# power cleaning



## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 26, 2006)

When power cleaning, which muscle does the work to get the weight up? And if its the shoulders  which head/deltoid is it?


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## kenwood (Jul 26, 2006)

*Power Clean

Exercise Data
Main Muscle Worked: Shoulders
Other Muscles Worked: Triceps, Middle Back, Lower Back, Traps, Forearms, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves, Shoulders, Glutes
Equipment: Barbell
Mechanics Type: Compound*


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## kenwood (Jul 26, 2006)

note: when doing it make sure you work on technique(sp?)


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## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 26, 2006)

Dude i know all that crap from bodybuilding.com   im wondering which muscle actually does the work to lift the weight, the targets a whole different thing. Like with benching, it targets the chest but u need strong triceps to bench heavy. 
And even if it is the shoulders that lifts and does the work, which of the 3 heads is it?


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## kcoleman (Jul 26, 2006)

It's an explosive power movement, it isn't targeting anything, you are literally using like 70% of your musculature to get the weight up.


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## kenwood (Jul 26, 2006)

ok, ok jeez. if it is the shoulders why's it matter what head? i mean are you going to just train that head lol. whatever it is you better know how to really do a power clean or your going to end up doing what kefe did  . my powerclean sucks its only 160lbs haha but thats not one of my goals and i never do powercleans anyway so it doesnt bother me. my goal is strength for the main 3 lifts and power.


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## mike456 (Jul 26, 2006)

kcoleman said:
			
		

> It's an explosive power movement, it isn't targeting anything, you are literally using like 70% of your musculature to get the weight up.


I agree 100%, even though I never did the movement.


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## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 26, 2006)

Alright cool. This is a whole different thing from my original question but cleans do a good job with the lateral delts and shoulder mass right? 

(and yes  i know i have a good diet so please dont talk about that.)


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## JordanMang (Jul 26, 2006)

A true power clean is a more leg oriented movement.  You explode the weight up, and drop under it.  Most guys pull it up to their chest, but the ideal is to drop under it and front squat it up.


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## mike456 (Jul 26, 2006)

GoLdeN M 07 said:
			
		

> Alright cool. This is a whole different thing from my original question but cleans do a good job with the lateral delts and shoulder mass right?
> 
> (and yes  i know i have a good diet so please dont talk about that.)


no, it is not a mass exercise, it is an eplosive movement to train for speed, power


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## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 26, 2006)

mike456 said:
			
		

> no, it is not a mass exercise, it is an eplosive movement to train for speed, power



Damn i keep reading shit that it is.


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## P-funk (Jul 26, 2006)

the fact that you are asking what muscles the clean works and which heads of the deltoids probably means that you don't even know how to do it properly.  so don't.


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## mike456 (Jul 26, 2006)

I know you want mass in your shoulders, because you keep posting questions about shoulder exercises and mass reps, just add in DB shoulder presses somewere in your routine for 3 sets, 1 set do 12 reps, 2nd set do 10 reps, third set do 8 reps, do them slowly and under control on the negative and then push up naturally and dont pause at the neutral position.


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## P-funk (Jul 26, 2006)

if you want big shoulders then develop a big overhead press.


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## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 26, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> the fact that you are asking what muscles the clean works and which heads of the deltoids probably means that you don't even know how to do it properly.  so don't.



No i know how to do it properly and i know which heads it works which would be the front and lateral heads.


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## kenwood (Jul 26, 2006)

you want an olympic routine? here you go have fun w/it 




*day1-
power snatch- 5 sets x 3 reps(wide grip):
drop snatch off the rack 5 sets x 2 reps:
snatch pull- 5 sets x 2 reps:
benchpress 5 sets x 2 reps-70%(225):
overhead press- 3 sets x 8-10:
chin ups- 3 sets x 8-10:

day2-
power clean 5 sets x 3 reps:
jerks off the rack 5 sets x 3 reps:
clean pulls 5 sets x 3 reps-k(shoulder grip):
incline DB press 3 sets x 10 reps:
rows 3 sets x 10 reps:

day3- (the olympic lifts can be trained at heavier weight on this day. So i will lower the volume. On the other two days, train them with lighter weight and work on technqiue and speed....about 70% intensity is good)
squat snatch (or just power snatch)- 3 sets x 2 reps:-
squat clean and jerk- 3 sets x 2 reps:
benchpress 3 sets x 2 reps-85%(260):
front squat- 3 sets x 2 reps:
RDL- 3 sets x 5 reps:
chin ups- 3 sets x 5 reps:*


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## CowPimp (Jul 26, 2006)

GoLdeN M 07 said:
			
		

> No i know how to do it properly and i know which heads it works which would be the front and lateral heads.



