power clean technique

EmcD123

So I started learning how to power clean about a week ago from a really good tutorial I found which just made the whole thing very clear.

Anyway I'm making consistent gains on it but I'm wondering how I can generate more force through my hips? I'm trying my best to not muscle the bar with my arms at all but I can't help it,I'm just not generating enough force.
Does anyone here know a way that I could work on that or possibly give me a few tips on some other things I could do to stop my arms from getting involved?

F7Z

If you're able to mostly muscle the bar with your arms the weight is way too light. Maybe this is a case of you generating the right amount of hip thrust but not knowing it. Pull up to at least mid thigh, picture the woman in front of you and give as violent a hump as you can, that would be about it for generating force through the hips

RidleyRider

This is something you really need to get thought in person rather then online. I'm not discounting you or anything but it's not something that's easy pick up.

Maybe post up a video of your current technique and you'll be able to be critiqued on what you're doing wrong/can improve on.

Weightlifting for me is so fcuking frustrating when it doesn't go to plan:P

EmcD123

Ive only been doing them about a week now but I'm set on doing them and getting them right. But I don't even have access to a gym never mind a coach. Everything is done at home. I could get a video next time I'm doing them which would be next Wednesday

Edwardius

RidleyRider wrote: »

Weightlifting is so fcuking frustrating

FYP!


OP, without a video (side and front) it's impossible to tell. You don't need a coach but it speeds things up a lot (think months instead of years).

EmcD123

I'll get that video up on Monday then. My form will most likely be pretty terrible as its a really technical lift but yeah I'll put it up.

Probably won't be able to do a proper rep once I try to video haha

Mellor

F7Z wrote: »

If you're able to mostly muscle the bar with your arms the weight is way too light. s

Not really.
Starting out, people can usually muscle clean more than they can clean with proper technique. If they keep trying to lift this max, instead of winding it back to get it right, they'll hinder progress.

EmcD123

Plus I have a total of 60kg in weights and no real desire to go above that weight so I want to get my form as close to perfection as I can and I don't care if that takes years.
I also don't want tobhurt my arms or back or anything else from not fixing mistakes early

EmcD123

It's not letting me post the videos. Says it can't because if low memory

EmcD123

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ds8fg5ib41exceo/VID_20140728_112005.mp4
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e1db0jiweywx3jd/VID_20140728_111907.mp4

Try using those links to see the videos. They're two different reps and there are obvious flaws to me in my setup like how my back is rounded ,I'm too high and too far over the bar so yeah. Those links should work. Thanks

cob1

i don't want to be too discouraging and I'm no coach by any means, just your technique needs a lot of work. you don't have a proper Olympic bar and correct diameter plates so before you start the bar is lower than it should be. even with this you are not beginning from anything like a correct bottom position, you're just leaning over with a completely bent back and lifting off the floor. your back is totally horizontal when you start the lift, whatever tutorial you are reading could not be telling you this is the starting position. you shouldn't be even lifting a box of books off the ground from this position let alone a barbell.

what are your goals with learning to power clean? are you looking to learn Olympic lifting fully, or is it something you want to incorporate into a crossfit workout, something else? you're not going to build any strength lifting incorrectly with unsuitable equipment and you're going to injure yourself if you build up to even 60kg like this. your lift off the ground is just not right and you need to perfect this with an empty 20kg bar before you think of anything else.

mobility, squats, deadlifts are all things you should look at before power cleans, you'll really struggle without at least some coaching though

Hanley

Your equipment is the biggest impediment. You won't clean successfully on it. It was actually not the worst I've seen and a rotating bar would change a lot

EmcD123

cob1 wrote: »

i don't want to be too discouraging and I'm no coach by any means, just your technique needs a lot of work. you don't have a proper Olympic bar and correct diameter plates so before you start the bar is lower than it should be. even with this you are not beginning from anything like a correct bottom position, you're just leaning over with a completely bent back and lifting off the floor. your back is totally horizontal when you start the lift, whatever tutorial you are reading could not be telling you this is the starting position. you shouldn't be even lifting a box of books off the ground from this position let alone a barbell.

