1. Teaching the Power Clean, and Some Safe & Effective Alternatives
Chris D.Wood, M.Ed., CSCS
Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
Assistant Track & Field Coach
Pacific Lutheran University

2. Outline Why are you doing them Pre-requisites (get them strong first)
Equipment
Med-Balls
Dumbbells
Clean
Technical /Coaching cues

3. Why… Force Velocity Curve
It’s not about big weight
Movement Speed
Highest Power outputs are produced at 30-80% of 1-RM
Train Movements, not exercises
Full ROM, total body, athletic lifts
Med Balls, Dumbbells, Barbells, Tires, Sledge Hammers

4. Force Velocity Curve
Velocity
Load

5. Why…Power Output The numbers for the clean speak for themselves LIFT
SUBJECT
POWER (Watts)
Bench Press
Novice 60%
481
Novice 85%
366
Novice 100%
247
Squat
Heavy Elite 93%
1259
Heavy Elite
900
Snatch
Light Elite 95%
2821
Light Elite
2675
Clean
3877
3413
The numbers for the clean speak for themselves

6. Why… Cont.
Hopefully not just because others are doing them!!!

7. Prerequisites Master the basic lifts first
Can your athletes:
Back Squat
Front Squat
Deadlift
Bench Press
Where is their core strength?
Have they been training the core standing or lying on their backs?
Standing abdominal exercises
Standing low back exercises
Standing rotational exercises/oblique

8. Prerequisites… Cont. A safe place to lift explosively
Where to start after basic strength is achieved?
Med Ball similar to Olympic Lifts
Box Jumps
Loaded Jumps

9. Prerequisites… Cont. Olympic variations with dumbbells
Teach triple extension first
DB Push Press
DB Split Jerk
Move on to larger variations with strength athletes working from the floor, and speed athletes working from athletic position
Speed DB Clean from the hang position
Strength DB Snatch from the floor (power position)

10. Prerequisites… Cont. Athletes must MASTER athletic position
Feet square and under the hips
Lower leg is perpendicular to the ground
Hips are behind the knee with weight shifted slightly to the posterior (toe wiggle)
Back is flat, butt is down, chin is pushed forward, and the chest is up
Shoulders are pulled back slightly with the arms hanging slightly back (elbows should be locked and turned out)
The arms will be angled back from the shoulder to the top of the knee.

11. Prerequisites… Cont. Hand Placement Foot Placement Power Position
Hang Position

12. Prerequisites… Cont
The first pull is started with the hips… don’t let them pull with the back or elbows first. Work the hips back and the chest up.
The second pull is the explosive pull… the bar gets to the knee, the hips are pushed through and the back is forcefully extended (high hamstring tension)
Hip drive will create a large amount of momentum on the bar
Use this momentum to shrug and pull the weight to the sternum area (bar can get away here)
Once the weight has run out of momentum the athlete will quickly pull their body under the bar, catching it on their shoulders… punch the elbows up to the ceiling

13. Terms Olympic Clean (Squat Clean) Power Clean Power Position
Hang Position
Mid-Thigh Position
Rack Position (catch)
Below Knee

14. Equipment Rubber Mat Bumper Plates Quality Bar Open Floor Space
Plywood
Platform
Bumper Plates
Quality Bar
Not bent
Collar Spin
Open Floor Space
12’x12’

15. Olympic Movements with Barbell
Work from the bottom up when coaching these movements
Standard Base Deadlift
Power Clean Pull/Hang Clean Pull/Mid Thigh Pull
Power High Pull/Hang High Pull/ Mid-Thigh High Pull
Front Squat
Power Clean/Hang Clean/Mid-Thigh Clean
Power Snatch Pull/Hang Snatch Pull/Mid-Thigh Snatch Pull

16. Supplemental Olympic Movements
Push Press (in front, from the rack)
Split Jerk (in front, from the rack)
Coach these if you eventually want to work up to advanced combination lifts
Front Squat+Push Press
Hang Clean+Front Squat

17. Pulling the Bar Foot, ankle, knee, hip
Tension (arms locked, chin out, shoulders out front)
Chest rises at the same rate has the hip
Bar is pulled tight up towards the shin
Bar pulled from the knee to the sternum by driving the hip joint forward
Finish the movement by shrugging the shoulders (pull, high pull, rack)

18. Racking the Bar Grip width… essential to a proper rack
Roughly 24”, or split between the deltoid
Keeping the bar tight to the body
Circular path (reverse curl) is not desired
Drop the hips (not bend the knee)
As the hips drop, the heels “HIT” the floor
Simultaneously the elbows are punched to the ceiling

19. Racking the Bar??? You are training athletes… not lifters
Triple extension is key in 90% of sports
Looking for ankle, knee, hip, and moving external loads quickly
Hang Pulls
Power Pulls
Pull with a release
Push Press

20. Racking the Bar???

21. Racking the Bar???

22. Workout Structure EXERCISE % SETS REPS Med Balls ---- 2-6 3-10
DB Variations
15-40lbs
3-6
Clean Variations
50% 6
60% 5
70% 4
80%
1-3
Hang/Power Pulls
90%
1-2