teaching power clean

[coach hale]

Dissertation
Roy Gentry
A comparison of two instructional methods of teaching the power clean weight training exercise to intercollegiate football players with novice power clean experience

“There is conflict between recognized Strength and Conditioning professionals and organizations regarding the most effective methods of teaching the power clean weight training exercise. The area of greatest conflict is related to the effectiveness of whether to specifically introduce and segmentally practice the Double Knee Bend technique or not.

Sixty collegiate football players with novice power clean experience were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a group in which the double knee bend technique was taught and practiced segmentally (DKB); (2) a group which was instructed in the same way as the DKB group except that the double knee bend was not specifically taught or practiced segmentally(NDKB), and (3) a control group (CG) which was exposed to an orientation session similar to the first two groups, but was not specifically instructed in the power clean technique.
Subjects in all three groups were video taped performing the power clean with a standardized weight both prior to and following a seven week training session. Each video taped trial was randomly assigned to an expert reviewer for qualitative analysis in a blind review. Reviewers rated the three upward movement phases as well as the total upward movement phase of the lift using a published check list and rated the performance from one to five with five being the best technique.
The result of the ANOVA and a Scheefe test showed that the two treatment groups both demonstrated significant improvement pre to post test in the power clean technique p<0.01. The control group did not significantly improve over the course of the same training period. In comparing the two treatment groups, the between groups analysis (DKB) and (NDKB) were not significantly different.

These results suggest that the double knee technique does not need to be specifically taught or segmentally practiced in order to improve power clean technique among college football players with novice power clean experience.”

Defining double knee bend: as bar passes the knees to begin the second pull, the hamstrings begin to contract strongly and violently causing not only an extension of the hip but also flexion of the knees often called the double knee bend technique

In my experiences trying to teach the double knee bend results in flawed technique often transference of weight to balls of feet occur too early causing a loss of upward momentum

The majority of successful olfiting coaches I have worked with or spoken to agree that the movement should occur naturally and trying to teach specifically doesn’t work for the most part.

Thanks
Coach hale
www.maxcondition.com

[GqArtguy]

I never teach or mention the double knee bend because its more confusing for others to think about when theres already enough to think about.

When I teach the lift, after they learn how to clean deadlifts, I work top=down and tell them to think about jumping. This jumping doesnt create the shrug but rather shrug to create a jump. This concenpt helps a lot with creating a brush and accelerating the bar.

[FortifiedIron]

Agree'd with the above, the DKB is something that will naturally occure in the movement, and does not need self teaching.

Kyle

[ryan122185]

If the correct positions are hit throughout the movement then the double knee bend will follow. I would say one of the harder things to teach is to keep the back angle the same until just below the knee.