Topic: Going under the bar during clean

[Shaun Le Conte]

Hi Bridget

Have you seen a video of yourself lifting recently, especially when doing cleans? It might help to see how high you're pulling it, actually see it not just feel it, and once you see how easy it should be, how comical it is that you're not making the lift, it will give your mind the oomph it needs. Just an idea. It worked with me. No doubt you know how to do the lift when there is not a mental block in your way.

[Pete_Stewart]

From my observations throughout the years I have been lifting if someone predominantly trains with the power clean they often have some difficulty when the weight becomes heavy in being able to get under the bar.  The way our coach used to remedy this was by performing cleans from the floor for three reps.  The first rep you catch in the high power clean (HIGH), the second you pull so you catch with your thigh parallel to the floor (MEDIUM) and the third rep you pull to approx your hip so that you have to go under the bar in the full squat position (LOW).  Just ensure that with the medium and low reps you are not catching the bar higher and sinking into these positions but actually catching the bar at that position.  It helps your body/brain become more aware where the bar is and where your legs need to be in relation to the bar when receiving the bar therefore when you lift heavy weights and cannot get it to the same height you have power cleaned previous weights your body will be able to receive the bar in the lower position.

If you being doing these three reps at each weight you are more inclined to automatically go under the bar more comfortably when the weight is too heavy to power clean.