Anyone here taught themselves to perform cleans?

ana3067
ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
I've realized that I'm nowhere near my pull-up goal (working on assistance work for this goal for now) but I've now developed a desire to learn cleans. I looked up info online, saw another woman performing them... but I cannot do it. Tried it with just the empty bar and the mechanics seemed so alien to me! I couldn't intuitively figure out when to raise my shoulders and jump up or even just the raising the bar part.

If you perform them how did you learn to do them?

Replies

  • SaintGiff
    SaintGiff Posts: 3,679 Member
    I taught myself how to perform a few dirties. Well, ok, I had help...
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    I had a coach and he broke down every single part of the movement, and had us work on each element separately. Then we put it all together. Been through it more than once. Many times in fact.
    I still do not really have it down either. I do not get the hip thrust and I do not keep the bar close enough to my body.
    i think at some point you need help -- someone to watch and critique.
  • squirrlt
    squirrlt Posts: 106 Member
    edited March 2015
    A trainer taught me, but we used a PVC pipe, much lighter than an empty bar, to perfect form. It's not intuitive. You are probably going to need someone to show you or watch a video a million times (l don't think learning from a vid is a good idea for this one..). Either way, practice a lot before adding weight.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    How's your dead lift? How's your squat? How's your front squat? You'd want to get these in order first.

    In RE to the clean, most people start with a hang clean and advance to a power clean and then a full Olympic clean. It's an intermediate to advanced lift and often requires coaching.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    I’ll second the deadlift and front squat. The slow, fast, shrug, get under (fast) are all pieces that take time to get. As a HS athlete, I did cleans at a full standing. Now, I understand more of the dynamics of not getting the bar four feet in the air off the pulls.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    PVC pipe makes sense, as does getting help. Maybe I will hold off on these until I graduate and can spend more time at the gym!

    as for deads those are fine, but I've not tried front squats yet.
  • rawbmeow123
    rawbmeow123 Posts: 4 Member
    The clean is a very complex movement. I would get a coach.
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