what are your goals with learning to power clean? are you looking to learn Olympic lifting fully, or is it something you want to incorporate into a crossfit workout, something else? you're not going to build any strength lifting incorrectly with unsuitable equipment and you're going to injure yourself if you build up to even 60kg like this. your lift off the ground is just not right and you need to perfect this with an empty 20kg bar before you think of anything else.

mobility, squats, deadlifts are all things you should look at before power cleans, you'll really struggle without at least some coaching though

I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I was doing those start positions. I watched those videos and then watched proper ones on YouTube and I quickly realised my position so all wrong at the start and was actually dangerous. I'm going to change that completely next time. I know more of what I'm supposed to do there this time. It took watching the video to realise it though. Ya I'm limited with equipment but I try to make up for it a little,I don't have the clips too tight so as to make up for the lack of rotating sleeves and I'm not doing anything heavy. That bar is only 5kg. I'm going to get the start position right next time and that will make it a lot safer. In terms of after the start and first pull how is it looking? Is my finish okay?

I'm doing them to build the explosiveness in the hips and to get that driving strength in my legs to aid my track sprinting.

cob1

the thing is with the Olympic lifts is that they are so technical that you can't say well my starting position was bad but the rest was not so bad. a bad first pull leads to a worse second pull and so on. I don't see the benefit of trying to learn them without a coach on unsuitable equipment. yes I guess power cleaning properly would help your sprinting, but how you get from where you are to being able to do them in a way that benefits you I don't know. if you insist on keeping doing them at least go from the hang position, google "hang power clean" for examples. maybe box jumps could build the explosiveness you're looking for in a safer way?

Hanley

How much do you weigh?

A few power cleans with 30kg won't do anything for "explosion" with bodyweight... It's just too light.

And we're back to - find a gym, get coaching

EmcD123

Hanley wrote: »

How much do you weigh?

A few power cleans with 30kg won't do anything for "explosion" with bodyweight... It's just too light.

And we're back to - find a gym, get coaching

Im 58kg. When I'm learning a new lift I keep the weight too low like that until I can get more confident ,then I make it heavier.,I have big problem with lack of confidence under the bar so I go easy at first especially since I don't have a spotter or a way of ditching the weight in a failed rep. Ya I know gym and coach is the ideal way. But I just don't have the chance for that yet. Its not ideal but it has to do. If I was to get the videos again but after working on my start and first pull would that be better? Since it went wrong from before I even started the rep here.

Hanley

EmcD123 wrote: »

Im 58kg. When I'm learning a new lift I keep the weight too low like that until I can get more confident ,then I make it heavier.,I have big problem with lack of confidence under the bar so I go easy at first especially since I don't have a spotter or a way of ditching the weight in a failed rep. Ya I know gym and coach is the ideal way. But I just don't have the chance for that yet. Its not ideal but it has to do. If I was to get the videos again but after working on my start and first pull would that be better? Since it went wrong from before I even started the rep here.

The first pull only exists to put the bar in the right position for the rest of the lift. It'll never be "right" with those plates and the set up you're using. So don't worry about it.

Just use hang variations instead.

Scuba Ste

Hanley wrote: »

The first pull only exists to put the bar in the right position for the rest of the lift. It'll never be "right" with those plates and the set up you're using. So don't worry about it.

Just use hang variations instead.

Pretty much this.

Forget about going from the floor for a while and focus on good positions above the knee. You still need a lot of work.

EmcD123

Ya I'll definitely try doing hang cleans. I'm working hard at them all the time.but as you said equipment makes a big difference! So I want to get them as good as I can with my resources

Opinionated Rebel

EmcD123 wrote: »

I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I was doing those start positions. I watched those videos and then watched proper ones on YouTube and I quickly realised my position so all wrong at the start and was actually dangerous. I'm going to change that completely next time. I know more of what I'm supposed to do there this time. It took watching the video to realise it though. Ya I'm limited with equipment but I try to make up for it a little,I don't have the clips too tight so as to make up for the lack of rotating sleeves and I'm not doing anything heavy. That bar is only 5kg. I'm going to get the start position right next time and that will make it a lot safer. In terms of after the start and first pull how is it looking? Is my finish okay?

