I am weak getting the weight from my hips to my shoulders, what can i do to improve this? I was thinking upright rows and reverse curls. Would these help?
I think High pulls would help, or anything from the hang.
will
I’m not an expert or anything, just a guy who likes to lift heavy. I would try hang cleans–they’re like doing the top half of a power clean. Start with the weight at your knees and clean it to your chest. 5 sets of 5, gradually increasing the weight each session (Bill Starr style). You could probably add power (balistic) shrugs as well (out of rack, or with bar hanging from your knees “explode” up into a full shrug. You might even want to come up onto the tips of your toes). upright rows or reverse curls wouldn’t be as helpful because they are not explosive movements.
If you can’t get the weight to your shoulders it’s because you’re not pulling hard enough. Cleans are supposed to be explosive! Rip that thing off the floor!
Those may help, along with shrugs, but the problem may be in your form also. Pull the weight with explosiveness make sure you are dropping into a deep squat, and getting under the weight . Technique is crucial in the clean, and it sounds like you are trying to muscle it.
umm, you might notice from your description of the exercise that the first portion involves a “clean”. How about working on that? Otherwise do it the puss way and pick it up from a power rack already set at shoulder height.
Nope. Those exercises will just teach you bad cleaning form. You don’t actually use your arm muscles at all during a clean.
The best way to get better at cleaning is to clean. Here's a few tips. Think of your arms as ropes. Thrust your hips forward while explosively shrugging. Try to "jump" while holding the weight. And keep the bar as close to your body as you can.
The old standard was whatever you could pull to your hips you could clean. Are you doing high pulls? Are you practicing getting under the weight?
Best of Luck.
The movement isn’t an arm movment and it shouldn’t involve you curling at all. The problem might not be entirerly pulling power, but a lack of speed in your dive under. You need to move under the bar quicker so that you won’t have to pull it as high. Think of diving under before you even complete the second pull and it might help your timing and correct the problem. If that doesn’t seem to be the problem, let me know and I’ll give you a few exercises that may help as well.
Jump shrugs will help some, but it sounds like you are not accelerating the bar fast enough from your knees to your hips. Make sure you are pulling explosively and get the drive from your legs and back.
high pulls, heavy shrugs, and deads.
First of all, get a qualified instructor to check your technique. Your plan of attack leads me to believe you dont have quite the right idea about this lift. You may also want to learn a variety of asssitance exercises to help you advance your numbers. Obviously power shrugs high pulls etc are very specific, but other things such as SLD, back squats and front squats will help make your legs stronger which will help you reach your goal. Take a leaf out of the Westside Book, try many different assistance lifts, get stronger at them and get rid of your weak links.
By the was practicing front squats may help you with your catch style and debth.
Good Luck
These guys are right…the clean is not an arm exercise. It is more of an explosive Deadlift/SLDL where you just accelerate the weight with enough force to catch it on your front delts with your arms bent. The move is basically an explosive hip thrust combined with a shrug…you’re arms only bend because the weight is moving upward so fast. Deadlifts, SLDL’s (Stiff Legged Deadlifts - you’re knees should actually be slightly bent) are great exercises. The Jump Shrug was a great suggestion as well…however, I think that some of John Davies suggestions may help you to learn the form best. Try Dumbell Swings, and the Renegade Squat Pull (these exercise can be found in the article at: Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION)
You should really find someone to teach you proper form…it’s just hard to find people who really know proper form…if you’re lucky a nearby university strength coach could help you.
Good luck…and don’t give up on the exercise…it is one of the best there is.
Thanks everyone, you all hit it right on the button. I wasn’t accelerating enough at the bottom portion and was holding back for fear of tossing the weight and me around. I am still going to try those power shrugs to supplement my clean & presses and hopefully jump some poundage pretty quickly.