Question about Cleans

[LucSulla]

I am about to start another 12 weeks of a 5 x 5 routine, and cleans are going to be included at least one day. I am very interested in doing actual cleans as opposed to power cleans as I am getting more into the whole oly lifting things as I go along.

I have been practicing them a bit and am keenly aware that I am still more or less doing a power clean and then just doing a front squat instead of racking the bar on my chest while I am squatting. Any pointers at getting better at catching the weight while past parallel would be welcome. Also, is there any particular trick on adjusting where the bar is in your hands from the grip on the floor to when it is racked on the chest? I've noticed it ends up a bit further down the hand when I watch videos and am wondering if I might be gripping the bar too deeply in my palm at the beginning of the lift.

Thanks!

 

[musketeer]

Lots to comment on - may or may not apply to you:

are you spreading your feet when you dip under the bar (that's good)?
Are you getting a good high pull by using a double knee extension?
By the time I catch the bar it's not being gripped anymore, just in my front squat groove - if your trying to rack it with your fingers all around the bar then that could be it? - focus on getting your elbows high as you're catching and recovering.

Power clean instantly followed by a front squat will help to build the dynamic flexibility and strength, but not the form required for a full clean, so do plenty of light work - 15 to 20 sets of 3 in order to get good at the dip and catch sequence.

 

[[CinnamonBuns]]

dunno about anybody else but full cleans are the last thing iwant to do aftr a squat PR.
i would do powercleans, but not fulls. thats just me.
i do my full cleans at the beginning of my oly session, usualy.

 

[highlander555]

When you see people do cleans and the bar ends up lower on the hands when they rack it (as in near their finger tips, or maybe even with a few fingers hanging off) this is only a comfort issue. Some people (myself included) lack the propper wrist and tricep flexibility to be able to rack the weights on the meaty part of the deltoid while still bringing the elbows up and forward to facilitate a propper rack. As a result, some people have to allow the bar to move slightly toward the finger tips. It's mostly a flexibility and comfort issue, and if you can propperly rack the weight without doing it, then don't worry about it.

Try this to help transition to your full clean as opposed to the power clean/full squat:

At the end of your jumping phase (ie. you've kept your arms strait, fully extended your hips, back, knees, and even shrugged) get into the habbit of performing a stomp with both feet. You're going to have to pull both feet from the floor for a split second, and then forcefully stomp down. As you do this, you're body will pull itself further below the bar. The powerlifting pro's have just practiced this one little thing so much they can do this "stomp" well enough to pull themselves under the bar and rack it nearly the blink of an eye. This speed and fluidity (which comes from practice) is why they can catch it so low, allowing them to be able to use greater weights.

I suggest starting with a lighter weight than you may normally use in order to work on catching the bar lower and lower during the stomp.

With all that being said, unless you're training for a powerlifting competition and are more concerned with putting up numbers than you are working your muscles, I perfer the powerclean. Since you're not dipping so low, you have to generate more power to perform it, which works the muscles better.

But either way, good luck bro.

 

[musketeer]

Good advice but it's WEIGHTLIFTING not powerlifting.

 

[LucSulla]

Thanks for the advice! I can see where doing cleans after squats on heavy days could be a bitch. That will take a bit more consideration. Either way, these answers will help out.

 

[musketeer]

I do a 5x5 type using oly moves - usually 4 workouts per week instead of 3.

Sometimes just one oly move and two strength moves or vice versa, but the oly (expolsive/power) moves are always first:

Snatch 5 x 2
Bench 5 x 5
Front Squat 3 x 3

Powerclean 3 x 3
Jerk 5 x 2
Squat 5 x 5

Overhead Squat 5 x 3
Dip 3 x 10
Chin 3 x 10
Deadlift 5 x 5

Snatch 5 x 2
Clean 5 x 5
Press 5 x 5

Get the idea?

 

[LucSulla]

I do a 5x5 type using oly moves - usually 4 workouts per week instead of 3.

Sometimes just one oly move and two strength moves or vice versa, but the oly (expolsive/power) moves are always first:

Snatch 5 x 2
Bench 5 x 5
Front Squat 3 x 3

Powerclean 3 x 3
Jerk 5 x 2
Squat 5 x 5

Overhead Squat 5 x 3
Dip 3 x 10
Chin 3 x 10
Deadlift 5 x 5

Snatch 5 x 2
Clean 5 x 5
Press 5 x 5

Get the idea?

Yes. The delineation between explosive vs. power is a very helpful framework I hadn't considered, but I am still only three months into my recovery from splits addiction, haha.

 

[LucSulla]

I worked my ass off trying to get the power clean form right with light weight tonight and I still suck at them. I think I am going to have to start doing front squats a night a week to get my balance right for coming under the bar. Right now I either don't dip under if I do the second pull correctly, or I lean back dip under. Very frustrated, but I guess no one develops perfect form after one night of seriously trying to get better at doing them correctly.

 

[[CinnamonBuns]]

I worked my ass off trying to get the power clean form right with light weight tonight and I still suck at them. I think I am going to have to start doing front squats a night a week to get my balance right for coming under the bar. Right now I either don't dip under if I do the second pull correctly, or I lean back dip under. Very frustrated, but I guess no one develops perfect form after one night of seriously trying to get better at doing them correctly.

YouTube - Olympic Weightlifting Technique Vid-(1 of 2)
this video and its second part are very good
as are the gayle hatch videos, but their quality isnt as good.

keep practising

how light did you powerclean when working on technique? i find i have to be at least 40% of max to get the same kind of movements which replicate my heavy lifts

good luck