Part Five in a Series
By Bruno Pauletto, M.S., C.S.C.S. Strength and Conditioning Coach University of Tennessee COMMON ERRORS IN THE START In my next three articles, I will discuss some common errors in the Power Clean. I will divide these into three categories: The Start, the Pull and the Recovery. Some of these errors are subtle with everything right except for one or two problems. As a coach, you should experience these errors yourself. This will help you have a more discerning eye in the weight room with your athletes.
Everything is correct except the grip on the bar is uneven.
The form is very good except the athlete's head is too far back looking up to the ceiling. The head should be aligned with the back and the athlete should be looking straight forward.
The athlete is getting ready to pull the bar off the ground with a round back. The back should be straight and the athlete should be looking forward not down. Continued on Page 43 ERRORS IN THE POWER CLEAN: The Start Continued From Page 41 Everything is correct except the athlete is up on his toes. The feet should be flat on the platform. Usually this is a result of poor ankle flexibility.
The arms should be straight not bent. The chest should be up and out pushing the shoulders back.
The stance is too close and the grip on the bar is too narrow. the arms are too close to the legs.
The stance is too wide pushing the arms too far out. The toes are pointing too far out. Continued on Page 45 43 ERRORS IN THE POWER CLEAN: The Start Continued From Page 45 The athlete is trying to pull the bar off the ground with his arms in a "jerking" motion. The arms are not used to pull the bar off the ground. The legs and back do all the work.
The athlete is using the "sumo" style grip on the bar. This should never be used when doing the Power Clean or its related lifts.
The athlete's hips are way too high. He should be "sitting" down lower to have the hips lower than the shoulders. 45
From BFS Magazine — September/October 1986. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
