Hang Clean 1RMs in Relation to Weight Class

Expert Discussion Strength Training
1

For those of you whos training is rooted more heavily in OL’s, I am curious as to your knowledge of hang clean 1RMs specifically in relation to an athlete’s/weightlifter’s bodymass.

More Specifically, I would like to know if any of you have any knowledge as to what various lifters/throwers/athletes of different weight classes are capable of cleaning from the hang (power clean initiated from the hang position).

Your input is appreciated.

2

I have hang cleaned 140 kg for a few singles on a few occasions and have high hang power cleaned 130 kg for a triple I an a olympic weightlifter from Canada and I weigh about 91 kg.

Rob

3

Rob, thanks for your response. When you initiate the counter movement dip, just prior to the pull, how low will you dip the bar in relation to knee height [above or below]?

By high hang, I assume you mean that you either catch the bar in a position of very little knee flexion, or that you initiate the pull with little to no counter movement. Am I correct on either account?

4

I pull from mid thigh with no counter movement, I start in a static position with shoulders way over the bar.

Rob

5

James,

I hope all is wall.

I have read that Jud Logan(american hammer thrower) has used 160K in the hang clean just below the knee, and a 440 power clean. i believe he goes about 6-4 275lbs.

I have used 315lbs x 2 at a body weight of 195lbs. I hold the bar at my waist standing up straight, then do a counter movement all the way down to just above my knee and then pull pull pull.

6

from Hoffman Standards:

Wt.
132# 210 190 170
148# 230 210 190
165# 255 235 215
181# 275 255 235
198+ 290 270 250

I forget what the three breakdowns are, excellent, good, fair something like that.

7

Rob, thanks.

Frit, I hope all is well with you also.

Rob, and Frit, how much knee flexion do you allow yourselves to sink into when receiving the bar?

I have always viewed above 90 to be a power version and below 90 a squat version

8

Thanks, the Slav, (Zdravo Kako se, svoj Slovenski prijatelj) I think I got that right?

9

I catch the bar in a solid power position (above parallel) or if it is lower or near parallel I ride it down into a full clean.

10

i’ve got a vid of pyrros dimas, in training, slightly-above-quarter-squat power clean and jerking 374 at a bodyweight of 175-180. he also eighth-squat power cleaned 308 then dropped to a below-the-knee hang and quarter-squat power cleaned it.

11

Yeah you are right above 90 and you are power cleaning, dropping below is a squat clean. It all depends on my training time. if i am pressed for time i will do full squat cleans for the entire workout, as to also get some additional leg work in. But if i have time I will first clean with a high catch and as the weight gets heavier and heavier i will catch it lower and lower ending with full squat cleans, it may take me 8-10 sets. its a killer.

12

Frit, as you have progressed through the years with your performance of the OL’s, (clean variations to be specific) what would you identify to be a major contributor with respect to developing the clean and its variations?

In other words; can you attribute the development of your clean performance to any single factor of training in particular?

13

hijack

in the power clean, what is the technical term when the hips reach full extension (third pull?) and the bar is hit by the thighs (pressing it upward even more)?

is this important for a non-competitive lifter to learn?

i have very good power clean form except that the bar does not touch my thighs on the third pull (tho, i feel like i get full hip extension). how much am i missing out on because of this variance in form compared to the pros?

14

Great question,

I cant narrow it down to one thing thing that made my power clean progress. I feel it was a number of factors(let me know what you think)

