I'm trying to learn the power clean properly on my own. I have Rippetoe's book and have read the section several times. The two major problems I have are:
a) I can't get the bar to touch/brush against my thighs during the pull. Its not even close. I don't really get how this is supposed to work here - am I supposed to be leaning way over the bar? Pulling the bar back? I start with my shins against the bar as I'm supposed to.
b) My rack position is horrid. My elbows just aren't getting out in front of me far enough, or I have significant lean back, which I'd assume I'm not supposed to have. I don't really get it - I front squat with decent form just fine every week, but I can't get the bar up there/can't get my elbows where they should be. Should I be squatting down more during the catch? I have tried widening my grip as suggested with no real change. I don't feel I'm really that inflexible.
Thoughts?
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Thread: Power clean - two problems
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05-18-2008, 12:21 AM #1
- Join Date: Jul 2006
- Location: Shakopee, Minnesota, United States
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Power clean - two problems
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05-18-2008, 12:44 AM #2
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05-18-2008, 12:54 AM #3
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05-18-2008, 01:51 AM #4"In AUSTRALIA
Each year there are 470 000 adverse events, 18 000 deaths, and 50 000 permanent disabilities arising from medical error and negligence each year. This is four times higher compared to the USA." (Second oppinion, GERMOV quote, page 293)
353 fatal car crashes were recorded on Australian roads in 2008 (RTA, 2008). You are 50 TIMES more likely to die from medical negligence from a DOCTOR compared to being fatally injured in a car crash and they say driving is dangerous.
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05-18-2008, 07:03 AM #5
I have a coach but I roll my eyes whenever somebody says this, the coach isn't gonna do the damn lift for you, you can learn the O-lifts by yourself the coach just makes life easier; to the OP learn to pull the bar into yourself with your lats and practice clean grip front squats with your elbows high multiple times a week (3-4x) and your wrists will become more flexible.
'Prior to the Department of Education, there was no illiteracy'
- Stizzel
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05-18-2008, 09:44 AM #6
I have problems racking heavy cleans too, mainly because of past wrist and shoulder injuries. I was working on keeping the elbows high too but after watching 100's of cleans on you tube, I noticed that a high percentage of them kept their elbows fairly low. What they all did have is a flexible wrist, so that is what I am working on now. One guy hang cleaned 400lbs and his elbows were pointing to the floor, so the wrist flexibility is the key, not the elbows.
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05-18-2008, 10:47 AM #7
plenty of strong guys with **** technique, I've seen plenty of youtube vids with 300-400lb football cleans with low elbows and splitting legs, these people could lift 50lbs heavier easily if they got their technique right, high elbows being very important for racking heavy cleans right.
'Prior to the Department of Education, there was no illiteracy'
- Stizzel
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05-18-2008, 12:22 PM #8
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05-18-2008, 12:36 PM #9
I agree, but some people claim you cannot rack a heavyweight without high elbows and these guys prove you can. With my shoulder problems, getting my elbows high is impossible right now, so watching these guys proves that wrist flexibility will help more. Right now, I can pull close to 300lbs to my upper chest but I can only rack 225lbs max because no one can hold a heavy weight with their elbows facing the floor and palms facing straight out. That is my fault for getting old and not keeping my wrists more flexible. I am working on it.
I do agree about the elbows high helping though, especially with the squat clean and having to front squat the weight after the catch. Right now, I am just hang cleaning with very little squat. I will work on that later when I get more flexible.
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05-18-2008, 03:35 PM #10
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05-18-2008, 04:30 PM #11
Hmm... I'm starting to think the reason I might have trouble when I try to do heavier weights is because of my wrist flexibility. I get the bar real high, but struggle with getting under it, only when the weight is heavy.
If it were due to wrist flexibility, would I still have trouble racking lower weights?
I hate wrist stretches because it always feels like I'm going to rip or break something.Last edited by liftsmart709; 05-18-2008 at 04:33 PM.
