First power cleans (from a "recovering" kettlebell'er)

[Sean McAnally]

My training log has more background information. The short version: recreational trainee, no youth athletic background, only "got into fitness" two years ago - with kettlebells (and later barbell deadlift). I got pretty good at the hardstyle (as opposed to the girevoy sport (GS) style) swing, clean, and snatch, but they do not use triple extension (it's all hips), and the clean involves a low backwards "elbow strike" motion that is not used in the barbell clean. I'm laying off kettlebells for NLP.

So given that, here are my first feeble attempts at the power clean, starting with the empty bar, then 65 pounds, then 95 pounds for 5 sets of 3:



What I can tell for myself:
* I have long arms, so I have to find the right grip width. Too narrow and I can't keep my arms straight; too wide and I have trouble with racking it.
* I'm using the arms (instead of the hips/legs) when they should be straight.
* Need to practice (heavier) rack holds to get comfortable with it. Used the same tactic with kettlebells - long rack hold practice before cleaning it/them up to the rack.
* Probably need to widen my knees, as they get in the way too. My deadlift stance is a bit narrow and bowed out for the same reason.
* Catching it leaned back, when I should be meeting it more forward (right?)

Would going heavier help reinforce straight arms (once I practice a heavier weight in the rack)? I feel like I could send 95 pounds through the ceiling. I can comfortably snatch a 32kg (70lbs) kettlebell for 10 reps, if that context is helpful/useful.

Just started NLP. Currently my plan is to keep these in as Workout B, as my deadlift (290 x 5) is far ahead of my squat (115 x 5 x 3), and I will need to start rotating them in soon anyway. And they are fun and I want to get better at them.

[Satch12879]

Post a video at normal speed. We can look at videos on YouTube at reduced speed if we need to.

[Satch12879]

Also, have you gone through the teaching progression from the book?

Did you post something like this on Reddit?

[Sean McAnally]

Replaced the video in the original post with the regular speed one.

Yes, read the book and watched the SS videos, AoM video, etc.

And yes, posted on Reddit about programming (whether to start right out with PC in Workout B, given how far ahead my DL is from SQ).

[Mark Rippetoe]

Arm pull. Can Satch help him with this?

[Sean McAnally]

Today’s workout:
YouTube

I worked up heavier this time, up to 135 for sets across.

Still see arm pull on the footage when I slow it down, but I get a better sense of the triple extension with the heavier weight. 135 is below 50% of my deadlift.

One of the sets I tried a slightly wider grip, but that didn’t feel right.