Whats a good way to get the powerclean up?

[DavidJr74]

I'm pretty new to Power Cleaning. I just recently fixed my form (by using hook grip and keeping arms locked) and my Power Clean jumped from 120 to 160.

So I started doing 5x3 with 135 pounds. And then every workout I added 5 pounds. I got to 155 pounds and couldn't complete 2 reps on the first set. I added 5 pounds every workout.

Am I better off using lighter weight; like 95 pounds and just exploding?

[raffiki]

What you did was fine. Try doing 5x2 and starting with 140.

Your squat and deadlift will need to come up also.

[madaozeki]

At your height, weight, and strength level (deadlift), your power clean should be quite a bit higher, which means you probably still are having form issues. Post a video if possible so we can see what's going on. Also, listen to raffiki and improve that squat!

Also, again as Raffiki said, stick to doubles in the power clean. Your form will deteriorate with each subsequent rep, so keep 'em low so you're fresh, explosive, and benefitting the most from them.

[acquadiice]

bench - 315
dead - 435
squat - 365

power clean - 185?

height 5'9
weight 209lbs

whats wrong?

[Marc27Default]

bench - 315
dead - 435
squat - 365

power clean - 185?

height 5'9
weight 209lbs

whats wrong?

Given your squat you should be able to powerclean at least 255ish. 185 is low for your strength. You are likely having technique issues.

[DavidJr74]

Thanks. I'll do 5x2 now. I can't post a video right now; I'll be being the equipment soon once I get this new job.

Just 2 things I gotta work on is getting my hips parallel and getting the elbows up. I don't know how these people who powerclean so much manager to get there elbows so high.

Is your grip shoulder width or a little more then shoulderwidth? As for the squat I'm starting smolov next Monday.

[madaozeki]

Good stuff :)

Forget about powercleaning while doing Smolov - they're not very compatible!! :D

For a good grip width, try a thumb-length out from the center knurling on each side:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/home/2006-12/04/xin_5412030408189532238117.jpg


Oh, and for reference:

Squat - 290 (ATG - see my videos for my squat form)
Deadlift - 315 (never really done deadlifts - this was a clean-grip pull)
Bench - 165 (I've never worked bench)
Power clean - 215

Height - 5'5
Weight - compete at 135, train around 145

[ArCaNe66]

Good stuff :)

Forget about powercleaning while doing Smolov - they're not very compatible!! :D

For a good grip width, try a thumb-length out from the center knurling on each side:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/home/2006-12/04/xin_5412030408189532238117.jpg


Oh, and for reference:

Squat - 290 (ATG - see my videos for my squat form)
Deadlift - 315 (never really done deadlifts - this was a clean-grip pull)
Bench - 165 (I've never worked bench)
Power clean - 215

Height - 5'5
Weight - compete at 135, train around 145

i had a question about that, should one take a grip right outside their thighs or a thumb's length over each side of the bar? i dunno i guess it makes your clean different and your jerk different, wider you know

by the way, that lifter has great form, great big arch , strong pull, everything is good

[madaozeki]

Depends how narrow your stance is. The "neutral" grip is the one I described, and is a good place to start from before you start tweaking. It usually results in a safe and effective contact point against the thighs, and it's not too wide to impede the pull from the floor.

Some lifters adjust their grip before the jerk, which makes the clean grip irrelevant to their jerk for them. Otherwise, it's a good place to start for jerk grip.

NOTE: Plenty of lifters have "extreme" grips - ie. very wide jerk grip, etc. For non-Olympic-caliber athletes, starting from neutral and only tweaking after LOTS of experience (except in painful cases) is what I'd recommend.

[ArCaNe66]

Depends how narrow your stance is. The "neutral" grip is the one I described, and is a good place to start from before you start tweaking. It usually results in a safe and effective contact point against the thighs, and it's not too wide to impede the pull from the floor.

Some lifters adjust their grip before the jerk, which makes the clean grip irrelevant to their jerk for them. Otherwise, it's a good place to start for jerk grip.

