I want to learn the Power Clean the right way

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I want to include the power clean into my training. I don't have access to a coach who knows olympic weightlifting or even crossfit in my area, so i have to rely on tutorials and videos.

I want to know I the Mark Rippetoe Hang Clean technique is good or not ? He explains it very simply so it is more easy to get into it than with other tutorials. Here's the video :



If you have any other video that breaks up the technique for beginners that would be great. Thanks y'all
 
Found these old vids from California Strength, liked it :







They teach a more "traditional" power clean, with the bar catched in the deep squat position. Rip teaches somewhat of a more crossfit version with the bar catched higher.

I heard that the first one allows to clean more weight and is ideal for the sport of olympic weightlifting where max weight is the goal, but the second one is better for general athleticism and has better carryover to other sports, like wrestling or football.

Feel free to correct any of my claims or understanding of you're educated on the subject and see I'm mistaken. Thanks in advance
 
I learned the Rippetoe way, then had a couple of national level compitition weightlifters tell me that the mechanics are off whilst training together.

Apparently, the way he teaches is a bare bones way that increases the ability to generate force through the posterior chain, but it doesn't translate well to doing the full clean for an olympic lift. Some literature suggest that if you just want to become more exlposive, banded deadlift and banded swings produce similar results. And I say that as someone who likes to do the olympic lifts.
 
Rand M Arthur said:
I learned the Rippetoe way, then had a couple of national level compitition weightlifters tell me that the mechanics are off whilst training together.

Apparently, the way he teaches is a bare bones way that increases the ability to generate force through the posterior chain, but it doesn't translate well to doing the full clean for an olympic lift. Some literature suggest that if you just want to become more exlposive, banded deadlift and banded swings produce similar results. And I say that as someone who likes to do the olympic lifts.
Click to expand...

Just looked it up and yeah banded deadlifts do improve explosiveness. That's interesting I didn't know that. Only in the knee extension department I understand correctly. I really think that the triple extension of the power clean (ankle/knee/hips) is the most optimal form of training explosiveness.

Also I do not struggle with the finish part of the deadlift, that's where I'm stronger, i struggle with the start and getting the bar off the floor, that's where I'm weaker. So i should probably do deficit deadlift not banded.

I might have no choice but to try them tho, as we are going for a third lockdown soon in my country and the gym are going to close AGAIN. They just re-opened but hell. So no cleans and limited weight for deads in my pseudo home gym means banded deadlifts will be the best substitution for both.

About Rip and his method for the Hang Clean that's what I thought. The catch in the deep squat position is still to technical for me at this point, I never managed to do it with proper form. My form sucks even in the Rip version tbh.
 
belph said:
Fuck rip, go with whatever Glenn says and just catch the damn bar higher.
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Haha that's pretry straight forward. I will try i just don't want to end with my own "bastardized" version
 
I honestly don't know if I have ever seen someone who can power clean with decent form that doesn't also know the full clean. I suck at the oly lifts, but I can say my power clean looks drastically better now that I know how to clean and snatch. I did learn to power clean before both as that was taught in high school and I continued on my own. Even though I could move halfway decent weight for a non oly lifter, the basic mechanics were so far off.
 
Iron Monger said:
Haha that's pretry straight forward. I will try i just don't want to end with my own "bastardized" version
Click to expand...

So the good news is, you're not a weightlifter. Strive for perfect technique but understand you can still gain benefits from the lift even if your technique is a little wonky.
 
In the beginning, I muscle cleaned everything before learning how to do it properly. My forearms, traps and shoulders got smoked doing it that way.
 
interested in topic but not a 21 min video on history of college people jumping up and down.

Will practice form until it looks like the small lady cleaning 95kg
 
Iron Monger said:
Found these old vids from California Strength, liked it :







They teach a more "traditional" power clean, with the bar catched in the deep squat position. Rip teaches somewhat of a more crossfit version with the bar catched higher.

I heard that the first one allows to clean more weight and is ideal for the sport of olympic weightlifting where max weight is the goal, but the second one is better for general athleticism and has better carryover to other sports, like wrestling or football.

