I searched Youtube to find examples of bad form and couldn't find any as bad as this. I do powercleans every few weeks and seem to come away unscathed apart from some elbow pain.
- should I stop doing this to myself? and what would be a plan to correct my form (eg stick at 60kg and don't move up until the form is good?)
And if finding a coach is pretty much impossible...? (it is for me)
EDIT:
Going by the 110 Power Clean vid: Yes, stop doing that to yourself. Drop the ego, lower the weight and work on form. I'm surprised your back isn't dead yet, your stomach muscles must be friggin' strong.
Now, you're much stronger than me, so you can ignore my post if you want to. However,
Some pointers from a fellow newbie: Don't roll the bb back and forth to get momentum, get in correct position. Start slowly and controlled until it passes your knees, then you jump it up which you manage, but keep your tight and (!) get under the bar (!). Something that helped me was dividing it into a deadlift and then hang clean.
This video from Travis Ortmayer also helped me. http://www.monkeysee.com/...-clean-and-jerk
Though I'd recommend you tried to get a hold of the videos that comes with Starting Strength.
Join date: Mar 2003
Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 3299
That looked painful just watching it. Here's the thing though - if you can do THAT with 110 kg you've got some decent strength. If you put in some time learning proper form with lighter weight, the rewards going forward will be tremendous.
Join date: May 2008
Location: California, USA
Posts: 665
1. take all the weight off the bar
2. learn to clean and snatch with just a bar.
3. add the smallest plates and work up from there.
the point of the clean is to get under the bar, not bring the bar up to your chin.
lean back slightly when you explode so youre dipping under the bar, not bending your back to keep your body under the bar. Your asking for a back injury. that 2nd rep hang clean was worse than the 110 attempt in that sense.
and in the snatch if you can't land with your feet stable, youre using too much weight. taking a small stutter step to widen stance is one thing, but taking several steps backwards and forwards to balance the weight is asking for it. and your doing more of a clean and press almost more than a snatch lol. you still need to duck under for a snatch.
You are pulling with your arms on almost everything, especially the snatches. Your cleans are ugly because of several reasons, but your elbows are not getting around and your are pulling with your arms. Like everyone said here, get a coach immediately. If you are going to continue, lighten the weight considerably and work on technique (keeping the arms straight, moving faster, keeping the bar close, etc.).
1. get a coach
2. use only the bar or 40kg just for the heck of having some plates.
3. do some drop snatches or overhead squats, it seems clear to me your body is nowhere near stable enough in that position, the balancing muscles must get worked on and the CNS needs to learn the movement. Just cause you are strong enough to pull the weight so high doesn't mean you have the proper strength for everything else thats required.
4. Stop using your arms. I think thats one of the reasons that you bend way way far back in the clean receiving position. You should be bending forwards, not backwards. Until you stop this backward receiving do not even thinking of going any higher than the bar or 40kg.
Since you are so strong, I think right now pulling all the way from the floor is going to confuse you. get the bar or 40kgs and do hang power cleans.
A few things that I advise you to try when you do those hang power cleans:
1)lower/upper back locked TIGHT at ALL times. For beginners I think its hard to keep the back tight at the end of the pulling they kinda let go since the weight is now flying up and now its just your bodyweight. Just keep really tight.
2)dont use your arms at all. Get a good solid grip on the bar, your shoulders should be back but your arms relaxed. if your triceps or biceps are flexing at all they ar enot relaxed. since its only 20 or 40kgs, you are not in a rush. Wait there until you can figure out how to relax them.
3) once the above is done, dont even use your arms or shoulders AT ALL. try just "deadlifting" the weight from the hang. But with a decent speed. You don't have to go nuts on the speed. Your legs alone should suffice to throw the weight up. Here is when you'll find out if your arms are relaxed or tight. If they are tight the weight wont go up and will feel heavier actually. If they are relaxed the weight will fly up once you finish the 2nd pull and you'll feel the barbell pulling your arms/hands up with it.
I think once beginners calm down and do something like this they'll be a lot less afraid of keeping the bar close and they'll start to realize they dont need to use their arms so badly.
Once you find out how to receive the bar properly and not have your back in such a dangerous position then .. idk.. take another video.
The 80kg weren't too bad, keep your arms straighter but the receive positon was a lot better.
Aim to 'reach up iwth your head' the higher your head goes the rest of your body (going on to toes, hips going up and in correctly) will follow suit.
The 110kg wasn't safe. You should receive leaning slightly forwards with a STRAIGHT BACK. Receiving like you did with your back bent backwards is not safe.
I'd work on 70's then 75's and 80's. Once you do enough technique work your technique will hold up at the heavier weights.
crossfit.com. They have some great videos on how to pull off the oly lifts. should be on the left side there is a start here link i think, look for the video section and learn :)..
You are keeping your elbows WAY WAY too low when you catch the bar for the power clean. Your elbow points should be sticking almost straight out in front of your face, not down at your stomach. Try just getting comfortable racking and unracking the bar in front squat position with your elbows out like that, and get used to the wrist flexibility it takes when you catch the bar. To me it seems that is why you are catching the bar with your back so hyper extended. Keep up the good screaming though!
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