Question about cleans / hang cleans

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deluxmary2000
deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a question for those who incorporate cleans into their weightlifting routine (I know Starting Strength uses them).
I do cleans once or twice a week, and it’s gotten to the point where the amount that I can clean off the floor is greater than I can safely lower back down without hurting myself. When I used to do crossfit, we used those rubber plates, so you could just drop the bar once you cleaned it to shoulder height. Now I work out in a commercial gym and there are only the regular plates, so I’m assuming I really shouldn’t be dropping the bar. I’ve certainly never seen anyone else do it, and I’m assuming it’s super bad etiquette.
So now I’m stuck because I can theoretically clean 100-lbs, but once I get to 80, the action involved to lower the bar back down (instead of dropping) just kills my shoulders, wrists, and lower back.
Any thoughts on what to do? Does anyone else have this issue? Or is there a safe way to get the weight back down to the floor?

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  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    edited July 2016
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    It's an unfortunate part of being in a commercial gym and one of the reasons I finally built a home gym. You clearly can't drop metal plates from shoulder height and not expect a good talking to from the gym manager, if not completely thrown out. Sorry.

    That said, yes you can safely lower the bar but you have to keep full body tension while you do it. Are you allowing yourself to go limp once you have the bar in rack position? Don't do that. Drop the bar back into a hang position while keeping your back tension, and lower it similarly to what you would do with a deadlift.

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