Does power clean help develop fast twitch muscles in sprinting

1. The diagram is not of a power clean, it's of a squat clean, so I'm somewhat confused on what the info is for..

2. In both cases, power or squat , yes

3. Explanation is long winded, think hip extension, force production etc, etc, all that fun stuff.

I think it depends on several things, including how (else) you weight train and how your sprint (race modeling).

There's a youtube video with Carmelita Jeter doing weight training (and I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at some of her efforts, and that might tell you something) where John Smith compares the motion in PC with the motion clearing blocks. The reason to do PC might seem to be that you clear blocks quicker, but it's really not that simple.

(1) If you follow Smith's (HSI) race modeling, you do not push as hard as you can at the blocks because you use too much energy that costs you later. If you concentrate on good form but not pushing as hard as you can, do you get anything from PC? Bolt doesn't even do cleans.

(2) If you look at Fraser-Pryce and Bolt, they are not really the quickest for the first step or two. For SAFP particularly, the really explosive part is what happens AFTER the first couple of steps, and that's what you get from squats, hills, sleds, and plyos.

(3) It is difficult to isolate the contribution in sprinting from cleans because everyone is also doing squats.

I'm not saying to not do cleans at all, but I think diverting CNS resources from squats or sleds to do (more) cleans is a mistake. And I would not take advice from "experts" in bodybuilding or powerlifting. Sprinting is a different sport.

You discredit everything thing you say when one of sthe first thing you say is wrong.Here is Bolt doing hang cleanshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSsiUyMR-gw

Hey Coach D, I'm a bigger guy and I just started doing power cleans in my season getting ready for bigger winter lifts and starts/drive work.

I've done 3 sessions in the past 11 days of power cleans after about 3 months of not doing any, and hardly any lifts at all. They haven't made me any faster out of the blocks. What they have done is straighten my leg during the pushoff phase. I don't know if its made me faster as the seasons long over, I've noticed my stride rate is down but my stride length is way up because of the straighter pushoff.

My drive phase is also much faster but the transition to upright sprinting is harder despite my increased strength. Longer strides = harder transition. But there is no doubt in a 100 or 200 I'd be faster. Lifts will never replace block/drive/transition/top end work.

As to the original question, more fast twitch? Doesn't seem like it.

And here Bolt is at the time he set the world record in 2009, talking about his training and not even mentioning cleans.

http://www.stack.com/2009/09/01/in-the-weight-room-with-usain-bolt/

And I wouldn't call what you posted a clean, more like a slideshow for the camera. Anybody who knows anything about sprinting knows that Bolt isn't serious about weights.

Here, in the video I mentioned above, is Shawn Crawford (probably the strongest man in sprinting at the time) doing a clean with 3 plates and doing it properly (starting at 9 minutes):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4HcKooU2v8

Bolt is showing no leg drive, so who the hell cares?

Ogod, Jeter isn't doing shittt! What the hell is she doing muscling a clean and doing it so slow!!

The take away is less Jeter, more Neville.

All good answers thanks for the feedback.

Youngcoach wrote:

Ogod, Jeter isn't doing shittt! What the hell is she doing muscling a clean and doing it so slow!!

Did you not see her doing "squats"...with 2 plates on 45 degree? If you ever believed that you HAVE to lift heavy to sprint fast.... I didn't know whether to laugh or cry the first time I saw that.

No. The power clean does nothing more than develop the skills needed to perform power cleans, skills that are worthless to anyone apart from a competitive weightlifter and the practice of which causes injuries. It doesn't do a damn thing to improve your fast-twitch fibers.

Im quite sure doing power cleans helps alot with sprints such as hip extension etc.

Half squats... no.

Stick to distance running.

exthrower wrote:

belial wrote:

Half squats... no.

Stick to distance running.

So the Worlds best runners are doing something wrong?

Probably. Have you seen Bolt power clean?

Try hang cleans instead.

exthrower wrote:

belial wrote:

Half squats... no.

Stick to distance running.

So the Worlds best runners are doing something wrong?

Different exercises have different purposes.

A standard below parallel squat is a an exercise used to develop general strength.

A half squat or even quarter squat done either with lighter weight for speed and explosiveness or heavier weight for power, could be used to develop more specific strength in a more confined range of motion.

Basic squat during the off season....half/quarter squat in season....is one example.

Alan

I would consider getting this book. SprintersCompendium.com

I think many exercises work as long as you are strengthening the muscles used for running/sprinting.

While I was never much good, eventually 11.2, 22.5 and 50.4@90kg, I got faster for a time when bounding and doing olympic weights. That is what the throwers told me to do.

I also got faster just doing leg press, leg curls and leg extensions.

But i always used standing long jump as my test to see whether gym training was working.