T-Rex arms and power cleans

[jkc]

Hi Coach

I deadlifted 1x5x190 yesterday after having watched your new DVD a couple of times. But I just can't seem to keep my lumbar in the correct position when setting up and today my back is hurting. I've got serious T-rex arms and I've been searching the forum for advice on deadlifting and it seems that stubs like me really should look into the sumo stance. At least until flexibility improves. I haven't made the switch sooner because you've said that the more vertical back angle reduces the effect of the exercise, but in my case the back is almost horizontal with a sumo stance.

But how about the power clean? A sumo stance is out of the question because of the jump I guess. Should I just lay them off until my deadlift technique is perfected or should I stack up the plates so my back angle is fixed.

PS: I squat 154 for 3x5 and it feels good, should be able to increase alot if I can get rid of the back pain caused by the deads.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Very short arms are a serious impediment to deadlift efficiency. Sumo may be your only option. This also makes cleans very difficult to use in your program. The final solution is a vas job, so this defect does not get passed on into the gene pool.

[TempestTenor]

Should jkc switch out power cleans for pull ups?

[jkc]

I'll stick with deads then. Just pulled 193 1x5 sumo today - not that wide a stance, just so my back could get in the right position. It was a piece of cake, but then again it should be. I see a lot of linear progress ahead

[Ian Kovtunovich]

The final solution is a vas job, so this defect does not get passed on into the gene pool.

I'm imagining asylums filled with sterilized, short-armed people in some sort of modern-day eugenics program to breed a deadlifting master race. And then, a couple generations later, the cryogenically preserved head of Dr. Rippetoe realizes that along with long arms comes a genetically-determined tendency toward Sweden-caliber nanny state liberalism, and he is forced to exist forever on government healthcare, until, one dark day, President Obama VIII convenes an emergency death panel and has the drawling head unplugged once and for all, due to a heavy drain on taxpayers and an unwillingness to endorse state funded bumper plates.

Anyone wanna option the script for $10M? I'm thinking Tommy Lee Jones as the mad cranium of Dr. Rippetoe, with cameos by Barack Obama and Pamela Anderson.

[slideman]

Mark, you are a sick dude!

Slide Man

[Mark Rippetoe]

Should jkc switch out power cleans for pull ups?

Why would you think that these two movements are in any way remotely equivalent?

[b33k4y]

I know it isn't a perfect substitute but can't you at least do them from the hang?

[JaredLLL]

Would hang cleans be a useful substitute in this situation? How else could you work around this problem?

[jkc]

I may have found the solution. I could sumo lift the weight, close my stance and then perform a power clean from the hang. It's pretty nasty and akward but it would allow a t-rex to perform the jump movement. Any way that is what I would have to do in real world if I wanted to lift something. It doesn't exactly translate to O-lifting but it would sure give some muscular development.