Biceps getting in the way for cleans.

[36drew]

I've got a serious question about biceps and cleans. I've been working hard on my power clean lately, keeping the wieght just nice, easy, and constant at 135, but I am having trouble getting my elbows nice and far out forward. The issue does not seem to be flexibility related but rather my bi's just get in the way.

I'm unsure of what exactly to do? I also can't do front squats with a clean grip either. I don't exactly have the worlds biggest arms either. Any suggestions?

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

you are probably just gripping the bar too narrow. You aren't folding your arms back and setting the weight on your hands. Spread a little, and set the weight onto your shoulders, with your hands turned outwards a little. If you can't set the "rack" then I would work on just picking it up off the blocks and setting it back down. Also, I was recommended to learn the full squat clean first, instead of the power version, as its easier to cheat at the power version (throw your legs out instead of diving down, mangling the rack position, pulling with elbows, etc).

 

[super_rice]

quit stroking the ego. your biceps are not in the way, you're just not flexible. the clean rack takes work - as with anything, it does not happen overnight.

something that might help is to take a bit of weight, like that 60kg, use a hook grip so that your hands are forced to hang onto the bar more, and thrust your elbows through into a good rack.

 

[theprofessor]

you are probably just gripping the bar too narrow.

hijack... sorry... but how wide do you suggest gripping the bar... ive seen the powerlifter vids gripping it as far as all the way across... it this correct? as wide as possible...?...

 

[carlsuen]

quit stroking the ego. your biceps are not in the way, you're just not flexible. the clean rack takes work - as with anything, it does not happen overnight.

something that might help is to take a bit of weight, like that 60kg, use a hook grip so that your hands are forced to hang onto the bar more, and thrust your elbows through into a good rack.

lol at stroking the ego.. haha!! yeah.. u probably had your grip too narrow.. how big are your arms? even the hyooge ppl on this board with hyooge arms can power clean.. so it's not a valid reason.. it's just flexibility.. SR knows it better.. he's a oly lifter!!

 

[automaticj5]

if it were really that your biceps were to big, thats a good prob to have

 

[super_rice]

stretch your shoulder girdle, wrist/forearms, and lats to hell.

 

[BiggT]

hijack... sorry... but how wide do you suggest gripping the bar... ive seen the powerlifter vids gripping it as far as all the way across... it this correct? as wide as possible...?...

Thats definitely a snatch grip that you saw, with snatches the bar will end up 6 to 8 inches above the head, so thats why the wide grip...........For cleans I grip about shoulder-width personally, some of the 300+ pounders will have to go a little wider, but just wide enough though. A lot of the SHWs need to go wider to begin the pull because they are just so damn big.. S8nlilhlpr gave some very good advice.....so did SR.

The biceps never get in the way, it is just a question of practice and flexibility. I have 19" arms and I have no problems holding a firm rack, granted on bigger guys their rack won't look like the Chinese women, but it will certainly be adequate.

So, I just suggest practice and stretching the wrists, and look where your grip is.

 

[carlsuen]

Thats definitely a snatch grip that you saw, with snatches the bar will end up 6 to 8 inches above the head, so thats why the wide grip...........For cleans I grip about shoulder-width personally, some of the 300+ pounders will have to go a little wider, but just wide enough though. A lot of the SHWs need to go wider to begin the pull because they are just so damn big.. S8nlilhlpr gave some very good advice.....so did SR.

The biceps never get in the way, it is just a question of practice and flexibility. I have 19" arms and I have no problems holding a firm rack, granted on bigger guys "THEIR RACK WON'T LOOK LIKE THE CHINESE WOMEN", but it will certainly be adequate.

So, I just suggest practice and stretching the wrists, and look where your grip is.

hey what's that supposed to mean!!

i love chinese women who have rack like that!! haha!!

 

[iggy]

I'm no expert on cleans, but i've been doing them religously for seven months now. As a junior i was cleaning 135x1, and now i can clean 215x5 as a senior. My best advice is find someone with perfect form at your gym and watch them. Ask them to give you some tips. Someone who showed me perfect form and worked with me a couple times worked wonders for me. If you can't find anyone to show you flawless form in your gym (which would hard to do because there should be a good share of powerlifters in any gym) then look at videos online. There is many different techniques and many people have different tricks. The main thing you want to concern on is explosion. If you get the weight up super fast to your chin just pretend someone is tossing you an egg. I know it sounds funny, but you have to harness the egg. You have to catch it. Squat cleans help more with overall clean technique i've found out. It takes some getting used to when you need to get your elbows underneath the bar. Trust me, it's not your biceps because i've seen olympic powerlifters at a gym i used to go to with MONSTER biceps who cleaned and frontsquatted flawlessly.
My philosophy on all of powerlifting is this.
Down slow, Explode Fast. When i clean i start from the ground with my hands straight out like they are shaking someone else's hand. I move the bar very tight against my legs with my head up and butt down. I quickly change position and move my hands down as i raise up the bar slowly until i reach my knee caps. Then i explode up as quickly as i can with the bar riding up my shirt as i try to hit my chin. When the bar is below my chin i snap my wrists back then bring them back as far as i can.
Practice makes perfect in anything you do.

Thats all i got man. Best of luck to you.