Cleans!

[IAmTheWalrus]

Just curious what people think about cleans in relation to the vault. What about the vault do you feel it helps the most?

Also, what are peoples clean PRs and PV PRs?

I can clean 265 3 times (can't get the 4th) and my PR is 15'3"

Thanks guys!

[KirkB]

From Post #3 of my BB thread on Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:00 pm here http://polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=15483&p=111148&hilit=kirk+clean#p111148...

I think you can appreciate the advantage of extending in unison with the pole recoil, so I won’t go into detail about it. To me, this felt exactly like the “clean” part of a “clean and jerk”, where you used your back and not your arms. Also quite similar to a kip-hip-circle-shoot-to-a-handstand on high bar.

I forget what my "clean" PR was, but it was quite high. VERY high. I took weight-training very seriously. TOO seriously.

In hindsight, I probably weight-trained a lot more than I really needed to.

I consider myself quite lucky that I didn't bulk up that much. In my weight-lifting years, I was actually a little upset that I didn't have the pecs and biceps that I expected, based on my poundage per week. Strength-to-weight ratio is EXTREMELY important for a vaulter, so it's important NOT to bulk up!

Gymnastics - especially highbar - is better.

Good vaulters look like highbar specialists - not rings specialists. i.e. No proportionally big biceps or chest.

Kirk

[Lax PV]

I like cleans a lot as far as lifting is concerned, but as Kirk mentioned, gymnastic like strength is VERY important. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I usually lifted more than I needed too also. I think the most I ever cleaned was 110kg (~240ish) weighing in around 160. PR was 475.

To show a correlation (or lack there of), a friend of mine cleaned about the same amount weighing about 180, but his PR was around 530 at the time. Another friend cleaned ~275, weighing 150 (just a little ball of muscle) and had a PR of around 510 when it was all said and done.

In my opinion, clean is a good lift not because you can through around a lot of weight, but because of what it is forcing you to do. Create a lot of force, in a very small period of time--similar to other facets of taining. One thing that I noticed post competition however, I would hang clean just 70kg as a warm up, did it for a couple months, once or twice a week, and never lifted more than that. One day I decided to go heavier, and was still able to hang clean about 100kg. It's not so much how much weight you are moving, it is how well you are moving it. If the lift is supposed to be powerful, I would discourage loading up the weight and moving slow--forgo that extra 10kg and really move quick.

[VTechVaulter]

283lbs
5.63m

[baggettpv]

Andjei liked the Clean/Squat/Press. My strongest athlete was at 275 lbs and jumped 5.60

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

[Lax PV]

We used to do a circuit of Power Clean, Front Squat, Front Split Jerk, Back Squat, Reverse Split Jerk... 3 cylcles was 1 set. Then we would do a standing broad jump test, and as long as 1 or your 2 trials was 92% of your max or higher, then you went back for round 2 (after a 3 minute rest after the LJ). There was a max at 5 sets so the training was limited, but by the end of 5 sets... you wanted to be done anyways. Made for a really tough Friday workout...

If you would like to try it out, I suggest starting around 70% of your Clean max--it will get tough by set 3ish.

[IAmTheWalrus]

1 Rep of each per cycle? So you would clean, front squat, etc. 3 times, and then broad jump, and as long as you broad jumped 92% of your best you did it again? Sounds cool!!

[Lax PV]

1 Rep of each per cycle? So you would clean, front squat, etc. 3 times, and then broad jump, and as long as you broad jumped 92% of your best you did it again? Sounds cool!!

That's correct. You will effectively complete 15 exercises, then broad jump. It's intense, let me know how it goes for you if you try it out.

[Bubba PV]

I read an article several years ago that said the proper proportion for speed development is to be able to clean 90% of your squat. Considering that purists consider cleans a "leg lift", it makes sense. I'm nowhere close. Bubba

[VTechVaulter]

90 percent!?!?! thats crazy

i think my best is like 78

[Bubba PV]

78?! You stud!! Outta my league. Bubba

[KirkB]

... Considering that purists consider cleans a "leg lift", it makes sense. ...

You do need strong legs to clean, but actually, I think the weak link is the lower back. You need a strong lower back (and good, upright posture) to do cleans correctly.

Kirk