  1. strength-skill: over the years from countless reps i became very proficient at the skill of the powerclean form, which leads into the next-
  2. Flexibility-strength: being able to rack the weight on my shoulders rather than catch with my hands and have alot of unwanted force on the wrists at higher poundages, thus i wasnt scared i was going to get hurt. (i think this is the hardest part for male athletes is obtaining that flexibility in the wrists for a proper rack). also having the flexability in the hips to drop under the bar when nessecary.
  3. The addition of special excercises: this is was probably the biggest factor out of them all. Once i learned that in order to get really strong in a lift you have to do more than the lift itself and work on the many types of strength that exist. Here I added lots of heavy high pulls, RDL’s, shrug pulls, glute ham raises. Ironically i first got the idea to train this way from Louie Simmons himself in an article he wrote about OL’s In an old issue of MILO. This was before westide was well known but i knew he was on to somthing. That article then led me to A system of Multi-year training in weightlifting by Medvedyev, in which he mentions 100 or so special excercises for weightlifters and then to Supertraining(as you know I am a huge fan of Siff LOL) which list about 200 different variation of lifts. To add to all of this was when i started to train this way advocated by simmons, my short sprint speed, vert and overall athletic abilty all seemes to improve, which has led me to my philosophy of training and how i set up the variations of programs for my athletes. Hope that helps.
15

Frit17 and others-

How many times a week do you have your good athletes perform OL? Sets, reps, variations of lifts, ex. power, hang?

16

Frit, great stuff.

Your response is precisely what I would have predicted.

As I stated in another post, I have started to perform pulls from the hang and cleans from the hang.

I am doing this as I recover from a sprained interspinous ligament around L5 downward over the sacrum.

This allows me to continue to get hip extension work in, albeit not as heavily loaded as DL’s, while concurrently providing a fairly high CNS stimulus. Most importantly, I am able to perform them without aggrivated my low back.

I am experiencing exactly what you have listed as the contributing factors towards developing your clean.

I, however, am coming from the opposite direction, as my assistance lifts (relative to the clean) are already strong (e.g., DL variations, GM’s, GHR’s, etc.). For me, as you would guess, the matter is perfecting the skill and, as you eluded to, developing my wrist flexibility.

The degree of muscle cross-section in my forearms (brachioradialis) is fairly significant. Hence, I am only able to flex my elbows so far. Accordingly, my wrists must compensate for my lack of elbow flexion by over extending in order to properly catch/rack the bar.

I don’t plan on converting to an Olifter, however, I am really enjoying the cleans and pulls.

My first benchmark is a 315 hang clean or 140kg if I end up getting some bumber plates.

After having worked on the technique for about a month now, I performed 8 easy singles with 205 catching the bar almost standing straight up. I am still a little reluctant to squat down to catch the bar, as this would involve more spinal flexion.

I actually think that I could hang clean 315 right now, however, I do not want to risk re-aggrivating my low back by catching the bar in a half squat position.

17

CONVERT JAMES CONVERT!!!

join the forces of OL jedis. and then change the views on sherdog ;).

18

Good discussion.
In my case it isn’t so much lack of wrist flexibility that inhibits my racking the bar as mid back tightness (which I am working on). Is that common?

This discsussion also leads on to an area I have been thinking about. What if a sprinter were to basically train almost solely as an Oly lifter?
I have read lately about a number who are finding 2 specific days pw is working better than 5 or 6 so that could give you 2 Oly days and then 1 ‘other’ day. I guess the issue is getting technique good enough to be able tio cut back. :rolleyes:

On the subject of technique, something else I have thought about is this theory about power versions only for athletes. The general consensus is don’t learn the full versions unless you intend competing, BUT, wouldn’t it be worthwhile spending the extra time learning them for flexibilty benefits?
Or am I just talking outta my ass? :eek:

19

If you were to only employ Olifts in the program than I would advise that you rotate the use of both the full and power versions. I say this because if you are not performing squats than you would benefit from recovering out of the deep squat position when performing the full squat clean/snatch. However, if you are squatting than I think that you would be alright by only utilizing the power versions.

20

I will not make the conversion, however, I am intent on developing a big clean just so I can say so.LOL

Based upon the strength of my assistance lifts I feel that I am capable of 180-200kg power clean once my low back is good to go. We’ll see.

You Jedis stay over on that end, and I will continue to lurk on the Dark Side.LOL