From Joe’s to Pro’s it seems as if every fitness enthusiast is fascinated by the power clean and the snatch. We have Crossfitters that want to perform high volume. Sport-specific athletes are focused getting a new “max”. Lastly, we have competitive Olympic lifters that focus on technique, form, and attempt to improve their art.
Regardless of your mindset, goal, or sport the clean and snatch movements are some of the most complex resistance training exercises in our arsenal. In my experience I’ve witnessed youth athletes to weekend warriors wanting to impress me Day 1 in the weightroom with their bastardized versions of what they call “weightlifting”.
Some common errors I see:
* Noodle Back – inability to remain taut from initial pull due to weak mid-section (abs & back)
* Muscle Man Syndrome – inability to differentiate between a deadlift & a clean pull (no Double Knee Bend aka stretch reflex)
* “Short-Strokers” – inability to achieve triple extension (ankles, knees, and hips)
* Reverse Curlers – inability to control center of mass and/or lack of elbow/shoulder flexibility
Generally, I see a combination of 2 or more of these common errors because every component of the movement series sets up the next movement. We need to develop a strong fundamental base of movements in order to get strong skill transfer and ultimately improve athletic performance.
I have developed a “Tier System” (shoutout to Joe Kenn – Carolina Panthers) that I use prior to implementation of full weightlifting movements. Though I am all about implementing scientific & sound programming, there’s not a whole lot of information out there on progressive development of the Clean & Snatch. Be patient though…one of my key mentors, Dr. Brad DeWeese, is in the process of publishing some information through the NSCA on proper progressive implementation of weightlifting movement derivatives (see suggested readings below).
Prior to advancing into more complex training for any athlete (competitive or weekend warrior) I want to ensure that they can at least perform basic fundamental weightlifting movements. For a competitive athlete I would prefer to plan long-term & perfect each segment with progressive overloads prior to advancing complexity and load. Remember folks…SAFETY FIRST & excellence/best performance don’t just appear under your pillow from the Weightlifting Fairy! Below you’ll find a graph & descriptions of each movement along with a brief video description.
Bottom-line: Treat weightlifting with respect…and it will repay the favor. Take it slow… learn what makes it flow, tick, click, and giggle. Take the time to learn the in’s & out’s of the movements so that they’ll be as smooth & as flawless as we all wish for them to be. A Maserati was made to be driven for power & with precision speed…just as the bar was made for strength, power, & speed lifts. An inexperienced driver may not (in most cases…WILL NOT) be able to handle the power, torque, and handling of the Maserati, at first. Just as a skilled driver becomes one with their car before taking it to an advanced road course we must become one with weightlifting derivatives before progressing into full movements. WEIGHTLIFTING ZEN!
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Clark, J. (2005). From the beginning: A developmental perspective on movement and mobility. QUEST,57, 37-45.
Comfort , P., Fletcher, C., & McMahon, J. (2012). Determination of optimal loading during the power clean, in collegiate athletes. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(11), 2970-2974.
DeWeese, B., & Scruggs, S. (2012). The countermovement shrug . Strength & Conditioning Journal, 34(5), 20-
DeWeese, B., Serrano, A., Scruggs, S., & Sams, M. (2012). The clean pull and snatch pull: Proper technique for weightlifting movement derivatives.Strength & Conditioning Journal, 34(6), 82-86.
DeWeese, B., Serrano, A., Scruggs, S., & Burton, J. (2013). The midthigh pull: Proper application and progressions of a weightlifting movement derivative.Strength & Conditioning Journal, 35(6), 54-58.
DeWeese, B., Serrano, A., Scruggs, S., & Sams, M. (2012). The pull to knee—proper biomechanics for a weightlifting movement derivative. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 34(4), 73-75.
Garhammer, J. Power clean kinesiological evaluation. Strength Cond J 40: 61-63, 1984.
Garhammer J. A review of power output studies of Olympic and powerlifting: Methodology, performance prediction, and evaluation tests. J Strength Cond Res 7(2): 76-89, 1993.
Hori N, Newton RU, Andrews WA, Kawamori N, and McGuigan MR. Does performance of hang power clean differentiate performance of jumping, sprinting, and change of direction? J Strength Cond Res 22(2): 412-418, 2008.
Stone MH, Stone MH, and Sands WA. Principles and practice of resistance training. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics, 3-4. 2007.
Suchomel, T., Beckham, G., & Wright, G. (2013). Lower body kinetics during the jump shrug: Impact of load.Journal of Trainology, 2, 19-22.
TIER 1
DB Tree Huggers – focus here is on weight shift & center of mass manipulation.
PVC/Broom Stick Postural RDL’s – focus here is also on proper weight shift while maintaining postural alignment.
MB Squats – there are several ways to implement a MB Squat; nonetheless, focus should be on shifting weight back towards the heels while maintaining a “tight core”.
