Keep Stalling on 5x5 Power Cleans

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
21

[quote]elano wrote:
Okay I’ve been on the texas method for around 4 months and have made great gains. Problem is I can’t seem to make it past 170 on power cleans even though my squat, dead, and other lifts are going up. I’ve already tried deloading 15%, Should I change rep schemes or something?

I have a feeling that 5x5 squats are hurting PC performnce. Maybe one of you strong mofos can help me out… EX of last week was…

----Monday----
Squat 225x5x5
Bench 170x5x5
power cleans 170x2x5 then back off sets bc I stalled
Dips 45x3x5
Chins 10x3x5

----WED----
Front squat 175x3x3
press 125x3x3
power cleans 170x3x3
ez curls 50x3x10
seated calf raise 125x3x20

----Friday----
Squat 260x5
Bench 190x4
Deadlift 380x1
Decline situps 120x2x12

What do I gotta do to keep the weight going up on power cleans?[/quote]

Also train for multipe sets with intensity not as high and only in the last 2 sets do higher intensity.

22

my other lifts are higher than yours but you own my power clean!
idk i think its just me.

23

Ok kick me in the tits if this is rude but…

Did anybody notice that the OP’s Squat is:

225 pounds? [x5]

and his Pclean is 170.

Now I can understand that It’s no fun doing cleans at 5 reps. maybe 5x3 would be more optimal.

But i still dont think all the different rep schemes in the world will get that power clean up when the squat is 225 for 5x5.

and that his deadlift is so mch higher than his squat is a real marker of a weak squat and weak posture rigidity.

I would bet my sack that the power clean will go up appropriately with with squat. Once he can squat 300 the power clean will have been a long time from 170#.

He’s just not strong enough to PCl more than 170 [and 170 is really good comparatively]. Besides that the PCl is really in that program for the sake of speed/power work. there is more need for it to be fast and look good than to be heavy.

-chris

24

[quote]Avocado wrote:
Ok kick me in the tits if this is rude but…

Did anybody notice that the OP’s Squat is:

225 pounds? [x5]

and his Pclean is 170.

Now I can understand that It’s no fun doing cleans at 5 reps. maybe 5x3 would be more optimal.

But i still dont think all the different rep schemes in the world will get that power clean up when the squat is 225 for 5x5.

and that his deadlift is so mch higher than his squat is a real marker of a weak squat and weak posture rigidity.

I would bet my sack that the power clean will go up appropriately with with squat. Once he can squat 300 the power clean will have been a long time from 170#.

He’s just not strong enough to PCl more than 170 [and 170 is really good comparatively]. Besides that the PCl is really in that program for the sake of speed/power work. there is more need for it to be fast and look good than to be heavy.

-chris[/quote]

Tahnks chris and swamp monster as well as everyone else that helped in the last round.

I will agree that I am not strong yet and the squat is my weakest “core” lift. You are correct in your assumption that I have weak posture rigidity.

When the weight gets heavy and I’m in uncharted territory, my back will start to weaken in the middle/upper part a little. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A QUESTION MARK or anything really that bad, it just isn’t hyperextended like it should be. I think what happens is my legs aren’t strong enough and my body shifts the weight forward a little causing a slight good morning. I have seen this in other people as well in my gym when they lift really heavy on squats. I basically go ATG on my squats tho… well close enough for me to hit the rails on the squat rack sometimes and I’m 6’1.

Any help on how to fix that problem would be excellent. Also, my power clean form is great @ 155 and 160 but at 165 starts getting not so pretty.

Thanks again.

25

[quote]elano wrote:
Avocado wrote:
Ok kick me in the tits if this is rude but…

Did anybody notice that the OP’s Squat is:

225 pounds? [x5]

and his Pclean is 170.

Now I can understand that It’s no fun doing cleans at 5 reps. maybe 5x3 would be more optimal.

But i still dont think all the different rep schemes in the world will get that power clean up when the squat is 225 for 5x5.

and that his deadlift is so mch higher than his squat is a real marker of a weak squat and weak posture rigidity.

I would bet my sack that the power clean will go up appropriately with with squat. Once he can squat 300 the power clean will have been a long time from 170#.

He’s just not strong enough to PCl more than 170 [and 170 is really good comparatively]. Besides that the PCl is really in that program for the sake of speed/power work. there is more need for it to be fast and look good than to be heavy.

