Best Exercise For Athletes

If I had to choose the single most effective and efficient exercise for training athletes and those concerned with human performance it would be...drum roll please...the Clean & Press (or Clean & Jerk, very similar). Here are five reasons why this exercise is so great:

1. Develops great power. 
Executing the Clean movement requires speed and strength. This combination of strength-speed is what we've come to recognize as power: the ability to produce the greatest amount of force in the shortest amount of time. Athletes need to develop high amounts of power to be successful, especially in contact sports.

2. Enhances Speed.
Whether the Clean is performed from the Hang position (at the top of the knees) or from the floor, the movement requires explosive triple extension of the ankles, knees and hips. This triple extension is the exact biomechanical movement that occurs when the legs push off the ground to generate force and propel an athlete while running. Using the Clean regularly can help improve an athletes ability to accelerate and reach high rates of top end speed.


3. Improves Coordination
Asking the body to rapidly and effectively coordinate the body to safely do the clean and press develops great athletic coordination. The clean and press is extremely useful for developing the complex neuromuscular coordination required by sports.


4. Total Body Movement
Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves, Back, Shoulders and Core: not much missing from this list of muscles. The clean and press is a complete total body movement that requires strength, power and stability from the bottom up. You won't get a more complete single lift anywhere else.

5. Improves Core Strength
Maintaining posture during the pulling phase of the clean, the rack position and the pressing overhead makes the clean and press an exercise that develops unrivaled core strength. This work is especially important for athletes who play contact sports given that a strong core helps stabilize the body and absorb body blows from other players.

Here's a video demo I did on the Hang Clean for NBCLA: