How low on the Clean

[JMike]

Having watched Crossfit's video as well as a few online I'm a little unsure as to how low I should be going on the clean. Should I be hams to calves as in this crossfit video (here)? Or almost standing as in various others such as this one?

Perhaps I'm getting confused with cleans/power cleans?

Mike

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by JMike

Perhaps I'm getting confused with cleans/power cleans?

Hi, Mike!

I think you nailed it. cleans (in crossfit, anytime they say clean you are to defer to squat clean) which is what you are seeing in the first video, catching as low as you can go. The second video is a power clean (where the guy catches it in more of a semi or half squat).

Squat cleans are popular because you can clean more weight since you dont have to create as much momentum on the barbell before you get under it. If you can squat low you can esentially just get the barbell high enough to pull yourself underneath.

Personally I find squat cleans tougher, as they really fry my legs. I hope this answers your question. If you curious for crossfit workouts only then anytime it says clean, do a squat clean and they will note if you should do a power clean instead. Hope that helps!

[Eric_B]

When I'm doing clean and presses in a workout, I usually stick with power cleans with minimal squattage. It lets me save my legs a little bit for the presses.

But if I'm just working on cleans without presses, then I'll make them squat cleans.

Works for me.

[CF-OC_gal]

I do cleans as part of CF workouts. I agree with the explanation that Gymgirl gave, but that's not to say that you can't modify what you do with it for your own training purpose.

At the moment in CF we are sticking to moderate loads and hang cleans (starting with the bar above the knee) because the trainer wants us to perfect our technique of popping the the hips and whipping under the bar. If you do it right the bar will be high enough that it doesn't require a low squat.

However on the snatch and the jerk we are expected to go low.

Going low is the only way to take advantage of the your squatting strength to finish the lift when the weight gets heavy.

[JMike]

Thanks guys perfect replies A+'s all round