Hang clean vs weighted jumps for athletic development

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  • February 10, 2017 at 8:18 PM #3238
    Morgan
    Participant

    Some of the discussion on hang clean form check videos got me thinking again about some stuff I’ve heard and read over the years about olympic lift variations vs alternatives. There are three issues:
    1) learning to do the hang clean properly
    2) getting good triple extension to maximize training effect and carryover and
    3) relative power output.

    Basically, hang cleans are super popular for athletic training but some coaches and some studies suggest that weighted jump variations that don’t require a catch are much easier to learn, allow consistent full triple extension, and actually achieve greater power production than hang cleans.

    So for most athletes who don’t plan to compete in olympic lifts does it make sense to use a clean variation for training power development and jumping ability? Common alternatives are the clean high pull, barbell hang jump shrug, and trap bar jump from the floor.

    Thoughts?

    ————————————–

    Some sources for more info:

    This blog post and a reddit thread on it discuss the trap bar jump as a replacement for power cleans.

    The link to the original study is broken but this thread quotes an NSCA study showing peak power is higher in Jump Shrug than Hang Clean.

    A Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study showing greater power and speed in jump shrugs and specifically “the JS was also characterized by greater hip and knee work when averaged across loads.”

    February 21, 2017 at 6:25 PM #3359
    Goose
    Participant

    Truth is that we program both. There are countless studies that will point whether or not bilateral or unilateral movements better prepare you for field sports. Rather than take a hard-line on one side of the argument than another, the answer is usually to train both. Our movements in sport are dynamic in nature and significantly more dynamic than most of the individual movements in any program. The art and science is combining exercises in a contrast, sequence, circuit, training block, program, and year to best prepare the athlete for the demands of the sport. Make sense?

    There are also studies that show that assisted jumping is critical for vertical jumping neurological development. Those movements will be in upcoming programs. There are only so many things that fit into a training block.

    And if you are looking for more specificity to your questions about hang clean vs weighted jumps: Consider that some of our athletes are very new to functional movement patterns, and even some veterans have trouble with ‘simple things’ like absorbing force after a jump without valgus at the knees. If we add load to the jump, that may exacerbate the problem. A Clean is certainly more technically difficult, but the athlete rarely gets off the ground enough to create the potential on a dangerous valgus moment. I’m not trying to defend the Clean so much as demonstrate that there are merits to both 🙂

    February 27, 2017 at 10:57 PM #3396
    Morgan
    Participant

    Yeah, part three pretty much answers my question. I feel pretty good about my cleans but don’t always feel like I’m getting full triple extension, especially when I’m trying to bump the weight up a few pounds, so I might give trap bar jumps a try next time they’re in the program if you guys don’t have strong feelings about doing cleans specifically. Thanks!

    March 2, 2017 at 6:09 PM #3432
    Goose
    Participant

    I am a big fan of trap bar jumps and it seems like you understand the structure we are shooting for. I’m ok with that substitution.

    March 2, 2017 at 10:05 PM #3436
    Tim
    Keymaster

    Hah, fun fact… I took that photo that is Morgan’s profile pic.

    March 3, 2017 at 1:41 PM #3437
    Tim
    Keymaster

    I like that Morgan is in full extension, similar to SLDL, and his back foot is turned in how we always cue SLDL. I can tell the glute has become your prime mover and its showing up on the beach. Pretty cool! Also, head and core are in a nice position given the full arm reach.

    Nice Photo Vo!

    Was this Lei Out 2017?

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