Teaching the Power Clean, and Some Safe & Effective Alternatives

Chris D.Wood, M.Ed., CSCSStrength & Conditioning Coordinator

Assistant Track & Field CoachPacific Lutheran University

woodcd@plu.edu

Outline

• Why are you doing them

• Pre-requisites (get them strong first)

• Equipment– Med-Balls– Dumbbells

• Clean – Technical /Coaching cues

Why… Force Velocity Curve• It’s not about big weight• Movement Speed• Highest Power outputs are produced at 30-

80% of 1-RM• Train Movements, not exercises• Full ROM, total body, athletic lifts• Med Balls, Dumbbells, Barbells, Tires,

Sledge Hammers

Force Velocity Curve

Velocity

Load

Why…Power OutputLIFT SUBJECT POWER (Watts)

Bench Press Novice 60% 481

Novice 85% 366

Novice 100% 247

Squat Heavy Elite 93% 1259

Heavy Elite 900

Snatch Light Elite 95% 2821

Light Elite 2675

CleanClean Heavy EliteHeavy Elite 38773877

Heavy EliteHeavy Elite 34133413

The numbers for the clean speak for themselves

Why… Cont.• Hopefully not just because others are doing

them!!!

Prerequisites• Master the basic lifts first

– Can your athletes: • Back Squat• Front Squat• Deadlift• Bench Press

• Where is their core strength?– Have they been training the core standing or lying on

their backs?• Standing abdominal exercises• Standing low back exercises• Standing rotational exercises/oblique

Prerequisites… Cont.• A safe place to lift explosively• Where to start after basic strength is

achieved?– Med Ball similar to Olympic Lifts

– Box Jumps

– Loaded Jumps

Prerequisites… Cont.• Olympic variations with dumbbells

– Teach triple extension first

• DB Push Press• DB Split Jerk • Move on to larger variations with strength athletes

working from the floor, and speed athletes working from athletic position

– Speed DB Clean from the hang position– Strength DB Snatch from the floor (power position)

Prerequisites… Cont.• Athletes must MASTER athletic position• Feet square and under the hips• Lower leg is perpendicular to the ground• Hips are behind the knee with weight shifted slightly to the

posterior (toe wiggle)• Back is flat, butt is down, chin is pushed forward, and the

chest is up• Shoulders are pulled back slightly with the arms hanging

slightly back (elbows should be locked and turned out)• The arms will be angled back from the shoulder to the top

of the knee.

Prerequisites… Cont.

Hang Position

Power PositionFoot Placement

Hand Placement

Prerequisites… Cont• The first pull is started with the hips… don’t let them pull with the

back or elbows first. Work the hips back and the chest up.

• The second pull is the explosive pull… the bar gets to the knee, the hips are pushed through and the back is forcefully extended (high hamstring tension)

• Hip drive will create a large amount of momentum on the bar – Use this momentum to shrug and pull the weight to the sternum area (bar

can get away here)

• Once the weight has run out of momentum the athlete will quickly pull their body under the bar, catching it on their shoulders… punch the elbows up to the ceiling

Terms• Olympic Clean (Squat Clean)• Power Clean• Power Position• Hang Position• Mid-Thigh Position• Rack Position (catch)• Below Knee

Equipment• Rubber Mat

– Plywood– Platform

• Bumper Plates• Quality Bar

– Not bent– Collar Spin

• Open Floor Space– 12’x12’

Olympic Movements with Barbell

• Work from the bottom up when coaching these movements– Standard Base Deadlift

– Power Clean Pull/Hang Clean Pull/Mid Thigh Pull

– Power High Pull/Hang High Pull/ Mid-Thigh High Pull

– Front Squat

– Power Clean/Hang Clean/Mid-Thigh Clean

– Power Snatch Pull/Hang Snatch Pull/Mid-Thigh Snatch Pull

Supplemental Olympic Movements

• Push Press (in front, from the rack)

• Split Jerk (in front, from the rack)

– Coach these if you eventually want to work up to advanced combination lifts

• Front Squat+Push Press

• Hang Clean+Front Squat

Pulling the Bar

• Foot, ankle, knee, hip

• Tension (arms locked, chin out, shoulders out front)

• Chest rises at the same rate has the hip

• Bar is pulled tight up towards the shin

• Bar pulled from the knee to the sternum by driving the hip joint forward

• Finish the movement by shrugging the shoulders (pull, high pull, rack)

Racking the Bar

• Grip width… essential to a proper rack– Roughly 24”, or split between the deltoid

• Keeping the bar tight to the body– Circular path (reverse curl) is not desired

• Drop the hips (not bend the knee)

• As the hips drop, the heels “HIT” the floor

• Simultaneously the elbows are punched to the ceiling

Racking the Bar???• You are training athletes… not lifters• Triple extension is key in 90% of sports

– Looking for ankle, knee, hip, and moving external loads quickly

• Hang Pulls• Power Pulls• Pull with a release• Push Press

Racking the Bar???

Racking the Bar???

Workout StructureEXERCISE % SETS REPS

Med Balls ---- 2-6 3-10

DB Variations 15-40lbs 2-6 3-6

Clean Variations 50% 2-6 6

---- 60% 2-6 5

---- 70% 2-6 4

---- 80% 2-6 1-3

Hang/Power Pulls 80% 2-6 1-3

90% 2-6 1-2