TheBoltBlog

Luuuuuuuuke from CrossFit Elevate demonstrates the L-sit using kettlebells

The power clean is a full body, aggressive lift, pulling the bar from the ground and catching on the shoulders in the power position. The power clean is exactly the same as the squat clean, except you are not catching the bar in the full squat position. As Coach Burgener says, a squat clean is just a failed power clean….meaning the pull was not high enough so you had to go into a full squat position to catch the bar.

The power clean is a great movement for moving large loads, long distances, quickly; hence the reason we do it, to become more powerful! Additionally, the power clean demands coordination, flexibility, and strength, teaching the athlete to violently and efficiently extend the hip. And just like Chubbs taught us, “It’s all in the hips”.  (Disclaimer – I do not coach like Chubbs, I prefer foam rollers for easing the tension)  Show me any elite power athlete and I will show you how he/she uses aggressive hip extension to compete and be successful.

In the video I obviously accomplish the goal of getting two reps, and I do a good job of following the two most important rules I teach when introducing the olympic lifts.  When you have a million and one things running through your head on how to properly clean, always go back to these 2 rules before you address the bar

1. Keep your back straight (maintain midline stability, no cat back)
2. Be AGGRESSIVE

But what did I do wrong?  I went back to a fault that I am notorious for, this is fairly typical for me when I start pushing up the weight…..I go back to my old way of doing things.  Check out the pictures below and notice the angle of my back.

Set up is pretty good, but then my hips shoot way up and my back angle flattens.   This is not good for many reasons, one of which is it looks like I am doing an RDL-power clean hybrid.  Check out the pictures below of Dmitry Klokov and his back position through the first pull (the picture on the far left), and compare it with my last picture.  Notice how he has maintained his upright torso/back angle, and yeah that is 500lbs by the way…..now that is Adonis DNA!  Our goal is to maintain the same back angle through the first pull, avoiding shooting our hips high and flattening our backs.

Unfortunately, I learned one other thing while reviewing the video…I am ugly as hell when I clean.  Fortunately, I don’t look like this all the time!

Hips way to high, back has flattened substantially

Video courtesy of CrossFit.com

The Shoulder Press

Setup

• Feet at hip width
• Hands/weights just outside the shoulders
• Elbows down, directly under hands
• Tight midsection
• Closed grip

Execution

• Think of yourself as a column, keep the whole body rigid; w/ tight core
• Pull head back, and press upwards attempting to drive the weight/hands straight up
• Press until directly overhead, arms fully extended, w/ active shoulders (ears should be visual from profile view)
• Keep your ribs locked down throughout the lift!  Avoid shooting the hips forward and over arching the low back

Did you know the overhead press used to be an Olympic lift?  Up until 1972 the Press was one of three lifts at the Olympics (w/ the  snatch and clean & jerk).  As lifters transformed the overhead press into an ugly step-brother of the press, the pseudo-standing bench press, the lift became obviously more dangerous and more difficult to judge and was eventually dropped from Olympic competition.

Impressive strength but Don't Do This!!!