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Barbell Power cleans vs Oly cleans and knee health

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Wtachnerd, thanks! Only reason I clean from the floor instead of power position is I just enjoy the bigger ROM, find it enjoyable. I am not training for anything other than being a bad a#@ 100 year old so intensity stays low. I've been doing this as part of Easy Strength type program. On of my knees is a bit "dodgy' though. Yesterday, just getting up out of a chair after sitting awhile, for no apparent reason, it sort of twisted and "grinded" (new word) and I was limping the rest of the day, this after a couple days off, no training for other reasons. It just feels to me as if explosive extension is totally fine but high speed contraction easier for me to run into a problem. I love jerks and by and by will do a cycle of them but pressing is much more upper body while jerks put more work into the legs, yes?
 
Wtachnerd, thanks! Only reason I clean from the floor instead of power position is I just enjoy the bigger ROM, find it enjoyable. I am not training for anything other than being a bad a#@ 100 year old so intensity stays low. I've been doing this as part of Easy Strength type program. On of my knees is a bit "dodgy' though. Yesterday, just getting up out of a chair after sitting awhile, for no apparent reason, it sort of twisted and "grinded" (new word) and I was limping the rest of the day, this after a couple days off, no training for other reasons. It just feels to me as if explosive extension is totally fine but high speed contraction easier for me to run into a problem. I love jerks and by and by will do a cycle of them but pressing is much more upper body while jerks put more work into the legs, yes?

I think you're confusing the hang start position and the power end position. You can power clean from the floor -- in fact, it usually is done from the floor by lifters who are just training for sport.

Hang denotes starting from the waist.

Power denotes finishing with thighs above parallel.

A 'normal' power clean is done from the floor, but the bar is caught in the power position, i.e. thighs parallel or above.

Power Clean Exercise Demo Video and Info

A 'hang power clean' starts from the waist, ends in the power position.

Hang Power Clean Exercise Demo Video and Info

A 'hang clean' starts from the waist, ends in a squat clean position.

Hang Clean Exercise Demo Video and Info

Based on your desire for full ROM, but without any concerns about Olifting technicalities, I think what you want to do is a not a full clean, but just a power clean with a front squat:

Power Clean Into Front Squat Exercise Demo Video and Info

As for jerks vs presses:

Yeah, you use the legs more on jerks than on presses, but jerks make you faster, build a better lockout (press outs are 'no lifts' in competition), and let you test your overhead limit loading more than presses do.

For hypertrophy of the shoulder girdle, I prefer Klokov presses, push presses, and kettlebell pushups.

(I, like many Olifters, pretty much never bench press).
 
If I did Klokov presses I would likely finish off the useful life of one of my shoulders. Have minor AC separation and some impingement. Pressing in front of body/straight up I can get away with. Behind the neck/head I would not even dare try.

Yes, got confused on clean terminology. But my answer about high speed flexion of knees vs high speed extension stands. Dropping down all the way does not feel safe to me. I can do it at way 50-60% RM but I wouldn't want to go higher than that. And I see no reason to. My actual goals are things like being able to get down on the floor, crawl around, and stand back up again easily when I am 100 years old, carry a couple bags of groceries up flights of stairs, that sort of thing. That is what I am training for, not looking for competition, personal records, anything like that, just plugging along and enjoying the ride. I know that's not an easy mind set to grasp because it just seemed stupid to me until a very few years ago.
 
Yes, got confused on clean terminology. But my answer about high speed flexion of knees vs high speed extension stands. Dropping down all the way does not feel safe to me. I can do it at way 50-60% RM but I wouldn't want to go higher than that. And I see no reason to. My actual goals are things like being able to get down on the floor, crawl around, and stand back up again easily when I am 100 years old, carry a couple bags of groceries up flights of stairs, that sort of thing. That is what I am training for, not looking for competition, personal records, anything like that, just plugging along and enjoying the ride. I know that's not an easy mind set to grasp because it just seemed stupid to me until a very few years ago.

Power cleans + front squats are more than enough for most folks, and at submaximal loads, should be what comes naturally.

But given your fitness goals, I'm curious why bother with barbell squats at all?

Goblet squats are a great alternative, and arguably the point of diminishing returns, for general fitness.

Not everybody needs to squat heavy, especially if not competing.
 
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Kettlebells only for nearly 10 years and never barbells in my life. Just time for something different. And it turns out, great fun learning somewhat new skill set. The kb's are lined up watching and waiting. After awhile, I'll almost certainly do a long period of A+A snatches or something similar. Just mixing it up. Very secondary but I was in my opinion a bit under muscled and not gaining anything at all w/ kettlebells. I have an unstable shoulder and an unstable knee and the fixed groove of barbells makes it so I can load up more. Just one 40 day round of Easy Strength and I gained 4 or 5 pounds and I think it's almost 100% muscle. I wasn't really looking for hypertrophy but very happy with a bit tighter shirts!
 
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