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Thread: Power Clean Q

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    101

    Default Power Clean Q

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    Mark,

    Over the years of your coaching and teaching of the lift I'm sure at one stage or another you've come accross somebody who lacked the flexibility to properly rack the barbell at the top of the clean.

    I'm wondering what you do to correct this situation? What type of drills/stretchs do you have your clients do inorder for them to be capable of racking the weight correctly?

    Thanks in advance.

    Kyle

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
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    53,559

    Default

    Flexibility for racking the clean can depend on wrist, elbow, shoulder, or tricep flexibility, all of which can be stretched in several ways - usually by just shoving the elbows up under the bar in the rack and holding that stretch.

    What is often unappreciated is the fact that forearm/upper arm dimensions can have a lot to do with racking ability. A person with long forearms relative to upper arms will be anatomically unable to rack the bar with the elbows in an elevated position with the same ease as a person with the opposite anthropometry. A person with longer forearms will have to take a wider grip to get the elbows up into the same position, and this may be the only way to get the bar in a secure position on the shoulders.

    Racking the weight correctly is important to learn very early. You have to commit to slamming the elbows up into position, and never settle for catching the bar with the elbows pointing down. Learning the rack in the context of the squat clean makes you do this (since if you don't, the bar falls off), but the power clean can also be successfully taught correctly with the proper emphasis on high elbows.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Posts
    2

    Default

    I also find that tight lats contribute to the racking position. In a front squat, your lats are stretched as your arms are forward. If they are tight, it will affect your ability to rack the bar.

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