Thread: Catching the Clean

In competition, if your elbows hit your knees the lift doesn't count.

Truth be told, you don't have to catch it elbows up, but if you can't it typically means you have a lack of flexibilty in your shoulders and possibly wrists.

Thanks Dale. So if I'm not concerned with cleaning competitively and can live with substandard wrist flexibility, than I should not worry about this issue at all (i.e. a low powerclean catch results in no additional injury considerations and same benefits to leg explosivness)?

I think elbows up is less dangerous, personally. It forces correct posture and strong support. I would honestly practice walkouts with moderately heavy weights with the real rack position to get the flexibility. It's worth it to me.

Originally Posted by Squaggleboggin

I think elbows up is less dangerous, personally. It forces correct posture and strong support. I would honestly practice walkouts with moderately heavy weights with the real rack position to get the flexibility. It's worth it to me.

I agree.

Wouldn't catching it elbows down put a lot of pressure on the forearms??

When I front squat, if my elbows drop a little I feel the weight bearing down on my wrists...reminding me to stay upright and keep my elbows up.

yes

Originally Posted by P-funk

I agree.

yes

man of few words today!!

no more of that!!, I want articles and paragraphs dammit....with words I have to google for cryin out loud.

If you are talking elbows pointed directly down, I would agree. If you are talking elbows at a 45 degree angle to the floor, I don't think it makes that much of a difference, although if you have a tight muscle and require it to contract explosively, you are asking for trouble. And I am not talking about your wrists.

Originally Posted by Dale Mabry

If you are talking elbows pointed directly down, I would agree. If you are talking elbows at a 45 degree angle to the floor, I don't think it makes that much of a difference, although if you have a tight muscle and require it to contract explosively, you are asking for trouble. And I am not talking about your wrists.

I am talking about elbows pointing down as I would suspect that is what the poster is refering to since you and I both know what most peoples "power cleans" look like when it comes to the catch.

I agree, 45 degrees isn't bad.

I usually tell people you need to end up somewhere between 7 and 9 o'clock with the elbows.

Originally Posted by P-funk

I usually tell people you need to end up somewhere between 7 and 9 o'clock with the elbows.

What if they are facing in the opposite direction?

Now that I'm used to it, I find catching a clean on my shoulders a lot more comfortable. I used to catch it with my elbow pointing straight down, and the proper grip is far less stressful on the wrists.