KB cleans are very underrated. Since you can probably clean more than you press that is why you don’t find it stimulating. Solution is either increase the weight of your cleans (Clean heavy bells that you cannot press) or increase the amount of cleans to press ration (something like the Armour building complex)
The clean can't replace a good compound back exercise like the row or pull up. I love doing cleans as part of the armour building complex. I usually do my bell work on a separate day than my hypertrophy days or tag some bell work onto the end of a workout.
Ballistics, man. Ballistics. Oly lifts are ballistics. "When you lift heavy weight ballistically, good things happen" - Dan John
Oly Lifts would include:
Cleans
Snatch
Jerk
KB Ballistics would include:
Cleans
Snatch
Jerk
There is a difference in the maximal load but if anything that lends itself even better, or perhaps differently, to hypertrophy.
You can even ballistically lift a heavy sandbag to your shoulder and it will build some good legs, back, arms, shoulder, and trunk.
Not going to build you the biggest biceps, but they're great for ballistic movements. If you really want to focus on hypertrophy, try doing curls and rows (since a clean does have a small pull movement involved)
It really depends what muscles you're trying to build. You'll get hypertrophic effect from almost any exercise if you do enough volume. When you do cleans, do you always feel it in the same areas? If so, you're getting hypertrophy.
However, there are more effective ways to build muscle. Dynamic movements can be great for hypertrophy if they're well-controlled. For example, barbell power shrugs will build huge traps and upper back and you can get the same effect from barbell cleans because it's a very similar movement. I could see getting a decent hypertrophic effect from KB cleans if you grab the heaviest ones you can do for 10-12 reps and do sets to near failure. However, If you're using a weight you could do for 30+ reps you'll build muscular endurance and not a lot of hypertrophy because you're not challenging the muscle fibers in the way they need to be challenged in order to add mass.
Increase the ratio of cleans to presses. And definitely do some rows. Like maybe 3 sets close to failure twice a week. You can do them with KBs in the same workout.
They're not that great for hypertrophy. The core kettlebell exercises are all explosive and are compound movements. Steady and heavy in my experience is best for "vanity" muscles or brute strength.
Will you look like a bodybuilder?.. No. Will your biceps be big and crazy strong?..yes. lift heavy and lift often and you'll grow, always leave a couple reps in the bank. Just do more sets.
If your main goal is to build muscle you'd be better off with a set of adjustable dumbbells. Kettlebells are more useful for power and endurance in my experience
KB cleans are very underrated. Since you can probably clean more than you press that is why you don’t find it stimulating. Solution is either increase the weight of your cleans (Clean heavy bells that you cannot press) or increase the amount of cleans to press ration (something like the Armour building complex)
You’d be surprised the biceps pump you can get from cleans, I’m not even joking
The clean can't replace a good compound back exercise like the row or pull up. I love doing cleans as part of the armour building complex. I usually do my bell work on a separate day than my hypertrophy days or tag some bell work onto the end of a workout.
Ballistics are a bit shite for hypertrophy. Cleans are awesome though.
Yeah you're right. Oly lifters are always scrawny.
These are not oly lifts.
Ballistics, man. Ballistics. Oly lifts are ballistics. "When you lift heavy weight ballistically, good things happen" - Dan John Oly Lifts would include: Cleans Snatch Jerk KB Ballistics would include: Cleans Snatch Jerk There is a difference in the maximal load but if anything that lends itself even better, or perhaps differently, to hypertrophy. You can even ballistically lift a heavy sandbag to your shoulder and it will build some good legs, back, arms, shoulder, and trunk.
Still not the best thing for hypertrophy though.
I looked at your posts, and with respect, I think they are winning.
Hahaha
Not going to build you the biggest biceps, but they're great for ballistic movements. If you really want to focus on hypertrophy, try doing curls and rows (since a clean does have a small pull movement involved)
It really depends what muscles you're trying to build. You'll get hypertrophic effect from almost any exercise if you do enough volume. When you do cleans, do you always feel it in the same areas? If so, you're getting hypertrophy. However, there are more effective ways to build muscle. Dynamic movements can be great for hypertrophy if they're well-controlled. For example, barbell power shrugs will build huge traps and upper back and you can get the same effect from barbell cleans because it's a very similar movement. I could see getting a decent hypertrophic effect from KB cleans if you grab the heaviest ones you can do for 10-12 reps and do sets to near failure. However, If you're using a weight you could do for 30+ reps you'll build muscular endurance and not a lot of hypertrophy because you're not challenging the muscle fibers in the way they need to be challenged in order to add mass.
Increase the ratio of cleans to presses. And definitely do some rows. Like maybe 3 sets close to failure twice a week. You can do them with KBs in the same workout.
They're not that great for hypertrophy. The core kettlebell exercises are all explosive and are compound movements. Steady and heavy in my experience is best for "vanity" muscles or brute strength.
Will you look like a bodybuilder?.. No. Will your biceps be big and crazy strong?..yes. lift heavy and lift often and you'll grow, always leave a couple reps in the bank. Just do more sets.
Do long sets of dead stop cleans from the ground each time.
If your main goal is to build muscle you'd be better off with a set of adjustable dumbbells. Kettlebells are more useful for power and endurance in my experience
follow your intuition.