| CLEANING UP |
By: Mark Remme
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Posted: Friday, July 9, 2010 11:02 pm
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Editor’s note: Throughout the summer, the Daily News will follow the Faribault High School’s Falcons Strength and Speed Training 2010 regimen. If you have an idea or question about a workout, contact Sports Editor Mark Remme at mremme@faribault.com.
For Faribault High School graduate Eric Hildebrandt, the power clean became an integral part of his development as an athlete.
A guard on the Bethel University men’s basketball team, Hildebrandt said he increased his vertical jump and his overall explosion on the court when he mastered the lift.
“It’s very important,” Hildebrandt said. “It’s your entire body working together. It helps improve your overall athleticism.”
While it’s perhaps the most beneficial, the power clean can also be one of the more dangerous lifts in a weight room. It requires bending to pick up a weighted bar, stand up straight with shrugged shoulders and heave the bar into a locked, elbows out position.
That’s why during this summers Falcons Strength and Speed program, FHS strength coordinator Johnny Frank said he’s trying to implement the lift while stressing the importance of safety.
“It can be the most dangerous lift if you don’t use the right technique,” he said. “It’s not worth someone at this level to use a lot of weight.”
Frank said it’s important to position feet underneath your hips and begin in a “butt down, head up” position. Starting with light weight — most begin with just the 45-pound bar — and mastering technique is required.
Once technique is formed, the power clean helps develop hip movement, core, leg and shoulder strength and gives the athlete an explosive power during competition, Frank said.
Danny Ehlers, 13, is a football, basketball and baseball athlete. He said he has seen an increase in weight and more confidence since beginning to do lifts that complement the clean, such as step ups.
Step ups, dead lifts, pulls and front squats are all lifts that help increase overall athletic ability, Frank said.
Ehlers said he expects to become stronger during his sports seasons because of his time in the weight room.
Hildebrandt said using the power clean helps an athlete from head to toe, but only when the athlete takes the time to learn it correctly.
“Never, ever compromise form for weight,” Hildebrandt said. “If you can’t do a certain weight and you need to break form, go down. It’s going to hurt your knees or your back.”
— Sports Editor Mark Remme may be reached at 333-3129. |
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