Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below hey fellas ...listen im on a new program and i calls to do power cleans and im not too sure how to execute them...i have a general idea but no sense in doing them if i am not completely positive how to.......can anyone please give me proper instruction on how to execute power cleans? thank u
power cleans...need some help
- Thread starter BGfreddie
- Start date
coolcolj
New member
Me doing em - form is not too bad
I've been critqued by an oly lifter and he says its fairly good, only thing is the timing of wrist snap in the 210lb single is a bit slow and I'm not finishing the pull, since I dip too early and the bar crashes down on me.
3.4 megs - Right click on link and save before viewing thanks
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj/Movies/CCJ_PowerCleanPR210_26Feb03.mpg
The WeighTrainer
How To Clean A Barbell
There is often a lot of confusion when it comes to proper technique in performing the Olympic-style pulling movements: The Squat Clean, Power Clean and High Pull. It's very true that these lifts are anything but simple. They usually require many weeks (maybe months) of practice and patience to get the movement down properly. But if they are performed incorrectly these lifts not only become dangerous but pointless. So read on, try to follow all the subtleties of proper technique and take your time in learning them. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. So start out light (probably ridiculously light) and don't even attempt to use heavy weights until you have the proper form down to the 'instinctive' level. It might frustrate you having to stick to light weights for what seems like forever, but if you try to progress in weight before your technique is solid you will regret it later (trust me).
It also, generally, isn't a wise move to try to learn the full pulling movement in one piece. Coaches usually have lifters learn the movement in simpler 'pieces' (usually exercises in themselves) and then string them together into a complete lift. I'll suggest such a sequence at the end of this article. But for now, let's look at how a proper pull should be done.
What Exactly Is A Clean?
A 'Clean' is when the bar is taken, in one continuous, fluid movement, from the floor to rest on the shoulders in front of the throat. Traditionally, this meant that the bar was not allowed to touch any part of the body (other than the hands, of course) during the lift until it came to rest on the shoulders - hence the term 'clean'. Any lift where the bar did come in contact with the body during the lift was not considered a 'clean' lift and was designated a 'continental'.
In order for the lifter to avoid touching his thighs to the bar during a 'clean' he must bend his arms when the bar passes the knees (trust me on that for now). This limits the power of the upward pull because the arms 'give' a bit (like shock absorbers) when the back and legs contract explosively to propel the weight upward (which they must do if the lift is to be successful). Bent arms don't transfer the power of the back, legs and hips very well.
So, Weightlifters began keeping their arms straighter during the clean, allowing the bar to come closer and closer to the thighs during the pull. Keeping the bar close to the body also provides much better leverage for lifting than allowing it to 'drift' outwards. The bar, on most lifts, came so close to the body, and the lifts performed so quickly, that judges really couldn't tell if the bar had touched the body at any point or not. Eventually, Weightlifting rules changed to accomodate this 'touching' by allowing the bar to touch the body but not to come to rest on any part of it before the bar reaches the shoulders. Also, the bar is not allowed to travel back downwards once the lift has begun. This is what a 'clean' means today - the bar can touch the body along the way up but cannot rest on it at any place and the bar cannot reverse direction once the lift has begun.
Most of you are not concerned with the technical rules of Weightlifting but are interested in developing strength, power and muscle size. Well, it just so happens that the modern-style Weightlifting Clean, and its variations, are some of the most effective lifts for producing power, explosiveness and agility simultaneously. In essence, the rules have evolved from their original form only to facilitate the demonstration and development of these attributes.
Performing The First Part Of The Clean: The Pull
The pull is broken down into several stages, I will use the traditional North American approach (which is most appropriate for a learning cleaner) and break the pull into two stages: the 'first pull' and the 'second pull'.
The First Pull
The 'first pull' is the act of taking the bar from the floor to a point just above the knees, where the 'second pull' begins. The lifter begins by squatting down and grabbing the bar tightly with an overhand grip (we'll look at an alternate gripping style later). The feet should be roughly shoulder-width apart and the hands a little wider than that. The hips should be lower than the shoulders but higher than the hips (we'll get into more detail about that later). The back should be arched slightly or, at least, be held straight. The traps and shoulders should be partially contracted and 'tight' but they should not be pulled back (shrugged). The arms should be held straight with the elbows pointing out to the sides, NOT pointing back behind you. The bar should be very close to the shins (even brushing them lightly), with the shoulders directly above or slightly in front of the bar.
