For the Record

[mikeylikey]

There seems to be a prevailing notion on the internets that you endorse the use of barbell rows as a replacement for the Power Clean. You've of course corrected this misconception in your Q&A a number of times.

You've mentioned that in some cases a trainee may legitimately not be able to do PC's because of longer forearms that make the rack difficult or impossible. So for the record, how would you instruct a person who wants to DTP to proceed in that case? SEARCH FUNCTION yields only that it is NOT barbell rows.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Again, I do not regard barbell rows as a useful replacement for power cleans, since the point is to include an explosive exercise. We teach power snatches to people who cannot clean.

[mikeylikey]

Again, I do not regard barbell rows as a useful replacement for power cleans, since the point is to include an explosive exercise. We teach power snatches to people who cannot clean.

Let me guess, most people suddenly develop better anthropometry when you tell them that?

Thanks for your time.

[jab50]

Again, I do not regard barbell rows as a useful replacement for power cleans, since the point is to include an explosive exercise. We teach power snatches to people who cannot clean.

K, now I gotta figure out what a power snatch is. I've been sub'ing rows (they're my least favorite exercise out of the 5) because my wrist was broken about a year and a half ago, but I didn't get it set till over a month later, and it still hurts if any pressure is applied to it. Read about the rows in the accessory exercise section, but I'd rather do the power clean if I can handle the bar without it hurting my wrist like it does now (I try power cleans every few weeks just to see if it still hurts).

[Mark Rippetoe]

Let me guess, most people suddenly develop better anthropometry when you tell them that?

You guessed wrong, as we might have predicted. They don't develop anything when I tell them that. But when they learn how to snatch they develop the ability to do an explosive exercise that is not dependent on forearm anthropometry to rack the bar.

[mikeylikey]

You guessed wrong, as we might have predicted. They don't develop anything when I tell them that. But when they learn how to snatch they develop the ability to do an explosive exercise that is not dependent on forearm anthropometry to rack the bar.

Yeah, all I meant was this probably weeds out those who claim they can't PC because of anthropometry when they really just don't want to.

[DV]

I also have a broken wrist, even have a metal plate in my wrist still.

Now I'm a stubborn fucker, so I am persisting with cleans, even though I have to work at sub-optimal weights. I sometimes do some hi-pulls with clean grip at heavier weight after my cleans (kinda like a Starr-deal).

When I could do Power-Snatches (current Globogym barely tolerates the cleans, so not doing them now) they barely irritated my wrist. It takes a while to figure out a good catch-position though - if you let the bar roll back in your hand at the top, even just the tiniest bit, you're gonna lose it backwards.

Also SEARCH FUNCTION earlier revealed the following advice for guys like us with botched wrists:

http://www.startingstrength.com/reso...ead.php?t=8728

[48Dodge]

I'm one of the many that fell for the "Mark Rippetoe says you can sub barbell rows for power cleans". It didn't sound quite right, but hey it was on the internet so it must be true. After a week of doing that version of the SS program, I ordered SS and PP. I just switched to power cleans last Friday (after about a month). I had never done correct power cleans before so I'll need to work on technique. Wrist flexibility is a problem too, but it shouldn't take much time to work through it. I started with work sets of 135 and will probably stick with that for a couple workouts to work on timing and flexibility. I've popped my shoulders out of joint enough over the years that I think I'll steer clear of the power snatch for a while.

[Bahadur]

Again, I do not regard barbell rows as a useful replacement for power cleans, since the point is to include an explosive exercise. We teach power snatches to people who cannot clean.

Because of your years of coaching experience, I assume that you can tell by just looking at someone's arms whether or not they are that rare bird whose arthrometry prevents them from cleaning. But is there another way of telling? Measurements, ratios of forearm to humerus, etc. that could provide objective validation of someone's inability to rack being due to anatomy?

Also, you do a good job of explaining the power clean so one can learn it on their own; do you have a similar resource for learning the power snatch on your own, or is it more technically difficult such that it requires good one-on-one coaching?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I just look at the rack position and determine whether it is anthropometry or flexibility. I refuse to invest in instrumentation for this purpose. We teach the snatch the same way we teach the clean, and the method is easily adapted to the task. It helps to know what a snatch looks like if you're working alone.