Clean and press
Encyclopedia
The clean and press is a weight training
exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics
until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique.
The clean and press technique consists of the two main movements of which it is named.
s and then ankle
s. When the legs have driven the bar as high as possible, the lifter pulls under the bar by violently shrugging (contracting) the trapezius muscles of the upper back ("traps") dropping into a deep squat position and spinning the hands around the bar so the elbows are extended in front.
At the same time, as the arms are brought up with the elbows extended in front of the chest so the bar may now lay across or "rest" across the palms, the front of the shoulder
or deltoid muscle
s, and the clavicle
s. At this point the lifter should be in a full squat position, with his buttocks on or very close to the heels, sitting erect with the bar resting comfortably across the deltoids and fingers. By keeping a rigid torso and maintaining a deep breath hold the bar bends over the lifter's clavicle.
The improvement in construction of modern weightlifting bars has greatly increased this springing action compared with bars used in the first half of the twentieth century. This springing action is used to rebound from the full bottom squat position. This is commonly known as a front squat.
could do an extreme version resembling a standing bench press
.
This extreme hyperextension of the lower back led to its elimination from the Olympic Games
competition after 1972.
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
exercise, and was part of the sport of weightlifting in the Olympics
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
until 1972. It was removed from Olympic weightlifting due to difficulties in judging proper technique.
The clean and press technique consists of the two main movements of which it is named.
Clean phase
After taking a big breath and setting the back, the lifter jumps the bar up through triple extension (in very quick succession) of the hips, kneeKnee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
s and then ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
s. When the legs have driven the bar as high as possible, the lifter pulls under the bar by violently shrugging (contracting) the trapezius muscles of the upper back ("traps") dropping into a deep squat position and spinning the hands around the bar so the elbows are extended in front.
At the same time, as the arms are brought up with the elbows extended in front of the chest so the bar may now lay across or "rest" across the palms, the front of the shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
or deltoid muscle
Deltoid muscle
In human anatomy, the deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the shoulder. Anatomically, it appears to be made up of three distinct sets of fibers though electromyography suggests that it consists of at least seven groups that can be independently coordinated by the central...
s, and the clavicle
Clavicle
In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
s. At this point the lifter should be in a full squat position, with his buttocks on or very close to the heels, sitting erect with the bar resting comfortably across the deltoids and fingers. By keeping a rigid torso and maintaining a deep breath hold the bar bends over the lifter's clavicle.
The improvement in construction of modern weightlifting bars has greatly increased this springing action compared with bars used in the first half of the twentieth century. This springing action is used to rebound from the full bottom squat position. This is commonly known as a front squat.
Press phase
Once the bar is on the anterior deltoids, the lifter proceeds to pressing the weight overhead. During the Olympics, many lifters lie back while pressing. This allowed for more weight to be pressed. Vasiliy AlekseyevVasiliy Alekseyev
Vasiliy Ivanovich Alekseyev was a weightlifter from the Soviet Union. He set 80 world records and 81 Soviet records in weightlifting and won gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich and the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.- Biography :...
could do an extreme version resembling a standing bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
.
This extreme hyperextension of the lower back led to its elimination from the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
competition after 1972.
External links
- Olympic Press Techniques: The Way They Did It Before 1972
- The Tragic History of the Military Press in Olympic and World Championship Competition, 1928-1972, John Fair (Department of History and Geography, Georgia College & State UniversityGeorgia College & State UniversityGeorgia College & State University is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States, with approximately 7,000 students...
), Journal of Sport History, Fall 2001 vol 28 No3, pp 345-374