Not flexible enough to clean and jerk??

[Anonymoushead]

Do many people have this problem?

I just can't seem to get the bar anywhere close to it. It feels like I'm going to choke myself with the bar, I can't get it near sitting on my chest.

From what I can tell, I've got to get to the stage where I can touch my knuckles on the outside of my shoulder with my elbows sticking out straight ahead in front. I'm not even close. Feels like I'm going to lever my elbows out of their sockets and snap my wrists if I try with any amount of weight.

Any tips or advice?

[Big_fuzzy]

Finger tips.

Go to my thread, I have very long and inflexible arms, see how in my clean I have a few fingers slip out, and even when I go for the jerk the bar is on my finger tips.

[madaozeki]

Also see:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=6519061 (starting at post #22)
And this thread:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=6502321

[J.L.C.]

Keep your arms relaxed

I think a lot of people struggle with positions due to activating the wrong muscles instead of lacking flexibility - at least that seems to be the case with me

Raise your arms using the front delts, while staying relaxed in the bi's, tri's, and forearm muscles. My wrist flexibility is TERRIBLE (I can only extend my wrist to 45 degrees, relative to flat on a desk), the kind of thing massage therapists and physiotherapists have been amazed by! But, I can rack the bar comfortably. Practice, practice, practice

[ceitach]

Keep your arms relaxed

I think a lot of people struggle with positions due to activating the wrong muscles instead of lacking flexibility - at least that seems to be the case with me

Raise your arms using the front delts, while staying relaxed in the bi's, tri's, and forearm muscles. My wrist flexibility is TERRIBLE (I can only extend my wrist to 45 degrees, relative to flat on a desk), the kind of thing massage therapists and physiotherapists have been amazed by! But, I can rack the bar comfortably. Practice, practice, practice

Good to hear that. I always thought my wrists werent flexible enough to rack heavy weights... Now that you mentioned it, I think its my forearm muscles that may be a bit tight and need stretching/relaxing for a better clean. Yes, more practice needed!

cheers!

[Govithoy]

Good to hear that. I always thought my wrists werent flexible enough to rack heavy weights... Now that you mentioned it, I think its my forearm muscles that may be a bit tight and need stretching/relaxing for a better clean. Yes, more practice needed!

cheers!

What kind of grip are you using? Until I actually switched to hook grip I found it difficult to not use my forearms in the lift.

[rogan181]

i think a big problem with peoples cleans if that they use their arms, you relaly dont use them at all for a clean, you use your shoulders, but think of your arms as liek a rope, theyre only used to hodl the bar, and you use your hips & full body momentum to basically pelvic thrust the weight upwards...it helps alot to keep your arms in a really narrow stance with the bar, keep them lined up with your shins...

[Govithoy]

i think a big problem with peoples cleans if that they use their arms, you relaly dont use them at all for a clean, you use your shoulders, but think of your arms as liek a rope, theyre only used to hodl the bar, and you use your hips & full body momentum to basically pelvic thrust the weight upwards...it helps alot to keep your arms in a really narrow stance with the bar, keep them lined up with your shins...

x2 -- the grip I use for a clean is much narrower than a row or bench press.