Clean and Press questions...

[b fold the truth]

Ok...I did a little shoulder routine for the first time in a long time. I haven't done clean and presses with a bar in a year or more...maybe a lot more. I had not done dbell shoulder presses in close to 3 years either...

Here is what I did in the gym tonight...I'll state my problems after my workout.

Clean and Press
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 1
255 x 1
275 x 1

Seated Dbell Presses
50's x 6
60's x 6
80's x 6
100's x 6

Close Grip Bench
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3

My workout was not meant to me much more than a shoulder workout and a tricep feeder...have had a headache all day.

I had problems with the clean portion of the clean and press. The press was very easy but the clean wasn't fun. I could not get the bar to touch my shoulder/upper chest/clavicle at all. Couldn't get it within 2-3" of them. Poor flexibility in my wrists, elbows, shoulders, etc...????

I have very very long arms. I just measured from elbow to wrist and got 12". Elbow to pinky is 18". Could my long arms be part of the reason why I couldn't get the bar to touch? I couldn't rest the bar on my shoulders after the clean because it was being held by my delts still...so I had to hurry up and press.

I will take a video clip next week when I do them again...so that a few of the oly lifters can get a better visual of what my problem is.

Thanks

B True

 

[b fold the truth]

Also...how wide of a grip do you normally take on a clean and press/jerk?

Thanks..

B True

 

[coolcolj]

still impressive poundages - like double mine


C+J I use slightly wider than shoulder width grip which lines up with the inner rings on OL bar.

 

[b fold the truth]

My pinky finger was about 2" from the power rings...is that wide? I have really broad shoulders...

What about me not being able to touch the bar to my shoulders? I touched the dbells easily...but couldn't get the bar to find a resting spot...

B True

 

[coolcolj]

Well my thumbs sorta line up with outside of my shoulder, that feels right for me, that may differ for each person.

Your hands should come around the side of thighs when standing in the clean stance.


If your holding onto the bar and you have big biceps then that's why its not touching your upper chest/shoulders, when I do a power clean, the bar rests on my shoulders but is lightly cradle on my hand in a open fashion, then I just front squat down and then jerk the bar up in my palms

That's why OL don't do bench presses or arms much

you may need to work the wrist flexibility a bit and get the elbows up higher.

pic from T mag

 

[b fold the truth]

Sounds good. My arms are 19" or slightly better...cold. I hands were closed...I may try them slighly open though...to see if it makes a difference.

Wrist flexibility it is...gotta start doing stuff to get it more flexible. Just work on stretching it in every direction???

I do need to get my elbows up higher...but it made my press feel strange.

Do you press with your elbows out or tucked in?

B True

 

[coolcolj]

I normally stretch out my wrists before I start doing any OL.

you can use a light barbell and hold the wrist in the same position to stretch em out . Just need to pull your fingers back towards the wrist.

well my elbows don't go that far up, but what you may have to do is rotate your elbows down, grab the bar when bend your legs before your fire up bar. My elbows stay pretty much straight head

If you problems front squatting then maybe you shouldn't be cleaning until you can

 

[coolcolj]

see this clip

http://138.9.1.58/athleticperformance/exercise videos/Olympic Lift Videos/push jerk.mpg

se how the elbows rotate down before the press?

 

[Arioch]

In addition to working on your wrist flexibility, their is also the issue of flexibility in the elbows (mainly the tricpes) and the shoulders, particularly the posterior deltoids and traps 1&2.

You can increase your flexibility specifically by simply having Nightfly push up on your elbows when you have a moderately heavy weight racked as well as you can. You are probably too nice to say anything that will really piss her off beforehand, but if you do, she may really be able to help you increase your ROM.

Also, the most critical portion of racking the clean properly is the speed of the elbow whip. It is very important to pull the elbows out to the side, which allows the bar to be pulled higher than if they are not, which makes you pull the bar back into you, and with a log this would be disasterous. The higher you pull it, the more time you have to whip the elbows, as well as the less pressure on your shoulders while you are doing so.

When pressing, drop the elbows under the bar, getting the forearm as close to vertical as possible. You generally have to lean back a little bit, mostly with the neck, to get the head out of the way. As soon as the bar passes the head, push your head forward, allowing the traps to spread out further, and the scapulae to retract, further engaging the rhomboids.

I have a thread on the clean on the pl board, entitled Cleans for Cubanito.

 

[b fold the truth]

Great video clip...

Thanks guys...I'll video myself doing these this weekend and post it.

B True