Adding in some Hang Cleans... Ideas?

[b fold the truth]

Ok, this week I am getting 2 new toys in my gym.
2.5" thick bar
3" thick bar

I need to start using these on a consistent basis. Intensity isn't that important but consistency is. I need to have my hands on these at least once a week for a few sets of something just to increase my grip strength on a bar this big. At the Pro Nationals (I plan to be there in 2004) I will have to clean and press a 300 pound non-revolving 2.5" thick bar for reps. I think that I can press the 300 pound best for 4-5 times now but I need to make the clean much easier that it would be now.

I was thinking about doing some thick bar hang cleans on my Thursday Speed Bench workout. My workout usually goes like this on Thursday's:
Thursday:
Speed Bench 247 x 3 x 9 sets, 45 sec rest between sets
315 x 1, 365 x 1 (optional)
Incline Bench, 236 x 10, 247 x 8, 258 x 6
JM Press, 3-5 sets of 1-8 reps (185-250)
Tate Presses, 4-6 sets with 35-40’s (optional)
Dbell Cleans, 3-4 sets with mini bands
Rows, 4-8 sets with bands
Hang Cleans, 3-4 sets with thick bar
Curls, 1-2 sets with bands
Abs

You can see where I added the hang cleans into the workout. I figured that I could drop 1-3 sets of rows and add in 3-4 sets of hang cleans with the thick bar with 135 or so.

What do you think? I'll post my entire week's plan in the very next post...g'me a sec.

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

Week 10 May 4th – May 10th

Sunday:
Deadlift Variation up to a 5, 3, and 1 RM
Front Squat, 1-5 sets
Pull Throughs 1-3 sets (optional)
Standing Calf Raises, 3 sets of 10 with 275
3-5 Events
Rev Hypers
Abs

Monday:
Log Clean and Press
1 Board Press, 3-5 sets
Lying Dbell Tric Extensions
Tricep Push Downs or Band Tric Exts, 2 sets of 10 (optional)
Lat Pull Downs or Chins, 2 sets
Band Rows, 2-6 sets
Face Pulls, 2-4 sets
Curls, 1-3 sets
Abs

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday:
Box Squats, 225-275 plus heavy and mid bands for 6 sets of 2, 30-45 sec rest
1-3 heavier sets with bands
GM Variation (light) 3 sets of 5
Speed Pulls, 4-10 singles, 510-560
Pull Throughs, 3-4 sets (optional)
Band Ham Curls (optional)
Leg Extensions (optional)
Rev Hypers or Glute Ham Raises, 3-4 sets (optional)
Calf Raises
Abs

Thursday:
Speed Bench 247 x 3 x 9 sets, 45 sec rest between sets
315 x 1, 365 x 1 (optional)
Incline Bench, 236 x 10, 247 x 8, 258 x 6
JM Press, 3-5 sets of 1-8 reps (185-250)
Tate Presses, 4-6 sets with 35-40’s (optional)
Dbell Cleans, 3-4 sets with mini bands
Rows, 4-8 sets with bands
Hang Cleans, 3-4 sets with thick bar
Curls, 1-2 sets with bands
Abs

Friday: Off

Saturday: Off

 

[coolcolj]

looks good - I would do the hangcleans first man. That is what I dod, even on days when I bench and other stuff

doens't have to be heavy, just get the groove and feel going - nice warmup too. twice a weak for a few singles and doubles will help a bunch

for you doing clusters of singles and doubles is what you want

 

[b fold the truth]

Ok...doing them first is NOT an option. I want to be completely fresh for the speed bench/incline/jm press work.

2x per week? What about doing the 2.5" bar on Monday and the 3" bar on Thursday? Does that sound better? Any other exercise that I could do for a variation with the thick bar? Something that would give me a little grip work and not tax my legs/back/shoulders to the extent that it would affect my workout (both next day and the rest of that particular workout)?

Thanks...off to bed.

B True

B True

 

[coolcolj]

Well if you do them from the high hnag, just with a 2-3 inch dip then they won't taz you legs and back too much.

But the fact is any sort of olylift with do that, but becuase your doing from the hnag and TUT is low, plus with low reps, the impact is minimal, but your CNS will get worked, depends on how heavy you go. If you stay below 80% you should be fine, and go heavier every so often.

Sounds good what you said about the 2 different bar widths.
Variations? not sure what your getting at

 

[endpoint]

how many reps were you thinking?

 

[IronLion]

here is what I would do: Do a couple sets of ovehead squats with the 2.5'' bar on sun and wed before you dead or box squat, this will work your grip and get you used to having it above your head and warm you up at the same time. Thursday I would cut the db cleans and do 3x6 pulls from the floor then 3x6 pulls from all with the 3'' bar. Every two or three weeks focus on a different part of the progression.

 

[b fold the truth]

Sounds good what you said about the 2 different bar widths.
Variations? not sure what your getting at

Variations...like snatches, full clean, etc... I could even try some clean, jerk, and overhead squat combo sets...

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

how many reps were you thinking?

I was thinking in the light range of 5 reps or so. Like I said, I am not doing this to be hard...just adding some light grip volume to my routine and I may get a little trap/back work from it...

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

here is what I would do: Do a couple sets of ovehead squats with the 2.5'' bar on sun and wed before you dead or box squat, this will work your grip and get you used to having it above your head and warm you up at the same time. Thursday I would cut the db cleans and do 3x6 pulls from the floor then 3x6 pulls from all with the 3'' bar. Every two or three weeks focus on a different part of the progression.

Still...I will not do these or any other ol lift before my main exercise. The ME exercise and the box squat are far more important than the work with the thick bar.

The dbell cleans are for rotator cuffs...not like a dbell clean (OL style).