NOTE: Plenty of lifters have "extreme" grips - ie. very wide jerk grip, etc. For non-Olympic-caliber athletes, starting from neutral and only tweaking after LOTS of experience (except in painful cases) is what I'd recommend.

well i started oly lifting in late nov i had done some p lifting but blah blah blah..anyways I'ma try out the thumb on each side-width grip if u will, tomorrow, and jerk it from there too, thanks though :]

[Cheetah]

I can box squat 425 x 5, but I only get 225 lb on the power clean increasing 5lbs every week. I cleaned in front of the mirror last time and saw I wasn't catching as good as I thought.

[ArCaNe66]

madaozeki, thanks a lot for the tip, even though i didnt have the greatest training circumstances come my way, the thumb length grip was great dude! got a good 27 lb pr out of it, thanks bro ima keep working :D

[madaozeki]

madaozeki, thanks a lot for the tip, even though i didnt have the greatest training circumstances come my way, the thumb length grip was great dude! got a good 27 lb pr out of it, thanks bro ima keep working :D

Good stuff :) You must use funny-weighted plates to get a 27lb PR! :D

[ArCaNe66]

Good stuff :) You must use funny-weighted plates to get a 27lb PR! :D

nah haha, used kilos the first time to get a pr, then lb plates the second time o.o

[acquadiice]

Given your squat you should be able to powerclean at least 255ish. 185 is low for your strength. You are likely having technique issues.

yeah i think so too... ive been doin box squats too, i laid of power cleaning cause i hurt my wrist bad but now my lower back is killin me cause i tried to deadlift 455 n couldnt get it up, think i might have pulled something or another... injuries keep comin n it sucks

[Dark_MadMax]

I am curious what are the benefits of hook grip? -I cant really use it as it hurts like a bitch, but so far I worked my PC up to 205 and normal DOH was working fine me.



At your height, weight, and strength level (deadlift), your power clean should be quite a bit higher, which means you probably still are having form issues


I thought having a power clean 1/2 of your max DL is quite good strength to power ratio. I am wrong?

[AusLifter06]

I am curious what are the benefits of hook grip? -I cant really use it as it hurts like a bitch, but so far I worked my PC up to 205 and normal DOH was working fine me.

The hook grip gives a more secure grip when the weight gets heavier and helps eliminate arm pull, thus improving technique in the 2nd pull. It only hurts the first few sessions then it's just a little numb type feeling in the thumbs from there on.



I thought having a power clean 1/2 of your max DL is quite good strength to power ratio. I am wrong?

It's really more related to your squat because they're the muscles that train you to be most efficient in the clean. Hard to base it off the DL.

[Dark_MadMax]

It's really more related to your squat because they're the muscles that train you to be most efficient in the clean. Hard to base it off the DL.

I talk about power clean though. Seems like deadlift is the main thing that drives the pull (well at least for me :)

[Squinky]

I am curious what are the benefits of hook grip? -I cant really use it as it hurts like a bitch, but so far I worked my PC up to 205 and normal DOH was working fine me.



I thought having a power clean 1/2 of your max DL is quite good strength to power ratio. I am wrong?

It depents in how low you go in the catch. The "official" description of powerclean is that you got to catch the bar parallel or higher, but I think a quarter squat would be better, parallel is quite low and close to a full squat. If there is minimal dip I would say 60 % is quite good (for someone who doesn`t have years of experience), I powerclean 55 % of my deadlift and that is with a quarter squat (but I have a terrible form).

[J.L.C.]

Definitely not a deadlift. You should be thinking of 'squatting' the weight off the floor and 'jumping' to throw the weight up with the hips.

Personally, I don't understand why people mix box squatting with oly lifts - training yourself to 'sit back' is only going to take your hips out from under the bar and result in missed lifts.