If you do a power clean properly then these muscles do not act as prime movers.  The prime movers in a power clean are the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and traps.


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## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 26, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> If you do a power clean properly then these muscles do not act as prime movers.  The prime movers in a power clean are the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, calves, and traps.



Well it still works the shoulders and these heads are worked  but ok.


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## CowPimp (Jul 26, 2006)

GoLdeN M 07 said:
			
		

> Well it still works the shoulders and these heads are worked  but ok.



It really shouldn't use your shoulders all that much.  You don't do an upright row at the top of the movement, you do a shrug.


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## JordanMang (Jul 26, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> It really shouldn't use your shoulders all that much.  You don't do an upright row at the top of the movement, you do a shrug.



Exactly. It's all legs.


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## P-funk (Jul 27, 2006)

all the legs.  the shoulders just rotate under the bar as the elbows come up.

arms and shoulders don't pull the bar.....triple extension (ankle, knee hip) is what imparts maximum velocity on the bar, the shrug at the top is to accelerate yourself DOWN underneath the bar...not to pull the bar higher.


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## CowPimp (Jul 27, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> all the legs.  the shoulders just rotate under the bar as the elbows come up.
> 
> arms and shoulders don't pull the bar.....triple extension (ankle, knee hip) is what imparts maximum velocity on the bar, the shrug at the top is to accelerate yourself DOWN underneath the bar...not to pull the bar higher.



Interesting, I never thought of it that way.  I would think you can kinda do both though, no?  I know when I shrug it definitely gets the bar up higher, though my lower body certainly does the vast majority of the lifting.


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## P-funk (Jul 27, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Interesting, I never thought of it that way.  I would think you can kinda do both though, no?  I know when I shrug it definitely gets the bar up higher, though my lower body certainly does the vast majority of the lifting.




yea, the shrug helps to raise the bar up a little more and give it more upward velocity but, once you are shrugging, you are starting to go under the bar and pull yourself down.  If you wait until you are all the way at the top of the shrug to try and get under the bar you are going to have a delay and miss the lift.


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## CowPimp (Jul 27, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> yea, the shrug helps to raise the bar up a little more and give it more upward velocity but, once you are shrugging, you are starting to go under the bar and pull yourself down.  If you wait until you are all the way at the top of the shrug to try and get under the bar you are going to have a delay and miss the lift.



Gotcha.  I guess I've never really tried to drop under a full clean using near my 1RM, so I probably don't fully grasp the importance of dropping under, heh.  Granted, when I watch someone like Dimas go at it, it does help me understand.  Anything that I've full cleaned I can also power clean, so it gives me time to dick around before dropping under the bar.


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## P-funk (Jul 27, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Gotcha.  I guess I've never really tried to drop under a full clean using near my 1RM, so I probably don't fully grasp the importance of dropping under, heh.  Granted, when I watch someone like Dimas go at it, it does help me understand.  Anything that I've full cleaned I can also power clean, so it gives me time to dick around before dropping under the bar.




yea, I have the DVD for Artie Dreshler's WEightlifting Encyclopedia and he talks about people pulling all the way through the end of the shrug and shows examples.  It is weird, there is this short puase before they drop under the bar.  The people that can get away with it are really really fast.

As far as dropping under and the shrug goes.....I always thought the power clean and the squat clean were really two different lifts.  USA National Coach Leo Totten showed me otherwise though.  He said it should be the exact same movement......The only difference is that the power clean weight is light enough to accelerate almost all the way up to the chest.  The problem is that most people see a power clean and think that it a lot of arms to get the bar moving that extra little bit higher to rack the weight.  That is how I used to power clean too.  But really, it is the same lift (and the power clean should be about 80% of your squat clean) when you break it down.  Or, as my friend Tim says "When the weight is that light you can get away with tossing it all the way up to the chest just using your triple extension.  Once it gets heavy you have to shrug yourself down more."


