Since Explosive Strength is the ability to use the muscles and CNS to achieve maximum force as quickly as possible after an intense muscular stretch, when doing Cleans from a hang position would it be more benificial to dip prior to the movement? Since the strong stretch builds Kinetic energy more weight is able to be used.
In the past I have always done my hang cleans from a dead stop since we have to come out of the blocks from a dead stop. Now that I think about it though the Long Jump isnt from a dead stop and that is also one of my best events. Also testing the vertical jump is done with a dip. So in a way I was trying to develope starting strength by doing the hang clean from a dead stop. But now I after read some things I am wondering am I being too sport specific by doing that or do does it depend on what you would like to accomplish on that particular day?
Ok… So how would you structure this with different athletes you train?
What would the goal be with each type and how would this apply to what you are trying to accomplish?
When I do lifts from the hang in my OL sessions, I start at just above knee height from a dead stop, and focus on extending the hips. The knee rebend then just happens, so there is an ssc in there. I want to start from the same position every time as I am learning technique and want my body to be in the right position because I compete in OLs.
You can do it with a slight dip, I’ve seen videos of elite lifters doing it that way. Can’t tell you if it’s going to make much difference either way.
you could do your hang cleans with a dip, and do your squats with a pause or dead stop. Alternatly you could do a three rep set where you do one from the floor, one from the hang (dead stop) and one with a dip. That way when you are tiring on your third rep you can use the extra kinetic energy from the dip to get your rep. just a thought
When you refer to hangcleans do u mean off of stands or not cause that makes a difference as well. When doing them off the platform the explosiveness gives an extremly high CNS reponse already there is very little or no need to do a partial drop. Unlike a hanging snatch with minor dip.
You must evaluate the athlete or athletes. Are you trying to improve starting strength (the amount of initial force exerted), explosive strength (the rate of force development), or reactive elastic strength (any movement in which there is a rapid eccentric contraction followed by a concentric contraction). Ask yourself these questions about your athletes and incorporate the appropriate stimulus.
My impression is that this is a GPP vs. SPP type of issue. In GPP, you might want to do what best helps build overall strength, which might mean a dip. But as you get into SPP and getting ready to sprint at speed, you want to be more event specific, which means a dead stop, like using blocks: Doing a dip as you’re getting ready to sprint is maybe a little like practicing backing into blocks (so you end up pulling instead of pushing), which is something you do NOT want to practice.