I'm doing them to build the explosiveness in the hips and to get that driving strength in my legs to aid my track sprinting.

I know there are probably financial considerations an everything else, but as mentioned getting a coach would be vital.

I'm a certified S&C coach though and I'll give you some advice first.

Work on squats, of various types, first. 2-3 times a week squat and squat deep. If you can't squat deep you may need mobility and corrective action first (this is where a good S&C coach is vital).

You could be gaining a lot of strength and speed by improving your Glute strength, squatting ability, plyometrics and becoming more mobile while you practice learning the basics of the clean. The clean has several parts to it and need to be understood and practiced individually first (1st pull, transition, 2nd pull etc)

Basically what I'm saying is you could be spending all this time practicing the Power Clean but wasting good training minutes by neglecting the basics.

So if you could get a coach even for a session or two to break down the clean for you it would be worth it. Then you could practice the Clean in a process.

So a session could look like this.

Warm Up
- Foam Roll
- Static stretch
- Mobility exercises
- Basic Core Stability, Glute development & activation
- Light Plyometrics (single and double leg hopping)

Olympic Technique Development (as an example)
- Quick jump & rack drill (no bar)
- Pull from Hang x 2 sets
- pull from floor x 2 sets
- Light Hang Clean x 2 sets

Power work
- jumps back squats 3 x 30% 1RM with 3-4 mins rest

Strength work
- Back Squats @85% + x 2-4 sets
- Bench @ 70-80% x 1-3 sets
- Reverse Lunges x 1-3 x 6 e/s
- Supine pulls x 3-5 x 8

Cool Down
- Foam roll
- stretch

Or something along those lines. Think long term with Olympuc lifts. But it does not mean you can't develop strength and explosive power as you go.

EmcD123

Opinionated Rebel wrote: »

I know there are probably financial considerations an everything else, but as mentioned getting a coach would be vital.

I'm a certified S&C coach though and I'll give you some advice first.

Work on squats, of various types, first. 2-3 times a week squat and squat deep. If you can't squat deep you may need mobility and corrective action first (this is where a good S&C coach is vital).

You could be gaining a lot of strength and speed by improving your Glute strength, squatting ability, plyometrics and becoming more mobile while you practice learning the basics of the clean. The clean has several parts to it and need to be understood and practiced individually first (1st pull, transition, 2nd pull etc)

Basically what I'm saying is you could be spending all this time practicing the Power Clean but wasting good training minutes by neglecting the basics.

So if you could get a coach even for a session or two to break down the clean for you it would be worth it. Then you could practice the Clean in a process.

So a session could look like this.

Warm Up
- Foam Roll
- Static stretch
- Mobility exercises
- Basic Core Stability, Glute development & activation
- Light Plyometrics (single and double leg hopping)

Olympic Technique Development (as an example)
- Quick jump & rack drill (no bar)
- Pull from Hang x 2 sets
- pull from floor x 2 sets
- Light Hang Clean x 2 sets

Power work
- jumps back squats 3 x 30% 1RM with 3-4 mins rest

Strength work
- Back Squats @85% + x 2-4 sets
- Bench @ 70-80% x 1-3 sets
- Reverse Lunges x 1-3 x 6 e/s
- Supine pulls x 3-5 x 8

Cool Down
- Foam roll
- stretch

Or something along those lines. Think long term with Olympuc lifts. But it does not mean you can't develop strength and explosive power as you go.

My flexibility and mobility is pretty good ,I can squat down as low as you can go really and do so for the majority of my squat sets.again financial and space problems I have no rack. So usually clean the weight into the front squat position and do front squat. I'm no expert but I know it would be dangerous to do back squats without a rack and without a spotter and nowhwere to dump the weights.
My glutes are pretty damn strong from all the sprinting over the years .
I'm trying to organise a gym membership soon when I'm in college and then I'll get a few lesson in the Olympic lifts. But I like those ideas you had there. I do a lot of plyometrics work(bounding,jump squats,tuck jumps,1 leg bounding) already due to my sprinting.