What is the proper grip for a power clean?

Term in the sport of weightlifting

The snatch is the first of two lifts contested in the sport of weightlifting (also known as Olympic weightlifting) followed by the clean and jerk. The objective of the snatch is to lift the barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion. There are four main styles of snatch used: snatch (or full snatch), split snatch, power snatch, and muscle snatch. The full lift is the most common style used in competition, while power snatches and muscle snatches are mostly used for training purposes, and split snatches are rarely used. Any of these lifts can be performed from the floor, from the hang position, or from blocks. In competition, only lifts from the floor are allowed.

In the snatch, the lifter lifts the bar as high as possible and pulls themselves under it in a squat position, receiving the bar overhead with the arms straight, decreasing the necessary height of the bar, therefore increasing the amount of weight that the lifter may successfully lift. The lifter finally straightens to a fully upright position with the bar above their head and arms fully extended.

In the split snatch, the lifter lifts the bar as high as possible and pulls themselves under the bar similar to the squat snatch but in the split snatch the lifter "splits" their legs, placing one foot in front of them and one behind, allowing themselves to receive the bar lower as in the squat snatch. The split snatch has become much less common but is occasionally performed by some lifters.

In the power snatch, the lifter lifts the barbell as high as possible and receives the bar overhead with only a slight bend in the knee and hip, increasing the height that the bar must be lifted and decreasing the amount of weight that may be successfully lifted.

In the muscle snatch, the lifter lifts the bar all the way overhead with arms locked out and the hip and knee fully extended.[1]

Technique

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While the snatch is commonly referred to in three phases, Arthur Drechsler identifies six distinct phases of the pull in the snatch.

First phase

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The lifter begins the first phase of the pull, or "Pre-lift off", with the feet placed approximately hip width apart, toes turned out slightly with the bar above the midfoot. The shins will be inclined toward the bar so that the shin is touching or close to the bar. Hips are placed so that the top of the thigh is approximately parallel to the ground but may also be slightly higher or lower depending on the lifter.[2] The lifter’s back should be straight, no excessive curvature or rounding in the lumbar spine, with slight extension of the thoracic spine and shoulders slightly pulled back.[2] The shoulders should be positioned so that they are directly over or slightly forward of the bar.[2] The bar is gripped with a very wide grip. The neck should be positioned in line with the torso or slightly more vertical. During the first pull, the lifter begins to exert force on the bar, separating the weight from the platform.[2]

Second phase

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The second phase of the pull, or "preliminary acceleration" begins with the weight separated from the floor. In the second phase, the lifter begins by extending the knee and moving the hip upward while maintaining a constant back angle relative to the floor.[2] During this phase, the lifter pulls the bar closer to their body and the center of gravity of the lifter shifts toward the heel.[2] During this phase, the lifter begins to accelerate the bar and towards the end of the phase, the torso begins to assume a more vertical position.

Third phase

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During the third phase, or "adjustment phase", the lifter begins to position their body appropriately for the final explosive pull. The knees typically perform a "double knee bend", where the knee bends from the previous extension of the knee during the second phase, and the torso continues to become more vertical.[2] During this phase, the lifter doesn't apply as great a force on the bar as in the previous phases.[2]

Fourth phase

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During the fourth phase of the pull, or "final acceleration" the lifter performs the final acceleration on the bar. This is executed by explosively extending the hip, knee, and ankles (or plantar-flexing). This is followed by an upward elevation of the shoulders (the "shrug"),[2] and simultaneously lifting the heels or the whole foot off the ground. The lifter’s torso will usually lean slightly backwards during this phase, and the bar is accelerated upward with a slightly arced trajectory.[2]

Fifth phase

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The fifth phase of the pull, or "unsupported squat phase", occurs when the lifter has fully extended their knees, hips, and ankle. The lifter bends their arms at the elbow, pulling themselves under the bar. Simultaneously they move their feet slightly apart into the squat position and begins to move downward into the squat position.[2]

Sixth phase

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The sixth phase, or supported squat under, occurs when the lifters feet have landed flatfooted on the platform and the lifter pulls themselves into a squat position. The lifter then receives the bar overhead with the arms completely straight. From this position, the lifter recovers by squatting the weight to a fully erect position while maintaining the bar position overhead.[2]

Application to other sports

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The snatch is also commonly used as a tool for training athletes in a variety of sports especially with athletes in sports where powerful full body movement is required such as throwing, sprinting, running, and jumping. The triple-extension in the snatch (simultaneous extension of the knee and hip, and plantar flexion at the ankle) mimics the movements previously mentioned while requiring the athlete to produce large amounts of power at high velocities. The snatch has an average velocity of 1.52–1.67 m/s.[3] This makes it a quality lift for training speed-strength in which the athlete aims to move a light weight (25–40% 1RM) at its fastest velocity (1.1–1.65 m/s)[3]

World records

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These are the official records in the new weight classes:[4]

Men

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Women

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Weight class Name Lift 45 kg World standard

0

85 kg (187 lb) 49 kg Hou Zhihui

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96 kg (212 lb) 55 kg Kang Hyong-yong 103 kg (227 lb) 59 kg Kim Il-gyong 111 kg (245 lb) 64 kg Deng Wei 117 kg (258 lb) 71 kg Angie Palacios 121 kg (267 lb) 76 kg Rim Jong-sim 124 kg (273 lb) 81 kg World standard 127 kg (280 lb) 87 kg World standard 132 kg (291 lb) 87+ kg Li Wenwen 148 kg (326 lb)

