Impressive power cleans Coop!

I had a push comp in Holland on the weekend and me and my pilot won the junior catagory and came second overall, it was really nice to get my first international gold and it also gives me confidence going into GB testing and potentially the new season.

I also did a bit of training over in Holland and picked up a few new techniques and training methods which I implemented today. One of the key things I picked up was how little I use my glutes. That is changing now.

1.A Jump Squats

Barx5
20kgx5
30kgx5
40kgx5
50kgx5

Amazing how much more force and height I got when I just thought about firing the glutes.

2.A Low Hang Power Cleans (Voorslaan)

50kgx8
60kgx5
70kgx5
80kgx3
90kgx3
100kgx2
107.5kgx1
110kgx1
120kgx1

Technique needs a bit of work to get the feel right but I am really pleased that I got up to 120kg in the first session. In the video that will follow this post you can see that it is more sport functional as it brings in a eccentric load and stretch reflex into the lift. Also the way you don't have to reset allows a quicker turn over between reps.

3.A Narrow Stance Squats

70kgx5
100kgx2
130kgx1
160kgx1

Felt really good using the glutes, a lot more power.

Really pleased with todays session, feeling very fired up for trials this weekend and I am happy about the potential force I have unlocked by firing my glutes and working on the low hang power cleans.

You should consider bench squats to activate the glutes too! Not too heavy as you will want to get some speed going but not so light you donlt have to work.

I'd be thinking of a bench where you're slightly above parallel - you have to kbe able to keep your body fairly upright through the whole movement - If you sit back too much it don't work right.

Some people I know advocate these as a much better exercise that power cleans.

Hmmm sounds interesting, I may look at putting them in for my next cycle after trials.

Here is the video of the low hang power cleans, which I will be calling voorslaans from now on as that is the dutch word for power clean lol.



I need to extend more with both my hips and shrug with the shoulders, but with changing to a new style my mind wasnt able to focus on all things together.

Coop_de_Ville wrote:Hmmm sounds interesting, I may look at putting them in for my next cycle after trials.

Here is the video of the low hang power cleans, which I will be calling voorslaans from now on as that is the dutch word for power clean lol.



I need to extend more with both my hips and shrug with the shoulders, but with changing to a new style my mind wasnt able to focus on all things together.

It's because of the technical difficulties with getting a power clean right + questionability over whether even if you do get it right, it activates the right muscles for sprinting that some don't advocate power cleans!

EDIT/Add: So bench squats and standing jumps instead for example - Much less techniques required - A question to ask is Why should you be wasting effort trying to perfect power clean technique when what you really want is 'pushing a sled' technique! - the two aren't the same.

PS - I do like power cleans though - It's so damn satisfying

I can see your point Ader. It would make sense to target the muscles required in an almost technique free manner.
One thing I do like about the power cleans is that you can never lift them slow, it is either a fast lift or it isn't a lift at all. Where as speed deadlifts or other variations you can risk going heavier than you should and not lifting explosively even if you don't realise it.

Coop_de_Ville wrote:I can see your point Ader. It would make sense to target the muscles required in an almost technique free manner.
One thing I do like about the power cleans is that you can never lift them slow, it is either a fast lift or it isn't a lift at all. Where as speed deadlifts or other variations you can risk going heavier than you should and not lifting explosively even if you don't realise it.

Yes you are right there is no way you can do a 'slow' power clean

Of course the guys I mentioned who are training a rugby team are there coaching them so make sure they do their bench squats explosively - If you haven;t got that 'facility' it is, as you say, easy to go too heavy and too slow - Although it ocurs going heavy and slightly slower sometimes may not be a bad thing either- Mix it up and vary it or maybe periodize have strength (bench squat type stuff) orientated phases followed by a power phase (So maybe power cleans or very fast bench squatst) and then finally a speed phase (plyometrics standing jumps and sprints etc)

Back from trials and it was a huge frustration. I pushed a 3.73 which is a 600th decrease from my push in July. I can only put the blame on my build up to the trials as I did a 1RM session 10 days before followed by 2 days of max pushing in Holland the weekend prior (also including a lifting session in which I failed a power clean on 120kg due to fatigue). I then in the days building up did a big sprint session and also a big lifting session which i worked up to a 1RM of a new power clean technique.

