Mobility is a huge topic and buzz word in the fitness and health industry these days. As such, every practitioner has a different interpretation of what that means. I define mobility as the elasticity of the joint structures (joint capsule, ligaments, resting tone of musculature) which lead to maximum joint angles or movement combined with the individual’s ability to control such range of motion. The Olympic lifts are some of the most technically demanding movements in the lifting world. Then it comes as no surprise that the mobility requirements for these lifts are extreme. Today I am going to go over mobility in the sense of range of motion (ROM) measured in degrees for all major joints for the clean. I will touch on where you need control, but this article is not attempting to break down technique and teach you how to execute the lift. I am simply putting guidelines on ROM requirements for the lift. I say guidelines because they are exactly that. I will lay out minimal ROMs and ideal ROMs, but every person is different and this is where most people should fall. With the majority of my clients and patients, they struggle to progress the lift or get injured during the lift due to the inability to achieve the optimal position. That inability stems from poor joint mobility which leads to compensations throughout the chain. You can get away with those compensations for some time, but as the weights get heavier and heavier, and you progress to higher levels, the compensations will come back to haunt you.
Let’s look at the phases of the clean. I teach it as the first pull, transition, second pull, turnover, and catch. Others teach it as first, second, third pull, turnover, and catch. As long as you are familiar with the phase I’m talking about, then it is just a matter of semantics. The first pull is the start position where the bar is on the floor to just above the knee. The transition the point just above the knees until the lifter has reached the power position (when the hips are under the shoulders, but knees still bent preparing to push vertically). The second pull is from the power position to maximum bar height. The turnover is the rotation of the wrists, elbows, shoulders around the bar as the lifter meets the bar at its max height. The catch is when the lifter follows the momentum down with the bar in the front rack position to prepare to stand up and complete the lift. Here’s a photo breakdown:
That is a brief overview of the positions for clarity purposes. As I mentioned, the goal of this article is to discuss joint by joint mobility requirements. I will break it down joint by joint ankle to shoulder. When discussing minimum requirements for joint ROM, it is no surprise that the max joint angles will be encountered at the starting position and the catch position. Here we go, from the bottom up:
Ankle
During the start position, the literature shows a minimum of 15 degrees of dorsiflexion (bringing your toes towards your shin) is required, with 20-23 being the average of elite level competitors. During the catch phase of the clean, a minimum of 20 degrees is required, whereas 25-30 is average for high level athletes. Plantarflexion maximums range between 35 and 47 degrees. If plantarflexion is limited then it will affect power during your second pull. I didn’t mention pronation/supination of the foot as mobility there is rarely an issue. It is more a matter of controlling pronation so you don’t lose your knee/hip position.
Knee
Knee flexion is clearly necessary for the start position, but you can get away with as little as 115 degrees. Research shows average is about 128-135 degrees of knee flexion at the start. During the catch knee flexion pushes even higher with the minimum being 135 and the average around 145-150 degrees (due to the compression of the weight). Achieving full knee extension is important; if you can’t you, have much bigger problems than learning how to do a clean and you should go see a PT.
Hip
Hip flexion can be achieved two ways. One where your knee comes as far towards your chest as it can, and two where the trunk moves as close to the thigh as it can. Given this, it is typical that the hip angle is greater at the start position with 125 degrees being the minimum and 135-140 being the average. During the catch phase you can complete the lift with a minimum of 122 degrees since your trunk remains almost upright. At the upper levels, the average hip flexion angle for the catch phase is between 130 and 145 degrees. The hip also must be able to internally rotate which is most important during the catch phase. Minimum requirements sit at 20 degrees of IR with 30-38 being the average of elite lifters.
Lumbar spine
The lumbar spine stays very still throughout the whole movement so mobility requirements here fall under that control piece I touched on earlier. If you cannot control your spine throughout the movement, you’ll fall out of position and lose pounds off the bar.
Thoracic spine
Again, the spine stays relatively still throughout the whole movement, but you do need the ability to extend in your thoracic spine to hold the best front rack position throughout the catch phase.
Shoulders
I’ve never met a weightlifting client or athlete that cannot achieve 90 degrees of shoulder flexion (assuming no surgery or major injury of course). The lifter must be able to maintain the 90 degrees of flexion throughout the catch phase to keep the bar from falling forward. The real mobility for the shoulder girdle lies in external rotation. As I talk about ER here, note that you need ER when your arm is in 90 degrees for forward flexion. Most of the time ER is discussed, it is talked about at your side or in the 90-90 (pitcher’s) position. With your arm in the forward flexed position, you need a minimum of 15 degrees of ER with the average being 20-25 degrees.
Elbow
The shoulder ER is what allows you to get your hand onto the bar, but you still need a decent amount of elbow flexion with 140 being about the average. The elbow and wrist values have more variability due to grip variety. If you are more open handed, you won’t need as much elbow flexion or wrist extension. I’m writing these values as if your hand stays closed around the bar throughout the lift.
Wrist
Last but not least, your wrist needs a minimum of 80 degree of extension per the literature and 90-95 being the average. You also need a decent amount of pronation; also 80 degrees minimum with 100 being around the average. More pronation will allow you to grip the bar more evenly without torqueing your wrist and forearm joints/muscles.
Here’s Mattie Rogers of the USA setting an American record in the C&J. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPLsZACFijU Take a look all the angles I just spoke about. Credit the video to hookgrip (youtube page here), which has amazing videos to watch technique and joint angles on a huge variety of lifters. They run the lift full speed and in super slow-motion so you can really see the joint movement.
There’s the run down on all the mobility you need or at least should have to continually progress your clean. Mobility can be limited by a host of factors including muscle length, joint capsule mobility, fascial restrictions, etc. Seek out a PT who speaks your same language. Www.ClinicalAthlete.com is a fantastic resource for finding like-minded practioners near you. As I stated in the beginning, these values are not the end all be all and you can certainly complete the lifts without having the above mentioned values. If you want to be competitive, it would be worth looking into or at least discussing with your coach. Stay tuned next week when I review the snatch as well as the jerk.
References
Burns, C. Teaching the pull. Retrieved 05/08, 2016, from http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/2013/02/05/teaching-the-pull/
Gourgoulis, V., Aggeloussis, N., Kalivas, V., Antoniou, P., & Mavromatis, G. (2004). Snatch lift kinematics and bar energetics in male adolescent and adult weightlifters. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 44(2), 126-131.
Harbili, E., & Alptekin, A. (2014). Comparative kinematic analysis of the snatch lifts in elite male adolescent weightlifters. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 13, 417-422.
Kalichova, M., Hedbavny, P., & Bago, G. (2014). Optimalisation of the snatch technique in weightlifting based on kinematic measurements. Spain. pp. 85-92.
Viorel, U., Vladimir, P., Carmen, T., & Cosmina, C. (2014). Biomechanical characteristics of movement phases of clean & jerk style in weightlifting performance. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 137, 64-69.
Winwood, P., Cronin, J., Brown, S., & Keogh, J. (2015). A biomechanical analysis of the strongman log lift and comparison with Weightlifting’s clean and jerk. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 10(5), 869-886.