Power cleans. Why?

[dsp]

This should get thrown straight into repetitive inquiries, but,

Why do we power clean? What's so good about it? Does it really increase your vertical by a good amount? is it pretty much for the sole purpose that it raises your deadlift? How essential is it? am i a pussy?

I love the power clean, but I don't feel like it's necessary until Intermediate, where I'll have a stronger back and therefor more potential to increase my #s quickly.

[Tamara Reynolds]

So, you mean you want reasons other than those explained in the entire chapter on power cleans in the book?

[dsp]

basically.

i just want the opinions of people actually doing the program and their experiences, in addition to the guy who wrote the program.

[mstrofbass]

I think I can speak for Rip and say:

Fuck.

[dsp]

XD

[MattJ.D.]

Neural adaptations, explosiveness, well executed with anything 2plates + make you look like a bad ass to most people in regular gyms.....

What else do you need

[ihatemoney123]

PC will give you a stronger back (upper back) and much stronger shoulders, traps. I'm not sure if it will increase your vertical much. My vertical only began to increase once my squat increased. In addition, my vertical increased as my snatch numbers went up. That being said, you do not need to lift weights to increase your vertical. Plyometrics (although many might not agree with me) is sufficient. The only issue with plyometrics without strength training is a higher incidence of knee injuries.

The explosive nature of the PC will drive all your other lifts to increase. Personally, I think full squat cleans are better than power cleans. I'm sure there is a reason why SS does not have full squat cleans.

Power cleans for some reason drive the strict press. It must be because they strengthen the shoulder area. As an example, I had a hurt shoulder for many months and thus I was not able to strict press. I was doing power cleans (without any shoulder pain oddly enough). When my shoulder healed up...my strict press increased by 30lbs.

Just to give some numbers to get an idea.

Power clean for 5 reps (prior to shoulder injury)- 165 x5 Strict Press 1RM prior to shoulder injury- 155
Power clean for 5 reps (after injury healed up)- 220 x5 Strict press 1Rm after shoulder healed- 185
injury took about 5 months to heal
At a bodyweight of 185

If your strict press increases, your bench increases....it's a systematic response we are dealing with here OP.

[blowdpanis]

This should get thrown straight into repetitive inquiries, but,

Why do we power clean? What's so good about it? Does it really increase your vertical by a good amount? is it pretty much for the sole purpose that it raises your deadlift? How essential is it? am i a pussy?

I love the power clean, but I don't feel like it's necessary until Intermediate, where I'll have a stronger back and therefor more potential to increase my #s quickly.

Excluding them will probably have negligible impact on strength/hypertrophy (99% of powerlifting templates do not include them), but there's an argument to be made for their utility in developing power. You know, hence the name.

I'm sure people will chime in about their abstract usefulness and "blah blah blah don't be a pussy," but I don't think the risk/reward favors the inclusion of power cleans in a beginner's program minus in-person coaching. If you have that, clean away.

[ihatemoney123]

Excluding them will probably have negligible impact on strength/hypertrophy (99% of powerlifting templates do not include them), but there's an argument to be made for their utility in developing power. You know, hence the name.

I'm sure people will chime in about their abstract usefulness and "blah blah blah don't be a pussy," but I don't think the risk/reward favors the inclusion of power cleans in a beginner's program minus in-person coaching. If you have that, clean away.

I don't know about powerlifting templates.....but most powerlifters do power cleans. What I noticed is....they don't go heavy on it. Power cleans are also big in the strongman community....but again they don't go heavy on em. And, they don't do them regularly like starting strength does.

[dsp]

Excluding them will probably have negligible impact on strength/hypertrophy (99% of powerlifting templates do not include them), but there's an argument to be made for their utility in developing power. You know, hence the name.

I'm sure people will chime in about their abstract usefulness and "blah blah blah don't be a pussy," but I don't think the risk/reward favors the inclusion of power cleans in a beginner's program minus in-person coaching. If you have that, clean away.

That's what I was hoping. I subbed in weighted chins for them and haven't looked back since.. since this thread, anyways.