270, never tried 275… by the time I did enough reps to warm-up for the 270 I was toast.  However the most I ever Power cleaned/ pressed was 245.  While this was impressive only weighing 153lbs.  I have a feeling (since the size is similar to how you are) that it's why I never got my press up higher.  From what I can tell and see a VAST majority of people can press more than they can clean.  I think it's because there are so many LITTLE things in a clean technique that make such a big difference; and I trained for cleans, not presses.  I do know though, that with PROPER form you SHOULD be able to hang clean slighty more than you can power clean, and most people are somewhere withing their bench max usually.  It's normally a bit lower, I however, was about 30 lbs. heavier on my clean.  That I attribute to my lanky gorilla arms ( also a feature you have if I remember).  Long arms make presses hard, and pulls easier, due to leverage and sheer amount of "work" (scientific definition) being done.

And while I'm on the topic Darrin, I don't  care what is said.  When you only weigh a buck 50 and are hang cleaning 270 lbs. you are going to use wrist straps.  I could hold it fine, but when you put that kind of shrug power without other support your hands move, but the bar doesn't.  As you said, your grip will NEVER be as strong as your traps.  they are one of the strongest muscles in the body because they are so short.  If you learn to wrist straps well enough you have PLENTY of wrist flexibility/ mobility.

That weight is impressive!  You're about 130 lbs ahead of me, and this is the most I've ever handled.  I'm hang cleaning only 145 with my clean and press at about 130 (2 reps).  I know that's not a lot of weight but it much better than what I was doing at home last winter when I was struggling with 115 for power cleans.  I'm just not a very strong person by nature.  I think that's why I like lifting, because It helps me get upwards towards average strength in some areas.  Otherwise, I would be quite a weakling.