GAIN POWER, STRENGTH, AND
SIZE IN ONE EXPLOSIVE MOVE
Q I’ve noticed a lot more people in the gym are doing power
cleans, and all of them seem as if they’re in pretty good
shape. I would love to start incorporating them into my own plan. What exactly is the benefit, and how do I fit them into my programme?
A The power clean is one of the best movements to
increase explosive power and overall strength.
With the popularity of CrossFit and other types of cross training, this
movement has become a staple in regular gyms.
The benefits are endless, as the
clean requires a simultaneous
combination of speed and strength.
But it’s not a movement you want to step right into and attempt with a heavy weight.
As with many performance and Olympic-style movements, technique and repetition are far more important than the weight as you master each phase of the movement. Unlike a squat or deadlift, the power clean has many phases of movement.
This can be both good and bad— good because your body is exerting a tremendous amount of energy and force, but bad because at any time, if you use improper technique, the risk of injury goes up.increase explosive power and overall strength.
With the popularity of CrossFit and other types of cross training, this
movement has become a staple in regular gyms.
The benefits are endless, as the
clean requires a simultaneous
combination of speed and strength.
But it’s not a movement you want to step right into and attempt with a heavy weight.
As with many performance and Olympic-style movements, technique and repetition are far more important than the weight as you master each phase of the movement. Unlike a squat or deadlift, the power clean has many phases of movement.
Because the legs are heavily involved during each phase of movement, do the power clean first on leg day; you won’t
want to do it when you’re already tired.
In some workouts, power cleans are actually used as a form of high intensity interval training in which you take the weight down considerably and perform each set for time.
But don’t try that until you’ve mastered the lift. To do it, grab a loaded barbell on the ground with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
Keep your back flat, and explosively stand up and shrug; this will create momentum.
As the bar rises towards your shoulders, squat underneath it and rotate your wrists so that your elbows are pointing forward so you “catch” the bar in a quarter squat position. That’s one rep. Whenever possible, you’ll want to work with bumper plates to avoid damaging the floor should you drop the bar.
