Quick Beginner Power Clean question

[Metal_Lust]

Just a question on form, I think you can delete threads here so I will after so this post doesn't take up room. Just wondering, once you do the explosive part of the lift, can you pull upwards towards the shoulders than swing the elbows around? I don't know/remember if the "don't use your arms" pertained to just the first pull portion of the lift or of the whole thing. Really really want to learn these already, thanks for any help.

[gbg]

Once the arm bends the power ends, first shrug then elbow whip.

[Metal_Lust]

When I practice the form, the bar doesn't go all that high(maybe mid abdomen) so that's why I was wondering if after a point if you can pull up it a little bit so it's near the shoulders. Maybe not enough shrug

[olyw8lifter]

Originally Posted by Metal_Lust

When I practice the form, the bar doesn't go all that high(maybe mid abdomen) so that's why I was wondering if after a point if you can pull up it a little bit so it's near the shoulders. Maybe not enough shrug

That's how high it should go, then you should be pulling yourself under the bar, or racking it on your shoulders, and your arms will bend, but you are not pulling up anymore at this point.

[Metal_Lust]

Originally Posted by olyw8lifter

That's how high it should go, then you should be pulling yourself under the bar, or racking it on your shoulders, and your arms will bend, but you are not pulling up anymore at this point.

ah okay. Hmm, I hope I don't end up doing full squat cleans. I am pretty gun shy at the moment with the elbows

[olyw8lifter]

It really depends if your trying to power clean or full squat clean. If you're power cleaning, then you need to keep pulling up past the navel/abs, then pull under, you just won't go into a squat. Also, there is nothing to be gun shy about on your elbows, they will be fine, just whip them around as you go under the bar and rack it across your front delts. It's a much better workout than power cleans, IMHO.

[Metal_Lust]

Originally Posted by olyw8lifter

It really depends if your trying to power clean or full squat clean. If you're power cleaning, then you need to keep pulling up past the navel/abs, then pull under, you just won't go into a squat. Also, there is nothing to be gun shy about on your elbows, they will be fine, just whip them around as you go under the bar and rack it across your front delts. It's a much better workout than power cleans, IMHO.

I believe that's what I initially asked then hehe, if I can actually keep the bar going up higher than navel/abs by pulling up a bit aside from the shrug. Reason i'm gun shy is just because the bar hits my chest pretty hard when I attempt to rack it. Bangs my chest than I point the elbows out haha really annoying n' it kinda hurts(hear at home it's only a 15 lb. bar so it's okay) and just one time I messed up and used wayy too much arm pulling and the bar hit my chin =] woke me up. I guess most of my concentration is on how the bar goes up n' all I should start paying attention to fast elbows as well. Oh yeah I bet the squat cleans are, I'm just gunna do some rippetoe's and not being able to start it cause I can't power clean is annoying =/

[madaozeki]

You NEVER, repeat NEVER pull directly with the arms, on a squat clean or a power clean. They have the identical "pull", where "pull" refers to your body standing up while holding onto the bar and reaching full extension WITH YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT. When the weight is light enough, it will travel higher, and you can power clean it. When the weight is heavy, it doesn't go as high, and no arm pulling will force it to do so. When it's heavy, you drop down into a squat and receive it low.

You can still squat clean light weights by whipping the elbows fast and racking the bar actively, rather than allowing it to keep travelling up.

Repeat, NEVER pull with the arms. In Olympic lifting, "pull" doesn't mean "with the arms". It means "stand up til full extension with the arms straight".



The arms don't bend until AFTER you've finished extending and you're moving under the bar, whether it's a power clean or a full clean.

[olyw8lifter]

I totally agree with you here. Sorry, I didn't mean to intuit that you "actively" pull with the arms. However, the arms do come into play when you pull yourself down under the bar. I think the OP needs to learn timing of the lift also, so the bar doesn't crash on his shoulders.

[TwoWalks]

[madaozeki]

Originally Posted by olyw8lifter

I totally agree with you here. Sorry, I didn't mean to intuit that you "actively" pull with the arms. However, the arms do come into play when you pull yourself down under the bar. I think the OP needs to learn timing of the lift also, so the bar doesn't crash on his shoulders.

I knew what you meant, but I don't think it was clear to the OP

Originally Posted by TwoWalks

Not the most helpful instructional video, unfortunately. His son is a beast of a lifter, but this is mediocre coaching.

[Metal_Lust]

Originally Posted by madaozeki

I knew what you meant, but I don't think it was clear to the OP

Thanks Madaozeki & everyone else, I'll keep re-reading this thread n' practicing haha.

