HELP! My clean keeps stalling out at a measley 60kg

[MKuznetsov]

I've been learning the Olympic lifts from a good coach for the past couple of months after previously only doing the strength lifts. On one hand my clean technique keeps improving, but on the other I can't get all sets for all reps at a mere 60kg (currently doing 5x2 with cleans). Most of the time I haven't been able to get a single rep, but one time I was able to get like two or three sets before I couldn't clean that weight anymore. I've already had to deload three times and work my way back up only to fail again at 60kg, it's embarrassing, frustrating, and discouraging.

My coach has prescribed cleans from blocks, and it's helped my extension somewhat, but still my clean remains at a pathetic 60kg. I'm 1.83 m tall, my weight is somewhere around 92-95kg, and my best squat is 132.5kg for 3 reps. Since my squat is more than twice my clean I don't think it's much of a strength issue, but somehow I've still never managed to clean all 5 sets of 2. I'm starting to suspect that it may be a form problem, a neuromuscular efficiency problem (lack of explosiveness), or an anthropometry problem (I have very long limbs but a short torso). Whatever it is, there's no reason why it should be stalling at this light a weight! It's really starting to get to me!

Has anyone on here had this same problem, of repeatedly stalling out at an embarrassingly low weight? Has anyone successfully gotten past something like this? Could anyone give me some pointers of how I can overcome this? I'm starting to think I might not be cut out for the Olympic lifts after all. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Mark Rippetoe]

What has the Olympic lifting coach told you? How long are you resting between sets?

[MKuznetsov]

What has the Olympic lifting coach told you? How long are you resting between sets?

He told me to reduce the volume from 5x3 to 5x2 and to do power cleans off blocks. I'm at the point in my linear progression as well where I've had day 2 be a light squat day, I've considered doing front squats for the light squat workout as advocated by Starr in SSS, my coach has also said this is acceptable. I usually rest about three minutes or so between sets, at least for cleans. As for the snatch I've done overhead squats but I haven't learned to actually snatch yet. I train in my garage gym three times per week and only go to my coach every other week to avoid overtraining, since at my coach's gym I'm always doing a bunch of reps at 40kg for technique work. Some known flaws in my clean are slight arm pull during the extension, a tendency to rack the bar late at heavier poundages, and I also appear to be cutting the pull short and not extending with the hip enough. Used to have a problem with the shoulders rising too early in the first pull but after reading a book by Tommy Kono I've managed to correct that at least.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Deadlift?

[MKuznetsov]

For my last deadlift session I did 150 kg for five fairly easily. It's still going up 5 kg every session and I've only had to deload a couple times.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Post a video.

[MKuznetsov]

Here's my clean at 50kg Imgur: The magic of the Internet

[AndrewLewis]

Here's my clean at 50kg Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Your hips start too low, and your arms start bent. You should be able to clean another 20kg at least with this clean. What does your clean at 60kg look like?

If you decide you want to learn how to clean correctly, come up north and visit me or go see Mia Inman in Yellowsprings.

[MKuznetsov]

Your hips start too low, and your arms start bent. You should be able to clean another 20kg at least with this clean. What does your clean at 60kg look like?

If you decide you want to learn how to clean correctly, come up north and visit me or go see Mia Inman in Yellowsprings.

That's what I figured about the hip placement, then again I'm not going by what's described in the Blue Book but by the way the clean is usually taught by olympic coaches. I do think my shoulders should be a little more over the bar. I don't have any footage of my clean at 60 kg at the moment. At 60kg I have been able to clean it occasionally but most of the time I can't get the bar to the rack position. Once I get the bar racked I'm fine. Also been thinking of doing clean pulls as Starr would do since most reliable sources on olympic lifting say they have more carryover to the clean than a deadlift would have.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yes, the video reveals the problems. Just do what your Olympic coach tells you.