“It is a vicious extension against the ground.” If you remember nothing else about cleans, ingrain this into your heads. This vicious extension against the ground creates momentum on the barbell, which allows you to get under it in a good quarter squat position and stand. Coach B makes this his mantra when coaching any olympic lift.

Oly lifters have harnessed such an amazing amount of explosivity that they are known to be faster off the blocks than sprinters. That’s because they’ve learned how to use their hips to viciously extend and, in the same fraction of a second, get their bodies under the weight to receive it.

While we know the clean has a multitude of different components (hook grip, stance, breathing, elbows, etc), the key to successfully getting that barbell from the floor to the racked position is in full hip extension. Sometimes people are in a hurry to reverse their hip direction to get under the bar faster. Take a look at this photo and see the full extension achieved by the lifter. Notice that his heels are off the ground, but it’s not a result of him standing on his tippy toes like a ballerina. He is driving up through his heels with such force that it momentarily lifts his heels up.

courtesy of Mike's Gym

WOD 02.23.10

Power Clean 5×3
c/o 4rds:
10 KTE
15 Wall Balls
100m Farmer’s Walk

Skill Work: Handstands