Kelly Frankson DOT COM

So now that we are a couple months away from Provincials (November 15th is the temporary date set but the location has not yet been confirmed so the date could still move) with no other competitions in between we have been working on lots of skill transfer exercises (especially in relation to my clean and jerk).

Big problem on my clean is losing my back (which frustrates Dan to no end because I have a huge perfect form front squat and have the back strength, just haven’t figured how to keep my back tight through the entire motion of the clean-you’d think it would be easy to do since the whole lift only lasts 3 seconds, but apparently my backs attention span isn’t quite that long).  Either I jerk the bar off the ground loosing my back almost instantly letting the bar get out in front and then need to swing it back towards me (often resulting in me landing on my bum) or losing the back on the way down (resulting me landing hunched over which I can get away with up to 78kgs but not for the 82 I’m going to clean and jerk at provincials).

Big problem with the jerk is (1) driving up in a straight line  (We’ve fixed the problems with my dip, and drive is getting more consistent but when I think about not finishing with the bar in front I have the tendency to thrust my hips forward on the drive)  (2) coming underneath the bar (for some brilliant reason my body really wants to shoulder press the bar out in front of me instead of just dropping underneath it (I tried to do this with 78kgs at the competition and surprise surprise it didn’t turn out to well J), which again I can get away with up to about 75kg but then to go heavier, I actually need to do it right).

To work on the clean pull:

(1)   Twice a week I will do either clean deadlifts (typically 3 sets of 3 at 95kgs each rep going from the ground stopping mid thigh making sure the shoulders stay out infront and the back doesn’t cave in) or clean pulls (where I actually accelerate when I get past the knees and shrug at the top bringing the elbows high and outside after the shrug-typically 3 sets of 5 at 85kg)

(2)   Clean deadlifts from the hang position where I bring it to just below the knees and start the deadlift doing 4 consecutive reps without lowering it to the ground or letting go of the back (typically 3 sets of 4 at 90kgs)

(3)   Cleans from the hang Position-same type of thing as the clean deadlift where I stand up with the bar and then tighten my back and lower the bar down to just bellow my knees and then go write up into a clean landing in a full squat. (last night was 3 sets of 2 at 65kgs)

To work on keeping the bar in close:

(1)   Tall clean starting on my tippy toes with the elbows high and outside.

To work on the landing of the clean:

(1)    Plyo jumps (jumping over a bench and then write over the next one making sure that I am landing flat on my feet with my chest up so I can then explode right back over the next one-when I started doing them just using the bench press benches was challenging, but now I can put 2 45lb plates and a 25lb making the bench 29inches)

(2)    Clean split Jerks-a clean right up into the split jerk without pausing or resetting the dip.  In order to go right up into the split jerk I need to land upright and flat on my feet.  Been doing these up to 62kg

To work on the drive of the jerk:

(1)    Clean write into a split jerk -typically will do 2 at 62kg and then after the second one leave the bar on my shoulders and do an extra split jerk.  Tyr it with some heavy weight and you will quickly figure out that you have no choice but to drive straight up

(2)    Partial jerks-put 80kgs on the bar and do a dip and drive just brining the bar up to face level working on the timing of the legs and the arms-typically 3 sets of 4

(3)    2 part jerks-dip, pause at the bottom and then drive

To work on coming under the bar:

(1)    Overhead squat with the split jerk grip (so a really narrow overhead squat).  3 sets of 7 at 35 kgs.  This is where the new form of torture comes in.  Dans philosophy is that if I have flexibility to do overhead squats in this position I have no excuse not to be landing split jerks in this position and since we have started doing them (as painful as they are to do) by split jerks have been much more consistent!