Variations

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• One-handed: The snatch can be performed with one hand. A dumbbell or kettlebell is most commonly used although a barbell can also be used. As a unilateral movement, the one-handed snatch can help to counteract asymmetrical muscle development that can occur when only bilateral movements are performed i.e. in a bilateral movement a stronger limb may perform an excessively large amount of the overall work, and the weaker limb an excessively small amount. By performing one-handed snatches alternately, each arm is performing the same amount of work and any excessive strength imbalance may be avoided or evened out in this manner.[5]

See also

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References

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The following is an exclusive excerpt from the book Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training-3rd Edition with Online Video, published by Human Kinetics. All text and images provided by Human Kinetics.

This exercise is similar to the power snatch but with two major differences:

1. The final bar position is at the shoulders, not over the head. 
2. The grip is approximately shoulder-width apart, whereas the snatch has a considerably wider grip. 

Because of the many commonalities, the description of the power clean technique is slightly abbreviated and emphasis is placed on the unique aspects of this exercise in comparison to the power snatch.

Starting Position

• Stand with the feet placed between hip- and shoulder-width apart with the toes pointed slightly outward so the knees track directly over the feet. 
• Squat down with the hips lower than the shoulders and grasp the bar evenly with a shoulder-width (or slightly wider), pronated grip. 
• Position the arms outside the knees with the elbows fully extended and pointed out to the sides. 
• Position the bar approximately 1 inch (3 cm) in front of the shins and over the balls of the feet. 
• Just before liftoff, observe the preparatory body position and lifting guidelines to place the body in the correct position to lift the bar off the floor. All repetitions begin from this position. 
• Exact positions of the torso, hips, knees, and bar are related to the lifter’s body segment length and lower body joint flexibility. An alternative exercise is the hang power clean, which begins with the bar just above the knees instead of on the floor. 

First Pull

• Begin the exercise by forcefully extending the hips and knees. Keep the torso angle constant in relation to the floor, do not let the hips rise before or faster than the shoulders, and keep the back neutral or slightly arched.
• Maintain full elbow extension, with the head in line with the spine, and the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar. 
• Keep the bar as close to the shins as possible. The dumbbell should slide up the thigh, or remain very close to the thigh, as it accelerates upward. 

Transition

• As the bar rises to just above the knees, thrust the hips forward and slightly flex the knees to move the thighs against, and the knees under, the bar. 
• As the knees flex, shift the body’s weight forward toward the middle of the feet, keeping the heels on the floor. 
• Maintain a neutral or slightly arched back, with the elbows fully extended and pointed out to the sides, the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar, and the head in line with the spine. 
• At the finish of the transition, the body is in position for the second pull (power phase). 

Second Pull (Power Phase)

• From this position with the bar on the thighs between the knees and middle of the thighs, start the second pull by forcefully and quickly extending the hips, knees, and ankles. 
• The bar should pass as close to the torso as possible. 
• Keep the shoulders over the bar and the elbows extended as long as possible while the hips, knees, and ankles are extending. 
• As the lower body joints fully extend, rapidly shrug the shoulders. 
• The elbows should be kept extended and pointed out to the sides during the shrugging movement. 
• As the shoulders reach their highest elevation, flex the elbows to begin pulling the body under the bar. 
• Continue to pull with the arms as high and as long as possible with the elbows moving up and out to the sides. 
• The upward momentum from the triple extension will result in an erect or slightly hyperextended torso and head, and the feet may come off the floor. 

Catch

The catch phase of the power clean ends with the bar on the anterior deltoids and clavicles, similar to the arm and bar position of the front squat exercise.

• As the second pull ends with the bar at maximal height, pull the body under the bar by rotating the arms and hands around and then under the bar and by flexing the hips and knees to approximately a quarter-squat position. 
• The feet will regain contact with the floor in a slightly wider stance in comparison to the starting position. 
• The bar should be caught at the anterior deltoids and clavicles with the 
  • head facing forward,   
  • neck neutral or slightly hyperextended, 
  • wrists hyperextended, 
  • elbows fully flexed, 
  • upper arms parallel to the floor, 
  • back neutral or slightly arched, 
  • feet flat on the floor, and 
  • body’s weight over the middle of the feet.
   
• The bar should be caught with the torso almost fully erect and the shoulders slightly ahead of the buttocks. This position, which parallels the body position during the beginning of the downward movement of the front squat, allows the bar to be directly over the center of gravity. 
• If the torso is too erect, the momentum of the bar will push the shoulders backward and hyperextend the low back, resulting in an increased risk of injury. 
• After gaining control and balance, stand up to a fully erect position. 

 

Downward Movement

• At the completion of the repetition, rotate the arms back around the bar to unrack it from the anterior deltoids and clavicles, and slowly lower the bar down to the thighs. Slightly flex the hips and knees to cushion the impact of the bar on the thighs. 
• Slowly flex the hips and knees at the same rate (to keep an erect torso position) to return the bar to the floor in a controlled manner. 
• Reposition the bar and the body for the next repetition. 

Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training, Third Edition with Online Video, explains 70 resistance training exercises with step-by-step instructions, photos, and online video demonstrations. The book is available in bookstores everywhere, as well as online at the NSCA Store.