There’s a guy at my gym that I’ve seen a number of times recently. He always does really intense compound lifts at very heavy weights, and has a very friendly demeanor. So I asked him today if he could show me how to clean:
This be a clean. I don’t know what happened to my original gif, but it got all messed up.
and he very kindly obliged. I didn’t realize it but he’s one of the trainers there! He spent the next 40 minutes showing me how to clean properly, since it’s a very complex movement that’s easy to screw up. We started out with a 20lb preset barbell, and then moved to a 45-pound Olympic bar (Oly bars are better than the preset ones, because the weights on them will rotate with you – feels much more natural). I still don’t have the hang of it, but I think I love it, and it’s a great total-body move.
I’ll be spending the next couple of weeks working on it and once I get the hang of it, I’ll be increasing the weight! I had to spend 25 minutes foam rolling afterwards, and I have a sneaking suspicion that my legs are going to be KILLING ME tomorrow anyways.
I guess the moral of my gym story is if you have a question, don’t be hesitant to ask for help. My experience is probably on the extreme end of fantastic – I got personalized help for the better part of an hour, from a trainer, and didn’t have to pay – but if there’s a trainer at your gym you particularly like, or someone you’ve seen doing something you’re interested in trying, ask for their help. Make sure they’re at least finished with their set before asking though, the last thing anyone wants is to be talked at while they’re pushing or pulling some heavy weights!
Lifts Like a Lady 