Power clean form check

[Toasterleavings]

Hi folks. I've avoided power cleans due to dodgy old knee dramas (I'm 46 - they felt about 75), but the squat fairy has apparently waved her mighty wand over the knobbly bastards to the point that I can now do front squats comfortably (on my light day), so I'm giving power cleans a go also.

Worked up to 90kg(198lbs) doing doubles. They felt ok but a critique/some pointers would be much appreciated ... because noob & technical. Cheers!

Power clean - 90kg(198lbs)x2

[asmuts]

I know the strength charts are much maligned, but I wonder if many get their power cleans up to the same level as their other lifts. The numbers are very ambitious. . . .

I don't think you are racking the bar on your shoulders. It looks like you are racking it in your hands. I murdered my wrists doing that a while back. Your forearms are pretty much vertical. Take a look at 0:27 in the video.

It would be better if your elbows were out in front and the bar was resting on your shoulders not your hands. Think fast elbows. fast elbows. fast elbows. Get those elbows pointed forward. Look at p.186 of SS3. It helped me.

You might need to widen your grip to rack the bar properly.

Looks sunny and green there. I have 7 feet of snow in my front yard. . . .

[Adam Skillin]

I know the strength charts are much maligned, but I wonder if many get their power cleans up to the same level as their other lifts. The numbers are very ambitious. . . .

Strong is far more trainable than explosive. I have one of the worst PC to DL ratios on the planet, which coincides nicely with my borderline-pathetic SVJ.

[Toasterleavings]

You're second pull needs to be harder and more vertical. You're "reverse curling" the bar a bit into the rack position.

But 90kg already? Fuck off. Just kidding. My PCs died off around 205 and I leave them to hover in the 185 range. I'm PB & Jelly.

I'd suggest backing off a bit in weight and getting that second pull clean. I would fear some nasty forearm tendinitis-type pain will be coming your way with your current form.

Thanks man - I'll work on less curlywhip and more rocketship in the second half, with lower weights. I didn't expect anything out of PCs - considering my squats are grindy bounceless low speed nightmares.

I don't think you are racking the bar on your shoulders. It looks like you are racking it in your hands. I murdered my wrists doing that a while back. Your forearms are pretty much vertical. Take a look at 0:27 in the video.

It would be better if your elbows were out in front and the bar was resting on your shoulders not your hands. Think fast elbows. fast elbows. fast elbows. Get those elbows pointed forward. Look at p.186 of SS3. It helped me.

You might need to widen your grip to rack the bar properly.

Looks sunny and green there. I have 7 feet of snow in my front yard. . . .

Ahhh - looks like my 'rack' position currently is a lot like my Press start position just a little wider and with broken wrists. My press position has the bar way off the shoulders so I guess I'm too used to that bar floating out in front of me. I'll work on gripping even wider and finishing with an actual rack. As I do more front squats that'll probably feel more comfy. And fast elbows!

Nice hot sunny day. Plenty of green due to cyclone Marcia & attendant rain from a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't mind some snow - but I can imagine there's some serious shovelling involved so pass on 7 foot! Thanks man.

[Chad Okada]

Hard to tell from this video, but it appears the bar was hovering ~1-2 inches in front of your leg

[Toasterleavings]

Hard to tell from this video, but it appears the bar was hovering ~1-2 inches in front of your leg

Yeah I believe you got me there. Thanks. Probably unconsciously swinging it away from my legs a bit - I'm only used to the bar bad touching me during deadlifts. At speed I imagine some part of me was expecting to lose a kneecap. I do have stupid big kneecaps. Cheers.

[Toasterleavings]

Hi gang. Any improvement here?

I've taken a wider grip - about 4" outside my deadlift grip, and I'm definitely racking on shoulders now - clavicles got a bit pummeled while I dialed in. End up in about the same position as front squat rack. Elbows are kinda still a little down pointing, but there's bugger all strain on my wrists.

Worked through triples on 5kg jumps from 50 up to 90kg again. They all looked about the same on tape. Really trying to explode from the thigh touch point - looks like I'm still bouncing it forward a little from there, but the arc at the top does not seem as pronounced? Michael most definitely upright-rowed the 3rd rep on 90kg the fuck ashore however. Bad unstraightening elbows, bad. Un-hallelujah.

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi,

I think you are jumping a bit too early. You go almost as soon as the bar passes your knees, but I think you should let the bar slide up another inch.
It's going to take some practice to get used to.
The first few times it will feel like you are missing the point (excuse the pun), and it will be too late to get a proper pull. It's normal.
You will have to get used to that split second delay between the moment when you think you should go, which is ingrained in your mind, and the moment when you actually have to explode.
If you hit the 'go' button later, your legs and back will be in a better position to push UP! and extend. Right now, your legs are coming in a bit (you bang the bar a little), and your back is whipping back a little, rather than straight up.
Think up, up, up, straight up; don't worry about the bar, just focus on extending up; your pull is strong enough to bring the bar high; and with more verticality in your jump, you might be surprised, and feel that the whole explosion/rack is actually easier (there will be a bit less belly in the bar path, which will simplify things).

Last but not least: congratulations on your strength. My PR on PCs is 90Kg and small change, for a single, and that after years of trying. On the other hand, my squat PR is a pathetic 130Kg or thereabouts, so proportion-wise I am not that unhappy with myself.

Hope this helps.

IPB

[Toasterleavings]

Hi,

I think you are jumping a bit too early. You go almost as soon as the bar passes your knees, but I think you should let the bar slide up another inch.
It's going to take some practice to get used to.
The first few times it will feel like you are missing the point (excuse the pun), and it will be too late to get a proper pull. It's normal.
You will have to get used to that split second delay between the moment when you think you should go, which is ingrained in your mind, and the moment when you actually have to explode.
If you hit the 'go' button later, your legs and back will be in a better position to push UP! and extend. Right now, your legs are coming in a bit (you bang the bar a little), and your back is whipping back a little, rather than straight up.
Think up, up, up, straight up; don't worry about the bar, just focus on extending up; your pull is strong enough to bring the bar high; and with more verticality in your jump, you might be surprised, and feel that the whole explosion/rack is actually easier (there will be a bit less belly in the bar path, which will simplify things).

Last but not least: congratulations on your strength. My PR on PCs is 90Kg and small change, for a single, and that after years of trying. On the other hand, my squat PR is a pathetic 130Kg or thereabouts, so proportion-wise I am not that unhappy with myself.

Hope this helps.

IPB

Thanks IPB - that does help. Guess I was hoping I could fix it with just the change to racking, but obviously there's still something else rotten in Denmark. I'll take it back to square one and begin again with the drill that works jump position to rack (p 187 SS3). Hopefully that'll help me work on a straight second pull instead of doing Rocky Horror Picture Show "Time Warp" cleans. And I'll watch some more power clean videos. Cheers!