Clean from Mid-Thigh

Overview

The Clean from Mid-Thigh is a skill drill that promotes quickness under the bar into the receiving position for the Clean. Starting from a mid-thigh position requires greater focus on the action at the finish of the pull and maintaining upward force on the bar in the initial stages of the descent. See also “Quickness under the bar”.

Key Coaching Points

1. A skill drill is an exercise using light weights to reduce inhibition, increase accuracy and promote fluency of movement.
2. Raise the chest and tense the back before lowering the bar to mid-thigh. This helps to improve spinal shape and rigidity.
3. Slowly lower the bar to the mid-thigh position, and pause momentarily to ensure shoulders are slightly forward of the bar, arms straight, elbows rotated outwards, and eyes looking forward.
4. Begin the pull by following all the normal rules for the vertical extension of the body, including keeping the arms straight.
5. Keep upward force on the bar for as long as possible, including during the initial stages of the descent. During the descent, make good use of the arms to continue upward force on the bar.
6. Endeavour to drop as fast as possible to a deep receiving position. Downward speed will depend on the upward force on the bar produced by the arms and the resistance of body joints to bending.
7. Feet should land flat on the floor. It may help to think about keeping feet off the floor while descending, as this reduces the resistance of the knee and hip joints to bending. Bear in mind that the duration of the drop is as short as 0.3 seconds, which is difficult for humans to process and analyse.
8. Elbows must be rotated as fast as possible to ensure safe positioning of the bar onto the shoulders and into the neck.
9. The receiving position must be deep, upright and braced. Lack of bracing is likely to lead to a slumped receiving position, which is difficult to recover from and potentially injurious.