Only once the lifter is in proper position does the actual first pull begin. The lifter slowly extends the legs, smoothly lifting the weight of the floor, NOT yanking it suddenly. The back and hips simply hold their position during this phase. The back remains bent at the same angle to the floor, only the legs extend (straighten). The elbows, shoulders and lower back all maintain the 'tensed' positions that they had before the bar was lifted and the shoulders remain directly above the bar or slightly in front of it.. Again, only the legs extend. When this is done correctly the bar will travel very closely to the shins on the way up and very closely when it passes the knees (the knees move out of the way because the legs are straightening).
How to adjust your hip height at the start: If you have to 'lean' back to keep the bar close to your legs during the first pull then you never had your hips low enough when you got in position at the start. If you feel your balance back on your heels or the bar scrapping heavily along your shins (and you would have to lean forward to stop this from happening) then your hips were too low at the start. If you feel your balance shift to your toes then you are not carrying the bar close enough to your shins. At the end of the first pull the bar should be just past your knees, somewhere along the lower 1/4 to 1/3 of your thighs. If it is lower than this then your hips were too high at the start. If it is higher than this then your hips were too low at the start.
The shoulders must remain directly above or slightly in front of the bar at all times. At this point your legs should be nearly straight (this will be discussed later). Now the second pull begins.
The Second Pull
To start the second pull you should be in the last position described above. Your shoulders should be slightly in front of or directly above the bar with your elbows pointing out from your sides. Your shoulders should be 'tight' but not shrugged and your lower back should remain 'set' with a slight arch or straight. The bar should be at the height of somewhere along the lower 1/4 to 1/3 of your thighs. Now, WITHOUT ANY PAUSE, the back is 'whipped' backwards while the hips are thrust forward explosively. This results in the torso straightening rapidly but the bar remains very close to the body. In fact, in most lifters the thighs will come in direct contact (sometimes forcefully) with the bar when the hips are thrust forward - the point of contact with the bar is generally somewhere above the upper 1/2 level of the thighs. If the bar does not remain VERY close to the body as it travels up the thighs then the hips were not thrust forward and the lifter merely whipped his upper body backwards, pivoting at the hips. In order for the lifter to thrust his hips forward during this stage either the legs had to be significantly bent at the start of the second pull (the end of the first pull) or the lifter must rebend them just before the explosion of the second pull begins - immediately before the upper body is whipped backwards and the hips are thrust forward. This is the so-called 'double knee bend' phenomenon, so named because the knees are rebent after having already been straightened to a greater degree. You should note that the amount that a lifter straightens his legs at the end of the first pull is a factor determined by his own individual body mechanics (bone lengths, etc.).
Think about it: if the legs are straight and the upper body is pulled backwards the bar cannot remain close to the body. The only way the bar can remain close to the body is if the hips are simultaneously thrust forward as the upper body is whipped backwards - and the only way the hips can be thrust forward is if the legs are bent in the first place.
This means that lifters who straighten their legs significantly at the end of the first pull have to rebend their knees again before the 'explosion' (the sudden contraction of the lower back and forward thrust of the hips) of the second pull. This rebending of the legs usually occurs as a by-product of the lifter keeping the bar CLOSE to the body during the second pull. In fact, most lifters are unaware that they are even doing it. In their minds they are simply concentrating on keeping the bar close to their bodies and making the transition from first to second pull as smoothly and seemlessly as possible. In truth, if the bar is to be keep close, and the hips thrust forward the rebend will have to occur (unless the legs are bent enough to begin with).
No matter the degree of knee rebend, the purpose of this phase of the second pull is not to yank the bar backwards with your lower back, or to slam your thighs against the bar (thus driving it forward). The purpose is to impart as much upward acceleration into the bar as possible. This maximum upward acceleration is accomplished by the coordinated explosion of the lower back, hips and legs, NOT by pulling with the arms. The arms merely connect the shoulders to the bar, transferring the power from those bigger muscles like steel cables. When the body is fully extended (erect) the lifter shrugs his shoulders violently upwards and may raise on his toes, further imparting upward force into the bar. The pull is now essentially finished. Note that the back, shoulders, arms and traps (until the very end, when they shrug explosively) have maintained their rigid 'set' positions throughout the entire pull - right from the floor. At no point should the arch in the back be allowed to 'give'. If it does the lift will lose a great deal of its power.
