Cleans stalling out while focusing on squats

[tweakxc03]

I've been really pushing my squats higher the last 8 weeks. I've added about 30lbs to my squat over the last 7 weeks and I feel like I've busted through a plateau. Going up 5lbs each week, every increase over the last 3 weeks has actually felt easier than the one before, and I feel like I've got a few more weekly increases in me before I have to throttle down the volume.

Current weights:
Squat (high bar) 3x5 340 for volume, 410x1 + 375 for 3x2 on intensity.
Deadlift 385 1x5
Front Squat: 310 4x2
CJ: 250
Clean: 275
PC: 245
PS: 200

I've been working with this set up for about 7 weeks and it is really working well. I think I've got at least 415 to 420 in the bag for a single over the next couple weeks. The downside I'm noticing is my cleans have really started to struggle the last couple of weeks. For a while, everything was going up. Hit some new PRs in the full clean, etc. But the last 3 weeks as the squats have started to get really challenging I've sort of hit a wall in the fast lifts.

Right now my legs just don't have any speed in them. I can still pull pretty heavy without issue. I'm just slow as shit off the floor and under the bar. My guess is that I'm just tired as hell from all the squatting.

Is this just part of the deal while I'm pushing my strength numbers up? I definitely don't want to stop pushing my strength numbers higher as things are really coming together.

[Tom Campitelli]

Squat (high bar)

I am sorry to hear this.

My guess is that I'm just tired as hell from all the squatting.

Probably. You also probably aren't eating enough. Recovery is a limited commodity. Eating and sleeping are important. The Texas Method is demanding as well. You will probably go through phases where you push your strength up and the fast lifts get less practice followed by realizing some of the gains in strength and converting them to PRs on the lifts. Both your squats and deadlifts are going to need to be higher, perhaps significantly so, depending upon your goals here. A 275 pound clean is a fair percentage of your deadlift. Don't be afraid to get your deads up over 500.

[rashid29]

Both your squats and deadlifts are going to need to be higher, perhaps significantly so, depending upon your goals here.

Absolutely.

A 275 pound clean is a fair percentage of your deadlift.

What percentage do you think a skilled weightlifter should be able to utilize? Just curious.

[Tom Campitelli]

What percentage do you think a skilled weightlifter should be able to utilize? Just curious.

It is highly variable. The best weightlifters are very explosive and will be able to clean a higher percentage of their deadlift than mere mortals. Tweak is pulling 385 for 5 and cleaning 275. If we conservatively assume he's got 430 for a single, his clean is about 64% of that. That's not crazy on either side of the spectrum, but the real problem is that 385 for 5 is not very much weight. It will not be terribly difficult to add some more pounds to his deads and strength is of great use in the Olympic lifts.

[tweakxc03]

Thanks for the feedback. That 275 I hit was several weeks ago before I really started pushing my squats hard. This most recent week I was struggling to get 215 for a clean double, which is crazy considering I can still power clean that without much of an issue.

I think the bottom line is I need to get a lot stronger and eat a lot more, and gain some fucking weight. I'm 6'4, 230 right now.... need to be at least 260 I imagine to hit the goals I want.

[Tom Campitelli]

Thanks for the feedback. That 275 I hit was several weeks ago before I really started pushing my squats hard. This most recent week I was struggling to get 215 for a clean double, which is crazy considering I can still power clean that without much of an issue.

Yeah, something else must have been going on. Even with fatigue, that is not normal. I would bet that would not occur this week.

I think the bottom line is I need to get a lot stronger and eat a lot more, and gain some fucking weight. I'm 6'4, 230 right now.... need to be at least 260 I imagine to hit the goals I want.

Yeah, you are a tall dude. At least you are not 190, however.