Topic: 3 questions

[Yaniv Bigo]

3 questions:

Hello everyone, it's a nice forum you have here :)

Here are my questions:

1. I know there're 2 ways to catch the bar on the clean: a. using its downward momntum to gain an upward momentum (like a spring) b. 'blocking' it, then go straight up with it.

which one do you prefer, and why so? any advantages / disadvantages to any of them? and do you think there's any logic beyhond my assumption that if I have some knee pain then I should prefer blocking the bar?

2. I'm a fairly novice olifter, been doing it only for 4 months. still, I'm not new to squatting, but leg strength is still my weakest link. maybe it has something to do with me height (195 cm, or 6'7 - If I'm not mistaken), but it seems like I have a hard time recovering from squats. my question is should I always grind them and ~do~ work close to failure (like 5x5 at 90% from rm1), or should I do them more in a springy / elastic way.

3. For the last 6 weeks I have pains in my inner elbow (medial epicndyle, to be exact), and it doesn't seem to get better (well, maybe just a little bit). I'm avoiding full snatches (doing only power snatches), not doing push presses, no jerks, only medium weight presses. I'm even having problems hanging on the chin-bar... and just to clarify my situatino better: If I'm doing supinated biceps curls I feel very strong pain, but when I'm doing them in mid-position it fades away almost immediately.

(I'm not doing any biceps curls, this is just to let you guys understand my problem better ;)

any help with any of these?

Best regards,
Yaniv

[Dustin Oranchuk]

first i prefer riding the bar down and using the spring to stand up, i think it is makes much more efficient use of the muscles and helps save energy for the jerk if used well. i also believe that "blocking" the bar (by blocking i believe you mean, like a super low power clean?) should cause MORE knee pain as its more of a blunt force on the joints.

as far as your squatting, i have a naturally strong back and was immediately able to power clean more then i could even front squat. so take your time and have patience.  DONT go heavy all the time, the muscles will develop faster then the tendons and ligaments this way and you will loose speed, elasticity and have a greater chance of injury.  Right now i almost always front and back squat 15-25kgs LESS then my best clean and jerk, and rarely have difficulty recovering in the clean if i have good timing and a straight back.  also if your 195cm in height, you may need to gain some body weight, but i have no idea how much you weigh eather.

as far as your injury, i cant help you to much, find a good massage therapist and see what he/she might say. Other then that, i would say to keep working in and it should get better.

Hope this helps

Dustin 

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

I completely agree with Dustin. I would just add on point two that it is always hard for tall and thin lifters to squat in the first few years. You just have to keep working, slowly fill out your frame, and it will come around. Especially when you start to thicken out your frame, it will get a lot easier.