Notice that up until now the arms have not bent at all and have not been used in any way (other than serving to connect the shoulders to the bar) to exert force on the bar. They merely transfer the power from the hips, back, legs and traps to the bar.
Keep in mind that the entire sequence of the second pull is done very quickly whereas the first pull is done more slowly. The idea is to impart maximum speed and acceleration into the bar at the point when the lifter's body is at its maximum extension and the second pull is completed. The transition from the first to second pull is done smoothly, NOT abruptly - there should be NO CONCEIVABLE PAUSE between the two - at no time does the upward motion of the bar stop. The entire sequence of the pull looks like one single, smooth lift (and in fact, it is).
So now we have the lifter on his toes to some degree, shoulders shrugged, arms straight and the bar continuing to travel upwards under its own momentum. Now the lifter must bend his arms; not to pull the bar further but simply to allow the bar to continue to travel upward unobstructed. The arms are bent with the elbows pointing out to the sides, NOT backwards (this isn't a Reverse Curl!). Exactly what happens now depends on the lift that the lifter wishes to perform.
The Power Clean
For a Power Clean the lifter would let the bar continue to travel upward under its own momentum and then QUICKLY whip his elbows under the bar and catch the bar across the front delts (called 'racking' the bar). For this the front delts must be held high and forward, otherwise the bar will smash across the clavicles. So now the elbows are in front of the bar and pointing forward. The elbows should be held high, not down in front. This will help the lift in several ways. For one, it will help the lifter maintain balance with the bar and control the bar's tendency to tip forward. Secondly, it's much easier on the wrists because they don't have to bend backwards as much when the elbows are high in front. And third, the very act of whipping the elbows high helps the lifter achieve the very important arch in the upper back that is necessary to maintain balance and power in the lift. If the upper back is allowed to round forward the lifter will struggle with balance.
The legs are bent upon receiving the bar on the shoulders to absorb some of the shock on the spine from catching the weight. The lifter SHOULD NOT lean back to catch the bar - this is very dangerous to the spine. The back should be held straight with a slight arch - the legs absorb the impact. With heavier weights it is permissible for the lifter to quickly dip down (by bending his knees) and catch the bar (rack it) across the shoulders. This allows a heavier weight to be used because it doesn't have to be pulled as high. Regardless of the dip, or no dip, the back is held 'tight' and slightly arched (or at least straight) right from when the bar leaves the floor until it is caught on the shoulders.
Copyright © 2000 The WeighTrainer
All rights reserved
I've been critqued by an oly lifter and he says its fairly good, only thing is the timing of wrist snap in the 210lb single is a bit slow and I'm not finishing the pull, since I dip too early and the bar crashes down on me.
3.4 megs - Right click on link and save before viewing thanks
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj/Movies/CCJ_PowerCleanPR210_26Feb03.mpg
The WeighTrainer
How To Clean A Barbell
There is often a lot of confusion when it comes to proper technique in performing the Olympic-style pulling movements: The Squat Clean, Power Clean and High Pull. It's very true that these lifts are anything but simple. They usually require many weeks (maybe months) of practice and patience to get the movement down properly. But if they are performed incorrectly these lifts not only become dangerous but pointless. So read on, try to follow all the subtleties of proper technique and take your time in learning them. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. So start out light (probably ridiculously light) and don't even attempt to use heavy weights until you have the proper form down to the 'instinctive' level. It might frustrate you having to stick to light weights for what seems like forever, but if you try to progress in weight before your technique is solid you will regret it later (trust me).
It also, generally, isn't a wise move to try to learn the full pulling movement in one piece. Coaches usually have lifters learn the movement in simpler 'pieces' (usually exercises in themselves) and then string them together into a complete lift. I'll suggest such a sequence at the end of this article. But for now, let's look at how a proper pull should be done.
What Exactly Is A Clean?
A 'Clean' is when the bar is taken, in one continuous, fluid movement, from the floor to rest on the shoulders in front of the throat. Traditionally, this meant that the bar was not allowed to touch any part of the body (other than the hands, of course) during the lift until it came to rest on the shoulders - hence the term 'clean'. Any lift where the bar did come in contact with the body during the lift was not considered a 'clean' lift and was designated a 'continental'.
In order for the lifter to avoid touching his thighs to the bar during a 'clean' he must bend his arms when the bar passes the knees (trust me on that for now). This limits the power of the upward pull because the arms 'give' a bit (like shock absorbers) when the back and legs contract explosively to propel the weight upward (which they must do if the lift is to be successful). Bent arms don't transfer the power of the back, legs and hips very well.
