A question on Power Cleans

[tweakxc03]

Rip:

The topic of doing power cleans without bumper plates has been beaten to death I realize. You even made a video about it. However, the one thing I haven't seen addressed on here is what if you miss a rep? Dropping iron plates on the floor seems like a good way to piss off a gym owner. Do you just try and "catch" it on the traps like when you unrack the bar after a completed rep?

Seems like this would be difficult to do once the weight gets heavy.

Also, would doing PC's from the hang be acceptable given limited equipment? I know it's not as ideal as pulling from the floor.

Thanks.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You just catch the bar. Learn how. And what does the lack of bumpers have to do with hangs?

[Chebass88]

Simple. You practice a whole hell of a lot with 135. Then, when you move to 140 or 145, catching it is not that hard. It isn't as if you are going to practice with 135 and then pop off and miss with 245. You can easily catch 245 once you demonstrate that you can catch 240 or 235.

[Paul1]

However, the one thing I haven't seen addressed on here is what if you miss a rep? Dropping iron plates on the floor seems like a good way to piss off a gym owner. Do you just try and "catch" it on the traps like when you unrack the bar after a completed rep?

I don't see this as an issue. I work out at home so I have a bit invested in both the floor and the weights. I'm deadlifting 370 and I power clean 185. I figure if I can safely lower a 370 pound bar to the ground after a deadlift without dropping it, then I can definitely lower a 185 pound bar after a missed clean.

I have 10 pound bumpers that I use when I play around with power snatches, but I've never really felt it would be worth investing in a full set of bumpers.

[tweakxc03]

Nothing really... hang PCs seem less technically difficult and less likely for me to end up dumping the bar on the floor (I was using bumpers at the time). The last time I did PC's, weight was a little too heavy, I was a little tired, bar got out in front of me and I tried to save it. I ended up spraining my wrist by jamming elbow into my quad. I'm not sure how I would have caught it in that scenario with iron plates.

Point being, aside from not making a mistake, how do you get out of that without dumping the bar?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Nothing really... hang PCs seem less technically difficult and less likely for me to end up dumping the bar on the floor (I was using bumpers at the time). The last time I did PC's, weight was a little too heavy, I was a little tired, bar got out in front of me and I tried to save it. I ended up spraining my wrist by jamming elbow into my quad. I'm not sure how I would have caught it in that scenario with iron plates.

If this happened, you squat-cleaned the weight. You can't jam an elbow into a thigh on a power clean. Had you had iron plates on the bar, I predict you would not have put yourself in that position.

Point being, aside from not making a mistake, how do you get out of that without dumping the bar?

You don't get into that position. If you do, there will be a wreck. So you don't.

[AdamBlalock]

I hope this attaches as it answers many questions as to the dropping of barbells.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlnWpRzzEzc

Looks like a relatively easy 400 lbs Clean & Press.

[Jonathon Sullivan]

I hope this attaches as it answers many questions as to the dropping of barbells.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlnWpRzzEzc

Looks like a relatively easy 400 lbs Clean & Press.

Puts me in mind of

"...just like people have been doin' it for a hundred years.
You clean, you catch it, you put it down on the floor.

Now shut up!"

--Unknown

[Brian Harlin]

I hope this attaches as it answers many questions as to the dropping of barbells.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlnWpRzzEzc

Looks like a relatively easy 400 lbs Clean & Press.

Fuck. The speed with which he goes from the rack to the bar being over his head is astonishing.

[Robert NL]

Fuck. The speed with which he goes from the rack to the bar being over his head is astonishing.

Pressing 2.0