Power Clean Form

I just did some power cleans last night…first time doing them since I started weight training again. I’m pretty weak…I know 165 lbs. isn’t much at all. I definately don’t have the perfect set up, but I do what I can with what I got.

Just looking for any opinions on my form and how I can improve.

I can’t view the video here but I will say to view the Olympic Lift Numbers/Log thread and watch some of Koing’s videos.

you are using too much arms, try to keep them like ropes and just whip them through after you explode. also isntead of jumping your feet so far out, drop more to catch. third thing, try to meet the bar, its crashing on you. dont try to fix all those things at once, focus on one thing per session. pretty good though for the first time

Yeah, a bit too much from the arms, the whole thing should be from the hips. Once you get to the knees, just try to jump with the barbell, and once you get heavier, it wil behoove you to catch the bar with higher elbows.

As noted, pulling with the arms, and your feet shooting WAY out.

don’t lower the weight like that, as you go up in weight your going to throw out your back.

Use a hook grip.

Your feet are coming too far out to the side. They should move maybe 3 inches max. Your not getting your elbows high enough. You gotta throw those suckers forward. Get to a 100k power clean and your wrists won’t do well with your style now. Best of Luck!

My 2c:

  • Set your arms straight and tight at the bottom. (Your back should also be tight.) Then start the first pull. Once you get to almost hip height (just below your boys), explode up. Your arms remain straight. You just straighten your hips as you stand on your tip toes, and finish with a shrug. Think of it as ‘getting tall’ explosively.

  • As the bar flies towards your shoulders, you just have to bend your knees and hips slightly. Bend them enough so you can catch the bar without spreading your feet. But don’t worry about this too much initially. This is probably going wrong because the first part is going wrong. Once you do the pull correctly, the catch will almost feel natural.

Alright, thanks for all the advice everyone! The Olympic Lift Numbers/Log thread has been a big help as well…I can’t believe I didn’t notice the million page thread before.

I’ll work at fixing all of the above mentioned problems. Even though I was doing it wrong, it was still fun so I see a lot of these in my future. I definately need to work on my flexibility, because at the moment my elbows can’t get remotely close to where they should be.

Thanks, John

Lower the weight and work on the technique others have mentioned. Once you master the form, then you should move to heavier weights.

No, guys, STOP THE MADNESS. Do not encourage this young man. Am I not living proof that power cleans are an evil addiction which can lead to excessive gym vanity, neglecting snatches and squat cleans, and possibly to marital discord and impotence??!!
Let’s just stop this thread right here and now and get back to work on pulls and squats.
Doc

Your hips shoot too far forward causing a lot of strain on your lower back, but that will be fixed when you get under the bar instead of shooting your legs out like everyone mentioned.

the advice here is all good. My only advice is regarding your catch: the catch on the power clean should be exactly like the top part of a front squat. I suggest practicing squat cleans with the bar or light weights to get the feel of doing a proper front squat under the weight. then make sure you EXACTLY mimic that motion when powercleaning, the only difference being that the squat is very shallow (quarter squat or even less if you pull high enough). visualizing the squat helps because your body knows that position already and it makes you bend your knees, place your feet the correct width, shoot out your elbows etc. automatically.

work on front squats, that got me used to where I’m comfortable catching.

I wouldn’t recommend doing OL movements wearing only socks, especially on concrete. Ihe moves are obviously very dynamic, and proper foot support is important. I doubt that you would see many serious athletes doing plyos on hard surfaces without proper footwear for the same reason. Also, you really don’t want to be sliding around all over the place and shoes will provide better traction.

[quote]Rick Jakubowski wrote:
I wouldn’t recommend doing OL movements wearing only socks, especially on concrete. Ihe moves are obviously very dynamic, and proper foot support is important. I doubt that you would see many serious athletes doing plyos on hard surfaces without proper footwear for the same reason. Also, you really don’t want to be sliding around all over the place and shoes will provide better traction.[/quote]

uh oh… =D

but I do agree with your statement, just being devils advocate

[quote]romanaz wrote:
Rick Jakubowski wrote:
I wouldn’t recommend doing OL movements wearing only socks, especially on concrete. Ihe moves are obviously very dynamic, and proper foot support is important. I doubt that you would see many serious athletes doing plyos on hard surfaces without proper footwear for the same reason. Also, you really don’t want to be sliding around all over the place and shoes will provide better traction.

uh oh… =D

but I do agree with your statement, just being devils advocate[/quote]

I knew someone would rub my nose with that video :wink:
To my defense:

  1. The stupid airline lost their luggage
  2. Looks like they’re lifting on a hard rubber mats
  3. Near perfect form
  4. Many hours of training conditioned their bodies to absorb the forces.

[quote]Rick Jakubowski wrote:
romanaz wrote:
Rick Jakubowski wrote:
I wouldn’t recommend doing OL movements wearing only socks, especially on concrete. Ihe moves are obviously very dynamic, and proper foot support is important. I doubt that you would see many serious athletes doing plyos on hard surfaces without proper footwear for the same reason. Also, you really don’t want to be sliding around all over the place and shoes will provide better traction.

uh oh… =D

but I do agree with your statement, just being devils advocate

I knew someone would rub my nose with that video :wink:
To my defense:

  1. The stupid airline lost their luggage
  2. Looks like they’re lifting on a hard rubber mats
  3. Near perfect form
  4. Many hours of training conditioned their bodies to absorb the forces.

[/quote]

May I also suggest…

  1. Someone will always throw up an exception to disprove the rule.

[quote]Rick Jakubowski wrote:
romanaz wrote:
Rick Jakubowski wrote:
I wouldn’t recommend doing OL movements wearing only socks, especially on concrete. Ihe moves are obviously very dynamic, and proper foot support is important. I doubt that you would see many serious athletes doing plyos on hard surfaces without proper footwear for the same reason. Also, you really don’t want to be sliding around all over the place and shoes will provide better traction.

uh oh… =D

but I do agree with your statement, just being devils advocate

I knew someone would rub my nose with that video :wink:
To my defense:

  1. The stupid airline lost their luggage
  2. Looks like they’re lifting on a hard rubber mats
  3. Near perfect form
  4. Many hours of training conditioned their bodies to absorb the forces.

[/quote]

=D