So, Weightlifters began keeping their arms straighter during the clean, allowing the bar to come closer and closer to the thighs during the pull. Keeping the bar close to the body also provides much better leverage for lifting than allowing it to 'drift' outwards. The bar, on most lifts, came so close to the body, and the lifts performed so quickly, that judges really couldn't tell if the bar had touched the body at any point or not. Eventually, Weightlifting rules changed to accomodate this 'touching' by allowing the bar to touch the body but not to come to rest on any part of it before the bar reaches the shoulders. Also, the bar is not allowed to travel back downwards once the lift has begun. This is what a 'clean' means today - the bar can touch the body along the way up but cannot rest on it at any place and the bar cannot reverse direction once the lift has begun.
Most of you are not concerned with the technical rules of Weightlifting but are interested in developing strength, power and muscle size. Well, it just so happens that the modern-style Weightlifting Clean, and its variations, are some of the most effective lifts for producing power, explosiveness and agility simultaneously. In essence, the rules have evolved from their original form only to facilitate the demonstration and development of these attributes.
Performing The First Part Of The Clean: The Pull
The pull is broken down into several stages, I will use the traditional North American approach (which is most appropriate for a learning cleaner) and break the pull into two stages: the 'first pull' and the 'second pull'.
The First Pull
The 'first pull' is the act of taking the bar from the floor to a point just above the knees, where the 'second pull' begins. The lifter begins by squatting down and grabbing the bar tightly with an overhand grip (we'll look at an alternate gripping style later). The feet should be roughly shoulder-width apart and the hands a little wider than that. The hips should be lower than the shoulders but higher than the hips (we'll get into more detail about that later). The back should be arched slightly or, at least, be held straight. The traps and shoulders should be partially contracted and 'tight' but they should not be pulled back (shrugged). The arms should be held straight with the elbows pointing out to the sides, NOT pointing back behind you. The bar should be very close to the shins (even brushing them lightly), with the shoulders directly above or slightly in front of the bar.
Only once the lifter is in proper position does the actual first pull begin. The lifter slowly extends the legs, smoothly lifting the weight of the floor, NOT yanking it suddenly. The back and hips simply hold their position during this phase. The back remains bent at the same angle to the floor, only the legs extend (straighten). The elbows, shoulders and lower back all maintain the 'tensed' positions that they had before the bar was lifted and the shoulders remain directly above the bar or slightly in front of it.. Again, only the legs extend. When this is done correctly the bar will travel very closely to the shins on the way up and very closely when it passes the knees (the knees move out of the way because the legs are straightening).
How to adjust your hip height at the start: If you have to 'lean' back to keep the bar close to your legs during the first pull then you never had your hips low enough when you got in position at the start. If you feel your balance back on your heels or the bar scrapping heavily along your shins (and you would have to lean forward to stop this from happening) then your hips were too low at the start. If you feel your balance shift to your toes then you are not carrying the bar close enough to your shins. At the end of the first pull the bar should be just past your knees, somewhere along the lower 1/4 to 1/3 of your thighs. If it is lower than this then your hips were too high at the start. If it is higher than this then your hips were too low at the start.
The shoulders must remain directly above or slightly in front of the bar at all times. At this point your legs should be nearly straight (this will be discussed later). Now the second pull begins.
The Second Pull
To start the second pull you should be in the last position described above. Your shoulders should be slightly in front of or directly above the bar with your elbows pointing out from your sides. Your shoulders should be 'tight' but not shrugged and your lower back should remain 'set' with a slight arch or straight. The bar should be at the height of somewhere along the lower 1/4 to 1/3 of your thighs. Now, WITHOUT ANY PAUSE, the back is 'whipped' backwards while the hips are thrust forward explosively. This results in the torso straightening rapidly but the bar remains very close to the body. In fact, in most lifters the thighs will come in direct contact (sometimes forcefully) with the bar when the hips are thrust forward - the point of contact with the bar is generally somewhere above the upper 1/2 level of the thighs. If the bar does not remain VERY close to the body as it travels up the thighs then the hips were not thrust forward and the lifter merely whipped his upper body backwards, pivoting at the hips. In order for the lifter to thrust his hips forward during this stage either the legs had to be significantly bent at the start of the second pull (the end of the first pull) or the lifter must rebend them just before the explosion of the second pull begins - immediately before the upper body is whipped backwards and the hips are thrust forward. This is the so-called 'double knee bend' phenomenon, so named because the knees are rebent after having already been straightened to a greater degree. You should note that the amount that a lifter straightens his legs at the end of the first pull is a factor determined by his own individual body mechanics (bone lengths, etc.).