My log http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=340494691
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05-18-2008, 05:04 PM #12
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05-18-2008, 05:30 PM #13
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05-18-2008, 06:06 PM #14
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05-18-2008, 06:09 PM #15
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05-18-2008, 06:23 PM #16
More often than not, that is due to pulling the bar with the arms (reverse curl/upright row).
If you can scratch the back of your head, you can rack a bar.
For most people, it's not flexibility that's the problem - it's using the wrong muscles or using them at the wrong time, or in the wrong way.
Sure there are guys out that than can muscle up some impressive weight using a jumping reverse curl, but that doesn't mean it's good technique or something to strive for.
If your elbows are pointing at the floor, you are absorbing the weight on your wrists, and that's going to cause more harm than racking properly, especially over the long term.
If you don't have time to train front squats, then you shouldn't be trying to train o-lifts - in my opinion.
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05-18-2008, 06:42 PM #17
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05-18-2008, 07:40 PM #18
JLC awesome power clean tutorials man. i just started them like a month ago but im still lacking form as no one can teach me
the only thing bothering me is the 2nd pull and racking. During the 2nd pull do i try to shrug/pull the bar back?
and when racking I see that the bar rests on your traps/wrists. which does it lie on more?current/ goals by christmas break
bench - 155/185
squat - 205/225
deadlift - 305/385
military press - 110/135
bb row - 140/155
shoulder press - 50/70
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05-18-2008, 07:49 PM #19
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01-09-2013, 04:51 PM #20
I UTFSE(used the f**kin search engine) and found this thread, so I'm going to bump it.
Anyway, I'm having trouble getting the bar to stick to my chest. I think it may be my left traps/shoulder not completing the full pull, because that is the side which goes down first(after failing to get the bar in the bit where the bar finishes). The pull itself has been getting better, just the left side at the top of the lift is failing.
Any advice? I do Clean Pulls, but I'm wondering if I should add some shrugs? Perhaps it is my grip, if it slips a tiny bit during the pull it might affect how high the bar goes...maybe I should get some straps and see if they make it easier(which would then rule out grip strength).
I was going for 82.5kg after getting 80kg easily, but then couldn't get it. Tried it again, missed it. Then dropped back to 80kg and missed that too. Maybe it is just fatigue?Success is nothing more than taking advantage of an opportunity. If the opportunity presents itself, take it.
And remember; BIG CHEST. Whenever I lift, that's all I think, along with numbers.
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01-10-2013, 12:02 AM #21
- Join Date: Aug 2008
- Location: London, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
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Strong bump indeed but as you asked a question instead of referring to the OPīs question, Iīll give it a shot:
Practice front squats to get comfortable with the cleanīs rack position. The bar has to be right up against your neck and your elbows high. You wonīt be holding on to the bar but instead just having it on the tips of your fingers when its racked.
Shrugs I donīt find very useful as there really isnīt much of a shrug in the clean. Some people tell you to "jump and shrug" with it but I disagree somewhat, it happens so fast that if you start thinking about shrugging youīll probably mess up the lift.
The straps are absolutely not suited to the clean. They dont allow you to rack the bar properly (forcing you to put it on your collarbone which is quite uncomfortable) and in the case of a missed lift, you can seriously injure your wrists. If grip strength is an issue, switch to the hook grip.Strength + Speed = Power
If you never fail, you aren't truly pushing yourself to the limit. If you never push yourself to the limit, how do you know what you're truly capable of?
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01-10-2013, 06:44 AM #22
Like matjusm is basically saying, the bar is not supposed to "stick to your chest". Instead you should be releasing your grip and catching the bar with your shoulders, not with your hands or wrists. The bar should basically roll out of your hands onto your shoulders as you turn your elbows over and only your fingertips should be left touching the bar-- and they are only there to help keep the bar in place, not to support the weight of the bar.
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01-10-2013, 08:37 AM #23
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