CJ form check

[cpbellavia]

Coach,

I'm having trouble isolating the form issue and how to fix it in my power clean. I think the split jerk issues are more basic and obvious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0TooG7tyT4&t=0m13s

Clean: My power cleans don't feel quite right. It looks like I'm not fully extending my hips. Is the cause apparent from my form? It also looks like the deadlift part of the lift is out of whack...which I'm thinking may also be a possible cause.

Jerk: I think the issues are more obvious. Needs better hand placement and elbow angle for better drive. Needs better form on the back leg of the split.

More interested in fixing the power clean. 5'7" 178 if relevant.

Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Clean: It's not quite a full extension of the knees, and your eyes are down when you start, which makes it harder to finish your pull. You could be squeezed up in the chest a little better. Eyes a little higher and chest up will correct most of what you perceive as the problem, although this is not a bad power clean at all.

Jerk: I teach a lower-elbows drive after the dip. Your back heel is rotated in and trying to collapse because your back knee is too straight. Rotate your heel out and drop your knee. I don't like a back foot recovery, although Moser teaches it and lots of people do it. The main problem is the pause after the jerk -- get out of the split as soon as you hit it, whether you use a front or back foot recovery.

[cpbellavia]

My jerk definitely just needs more work on the basics. I only just switched to Justin's CJ+novice progression program and this is basically my first real go at jerks. I brought the back foot in first because it just felt natural, though that could be because it's not firmly placed.

On the clean (and on my deadlift) I'm quite a bit lost trying to find the right hand position. I have a short torso and just slightly longer wingspan than height. The 21 inches doesn't feel quite right and on my deads if I stick to 20 inches my back is completely horizontal at the start. Can you judge anything on grip width at all from this footage or is that something that's more based test and feel and repetition?

Also, if I need a slightly larger toes out angle to keep active hip on squats (40-45ish) does it translate that I'll need a slightly more toes out angle on deads/cleans? Or is this also just trial and error?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I brought the back foot in first because it just felt natural, though that could be because it's not firmly placed.

Quite likely. You will go away from instability every time.

If you're going to C&J, your jerk grip determines your clean grip, i.e. you clean with the grip that works best for the jerk so you don't have to move your hands. This will most likely be wider than you want them, because the widest grip you can manage will be the one you jerk with, to shorten the bar path from shoulders to lockout. You bar is sitting well back in your fingers, and the shorter the moment arm along the wrist the better, so widen the grip, don't let the bar roll down your fingers, and you'll find that your drive up is much stronger.