Form Check: power clean, squat, DL

[hostile]

power clean: i swear I'm going to learn these if its the last thing i do:

YouTube

Notes: I measured the rack, its within 1.5 inches of where the bar would start if I was strong enough to use 135.

Questions:

1. am I arm-puling? If so, how is it possible for you (or anyone) to know, given the speed of PC's?

2. If I'm pulling 340 and PCing 115, would it be reasonable to PC after DLs as well as on PC only days to get more practice? I don't think the extra fatigue has much probability of affecting my DL progression....

Squat: Squat 280 - YouTube

Deadlift: YouTube

Should I consider these a fail because of the thoracic flexion?

Lastly, I'm sorry that these aren't the preferred angles, i realize that a lot of you will be unable to give any advice because of this and I understand/accept that. I do not need to be linked to the sticky about posting form checks.

If anyone is willing to provide advice based on the angles I've presented, I would be super grateful!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Power clean: Have you read the book? Did you read the part about touching your thighs on the way up?

[hostile]

Power clean: Have you read the book? Did you read the part about touching your thighs on the way up?

I can't find a single point in the youtube video that shows the bar not in contact with the legs prior to the jump.

Oh, wait, are you saying that I'm jumping too early, meaning that the bar is at my knees rather than my thighs when I jump?

I didn't notice it, but yes, this does seem to be the case. I feel like by the time the angle between my legs and trunk is obtuse enough that the bar is all the way up to mid thigh, my knees are not flexed enough to jump high and hard.

Could an overly narrow grip be causing this? I'm already level with the rings (wider than my bench grip). Do I need to widen more?

Or is the bar jumping position supposed to be a mere 3-4 inches lower than the bar in the hang position?

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you learn the clean according to the method in the book, this does not happen. Read the book.

[Fulcrum]

you basically:
-rush both pulls,
-get behind the bar way too soon,
-jump to early,
-bend your arms too much (arm pull)
-and don't extend your legs fully

you need to finish the first pull, and keep your shoulders OVER the bar, arms straight.

you need to be patient until the bar gets to the mid thigh, then explode into full extension (you don't extend your legs fully btw).

their is some hope for your rack though, it is aggressive is some ways, but just not quite correct.

TL;DR = I'd get those plates at the start correct height.
If those are standard 25's on there, the rack arrangement is too high.
It looks to me if you had a standard 45 on there, it would still be hanging 2" from the ground.
Once you finally get to 135, the lift is going to have a different feel to it because of the longer (correct length) pull.
....and going to have to relearn it to a degree.