YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Some exercises in the gym require a little more technique and finesse. If this is not prioritized trying the wrong form can lead to aches and pains, or even worse injury.
“We are going to look at the power clean which is a move that we see in group fitness classes [and] all the way to athletics which is also very common. And it’s also one of the hardest movements to do, so we see a lot of errors with this one,” Danny Amon, York JCC Fitness Center and personal training manager said.
Amon gave us the step-by-step to set up the Power Clean to keep us safe.
Starting with your grip. He says to be sure that your grip is somewhere around shoulder width apart. In some cases, your grip may drift slightly inside or outside of that, but do what feels most comfortable.
“[Make sure] shoulders [are] back. We say proud chest a lot, this is a common cue. That just means get your chest up nice and tall. My back is tight, locking my core in, so bracing my core. That’s how you transfer that bar force. Then it’s just that little bit of dip for the power clean. To do that we’ll dip, jump, and then the weight comes up," Amon said.
If you are just starting to work up to the power clean, the York JCC has a drill to help.
“For the jumping drill you are getting set the same way but to cue you to not use your upper body, we are just going to keep our arms straight the entire time and we are going to add a little jump with the barbell. Dip, jump. Set. Dip jump and set,” Amon said.
Feel free to use hand weights instead of a barbell and if you have any additional questions don't be afraid to consult the trainers at the JCC!
You just got better!