Feel free to correct any of my claims or understanding of you're educated on the subject and see I'm mistaken. Thanks in advance
Click to expand...


The difference between the clean and the power clean is the catch position.

The power clean is caught in a high position with minimal drop to catch the bar.

The clean is caught going down into the bottom position of a squat.

So any olympic variant done as a power variety is going to be the movement caught at a near standing position.

Any regular version of an Olympic movement is caught at the bottom position of the squat.

And any hang variety of an Olympic movement is done starting with the bar already off the floor from various positions: above knee, below knee, at hip crease.
 
Oblivian said:
I honestly don't know if I have ever seen someone who can power clean with decent form that doesn't also know the full clean. I suck at the oly lifts, but I can say my power clean looks drastically better now that I know how to clean and snatch. I did learn to power clean before both as that was taught in high school and I continued on my own. Even though I could move halfway decent weight for a non oly lifter, the basic mechanics were so far off.
Click to expand...

Echoing this. Learn the full clean. A good power clean is merely catching the bar higher. Bar and body position do not and should not differ. Catch position with proper foot movement is key. For the longest time, my PC was better than full squat because all I did was pull hard and starfish my feet or even worse, push hips forward on the catch. BAD for your back.

Cal strength vids are great. Also, anything from Don McCauley will help. Stay light until you have the movements. I also like to learn from top down as there are less moving parts from high hang (power position), to the hang (at knee) then to the floor. I've coached these lifts for a while and compete as a masters OLY lifter. Far from an expert, but far from a newb as well.

Happy to help if you have videos. Feel free to PM me.
 
some good videos here.

A few important and simple tips to simplify the learning:

keep your back straight

keep your arms straight until past your knee

the pull from floor to knee does not have to be fast. it is a light deadlift, no reason to rush it and start pulling too early with arms. its all about timing.

i believe strongly in thigh or hip contact with the bar being the cue to explode into the actual clean movement.
 
Ultra O’Dia said:
some good videos here.

A few important and simple tips to simplify the learning:

keep your back straight

keep your arms straight until past your knee

the pull from floor to knee does not have to be fast. it is a light deadlift, no reason to rush it and start pulling too early with arms. its all about timing.

i believe strongly in thigh or hip contact with the bar being the cue to explode into the actual clean movement.
Click to expand...

Good points about not pulling early. Many new lifters think "bar is in my hands, I pull with arms". This is a force movement driven from legs/glutes - arms are attached to the bar and along for the ride.
 
Ultra O’Dia said:
some good videos here.

A few important and simple tips to simplify the learning:

keep your back straight

keep your arms straight until past your knee

the pull from floor to knee does not have to be fast. it is a light deadlift, no reason to rush it and start pulling too early with arms. its all about timing.

i believe strongly in thigh or hip contact with the bar being the cue to explode into the actual clean movement.
Click to expand...


You shouldn't be bending your arms at all until after the triple extension and the bar is already "floating". Bending your arms before then only makes things harder.
 
Shadiata said:
Good points about not pulling early. Many new lifters think "bar is in my hands, I pull with arms". This is a force movement driven from legs/glutes - arms are attached to the bar and along for the ride.
Click to expand...
its the number one mistake i see in beginners, even when i film myself.

im sure there are all kinds of tips beyond my comprehension, but i always tell people that one and keep your back straight - simply because i think too much info messes with people and they feel overwhelmed, and if your back is straight you shouldnt hurt yourself so it gives you lots of reps. i think its a movement that i got by feel as much as instruction (though i had a good coach helping me occasionally).
 
Ultra O’Dia said:
its the number one mistake i see in beginners, even when i film myself.
Click to expand...

The Science and Practice of Strength Training explains it well.
From what I remember there are two reasons NOT to pull fast off the ground:
1) Max force requires time to develop. He uses the force-velocity curve and a "finger flick" example to help explain.
2) Knee and hip angles to generate max force occur somewhere in the hang position (ie. not with the bar on the ground).

I think #2 changes with some very short athletes, who have to pull at full speed off the ground.
 
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