I love this t-shirt. I might even get one. Christmas is coming. Hint!
I like doing cleans even though I still feel like a beginner at this move and maybe I always will.
What’s the clean anyway? It’s half of the clean and jerk. Okay so what’s the clean and jerk?
“The clean and jerk is a lift that is a composite of two weightlifting movements: the clean and the jerk. The clean portion consists of the lifter moving a weighted barbell from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles. The jerk portion involves lifting the weight above the head until the arms are straight and the bar is stationary.Several variants of the clean and jerk exist, with the most common being the Olympic clean and jerk. The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events, the other being the snatch.”
The women’s world record for the Clean and Jerk in the 75kg+ category, is 190.0 kilograms (418.9 lb) as of the 2013. To give you some perspective the most I’ve managed is 44 kg though I like to think I’m limited by timing and execution rather than strength. Truth be told, it’s likely a bit of both. But I’m working on it, getting better, getting stronger, slowly but surely.
Why learn to clean? Functional strength is the main answer. It’s like the deadlift that way.
“A lifter pulls a weight from the floor, heaves it into the air for a split second, squats beneath it with lightning-fast precision and catches it at shoulder level. The power clean is an impressive sight, but unless you belong to a gym specializing in Olympic weightlifting, it’s a rare one. And that’s too bad, because it’s one of the most functional strength-training movements you can do.“Power cleans build not just strength, but full-body power — the ability to move weight quickly,” says Mike Robertson, MS, co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training. That’s essential for athletes’ need to achieve more speed. But anyone can benefit. As Olympic weightlifting coach Mike Burgener puts it, “Anytime you lift something from the floor to your shoulders — whether it’s a barbell, a toolbox or a toddler — you’re doing a version of the power clean.””
From Learn to power clean