PVC OH Squats – same agenda as the MB Squats only focus more towards comfort with the Snatch & derivatives.
Tier 2
MB RDL to Vertical Jump – from my experience the DKB (double-knee bend) happens naturally with this movement as it isn’t too far removed from a person’s current state of comfort. Barbells tend to be foreign enough to where movements CAN BE compromised. I also use this movement as contrast between BB movements to help reinforce proper mechanics with a “known” movement.
KB/DB RDL’s – I cannot stress the importance of posterior chain development (aka ALL of the muscles that the mirror can’t see!). Any slack in the posterior chain when pulling on the bar will cause a chance in center of mass & compromise movements to follow.
PVC Good Mornings – See previous statement…and repeat it 3 times. Let it sink in!
Tier 3
BB RDL to Jump Shrug – One of the best ways to teach Triple Extension (TE). You can’t get a solid jump with TE & if you’re out of position you will surely notice on the landing (hence one reason why Suchomel suggest only using 30-40% of max Hang Clean. You reach Peak Power Output (PPO)…and you reduce your risk of injury!).
BB Pull to Knee – Snatch & Clean grip variations. Only slight differences in starting position of the hips. The pull from the floor for weightlifting movements is like coming out of the blocks for an elite sprinter. Ever seen an elite sprinter stumble out of the blocks & still post a PR time/win the race? Yeah, me either!
BB Front Squats – If you want to become more comfortable with the catch (& standing up) with the Clean I would suggest you become best friends with Front Squats.
BB OH Squats – Just as the Front Squat is the precursor of the catch for the Clean so is Overhead Squats in relation to the Snatch. Better OH Squat = Better Snatch (potentially…have to get it there first!).
See suggested readings within the blog. If you can’t find these articles or don’t have access to them feel free to email me. I will gladly share them with you.
Nice progression Keith. Def like the postural alignment exercises…will have to use those for teaching the Oly lifts in the future
Thanks Zach. The ability to hold & maintain posture (development of the posterior chain) seems to an area people neglect prior to jumping into Oly lifts…or any other loaded resistance exercise (deadlifts, squats, etc). Glad you found this information useful.
Great Keith , the Charlie Francis reference!?(shot to long) you metioned
Thanks!
Rafael, sorry for the delay. Just saw this post. I would reference this affordable book by the late Charlie Francis (world renowned sprint coach). http://www.amazon.com/Structure-Training-Speed-Charlie-Francis-ebook/dp/B00BG9F8UG
In terms of developing sprint speed CF promoted the “short-to-long” approach. Learn how to sprint 10m efficiently before trying to sprint 100m efficiently. He focused on the acceleration phase (high force output) while also promoting posture. With improved acceleration & posture the athlete can then adapt to tolerate increased volume loads (longer sprints).
For WL it is vital to focus on posture & form through implementation of partial movements (WL derivatives…see references). With improved posture more complex movements (progressing into full WL movements) can then be imposed on the athlete which leads to higher volume loads (take into consideration ROM, weight lifting, & sets/reps performed).
For sprints…if you can’t come out of the blocks & be efficient with the first 10m the 100m won’t be as good as it could have been (80% of max velocity is achieved in the first 20m of a sprint).
For WL…if you can’t perform the first pull (pull to knee…P2K) you won’t put yourself in the appropriate position to finish the movement nor will you utilize the DKB (double-knee bend), stretch-reflex (stretch shortening cycle..SSC), therefore not maximizing triple extension (TE) & force production.
Rafael, sorry for the delay. Just saw this post. I would reference this affordable book by the late Charlie Francis (world renowned sprint coach). http://www.amazon.com/Structure-Training-Speed-Charlie-Francis-ebook/dp/B00BG9F8UG
In terms of developing sprint speed CF promoted the “short-to-long” approach. Learn how to sprint 10m efficiently before trying to sprint 100m efficiently. He focused on the acceleration phase (high force output) while also promoting posture. With improved acceleration & posture the athlete can then adapt to tolerate increased volume loads (longer sprints).
For WL it is vital to focus on posture & form through implementation of partial movements (WL derivatives…see references). With improved posture more complex movements (progressing into full WL movements) can then be imposed on the athlete which leads to higher volume loads (take into consideration ROM, weight lifting, & sets/reps performed).
For sprints…if you can’t come out of the blocks & be efficient with the first 10m the 100m won’t be as good as it could have been (80% of max velocity is achieved in the first 20m of a sprint).
For WL…if you can’t perform the first pull (pull to knee…P2K) you won’t put yourself in the appropriate position to finish the movement nor will you utilize the DKB (double-knee bend), stretch-reflex (stretch shortening cycle..SSC), therefore not maximizing triple extension (TE) & force production.