B True

 

[coolcolj]

Variations...like snatches, full clean, etc... I could even try some clean, jerk, and overhead squat combo sets...

B True

well I think the hang cleangrip powersnatch would be beneficial for you, lots of hip speed! Really teaches you to scoop the hips.
Feels awkard at first, but you will get it after a while.

as far as combo complexes go, the sky is the limit really. But then you'll be taxing you legs and lower back, shoulders which you don't want too.

 

[JollyRogers]

Useing the 3 & 2.5 bars, Curl & reverse that forearm till you can’t hold on anymore, drop down the weight till you can’t even do 1 with 5 lbs, do that, and do it again & again, you’ll make Popeye jealous.

 

[slobberknocker]

Variations...like snatches, full clean, etc... I could even try some clean, jerk, and overhead squat combo sets...

B True

Lately, I've been doing power cleans, clean and jerk, and snatches. They're a lot of fun to do. They're also really good conditioning, since they take so much out of you.


For cleans, I like 4x4 with 1.5-2 min. rest between sets. Afterwards, you'll definitely be fried. Bring an extra shirt or two with you on those days, lol.

 

[PlatnumKowboy]

Just out of curiousity B Fold I know in the comps you clean the bar then press it for reps but for your training with it do you clean press drop clean press drop or do you clean and rep press at home also?

 

[BigBadBootyDaddy29]

I would scrap the D-Bell cleans and do them after JM presses, right before tates.....you could even do them after your speed work, before inclines, when I start a workout with cleans, it never has a negative effect on my bench presses, squats, inclines, deadlifts, etc....BUT it may screw up speed bench due to how taxing they are, even with moderate weight in a 5 rep range....but definitely get rid of the dumbell cleans if you want my opinion.....and for variation, and a guy at your level will need all the variation in the world when it comes to cleans because they get stuck bad, do hang cleans one week, power shrugs the next, or power snatches one week, snatch-grip power shrugs the next.......if grip is your goal, you can even do high pulls with a clean or snatch grip, alternate weekly, or do 2 sets of each, even though a high pull uses the arms and a clean and snatch do not, if grip is your goal, the point is moot, it all works....power shrugs will really help you though, ideally you should be able to do a set of 5 power shrugs from the hang position with a load near your max deadlift, which in your case would be a ridiculous amount of weight, but it would fry your grip.

 

[guldukat]

Ok...doing them first is NOT an option. I want to be completely fresh for the speed bench/incline/jm press work.

Speaking of which...JM presses with up to 250?

You ARE a beast. Mein Gott!

This is a bit digressive, B Fold, but do you do any curls with the 3"? I cannot speak for you--you're probably in a wholly different situation as a strongman--but my grip is by far my weakest link.

I do not think you can have too strong of a grip, so as a supplementary exercise I'd toss in some thick-bar reverse curls. It might be that little bit of an edge you need in hang-cleaning the sucker...the tighter and longer you can hold on, the greater the control.

More to the point, I also agree with the idea of doing the HCs before DB cleans. If it's something you feel you need to improve, do it as early as you possibly can. I know you don't want to do them before your speed pressing, but is it necessarily set in stone that you must do every workout in an identical sequence? For example, week one, you could easily take care of your speed benches; week two, you could do the hangs first; and week three, you'd be speed benching again, or something along those lines.

You know to take that with a grain of salt I know next to nothing of strongman training. I actually hope to learn something of it from you!

Best of luck regardless. You'll kick ass.

 

[endpoint]

I was thinking in the light range of 5 reps or so. Like I said, I am not doing this to be hard...just adding some light grip volume to my routine and I may get a little trap/back work from it...

B True

3 sets of 5 sounds good to me.........maybe hold the bar for a few seconds before and after your sets...just to get more grip work in.

 

[skaman607]

Well if you do them from the high hnag, just with a 2-3 inch dip then they won't taz you legs and back too much.

What's the difference between the high hang, and the regular hang?

 

[coolcolj]

What's the difference between the high hang, and the regular hang?

shorter dip/ROM, thus higher hip speed required, and so lower TUT

very hard to muscle up, requires explosion and speed. hard to get your form wrong too

 

[b fold the truth]

Just out of curiousity B Fold I know in the comps you clean the bar then press it for reps but for your training with it do you clean press drop clean press drop or do you clean and rep press at home also?

I mostly do one clean and then press as many times as I can. The clean hurts my bicep tendons a great deal.

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

Speaking of which...JM presses with up to 250?

You ARE a beast. Mein Gott!

This is a bit digressive, B Fold, but do you do any curls with the 3"? I cannot speak for you--you're probably in a wholly different situation as a strongman--but my grip is by far my weakest link.

I do not think you can have too strong of a grip, so as a supplementary exercise I'd toss in some thick-bar reverse curls. It might be that little bit of an edge you need in hang-cleaning the sucker...the tighter and longer you can hold on, the greater the control.

More to the point, I also agree with the idea of doing the HCs before DB cleans. If it's something you feel you need to improve, do it as early as you possibly can. I know you don't want to do them before your speed pressing, but is it necessarily set in stone that you must do every workout in an identical sequence? For example, week one, you could easily take care of your speed benches; week two, you could do the hangs first; and week three, you'd be speed benching again, or something along those lines.

I did JM presses with 236 x 5...or was it 241.5 x 5 on Thursday...can't remember.

I believe in working the most important things first. I am not going to sacrifice the pressing strength or the squatting strength for a little grip work with a thick bar...it just doesn't make sense. It is like training your biceps intensely before doing deadlifts or barbell rows.

I am not for sure if people understand how thick a 3" bar really is. Remember that the THICK part of a regular bar is 2"...and the gripping part of a bar is 1 1/16. A 3" bar is HUGE!!!

B True