Think about it: if the legs are straight and the upper body is pulled backwards the bar cannot remain close to the body. The only way the bar can remain close to the body is if the hips are simultaneously thrust forward as the upper body is whipped backwards - and the only way the hips can be thrust forward is if the legs are bent in the first place.
This means that lifters who straighten their legs significantly at the end of the first pull have to rebend their knees again before the 'explosion' (the sudden contraction of the lower back and forward thrust of the hips) of the second pull. This rebending of the legs usually occurs as a by-product of the lifter keeping the bar CLOSE to the body during the second pull. In fact, most lifters are unaware that they are even doing it. In their minds they are simply concentrating on keeping the bar close to their bodies and making the transition from first to second pull as smoothly and seemlessly as possible. In truth, if the bar is to be keep close, and the hips thrust forward the rebend will have to occur (unless the legs are bent enough to begin with).
No matter the degree of knee rebend, the purpose of this phase of the second pull is not to yank the bar backwards with your lower back, or to slam your thighs against the bar (thus driving it forward). The purpose is to impart as much upward acceleration into the bar as possible. This maximum upward acceleration is accomplished by the coordinated explosion of the lower back, hips and legs, NOT by pulling with the arms. The arms merely connect the shoulders to the bar, transferring the power from those bigger muscles like steel cables. When the body is fully extended (erect) the lifter shrugs his shoulders violently upwards and may raise on his toes, further imparting upward force into the bar. The pull is now essentially finished. Note that the back, shoulders, arms and traps (until the very end, when they shrug explosively) have maintained their rigid 'set' positions throughout the entire pull - right from the floor. At no point should the arch in the back be allowed to 'give'. If it does the lift will lose a great deal of its power.
Notice that up until now the arms have not bent at all and have not been used in any way (other than serving to connect the shoulders to the bar) to exert force on the bar. They merely transfer the power from the hips, back, legs and traps to the bar.
Keep in mind that the entire sequence of the second pull is done very quickly whereas the first pull is done more slowly. The idea is to impart maximum speed and acceleration into the bar at the point when the lifter's body is at its maximum extension and the second pull is completed. The transition from the first to second pull is done smoothly, NOT abruptly - there should be NO CONCEIVABLE PAUSE between the two - at no time does the upward motion of the bar stop. The entire sequence of the pull looks like one single, smooth lift (and in fact, it is).
So now we have the lifter on his toes to some degree, shoulders shrugged, arms straight and the bar continuing to travel upwards under its own momentum. Now the lifter must bend his arms; not to pull the bar further but simply to allow the bar to continue to travel upward unobstructed. The arms are bent with the elbows pointing out to the sides, NOT backwards (this isn't a Reverse Curl!). Exactly what happens now depends on the lift that the lifter wishes to perform.
The Power Clean
For a Power Clean the lifter would let the bar continue to travel upward under its own momentum and then QUICKLY whip his elbows under the bar and catch the bar across the front delts (called 'racking' the bar). For this the front delts must be held high and forward, otherwise the bar will smash across the clavicles. So now the elbows are in front of the bar and pointing forward. The elbows should be held high, not down in front. This will help the lift in several ways. For one, it will help the lifter maintain balance with the bar and control the bar's tendency to tip forward. Secondly, it's much easier on the wrists because they don't have to bend backwards as much when the elbows are high in front. And third, the very act of whipping the elbows high helps the lifter achieve the very important arch in the upper back that is necessary to maintain balance and power in the lift. If the upper back is allowed to round forward the lifter will struggle with balance.
The legs are bent upon receiving the bar on the shoulders to absorb some of the shock on the spine from catching the weight. The lifter SHOULD NOT lean back to catch the bar - this is very dangerous to the spine. The back should be held straight with a slight arch - the legs absorb the impact. With heavier weights it is permissible for the lifter to quickly dip down (by bending his knees) and catch the bar (rack it) across the shoulders. This allows a heavier weight to be used because it doesn't have to be pulled as high. Regardless of the dip, or no dip, the back is held 'tight' and slightly arched (or at least straight) right from when the bar leaves the floor until it is caught on the shoulders.
Copyright © 2000 The WeighTrainer
All rights reserved
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