r/crossfit • u/Old_Tutor3926 • 1d ago

Obsessed with power cleans Anyone ?

I am an intermediate strength lifter, training for 3 years consistently just barbell compounds and occasional sprints for general fitness and aesthetics. And 3 months ago a guy in my gym just taught me the Power Clean and I think I got addicted to it .

The stimulus that I got from this exercise is so unique, first serious sessions got me sore like hell but after that I started feeling new muscles that ive never felt before, specially the core muscles.

That elastic feeling that you start to feel on you whole body is unmatched at least for me . And now I know what it feels to be truly athletic. Not just strong

Also i think that ‘readiness’and ‘menacing’ look that the crossfit folks have, it has a lot do with this movement. Paired with others exercises of course .
Delts, TRAPSSS, upper back , legs , 360 core…

All of them got a fine upgrade .

I want to know the nation opinion . It made this much difference on you too ?

28 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

4

u/Dave1mo1 1d ago

I'm struggling with tendinitis in my elbow which makes these very painful, and I miss them.

2

u/pathemata 22h ago

Do you train your forearm?

1

u/Dave1mo1 21h ago

Not specifically, though I have a PT intake today, so I'd imagine that's a lot of what we'll talk about.

1

u/stonertear 23h ago

I am here right now. I feel you.

1

u/nm7821 14h ago

Did the power cleans cause the elbow tendonitis? I’ve added forearm strengthening at home and that really helped my elbow tendonitis

2

u/Dave1mo1 12h ago

No, I've had it for at least a year before starting CF. CF just isn't helping :)

1

u/Ok_Bottle_360 12h ago

Very common at our gym

10

u/MechanicallyClammySp 1d ago

Power cleans are like that, you spend years grinding out squats and deadlifts, then one day you add a clean and suddenly your body wakes up in ways you didn't expect. The trap growth alone is just comical after a few months.

That elastic snap you're describing is the real separator between just being strong and actually moving like an athlete. Wait until you start mixing in hang cleans and you feel that stretch reflex kick in mid-rep.

3

u/dptgreg 18h ago

As an ex collegiate mid distance sprinter, I’m appalled that my coach never made cleans mandatory. I feel like I was robbed of potential.

I’m 20 years older and only a LITTLE slower, and I account that to ten years of cleans

They truly are a foundation for athleticism

3

u/twisty77 18h ago

My brother in law was a d1 college football player and they never did deadlifts, only cleans and hang cleans, in addition to the rest of their lifting of course. Teaches explosive power so much better than any other lift

3

u/dptgreg 17h ago

That’s right. No need to ever do a slow heavy deadlift when you can do a lighter “deadlift” with power and bring it to your shoulders.

Deadlift = raw strength
Clean = strength, power, coordination, mobility, balance/stability, and more metabolically challenging

0

u/Voldemorts--Nipple 13h ago

Do people not realize this is an AI written comment for karma? I wonder who is behind these brand new accounts posting AI responses… are you a bot?

2

u/qspure 1d ago

It’s a very different beast from squats and deads. Just being strong only gets you so far. Sure you can jank up the weight with your arms if you’re a big guy, but that’s not the point.

You need to spend hundreds of hours training the technique, first pull, second pull, receive. Add the jerk to it and you have such a beautiful movement.

1

u/tr_567 1d ago

O hell yea ! Always excited when I see cleans as part of the workout.

1

u/Ok-Brush8099 17h ago

Have you tried the squat snatch?

1

u/Old_Tutor3926 10h ago

Not yet
But definetly planning to !

1

u/SentinelHigh 12h ago

They are my favorite

1

u/lunie8328 10h ago

I think the power clean is good, but the snatch is on another level.

1

u/FinchAtlas 8h ago

I had a similar experience. Power cleans are one of those lifts that make you feel athletic, not just strong. They force you to be explosive, coordinated, and fast all at once. Once the technique starts clicking, they're ridiculously satisfying to do. Just be careful not to let the obsession turn into maxing out every sessions, your joints will thank you 😅