BFS Views on the Power Clean

explosive effort. catching phase” of the lift. fun and I liked competition. don’t care about that as much. done. form. to teach.

At the University of Oregon in 1967 while finishing up a Master's Degree in exercise physiology, I also trained the football team.

W. love the Power Clean. We always have but we are always open to other ideas. However, at this point, we don’t believe it is possible to reach one’s athletic potential without doing the Power Clean or similar type movement. We believe those athletes who have attained an elite status of physical development in the areas of size, speed and explosive power and who for some reason were to stop doing power movement exercises and these athletes would rapidly get slower, weaker and less explosive. Furthermore, we do not believe it is possible to throw the Shot Put 65 feet or throw the Discus 200 feet without making the Power Clean or similar type movement a top priority exercise.

Now, having made that strong statement, there is one absolute qualification. done with flawless technique, then the lift can be both dangerous and non-productive. To us, by far the most critical factor in flawless technique is the “jump phase” of the Power Clean. This is executed in stunning fashion by Stefan on the front cover. He is literally attempting to jump through the roof. We are simply using the overload principle. We We did Power Cleans.

I:

Power Clean safely with great technique in minutes. words for quick, effective coaching. After teaching the Clean at a BFS Clinic, it takes us, on average, less than three minutes to have kids do a very respectable Power Snatch as far as form and technique. letes who are total novices. too complex to attempt and to do it well. really nervous about lifting at the junior high level.

Please don’t. isn’t the lifting that will cause problems but not having great equipment and technique. junior high age kids on the BFS program at our Upper Limit facility in Salt Lake City and did not encounter any problems whatsoever. Also, as you peruse the articles in this journal, you will discover some amazing athletes who started at age 12 or even earlier. They are the ones who are out in front. SOME HISTORY Stefan Fernholm 6 - 1 1/2 at BFS Clinics Would Stand Flat As a college football player in the early 1960's, I did Cleans, Footed, Bend Down, Without a Step, Jump Up and Put His Ear On The Backboard.

BFS Perspe: dards this would be an excellent achievement. An interesting side note is the assistant coaches I worked with on the field, John Robinson, Bruce Snyder and George Siefert. We may have been the only college in America to do Power Cleans with a football team.

In the late 1960's, | trained in Los Angeles during the summers and coached football and other sports at Sehome High School in Bellingham, Washington during the school year. In L.A. | was around throwers in track. amazed. About 30 guys weighed in at about 275 and most of them could run a 4.6 forty. What were these guys doing? Were they just genetically gifted above every profootball player or were they doing something that could be duplicat- Ex-NCAA Record Holder and an NCAA Champion in Discus, Stefan Would Always Power Clean At Least 400 Ibs. At BFS Clinics (Photo Circa 1985) His Top Power Clean Was 473 Ibs. was by doing Power Cleans and Parallel Squats combined with agility drills.

them to minus 77 yards.

Cleans in the state in 1970. seconds.

Soviet Union and through them to the Eastern Europeans. we had our hands full at the Olympic Games in the 1970's. and Exercise Physiology and also to be the strength coach. experience was fantastic. exercises. was doing. them and just shook their heads. fusely.

Anyway, I took this secret back to Sehome High School and “How'd you do last year?” “Okay, All-Conference switching me to offense.” between 140 to 180 feet. couldn't throw 155 feet, you had to throw on the JV team. for football. Put down those wimpy little weights and come strength coach. That term was doesn't take long. We could no throwing events.

“Well sure,” he stammered, “who the heck are you?”

The next year I went to a Doctorate in Physical Education by the pros?”

“How big and fast are you?” “Almost 6-4 235 and I runa 5.15 forty.” 1 looked at him dead serious was confident. knowledge, Georgia was the only other college with a weight coach and | was pretty sure they didn't Clean or train like throwers. Five months later, this same athlete by the name of Paul Howard now weighed 275 pounds and ran a 4.8 forty. That was the fastest time of any lineman that year. Paul Power Cleaned 300 pounds, became an All-American and enjoyed a 12 year career with the Denver Broncos.

The following year Boyd Epley was hired as the Nebraska strength coach and now there was competition. the NBA. priority. organization and had great vision. done and made a number one I also believe this same annual salary is over $50,000. chance for injury on the field. players due to injuries. on. full time strength coaches.

Bucks. the Power Clean.

I submit that. secret. written on this difÏculty). sively impressed with our BFS.

High School All-American teams. the pro Power Clean people. speed and flexibility training. ers Power Clean 300 or better! is good, prove it. today. strength coach for this journal. three or better lift to do.

Amazing!

My heart has always been into coaching high school football. a program was deep in my blood.

40 inch no-step vertical jump. nation.

City. they genetic wonders? your technique will be flawless. weights. of the year in my first season.

Parallel Squat and the Power Clean.

Shot Put champ. ers at the same genetic level. listen carefully to their reasoning.

Cleans with flawless technique. a fluid athletic build. builder's physique. ter BFS Journal. called to thank BFS. a business in 1977. not doing Power Cleans. neering effort with the Utah Jazz.

From BFS Magazine — Summer 1994. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).