Steel Notes Magazine August 2014 | Page 28

In just about every sport ( e . g . baseball , soft — ball , golf , tennis , football , etc ), hip strength and explosive power are keys to performance . Watch a major league player swing the bat : he “ unwinds ” from his feet to his hips to his shoulders — with his hips supplying most of the power . So , what ’ s the best way to develop both speed and strength ?

First , some history : practically every football coach has advised their players to do Power Cleans to help them develop speed and strength . The trouble is that most coaches have not mastered the fundamentals of this complicated lift , and this lack of knowledge translates into improper technique that fails to build power and speed and , quite often , leads to injury .

I ’ m going to show you a great way to safely build that power and speed — a way which has been proven to bring exceptional results . Before we continue , a couple of important technical points : first , the explosive power generated in the power clean occurs when the bar passes the knees . Second , this power is at its apex when the bar reaches the bottom of the lifter ’ s belt . That ’ s it . The rest of the lift is merely the momentum of the bar reaching the lifter ’ s shoulders , called the “ clean .” This means that the “ clean ” part of the power clean is unnecessary when the objective is building power and speed . All you have to do is master the pull . Also , the “ clean ” potion is generally where the trouble starts : lifters tend to pull with their arms before the bar reaches their belt . This causes the back to hunch over , which slows the lift down , leads to a poor “ receiving ” position , and can injure the lifter . So , we are going to focus on the pull only . When you hear an audible “ click ” as the weight hit ’ s the belt , you ’ ll know you ’ re doing it right ! By the way , my training partner hardly ever did power cleans , and yet he clean and jerked 457 pounds ! How ? He mastered the clean pull — and you will too !

Before you begin , set the power rack up so that the bar is at knee height at the start of the lift . Next ,

Barbell Buzz by Tim Caso

Building Speed and Strength

you ’ ll need straps to help you maintain your grip on the bar . One last note to keep in mind : this lift is a very technical one , so have patience as it is the most difficult part of the Olympic lifts to master . Once you get it , you ’ ll be amazed at how this builds speed and strength !

The Start

Place the bar on the blocks and get your knees right up to the bar . Your legs should be straight at about shoulder — width apart , and your toes should be underneath the bar . As you lean over , point your knees in the direction of your toes . Do not allow the bar to roll out and away from you . This is imperative ! Grab the bar , placing your hands a little wider than shoulder — width , and lower your hips until your shoulders are slightly ahead of the bar . This is the starting position .

The Pull

Now that you are in the proper position , you are ready for the pull part of the lift . Steadily push upward with your legs , keeping your back tight and at roughly the same angle as your starting position . Do not jerk the bar from the blocks as it will throw off your positioning and cause your back to bend forward ( called breaking ). When the bar reaches mid — thigh , shift your weight to your toes while keeping your shoulders up . Do not allow your shoulders to fade backwards , which is a natural tendency . The bar should come in contact with your upper thighs , very close to your hips . The next move is easy : just jump straight up . Straighten your legs and shrug your shoulders , and keep those arms straight ! The bar should hit the bottom of your belt if you ’ re doing it right . The audible click that I mentioned before will be your sign that you ’ ve done the pull correctly . Now you ’ re developing both strength and speed !

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28 | Steel Notes Magazine steelnotesmagazine . com | July 2014