Rip Apart My Clean And Press..

[b fold the truth]

It shouldn't take too much to do it....lol.

I had already done flat bench and some higher rep inclines...then did the thick bar clean and press.

The thick bar is 2" in diameter (same as the part of the bar where the weights slide on) and does NOT rotate at all. I as not for sure if I could even clean the contest weight but was surprised a bit. I had to muscle it up there either because it can't be properly cleaned or my technique is so horrible that it just makes it impossivle now...lol.

Anyway...here is the clip. It is with 243, contest weight is 240. I am hoping that Arioch and CCJ will shoot me some help along with some other exercises that I could be doing to make these look better...(lots of practice maybe...)

I can already tell that I am going to need a lot of rotator cuff work....for sure...

http://www.clintdarden.com/movies/Exercises/240 thick bar clean and press.wmv

B True

 

[Arioch]

Since you asked:

Poor set up: Hips are too high, back is too round. The proper set up for the quick lifts is called the high chest for a reason. Your hips should be down, and your chest should be up and out. This gives you more leg drive, saves your back for the second pull, and gives you more time/room to rebend.

Lack of adequate rebend: Once again depriving yourself of leg drive, forcing your back to work harder and making it harder to pull the bar to the appropriate height.

Second pull too slow: Normally this would often seem to be a weakness in the upper back, but considering all of the brutal stuff you do every Sunday, I doubt that it is the case here. Therefore I must conclude that it is poor technique (such as the previous problems) as well as the lack of explosion on your second pull that is causing the bar to slow instead of accelerate. By way of comparison, Alexeev had a first pull of 1.0 m/s, and a second pull of 1.8 m/s.

Basciall, aside from the set up, most of your problems can be solved by improving your re-bend and second pull, and this is a rather common problem.

Try the following, with a regular bar and very light weight. Screw one up, and if you over pull it, you smack yourself right in the face. Broke my nose like that once.

1. Hang cleans with jump. Set up with the bar at mid thigh level, lower slightly, but never below the top of the knee, then rebound and jump as high as possible while cleaning the bar. Would not hurt to start with a broomstick on this one in case you go over backwards.
2. Hang cleans from rack. Set bar on pins at mid thigh level, and then rebend knees, with the goal being to get them under the bar as far as possible, as quickly as possible, and still be in position to achieve a maximal vertical jump. Then rebound explosively, and rip the bar into a hang clean, jumping if possible.
3. After you have worked on the previous two, start working from below the knee. When performing from the hang, you must ensure that as you rebend, you continue pulling on the bar, and never allow it to descend.

Push press looked pretty good.

Another advantage to mastering the jump technique, is that even when power cleaning, you can pull yourself forward under the bar instead of having to muscle it into place, saving the upper back a little bit of work, and leaving it for the press.

 

[b fold the truth]

Coipy, paste, save, print.

B True

 

[coolcolj]

Looks like your trying to deadlift the bar up powerlifter style in the initial pull. You need get your butt down lower, your thighs should be almost parallel. Now you know why I used do my deadlifts the way I did em...

The hips and legs should be doing almost all the work. Think about it, you can squat way more than this weight, use them and explode the bar up. You should be literally jumping with the bar, once you clear the knees. This is why front squats have more transfer to the Olympic lifts.

You should do some jumping clean deadlift pulls, that will teach you how to do the explosive jump without using your arms and upper body to move the bar. Basicly you just do a clean pull, but just jump and shrug the bar. Full extend the ankles and try to leave the ground. It will reinforce the technique as to where the power should be coming from.

Then do what Arioch recommends with the hang cleans, and then put it all together if one flowing motion of explosiveness. When you do it right the bar will literally be propelled up to head height just by jumping with the hips. Then all your upper body does is continue the pull on the bar and then brace itself for the catch, front squatting down to absorb the impact.

The arms should not pull on the bar until your feet leave the ground, doing the pull to early will diminish the force your legs can impart on the bar. The arms should act like hooks until the legs are fuly straight, and then you can pull on the bar to add that extra force on it.

 

[b fold the truth]

Both of you guys are completely right. Thank goodness I'll only have to clean it once in the contest...hopefully press it 12-15 times though.

I can see this as being a long road ahead for me...

B True

 

[coolcolj]

Yeah if you use more legs to get the weight up, it may allow you do one extra rep, so its worth it.

When its done right, it feels fairly effortless, relatively speaking