Anyone here not do a little jump when they do cleans?

[MrMatt]

I never actually get off the ground when doing cleans, it seems like everyone else though does that little jump. I feel like it's incredibly unnatural feeling to do the jump, like it's pointless to do. Anyone else feel that way?

 

[Deeko]

The explosive upward movement is what makes it a clean and not a reverse curl/upright row. If you're one of those people that do their cleans nice and smooth without any pop, you aren't doing it right.

Its an explosive compound exercise, its certainly not pointless...that IS the point.

 

[brikis98]

If you are doing cleans correctly, your feet start in jumping stance (similar to the stance used for a vertical jump or deadlift) and end in a squat stance. The former is the most efficient stance for your legs to deliver power to the ground latter and the latter, obviously, lets you squat under the weight so you don't have to get the bar as high. Since the squat stance is a bit wider than the jumping stance, to get from one to the other, your feet should lift slightly off the ground, mostly as the result of the 2nd pull, which is similar to a jump. You don't want your feet to lift too much (ie, no donkey kicking), but a little bit is necessary to get from point A to point B.

If in doubt, post a form check video.

 

[EvilYoda]

If you don't feel like you need to jump...add more weight. Reaching a true full extension and shifting your stance (as Brikis said) basically necessitates a minor jump. That said, don't intentionally pick up your feet like you're using a jump rope as time spent without contact with the ground means loss of control and more of a chance for things to go wrong.

Try footwork drills, something like this. You want a consistent movement, so watch your feet and progress from a slight crouch, deeper, deeper, until you're landing a quickly as possible in a full receiving position.

 

[MrMatt]

hmmmm, I guess what I don't understand is this: If you can do it without changing foot position, why would you then do the jump thing to maneuver you feet out. To state it more clearly: Let's say I can clean 205 lbs. without the jump. Adding the jump in just feels superfluous since it doesn't allow me to do any more weight. I don't understand how the jumping helps supposedly. If I try jumping it reduces the weight I can do because I have to jump in addition to the regular movement which has nothing to do with jumping. If you guys don't do the jump do your weights on the movement suffer??

 

[Deeko]

hmmmm, I guess what I don't understand is this: If you can do it without changing foot position, why would you then do the jump thing to maneuver you feet out. To state it more clearly: Let's say I can clean 205 lbs. without the jump. Adding the jump in just feels superfluous since it doesn't allow me to do any more weight. I don't understand how the jumping helps supposedly. If I try jumping it reduces the weight I can do because I have to jump in addition to the regular movement which has nothing to do with jumping. If you guys don't do the jump do your weights on the movement suffer??

Yes - without the explosive jump-like movement I can't do nearly as much. The whole point is that it lets you do more weight. If the weight actually reduces you're probably not doing it right. Chances are you are not getting under the weight. On a clean, you pop the weight up, and then quickly snap underneath it in a squat position, flipping your wrists out to catch it. I'm guess you just go straight upwards.

 

[surfsatwerk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpBoyb1X8Q0
See that brief little hop he has. Even with a fuck ton of weight on there he still jumps up a wee bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya5FYxTyudk

Edit: Had wrong video, fixt it.

 

[brikis98]

hmmmm, I guess what I don't understand is this: If you can do it without changing foot position, why would you then do the jump thing to maneuver you feet out. To state it more clearly: Let's say I can clean 205 lbs. without the jump. Adding the jump in just feels superfluous since it doesn't allow me to do any more weight. I don't understand how the jumping helps supposedly. If I try jumping it reduces the weight I can do because I have to jump in addition to the regular movement which has nothing to do with jumping. If you guys don't do the jump do your weights on the movement suffer??

Let's start with the basics:

1. The goal of the clean is to get as much weight as possible onto your shoulders in one motion.
2. If you can get your shoulders lower, you don't have to pull the bar as high, so you can clean more weight.
3. For most people, the way to get their shoulders as low as possible - while still being able to catch the weight and stand back up - is to do a front squat under the bar.
4. The most efficient stance for delivering power to the ground (the stance you use for jumping and deadlifts) has the feet closer together than the typical stance for a squat.
5. To get the feet from the jumping position to the squat position in the split second while the bar is in the air means the feet lift off the ground slightly.
6. Moreover, for most people, coming to full extension will also raise their feet off the ground.
7. If you are not squatting under the bar or you aren't coming to full extension, then your feet won't come off the ground. However, this also means you aren't cleaning as much as you could.

The "power clean" is a variety of the clean where you do a half or quarter squat instead of a full squat under the bar. The "muscle clean" involves virtually no squat at all: you more or less catch the bar totally upright. The progression from muscle clean -> power clean -> clean increases how much weight you can clean but also the technique required to do so. My guess is that you are doing muscle cleans right now, which can be done without any real "jump". If you work on your technique and get a power clean down, you'll see that a small "jump" is necessary, but that you'll be able to clean more as a result.

 

[Koing]

It happens naturally when you *finish* properly. If you comes miles off the floor that is not so correct...if you come off a bit thats fine. If you don't come off at all thats also fine.

Stand up on your tip toes fully extended up, see how high you can get your head. THIS IS THE POSITION YOU ARE AIMING FOR.

Koing

 

[MrMatt]

Let's start with the basics:

1. The goal of the clean is to get as much weight as possible onto your shoulders in one motion.
2. If you can get your shoulders lower, you don't have to pull the bar as high, so you can clean more weight.
3. For most people, the way to get their shoulders as low as possible - while still being able to catch the weight and stand back up - is to do a front squat under the bar.
4. The most efficient stance for delivering power to the ground (the stance you use for jumping and deadlifts) has the feet closer together than the typical stance for a squat.
5. To get the feet from the jumping position to the squat position in the split second while the bar is in the air means the feet lift off the ground slightly.
6. Moreover, for most people, coming to full extension will also raise their feet off the ground.
7. If you are not squatting under the bar or you aren't coming to full extension, then your feet won't come off the ground. However, this also means you aren't cleaning as much as you could.