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## CowPimp (Jul 27, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> yea, I have the DVD for Artie Dreshler's WEightlifting Encyclopedia and he talks about people pulling all the way through the end of the shrug and shows examples.  It is weird, there is this short puase before they drop under the bar.  The people that can get away with it are really really fast.
> 
> As far as dropping under and the shrug goes.....I always thought the power clean and the squat clean were really two different lifts.  USA National Coach Leo Totten showed me otherwise though.  He said it should be the exact same movement......The only difference is that the power clean weight is light enough to accelerate almost all the way up to the chest.  The problem is that most people see a power clean and think that it a lot of arms to get the bar moving that extra little bit higher to rack the weight.  That is how I used to power clean too.  But really, it is the same lift (and the power clean should be about 80% of your squat clean) when you break it down.  Or, as my friend Tim says "When the weight is that light you can get away with tossing it all the way up to the chest just using your triple extension.  Once it gets heavy you have to shrug yourself down more."



Interesting stuff P.


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## Bakerboy (Jul 27, 2006)

Good info guys. I'm slowly understanding what P means by getting under the bar. When I power clean I can feel it the next day in my calves, hams and traps mostly. I have to start with several very light set just to get my head into it. By the way P, what do you think a realistic goal would be for to aim for with the power clean at my weight (153 Lbs)? Right now I am going light 150 lbs and working on my technique but I want to start moving the weight up. I want I big goal so I can break it down into smaller goals. What do you power clean, P?
By the way there is no better feeling than cleaning the bar mixed with front squats...


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## P-funk (Jul 27, 2006)

Bakerboy said:
			
		

> Good info guys. I'm slowly understanding what P means by getting under the bar. When I power clean I can feel it the next day in my calves, hams and traps mostly. I have to start with several very light set just to get my head into it. By the way P, what do you think a realistic goal would be for to aim for with the power clean at my weight (153 Lbs)? Right now I am going light 150 lbs and working on my technique but I want to start moving the weight up. I want I big goal so I can break it down into smaller goals. What do you power clean, P?
> By the way there is no better feeling than cleaning the bar mixed with front squats...




I don't know what a resonable goal for you would be.  I mean are you looking to just get stronger?  To compete and have fun?  To compete and go onto bigger and better things...ie nationals, worlds, olympics, etc..?  That is what you would need to ask yourself.

150lb power clean is good.  Working on technique is important.  Try to add in small increments and work your way up.  One way to do it might be to to go up 5-10lbs each week and then the next week drop 5lbs under your best and go for sets...Something like this:

wk1
power clean- 150/1, 155/1, 160/1, 155/1

wk2
155/4 sets x 1

wk3
155/1, 160/1, 165/1, 160/1

wk4
160/4x1

etc....

I haven't cleaned heavy in about 4 weeks.  I power cleaned 225 though at the begining of the summer.  When I went away to the camp, I was doing more reps and conditioning so I will start cleaning heavier again in my next training cycle starting next week.


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## Bakerboy (Jul 27, 2006)

^ Thanks P and welcome back.  I guess my main goal right now is upping the weight a bit just to see how it feels. I have only been cleaning for 2 months (when you helped me set up a program) so I don't really know shit about what I am doing but I am enjoying myself. Most of my reseach has been reading what I can on the subject (olympic forum sites and watching video clips) What you suggested to do seems like a good plan of attack, I'll start with that.


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## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 27, 2006)

kenwood said:
			
		

> you want an olympic routine? here you go have fun w/it
> 
> 
> 
> ...




are you ok?

you just wasted like an hour on posting a whole explosive routine that i never asked for and then u keep telling me that ur kidding.  
Thanks i guess.


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## kenwood (Jul 27, 2006)

GoLdeN M 07 said:
			
		

> are you ok?
> 
> you just wasted like an hour on posting a whole explosive routine that i never asked for and then u keep telling me that ur kidding.
> Thanks i guess.


thats a routine P-funk made for me along time ago. i saved it onto my computer. it didnt take that much time to put it, only 10sec. with copy and paste lol


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## GoLdeN M 07 (Jul 27, 2006)

kenwood said:
			
		

> thats a routine P-funk made for me along time ago. i saved it onto my computer. it didnt take that much time to put it, only 10sec. with copy and paste lol



o alright


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## kenwood (Jul 27, 2006)

yepp


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## 5abi (Jul 28, 2006)

so i should not do power cleans if i want to add mass to my shoulders?

also i train back on thursdays and shouldrs friday, and i love power cleans, and it has over all improved the way i look.

please comment.


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## P-funk (Jul 28, 2006)

train the power cleans on lower body days.  they are a lower body lift.


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