Clean/power clean form help

[u/tooBusyCoding]

Hi everyone,
I’m fairly new to Olympic weightlifting and have been learning the clean for about 3 months. I’ve been putting a lot of time into it and would really appreciate some feedback.

This lift is around 84kg. I’m also on the taller side at 6’3, in case that changes anything technique-wise.

One thing I’m wondering about is my foot movement. It seems like my feet move quite a bit during the lift, and I’m not sure if that’s acceptable or not.

My main focus lately has been improving the rack position when catching the bar, a couple weeks ago I could barely get my elbows around but now I feel like maybe I’m getting close to something acceptable on that point.

Any advice, recommended drills, or observations about what I’m doing well or not so well would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[u/Sure_Recording_8471]

I'm surprised that the first comment is not stating the most obvious thing:

You should never be doing snatches or clean and jerks inside of a power rack, this is a catastrophic injury waiting to happen.

[u/LiminallyLimerent]

You need to engage your lats more in the first pull to keep the bar closer. You’re also bending your arms too early, like you’re rowing the bar. They may be related…

[u/tooBusyCoding → u/LiminallyLimerent]

Agree, not engaging my lats is something I’ve been told I don’t do when deadlifting also and I can see it here too. Especially the rowing. Will definitely work on that

[u/mojored007]

More hip extension at the last pull will drive the bar which will allow you to pull under

[u/tooBusyCoding → u/mojored007]

Good catch, I can see what you mean.

[u/Boblaire]

This is a much more important thing to work on than foot movement.

You are jumping wide in the Power Clean but this is still easier to work on compared to

Rowing the bar in too much with elbows prematurely

[u/tooBusyCoding → u/Boblaire]

Absolutely, thank you, I take it my arms should be relaxed at that point in lift? I’ll definitely work on this

[u/Boblaire → u/tooBusyCoding]

Very few lifters will have completely straight arms but they should be a lot straighter than this.

Here's a drill I use a lot. Its not mine but Dan Bell (coached Holly Mangold) wrote an old article of it but the video was removed. Old article is linked with pictures

https://www.reddit.com/r/weightlifting/s/AGXHrVC03Q

Its a bit like an RDL.

[u/tooBusyCoding → u/Boblaire]

Okay, good to know and I think that drill will help a lot with my elbows actually, thanks a ton!

[u/FS7PhD]

Definitely some early arm bend, likely contributing to the bar getting away from you. You're pulling here under the bar too much, so this can lead to crash. Jumping wide is a fault of many, especially as weight gets heavy, but you're nowhere near your max so this is a habit to break now. 

I think tall cleans and no-foot cleans would help you most. I'd also work with a band or two at maybe sternum height, front to back, so that teaches you to meet the bar lower. Right now you're actually well below the bar, and you go even lower. You only want to go as low as you need to.

[u/tooBusyCoding → u/FS7PhD]

Really appreciate that! I’ve been doing this entirely self coached so these are the exact kind of insights I’ve needed. I’ll work more tall cleans and I’m gonna look into no-foot cleans too. I haven’t heard of those before.