Power Snatch vs Power Clean?

[Guest guest]

Hall wrote about the value of the snatch:

<I agree with Mr Thibaudeau....to a point.

While the Snatch may be a more athletic exercise, there comes a time when one

is training athletes that load intensity must be a factor. I think the power

clean & push press works best for development of raw power, especially in

larger men. If a collegiate offensive lineman can only handle 95 kg in the

snatch, how well does that prepare him to wrestle with a 300 pound opponnent?

Not well, in my opinion.

I would rather see my players PC in the 150-160 kg range and squat 300 kg. I

think the low poundages in the PS will not adequately stimulate the 300 pound

trainee.>

*** Before we go any further -- What is the difference between " raw " power

and other types of power?

Biomechanical research has shown that the maximum power generated during the

snatch is somewhat greater than the maximal power generated during the jerk

(over 5kW). Note that muscle tension depends on the force developed during a

given movement and that a lighter load does not necessarily mean less force

production or smaller rate of force development (RFD). Incidentally, there

are many 200-240lb wrestlers who can handle 300lb football linemen with ease

- obviously so, because skill, agility and timing of application of force are

crucial in all one-on-one combat.

This having been said, there are a few major difference between the power

clean and the power snatch which have not yet been discussed:

1. The heavier load used in the former case means that the clean is superior

for developing starting strength, a quality which is very important when

initiating movements where great inertia (like large bodymasses) is involved.

2. The heavier load of the clean offers a greater strengthening effect to

the skeletal system

3. The catching and holding of the bar on the chest during the power clean

or clean places greater demands on the trunk and spine, especially if one

performs a hybrid (or " complex " ) in which one follows the power clean with a

front squat (this is useful alternative for those who cannot yet execute a

full squat clean).

4. The power clean offers superior eccentric amortisation training during

the catch or absorption phase of the lift.

5. The snatch develops superior strength-flexibility of the shoulder girdle

and upper extremities.

In other words, both the power snatch and the power clean offer unique

training benefits and should not be regarded as one-or-the-other exercises,

but complementary exercises used in intelligent combinations to achieve

superior synergistic effects. If both of those exercises are used in a

hybrid (or " complex " ) with a squat following the " power " part of the

movement, the overall training effect will be even better in terms of

enhancing stability and strength of the whole body.

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/

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