Power Clean Numbers

Hey everyone,

I was at the gym today, doing my regular workout. After I finished, I felt good, so I decided to go for a clean max.

I worked up to the 1RM and got a 205.

Its weird because thats my max bench also.

Anyway, I’m 16 years old and 165 pounds.

Is this good, average, or bad?

Thanks

It depends on how long you’ve been doing cleans, your height, and other stats. Based on your weight, and if you’re a begginer Oly lifter, I’d say its average-ish. That’s about as specific as you’ll get without some more numbers.

beginner olifter, its average/ish, about where you should be, if you were any weaker we’d start talking shit lol

if you were a beginner to lifting altogether, its a good bit above average.

In comparison to athletes (not O-lifters specifically) your age and weight that is pretty above average.

At my school’s weight training class powercleans are one of the major exercise besides squat and bench, I’ve noticed that the kids who just started usually have the same powerclean and bench, it’s very common.

I myself started benching a few months before i started powercleaning. MY power clean is 195 and my bench is 250.
I’ve been working hard on bringing my powerclean up.

Yea, I just started doing powercleans. Not as much for the form of it and for olympic lifting as trying to get the explosiveness. After box squats, I worked up to 210 which is the most I’ve done. My deadlift is around 450, just to give you an idea. I have no idea how they “should compare”

-MAtt

Thanks guys,

I’m not too new to the iron game in general, but fairly new to oly lifts.

It suprises me though, that alot of guys I know, who weigh more than me, or are stronger than me on the bench and other lifts, cannot get a 205 clean.

cleans are all speed and technique, you cannot really muscle it up like with most other lifts…that’d probably be why

The fact that at age 16 you even know how to perform a power clean is an accomplishment in itself. Good work and keep it up.

I’d say above average for a lifter (but not by far) for your age, experience and weight. Most guys who lift at that age can’t clean over 200. In my experience, at that age the only guys who I knew that cleaned over 200 were the best and strongest athletes on my football team. Keep improving. Learn to full clean also.

I think you’re pretty well off. I did power clean in high school, but haven’t really done it all since then (I really should find a way to stick it into my workouts). My bench and power clean were pretty close all through football.

That is really bad, a 450 to 210, but your form is probably not so good either, I bet you’re just standing up with the bar. Do them for a couple of weeks and It’ll probably jump to about 240 without a problem.

[quote]Finalyear wrote:
That is really bad, a 450 to 210, but your form is probably not so good either, I bet you’re just standing up with the bar. Do them for a couple of weeks and It’ll probably jump to about 240 without a problem.[/quote]

Yea, I probably am just standing up. I also tend to be weak off the floor when deadlifting so maybe the initial acceleration is an issue.

But honestly, I’m not powercleaning with the primary goal of increasing my powerclean. I’m doing it to help my deadlift. So, if it doesn’t go up, I may just consider replacing it with speed deadlifts.

What percentage of someones deadlift would you expect to be “normal” for a powerclean?

-MAtt

Hey guys,

Thanks for your words. I actually do both the hang clean and the clean from the floor.

I do the hang cleans when I’m working in the higher rep ranges (6-8), and the full cleans when I’m in the lower ranges.

I feel like I’m one of those extremely, or regular fast twitch dominant lifters. I can hit high maxes, but when it comes to the lower training percentages, I can’t get as many reps as the guys who are weaker than me.

I have never really trained for speed, and wanna take advantage of this. Any ideas.

thanks again everyone

[quote]Matgic wrote:
Finalyear wrote:
That is really bad, a 450 to 210, but your form is probably not so good either, I bet you’re just standing up with the bar. Do them for a couple of weeks and It’ll probably jump to about 240 without a problem.

Yea, I probably am just standing up. I also tend to be weak off the floor when deadlifting so maybe the initial acceleration is an issue.

But honestly, I’m not powercleaning with the primary goal of increasing my powerclean. I’m doing it to help my deadlift. So, if it doesn’t go up, I may just consider replacing it with speed deadlifts.

What percentage of someones deadlift would you expect to be “normal” for a powerclean?

-MAtt[/quote]

well pretty much if you can deadlift it with enough speed to launch it to above your belly button and front squat it for 3 reps… then you can clean it.

I am 6’2 1/2" and 225 lbs. I have been doing Power and Hang Cleans for about the past month. I am training for football again when I get back from my deployment. I am doing 275 on the Power Clean, and 295 on the Hang Clean. I have found that Romanian Deadlifts really help with those.

I can’t clean anything. I can power clean about 185 at a bw of 240, with a 500 deadlift. However, I can continental clean a 225 oly bar, about a 200 axle or a 285 pound 12" log.

I just don’t have any good motivation to learn how to execute the lifts properly, when I could be spending that time working on my bench, squat, deadlift or events.

But if it’s your thing, go with it.

I was thinking about starting a thread about the continental because I like it so much…

when comparing clean and deadlift numbers it is important to compare to the same grip deadlift as you would use in the clean. The most i’ve ever done was 225lbs with body weight hovering around 210lbs with a regular bar. i wonder how much difference it would make if i could use an olympic bar. The most i can clean grip deadlift is 455 with no straps non fatigued grip. I can’t implement the hook grip because the bars are sometimes to thick. laters pk

Today after doing my deadlift workout I tried to single out on power clean. I got up to 205 and went for 215 and just missed it. My deadlift is 475 but like someone else said I am not trying to get my power clean up, Im doing it to help get my deadlift to 500+. Just to let everyone know I am 5-5 and 200 pounds.

[quote]MichiganLifter wrote:
Today after doing my deadlift workout I tried to single out on power clean. I got up to 205 and went for 215 and just missed it. My deadlift is 475 but like someone else said I am not trying to get my power clean up, Im doing it to help get my deadlift to 500+. Just to let everyone know I am 5-5 and 200 pounds.[/quote]

Even if it is still just to supplement your dl, I would still do the powerclean before dl.

Technical and dynamic work before max effort work.