The other day I was working on hang power cleans, trying to do 10 at 95# without putting the bar down. I’ve been at CFES for about 15 months, but I hadn’t really internalized very much about the Olympic lifting techniques.
After a few reps Justin said, from across the gym, “it would be easier if you used a hook grip!” So I started using a hook grip.
After I had been at it for a while, Justin stopped what he was doing and said it would be even easier if I got under the bar before I caught it on my shoulders. He said what I was doing was a “muscle clean”, and there wasn’t any such thing. So the point here is that I was doing it really badly. The link to the video (in the first paragraph) shows someone doing it the right way. And when I started doing it right, it was easier. Just get under the bar.
Justin and I talked briefly about being able to do 10 at 95# without dropping the bar and how much variance is allowed (in other words, how sloppy could I be and still get a rep). I mentioned that 95# is a large part of my body weight (about 2/3). He said that it was not the 95#, the age, or body weight that was the problem. It was form. Being sloppy is inefficient.
Today I went in to work out, and the WOD was 3 rounds of 10 box jumps, 20 kettlebell swings, 30 ball slams, and 40 walking lunges. I did not want to be there. I was really tired from the two previous workouts. Not only low energy, but really sore. It hurt just to get out of bed.
So I did the warm up (stretching, 24 pullups, 24 pushups, 24 squats). I kept looking at the board thinking, man this WOD is going to take forever.
But I did it. This was a partner WOD (my partner was PJ) and we decided to use 35# kb and a 20 inch box. PJ is quite a bit stronger then I am, but he was in the same situation: very sore. I did 3 rounds at: 4:19, 4:47, and 4:39. Total of 13:45. PJ did slightly better by about a minute. It was a tough workout. I am capable of a 53# kb swings, 24 inch box jumps. But this was not the day to focus on maximums.
During the ball slams I kept reminding myself to squat into the slam; during the kb swings I kept reminding myself to open the hips to drive the weight upward.
So I’d say it’s progress when I can actually monitor my own form.
Cheers.
