Power Clean Question

[Davidthefat]

Do you have to exaggerate the catching the bar to a ATG squat position? Because ALL Olympic level lifters do that, but thats not natural for me, I end up catching it standing up... IDK if thats good form though


edit: taking a vid tomorrow for my workout journal

[imFASTERthenU]

i think powerclean means its caught in the above parallel squat position, it sounds like your trying to describe a squat clean which is caught in a much lower position.

[olyw8lifter]

Do you have to exaggerate the catching the bar to a ATG squat position? Because ALL Olympic level lifters do that, but thats not natural for me, I end up catching it standing up... IDK if thats good form though


edit: taking a vid tomorrow for my workout journal

It's not natural for anybody to do it, but with practice your body will learn to get under the heavy bar. There is no EXAGGERATion of getting under the bar. You don't purposefully exaggerate it, it happens because the weight is heavy and you can only pull a heavy weight so high.

Maybe somebody else can explain it better than that, I know it's not much.

[r_graz]

Do you have to exaggerate the catching the bar to a ATG squat position? Because ALL Olympic level lifters do that, but thats not natural for me, I end up catching it standing up... IDK if thats good form though


edit: taking a vid tomorrow for my workout journal

Decide first if you're going to do power cleans or full cleans. The definition of a power clean varies, but most would agree that it involves catching the weight with the thighs well above parallel, more often in about a quarter squat at most. A full clean is what you described Olympic lifters as doing - receiving the bar at the bottom of a squat. A power clean forces you to accelerate the bar to a greater height, a full clean (after it's learned properly) usually allows greater weights to be cleaned because the bar doesn't have to get nearly as high.

Which you do depends mostly on your goals. If you plan to do the Olympic lifts, full cleans are better learned from the start. If it's only part of a general weight training program (bodybuilding, training for a sport, etc.), power cleans are usually easier to learn.

[olyw8lifter]

Thanks, I knew this could be better explained. Too early in the morning!!!!

[madaozeki]

Do you have to exaggerate the catching the bar to a ATG squat position? Because ALL Olympic level lifters do that, but thats not natural for me, I end up catching it standing up... IDK if thats good form though


edit: taking a vid tomorrow for my workout journal

The Japanese it your sig says "yaa", which isn't really how Japanese people say "hello".

Try: こんにちは instead ("konnichiwa")

[Davidthefat]

Decide first if you're going to do power cleans or full cleans. The definition of a power clean varies, but most would agree that it involves catching the weight with the thighs well above parallel, more often in about a quarter squat at most. A full clean is what you described Olympic lifters as doing - receiving the bar at the bottom of a squat. A power clean forces you to accelerate the bar to a greater height, a full clean (after it's learned properly) usually allows greater weights to be cleaned because the bar doesn't have to get nearly as high.

Which you do depends mostly on your goals. If you plan to do the Olympic lifts, full cleans are better learned from the start. If it's only part of a general weight training program (bodybuilding, training for a sport, etc.), power cleans are usually easier to learn.

What about for football? To get off the ball better and tackle better and block better. I would assume power clean since you have to pull higher

[Marc27Default]

What about for football? To get off the ball better and tackle better and block better. I would assume power clean since you have to pull higher

I would say power cleans simply because they are much easier to learn, especially considering the varied training that goes into football. You don't want to spend a lot of time training with light weights learning a squat clean when power cleans are easier to learn to do with respectable form. (Though most people have terrible form even on power cleans)

I would say the benefits for football between the full and power versions are equivalent. Power cleans are easier to recover from so you can practice them heavier more often IMO, probably another benefit, they won't interfere with your other training too bad. Full cleans take a lot out of you, at least with me they do!

[madaozeki]

Agree with the recommendation of powercleans for football.

Just make sure your form is good before you pile on the weight and develop bad habits. It's soooo much easier to handle big weights with proper form, and you'll benefit from them tons more that way too.

Post a vid of your form if you want some pointers.

[Arlecchino]

What about for football? To get off the ball better and tackle better and block better. I would assume power clean since you have to pull higher

Numerous other reasons as well, including saving your legs for other things, such as sport-specific training.

[Davidthefat]

Power Clean 135x1 (Warm up weight)

[gbg]

No hip extension, after the first pull extend your hips forward getting under the bar.

[olyw8lifter]

No hip extension, after the first pull extend your hips forward getting under the bar.

Completely agree here, you need to bring your hips into the finish of the pull and pop the bar up there. You never really "finish" the pull.

Also, and just IMHO, get rid of the gloves, they will mess up your grip on the bar and the interaction between you and the bar.

[davidearle]

finish the pull -
after you've brought the bar over your knees you need to aggressively extend your whole body. get up on your toes, knees and hips straight, shoulders shrugged. it's a similar motion to jumping but there's a bar in your hands.

racking the bar -
after you've extended you need to 'meet' the bar with your shoulders immediately. get under the bar, whip your elbows around as fast as you can, and have the bar resting on your clavicles and behind your front deltoid heads.