Should You Stop Doing The Kettlebell Clean and Press?

👉 https://salutis.kartra.com/page/giant-x

👉 And if you really want to “step it up a notch,” challenge yourself to learn how to do the Clean + Jerk.

https://go.chasingstrength.com/kettlebell-rmf-2022/

Can you limit your ‘GAINZ’ from doing TOO MUCH Clean + Press? (Or too many Clean + Presses?)

According to the Law of Accommodation, you can.

It states:

The adaptation response diminishes over time through exposure to a repeated stimulus.

In other words, if all you do is X, then X ceases to have a positive impact on you.

You can make phenomenal gains from doing “just” Clean + Presses.

For long periods of time.

But NOT if you do the “same” workout all the time.

Something must change - the stimulus must change.

But how do you balance the Law of Accommodation with the SAID Principle?

The SAID Principle is “Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand”.

In other words, you get what you train for… You have to practice the “skill of strength” to get stronger.

A “dilly of a pickle” to quote Ned Flanders.

Well, consider changing the following:

The load

The reps

The sets

The rest periods

The tempo of the exercise (slow negative on the Press, for example)

The order (All Cleans, then Presses - a complex)

Or, you can change the exercise altogether and use “specialized variety” - similar exercises “in the same family” that train the same muscles, but with a different stimulus.

For example:

Clean →

Bottoms Up Clean

High Pull

Double Swing

Press →

Bottoms Up Press

Push Press

Jerk

Press w/ super-slow negative

1 ¼ Press

V-Sit Press

Sots Press

See-Saw Press

As you can see, there’s lots of variety in there - admittedly more in the Press than the Clean, but a lot nonetheless.

So, if your progress has stalled, start manipulating one or more of those variables.

Or, you can grab a copy of ‘THE GIANT X’ where I’ve done all that for you.

You’ll still put heavy weight over your head.

And you’ll still build a stronger Press and more muscular upper body.

And you’ll still “build a bigger engine.”

You just won’t have to try to figure it out by yourself.

Stay Strong,

Geoff