My legs were still sore on the night before pushing.

Does everyone think that this is a stupid build up and it was this that caused my poor performance?

I have trials in Latvia next weekend, what do you think the best strategy is now? A lot of people have suggested to take the whole week off and rest, do you guys think that this will see me back to good form after a few days of supercompensation?

Yes, I think the heavy work, failed rep and soreness will have been a big factor in your performance.

Take a few days off. Then do some low volume explosive work. You know, 2-3 sets of 3 reps of 80kg power cleans. Do a few other things with low volume and 60-70% 1RM weight just to keep you in the zone. So yeah, easy stuff. Go for a few walks in the fresh air too. Some light swimming. Maybe a sauna. Get a massage.

Yeh, so almost treat the last 2 weeks as over-reaching and taper properly now for the weekend? Do you think that would see an improvement? Or is there enough time for a good taper?

Going on what you have said you've done in the past 2 weeks. Plus the all out effort of the trials, I think you just need to maintain strength (a few shortish workouts with lowish volume with some explosive work, 1 working set of squats, a few chins & pressups/presses etc, you get the idea) and let your body recover from the previous over-exertions and get back up to 100% CDV

I think you'll be fine and will get back to where you had hoped you'd be by doing this.

Looking at my training I can see my volume and intensity are both really high! So I must have/am in a state of over-reaching and muscular fatigue. However I am feeling fresher each day! I have decided not to do any lifting/running this week as I feel this would affect my recovery.
I will however do a 5x1 or box jumps when I get to Latvia on Friday to fire up the nervous system. I plan to have about 3 mins rest in-between each jump lol.

There you go

Maybe try 50-70% of working weight (when done for 3-5 reps) of 1-Arm DB snatches &/or 1-Arm DB Clean & Press. Make every rep explosive. Only do 1-5 reps and max of 3 sets (after warm-up). That'll help recovery imo.

Not disputing it Scott but can you just explain how it helps?

No, that's ok.

Have a look at this video from Christian Thibaudeau: Activation Training

That explains it very well. I didn't get it from there btw it's just a watched the video yesterday and thought it very relevant for you.

That was a useful watch. Cheers

Just wondering if I have trials on Saturday and I feel recovered today would it be worth doing a session like he did on the vid or would it be too close to allow for full recovery. Or is there not really that much recovery needed?

I personally would do something similar to what he did. Just be honest to yourself with weights and do a true 50-70% of what you'd normally do for the rep range. By keeping the reps explosive and fast and with minimal eccentric phase you'll not damage muscle fibres and so muscular recovery is a non-issue. Like he says, he will neurological recovery.

After a warm-up the session can be just 10-20mins.

Then have Friday off and I bet you'll be firing on all cylinders this time

Coop De Ville live from New York!

I am in New York now on a bit of a holiday to see my cousin who lives over here, so getting some good sessions in too!

My trials didn't go to plan as I picked up a stomach bug whilst in Latvia and was vomiting through the trials. However not to worry I will be told what team I am on soon due to the time I pushed in July being one of the best times pushed this year still!

Session 1.

Aim of this cycle is to regain the strength and power I have lost over the last 3-4 weeks of over-training and also gain some glute and hammy strength in order to get extra from my legs.

1.A Low Hang Power Clean

60kgx5
70kgx5
80kgx5x3
82.5kgx3x2
85kgx3

2.A Squats

60kgx5
100kgx5

120kgx5
125kgx5
130kgx5

130kgx3
135kgx3
140kgx3

3.A Bench Press

60kgx8
70kgx8
80kgx8
80kgx5
80kgx3

4.A Glute Ham Raise

BWx8
BWx8+10kgx2
BWx8+15kgx2

5.A Squat Jerk

40kgx5
50kgx5

6.A Leg Curl

4 sets of 8 on what was a good feeling weight

7.A Pull Ups

BWx5x3

Good session, feeling quite weak compared to what I was a month ago, especially on the high rep sets. This is expected as I haven't trained these in over a month. I expect my strength to get back to where it was in about 3 weeks.
This shows me that the way I need to taper is to lower the volume but not necessarily the rep range as I feel if I don't train the 5-8 rep range I lose the benefits of it very very quickly which has a bad effect on my push times.

