When did you stop doing power cleans?

[Crockett]

I'm curious when you all gave up on power cleans. Of course, those following SS strictly should be doing them, but I know that they are not very popular amongst lifters on this board, few people are great at them, and lots of people give up on them after a while or never start, and do something in their place. And for the purposes here, dabbling with them occasionally doesn't count as still doing them.

For me, power cleans were never all that frustrating, although I haven't come as far as I had expected to, given how smoothly I progressed at the beginning. If I do 5x3 nowadays, it's usually ~200 lbs, and I've done 220 for a single. Never tried any more than that. And I think that to progress further, I'd need to revisit my form, or just get my deadlift up. I find them fun, but I'm not sure what I'm getting from them at this point.

Any intermediate/advanced lifters still progressing with them? Anyone here done them all along, and have high numbers?

[hamburgerfan]

When I started powerlifting. Didn't too too much for my deadlift.

[Tom Narvaez]

I think the people who drop power cleans from SS/TM are making a HUGE mistake. Power cleans make up most of the pulling volume in those programs.

However, their application outside of the SS philosophy/paradigm, in terms of powerlifitng, is fairly limited, IMHO. I know others like Jordan F will disagree. On the other hand, speed deadlifts are common place and more specific.

[krazyduck]

I dropped it when I got to 3x3@200 and they started bothering my elbow. I was using at standard bar at the time so I figured I'd be better off dropping them. Now that I got an Olympic bar I'm trying to decide if I should add them back in.

Edit: I don't have high numbers and I'm probably not intermediate yet, just saw that part of your post.

[AdamW]

Never did them really. Still pull 600 though :-)

[gzt]

I kept them up until they started bugging my wrists - which was rather recently due to moving somewhere with shitty bars. I think they're great, especially for trap development.

[veryhrm]

I'm about as explosive as neon. Never made it to a good 135lbs PC (w/ a DL ~350 at the time). I did 130 "ok". My rack isn't great either (partly skill, partly long forearms) and i smash my clavicles more than i'd like. I'd still be working on them if i had access to bumpers and hope to do so sometime in the future (though i may switch to or add snatches due to the rack issues). Somewhere between 100lbs and 120lbs my elbows and thighs start complaining about the iron plates.

[spinoza]

I'm still doing them -- once every other week. I've been making steady progress and it's a really fun lift (makes you feel powerful).

I'm up to 5x3x235, and when I was doing 225 for triples, on one of my sets I pulled 3x245 just to see if I could.

There is one problem, though: the barbells at the gym are kind of thick and the management at the gym frowns upon using chalk, so without the straps I find it very difficult to jump up explosively without my grip being the weakest link. This is something I'll have to address, but I don't have the time right now.

I'll be going for 5x3x240 next week.

[JStrong]

I'm not setting the world on fire. But then again, you are trolling.


Did them yesterday. Nothing epic. I may use my rage at your post to actually progress.

Thanks bro bro!

[OZ-USF-UFGator]

you joking? It was 4 months while I did PC and bent ros because my form sucked and i wouldn't go over 95 pounds. FINALLY, it all clicked and I've since slowly worked my way to 160, and 135 X 5. After all the work I put in to PC's and the feeling of satisfaction and truthfully, of bad ass-ness from hoisting 135 to my shoulders, Cleans are now a staple for me.