Learning the Squat Clean - Tommy Suggs (1970)

 

From this issue, November 1970

Power Clean, courtesy of Catalyst Arfletics:

Hang Clean: 

Squat Clean: 

Coaching the C&J With Tommy Suggs

There's only two TV shows I bother watching regularly and I was deeply engrossed in one of them when the phone rang. It was Charlie.

"Hi, you busy?" 

"As a matter of fact, the final episode of Mission Impossible is about to start and I don't plan to miss it. What's the problem?" 

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that I was looking through the last S&H and really got hung up on those guys squat cleaning. Isn't it about time you showed me how to squat clean?" 

"I guess you're right, Charlie. I haven't been neglecting you. In fact, I was planning to have you substitute squat cleans for your regular pulling program tomorrow." 

"Great, let me hear how we are going to phase it in."

"Nice. Phase in is good, but I'm phasing you out now. Peter Lupus needs me." 

Monday was hot and sticky. One of those days when it feels as if someone hit you just under the knees with a two-by-four. People were dragging in the gym all day and immediately flopping on the couch in the reception room. All except Charlie. He came bursting in the door like a bumblebee. He didn't even loiter in the office, as it was his usual practice to grope through the back issues of S&H and MD. 

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go." 

"Slow down. You'll have a heart attack. Why are you so bubbly? Have a couple of cups of coffee on your way over here?" 

"No, man. I'm really anxious to get into the Olympic lifting thing." 

"Obviously. Let's see if the platform is free." 

It was, and Charlie did his usual 10-15 minutes of stretching, then quickly loaded the bar to 135 pounds.

"Let's back off a little." 

"Less than 135?" He seemed hurt. 

"Don't worry, we'll get back up to it in just a few minutes, but I want to take you up in progressive steps and you haven't seen the exercise yet." 

The bar was loaded to 95 pounds [it costs a yard for a pair-a cheap nickels now, what the hell!], and Charlie looked at me for instructions. 

"Now, Mr. Charlie, let's see if you've been doing your homework. If you have been systematic in doing your power cleans and front squats this lesson will be rather simple. If not, you will have problems." 

"I've been doing them just the way you showed me." 

"Fine, then this should be fun for you. You will be doing ALL SETS FOR 3 REPS. You will do a power clean on the first rep, and after you rack the weight go into a full squat. Stand back up erect, lower the bar to just above the knees, pull and go as low as you need to in order to rack the bar once again.

"In other words, I want you to do

a power clean

followed by a hang clean

and finally a squat clean."

Charlie was hanging on every word, but I caught a tiny ray of confusion.

"Keeping up with all this?" 

"Well . . . yes and no. I can picture what you are telling me quite clearly, but I can't tell for sure whether I c an get them going together until I try it." 

"Exactly. That's how you eventually learn any physical skill. I want you to try a set with this 95 and see how it feels. Then we'll see whether anything else needs to be said." 

Charlie gripped the bar, power cleaned it, did a hang clean, catching the bar very high, and then power cleaned the third one going back into a front squat once again. 

"I can't make myself go into a full squat clean on the 2nd or 3rd ones," he said disgustedly.

"Don't worry. That looked very good for a first stab . . . 

As the weight gets heavier you will be forced into a lower position. We are going to be progressing slowly, in 10-pound jumps. Load it to 105." 

His second set was about the same as his first. I put a 5-pound plate on each side. He was now approaching his best power cleaning weight for triples and he was starting to have to move a little faster to get under the bar. On this third rep the bar fell off his shoulder and he crashed backwards.

"That, Charlie, will not be the last time you'll get knocked on your seat cleaning, but let's see if we can correct the problem. You pulled the weight nicely, but you are moving too slowly into the bar. After the completion of the pull, you need to wedge your body into the bar quickly. One or two other things . . . 

"As you finish the pull you need to snap the bar -- not just pull it. The bar has to jump so that you have time to go under it. Also, you are merely letting your feet flop. You need to place them and place them quickly. When your feet move fast, the rest of your body will follow suit." 

Charlie was now dripping with sweat and trying his best to absorb all this. I loaded it to 135.

"I didn't get that 125 yet, " he said rather weakly.

"is this the same fellow that fussed because I wouldn't let him start with 135?" 

He looked at me sheepishly and approached the 135. This time he did all three reps nicely driving under the third so that he was setting in  rock bottom position. He looked pleased with himself. 

"Not bad, for the first workout. Three more sets at the same weight and we'll call it a day." 

He was really panting after the second set. "Those things are murder." 

"No question about that. I would say a heavy clean workout for triples is as hard physically as anything in the sport." 

"My pull seems pretty good but my legs seem shaky." 

"Which indicates what?" 

"More squats." 

"Right, Charlie. You'll be able to diagnose your own problems in no time. Now in this final set try to remember just one more thing. Keep the elbows turned out at the top of the pull. This keeps the bar from hooking over and knocking you back on your seat." 

He went through the third set of 3 and barely got out of the final clean. He walked off the platform and collapsed on the sit-up board.

"Boy, that's all I can say. Boy!" 

"Where's your enthusiasm, Charlie?" 

"Gone. Who ever said weightlifting doesn't improve cardiovascular fitness. My heart is about to explode." 

"The man that made that statement never, ever did an exercise such as this one and you can bet on that." 

"Is that enough?" 

"Sure. For your pulling. You still have your benches and some squat's on today's program though. We'll just hit this workout once a week for the next few weeks and see how you progress. After the pattern gets pat we'll go up for a heavier single. Save a little energy because tomorrow we are going to be jerking for the first time and that can be a toughie." 

Tommy Suggs sure did write a lot like Bill Starr. 

Enjoy Your Lifting!