[BlueDevilDT55]

Box squats work your hips more efficiently than any other squats because that is the part of the lift when you give a hip thrust.
Think of power cleans as just jumping with the bar in your hands. Explode up with your arms straight before rowing the bar, dipping your hips, and tucking your elbows underneath it and raising them high in front of it. Olympic powercleaning is different than cleaning for sports. There is so much more to it in the olympic form that they are not really comparable. For example, it takes years to perfect an olympic clean form, whereas you could get good form for regular cleans in a couple of months. There are less flexibility, placement, and form issues to worry about.

[J.L.C.]

Box squats work your hips more efficiently than any other squats because that is the part of the lift when you give a hip thrust.
Think of power cleans as just jumping with the bar in your hands. Explode up with your arms straight before rowing the bar, dipping your hips, and tucking your elbows underneath it and raising them high in front of it. Olympic powercleaning is different than cleaning for sports. There is so much more to it in the olympic form that they are not really comparable. For example, it takes years to perfect an olympic clean form, whereas you could get good form for regular cleans in a couple of months. There are less flexibility, placement, and form issues to worry about.

What are the differences between 'olympic powercleaning' and 'cleaning for sports?'

[madaozeki]

Think of power cleans as just jumping with the bar in your hands.
This is actually NOT the image you want in your mind. The powerclean (or clean) form is quite different from a jump, and you'll have problems with bar path if you think this way. It's more about standing up straight as hard as you can to generate upwards momentum on the bar. The distinction is fine-grained, but necessary to make. For one thing, when you're doing powercleans, you're pushing through your heels the whole way up, whereas you jump through the balls of you feet. There is very little ankle flexion involved in the lifts as well. Be careful with that image! You'd never try jumping through your heels :)



Explode up with your arms straight before rowing the bar, dipping your hips, and tucking your elbows underneath it and raising them high in front of it.

Again, there should be no sense of actively rowing the bar with your arms. They serve exclusively as hooks holding onto the bar, and don't apply any direct force to the bar. Actively pulling with your arms will actually cause them to tense up, which will prevent a quick, smooth elbow whip. All the force is provided by the big movers, the hips, legs and back.



Olympic powercleaning is different than cleaning for sports. There is so much more to it in the olympic form that they are not really comparable.

There's no such thing as an Olympic powerclean :) What you probably are describing is the difference between a powerclean and a full (or squat) clean. In both lifts, the form up to the explosion point should be identical. The only difference is where you receive the bar. In a powerclean, you receive it with your legs only slightly bent, while in a full clean, you receive it in a full front squat position.

Here's a powerclean:
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Here's a full clean (not a particularly fast one, but still):
NPyU781wiwE

Notice the pull from the floor until I'm standing up fully is identical.

[madaozeki]

What are the differences between 'olympic powercleaning' and 'cleaning for sports?'

There aren't any! :D Don't believe the hype ;) (or the athletic coaches - well, many of them unfortunately)

[SlammaJamma]

Definitely not a deadlift. You should be thinking of 'squatting' the weight off the floor and 'jumping' to throw the weight up with the hips.

Personally, I don't understand why people mix box squatting with oly lifts - training yourself to 'sit back' is only going to take your hips out from under the bar and result in missed lifts.

A lot of people (like myself) who use oly lifts for sports only do the power versions. Box squats seem to help drive all my pulls and other lifts, including deadlifts, lunges, etc., better than anything else and especially better than oly squats.

[raffiki]

I thought having a power clean 1/2 of your max DL is quite good strength to power ratio. I am wrong?

I haven't worked power cleans or deadlifts in a long time. But I am starting deadlifts again. About 8 months ago I maxed on deadlift and power clean. I got 375 and 225 which is 60%. The deadlift was done with a tight back and using the legs off the floor, just like the clean. It wasn't a powerlifting bent over kind of max. Those don't compare well.

[Marc27Default]

I agree with Raffiki. Double overhand, tight back with no rounding my most recent deadlift was 385 (compared to my old PL max of 465). My best powerclean is 255. Thats 66% although truth be told I could have pushed for more weight on the deadlift and 245 is a more reliable powerclean max so 60% sounds more realistic.