A slight change in my routine. Your input

[monsoon]

Why the high pulls? Correct me if I'm wrong, but highpulls are, essentially, the same as an upright row with a wider(clean) grip, si?

the high pull is explosive, from the floor, you fininsh on your toes. essentially a clean but you don't drop under the bar.

 

[Primo Max]

the high pull is explosive, from the floor, you fininsh on your toes. essentially a clean but you don't drop under the bar.

I thought a high pull was basically a cheat upright row with a snatch or clean grip. I didn't think it was supposed to start from the floor, but rather from a slightly bent over at the hips position, similar to doing a hang clean or clean off of blocks.

 

[monsoon]

perhaps I'm wrong, but that is how i do them, hopefully freddy or gavin can clear this up for us.

 

[Grizzly]

There might be several versions, like the clean/hang clean. Maybe there's full high pull and hang high pull.

 

[Phreezer]

I think somewhere you got off with regards to active recovery.. The point of active recovery is to flood the worked area with blood (essentialy getting a pump) without truly taxing the worked muscle... When you engorge a muscle with blood that has been recently worked it will help move away all the waste that has built up...yada yada yada (training 101 stuff) So what you need to keep in mind is Active Recovery is not a Training session, you do not load up a few plates and go to work.. you do simple and light movements (with sleds, bands, etc) to get a good pump going....Because if you're doing active recovery you've already hit the particular muscle group that you're working within the last 24hrs.

I thought that maybe you were deadlifting sumo style and that is why you were little weaker with your explosivness and initial burst from the floor. I think Pulling from the floor is pulling from the floor whether it be a clean or a DL and if you are weak from the floor on your deadlift..you'll be weak on the floor from your clean.... bascially here's how it works with sticking points when deadlifting, there are pretty much two basic sticking points, One is from the floor to the knee, and the other is from the knee to the top (lockout). People who Deadlift traditional style are better off of the floor (more explosive from the floor to the knee) but have greater difficulty locking out their pulls...they can utilize kinetic energy a bit more efficiently (stretch reflex)while guys who pull sumo will have more trouble getting the bar moving from the floor to the knee but because they are essentialy locked out when the begin the lift they have an easier time from the knee to the lockout. So guys who pull trad are a bit more explosive from the floor (However, I pull sumo myself) but are weaker at the top.

Here are the exercises..and pics of what I would add if I were looking to improve on cleans and snatches....

Pull Through..Hip flexers and glutes (hams to a lesser degree)

Instructions:

* Using a low pulley, stand facing away from the machine with the cable between your legs using a medium stance.

* Begin by letting the cable pull your torso through your legs then flex back to starting position.

* Make sure to squeeze your glutes as you rise.

Reverse hypers:

These are execellant while working on development of the posterior chain. Not only do reverse hypers pound the hamstrings and erectors but when performed correctly the also improve strength and motor control in the glutes as well.

Instructions:

*With your feet together and in the straps, initiate the movement by squeesing your glutes very hard. With the glutes tight, swing the legs up a point parallel to the ground, keeping them as straight as possible throught the movement. Return to the starting position and repeat.

*Squeeze the glutes prior to and throughout the performance.
*keep the legs straight throughout the movement, if they bend, the weight is too heavy.

Shruggs/Rack pulls/Reverse banded deads

 

[Hogg]

I'll pass on the loading issue but I will address the piss poor clean form since it is something that I am familiar with.

My hang clean was way better than my full clean but I took the time to play with a plate for a full session one night. It was hard to do because we become macho bastards in the gym and think we have to impress people.....the truth is, there is no one to impress.

I spent a whole night with a plate just learning a groove. By the end of the night, I actually started to look decent but was still using less weight than my hang clean. The truth is, the hang clean is almost a brute force exercise whereas the clean requires coordination. We talk about strength being "Learned" to an extent and I believe this is the case for the guys who have a heavy hang clean and a piss poor full clean. you simply have to start from the bottom of the barrel and work up slowly...practice, your body...your brain, your nerve system....learns to coordinate the firing of the appropriate muscles at the appropriate time(s) thus leading to improvements in your form and your poundages.

There is also a case where you learn how to be explosive. I have nto got there. I merely learned how to slowly muscle the bar in a full clean....I mean, I can upright row the weight that I was using to clean for days so I was not truly doing a good clean. When you are good, you are explosive and have flawless technique which leads to big lifts. It takes years to learn to lift big....something I will never have the time to do..... but even a shmuck can learn to technique a decent clean.

Just stick with it. If you want to do a full clean with good form, learn the lift, the load will increase in time.

H

 

[Grizzly]

Yes, Phreezer, I know I "got off" on the active recovery thing. I knew it was the inappropriate term, but it was the best one I could come up with at the time. My bad.

I'll re-read the post later, but I've got shit to do now.

 

[johnsmith182]

if you had some video of your hang clean and clean id be happy to look at it for you.

Yes, Phreezer, I know I "got off" on the active recovery thing. I knew it was the inappropriate term, but it was the best one I could come up with at the time. My bad.

I'll re-read the post later, but I've got shit to do now.

 

[Grizzly]

Thanks for the offer. I will see what I can do about that. Would you accept a regular VHS? I don't know any people with a digital video, but I could possibly get my hands on a regular tape kind.

 

[johnsmith182]

if ytou can in any way video your trianing, i will be happy to give you instructions to mail it to me and give you whatever input i can. im leaving for the olympic training center tomorrow morning, and wont be back at the computer for a couple of days, so i wont see your reply till monday or tuesday... so dont worry if i dont contact you or reply right away. talk to you later.


TE=Grizzly]Thanks for the offer. I will see what I can do about that. Would you accept a regular VHS? I don't know any people with a digital video, but I could possibly get my hands on a regular tape kind.[/QUOTE]