The "power clean" is a variety of the clean where you do a half or quarter squat instead of a full squat under the bar. The "muscle clean" involves virtually no squat at all: you more or less catch the bar totally upright. The progression from muscle clean -> power clean -> clean increases how much weight you can clean but also the technique required to do so. My guess is that you are doing muscle cleans right now, which can be done without any real "jump". If you work on your technique and get a power clean down, you'll see that a small "jump" is necessary, but that you'll be able to clean more as a result.

Hmmm. This is vexing me quite a bit. I actually use the same stance for squatting & deadlifting, maybe that's part of the problem?

As far as the jumping, I guess I think like this: Is it easier to hold a certain amount of weight, or jump while holding that weight? Maybe I'm thinking of it wrong. I have 0 (zero) clue how to transfer power to the ground via a jump. I don't jump on medicine ball slams, any sledgehammer stuff I do, nothing. I do have a pretty good vertical jump (41.5", when I was 185 lbs. pre bulk), I just don't get how to translate that into a better clean.

 

[brikis98]

Hmmm. This is vexing me quite a bit. I actually use the same stance for squatting & deadlifting, maybe that's part of the problem?

Uh, yeah. Either your squat stance is too narrow or your deadlift stance is too wide (or both). I remember you struggled with the squat, and too narrow of a stance would definitely contribute to that. Seriously, post a video.

As far as the jumping, I guess I think like this: Is it easier to hold a certain amount of weight, or jump while holding that weight? Maybe I'm thinking of it wrong. I have 0 (zero) clue how to transfer power to the ground via a jump. I don't jump on medicine ball slams, any sledgehammer stuff I do, nothing. I do have a pretty good vertical jump (41.5", when I was 185 lbs. pre bulk), I just don't get how to translate that into a better clean.

I already explained several times that your feet will come off the ground to (a) shift to a wider stance and (b) as a result of full extension. Not much to argue or debate there and virtually every video of someone doing cleans confirms this. It's not a giant jump, but a tiny lifting of the feet and a stomp back down.

 

[jae215]

I have 0 (zero) clue how to transfer power to the ground via a jump. I don't jump on medicine ball slams, any sledgehammer stuff I do, nothing. I do have a pretty good vertical jump (41.5", when I was 185 lbs. pre bulk), I just don't get how to translate that into a better clean.

a legit 41.5 standing vertical is elite+++ level.

 

[MrMatt]

a legit 41.5 standing vertical is elite+++ level.

? I think 44+ is considered "elite" the 41.5 was as high as I had ever jumped, I felt great the day I had it tested, was fresh, and honestly I don't think I could've ever gotten a better vertical on any other day of my life.

 

[Koing]

? I think 44+ is considered "elite" the 41.5 was as high as I had ever jumped, I felt great the day I had it tested, was fresh, and honestly I don't think I could've ever gotten a better vertical on any other day of my life.

40" is a HUGE bench mark...most of the NBA players have 'only' a 36" vert.

What was your vertical tested on? Mines 87cm using a device strapped to the floor and my waist.

The reach one is EASY to cheat. When you reach up you don't fully extend your shoulder upwards and tuck it in, making your base measurement a lot lower. You can easily gain 3"+ on that one.

41.5" is HUGE for a standing vert mate.

Your feet skip out as it's a more comfortable position to 'receive' the Clean/ Snatch in. It helps you sit deeper in the squat/ over head squat. You have your feet closer for the start of the Clean/ Snatch as you slightly less power in your legs and your 'taller' with your feet closer together. I have my feet further apart now as my legs are much bigger then when I started and my thighs crush on my gonads.

Nearly every single lifter will do this. Very few receive the Clean in a narrow position or the same as their 'start' position, but as always 'some will' but the majority do not do this. It's not 'classical' technique.

Koing

 

[SociallyChallenged]

? I think 44+ is considered "elite" the 41.5 was as high as I had ever jumped, I felt great the day I had it tested, was fresh, and honestly I don't think I could've ever gotten a better vertical on any other day of my life.

Was it a stationary jump or running jump? What equipment did you measure on?

 

[MrMatt]

It was stationary; I actually can't jump well with a running start. Probably more trouble transferring force to the ground rapidly. It was one of those poles with the little plastic flags marking off 1/2" increments, I'm looking on youtube and I'm not seeing any examples of it. Hmmm. I did reach as high as I could before jumping.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It was stationary; I actually can't jump well with a running start. Probably more trouble transferring force to the ground rapidly. It was one of those poles with the little plastic flags marking off 1/2" increments, I'm looking on youtube and I'm not seeing any examples of it. Hmmm. I did reach as high as I could before jumping.

I know what you're talking about. Seems pretty good even if you did extend your shoulder a little bit

 

[Koing]

I know what you're talking about. Seems pretty good even if you did extend your shoulder a little bit

It's called a Vertec much like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iae_9qerIuU

Koing

 

[MrMatt]

It's called a Vertec much like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iae_9qerIuU

Koing

That's basically it!

 

[MrMatt]

I know what you're talking about. Seems pretty good even if you did extend your shoulder a little bit

I'll tell everyone else it's 41.5, and we can say it's probably 40 even then haha

 

[Kniteman77]

Power Cleans are probably my second favorite thing on earth.

And yes I jump, that's the right way to do it