The Power Clean
Usually associated with the Olympics (whenever I think about it, anyway) the power clean is a wonderful exercise to improve explosive strength and power. The way I see it, the power clean combines the main four exercises (squat, bench, deadlift and press) as a way to gauge and improve your overall explosive strength throughout your body. I find it is a vital exercise to increase strength and consider it my favourite exercise of all-time.
The power clean is often regarded as an advanced training exercise unsuitable for most people. Newcomers to training will never attempt to power clean for several reasons, and I believe they are:
- It looks complicating and highly intimidating at first glance,
- Most gyms do not carry the necessary equipment (plastic weights) and safety mats, including
- The space required for Olympic style lifting is pretty large and most gym owners do not want to see space wasted in their facility, and finally
- There is no one to teach them the proper way to do a power clean.