Power cleans - tips?

micheleb15
micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just started power cleans a month ago with my trainer. I am looking for some tips on how you perfected form with heavy weights. My form is great when it's only 65 pounds because it's light, but I am having trouble with 95 pounds. Trainer says I am all upper body and not exploding enough with my hips/lower body. Today I could only do 2 full power cleans out of about 7 attempts with 95lbs before we went back to form and lower weight.

I am working on front squats, overhead squats and doing the power clean with 65 pounds then squatting, but I am just wondering if there is anything else I can do. I work with the PVC pipe at home and I start with the PVC, then bar, then 65lbs, then 95lbs. Everything is great until I get to 95lbs. I know I can do it, but my lower body isn't getting in a deep enough squat on my second pull. Any tips or anything else I can do or is it just going to take repetition?

Replies

  • lsmsrbls
    lsmsrbls Posts: 232 Member
    Why don't you ask your trainer for suggestions on other exercises you can do that will help?
  • funforsports
    funforsports Posts: 2,656 Member
    It sounds like you are not far off. You just need to work on your explosion from the ground. Do deadlifts, some heavy weight and some explosive lighter weight ones. This will help you incorporate more of the lower body. According to what your trainer is saying, you are trying to pull the weight with your upper body. You should explode with the lower body, and then have a simple flip with the upper body.

    One other great exercise is high pulls. Focus on using the legs to get the weight as high as possible and not just pulling with your shoulders and back.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    It sounds like you are not far off. You just need to work on your explosion from the ground. Do deadlifts, some heavy weight and some explosive lighter weight ones. This will help you incorporate more of the lower body. According to what your trainer is saying, you are trying to pull the weight with your upper body. You should explode with the lower body, and then have a simple flip with the upper body.

    One other great exercise is high pulls. Focus on using the legs to get the weight as high as possible and not just pulling with your shoulders and back.

    Thanks for the advice. He says I am all upper body - basically I lose the explosiveness when I am almost in an upright row position. I just can't get my lower body in the right position to finish the clean. I did deadlifts, shrugs and back work on Monday, so I guess it's just going to take more time. I feel great with the lighter weight - explosive, body feels aligned, form feels great, but the heavier weight gets me and it's not because I can't lift it. Just have to keep at it.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
    First of all, like you said, it will take tons of repetition.

    Break it down - do versions from the high hang and (low) hang. Work on your first pull from the floor as a separate exercise. Work through the positions with a pause, so break the bar literally mm from the floor, pause, complete first pull, pause, start second pull bringing bar to the hips, pause, explode and pop the bar up. repeat many, many times!

    As well as cleans from the above positions, do pulls too.

    Do lots of squats for strength work, back and front will be most useful, but if you're going to snatch too, the overheads will initially be useful.

    Do you have a video?
    It's a lot easier to give advice after actually seeing the lift.

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