Questions on power cleans

[rbtrout]

I just started doing power cleans once a week. I've seen several short vids on how they are done properly. 2 questions - one full rep is from floor back to floor like a dead? Should you step back when getting the weight up to your upper chest (I would think so - undo stress on the lower back otherwise)?
Thanks for the advice.

[Doc.Sust]

one full rep as you described, now step back?? what do you mean? you would step back if you were to jerk the weight oer your head, but if it is just a clean, you pull from the floor , duck under the bar quickly and stand back up, no step back in the motion. you may jump almost or be on your tippy toes rt brfore you drop under the bar, but thats it.

[J.S.N.]

I just started doing power cleans once a week. I've seen several short vids on how they are done properly. 2 questions - one full rep is from floor back to floor like a dead? Should you step back when getting the weight up to your upper chest (I would think so - undo stress on the lower back otherwise)?
Thanks for the advice.

a power clean can be performed from the floor, from mid hip, or slightly below the knees. what differenciates a power clean is that fact that you catch the bar in an upright position, unlike a classic clean where you catch it in a front squat position. you'll have to use less weight- it's more of a speed exercize than a classic clean.

[power65]

Yes power cleans are done from the floor. Cleans done from just below the knees or from mid thigh are called Hang Cleans. They serve a different purpose. You shouldn't have to step back. If you are stepping back you are doing them wrong and sounds like you are using too much weight. The object of powercleans is not to pull the weight up to your chest. Powercleans are not about how much weight you can "Heave-up". PowerCleans are about developing explosive power and speed. The object is to generate enough power to get the bar moving off of the floor while at the same time dropping your body under the bar. You should never have to pull the bar much higher than your waist. You explode the bar about 3 1/2- 4 feet off of the floor while your body drops under the bar. You then pretty much front squat the weight up. In order to do this you have to have proper elbow placement under the bar. Meaning....once you are under the bar the point of your elbow need to point/be higher than the bar. Otherwise you'll never be able to front squat the bar up. This is really hard to explain writing in out. I've taught at least a couple 100 people how to powerclean properly when I was coaching. If you feel it in your lower back or are having to step back you are doing the lift incorrectly.

[RMBros]

First, you have to define what you're calling a Power Clean.

In my world and most of the discussions I have ever had, there is no dip below the bar phase of the Power Clean, which also means no Squat portion.

However, as shown by these posts, there are a ton of definitions for the Power Clean.

Some do it as a speed/edurance exercise as in JSN's post. In that case, it's pretty easy to rack the bar at the top, because you aren't using much weight.

In my definition, it is harder to rack the bar, because you're using more weigh - If you're doing things right, you would actually hurt yourself if you too a step back because it would put you farther away from the weight, giving it more leverage against the muscles of your lower back..

In Power65's post, you're doing a nearly complete version of the Clean, just not squatting under the bar as far. If you're doing that, you'll be trying to get below the bar so you couldn't step back.

In the last two cases, the unracking/lowering motion may be what limits your weight, not the actually motion itself.

So, should you step back - NO, NO, NO!

My type of PC is used to develop the lower back, so you actually want it to work harder.

Power65's style is designed to work everything and you squat or dip under the weight, so no way would you ever step back.

In the Speed style of PC, you shouldn't need to step back at all.

I find it strange that you would have this question after watching "how to PC vids". No body stepped back in the vids did they????

[J.S.N.]

oh shit i didn't even read his whole post:

first off in any clean movement the movement is from wherever it begins (floor, below knee, rack, mid-thigh) to the bar caught on your shoulders and you standing upright.

in the dedlift the full rep is from the floor to lockout. the negative isn't part of the actualy lift, and it's actualy much safer to drop the weight back down onto the floor than try to ease it back down.

second, as these guy habve said hell no you never step back during a clean. the physiology of the movement is you pull the weight with you knees, then your hips, then jump+shrug the weight into the air in a strait line parallel to your bodyif you do this correctly and you step back, the bar would be way out in front of you.

now that i reread your post i think you are thinking that all cleans are called power cleans. like i said before power cleans involve using lesser weights and catching them upright, whereas the squat clean (the one they do in the olympics) involves you catching the bar in a front squat. as a beginner you'll get alot more out of power cleans.

[RMBros]

Never heard it called a "Squat Clean", but that's a great name for the full clean motion.