Huge bruising from power cleans

[dewasiuk]

Since my gym doesn't have bumper plates, I use the method that was posted on the platform videos. However doing this gives large, and very painful bruises on the front of my thighs when letting the barbell off my shoulders and catching it with the thighs. Anything I can do minimize the bruising so I can actually do the exercise?

[veryhrm]

how much weight are you using currently? i only do ~120 but i've seen people do it with up to at least ~180 w/ no issue.

i don't know if this is the correct way, but i slow it down a little bit w/ my arms right before impact and also bend my knees a bit at the moment of contact to absorb some of the shock.

[MattJ.D.]

wouldnt catching it with your arms be a way to fuck your bicep up?...then again most people aren't cleaning anything like that of what you hear when people fuck their shit up deadlifting

[veryhrm]

wouldnt catching it with your arms be a way to fuck your bicep up?...then again most people aren't cleaning anything like that of what you hear when people fuck their shit up deadlifting

Yeah, you're right that i probably shouldn't have the arms involved at all in the deceleration. I'm not applying anywhere near enough force to tear my biceps (i don't think) with this kind of i'm already feeling it in the delts a little. Should probably just concentrate on the leg action.

And this reminds me... i saw a pretty strong looking guy doing hang PCs today at the gym. He was doing it with 135... but it was basically a pronated (palm down ) curl. There was barely any jump, and there was no actual rack. He just kind of stopped w/ the bar just hanging out in his hands with the forearms vertical. I give the man props because i couldn't even hold 135 lbs in that finish position, let alone curl it up there.

And i'm pretty sure he WAS actually intending to do a PC of some sort because before this set he was doing hang power snatches that looked almost the same as what i described for the PCs except that they ended in a 3/4ths press position and the weight was somewhat less.

Again... the dude is obviously strong, but i don't know what the heck he was doing. I wanted to ask, but i couldn't come up w/ a non jerky way to do it.

[LimieJosh]

Since my gym doesn't have bumper plates, I use the method that was posted on the platform videos. However doing this gives large, and very painful bruises on the front of my thighs when letting the barbell off my shoulders and catching it with the thighs. Anything I can do minimize the bruising so I can actually do the exercise?

1) Dont receive the bar with firm thighs.
2) You will get used to it.

[jimmyc]

veryrm has the idea but you don't really catch it with your arms. If you are doing PC's for reps then each time they get lowered it should be in a controlled matter (think of it kind of like a negative rep) using your arms, traps and shoulders , then absorb the bar with flexible thighs. Control is the key in any movement that is repetetive.

Good luck

[dewasiuk]

Guys I already said I'm not catching it with my arms. I'm pc'ing 175lbs right now and that feels heavy for me especially since the movement is difficult for me in the first place. At the end of the rep I let the bar fall off my shoulders close to my body, and as it approaches my thighs I bend my legs slightly to break the weight of the fall.

1) Dont receive the bar with firm thighs.
2) You will get used to it.

How can I get used to it if I have to skip my power clean sets because of how painful the bruising is?

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/3161/29758632.jpg

It doesn't look too bad because of the amount of light in the pic, but it really looks nasty in person.

[mikeylikey]

Since my gym doesn't have bumper plates, I use the method that was posted on the platform videos. However doing this gives large, and very painful bruises on the front of my thighs when letting the barbell off my shoulders and catching it with the thighs. Anything I can do minimize the bruising so I can actually do the exercise?

I'm probably the subject of Rip's ire in this video, as I asked him if he'd do one and a few days later it was up. While the result was not what I had in mind, I don't care what anybody says, it was helpful. Would have liked to see more than 2 reps, but was able to glean this:

Watch what they both do as they unrack the bar - they both jump UP - this is counterintuitive, but it lets them get in a position of straight arms while the bar is still travelling relatively slowly. Then the traps can be used to help in the deceleration. The book also says to slow the bar with the traps but I could never figure out how to do this until I saw the video.

[MattJ.D.]

I had some really bad bruises from powercleans, but that was from the jump and bc my timing was off... I use metal plates too. My gym though has rubber padding over the whole floor. So what I do is unrack the bar and forcefully push it down into the ground. I push it down with my hands so the bar lands even and isn't compromised to bending.

If you have a set up like that you could do that

[dsp]

Guys I already said I'm not catching it with my arms. I'm pc'ing 175lbs right now and that feels heavy for me especially since the movement is difficult for me in the first place. At the end of the rep I let the bar fall off my shoulders close to my body, and as it approaches my thighs I bend my legs slightly to break the weight of the fall.



How can I get used to it if I have to skip my power clean sets because of how painful the bruising is?

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/3161/29758632.jpg

It doesn't look too bad because of the amount of light in the pic, but it really looks nasty in person.

What? that looks fucking nasty haha. youre white as fuck son.

I got up to 175 5x3 power cleans with iron plates. I actually caught the whole weight with my arms and lowered it like the end of a deadlift all in one smooth action. Just make sure you don't extend your elbows all the way, or else you'll probably fuck something up bad.