Hi guys, can you guys critique my hang clean form? I tried bb.com forums, but then they don’t really Olympic lift there… I’m kind of lost as to what to do; I seem to prep myself for the lift by tensing up. I also seem to not be feeling the “push”; I try to push my hips down, but I can’t seem to get the scoop.
Thanks so much guys!
The quality downloaded from youtube is pretty bad, so here’s the link:
You need to drop down under the bar and come up in a front squat
You’re jumping forward which means you are not finishing the last pull/jumping early. The bar needs to be much higher up on the thigh before you explode. At the moment you’re going from the lower thigh, and the bar is looping out in front, hence your awkward rack.
Lots of stuff to work on here. I’m going to assume you mean “power clean critique” instead of “cleans” because when you catch a clean it is supposed to be near the bottom of an ATG front squat.
Your start position is off. Your shoulders are behind the bar. Look at both reps, but especially the 2nd rep. At the knees, the shoulders need to be in front of the bar, RDL like (but less so, since it is not an RDL or SLDL), or over the top of the bar. The fact that your shoulders are behind the bar means you are not getting any hip power into the bar, you are in poor position to explode, you are using quads only and although you try to get your hips into it they aren’t transferring any power. It also means your attempt to explode will push the bar away from you in a pendulum manner, leading to your problems jumping forward and catching the bar.
You are sliding your knees forward, which lessens the ability of the hamstrings to do their work and shifts everything to the quads. It also makes the shoulders slide backwards behind the bar.
As said before you start your version of the explosion waaay too soon. Final explosion needs to happen about the TOP 1/3rd of the thigh, not the knees or bottom third. With your shoulders over the bar. Not behind. First and foremost–it is not a “push” it is an explosion, a punch, a very fast pop. A push is slow.
LIke this guy. second time through is slow motion so you can freeze it and see: Ilya Ilin 170kg Power Clean & Jerk: Full Speed Plus Slow Motion Bar Path - YouTube
Or this guy. Again slow motion, but from front. - YouTube
Those are both from the ground, but everything above the knee is worth paying attention to.
If anybody sees something I should change or missed in what I said, say so please.
I would recommend that once you ‘unrack’ the weight you sent it down to Deadlift it into that position. I think that will help activate the firing muscles. Also why are you doing that march thing in between each rep??? I’d cut that out. Shoulders in front on the bar and really learn to feel the hip hinge movement. Try Pull-Throughs and Kettle Bell swings…
I found a good video on the progression and there are good articles on here as well.
You’re also initiating the pull with your arms, instead of extending your legs and hips. It should be a powerful triple extension of the hips/knees/ankles which raises the bar, your arms are really only there to guide it and lock it into the rack position.
Have a look at the California strength progression, I would recommend re-teaching yourself with just the bar, and uploading another video with improved form. Perfect reps with less weight will advance you far further than suspect reps with weight. Keep the form tight and stay safe brother.
