Cleans are simultaneously one of the most effective and dangerous weight lifting exercises out there. However, they are not dangerous due to the movements involved, but rather because of the inexperience and proper form of beginners who attempt them. Therefore, if you are just starting out and want to learn how to do cleans properly, this article is a good place to start.
A clean (also known as a clean and jerk) is a full-body weightlifting exercise that incorporates three movements. Cleans are an excellent exercise to help improve overall strength and explosiveness in athletes. This exercise works the thighs, glutes, and shoulders if done properly.
The first phase of the clean is called the jerk. This is probably the phase in which injury is most likely to occur if not performed with correct form. Before we go any further, do yourself a favor and practice these movements without weight. Use something light like a broom handle or a light barbell bar so that your body can get used to the movements and you can fine-tune them before adding weight to the bar. Now, grasp the bar in a medium grip with your palms facing your body. A medium grip is slightly wider than shoulder width. Now, spread your feet slightly wider than shoulder width as well, and angle your toes outward a bit. Putting your feet in this position will help to distribute weight properly, and the trick is used in many leg exercises, especially squats. Now, bend down so that the bar moves over your knees and is hovering a few inches above the ground. If there were weights on the bar, then they would be in contact with the floor. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor, and your butt should be sticking out.
The position of your back during the jerk phase is something that you need to get right. What you want to avoid is curving your back over, as if you were hunching over the bar. If your back is in this position, then the stress of the lift will be placed not on the thighs where we want it, but on the lower back and spine. Since cleans require explosive movement, you are asking for a one-way ticket to permanent back pain if you arch your back over before starting the movement. So, to avoid that, you need to arch the back in the opposite direction. Think of it as exaggerating sitting up straight if someone chides you for hunching in your chair. Your butt should stick out slightly, and your spine should curve inward toward your abdominals. The shoulders should be back and your chin up. I find that if you look at the ceiling, it will help to bring your back into proper alignment.
Now that you’re in the position for the jerk, you’re set to begin it. If is important to remember that the jerk phase is something you should be using your legs for, and your legs only. Your thighs are the most powerful muscle in you body and will be bearing the brunt of the weight. So, when you are in position with your knees bent and back properly arched inwards in a neutral state, drive upwards with your legs, straightening them. You want to actually leap slightly off the ground as the weight comes upward. Do NOT use your arms in any way other than to guide the weight upward. If you use your arms in any way to lift the barbell, then you will start to arch your back forward (not good). The barbell should reach about chest level, which brings us to the next phase in the clean.
The second phase in the clean is called the catch. Now that you have propelled the barbell upward, you need to do something with it or else the weight will knock you over or pull you down. To prevent that, we need to catch the weight and cradle it properly. As the barbell is moving upwards toward your chest, you want to bend your arms with that upward movement. Bend them so that your elbows move outward away from your body, as if you were trying to deflect something from your face with them. Your elbows should jut out straight in front of you, and the top portion of your arms (the bicep part) should be parallel to the ground with your palms facing upward. The bar should come to rest across your shoulders as you support it with your palms, forming a kind of cradle. Now that you’ve got the proper arm position, you still need to deal with gravity and the force of the weight coming downward after it reaches its peak. Once again, we accomplish this with the legs. As the weight starts to move down, compensate by bending your knees to absorb the force. Think of jumping from a height and bending your knees to absorb the impact. This works on the same principle. Just remember to keep your back in that neutral position when you come down as well.
Now comes the final phase. By now you are absorbing the downward movement of the weight with your legs as you are cradling the bar across your chest. You don’t want to stop completely at the end of the catch. If you do so, then you will have trouble balancing yourself in a crouching position and the weight will most likely topple you over. Instead, when you find that your thighs are about parallel with the ground, reverse your momentum and drive upward with the legs, akin to what you did with the jerk phase. As you drive upward, begin to straighten your arms. Eventually you want to have your arms locked, holding the weight up over your head at the end of the movement. Again, make sure that your back remains in the correct position through all of this so that you are working only the legs and the arms.
Now that you’re at the top of the clean, give yourself a mental pat on the back. But now you face another challenge: getting the weight back to the ground. You can’t drop it because it’s now about seven feet in the air, and you can’t hunch over to put it down because that would kill your back. So, the best option available is to simply do a kind of reverse of the movements you just performed. That means, slowly lower the bar so that it rests across your shoulders again with your elbows out. Then, bend your knees as your flick your palms over and lower the weight past your knees to the floor. It is especially important to keep your back neutral during this last part. Even though your are not driving with your muscles, improperly guiding the bar back to the ground can put near-equal strain on the back.
There you have the clean. Remember to practice these phases and movements thoroughly with a lightweight bar or broom handle so that you are sure of yourself before tackling weight. Even then, start out with a very low weight. You might not impress anybody right off the bat by using five pound weights on each side, but your back will be thanking you for it. Just be patient, and soon you’ll be doing cleans in no time.
