Power Clean and high-bar squat for check please

[bustagriggs]

Thanks in advance. I am a pretty raw novice, 49 years old and 145lbs.

Power Clean set 1x3 @ 110lbs
http://youtu.be/0mEg6NToO-Y

Power Clean set 2x3 @ 110lbs
http://youtu.be/HL0qKD5aksk

I am working on my flexibility but I can't do low bar squats yet.

High-bar squat 1x5 @ 170lbs
http://youtu.be/hd6a08eW5Mg

High-bar squat 1x5 @ 170lbs
http://youtu.be/kZqf9kG261s

[bustagriggs]

Just wondering if there was something I did wrong with my post. It is the only one recently to receive no replies.

[Nick Klemetson]

Power clean: Review the setup from the book. You're pulling the bar up away from your shins, which will put the bar in front of the mid foot. I think your jump can be more explosive. The bar goes up pretty slowly, which is really going to hold you back on heavier weights. It also looks like you're catching the bar a bit in your hands as opposed to landing on your deltoids.

Squat: High bar is fine if it's necessary (you're actually not far off from a low bar position), but there are a lot of issues here. For starters, your arm and wrist position is asking for trouble. I'd recommend doing some shoulder dislocations to loosen up those shoulders, setting your grip a little wider, and getting those wrists on top of the bar instead of curled underneath them. Also, the depth isn't there at all. I'd deload about 30-40%, fix your grip, and make sure you're hitting depth. With the shoulder flexibility should come the ability to get the bar a little lower. Your spine will be happier.

[bustagriggs]

Thanks WorkoutNick! My cleans come up slowly because my back is a bit tender. I will take your advice to heard and post an improved video after I fix these issues.

[gatorinexile]

Everything Nick said. Also, you're looking up too much on your squat. Eyes down more.

Maybe you're just too busy admiring your really nice home gym! Wow.

[bustagriggs]

Thanks! My home gym got a lot better when I added the squat cage and got rid of an old bench press setup. I am lucky to have so much space. Next up will be some rubber mats for a platform and bumper plates when I get permission to spend more money.

Also, my wrist position in the squat is a function of my poor flexibility. I simply can't get my arms back any more. I am working on it but shoulder flexibility comes very slowly.

[steven-miller]

An addition in regards to the powerclean: After the learning progression from the top I have everyone start the olympic lifts at the correct height. Correct height is the height the bar would be in competition. If no light enough rubber or plastic plates are available I use other plates on top of each other to put the weight on. You CANNOT learn the correct starting position from an incorrect starting height. And a wrong starting position has the potential to fuck up everything that follows. So don't be lazy and put something under the weight as long as your powercleans are very light.

[bustagriggs]

and I thought 110 lbs felt pretty heavy :-). I'll find something to boost it up. Thanks.

[steven-miller]

and I thought 110 lbs felt pretty heavy :-). I'll find something to boost it up. Thanks.

It is a decent place to start, but you don't want to stay there for all that long, right? ;-)

[bustagriggs]

I made a video this morning after dropping the weight a couple of times so I can get low. I went from 170 -> 145lbs. I put a box under my butt so I would get low enough, dropped the bar into low-bar position and made an effort to keep my head down. You will notice my wrists and elbows are in a worse position but that's the best I can do even with stretching before the set.

Squat: http://youtu.be/qwwJXV1dMlA

It was deadlift day so I recorded my set at 210lbs. I am making linear progress of +5lbs each workout with the deadlift and +2.5lbs with bench press (167.5lbs).

Deadlift: http://youtu.be/CHuict_sgJM