Coaching the clean.

[Fuzzy]

This is one of the girls I've got training with me a few times a week. She's a tennis player looking to improve her power and speed.

Cami deadlifted 100 in her second training session and recently did a triple on 105 at the age of 17, and bodyweight of 62kg.

Anywho, I have never really coached anyone in the Olympic movements, below is my attempt at teaching her to power clean.

[youtube]Igjo2qURH-4[/youtube]

Some notes:
- I know there are many issues I did not address. IN particular arms flexing too early. I will address these next session.
- I focused on always pulling from the ground. I also taught her some clean pulls to focus on the extension and contact with the bar. This worked far better than the conventional teaching from the hang. I've noticed that when taught from the hang, most people decelerate the first pull, almost stop at the knee, overthink it, then try to wrench it up. This seems to encourage the flow on much better.
- I was extremely pleased with her snap, and speed. Next session in combination with keeping the arms unflexed, we will also work on whipping the elbows around much faster.

I had a lot of fun and learned what to do, and what not to do when coaching the movement. I'll be posting more videos soon.

 

[180sx kid]

shes luck to have you coaching her mate.. Im sure she will progress quickly.

 

[dicko10]

great vid. keep the instructionals coming.

 

[catastrophic]

Awesome, This gives Jacki & Julia some competition at the next RPL...

 

[Hawkpeter]

Fuzzy,

your post is very encouraging. A few suggestions....

* Consider that all complex physical tasks begin with statics and then transfers between those statics in order to learn the skill. I would suggest the high hang position is an excellent static point to stress again and again so that the transition of the 1st to 2nd pull can be understood and developed. This is not to suggest that the transition between the 1st and 2nd pull is a static hold but the body awareness to pass through the point efficiently for a novice is a necessary ability.

* Ironing out the increasing speed of the bar might be a little easier than keeping the bar close to the body and avoiding pulling the bar with the arms prematurely. I would probably have the lifter be a little more patient with the bar speed from the floor so that the location for the beginning of the 2nd pull is established consistently. This is not to say that a lifter is 'trying' to have slow bar speed from the floor, its merely the reality of the nature of the lift... that the bar speed will be slower at the floor and increase in velocity. A lifter with submaximal weight is merely mimicking what will happen at a greater resistance.

* I would be tempted to narrow the feet a little for the 1st pull position and coach the pulling position feet as being inside the catching position for the feet. It may also make it easier for consistent shape in the lumbar vertebrae and with the back angle.

I think you're going to have a lot of fun teaching the quick lifts. Keep it up.

 

[Grippy]

Fuzzy are you running the place out at Prospect mate?

 

[catastrophic]

I think you're going to have a lot of fun teaching the quick lifts. Keep it up.

You will also learn a lot

 

[Fuzzy]

Fuzzy,

your post is very encouraging. A few suggestions....

* Consider that all complex physical tasks begin with statics and then transfers between those statics in order to learn the skill. I would suggest the high hang position is an excellent static point to stress again and again so that the transition of the 1st to 2nd pull can be understood and developed. This is not to suggest that the transition between the 1st and 2nd pull is a static hold but the body awareness to pass through the point efficiently for a novice is a necessary ability.

* Ironing out the increasing speed of the bar might be a little easier than keeping the bar close to the body and avoiding pulling the bar with the arms prematurely. I would probably have the lifter be a little more patient with the bar speed from the floor so that the location for the beginning of the 2nd pull is established consistently. This is not to say that a lifter is 'trying' to have slow bar speed from the floor, its merely the reality of the nature of the lift... that the bar speed will be slower at the floor and increase in velocity. A lifter with submaximal weight is merely mimicking what will happen at a greater resistance.

* I would be tempted to narrow the feet a little for the 1st pull position and coach the pulling position feet as being inside the catching position for the feet. It may also make it easier for consistent shape in the lumbar vertebrae and with the back angle.

I think you're going to have a lot of fun teaching the quick lifts. Keep it up.

- For the time being, I disagree, I have a feeling I may be on to something here. I should have said that we did do some work on the hang, but it messed things up. I think this is for the very sexist reason that she's a woman and thinks too much. That being said I'm not stupid enough to discount what you just said. I will run a little experiment, I will keep Cami pulling from the ground and experiment with other people with a 50/50 split of ground focus and hang focus. Time will tell, eh?

- I certainly agree on the second point. The girl is as explosive as they come and has a habit of just ... GOING. I certainly noticed the flexion of the arms and this will be the main focus during the next session. On side note, even though bar speed may be at a lower velocity, I strongly detest the idea of purposely slowing the first pull. 170kg did not make its way to my shoulders by doing a slow controlled pull, it was set, tight GO.

- Agreed on the last point. Feet will be moving in.

Fuzzy are you running the place out at Prospect mate?

I sure am mate. 0433 679 772. Give me a call and we'll set something up.

 

[tonyharrison]

Nice vid.

Have you emphasised the need for the bar to touch the front of her thigh before the second pull?

I personally found this a good way to avoid over use of the arms.

I personally agree with Hawkpeter. When I first learnt the powerclean I was all about thinking SPEED SPEED SPEED, right from the floor, and my form sucked.

Once i changed my thinking and focused on smoothness from the floor, then thinking SPEED after the bar went past the knee my form was much better. Thinking speed from the floor made my contract my arms

 

[Christian]

Fuzzy your so happy.. lol

Where are you origonally from?

 

[Fuzzy]

Nice vid.

Have you emphasised the need for the bar to touch the front of her thigh before the second pull?

I personally found this a good way to avoid over use of the arms.

I personally agree with Hawkpeter. When I first learnt the powerclean I was all about thinking SPEED SPEED SPEED, right from the floor, and my form sucked.

Once i changed my thinking and focused on smoothness from the floor, then thinking SPEED after the bar went past the knee my form was much better. Thinking speed from the floor made my contract my arms

See how it goes. I think you guys are right, I just hit the jackpot with Cami, the girl is Russian and just gets a lot of the movements with no fuss. I have not seen her in a while as she is off on tour atm.

Fuzzy your so happy.. lol

Where are you origonally from?

I'm from Lebanon mate, moved to Aus when I was 8 years old. Weird accent is from being taught English by Americans when I was young, it never quite left.

And when you're doing what you love, and what you love doing works on application, it just makes you happy. Listening to that laugh I feel like an idiot, but its the same thing I get when I look at someone squatting, alter something slightly and BOOM their squats are perfect. It just fills me with a lot of joy to see my methods work.

 

[Christian]

See how it goes. I think you guys are right, I just hit the jackpot with Cami, the girl is Russian and just gets a lot of the movements with no fuss. I have not seen her in a while as she is off on tour atm.



I'm from Lebanon mate, moved to Aus when I was 8 years old. Weird accent is from being taught English by Americans when I was young, it never quite left.

And when you're doing what you love, and what you love doing works on application, it just makes you happy. Listening to that laugh I feel like an idiot, but its the same thing I get when I look at someone squatting, alter something slightly and BOOM their squats are perfect. It just fills me with a lot of joy to see my methods work.

I yell at people.. Im still happy,

Its funny it went from aussie to english to something else...Kess emmak