power clean help

[musketeer]

POWER PULLS:

get in a squat rack with the bar resting at midthigh, so you bend your knees and lower your self about 4-6 inches to grap the bar. Use explosive hip strength followed by a powerful shoulder shrug to move the bar straight up about 12-16inches ino your lower chest.

 

[BiggT]

I find a good way to learn how to catch properly is to clean from the floor and catch in the power position (1/4 front squat), then from that position perform a front squat. This always elimates a beginner's tendency to jump "out" to catch the weight. The feet will come apart slightly, but the hips go back though, you do not want to jump out to catch the bar.

Basically, the pull from the floor is smooth and straight up until the bar reaches about mid thigh and the knees are all but straight, then still smooth, you perform a Romanian Deadlift until upright, at that point there is a slight rebending of the knees and you perform a jump shrug, you rise onto the toes and the momentum from the shrug will carry the bar upwards if you relax the elbows. Once the bar reaches the desired height, for me it is around the belly button, I try to imagine the bar suspended there in mid-air and I pull myself down underneath the bar whipping my elbows around catching/racking the bar.

I always recommend pulling from the floor instead of the hang. Pulling from a hang or pulling off blocks is excellent to address a weakness in your pull at that point, but I advise learning how to squat clean first.

Again, if you're new to cleaning, start with a power clean, pause for a second, and do a front squat without readjusting the feet. This should eliminate the common tendency to jump out to catch the bar.

 

[Jim Ouini]

In addition to the excellent advice from the guys who actually powerclean, here's something that I bookmarked awhile back:

http://www.southsideweightlifting.co.uk/Clean Tech.htm

 

[musketeer]

I find a good way to learn how to catch properly is to clean from the floor and catch in the power position (1/4 front squat), then from that position perform a front squat. This always elimates a beginner's tendency to jump "out" to catch the weight. The feet will come apart slightly, but the hips go back though, you do not want to jump out to catch the bar.

Basically, the pull from the floor is smooth and straight up until the bar reaches about mid thigh and the knees are all but straight, then still smooth, you perform a Romanian Deadlift until upright, at that point there is a slight rebending of the knees and you perform a jump shrug, you rise onto the toes and the momentum from the shrug will carry the bar upwards if you relax the elbows. Once the bar reaches the desired height, for me it is around the belly button, I try to imagine the bar suspended there in mid-air and I pull myself down underneath the bar whipping my elbows around catching/racking the bar.

I always recommend pulling from the floor instead of the hang. Pulling from a hang or pulling off blocks is excellent to address a weakness in your pull at that point, but I advise learning how to squat clean first.

Again, if you're new to cleaning, start with a power clean, pause for a second, and do a front squat without readjusting the feet. This should eliminate the common tendency to jump out to catch the bar.

Great advice!

DEEP front squats (on their own too) are great for improving the clean, obviously, use an oly grip!

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

wow! some great stuff in here! looks like i need to work those squat cleans a lot more, because i know i was doing a forward leaning curl to force it around. my racking was bad too, it was more of a rest on the hands instead of on the shoulders. if i werent so sore i would give it a try tonight. my traps gots the DOMS all the way up my neck. im gonna be swole!

aww man, i dont have cleans till friday....

 

[BiggT]

wow! some great stuff in here! looks like i need to work those squat cleans a lot more, because i know i was doing a forward leaning curl to force it around. my racking was bad too, it was more of a rest on the hands instead of on the shoulders. if i werent so sore i would give it a try tonight. my traps gots the DOMS all the way up my neck. im gonna be swole!

aww man, i dont have cleans till friday....

It just takes a little time, man. Becoming proficient in the olympic lifts is not as hard as some people make it out to be, but they are still technically demanding lifts, once you master the form, you can hit them often, as there is no negative part of the rep to cause excessive soreness. Practice them like you would a sport if you like, you'll only become more proficient.

By the way, I never mentioned it before, but your handle kicks ass.

 

[Tagio]

It just takes a little time, man. Becoming proficient in the olympic lifts is not as hard as some people make it out to be, but they are still technically demanding lifts, once you master the form, you can hit them often, as there is no negative part of the rep to cause excessive soreness. Practice them like you would a sport if you like, you'll only become more proficient.

By the way, I never mentioned it before, but your handle kicks ass.

i agree. you can definitely learn them on your own. I learned them by watching and reading stuff on the internet, and when i got together with an oly coach he told me my form was good (not perfect by any stretch, but good).

and practicing with a bar or 65 lbs you could do every day if you wanted, and it helps with form in my experience.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

I am toying with the idea of combining my squat and powerclean on friday, as per your suggestion biggt. I dont think my system could handle heavy power cleans into front squats five times in a set. That is pretty taxing work! I'll try at least two sets of five at 65lbs and if my form feels comfortable I will bump up the weight.

Practice it like a sport eh? Im kinda looking foward to bunnyhopping my trials bike on friday, and seeing how high I can get with a few cleans under my belt. I could see these getting easy to rip out all the time, just like a dang bunnyhop.

Most people my age dont know who John Holmes is. I bet he couldnt run very fast without tripping.

 

[coolcolj]

try sets of 2 or 3.....

 

[musketeer]

try sets of 2 or 3.....

Yeah, just what I was thinking! Do 5 sets of 2 instead of 2 sets of 5!