powerclean form check

[skywave23]

just starting to do the exercise
know my tech must be suck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTRpdbio6-U

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi Skywave,

and welcome. There are people on this board far better than me at pointing out technical problems in lifts, so please take my opinions with a large (very large) pinch of salt.
I can see two major problems with your clean:

- first, you are trying to lift the bar using your arms. As the bar reaches your mid-thigh, you start executing what looks like an upright-row.

- second, mid-way through your row, you perform a jump on the spot. You are not actually lifting your body, you are just kicking your heels backwards and replacing them, thus getting the feet stomp that is part of the lift.

The aim of the lift is to JUMP with the bar in your hands. Don't bend your arms. Don't even think about them. Just jump upwards, as hard as you can.
As you jump, your feet will leave the ground. They will leave the ground because you are jumping, not because you are simply kicking them backwards.

Once your feet are in the air, you will discover very soon that it's quite natural to stomp the feet back to the ground, and that doing so improves your racking. Hence the stomp will be the result of you, and the bar, being propelled upwards, rather than an artificial afterthought as it appears to be now.

I would recommend two things:

- read (or read again) the chapter on the Clean in SS.
- practice first your hang clean. Once you get familiar with the feeling of jumping with the bar in hand, you can add the other stuff, which is, if not easier, at least more natural.

Hope this helps. I expect better people in this board to chip in soon with further comments,

IPB

[Phil Stevens]

Id break it down Like IPB suggests, first you need to get and learn what the positions are. You never reach the power position where the ham strings are wound tight like a string on a bow and arrow.

Then instead of an explosive upward hip extension that send the bar jettisoning up int he air you do a reverse curl with a lil kick. You never reach full extension. The arms atre simple ropes that tie you to the bar they are not actie they just get out of the way, back and smack the elbows hip to create a shelf for the catch. Its the hip extension after reaching the power positon that send the bar flying to your shoulders.

I couldnt find the contest Charles and I did working up to 115kg in the no hand power clean but here is a demo, Dont try this this is just to show that the hands the arms do nothing. You are doing a slow power curl not an explosive hip extension as seen here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYEDRZ9ZTPs

So start at step one, go back and leanr the positons, read Marks book, watch videos in slow motion, below isa article and video that I did recently just breaking down the differences in the first and second pulls of a PC from that of a DL that may help. Learn this stuff and the POP, then further complicate things by going from the hang and then the floor.

http://phil-stevens.blogspot.com/200...-deadlift.html

[skywave23]

thanks for your help guys!
i gave it another try today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEENaQ2hTmc
still think i need to improve

i will go back to the book, and the videos
but, any comments on the 2nd video?

[BCS]

You're donkey kicking higher in the 2nd video and still lifting with your arms. Think of your arms as straps instead of arms. Their sole purpose in the first part of the lift is to attach you to the bar. Also think of driving off the floor through your heels not off your toes or the balls of your feet. That might help you to stop donkey kicking.

[hatmanii]

Ordering the BBT DVD is what really got my PC form moving in the right direction. I'd recommend purchasing it and comparing your own videos to the instructional ones and seeing where you are going wrong. GL!

[IlPrincipeBrutto]

Hi Skywave,

any comments on the 2nd video?

not much different from the first video, so same comments apply.
You are first pulling the bar with your arms, then kicking the heels back.
You need to forget the arms, and concentrate on the jumping (or extension, as Phil calles it above).

IPB