Teaching the Power Clean, and Some Safe & Effective Alternatives

Chris D.Wood, M.Ed., CSCS

Strength & Conditioning Coordinator Assistant Track & Field Coach Pacific 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

Its not about big weight Movement Speed Highest Power outputs are produced at 3080% 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

WhyPower Output
LIFT SUBJECT POWER (Watts)

Bench Press

Novice 60%
Novice 85% Novice 100%

481
366 247 1259

Squat Snatch Clean

Heavy Elite 93%

Heavy Elite
Light Elite 95% Light Elite Heavy Elite Heavy Elite

900
2821 2675 3877 3413

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.

Hand Placement Foot Placement Power Position

Hang Position

Prerequisites Cont
The first pull is started with the hips dont 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

12x12

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 Structure
EXERCISE Med Balls DB Variations Clean Variations % ---15-40lbs 50% SETS 2-6 2-6 2-6 REPS 3-10 3-6 6

---------Hang/Power Pulls

60%
70% 80% 80% 90%

2-6
2-6 2-6 2-6 2-6

5
4 1-3 1-3 1-2