-chris

Tahnks chris and swamp monster as well as everyone else that helped in the last round.

I will agree that I am not strong yet and the squat is my weakest “core” lift. You are correct in your assumption that I have weak posture rigidity.

When the weight gets heavy and I’m in uncharted territory, my back will start to weaken in the middle/upper part a little. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A QUESTION MARK or anything really that bad, it just isn’t hyperextended like it should be. I think what happens is my legs aren’t strong enough and my body shifts the weight forward a little causing a slight good morning. I have seen this in other people as well in my gym when they lift really heavy on squats. I basically go ATG on my squats tho… well close enough for me to hit the rails on the squat rack sometimes and I’m 6’1.

Any help on how to fix that problem would be excellent. Also, my power clean form is great @ 155 and 160 but at 165 starts getting not so pretty.

Thanks again.
[/quote]

Work the squats hard and get those legs strong. if you start to round on a heavy squat I hate to see what the deadlift single looks like. Keep the cleans fast with the back straight. But almost every major lift increases with the squat so I’d focus on putting all your have into squatting.

-chris

26

I don’t think I round much if at all during the deadlift. Something about my long torso makes the squat a little more difficult.

Anyways, I’ll get my squat to 315 and report back :slight_smile:

27

[quote]blazindave wrote:
At what point do you define intermediate?
I weigh 145 and i can do 155 for 5 reps and 2 sets. 3rd set is only 3 reps.
Should i try to do 35 now instead of 53?[/quote]

I’d say you are an intermediate lifter when you can snatch bodyweight, C&J 1.5 bodyweight, and have a few competitions under your belt. This does not apply to superheavyweights! Just my opinion.

28

[quote]Avocado wrote:
elano wrote:
Avocado wrote:
Ok kick me in the tits if this is rude but…

Did anybody notice that the OP’s Squat is:

225 pounds? [x5]

and his Pclean is 170.

Now I can understand that It’s no fun doing cleans at 5 reps. maybe 5x3 would be more optimal.

But i still dont think all the different rep schemes in the world will get that power clean up when the squat is 225 for 5x5.

and that his deadlift is so mch higher than his squat is a real marker of a weak squat and weak posture rigidity.

I would bet my sack that the power clean will go up appropriately with with squat. Once he can squat 300 the power clean will have been a long time from 170#.

He’s just not strong enough to PCl more than 170 [and 170 is really good comparatively]. Besides that the PCl is really in that program for the sake of speed/power work. there is more need for it to be fast and look good than to be heavy.

-chris

Tahnks chris and swamp monster as well as everyone else that helped in the last round.

I will agree that I am not strong yet and the squat is my weakest “core” lift. You are correct in your assumption that I have weak posture rigidity.

When the weight gets heavy and I’m in uncharted territory, my back will start to weaken in the middle/upper part a little. IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A QUESTION MARK or anything really that bad, it just isn’t hyperextended like it should be.

I think what happens is my legs aren’t strong enough and my body shifts the weight forward a little causing a slight good morning. I have seen this in other people as well in my gym when they lift really heavy on squats. I basically go ATG on my squats tho… well close enough for me to hit the rails on the squat rack sometimes and I’m 6’1.

Any help on how to fix that problem would be excellent. Also, my power clean form is great @ 155 and 160 but at 165 starts getting not so pretty.

Thanks again.

Work the squats hard and get those legs strong. if you start to round on a heavy squat I hate to see what the deadlift single looks like. Keep the cleans fast with the back straight. But almost every major lift increases with the squat so I’d focus on putting all your have into squatting.

-chris[/quote]

good point.

29

[quote]Krollmonster wrote:
blazindave wrote:
At what point do you define intermediate?
I weigh 145 and i can do 155 for 5 reps and 2 sets. 3rd set is only 3 reps.
Should i try to do 35 now instead of 53?

I’d say you are an intermediate lifter when you can snatch bodyweight, C&J 1.5 bodyweight, and have a few competitions under your belt. This does not apply to superheavyweights! Just my opinion.[/quote]

I was reading the dave tate interveiw and he talked about many people(mostly bodybuilders)not knowing how to go "full out’. You may want to read it. Its not that you dno’t want to but that you just don’t know how.

30

[quote]elano wrote:
I don’t think I round much if at all during the deadlift. Something about my long torso makes the squat a little more difficult.

Anyways, I’ll get my squat to 315 and report back :-)[/quote]

How high do you carry the bar?