1/16/22
On a heavier press set I may shoulder the bar with a good looking, good form power clean, but on sets lighter than ~90% of my press 1rm…you know it – I’m using some ugly form to shoulder the bar for to press off of.
I’ve already lifted today, but typing this as I eat breakfast-dinner (time of day dinner, but my first, possibly only meal for the day), sees me amping up to go press at the Cold Air Barbell Club again.
Frequency is making a comeback lol
Today I pulled into presses at 155lbs with a straight/stiff leg, with one pull – just accelerating, no finesse, and finding the bar at my shoulders after getting my arms under.
At 185lbs I did a good form power clean.
The previous described I’ve come to annotate as “sl one pull pc” or “slpc”.
It’s not the only purposefully ugly power clean variant I use :
There is the “martinez” power clean variant, named after us olympic medalist Mario Martinez, as I’ve heard his clean form described as starting with a bent row.
I basically bent row the bar, then with the bar at my chest, stand up.
So a bent row into something of a good morning to shoulder.
Oddly I don’t continental the bar.
I use really ugly power clean variants.
On the slpc you end up pressing very strongly through the foot into the ground.
One pulling the bar, no multiple pulls as you’re supposed to in oly is basically going dumb, expecting for the best.
If I need or want to I can (and do) pretty up the form for heavier presses.
I use these ugly forms, these two are not the only two, on purpose – ugly form is going to build more muscle and strength than power cleans using hip and trap.
There IS a method to my madness.
My way is more fun than perfectly clean.
Besides my gym, the Cold Air Barbell Club, is a piece of particle board and a pair of runner patio tiles OUTDOORS in winter.
That’s where I’m lifting my barbell.
Make it ugly, embrace the ugly, making it work.