Still in the states, now in Connecticut but have got a pass for a really good gym with olly platforms.

Todays Session

1.A Low Hang Power Clean

60kgx5
87.5kgx5
97.5kgx5
100kgx4+1

I think I tried to move up too quickly today from my last session, I need to keep the emphasis of these lifts powerful and quick. I really shouldn't be slogging them out like I was today. Next session I will drop them back down by about 2.5kg to keep it powerful/quick.

2.A Squat

60kgx5
100kgx5
130kgx2
142.5kgx5
147.5kgx5
157.5kgx3

These felt good, I am using a proper hip drive from the bottom of the lift and fully extending at the top, so I am using my glutes properly.

3.A Close Grip Bench

77.5kgx8
82.5kgx5
87.5kgx5x2

4.A Glute Bridges (From Bench)

60kgx5
80kgx5
100kgx5
110kgx5
120kgx5

5.A Pull Ups

BWx5x3

Fun sessions, noticing more glute and ham development. Hopefully this should translate to performance.

Whats poppin coopo! Hard look with the stomach bug

You up for some sled training when you get back? I found a decent looking one for 100 quid if you wana go halfs?

Glute ham raises should be useful..not so sure about leg curls meself.

I know was gutted but thats how it goes sometimes. Getting my strength back and as always you learn a lot from things which helps put your training on the right track.
That key thing in my opinion is that everything we do must be resisted training with maybe a minority of stuff being unresisted for speed work. So pretty much everytime we are at the track it is sled pulls or pushing on the lurker.

Yeh I would be mega keen to get a sledzo! Lets order it pronto!

Hows uni?


Haha I know I only have done the one session with them in, thought I would give them a try but have since found out that the daddy of all glute/ham exercises is the hip bridge! I know we kind of both knew that already but its good to reaffirm it.

That sounds like my kinda training. I was thinking if we got a proper sled, not a 'hybrid', they would let us use it down the track. That would be ideal as we could do sled work and some unweighted sprints in the same session.

Uni is okay. U've not missed that much, bits on bobs you need fillin in on like. The don is my project supervisor.

Did you do them leaning on a bench/step? makes them even better!

Yeh I have been doing it here by loading up a shopping trolley with weights and pushing it up a hill.

I am not sure what their stance would be, as we know there is only one guy who is an arse about it all.
Is the sled you are talking about a pulling sled?

Ah okay thats cool.

Yeh I have done them with my shoulders on a bench and I am actively using my glutes this time! Makes a difference!

yeah, its a proper pulling sled. http://www.fitness-superstore.co.uk/oth ... 568_p.html

the good thing about it, unlike the lurker, it looks alot more transportable.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Precision-Speed ... 145&sr=8-4

also found this super cheap sled. dont know whether it's too cheap though, might crumble with any kind of weight on it.

They both look good, the top one looks like a beast and probably could be used in different places e.g up hill.

1.A Low Hang Power Clean

60kgx5
80kgx5
85kgx5
90kgx5
95kgx5
100kgx3

Felt better keeping the weight around 2.5kg lower than last week, technique was better

2.A Squats

60kgx5
100kgx5
130kgx1
142.5kgx5
150kgx5
160kgx3

It is amazing how using the glutes makes this such a different and more beneficial exercise.

3.A Bench Press (CG)

77.5kgx8
85kgx8
90kgx5

4.A Weighted Glute Bridge (From Bench)

100kgx8
110kgx8
125kgx5
130kgx5

5.A Pull Ups

BWx5x3

Good session, very happy with glute dev