The mountainous biceps might have deflated somewhat since his Mr Olympia days, but at 75, Arnold Schwarzenegger still takes his training seriously – as any one of his 4 million Instagram followers, 5.9 million TikTok devotees or 400k plus newsletter subscribers will know well.
Today, the actor, author and perennial fitness icon trains as much for health and longevity as he does for muscle maintenance. But if anyone know which gym moves truly deliver on all counts, it’s Arnie.
In Men’s Health's July issue, Schwarzenegger reveals his favourite exercise of all time: ‘If you do one thing, clean and press,’ he says. ‘It covers everything.’
It’s not exactly an entry-level movement, but it is one worth mastering. Combining both a ‘pull’ and a ‘push’ move, the clean and press can help you add strength and size to your arms, abs, shoulders, back and legs. It’s also challenging enough to get your heart pumping, boosting your cardiovascular fitness, while honing the sort of functional strength and power that has carry-over to many of your other go-to gym exercises.
You can perform the move with a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell. Start with a light weight and build up as you gain confidence.
How to Perform a Barbell Clean and Press
- Stand over the barbell with feet slightly wider than hip width. Keeping your back straight and shoulders back and down, squat to grab the bar with an overhand grip, arms straight.
- In one swift movement, pull the bar upwards as you stand, keeping it close to your body; as the bar passes your knees, shrug your shoulders and pull the bar up forcefully, dropping underneath it. Catch the bar across your shoulders with elbows high and sink into a squat.
- Push up through your heels and extend your arms to press the barbell above your head, locking out your arms at the top.
- Lower it safely to your shoulders and drop it back to the floor while maintaining a straight back throughout.
