How do I work power cleans into my routine?

[gmoney]

Hey all, I've been working out for a while but I've never done power cleans. they look cool and I want to try them but I don't know how to work them into my routine. I currently do a rotation of:

chest/back day
legs day
shoulders/arms day
day off

I would like to here suggestions on how to implement them into this routine or if you have a killer routine that uses them please post it.

thanks!

[Thorgrim]

Right now I am doing similar exercises to the power clean before legs and low back. I do them first and use them as a warm up exercise. I concentrate on proper form and accelerating the weight up-wards as fast as possible rather then focusing on moving heavy weight. Once I have done these I am warmed up enough to go into heavy squatting or deadlifting without having to do a whole bunch more warm up sets.

I used to do them before upper back.

Since cleans work almost every muscle in the body you could probably do them at any of those workouts. Do them early in the workout probably first thing. You don't want to do them once other muscle groups are fatigued. The only thing I would worry about with that split is if your legs or low back are going to be too sore from previous workouts to perform them properly. If this is the case then I would do them chest/back day.

Then again if you are going to be incorporating power movements into your routine you might want more rest days. It won't hurt to experiment with them on this split though just to see if you like them.

Make sure to read up or watch videos on proper form. Most people don't use enough leg/hip drive and start to pull with their arms too early into the lift. You should be pulling with your arms only at the end when your legs, hips and back are almost at full extension. I'm still working on my form but it is getting better.

[tiramisu]

I haven't been doing powercleans for 6 months (I miss them). I would use them as an alternative exercise to Deadlifts so If I did Deadlifts on one back workout I would do Powercleans the next. (Starting Strength Program).

I found Powercleans were the reason that I broke down and switched my home weights to bumpers and built a platform in the basement. Trying to put the weight down after the clean made my shoulders ache.

[clicker666]

I love power cleans, and it's one of the two reasons I went back to Starting Strength. (the other is deadlifts) I put them on shoulders and traps day (when I tried a split), because I found those were the muscles that seemed to get the most action, with my triceps coming in third. As far as putting them down, I made a stack of newspapers (opened flat), and taped together. No floor damage. I don't drop them from my chest to the floor - but about waist to floor. This does mean I have to reduce the weight slightly, but I still find the exercise worth it.