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Thread: Clean High Pulls?

  1. #1
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    Default Clean High Pulls?

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    Anyone try incorporating Clean High Pulls into their program as a substitute for Power Cleans? I just starting looking into them, and for people who, for what ever reason, can't or won't do power cleans, clean high pulls seem like a better substitute than rows. It's almost the same movement and requires similar levels of power generation, but without the racking. At the very least, it may be useful as an assistance exercise to train the top part of the power clean.

  2. #2
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    I was having this same delusion during the end of last year while I was still doing stronglifts.

    I sucked at cleans, I used to split and jump forward and my racking was terrible.

    So I decided to work on partial movements like power shrugs and high pulls.

    Important things I did not quite realise were, that the power clean is NOT in the programme to build back muscles. It is the element that transfers the strength developed in squat and deadlift into explosive athletic power.

    Other similar programmes that involves rows make you think you need a muscle building exercise to mirror the bench press (push/pull) But that is not Starting Strength.

    Also, there is little point in choosing high pulls over power cleans. If you suck at power cleans you will suck at high pulls too. Just work on your racking.

    For me choosing a much narrower grip helped a lot.

    Partial range movements like high pulls or shrugs are for more advanced trainees. Just like an advanced lifter may train halting deadlifts & rack pulls.

    Rip provides really good advice, so I for one am following it now.

  3. #3
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    It does not require similar levels of power generation. A high pull is like a half squat. It is what you define it to be. I've seen people shrug the bar at the top of the deadlift a little and call it a high pull.

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    Thanks for the input. I tried high pulls for the first time yesterday and I did find that it required a lot of power generation. Maybe it depends on how you define them, like coldfire said. I did them by starting in a deadlift position, like a power clean, accelerated the weight slowly at first until just past the knee, extended the hips and 'jumped' (although I didn't clear the ground), like a power clean, and shrugged, getting the barbell to just above nipple level. The only difference from a power clean, the way I felt I did them, was I didn't rack the weight, I just lowered it back down. The power required felt about the same, just less technical.

    Anyways, just thought I'd see what others thought. I think it would be better than rows, though. But, I'll take your advice and just continue with PC and DL

    Cheers.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by coldfire View Post
    It does not require similar levels of power generation. A high pull is like a half squat. It is what you define it to be. I've seen people shrug the bar at the top of the deadlift a little and call it a high pull.
    A high pull should look like a failed power clean attempt, where you tried to rack it but failed. You get the bar as high as possible, but it doesnt rack.

    The deadlift + shrug thing is referred to as a "clean pull" and seems to be done a lot by people training olympic lifts. You deadlift then shrug and tip-toe at the same time.

    Looks kinda like this:


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    Quote Originally Posted by Dastardly View Post
    A high pull should look like a failed power clean attempt, where you tried to rack it but failed. You get the bar as high as possible, but it doesnt rack.

    The deadlift + shrug thing is referred to as a "clean pull" and seems to be done a lot by people training olympic lifts. You deadlift then shrug and tip-toe at the same time.

    Looks kinda like this:

    And how do you decide whether you pulled it high enough?

  7. #7
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    The high pull does not take the same level of "commitment" to finish as the power clean. Think about this for a second. Anyone who has done both will attest to this. This is partially what coldfire is getting at, I think.

    Stacey

  8. #8
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    Yep. You can pretty much use any weight you like and call it a high pull regardless of how high you pulled it.

  9. #9
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    Good point. Pretty hard to gauge progress if you just keep upping the weight but not lifting as high.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by rikkusan View Post
    Good point. Pretty hard to gauge progress if you just keep upping the weight but not lifting as high.
    You can catch a powerclean lower too. Are you stronger or just pulling lower and catching lower to compensate.

    question: What's the difference?

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