Originally Posted by madaozeki

Not the most helpful instructional video, unfortunately. His son is a beast of a lifter, but this is mediocre coaching.

I have saved that powerclean vid a while back including a couple more, i realllllly needed a extra slow-mo vid to see that extentsion. I believe i've been aiming too low on the thigh. I don't know if I'm going to explain this correctly but here it goes. After noticing on other people's power cleans, I think I see people kind of..arching back a bit with their shrug, I'm guessing that brings the bar up higher correct? I bet i'm not doing that which is why I had begun to actively pull up with my arms a bit. Man, I wish all the olympic gym's I have found weren't so far away from me! Could've gotten a coach, learned this sooner and indulged in Oly lifting.

[madaozeki]

Originally Posted by Metal_Lust

Thanks Madaozeki & everyone else, I'll keep re-reading this thread n' practicing haha.

I have saved that powerclean vid a while back including a couple more, i realllllly needed a extra slow-mo vid to see that extentsion. I believe i've been aiming too low on the thigh. I don't know if I'm going to explain this correctly but here it goes. After noticing on other people's power cleans, I think I see people kind of..arching back a bit with their shrug, I'm guessing that brings the bar up higher correct? I bet i'm not doing that which is why I had begun to actively pull up with my arms a bit. Man, I wish all the olympic gym's I have found weren't so far away from me! Could've gotten a coach, learned this sooner and indulged in Oly lifting.

This one might help. There's a bunch of slo-mo in it. Read the notes on the side, too:

[Metal_Lust]

There you go, Mada. I think I usually have my elbows pointed forward/faster but I really wanted to focus on getting the bar up(took me a long time to figure out how), so much that I kinda fell forward towards the end haha. So, hows it lookin? hip extension etc. Thanks anyone.

[hazard52003]

your extension doesn't look half bad to me.. but your receiving position looks a little awkward.. you seem to be leaning back to receive the bar when your power cleaning you should catch the bar in a 1/4 squat position NOT with your knees locked leaning back like you are.

also is that an Olympic barbell? cause it doesn't look like it.. if its not an Olympic barbell that doesn't spin then your going to have a difficult time progressing

[Metal_Lust]

Originally Posted by hazard52003

your extension doesn't look half bad to me.. but your receiving position looks a little awkward.. you seem to be leaning back to receive the bar when your power cleaning you should catch the bar in a 1/4 squat position NOT with your knees locked leaning back like you are.

also is that an Olympic barbell? cause it doesn't look like it.. if its not an Olympic barbell that doesn't spin then your going to have a difficult time progressing

oh yeah, it doesn't feel too bad when I receive it. Actually, I think the 2nd rep my wrist felt weird as hell, it hurt but i've been having problems with it because of other stuff, may be getting carpaltunnel. I have the flexibility to point the elbows forward, I'll start focusing on faster elbows if the extension is okay. Yeah when I do it I do lean back to bring it up a little higher, could probably just shrug harder. My knees are bent a little, not locked but I should be at the 1/4 squat position your right. I guess cause it's so light haha I haven't been catching it that way. It was weird for me because I would practice those hang powers in front of my car so I could see how it would look haha, I had to get used to that. Oh no no definetly not olympic haha it's a 15lb barbell that I got..5 or 6 years ago to go with my bench. I use it to practice a lot, I go to a gym to actually lift, have never tried it with the olympic bar just yet. It's so annoying adding weight to it cause it has grooves that will "lock" the weight in, takes forever to put the collar on

[madaozeki]

Hazard's right for sure.

Your "hang" starting position is also a bit inconsistent. With this side view it's pretty easy to see. Sometimes you're kind of sitting back, with your shoulders behind the bar, while other times you're getting them nicely over the bar. When setting up for these things, try bending at the waist first, to get your shoulders over the bar, then bend your knees just a tiny bit. That should end up as a solid starting position. With this weight, you certainly don't need extra momentum to get the weight up!

Then just straighten yourself out by extending everything, and the weight'll pop right up. Pick a receiving position and stick with it. Make it super-consistent. Just like hazard said, a 1/4-squat, exactly the same every time, with an upright (ie. not leaning back) torso and high elbows. Don't actively try to "shrug" the weight up. That's a dead-end strategy. Just let your prime movers, legs, hips, back, generate the momentum on the bar.

Couple more sessions to iron this out and you'll certainly be ready to add decent weight! Good work so far

[Metal_Lust]

Was I leaning back after I catched it? I know I lean back during the jump