Power clean form check

[RamenMcTavish]

I took a quick video of my last set of cleans today and I'm thinking my cleans bear a closer resemblance to reverse curls. They're a new exercise to me, so I'm not sure I'm the best one to render judgment. I've noticed for myself that I tend to kick out to the side on the jump, not exactly sure why. Could you guys have a look and see what you think?

[Steve Hill]

Your video is private, but from what I can see of the still that's showing, you didn't do a great job choosing an angle / distance to film from. Read the filming sticky.

[RamenMcTavish]

I've changed the video setting to unlisted now; that should allow it to be viewed. It was a video that I decided to make right there on the spot and I set my camera on the rack in front of me. It was improvised at the time, but going forward I'll plan better for video angles.

I've been rewatching videos on YouTube (particularly Tamara's) and the platform video (C&J with Tommy Suggs) for some further education. I'm thinking I'm close to where I need to be, but I know I tend to want to kick out to the side on the catch as opposed to a regular squat knee bend. I need to work on that for sure.

[Steve Hill]

We shall see what we can see, and what can be evaluated from that. But not right now - at least for me. I have some work to do. Probably later this afternoon.

Steve

[Steve Hill]

Well, the video is crap, but even in that, we can see a gigantic arm pull that you need to get rid of, and you're catching the bar in your hands. Have you read the power clean chapter?

[RamenMcTavish]

I've got the book on order presently; hopefully, I should have it by early next week. I'd speculate that my form leaves something to be desired in all the exercises, but the clean is probably the worst of these for me. In that video, I'd worked up to 135 (part of the reason for the delay between reps was the hex plates and repositioning). I'm not opposed to dropping off the weight to help get form correct, however. The lift felt (and looked) to me more like a reverse curl than the cleans as I'd seen in the platform and Tamara's YouTube videos.

When I get the book, I'll read the power clean section and apply it, then try to get a better video for review. Thanks for your help!

[Steve Hill]

You're welcome. After you read the PC chapter, you'll understand a little better what we're talking about. Practice a couple of sessions on your own, then post another video.

[RamenMcTavish]

I've received my copy of the SS book and read through the power clean chapter. I'm having a little bit of trouble wrapping my brain around the pull to rack technique, as in when and how to rack. If I'm interpreting it correctly, I go from the jumping position, up into the jump with my elbows locked (like a power shrug) and transition to the catch, pushing elbows under the bar and racking it against my deltoids. I'm having trouble envisioning how the transition to the catch/rack takes place. At the top of the jump, I unlock my elbows and rotate them under the bar to catch it. Does that sound substantially correct?

I tried it out a little bit today with the empty bar. Already, I can tell that I tend to want to use my arms to help with the pull and I have to make a conscious effort to stop that. As a consequence of that effort though, I'm having trouble with coordination in unlocking my elbows for rotation at the right time. More practice time is in order.

[Steve Hill]

Just don't think about it. Jump with long straight arms, and then rack the bar by catching it with your shoulders.

At the seminar, we don't talk about what happens in between. People overthink it and fuck it up. If you start thinking about what the elbows have to do, you're going to start arm-pulling the bar. Since you're already arm-pulling the bar, that means you'll never stop. The jump gets the bar to the shoulders, and trying to pull the bar with the arms kills the impetus that the jump provides.

[RamenMcTavish]

People overthink it and fuck it up. If you start thinking about what the elbows have to do, you're going to start arm-pulling the bar. Since you're already arm-pulling the bar, that means you'll never stop. The jump gets the bar to the shoulders, and trying to pull the bar with the arms kills the impetus that the jump provides.

That statement pretty well describes me to a T. I'm the king of overthinking things (and oftentimes, fouling them up in doing so). Having said that, I took another video of my cleans tonight. I'm still trying to practice them, so the video begins with a couple of power shrugs to teach myself not to pull with my arms and ends with a couple of full reps for grading purposes. I think I'm getting closer to good, though I can see that I'm still catching in hand instead of on my deltoids (flexibility may be in question). On the bright side, I've managed to get away from starfishing on the jump, so we have that anyway. Here's the video: