racking accuracy for the Power Clean?

[bvonrod]

Good evening Rip, I've been trying to find the correct area (on my shoulders) that the bar should rack on with the clean. For some reason it hits my clavicles more than it seems like it should as well as tagging my throat sometimes.(fairly uncomfortable) I've never been able to perform front squats for this same reason. I'm sure the answer is obvious but I'm missing it, your input is much appreciated. Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Raise your elbows up, so that the bar can sit on your delts.

[Patrick]

The power clean is the strongest of all of my lifts and I still miss the "perfect" rack position sometimes... I miss it most often as I approach my limiting weights. Rip's right that high elbows make a good rack more likely, but imo it would be very useful to see a video of it. Or, at the very least, to know how much you're lifting.

The reason I say that is that you could be performing the lift incorrectly (and there are almost innumerable ways to do that, and I've done them all) or you could just lack the flexibility to rack properly period.

The idea that high elbows makes a good delt rack is 100% right, but it assumes that most everything else is going right before that; I would always gamble on the longer list of techniques containing the flaw that makes the result manky.

[bvonrod]

Sir, at the risk of being a nuisance, I have made sure my elbows are up and pointing forward, if I push them higher it rolls the bar more into my throat. I will continue to experiment with positioning though, thanks for your help!

[Mark Rippetoe]

What is your bodyweight?

[bvonrod]

168lbs. at 5' 10". I'm not huge by any means, considered fairly thin.

[JLascek]

Could be a grip issue. Probably needs to be wider.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Probably a deltoid mass issue. Grow and see what happens.

[lint]

I found that elbows up and in helped my rack position more than elbows up alone. Seemed to bring my delts further forward for the bar to rest on.

[bvonrod]

Yes lint, I have to agree with you, I just tried experimenting with that yesterday and it does make a difference. Very cool, thanks!